We planned to eat here. I'm sure their seafood is good but WTH, you are told what you will eat. No thanks. Got right in and immediately noticed how LOUD the place was. Would be impossible to have a conversation. Waiter said that half of us had to eat buffet. Half of us didn't want buffet and specifically went here so some could eat buffet but most of us wanted to eat off the menu. Not everyone has the appetite to eat $55 worth of seafood to make it worthwhile. 5/7 of us were over 63 with an elderly mother. read more

This review is based solely on the last 2 times I've been to Jimmy's this year (2023). -- When I went in a group of people (6): every thing went well. Nice waiters checking on us throughout our meal. Water refilled often. -- When I went in there alone (1) as my family was kinda sick of seafood that day: less than average experience! One guy kept checking to make sure I (1) start my meal, (2) hurry through it, and (3) pay and get the h*ll out. It wasn't exactly a packed evening either; just kinda crowded but not long waiting line. They didn't offer to refill water. And get this, whenever I checked my phone for a minute, that same waiter/guy will come ask if everything's okay. I was thinking to myself, 'are you okay'? and "You know we do have a 2 hours limit" blah blah. It was only 1 hour and 20 minutes in since I was placed. Plus I ate slowly and already finished my meal. I was just sitting there waiting for my husband to pick me up... Not like I tried to stay a whole night or eat like it's the last day I have food. How rude! I guess one lone person sitting at a table by herself could be a crime?? Hello Anyway, I felt very rushed through the entire experience. Would've rated less than 3 star if it wasn't for all of the previous great experiences. I guess in the future I'll bring at least another person when I go there, so I don't have to go through this type of treatment again. Not when each ticket is $66 (that was their "Specials night" with the lobster tails deal which turned out mediocre quality of lobster tails; and after everything it's $80+ a person. I'd laugh at myself if it happens again. P/s: The bathrooms are not well lit (super dark my toddler was a little afraid getting in there) Door lock mechanism was broken on one stall. Floor and surrounding items dirty. I do like the style of wood doors and stall walls. Very big gaps at the bottom though. read more

Jimmy's Seafood Buffet - Lobster tails type of deal night $66 an adult. Hey! At least I got to eat some seafood - Seafood Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

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Great selection, service was great. Crab and lobster was fresh and well stocked. I did not eat much from the rest of the buffet but others in my party said it was all good. read more

Great place... Very good lobster Awesome variety of crab legs Great service Very pleasant sitting area read more

We heard the place gets busy so came at an off hour, about 3pm on a Thursday. They open at 2:30 and they only had large tables open. We only waited about 10 minutes for a table, but no indoor waiting area in the heat wasn't great. By the time we left, the wait was absurd! Our waiter was fantastic explaining where and what the buffet had and came often to check on us. We came for the all you can eat Alaskan crab legs and they were spot on fantastic! They really did a great job of refilling the trays. They had lobster claws but they were over cooked, so I stuck with the crab legs. The other food I tried was crab cakes, also over cooked and mahi mahi, didn't care for the sweet sauce in it, the salmon was good. FYI, if you bring the kids, they charge $5 plus there age. $9 is way over priced for what a normal 4 year old will eat. But they do have Mac n cheese, chicken tenders and cheese sticks and very sad looking spaghetti with sauce on the side. Desserts were cheesecake, key lime pie, ice cream and several other pies and cakes. It's a very crowded and glad I didn't need to use the bathroom except to wash hands. read more

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Do not go to the buffet unless you just like to completely pig out. It's over $50 per person... call them to find the current price since they do not list it on their website. Kind of a tourist trap thing. You are better off getting their food "to go" for a better value. The quality of the seafood is like Long John Silvers. So, not bad... for fast food. But it is not high end seafood or anything like that. read more

My initial impression of this place was very poor. They had absolutely no signage outside directing people to check in at a tent located on the side of the building. We waited inside only to be directed outside to wait again. When we explained our dismay our hostess she wasn't very nice and that set the mood up for my initial reaction of this establishment. All that being said the food and our waiter was excellent and (surprisingly we had him both nights) (yay!!!). So excellent that I almost forgot about our poor experience with the girl in the front...almost. It really didn't stop us because we visited here again now that we were fully prepared how the place worked. Some tips for the restaurant: If you have a sign in area/tent/table put a sign on or near the front door so you don't waste people's time, also front line people should be friendly and a little more understanding since this is a vacation spot with not as many locals as visitors. Tips for guests: Go about 30min prior, call ahead, they don't do reservations but they will have call ahead seating to prepare for you. Check the local coupon books for their specials and events. We went to the Allegro you can eat lobster event for $29 a person and the lobsters we HUGE! I would have given this place a 5 star if it was for that hostess in the front. read more

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Be prepared to wait no matter if you go early. Food was great, lots of options with crab legs and lobster was part of the buffet. Highly recommend read more

Buffet was great! Very Expansive; something for everyone, even the kids. There was a 40 minute wait in the dining room when we arrived at 5:15, so they offered us seating either at the bar or in their small foyer area near the hostess stand. We took it and got going right away . Service from Kirby was terrific and attentive. Price can't be beat. I'm sure I consumed nearly 2 lbs of lobster claws, a steaming portion of mussels and clams, and I can't say how many crab clusters. I know there are many many options other than seafood to choose from, but we went for exactly what we got! Delicious and worth it! read more

Downloaded Yelp just to make this review. This is my first time here, I am not the biggest fan of seafood however, I saw online that there was plenty of other options. We got there and got put on the list to wait for an hour this made me think this place was gonna be awesome since so many people were eating and willing to wait that long. We got into this "dining" setting which reminded me bit of a lunch room with how crammed it felt but I still wanted to be positive. It seemed like our server expected us to get the buffet when that wasn't our plan and gave our party of 4 one crumpled up menu that didn't have some things I saw online so we stuck with the buffet. Seafood was bland, steak was over cooked, mashed potatoes lacked any flavor, we were told it would be another 30-45 min till there were crab legs, the cod was freezing cold and too flakey, Mahi-mahi was just not good, the tuna was also just bland lacking flavor and not cooked well, oh yeah and no silverware.. we asked three times for someone to get us at least forks and all we got from workers was "we're out" 10 min after getting all of our plates together we got forks so now our food was cold. But they did have spoons by the out of order ice cream machine I managed to snag one to eat my steak cubes (also cold). I was excited to see some desert present so I went up to look at some options and they had key lime pie, my favorite. Only this key lime pie was so sour it almost made me teary eyed. I have never had a key lime pie so small taste so spoiled. (Coming from someone who always gets key lime pie when it is an option I have never had one taste like this) upsetting For almost 50$ a person for this buffet this was not what I had imagined. looking at other reviews seeing "top quality" is amazing to me since my party and I are nauseated and it seemed like we aren't the only ones who experienced this from other reviews as well. Cold food, no silverware, crammed dinning room and feeling sick sorry to say I won't be returning. read more

If you are going for seafood, then this is the place!! Crab legs sooooo good! Literally so many options and price definitely not bad for all you get. Great friendly service, Currently the they open at 4, so we got in line there at 345. If you can get there when they open will save you a long wait. read more

Absolutely terrible restaurant. Horrible ambience. Basically cafeteria style eating, very loud, impossible to hear anyone in your party. Buffet was completely lackluster. Required 50% of the table to sign up for the buffet - this is not advertised anywhere on their website. Their website advertises a great-looking menu other than the buffet and what they actually have on menu is about 6 sad options. Not even close to their website. They were out of a bunch of beers on their beer menu. My husband and I and my two kids (2 and 4) spent $200+ on the worst meal in the OBX. Do yourself a favor and spend your money at another establishment. read more

This was the best buffet spot ever! They have a variety of options for crab legs. They have plenty of seafood options and they are quick to restock it. Would definitely recommend to call ahead and make reservations! I hope this helps someone read more

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First of all do not pay attention to any negative reviews. This place was wonderful. 45 dollars for all you can eat crab, scallops, lobster tail, and so many other things. Nothing bad to say and props to the crew there rocking it. Buffet was constantly full and not an empty seat in the place! read more

Jimmy's Seafood Buffet - Pre seafood suicide picture! - Seafood Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

Food was absolutely amazing. Crab was cooked perfectly. Service was on point. Good music & atmosphere. Best bang for your buck.

All you can eat crab and lobster, reasonable price. A little tight if you sit inside.

Always great, an annual tradition for our group! Will definitely continue to visit each year!

To say this visit to Jimmy's was disappointing- is an understatement. Overall it was the same Jimmy's we've been to in the past. Food was good, wide variety, great waitress (Kellie) , but a little pricey. Hostess sucked honestly. Rude, snooty, and couldn't crack a smile. We had an issue regarding the ingredients to a certain dish that wasn't okay for us to eat. Upon asking about the ingredients we were told that we were fine. After indulging in such dish, we asked again and were told differently now. To say we were disappointed was spot on. Such a simple thing ruined our meal and the manager didn't seem to care at all. No form of empathy or remorse from the staff (not our server) and didn't seem to care. The manager then went into hiding after our issue as she didn't care at all. Last time at Jimmy's unfortunately, plenty of other over priced buffets in the area. Looking forward to Captain George's next time. Your average guest out! read more

It was pretty good for a seafood buffet. Typical fare and prices, we went on Wednesday when it was crab legs night, about 10 or so different types of crab legs put out. Good crowd, not to bad a wait, very attentive wait staff. read more

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Food was over cooked and over priced for what it is. Save yourself money and cook at home or go to Captain George's

Really good seafood buffet. Service was good to. Very small restaurant so wait times are longer. Enjoyed better than capt George if u like seafood. Various types of crab legs. Hugh broiled scallops. Lobster claws. Various fish. read more

Everything was good. Plenty of seafood to choose from. The dungeness crab was my favorite out of the 6 varieties they had. The swordfish and shark were delicious. Great atmosphere. I have 7 children and they can be picky but there were multiple things there that each of them liked. Service was awesome. Great place to eat. read more

we had such a great time at jimmy's. the food was very great and they were able to accommodate my seafood allergy at the buffet. A huge shout out to Jason D for taking care of us today. He was a great waiter and took my allergy seriously. read more

I'm not a zero defect kind of guy, but this place was terrible. Would leave zero stars if it were an option. I was extremely respectful to the hostess but was confronted with rudeness and an attitude hinting that my party of 15 was more of an inconvenience then welcome there. It shouldn't matter,but I'm a local not a tourist. If your looking for a better place, I recommend Shipwrecks. They have far better food and their customer service is in line with an establishment that is respectful and thankful for your patronage vice being annoyed with having to work. I'll never return to this place again. read more

Absolutely loved this place. Incredible and a surprisingly wide variety of items on the buffet. We went for "wild Wednesday" and they had lobster tails and an meet and greet with an animal for the kiddos. Great service and experience. read more

Originally I live in Northern Virginia but decided to celebrate my partners birthday here in Kitty Hawk. WE LOVVEE seafood and decided to give this place a try and we LOVED it!! The service was great from all the guys there and let me say.. the bartender can MIX because those drinks were STRONG We even got to buy their shirts that they sell and all the servers wear!! I will say, the space is small. Everyone is always saying sorry to each other because we're all in each others space, and i was always getting shoved when people were walking by when i was eating because the space is so tight. Honestly, other than that i loved it here and will always look forward to summers now because of this place. read more

Jimmy's Seafood Buffet - Seafood Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

We love Jimmy's but this trip was not the usual. For one - they discontinued king crab except for Wednesday's - major bummer. But it is what it is - I knocked off two stars because the state of your ladies room is ABYSMAL. I thought the foul thick sewage stench was temporary when I came here last year but it's STILL THERE. I literally was vomiting it was so strong. You make enough money to get a plumber out there. It's ridiculous. All the doors are in disrepair - the toilet paper holder was just on the floor. The bathroom is filthy. For God's sake - someone fix it! read more

Jimmy's Seafood Buffet - Toilet paper on the floor - Seafood Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

Their website advertises multiple types of crab legs as well as a hundred different types of food so we were excited about having a good meal; unfortunately this place was anything but good. After an hour long wait we were seated outside, not our first option but we were tired of waiting. Our waiter was nice but had too many tables to be effective. We had to ask three times for drinks and never received refills. We ultimately had to go inside and ask for refills. We have been to many seafood buffets but never one where every type of crab was cold. We were standing in line when they refilled the buffet and they were still cold. We tried several different types and all were cold. Had they steamed them just a few more minutes it would have made a huge difference. I would recommend trying a different restaurant, that's what we will do the next time we are in town. read more

Kids loved it! Everyplace along the beach is packed so get there early! Excellent onion rings! read more

Amazing food and service! We have been coming for years and the atmosphere makes things so enjoyable.

Went for the all you can eat Buffett meal featured lobster. Not telling you that the lobster is 12 dollars extra on top of a 55dollars per person. The food wasn't fresh. For the price I would have thought they would have warmed them not serve people frozen lobsters and dry crab legs. And a mixed drink that wasn't even mixed that they charged me 17 dollars for. The tables were so close to each other that you couldn't even enjoy you meal. The restrooms were gross. There was water all over the floor. No paper towels and the doors wouldn't shut. Not a place I would return too. read more

My family and I have made Jimmy's an annual tradition when we come to the OBX for vacation. It's probably been 15 yrs or more. The food has always been top notch. The staff has always been excellent. Knowing the market value of seafood, and considering I could probably eat my weight in crab legs, there has never been "sticker shock". If you're not a buffet eater, just order from the menu. The buffet is adequately stocked with a variety of seafood, as well as other non seafood items, which is a plus. The crab legs have always been excellent. And I have to give a shout out to the crab bisque/she crab soup.....whichever is it, it's the first thing I get. Desserts (the pies) are great, and my children always loved the soft serve ice cream. If you have to wait outside to be seated, go to the bar and get an awesome drink. Then sit up in the crows nest and relax. Sometimes there's live music up there too. I'll be seeing you guys in several months!!!!!! read more

A month late but I still need to finish out what I started. Our waitress sounded like the lady in office space... High toned southern accent.. Little weird, yet comical. The wait time , there wasn't any, full spread of all the hard shell, soft shell crabs, stuffed crabs with some kind of stuffing made with crabs. This was pretty good, along with the King crab legs, ample and over flowing. These guys in the kitchen was keeping up with the demand, felt like I was watching Deadliest Catch from the lines to this one section of crabs. Great Florida blue and red stone crab claws in a old bay seasoning, ohh this was great with the hot melted butter to add. A great crab salad with shrimp mixed in , an unbelievable crab and lobster bisque soup that I wanted to get 3 more bowls of, but seeing I was already 2 deep with a crabs feast in front of me I had to pass on bowl number 3. Nice spot to enjoy some fresh fish and shell fish, plus ICE COLD BEERS to wash all that goodness down. Tables were fully stocked with buckets for the shells, and napkins . Every table had the right amount of claw crackers.. 4 chairs.. 4 crackers and silverware. I / we had a great dinning experience 30 dollars per person, not expensive in my mind. Our waitress made sure everything was good, she was on the ball making sure our dirty dishes were cleared away and drinks always topped off. read more

Jimmy's Seafood Buffet - Seafood Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

Our party of 15 were treated with respect, kindness, and great service! We were accommodated quickly, even though we showed up early. The YELP wait list was super easy and we recommend it whole heartedly. Our waitress, Joanna B., at the OBX location on 7/1/22, was very attentive to our empty plates, drink refills, and silly conversation. The restaurant was very clean and the buffet servers were polite and good at their job. We will definitely be back on our next vacation read more

Jimmy's Seafood Buffet - Seafood Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

Online it says they close at 9:00 but when we showed up at 8:00 to have dinner they turned us away and said they close early on Saturday. We were allowed to make reservations online for that time so at least change the online hours if you change the time you close. read more

PSA: Dining in times of Covid. Bottom line, we left and never ate here. They led us to a table in their crowded dining room where there was no attempt at social distancing. We decided to leave and THEN saw the buffet situation. I viewed a lady holding her plastic glove in her hand while using tongs to retrieve buffet items. As we walked out, the people waiting in line for the buffet had masks covering their mouth but not nose. Lost complete confidence in this establishments ability to control the situation. STAY SAFE. DONT EAT HERE. read more

We were visiting the OBX and had previously gone here in 2016. We are back visiting again. Our friends and family do not care for seafood, but we showed them the menu online that there were other options. We all decided to go for dinner. Our waitress explained how the buffet worked and took our drink orders. She came back with our drinks. When people asked for menus because they did not want the buffet, the waitress had a rude tone of voice and said how at least half the table had to get the buffet because "that's how we make our money." At this point, we already had 4 of us with plates, I'm not sure if they would have asked us to leave when we had barely started with our first plates. We did end up having half of us with the buffet (3 adults, 2 little kids). When a friend tried two bites of salmon from her husband, the waitress came over. Again, her tone was rude as she said that she (my friend) needed to get the buffet because she was eating off of her husband's plate. That her boss was watching and saw the two bites taken from a buffet plate. The boss made the waitress come over and tell us we would have to pay for the buffet if there were any more bites taken. I understand that they need to make ends meet, that people really do try to share their entire buffet meal. However, two small bites of something to see how it was while she waited for her entree to be ready is excessive. It's not like she did not order a meal and a beverage. I'm glad my children did not attempt to try any crab legs that I had gotten because I feel like they would have been hollered (so to speak) at for trying a new food (which I was not about to pay $40/kid for a 2 and 4yo). The wait time was not horrible to be seated nor for the buffet. The buffet ran pretty smoothly for a packed building. It was good food, please do not get me wrong. But the atmosphere and specific comments that could have been worded differently put a sour taste in my mouth. They have a large variety of foods that are not seafood that kids would eat as well. read more

Jimmy's Seafood Buffet - Wednesday is an extra charge for several different kinds of crab! - Seafood Near Me - Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

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Jimmy's is the best seafood buffet in town. We wait every year for it to open for the season! The food is delicious and the waitstaff is wonderful. Well worth the wait times! read more

Always the best seafood buffet. Go on Wednesday for a great selection of crabs. Price for kids is fair. And food is always hot and fresh.

Service was pleasant. Seated quickly and she was attentive with drinks and napkins. Food is overpriced fried food. They are doing their best with hygiene, gloves around the buffet, and masks when you're not seated. If you're looking for seafood, go somewhere else, where the quality matches what you're looking for. If you're looking for fast food, go somewhere else, where the price matches what you're getting. Hate doing bad reviews but have to be honest. read more