Addie McCluskey
Elmore Autauga News
Uncle Mick’s Cajun Market and Café marks three years of resilience since a devastating fire nearly destroyed the beloved restaurant.
On the night of Aug. 18, 2022, around 9 p.m., Ashley Smith Conway, a hairstylist at Smart Skin Spa and Salon just a few doors down, was sitting on Uncle Mick’s front porch bench when she heard crackling inside. Realizing something was wrong, she quickly called 911. Within minutes, the Prattville Fire Department was on the scene.
“Without their fast response, it would have been a disaster,” said Mickey Thompson, founder of Uncle Mick’s. “We are so thankful they knew what they were doing.”
Thompson explained that the fire began in the dryer after kitchen towels soaked in soy oil—an extremely flammable substance—overheated. The flames spread toward the front doors and windows, where oxygen was feeding the fire. Firefighters wisely entered through the back door, preventing an explosion.
No one was injured, and neighboring businesses were spared, but Uncle Mick’s wasn’t so lucky. Antiques and artwork were charred, televisions and lights melted, plumbing warped, and much of the drywall was unsalvageable.
“Thank goodness we had good insurance, so it was able to cover the wages of all of my employees who helped me clean up and get everything put back together,” said Thompson.
In the months following the fire, Thompson used his previous construction experience to rebuild the restaurant alongside his loyal employees. The community rallied too—donating time, resources, and hard work to speed up recovery.
On Feb. 28, 2023, Uncle Mick’s reopened to a line of hungry customers stretching down the block. For the next two months, the crowd kept coming back for more. Their Cajun cravings had a lot of catching up to do.
“It would have been easy to look at the aftermath and just give up, but this place is my legacy,” said Thompson. “The community was behind us, and people wanted their Cajun, so we just kept going.”
Thompson first opened Uncle Mick’s in 2009 with a passion for serving fresh, authentic Cajun cuisine. Every morning, the café prepares meals from scratch, so the menu rotates often, and customers’ favorites sometimes sell out before closing time.
Today, Uncle Mick’s continues to thrive, offering dine-in service, catering, private event dining, and a variety of gift cards and merchandise.
For more information, visit www.unclemickscajun.com.
