Everybody loves an all-you-can-eat buffet. But even the most passionate fans will admit the dining model sometimes has a way of emphasizing quantity over quality. The best buffets offer a tremendous variety of food and let you eat as much of each as you desire. The secret that makes this model possible for many buffets typically relies on low food and production costs.
Only somebody forgot to tell Jimmy’s Seafood Buffet in Kitty Hawk that. At Jimmy’s, their buffet is stocked with the freshest local seafood and produce, all lovingly hand-prepared by their loyal staff. They have a unique menu packed with premium meats, lobster and multiple crab options. There’s no shortage of selection with more than 100 menu items daily, every one of them all you can eat. It’s the polar opposite of how most buffets are run, but Jimmy’s has been running things this way for the past 21 years.
“When I go out to eat, I want fresh fish, not food from a freezer. Why would I serve my customers any different?” says owner Elizabeth Dowless.
Liz and her family have been a part of Jimmy’s Seafood Buffet since it started in 1999, and in 2003 they bought out their two partners and made running a seafood buffet the family business. Tragically, Liz’s husband, Jerry, died that same year, leaving Liz with their three small children. With the tremendous help of her staff, Liz has run Jimmy’s on her own ever since. As her children grew, they all helped out with the family business too. Liz’s youngest is 19 now, but all the kids still help their mom with the restaurant every summer – continuing Jerry Dowless’s vision of a Caribbean-inspired buffet with only the best food.
Emphasizing quality and quantity is working for them. That much is abundantly obvious from simply glancing at the restaurant. A casual observer might mistake the crowds outside the building for some kind of tailgating party. There are tropical drinks being served, baskets of fresh rolls and hushpuppies to munch on, live music, corn hole and plenty of chairs and shade structures to rest in on those hot summer days. But, this isn’t actually a party; it’s the queue to get into the restaurant, although most patrons would agree the waiting is half the fun.
“They have a nice waiting area on top of the roof to sit and listen to live music. They easily accommodated our family of 17,” says Cody Riley of her visit last August. Jimmy’s guitarist, Gary, encourages everyone, even kids, to come grab the mic and sing their favorite songs.
If the weather’s too nice to dine indoors, or if you’d prefer to stay six feet away from other patrons, Jimmy’s has you covered with brand new outdoor seating on their two-acre lot. You can place an order to take out by phone or in person and enjoy your meal while listening to the live music.
When the wait is over, guests are summoned inside to Jimmy’s Caribbean-themed dining room. The bright colors and tropical decorations call to mind the laid-back atmosphere of a coastal cantina.
Fitting right into that vibe are their frozen drinks served in tall, souvenir yard cups. Jimmy’s surpasses all reasonable expectations by offering a selection of 90 frozen beverages. There are signature drinks like their Jimmy’s Tie Dye and classics like piña coladas, and you can pretty much name any fruit and expect that they have a margarita in that flavor (we highly recommend the mango).
Those frozen drinks and the rest of the options on their full bar menu pair perfectly with their overflowing buffet. The buffet is stocked with all your favorites like Southern fried shrimp, blackened tuna and lobster mac and cheese. Even the pickiest kids will find something they love for dinner and will be thrilled by the ice cream bar for dessert. Beyond the classic dishes, there’s a whole host of items you can’t find anywhere else on the Outer Banks, like their many Caribbean-inspired dishes such as Key lime-marinated swordfish, coconut curry shrimp and Argentina king crab legs.
And you can bet on those flavors being authentic. Liz’s sister lives in the Dominican Republic, and the Dowless family often visits over the winter while Jimmy’s is closed. When we first caught up with Liz to ask what was on the horizon for Jimmy’s 21st season, she was in Cabarete, sipping a mojito with fresh coconut shavings and feeling more than a little tempted to stay forever. She’s back in Kitty Hawk now, and she brought that tropical inspiration with her, adding new menu items like mahi-mahi Ceviche and the aforementioned coconut mojito.
“We definitely picked up some new ideas,” says Liz. “That’s one thing I love about traveling. It gives me inspiration for the menu and buffet.”
Liz’s trip to the Dominican Republic was particularly well-timed this year, returning just before the COVID-19 outbreak turned life on the Outer Banks upside down. She was quick to put the safety of her customers first, delaying the 2020 season opening day from April 2 to early summer. She and her staff used that extra time to implement some changes to the buffet including the installation of a new, hotter dishwasher and larger glass sneeze guards around the buffet. They’re also now offering disposable paper plates and plasticware on request and have started rotating the serving utensils more often. They’ve also put out sanitizer for guests to use before and after going to the buffet.
“Cleanliness has always been super important to begin with, but after the coronavirus outbreak we wanted to put in place every extra precaution we could,” says Liz. “Nothing is more important than the safety of our staff and our guests.”
Liz is looking forward to welcoming everyone back and wowing them with all their menu options. Buffets are known for having something for everyone, but Jimmy’s takes that to the next level. There are options for vegetarians and vegans, like the Impossible Burger, and options for those on glutenfree or keto diets. Diners with dietary restrictions will find a wide selection of foods clearly labeled on the buffet.
You’ll find diet-friendly options on their extensive dinner menu as well. For those who don’t dig buffets, Jimmy’s dinner menu is there with offerings of burgers, fish sandwiches and premium grass-fed steak. Those steaks are on their carry-out menu too, alongside seafood steamer buckets. For any of you who haven’t had the pleasure, a steamer bucket is a classic Outer Banks tradition – a pile of lobster tails, clams, mussels, shrimp and other shellfish steamed in spicy broth and eaten with your hands alongside your favorite people. You can pick one up from their take-out window or have a bucket delivered right to your cottage. Also available for take-out and delivery – have a buffet at home! Your home buffet order comes packed with lobster, crabs, and all your Jimmy’s favorites, so you can get the buffet experience while dining in the comfort and safety of your beach house.
All that, along with friendly service, are the reasons many families make a trip to Jimmy’s part of their vacation tradition. “Jimmy’s is an annual stop for the seafood lovers in our family,” says A. Hawk of his visit last July. “As always, we enjoyed the experience again this year!”
Liz finds the repeat guests to be one of the most rewarding aspects of running a restaurant. “I stay in contact with a lot of customers over the winter,” says Liz, who often uses Facebook to stay in touch with loyal Jimmy’s fans. “They come back year after year. I’ve watched children grow up.”
It’s those people, and all the locals who also visit Jimmy’s Seafood Buffet, who make Liz and her family happy that they decided to stay in business and keep Jerry Dowless’s dream alive.
“I feel really blessed and grateful,” says Liz. “Sometimes I just stop. I see the line of people waiting and think, ‘Wow. This is amazing.’”
(252) 261-4973
jimmysobxbuffet.com
4117 N. Croatan Hwy | MP 3.5 | Kitty Hawk
