Smitty’s Grille

I don’t know why I never think of going inside Smitty’s Grille? I’ve been probably three or four times over a five year period of time. And like recently, I leave thinking what’s my problem! They’re kinda hidden behind some fast food chains, tucked on the end of a strip building, beside a huge ²⁴⁄₇ fitness gym. But everyone else remembers them, because on a typical weekend evening, it will be slammed! It’s not a grille, but a fairly large seafood/​oyster bar! There’s one giant bar that snakes around the entire restaurant that leaves only a few small tables for which to sit otherwise. They specialize in fresh seafood and oysters on the half shell. This isn’t your typical calabash style fried seafood. Although you can certainly get it that way, instead it’s more fresh ideas on how to present seafood! Although not a oyster fan, it seems as though everyone loves them here! Their scallops over a mushroom risotto is excellent! Anything shrimp here is going to be excellent as well! They don’t do hush puppies here, but even though that’s my favorite thing to pair with seafood, they do offer other quality sides! Smitty’s is well worth your time, and patience, for good seafood!

Tried three times: 1^st — we were sat at the very back and smelled the restroom the whole time, waitress said they were out of breaded shrimp so my son tried unsuccessfully to make it through some shrimp cocktail. I had a good fish taco so we went back a few months later. 2^nd time — we decided to sit outside because there were no seats inside, every table had a dirty ashtray on it so I place the ashtray at our table on the floor (could still smell the ashes & butts) and realized the waitress had came outside to smoke and was looking for her ashtray. Then watched her go back in and proceed to walk to the bar to refill someones tea without washing her hands. This time I had a salmon wrap that was decent but my partner said he would not eat there again. 3^rd time– we stood waiting for seats (as instructed by a waitress) because she didn’t have time to clean an area for us but then saw a couple walk past us and took the empty seats ! We finally sat down at a dirty spot at the bar (it was cleaned eventually) but thee man we sat beside kept making remarks about his food coming from the Humane Society and that the cook «didn’t remove the flee collar before putting it on his plate», the waitress got the manager and she just basically laughed at the guy. Maybe he was a friend ??? I ordered one item only to find out they were out of salmon, I finally decided on the trout (it was written on chalkboard and I asked the price but the waitress told me she couldn’t see it from where she was– found out it was $ 18 when we got the bill ! It was nasty, I think the cook had put Honey Bunches of Oats and pancake syrup on it & the rice was so undercooked it was actually crunchy ! My bf had to choose his meal 3 different times because the waitress kept coming out of the kitchen to let us know they were out of everything he chose. He finally gave up and ordered a hamburger (when the waitress left our table I asked him if we should get up an just leave and cancel the order) He tried to eat the fries on his plate but they were dark brown (old used oil ?) so I gave him the spaghetti thin asparagus that was served with my trout.
The inside decorations and seats have dirt accumulated from the original opening but I guessed that gave it character (?) Outside dining is basically in the parking lot and always full of smokers or you get exhaust from a car 6 feet beside your table. Why is there not a «zero stars» option on Unilocal

Love this place! The Tugboat is a must have– gives you a great variety! Good food and a great atmosphere. If you haven’t been it is a must to try it.

Great service! Came here on a Tuesday which was snow crab night! Packed! We sat outside because it was not too chilly. Ordered a couple beers and the oysters Rockefeller to start. Oysters were large in size and taste. For entrée I got the popcorn shrimp with two sides and my hubby got the fantail shrimp and two sides. So many great choices to choose from and must be back. Just a chill later back place with great food. A gem in Kvegas!

We love Smittys! We started going there for the all you can eat crab legs but unfortunately that ended. Even still, it’s a great a little spot. The seafood of course is always a sure bet. Surprisingly, they have the best wings in Kernersville. Ask for the Jack Daniels flavor, you will not be disappointed!

Great casual place to sit back and enjoy your food in a beach style restaurant. Good food, good service equals return visits.

Best seafood in KVL, salmon is cooked perfect. The staff is nice and finally a restaurant with good music.
My son ordered pasta, two thumbs up.

Smitty’s Grille, Kernersville. The best way to think of this place is a bar. Thats what it is. They also serve food, which is just awesome. Some of the best in Kernersville. But you are still in a bar setting while eating it. Kind of weird if you ask me, but the food is good, so I’m in! They are only open for dinner. Inside the place you find a huge bar snaked throughout the entire restaurant. There are a few tables on the sides and some outdoor seating. You will be sitting beside of total strangers while eating here, so be ready for that. Weird looks staring and the whole bar thing. They have about 6 beers on tap, some bottles, and mixed drinks. The décor seems to be all beach and fishing related, like a seafood restaurant. This place gets busy and full. At times you might have to wait to get a seat. The service started off good, and then dropped out as the place filled up and had the bartenders running like a marathon to keep up. They were doing a pretty good job, but running out of drink is just a pet peeve of mine, especially when I’m spending this kind of money to eat. The place is not cheap. Plan on $ 15 — $ 20 a plate plus drinks tax and tips. On Tuesday nights they have a special on crab legs, and a lot of people here were getting them. And enjoying them too. We got an appetizer of wings, they were huge, cooked perfectly and had a great taste. Better than the local wing joints for sure. I had fried shrimp and oysters. They were better than most seafood restaurants around. Jumbo shrimp were huge and had a good fresh taste. The oysters were the same with a fresh good taste. It was all cooked perfectly, I enjoyed them very much. We got crab legs and found them to also to be very good. All of the food was spot on.
This place is definitely unique. Total bar feel with the best seafood around. Its a strange combination but the food delivers and I am sure you wont find better anywhere near this place.

Sally and I have been regulars, one a week, for over 5 years now. Every member of the staff is very friendly. The waiters and waitress’ are superb. As for the food, we’ve never had a bad meal and service is excellent.

Great classic broiled and fried seafood options here. Definitely give the «Tug Boat» and the «Firecracker Shrimp» a taste. Also the cocktails are pretty good, try the «Call Me A Cab». Get the martini glass version. It tastes great, not too sweet, and they’re not stingy with the alcohol (If you get more than 2 you may actually need them to call you a cab). The shrimp are always cooked perfectly and the oysters are fresh and tasty (at your preferred heat from raw to well done).

Great seafood a cozy atmosphere and the staff is very friendly. Will go there any time!

Best place in the triad for seafood. Real busy on Friday and Saturday evenings. Only open for evenings. Onion rings are great. You can get half order of crab legs, 2 clusters for 9.99 (May 15). Basically nothing but bar seats. Not for groups,. Great for couples.

If you want some really great seafood, give Smitty’s a try. When you drive up, it is very unassuming. You walk in and every seat is taken. Two giant curved bars is where most people are sitting, there are only a couple of tables. The staff is super friendly and very engaging. Amazing teamwork! Let’s get to the food. We ordered three things: calamari, crab stuffed portabella and steam shrimp. The Fried Calamari was delightful. The batter was light and crispy with very nice seasoning. Served with a perfect marinara. The Crab Stuffed Portabella was great. A giant portabella mushroom stuffed with a creamy crab with a panko Parmesan crust. It was baked and then had the same marinara sauce. Mmmm mmmm… tasty. Okay… steamed shrimp doesn’t sound very exciting… right? You’re wrong. Often times that shrimp is done just a little too much making it a little too chewy. Not Smitty’s. They have perfected the steam… so very tender. They take it up a notch by serving warmed cocktail sauce. It just enhances the flavor. This was a first time for us. Great place. The atmosphere is fun and makes for a great time meeting new people. Hope you enjoy!

I was not impressed with this little oasis in the suburb as most people seem to be.
The décor is indeed beach-​themed and the bar that snakes through the restaurant is really cool, but that’s about it. The menu is huge (literally. Take a Sherpa with you to help you turn over the menu) and there’s something for seafood-​haters and lovers alike.
My waitress seemed annoyed that I didn’t know where the fried or broiled platter items were (I mean, the menu is huge, like I said) and when I got my food, it was mediocre at best. Since this was my first time and I wasn’t so sure I wanted to put out $$$ for a meal, I went low-​key and got popcorn shrimp & fries for $ 11.99 (which was about $ 6 more than it was worth).
It wasn’t particularly hot and didn’t taste particularly fresh either. The worst thing on the plate: the cole slaw. It was about 2 days too old and it looked like it was mashed into the bowl with a rubber spatula. I’d never hate on crinkly cut fries because they’re generally delicious, but these were just okay. You can’t expect much when something comes frozen from a bag.
I can’t say I’d go here again, but if you want to be fooled by Ocean Blue painted walls and some dusty sea nets as décor, then by all means go. And go on a Wednesday so you can cry into your $ 2 draft beer special.

Great place to eat the food and service was great I would definitely go there again!!!

I really must say I am impressed! I encourage people to go here for dinner and then have a few drinks after with friends. This place is amazing. GREAT food! GREAT drinks! The bartenders are fabulous and fast. I had so much fun staying for drinks after dinner. There were some «regulars» and we had a blast with casual conversation. Such a friendly place!

I love Smitty’s because it makes me feel like I’m at the coast: real casual, lively, and fresh oysters and seafood. Everyone is having a great time just like they are on vacation. The seafood is excellent, the beer cold, and the place is jumping. Get there early or be prepared to have a few drinks before being seated.

Finally made it in for a sit-​down meal. Man, am I glad I did!
We started with the fried pickles; they were lightly battered and came with a tomato remoulade (theirs is fantastic; sooo yummy!). The pickles are Miss Jenny’s, which I thought was great (they’re a local company). I ordered the crab cake and the Smitty’s famous potatoes. I was in heaven; the crab cake was AMAZING and so fresh tasting with lots and lots of crab. The potatoes were tasty, too.
The atmosphere will definitely make you feel like you’re at the coast. There are lots of coastal knick knacks that I think adds to the charm and character. There’s not a lot of seating, but it’s worth the wait (on weekends or after 6pm, expect long wait times).
What encouraged me to give this place 5-​stars is the service. The entire time the wait staff gave it their all with a smile on their face, from door to table. When we arrived, we were told that there was a small wait (we arrived at 5:30pm). The server offered to put in a drink order while we wait. We didn’t have to wait very long before we were taken to a seat at the wrap around bar. If you sit here, you will be close to other diners, but I think it’s great. During our meal, our glasses stayed full and we didn’t have to ask for anything. The servers made sure that we were enjoying our meal by checking on us without being overwhelming.
Please come and try this place if you’re in the Kernersville area and in search of a good seafood place. You won’t be disappointed!!!

I just tipped $ 50 on a $ 70 tab… The service and food were that good. This place was packed when we wandered in and the wait was 45 minutes, but the hostess was fabulous and brought us drinks to kill the time. Everyone who works here that we encountered was great! And I’m not easily impressed. Kernersville and seafood. Who knew? (Apparently everyone but me!) Go here. Seriously.
We started with the crab dip, and even my husband who hates seafood, tried it and pronounced it delicious. I had a peck of oysters on the half shell and a dinner salad with blue cheese dressing, and with the crab dip appetizer, this was more than plenty of food for me for dinner… AND it satisfied my oyster craving (which is only slightly less powerful than my pregnancy cravings were for bagels and lox).
The restaurant is mostly a continuous, snaky bar top table that winds through the entire restaurant so I wouldn’t come here for quiet, intimate conversation, but for a fun night out, a lively atmosphere, and great seafood, this is the place.

This is first and foremost, a bar — a large bar area in a relatively small place. The bar snakes along the entire length of the restaurant, dipping here, bulging there, stretching from end to end, with a few isolated tables against the wall, especially at the back of the bar, some marked Reserved, Drinks Only. There is some outside seating available, but in this heat, and with a limited view of a shopping center parking lot, there were no takers, at least not tonight.
The atmosphere is North Myrtle Beach casual, Kernersville version — sea shells hanging from the ceiling, humorous signs on the walls, a roll of paper towels at every seat, a photo wall of friends and patrons at the back, more old folks than young folks here, most seem to be regulars.
The food is a mixed bag — the Good, the Bad, and the «Why Did I Order That?» The oysters on the half shell were good sized and fresh, and well priced. The Shrimp Cocktail was only so-​so, what you would expect to be served at K & W, if K & W served a shrimp cocktail.
The Crabcake entrée is excellent, little filler, much crab, and the cakes are huge — one is probably plenty (you can choose 2), but you know your limits, or at least by now, you should, and if not, she will fill the void. The Fried Popcorn Shrimp and the Fried Oyster Comb was excellent, crispy, tender, fried perfectly.
The fries are awful, those rectangular, ridged building blocks of untaste. The slaw is of the shredded, not chopped, variety, light on the mayo, diffiicult to fish out of the small bowl with any semblance of elegance, strands hang over everywhere, sometimes even impacting the stray cellphone, not always your own.
Do not order the Corn On The Cobb, it has cooked so long, it can not be fixed, seasoned, or safely fed to small animals. You get no bread, in any form (crackers don’t count, right?) with appetizers or entrée — seems punitive.
Service is excellent — friendly, personable, laid back, and attentive. The wine list is limited — no, I mean really limited — and if you are drinking a cocktail, try to work it so Jason pours your drink, the ladies are really nice, but seem over protective. Prices are more than reasonable. Piped in music is yada, yada, yada.
Overall, this is a fun place, good service, some good food choices, nice to have a drink, and a bite.
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