Jack Mackerels Island Grill

"Great local seafood restaurant! We had a large group with kids and they were very accommodating for our party. Food tasted terrific it the portions were a bit smaller for some of us. 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."

"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!"