In the mood for fried fish? If you are near Chattanooga, Tennessee then you are in luck. Uncle Larry’s serves wonderfully crisp, perfectly cooked cornmeal crusted fish without any of the grease that often comes with fried fish. They use the same breading for all the varieties of fish available: whiting, perch, tilapia or catfish. They will add a spicy kick to the breading if you order your fish Cajun-style though.
On a recent lunch visit, my husband ordered his favorite, catfish. My daughter ordered shrimp. Finally, I ordered perch.
I must confess that I am not, nor have I ever been, that big of fan of fish. In fact, I seriously considered ordering the pork chop (they also have hot dogs and chicken nuggets) instead. However, I am glad I heeded Uncle Larry’s advice about the perch being “less fishy” than the whiting and ordered it instead. After all, this is a fish restaurant.
Despite my enjoying the fish, I think the side dishes were my favorite part of the meal…they were REALLY good side dishes. I loved the fresh cucumber salad. It was a great counterpoint to the fried fish…and fried okra. They also had wonderful onion rings, turnip greens, and beans…yep, I tasted my family’s sides as well.
While I stuck with regular tartar sauce, Uncle Larry’s “smack ya” sauce is very popular and is another way to add a spicy kick.
Uncle Larry’s is a smaller casual restaurant where the food is served on paper plates with plastic silverware. There is no “catch of the day.” There is no “baked” fish option. They do what they do well.
Their portions are generous; we ended up eating about half our meals and taking the other half home. Their prices are very reasonable; you can get 10 pieces of fish, fries, hushpuppies, and slaw for under $30 if you order a “family pack.” Their service is wonderful; a friendly staff that often includes Uncle Larry himself makes you feel welcome.
