The 5th commandment states, Honor thy father and mother so that your days may be long upon the land which your God is giving you. Lance Williams, a San Antonio native, is doing just that when he launched his restaurant, Uncle Clyde’s Kitchen, an ode to his father, who wanted his own restaurant.
“When I think of my dad, I think how he makes everyone comfortable, so I wanted to create that vibe for Uncle Clyde’s Kitchen. A place where you can just pull up and have some good food.”
The story of how Uncle Clyde’s Kitchen came to be is a story that almost didn’t happen. Williams was a working truck driver, and just months before he was to pay his truck off, he got into a major accident trying to avoid hitting someone that caused his truck to jump the barricade on the I10 interstate. When Williams came to, he remembers seeing everything on fire except for the cabin. The sound of the gas tank leaking alerted him enough to unbuckle his seatbelt, burst through his windshield to escape what would have been detrimental had he stayed in any longer than he did. Able to not only walk away, but run from the engulfing flames that consumed the cabin immediately after he got out made him, like most, take a moment to be thankful.
“Man, when I came to, I opened my eyes and seen fire on everything, except the passenger seat and me. I remember looking for my phone and then thinking, “Fuck that phone!” I heard the sound of the gas tank leaking and I had to get the fuck up outta there. The only way for me to get out was through the windshield because the truck was on its side, and man I just remember fire being everywhere, but if there was every a time for me to walk through fire, this was it! So I kicked through the windshield, got out far enough to look back and see the fire. Cop waked up to me like, “where the fuck you came from?!”
“Could it be that maybe God is intervenesWith my life like he did so many times in between” _
Scarface “A Blessing in disguise – Rick Ross ft. Scarface & Z-RO”
It takes time to get to a place when you can realize the blessing in disguise. The immediate scare of what just happened, the thought of your family, loved ones and the feeling of “Why was I spared?” These questions will occupy the mind and if you let them, can and will consume you. Lance did not become a victim to his own thoughts. After four months Williams formed his plan to get back. With his fathers dream as inspiration, he started out just making what is now his most famous dish, his Texas’s best boudin and boudin balls. This is not him calling it that, people are coming to the window of his restaurant wanting to say it! All for this classic creole delight that he makes in a variety of ways. All of which are smoked to perfection! Since Uncle Clyde’s Kitchen’s inception, Lance has added more items to the menu that you just have to try out yourself. If you enjoy chicken, you MUST try his smoked wings. Really everything he has taste great. Whether youre on a lunch break or taking something home for the family to enjoy, Uncle Clyde’s Kitchen has you covered.
This was a story about my friend that I had not been told, as I was gathering information to complete this story, I got tense. the thought of almost loosing a life long friend that has inspired me in so many different ways put weight on my chest. I can only imagine what getting through to the other side of almost loosing your life in such a manner is like. Lance Williams is someone I have known to be the most individualest person ever. Always confident in how he presented himself in every situation. So much so that he made his own clothing line just so he can feel confident in what clothing brand he is wearing. “Don’t want to look up and 10 years later that name you got on is doing something wild.” These are the words of a man that I knew at a young age saw the world very different. Even how is planning the next few years with the restaurant is very different from any restaurant that I have every heard of. I’d explain but it will be better for you to experience yourself.
If you are in the San Antonio area and looking for some good food, you have to stop by Uncle Clyde’s Kitchen.
Be sure to join their email list and follow them on instagram @uncleclydeskitchen.
