The Fish Tale Grill and Merrick Seafood in South Cape will be featured in an upcoming episode on America’s Best Restaurants. Filming is scheduled for Dec. 11. PROVIDED

A Cape Coral restaurant has garnered national attention and is set to be featured in a spotlight fashion this December.

Fish Tale Grill, located in the South Cape, will be paid a visit from America’s Best Restaurants on Monday, Dec. 11, where the national media and marketing company will bring its roadshow to film an episode of its series.

ABR will highlight popular dishes and conduct an in-depth interview with owners Kerry and Patrick Krieg. The episode will be aired extensively on social media channels in the future.

Kerry said Fish Tale was thrilled to get the call from ABR, and is honored to have the family business recognized.

“Never in a million years did we think we’d be where we are today,” she said. “My husband and I years ago were just opening up a little lunch spot — no nights, no weekends. We’ve been in the restaurant business now 32 years. It just kind of evolved and evolved, and it’s pretty amazing. To get the call, we were beyond proud.”

Fish Tale Grill’s signature drink -- the Loaded Fishtail Mary featuring lobster tail, tuna grouper bites, cocktail shrimp and gulf oysters. PROVIDED

Fish Tale Grill opened in 2013 right next door to Kerry’s parents’ wholesale and retail fish market, Merrick’s Seafood, that has been family owned and operated since 1991.

Fish Tale is home to some of the freshest seafood in the area, and brings bright, flavorful, unique and fun dishes and drinks to its patrons.

The restaurant seats roughly 200, featuring an outdoor covered patio with heaters. A popular staple in its Sunday brunch brings varying styles of live music with a plethora of benedict options such as snow crab or fillet mignon. Fish Tale’s signature drink, the Loaded Fishtail Mary, is a sight to see in a Bloody Mary with a lobster tail, tuna grouper bites, cocktail shrimp and a gulf oyster.

“As a large wholesaler with the market, we specialize in seafood towers and offer a captain’s feast daily,” Kerry said. “Some of our more popular dishes will be featured on the episode.”

Throughout the years, Fish Tale has taken home countless Breeze Newspapers’ “Best Of Cape Coral” awards for seafood. Kerry said attention to detail, along with customer service, has helped the business prosper in a growing city.

“The restaurant business is ever-changing,” Kerry said. “And I think that in 2013, there weren’t really many places, which is one of the reasons we opened Fish Tale. It’s changed over the years. It’s more competitive, and you’ve got to stay up on your game as far as what you’re offering. There’s now more than 300 restaurants in Cape Coral.”

Kerry also gave major kudos to her staff, which she considers family, and with some employees, that’s actually case.

“A key to successful business is your team,” Kerry said. “We’ve been really fortunate over the last couple of years to have maintained the same crew. We’re more like a family. It’s my husband, myself, my brother-in-law. Because we treat them like family, they are the same back. They are the best in the business and do amazing things. We’re so thankful for them.”

Open daily, Fish Tale Grill is located at 1229 S.E. 47th Terrace. For more information call 239-257-3167 or visit www.bestseafoodcapecoral.com.

America’s Best Restaurants is based in Florence, Kentucky, and travels the country telling the stories and highlighting the unique food of locally owned independent restaurants as part of its ABR Roadshow.

For more information on ABR, visit www.americasbestrestaurants.com.