When you think local cuisine, seafood is not at the top of the list because of our distance from the two coasts. For most of my time here in Grand Junction, if I wanted seafood, Red Lobster was my best bet. However, there is another source in town that offers excellent catfish, salmon and shrimp with a Cajun twist. Uncle Nubs, formerly located in Clifton, moved to 1st and Grand in downtown Grand Junction last spring and brings a little taste of the bayou to the Western Slope.

The one thing you can count on when you dine at Uncle Nubs is your waistline won’t be the same when you leave. Almost everything on the menu is breaded and cooked in oil for your eating pleasure. Onion rings, mushrooms, pickles, shrimp, salmon, and catfish are just some of the options on the menu that are fried and loaded with spices that will wake your taste buds up in a hurry.

The other thing you can count on at the bayou grill and brew is quantity. Every seafood entrée comes with three sides to accompany your main dish. It starts with a loaded baked potato, then add Mississippi hushpuppies (fried cornbread) and either regular fries, sweet potato fries, coleslaw or fried okra. Since seafood is the specialty, the fried catfish and popcorn shrimp seemed like the most fitting choice. After finishing my plate, it’s safe to say that I made the right choice.

Each bite of catfish practically dissolved in my mouth and was rich in Cajun seasoning. It’s an all-too-common occurrence to order fish that is either undercooked or lacking flavor, but Uncle Nubs does a good job of avoiding that problem. The popcorn shrimp was just as delicious and came with cocktail dipping sauce to keep the classic combination together. Perhaps the most dominating presence on the plate besides the catfish strips is the baked potato. Still piping hot from the oven and wrapped in tin foil to retain the heat, the baked tater comes loaded with butter, sour cream, cheese and bacon bits. It could even be argued that there are more toppings in the potato than actual starch. The hushpuppies are an artery-clogger and are not as flavorful as everything else on the dish, but are still a tasty snack to go along with the group. All of the pieces come together and create a spicy yet satisfying meal that will undoubtedly leave you with a bayou food baby in your stomach.

mfreter@mavs.coloradomesa.edu