The Original Kin Folks Barbeque

With Jim's 6 weeks of unemployment and the very wet weather we've been having, we hadn't really been out of town for quite some time. Saturday the rain held off (except for some sprinkles) so we decided to take a little drive. We ended up in Attica, a little town that's located about 8 miles south of Knoxville on highway 5 in Marion County. Now when I say small, that's what I mean. The population isn't even listed on the state map. All that's there is a couple dozen homes, a church, a very small used car lot, and one of the best restaurants around. Kin Folks Barbecue cooks all their meats using a wood-fired oven. They're housed in an old store with a pressed-tin ceiling and wooden floors. Another room has been added onto the rear for additional seating. The main dining room has dark maroon walls which makes it feel cozy and is decorated very eclectically with shelves holding a toy tractor collection, various antiques like old meat grinders, tins, old soda bottles, cast iron skillets, jugs, and even a stuffed raccoon and turtle. Old farm implements hang from the ceiling. Seating in this room is older style booths and tables with mis-matched wooden chairs.

None of that really matters though, because it's the food that draws people to town. For only $9.99 you can get a one-meat meal with 2 sides, and a roll. The meats include BBQ Beef, Beef Brisket, Country Ham, Italian Sausage, Turkey, Chicken, Catfish and Pork Ribs. This is one of the few places I know that fixes a nice, tender brisket because they cook it for hours. All the meats are served with BBQ sauce on the side if you want. The sides offered are baked potatoes, potato salad, country-style baked beans, green beans, corn on the cob, coleslaw, fruit salad, applesauce, or lettuce salad. You can also get 2-meat, 3-meat, or a 6-meat sampler dinner. If a meal is more than you need, you can have most of the meats as a sandwich. Coffee is only 75 cents and soda, ice tea, or lemonade are $1.79 with free refills or you can have a glass of milk. Children's dinners and carry-out is available,too. For dessert, they offer homemade ice cream, (plain or as a sundae) homemade fruit cobblers, (blackberry, peach or cherry), brownie delight, or a rootbeer float. I'm sure you won't go away hungry. They also offer catering. If you're ever in the vicinity, make sure you stop in. They're open Tuesday -Thurday 10:30 - 8:30 , Friday and Saturday 10:30 - 9, and 10:30 - 3 on Sundays, closed on Monday. Want more info? Call 641-943-2362.

Another Kin Folks is located in Altoona but it's in a new strip mall with none of the atmosphere of the original, and I hate to say it, but they had poorly trained staff. The one time Jim and I ate there we watched as a waitress wiped up a spill on the floor and then used the SAME cloth to wipe a table!!! I told the manager but he didn't seem to care. We won't ever eat there again.