'A Pinch of the North, a Dash of the South': Fairview’s Uncle Lenny’s Café
On any given day at Uncle Lenny’s Country Café, you might find a plate of scratch-made pierogies headed to a Wisconsin transplant, fried catfish sizzling for a Friday regular, or a towering slice of Miss Betty’s coconut cake making its way to a smiling newcomer. But the story behind Fairview’s new favorite gathering place is about more than food — it’s about family, music and one son’s journey that inspired a restaurant built on love.
LynnMarie Rodick grew up in a small suburb outside Cleveland, Ohio, the daughter of emigrant Slovenian grandparents and entrepreneur parents, Ludwig and Lillian Hrovat. Her father, a popular accordion player, ran Lud’s Tavern — the local watering hole where laughter, music and home-cooked meals filled the air. Her mother’s kitchen was just as lively, a place where everyone was welcome and no one left hungry.
That upbringing shaped everything for LynnMarie — whether she was on stage as a five-time Grammy-nominated musician or in her own kitchen feeding bandmates after rehearsals. “Gathering, feeding and bringing people joy has always been in my heart,” she said.
In 2006, life shifted. Her only child, James, was born with down syndrome and later diagnosed with autism. The performance stage gave way to the kitchen table, where LynnMarie found herself perfecting recipes and experimenting with Southern flavors for the friends and family who came to support her and James. Among the most frequent visitors was her brother, Lenny — James’s beloved “Uncle Lenny.” Over coffee and her fresh-from-the-oven pecan coffee cake, they would joke, “Someday we should open a restaurant and call it Uncle Lenny’s.”
That “someday” got closer when LynnMarie and her husband, Eddie, moved to Fairview in 2020 so James could attend Williamson County schools and participate in Fairview High School’s transition program for students with special needs. The couple quickly noticed there was no place in town offering the kind of scratch-made, home-style meals they loved.
By January 2024, a “For Sale” sign on a Fairview's Country Café felt like fate. Eddie, a business analyst and the numbers half of the partnership, ran the math. LynnMarie, the creative force, envisioned a cozy space where the community could, in her words, “Gather, eat, and be happy.”
When they opened Uncle Lenny’s Country Café in September 2024, they wanted it to be more than a restaurant. “We wanted a gathering place for our local community, where people can eat good food and be happy. It’s that simple,” LynnMarie said.
'A Pinch of the North, a Dash of the South'
The menu is a reflection of the couple’s Cleveland roots and Nashville life — a culinary bridge between two regions. Many dishes are inspired by LynnMarie’s 1998 novelty country hit "That’s What I Like About the North," which opened doors for her to play alongside country greats like Vince Gill and Chet Atkins.
From Slovenian sausage platters and scratch-made pierogies — a nod to their grandparents’ heritage — to Southern comfort favorites like biscuits and gravy, fried catfish and Nashville hot chicken, the café offers something both familiar and surprising.
“We’re introducing Southerners to Northern dishes they’ve never tried, and we’re giving transplants from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio — all over — a taste of home they haven’t had in 20 years,” Eddie explained.
Desserts have their own loyal following, especially those from 78-year-old Miss Betty, whose coconut cake draws customers from across the state.
Uncle Lenny’s isn’t just a restaurant — it’s part of Fairview’s social heartbeat. Weekly events include:
- Tuesdays: Trivia night
- Wednesdays: Kids under 12 eat free
- Thursdays: $10 James Burgers with live music on the Café Corner Stage
- Fridays: Fried catfish platters
- Saturdays: Ethnic specials
- Sunday brunch: Complete with a popular Bloody Mary cart
The second Monday of every month, the café becomes an intimate listening room for its Monday Night Music Series, bringing Opry veterans and top Nashville talent to Fairview. The shows sell out every time.
“If Loveless Café and the Bluebird Café had a baby,” LynnMarie laughed, “this is what it would look like.”
The Rodicks also keep James’s journey at the heart of their mission, partnering with Fairview High’s transition program to give students with special needs hands-on job training. They currently employ a graduate of the program as part of their team.
As Uncle Lenny’s celebrates its one-year anniversary on Sept. 12, the Rodicks are planning their first Oktoberfest with music, special menus and community fun.
Long-term, they hope to grow into a recognizable brand — selling house-made sauces and dressings, opening a bakery and producing pierogies for shipment nationwide.
“We are an LLC – Ludwig James – and we want to be like a Marshall Hospitality Group” Eddie said. “But for now, our focus is on making people feel at home, one plate at a time.”
Uncle Lenny’s Country Café is open Tuesday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for breakfast, lunch and dinner and Sunday for brunch from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. For the Rodicks, the mission has never changed: Gather. Eat. Be happy.
