Jimmy's Seafood Buffet

We came to the Outer Banks on a recommendation to try this place. A wait and many people were sitting outside the party, which was more significant than 2. Yay for us. At first glance, I questioned the friend's recommendation. It is very dated, reflective of the years open. Tiny and tight seating, and when and the buffet had me asking about my visit. This is The only reason for the three stars, but it is excellent, and hey, sometimes the best food is from those places that focus more on the quality of food than the look after being successfully open for years. It's not the typical pretty buffet set. It's $55 per person. Heck, we came less try it. I was for sure going to when I saw Dungeness and king crabs. Now I love crabs with those Good seasonings. But oh my GOODNESS!!! The food was delicious and let me get into the crabs. You DO NOT need any seasonings, just some lemon and butter, and BAM!! Fresh from the Bay of Seatle, Argentina, and I can't remember the location. The cooks were cooking them as the people were snatching them up. Lol. I'm talking so fresh you tasted and smelled Ocean. The blue crabs were small and had no business out, lol. But everything else was finger-kicking: calamari, string beans, shrimp, potatoes, etc. I'm super mad my phone did not record. There are daily food and drink specials. But it's definitely on our list, either when we come to camp again or simply a drive for the day to eat and relax on the beach.

The seared rare tuna and salmon filets were truly phenomenal. I loved them both. The fried oysters, fried mushrooms, clam strips and stuffed mushrooms were decent. We went on a Thursday night which offered AYCE Lobster Claws. They were plentiful but kind of dry. For dessert I topped some Apple Cobbler with vanilla soft serve which proved delish. The young guy Beau who served us was great and very attentive. Overall we're glad that we went and felt like it was worth it.

Yo! So we don't really "do buffets" but this place was great! If you like seafood then this place is a must try. Yes, the place smells like seafood and it is loud, but let's be honest you're coming here to stuff your face with as much crab legs as you can eat and they so a damn good job. They had Canadian crab legs, Argentinian crab legs, crab legs from countries I had never even knew existed! Lobster claws till your heart's content. And just when you think you're done, someone says you gotta try the cheesecake or apple cobbler and I'm done! Stick a fork in me. Service was excellent. I'm coming back next year.

Jimmy's All You Can Eat at OBX offers a delightful seafood experience with a wide variety of crab legs and hot, fresh dishes. The $5 discount before 4 pm on Tuesdays is a bonus, but arrive early as there is usually a line. Overall, the restaurant provides good food and service, making it a worthwhile dining destination.

Jimmy's is an amazing family owned local business. And as such you may not get an atmosphere like those other chains, or even the lowest prices, but I promise you, the food, experience, and service you will be getting at Jimmy's gets you more for your money and makes it so worth it. Before my family and I went, I read some reviews and was a bit hesitant. Yes there are seafood smells in the place (come on this is an all you can eat seafood buffet), and the interior is reminiscent of an old school restaurant, but I tell you what, this is what it's all about. I'd much rather enjoy this than a cookie cutter or more overly modern ambiance full of fluff place. The server we had that day was awesome. He had great pride in this place and a great attitude. From the kitchen staff that I was able to see through the counter in the back, to the bus help and other wait staff, they work real hard and efficiently and they do it to benefit their guests. Food overall was excellent. I admit not all items were a homerun but given the variety and quantity I won't knock them for it especially as a local business that makes most things if not all (from what I learned) from scratch. For example fried shrimp and scallop, they were of the smaller bay type BUT, I would much rather they focus on the homeruns like the variety of hot seafood. My gosh that spread was thick; Snow Crab (various sizes), Dungeness, King Crab, Blue Crab, Stone Crab, Mussels, Clams, Lobster Tails and Claws etc. The hot food was also not bad and I'm sure there are items there that most people would enjoy, I know I did. On the day we went, it was Wild Wed so there was an additional 10 or 15 dollar charge on top of their regular prices. We were good with that because I would much rather pay more for higher quality for a nice buffet. The increase was from what I understand, the availability of collosal Snow Crabs from a high quality supplier and I will tell you, it was so worth it, THE BEST Snow Crab legs I've ever had in my long buffet experienced life. Meaty, flavorful, umami, and not overly salty just a nice fresh mouthful of delicious crab is all I will say. As an FYI, I believe they change up the specials based on availability of special items that may impact price so check prior if you want, either way you can't go wrong (even their standard Snow Crab legs were good). To put my review into perspective, we were at Captain George's several miles away two nights prior and while it was 15 or 20 bucks less, their Snow Crab legs were of the lower quality and size and not as fresh. So while we were stuffed with wet and salty crab legs, we didint enjoy them nearly as much as we did Jimmy's. They also didint have the variety of Crabs or Lobster that Jimmy's had. In summary...this is what a local family owned business should be, and this is why as a consumer your expectations and understandings have to be balanced. My family and I really enjoyed our experience there. Kudo's to Jimmy's...I hope that our next visit will be just as good when we head down to the OBX again. (BTW, I did hear some customers as I was walking out complain about wait times and I suspect that starting off like that may influence their experience and reviews so I urge yall to call and ask for best times or not go during the early dinner rush).