Are you looking for good food at a good price with a good view on the island of Kauai? Well then, Jimmy’s Grill is likely serving up just what you want. Part island bar, part food shack, this little business offers some delicious treats in a small built-up food truck area on Kuhio Highway.
You will find Jimmy’s Grill located just on the outskirts of Kapaa and overlooking part of the beach that is part of Kapaa Beach Park. This business started as a food truck and in fact, shares its large paved dining area and parking lot with two other food trucks. However, Jimmy’s Grill has enjoyed a lot of success and popularity over the last couple of years and slowly transitioned from a very informal food truck to a more formal-looking outdoor restaurant.
You can walk up to Jimmy’s Grill either from the beach side or the roadside. They have their kitchen in a large trailer and a secondary one that has one has been completely renovated to look and feel like a cozy tiki bar. This trailer-now-bar is fully open on one side so that patrons can pull up a stool out of the afternoon rains and enjoy looking out at the ocean as they sip their beer or specialty cocktail. You can order food as well as drinks at this bar, or you can order at the counter and head to one of the nearby umbrellaed picnic tables to wait and then feast on your grilled items. On select evenings and weekends, there are usually live musical performances from local bands and artists to serenade you as dine.
Jimmy’s Grill serves American grill fare. This restaurant is owned and operated by a local family that operated the very popular JJ’s Broiler for over 50 years, only this location is more informal and has a decidedly more laid-back feel. Especially since you can chow down on massive cheeseburgers while enjoying clear views of the beach and ocean.
Some of the most popular items at Jimmy’s Grill include:
Fresh Mahi Mahi Fish & Chips
This dish comes with massive saffron tempura-fried filet cuts of fresh Mahi Mahi and is served with a basket of crispy French fries. There’s also a homemade tartar sauce that comes with it as a dipping sauce.
Jimmy Burger
This is the cheeseburger you want when you have really worked up an appetite! The Jimmy Burger is huge, made from 8 ounces of local, grass-fed beef and cooked to your preference. This hunk of beef is served between a brioche bun and with cheddar cheese, billionaire bacon, lettuce, tomato, and their own homemade sauce entitled “spooky sauce”. As with most of their entrees, the Jimmy Burger comes served with a side of crispy French fries.
Also, don’t forget about the drinks! Jimmy’s Grill has a beverage menu that includes local and imported beers, wines, and specialty cocktails like their Demon Juice which features Crater Lake Pepper vodka mixed with bloody mary mix, dill, olive, and pickle brine, and horseradish serviced in a glass with old bay seasoning along the rim.
Insider Tips:
-Take your time when visiting this part of Kauai. Kapaa Beach stretches for a couple of miles and has a beautiful walking and biking trail that you can take for its entire length. Relax, enjoy a swim and some tanning, and walk that path to see more of what this beautiful coastal town has to offer. And, of course, enjoy a delicious meal and maybe some unique cocktails at Jimmy’s Grill when your stomach starts growling.
-There is a small surcharge of 50 cents for all credit card purchases. While certainly not a lot, especially compared to their somewhat pricey menu, you can avoid this by simply ensuring you bring cash to Jimmy’s Grill. Cash is king after all. You’ll find that a lot of smaller operations like this style of food truck will either charge such a convenience fee or outright reject credit cards altogether.