About Us

Jimmy’s Seafood Buffet was born on June 27th, 1999.  It began with three partners and an idea to have a unique seafood buffet. The thought was to give the customers what they wanted . . . lots of seafood . . . but to make sure it was very tasty and fresh. In May 2003, Jerry Dowless, one of the partners, and myself (Liz, his wife) bought out the business to carry the fresh seafood concept even further. We believed that the food didn’t have to be bland just because it was on a buffet. Unfortunately, in August of that same year, Jerry passed away suddenly, leaving me with our three small children to try and figure out our next move in life. I didn’t want to give up on providing “all you can eat seafood that actually tastes great,” therefore, we decided to continue and we are so glad we did!

We provide flavors from all over the world with an emphasis on a Caribbean twist added to the usual seafood fare. We purchase as much local fish and shellfish as possible, and then we obviously get crab legs from all over: Florida to Alaska and back to North Carolina. Each item is prepared from scratch. We begin with homemade soups like She Crab Bisque as well as all of the hand-prepared salad dressings. The amount of cakes and pies that we make every day is amazing! No one can resist homemade chocolate peanut butter pie or cheesecake. We begin each new day with fresh food, so this takes a lot of time! Preparation begins as early as 4:00 AM in the morning during the summer. I truly feel that it is worth every ounce of effort, and if you see the lines of people waiting to eat at Jimmy’s, then it’s obvious that they feel it’s worth it, too!

In addition to the delicious food, we strive to make Jimmy’s a really fun place for the entire family. On any given day there may be pony rides, corn hole, putt putt, and/or live entertainment just to name a few of the activities you can enjoy before or after dinner. Some people refer to Jimmy’s as their “Vacation Destination.”

I just love when I get phone calls from customers who ask when Jimmy’s is open for the season because they plan their trip to the Outer Banks around that. When I get calls like that, or when people travel over three hours just to eat and then drive three hours back home, I realize and smile that what Jerry and I tried to accomplish so many years ago has actually been accomplished. I hope you come and give us a try; I’m sure you will love it!!!  And to all of you that come back year after to year, my children and I thank you.

Liz