Uncle Js Seafood and more . . . Best New Restaurant In Fayetteville, TN

Uncle Js Seafood and more provided me with the best dining experience I have had since I moved to Tennessee in 2004. The meal I ate there last Saturday night, July 18, 2015 was hands down, bar none, the best meal I've eaten since I've been in TN and that is saying something because there are some great restaurants here in Tennessee. Uncle Js Seafood and more . . . Best New Restaurant In Fayetteville, TN provided a casual, laid back dining experience with a menu that was nothing short of GRUBALICIOUS!

The food was FANTASTIC, INCREDIBLE and DELICIOUS, obviously it made a good impression on me and I am not easily awed by food. I cook for myself every night and have my entire life. I come from a family that would sit down at the dinner table every night but Saturday and enjoy a home cooked meal, My Mom is an excellent cook and so are my Brother and Sister.

I have eaten in the finest restaurants of London, Paris, Madrid, Berlin, Washington D.C. and the Buckhorn Exchange in Denver is one of my favorites but this meal at Uncle Js Seafood and more . . . BLEW MY SOCKS OFF, good thing I was wearing sandals at the time!

A friend of mine and I saw Uncle Js Seafood and more on the way in to dropping off a vehicle at our exit point for a kayak trip on the Elk River. Most of my readers know by now that I am a enthusiastic kayaker and have been exploring the Duck River and Elk River for the last three years. When we passed it the first time there was only one car in the parking lot and we weren't even sure if it was open.

We often explore and find local eating establishments when we finish our trips and discussed giving Uncle Js Seafood and more a try while on the Elk River, if it was open when we finished. We talked to an employee (Bob) from Kelso Canoe at the starting point and he highly recommended we give it a try. When going back to retrieve our other vehicle at the starting point of our trip we saw that there were a few more cars in the parking lot, a good sign it was open.

Jacob the youngest, Jedediah the middle son and Shannon the oldest grew up sons of a poor pipe welder that moved his family from Louisiana to Tennessee and back again following jobs such as working on oil wells and construction, where ever his skills were needed. This life style is all the family knew and any hardships involved and the skills of adapting learned along the way may well have prepared the boys for life as adults.

Both Jed and Jacob entered the Armed Forces after High School graduation, with Jed completing three tours in Afghanistan. Jacob developed a ruptured eardrum and was honorably discharged from service in 2002, returning to Winchester, TN. Shannon stayed in Tennessee working for, what is now called AC Dakien for the last 21 years. All the boys learned the lessons of integrity and strength of character from their hardworking Father.

The boys learned to cook Cajun style food at home and from working in their Grandmother's Rida Cajun Buffet in Houma, LA, where they lived. Jacob spent many years after his time in the service painting military aircraft to support his family but never gave up on his dream to share the cajun style food he grew up eating, with the people of Tennessee. In 2007 he opened a Cajun Cafe in downtown Fayetteville while establishing a successful catering business as well.

While the Cajun Cafe was popular with the locals, it didn't last long and closed down due to financial considerations within a year. However the catering business was and still is very successful and provided the financial backbone to try the restaurant business again in a different location.

I'm very glad Jacob didn't give up on his dream because Uncle Js Seafood and more . . . Best New Restaurant In Fayetteville, TN allowed me to eat some authentic Cajun style food, that I consider some of the best seafood I've eaten in my life.

Uncle Js Seafood and more . . . Best New Restaurant In Fayetteville, TN has been open now for 10 weeks and is thriving on mostly word of mouth advertising and a Facebook page. This location offers plenty of parking just off Highway 64, just outside of Fayetteville near Kelso, Tennessee. The restaurant itself is an old, general store leased to Uncle Js by Kelso Canoe and Kayak Rental, remodeled for a casual dining experience and even houses a band stand.

The atmosphere is laid back, the food is excellent and the Lirette boy's hospitality is gracious and welcoming. It is the kind of experience that makes you feel at home instantly and the great tasting seafood encourages you to come back to try more of their spicy, delicious meals. While some may find the Seafood Platter to be a little pricey at $30 dollars, I found it to be worth every penny. They offer many more options, depending on the season and a variety of Po' Boy sandwiches.

I would suggest taking advantage of the 23 years of experience Kelso Canoe and Kayak Rental has to offer, across the street for a leisurely float on the Elk River and then a great dinner at Uncle Js Seafood and more . . . Best New Restaurant In Fayetteville, TN to top off a great day of relaxation and fun.

I highly recommend this dining experience and am looking forward to more grubalicious seafood in the coming weeks as my kayaking will be in and around the town of Fayetteville, while I continue my exploration of the Elk River. I can't say enough about the great seafood, warm hospitality and relaxed atmosphere provided by Uncle Js Seafood and more . . . Best New Restaurant In Fayetteville, TN.

Evidently, when writing this article I had a slight communication issue. Even though I interviewed the owner for over an hour on the phone and in person, some important information was left out of the conversation.

Apparently, Uncle Js Seafood and more . . . Best New Restaurant In Fayetteville, TN still has some logistical problems to work out, when it comes to supply and demand. While this problem can be excused for new restaurant owners still navigating the complicated problems of getting seafood "Fresh from the water to your table", not being able to communicate this problem to your patronage is a BIG PROBLEM!

Facebook can be a great media tool but if you don't use it to communicate important information and it is your only digital link because you don't have a website, then it is nothing more than a social gossip page.

I have always found that folks are very forgiving and understanding if you communicate with them up front and don't try to hide anything. As a recovered alcoholic and drug addict, I know from experience that if I'm up front with my own character defects, people will be much more willing to work with me.

So while posting to your potential clients that you are really enjoying your vacation in Disney Land you might also want to tell them YOUR RESTAURANT IS CLOSED UNTIL THURSDAY JULY 30, 2015, just a thought . . .

As a writer touting the awesome dining I experienced last Saturday night and taking the time and energy to write an article expressing how impressed I was with this new restaurant, I feel like I got thrown under the bus and after running me over backed up to make sure they ground my reputation into the dirt.

Two of my friends called me to express their 'graditude' for recommending a restaurant that is CLOSED, after driving 70 to 100 miles round trip to find this out. Needless to say they weren't happy and I can't blame them.

Since they both have fancy phones they immediately got on the internet and went to the fb page and saw that it said OPEN, while sitting in the parking lot staring at big white letters CLOSED SOLD OUT scrawled in soap on the front window.

WOW!

I talked to a local around 4:30 p.m. Saturday, after kayaking on the Elk River, after experiencing the same feeling sitting in their parking lot and evidently this isn't the first time it has happened. I feel like I could have been told in the interview process and I would have worked it into my article in a way that would have allowed my readers to recognize the problems of getting fresh seafood into Tennessee.

After sleeping on this information, I still feel betrayed and felt it was necessary to share this information with my readers. I don't know if I will be going back, yes the food is REALLY GOOD and yes I can forgive inexperience but I feel some deception here.

For all of you out there that made the drive on my recommendation only to find a CLOSED SOLD OUT sign, I apologize.

I have learned a valuable writing lesson here and perhaps it is my fault for not asking the question "Do you ever run out of fresh seafood and have to close down?" but the thought never occurred to me and I still feel like I should have been told.

I, for one, hope they work these logistical issues out and continue to share great Cajun style fresh seafood with the people of Tennessee, whether or not I am one of these people remains to be seen.