The little A-frame at 617 Hicks St. is back in action. Jean’s By the Sea, a compact seafood bar with a fish-shack mood, has quietly opened in Old West Durham, taking over the former Wimpy’s Grill building with counter service, oysters and coastal cocktails. The team held a soft opening over the weekend, positioning the spot as a casual neighborhood hangout for lunch and evening meals.
According to The News & Observer, Jean’s menu leans hard into Calabash-style fried baskets and handhelds. Diners will find platters of shrimp, oysters, catfish, scallops and seasonal catches starting at $18, shrimp rolls for $15 and a fried fish sandwich topped with North Carolina hoop cheese for $16. The paper also notes chilled raw “tackle boxes” priced from $27 to $74, plus a michelada that can come with an optional raw oyster “back” for those who like their beer with a side of bravado.
Menu and drinks
Owner Kate Elia built the menu around oysters and simple coastal plates, with warm comforts such as shrimp and grits and New England-style chowder rounding things out. As reported by Business Debut, the snug footprint seats roughly 30 guests inside and opens onto a large patio and lawn, giving the spot more breathing room than the indoor square footage suggests. Jean’s own site lists the project as “Landing 2026,” a cheeky nod to its nautical theme.
On the drinks side, cocktails lean into rum-based punches and smoky mezcal, keeping with the beach-town vibe. The beer list mixes Modelo on draft with selections from Southern craft breweries, so you can chase your oysters with either a laid-back lager or something a little more local.
Space and neighborhood
The A-frame at 617 Hicks St. has a long local history. For decades it housed Wimpy’s Grill, a Durham staple that closed in 2019. ABC11 reported that Wimpy’s shut down after 32 years when its owners retired, ending a long run of burgers and breakfast plates in the tiny space. The building itself is documented in Open Durham’s local archive, a reminder that this little corner of Old West Durham has fans far beyond the immediate block…