WEST ALABAMA MEMORIES 2014 ORNAMENT
Gary Kewis opened Rama Jama's Restaurant on September 14, 1996, at the corner of Paul Bryant Drive and Wallace Wade Avenue. Known as the "Shadow of the Stadium", Rama Jaa's has become one of Alabama's most recognized restaurants. From its iconic sign, to the pictures, posters, license plates, and football related memorabilia lining the walls and ceilings, Rama Jama's is packed with West Alabama Memories. Many of the artifacts filling the small diner are true one-of-a-kind collector items. These include a piece of the south end zone scoreboard that was removed from Bryant-Denny Stadium in 2009, a bar stool from Joe Namath's famous restaurant that once stood on 15th Street, and a large mural given to Rama Jama's by the Bryant Museum. The history of the building itself goes back further then Rama Jama's. An old photo from the 1950's shows a small building named the Perdue Service Station. The current grill area is where mechanics repaired cars. In later years, the small building would become a convenience store before becoming the diner we know today. The only addition to the original building is the enclosed patio dining area, which allows more people to be serviced inside. Today, the menu still includes the staples of southern cooking. Little has changed since the restaurant opened with a home style breakfast and hamburger that CBS analyst Tracy Wolfson and Verne Lundquist called the "best burger in the SEC". In the October 27, 2005, issue of Sports Illustrated On Campus, Rama Jama's was named the ninety-first "thing-to-do before you graduate" from the University of Alabama. For thousands of University of Alabama students, alumni, and Tuscaloosa residents, Rama Jama's is a West Alabama tradition.