Just to get away from the New Jersey Cold weather was a Blessing,,
We were Visiting a dear Friend who Moved to Williamston the next town over from Jamesville and it was his Idea to have Lunch at the Cypress Grill and It was a great Idea,,We had an Early Lunch and had the Place to ourselfs,,,All 3 of Us Had the Fried Catfish with all the fixing and the best Lemonaid I have had in a Long time,,,
Eatting a Great Fish Meal right at the Rivers Edge was Just right for our little Vacation from the Cold,,,,
If You are anywhere near Jamesville,,stop by and sit down and have a real Fish Meal from the best cook in NC,,,,,You owe Yourself that treat,,,,,
my moon handbook says: "the cypress grill is an unprepossessing wooden shack right-smack on the river, a survivor of the days when jamesville made its living in the herring industry, dragging the fish out of the water with horse-drawn seine nets ... the cypress grill is open for the three and a half months of the year (from the second thurs in jan through the end of apr), when the herrings run, and you could hardly have a more intensely authentic, small-town dining experience anywhere else."
i was intrigued but cautious, so i asked my dad to turn into the tiny street off the empty highway in search of this shack on the river. Â "if there are less than three cars there," i said, "we're leaving." it kinda freaks me out when we're the only people in a restaurant.
so we drove down this tiny residential street and i was growing increasingly skeptical. Â we drove down a good three miles of quiet gravel road without seeing a soul. Â i was about to say we should turn back when the road ended at the spectacular scene of the roanoke river.
to my utter surprise there was a makeshift dirt parking lot to my left PACKED with cars. Â very good sign. Â i tell my dad to park, and he nearly drives us into the river trying to fit the car into the crevice between the shack and the river. Â not a real parking space, mind you.
it was exactly what i would expect it to be inside. Â kitschy and sweet. Â a ton of locals. someone's grandma yelled across the room for us to grab a seat anywhere. Â the menu was a flimsy worn piece of white paper with hastily typed items in times new roman. i smiled because this was the kind of place you'd try to replicate in california but just can't.
of course you have to order the herring. Â twice deep fried, and you eat them whole, with a side of southern staples like hush puppies (we literally had this for 50% of our meals on our trip), cole slaw, boiled potatoes.
my favorites were the oyster plate (under $7!), and the deviled crab (a spicy crabcake in a shell).