Jack Mackerels Island Grill

After reading real reviews for seafood on the island I landed on Jack Mackerels Island Grill.

I’m not sure why Jack Mackerels has 4.3 rating because it is a solid 5.0!

We arrived and a very bubbly host sat us down in a booth. The bench seats are very comfortable. The decor definitely had an upscale look and feel.

We had an amazing waitress named Zoey. Asking her about the different menu options she easily and quickly answered our questions. She definitely knows the menu.

For appetizers I landed on pub chips with Old Bay seasoning on them. I’m from New England and we pretty much douse anything remotely seafood in nature with Old Bay. When the chips arrived they were hot and crunchy - not a single soggy one to be had. My wife ordered the seafood chowder and it was delicious! My wife and I agree it’s the best chowder either of us have ever had.

I ordered a JD and Pepsi and it was exactly as it should be. My wife ordered wine and it was even tasty to me and I don’t like wine.

For the main course my wife had broiled scallops and I had the shrimp and grits. When they came out all I can say is, “wow!”

Her scallops were broiled perfectly and seasoned very well. My shrimp and grits came out and they were fantastic. They were full of shrimps + had a perfect balance of the other ingredients like pork belly and onions. The shrimp popped and cheese grits were cheesy. It was really rich and I couldn’t finish it all. I’ve had weight loss surgery so it doesn’t take much for any food to be “too much.” My wife helped herself to it and she said it tasted great. I did get a to go box and reheated some this morning and I did ok.

Others have commented that the portion sizes didn’t match the prices. That is absolutely true. Our dishes and food portions sizes were huge compared to prices on the menu and our overall ticket did not come close to breaking the bank.

My left the table for a minute and when she came back she told me there were other dining rooms and an upstairs deck. She brought me to see them. Our waitress asked her what we were doing. Other waitresses who overheard us and one of them said, “let’s show them the boat that’s always pointing at you” and they brought us into one of the dining rooms.

“The boat that’s always pointing at you” is a huge painting on the wall with a boat pulled up on a beach. As you walk across the room the bow is always pointing at you just like eyes in a painting. It was creepy and hilarious at the same time!

We had the best time! The food was great, the staff were great, our waitress was awesome, what more could anyone ask for? 5 stars all the way around!

Phenomenal staff, delicious food and great ambiance. Fried calamari was fresh and well seasoned. My husband got a grouper wrap but devoured it before I got a picture 😋 all of our food was served in a timely manner. Highly Recommend!!

We really enjoyed this place right up the street from the Kure Beach Pier for lunch. We had the grouper wrap, they also made the lump crab sandwich into a wrap for me instead of the brioche bun, both were delicious. We both had the chef's veggies as our side, but was told that they make their own in house chips. Had a tropical pineapple cider and a blackberry cider which both were local North Carolina ciders. Homegrown Hard Cider called Flat Rock.

The best seafood place in the area. It's amazing. The breading on the fried fish is easily the best I've ever had. By the way, get the Jack's Platter! Also, on Monday nights they do ribs and let me tell you... they're amazing. Seriously, the sauce is incredible and the ribs themselves are cooked perfectly and very meaty... and you can get a full rack for $20. Easily enough for two people. It's a fun place to eat... really cool vibe and amazing food and just a few feet away from the beach.

Just a few steps to the beach! Everything is within walking distance including the pier and arcade! Our server Alex was attentive and checked on us many times even though we were the only ones sitting outside. I tried the Friday night pineapple 🍍 special and it was delicious! The kiddos got the kids Alfredo and enjoyed it also.

Always a favorite at the beach. I've been here numerous times finally leaving a review. We always enjoy the seafood dip and my go to is Jacks Platter, I like it all broiled, the love variety of seafood and their slaw here is great as well. My husband got chicken Alfredo as he's not a seafood person so that's his normal order and our friends got shrimp and grits and a flounder plate, he said the shrimp and grits were amazing, so flavorful and rich. A painkiller drink was ordered too....👌 Top notch as always great food and service, please bring back the table bread miss it so much!!

Great restaurant in the heart of town. Our server, Chelsea, was friendly, professional, and very attentive. I had the calabash shrimp 🍤 fries and Cole Slaw which was perfect and huge. I took leftovers home and devoured the rest. My friend had the flounder which was two huge pieces, fries, and Cole Slaw. It was great food, great service, and a cozy and vibrant setting. Thank you!

I usually get crab cakes here, but today I tried the scallops. My husband got their chicken tenders; they were hot and freshly made. He had to allow to cool to eat them. Our waitress Zoe was awesome. Great food, service and fun atmosphere. We go every time we're here.

Great service & great food. We had the oyster poboys & they were fantastic. Great spot for dinner

Stopped here for lunch after the aquarium. It was great! I got the Cobb salad with blackened shrimp and the lemon caper vinaigrette. It was so fresh and delicious! My party also got the fried seafood platter which was more than enough for 2 adults to share. The kids each got chicken tenders with fruit as a side. The fruit was fresh and the chicken was hot and crispy. We’ll definitely be back here.

First the host, is AMAZING! our waitress was so sweet and very attentive, the food was so GOOD! It was our first time here 100% recommended!!

Great food and drinks. A nice out of the way, well established restaurant. We will definitely go back next time we’re in town!

We ate here twice during our vacation. The staff were very friendly and attentive. The fried shrimp, oysters, sea scallops, and crab cakes were perfectly cooked. The seafood chowder was divine. This is a great place to go for fresh seafood near the beach!

One of the best meals I had this trip. The seafood pasta was absolutely delicious! The service was great and the place was clean and packed. It's also located right next to Kure Beach pier. I'll definitely come back next time I'm in the area.

such an amazing food experience, the wait staff were all very kind and knowledgeable about any questions. the flounder meal was excellent and well worth the price, and the honey sriracha shrimp was an appetizer for the ages. the cocktails were great as well!

Great food and great service. As many other restaurants are closed for the season, this restaurant did not lower their quality.
The food was fast and very good. We ordered the daily catch and their spinach salad. We will definitely visit again.

My husband and I had our wedding reception here. I can't express how wonderful the hospitality was. Alex was very involved and our waitress Josie was phenomenal. She kept everyone happy. They set up and took down our cake table, made sure we had plenty of room for our guests, and made our reception memorable. The food was excellent and was served very timely considering we had such a large group. Thank you so much. We look forward to dining at your establishment when we vacation again at Kure Beach.

We had a good meal in a fun place. Cara was awesome and very friendly. Food arrived quickly and was hot and well cooked. Chips are freat, fries were good. I had a po'boy which was well made and fresh. Husband has a wrap which was too much to eat so he brought the rest home. Beer list is decent and prices were well within a decent range. Will definitely be back!

Stopped in for appetizers. Everything was great! Pleasant people, good service and food was top notch! We will return next time we're in town. We had seafood dip, catfish bites and bread. We enjoyed it all! Thanks for the great lunch!🙂

Very first time there. Loved the choices of food with descriptions. Reasonably priced. Food was flavorful. Service was slow and forgot our salad before the entree. On my next visit to NC, I definitely will go again.