If the crowd on opening night was any clue, Wimberley was ready to welcome a seafood restaurant.
Fish Tales held its grand opening last week on River Road at the former location of Creekside Cookers.
Owned by Brett McManus and Diane and Scott Harpring, Fish Tales has been a big hit with the locals so far.
“It’s been super super busy,” Lexi McManus, who is also the general manager, said. “It was expected, and we are looking forward to it. I’m super glad everybody wants to come in and eat here. It’s a big rush, and we are still working out the kinks so all we can ask for is everyone’s patience. But everyone is leaving here with a smile on their face and saying that the food is very good. It’s awesome and all we can ask for.”
As the name implies, Fish Tales is a seafood restaurant serving fresh catfish, shrimp, and oysters as well as cajun staples such as gumbo and poboys.
“Our main proteins as of right now are catfish, shrimp, oysters, and chicken,” Lexi McManus said. “We do have oysters, but we don’t serve them in any way other than fried. We are trying to incorporate some oysters on the half shelf. We also have rainbow trout and redfish as well for protein. But most of our platters and combos are fried and everything is freshly battered, hand cut and cooked to order.”
For Lexi McManus, the feedback from the locals has been great with the local favorites surprisingly being the homemade hushpuppies.
“It was super exciting,” Lexi McNanus said. “Personally, I absolutely love the restaurant industry. I am a people pleaser, and it’s what I do… It is the adrenaline and that kind of adrenaline excites me, so it was nerve racking to have everyone come here for the first time and see how much work we put into the building and their expectations on our food. We hope to have exceeded expectations… Everyone is still happy and we are getting so many compliments with everybody coming back. I’ve seen at least 15- 20 people that I’ve seen, served myself or talked to that have already come back.”
Fish Tales has also made both the Harprings and the McManus local celebrities with the opening of their restaurant, which has made both families feel right at home in a new town.
“When me and her (Diane Harpring) go shopping, and she has her Fish Tales shirt on, everybody will come and stop us,” Jennifer McManus said. “Some people will say, ‘Oh my God, you have the new restaurant, we just love it,’ or say really good things… It makes me feel really great inside. Everybody in the town is super friendly and the community is so awesome. I’ve yet to run into one person that isn’t super friendly. My husband (Brett) has been up here for the last six months just trying to get the restaurant open and ready to go while also doing the maintenance. When I came up here with him, every store we went in was, ‘Hi Mr. Brett.’ Going to the H-E-B, Ace Hardware, and even the Home Depot in Dripping Springs, we were just running into people that he knew to which I responded ‘Gosh, it’s like you have lived in this town your whole life’”.
With two other Fish Tales restaurants opened in both Cleveland and Hardin, Texas, it was the convincing of Lexi McManus, who has been wanting to run her own Fish Tales restaurant, to open a location here in Wimberley.
“I have lived here in San Marcos for about three years, coming up on four,” Lexi McManus said. “My dad is one of the three owners, and I’ve been begging him to have a Fish Tales since I was 16 years old. They finally decided it was time on top of the fact we absolutely love the Hill Country.”
“Wimberley is just a quick little drive up here, and we love to come and visit,” Lexi McManus continued. “When I saw this building was up for lease, I called my Dad and he said he would look into it… I sent him a picture, and I was almost in tears crying because I was so excited saying ‘Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! I found it. I found the building.’ When I called him (Brett) he said ‘Well, I’ve already talked to them (building owners) and I don’t know. But before I could get my next sentence out, he said ‘Well let me call them again’ and hung up. Five minutes later he called back saying ‘Alright we are going to get the building.’”
It also helps the McManus’ that both their children are living in San Marcos, which would allow the family to be together.
“It was going to give us a chance to be around our kids more,” Jennifer McManus said. “To be more involved with them… He (Brett) was very optimistic and nervous about it.”
Created in 1999, Fish Tales started out in a food truck before moving to a storefront property in 2010 in Cleveland, Texas. Brett and Jennifer McManus would join in before Brett opened his own Fish Tales in Hardin, Texas where both he and his wife grew up.
“We are originally from the Southeast Texas area,” Lexi McManus said. “Back in 1999, Mr. Scott Harpring opened up a food truck which did so well that he opened his very first restaurant in Cleveland. His wife (Diane Harpring) watches that store for him. My dad (Brett McManus) got involved with Scott around 2016-2017, so he has his own store in his hometown and then we have this one.”
As Fish Tales advances through opening week, the key now is to be open for the long run.
“It’s staying consistent,” Jennifer McManus said. “Keeping the food the same, the hours the same, and keeping our servers happy where they are not overworked. So far everyone has raved about our service and about them doing a great job… We had a few kids that helped us before we were open just getting the place together and putting it in order, which is something that has stuck with us from day one.”
“We have a fantastic staff,” Lexi McManus added on. “It’s something I want to mention because they are absolute rockstars.”
For more information about Fish Tales in Wimberley, follow them on Facebook or visit their website at www. fishtaleswimberley.com.
