Durham’s Saint James Seafood Will Finally Reopen in 2022

In January 2020, chef Matt Kelly was able to reopen his beloved Durham restaurant Saint James Seafood following a 10-month shutdown due to a gas explosion in the Brightleaf Square area. The dining room wasn’t running for long though, because Governor Roy Cooper ordered all North Carolina bars and restaurants to close on March 17, due to the spreading pandemic. In 2022, Kelly will have another chance to resurrect Saint James.

Announced today, the Durham restaurant will once again unlock the doors at 806 W. Main Street in late January 2022. Saint James will continue with its focus on traditional coastal seafood, including an extensive raw bar, Calabash-style fried fish, towers of shellfish, and more.

Kelly and his team attempted to pivot during the pandemic by rebranding as Jimmy’s Dockside to offer a low-key version of the restaurant to consumers with easy takeout items like Calabash-style seafood platters, North Carolina barbecue shrimp, a double cheeseburger, clam chowder, and more. The Jimmy’s Dockside program ended on December 1, 2020.

Once Saint James starts taking in customers again, it will be open for dinner on Wednesdays through Saturdays.

• What It’s Like to Open (or Not Open) a Restaurant in the Carolinas During the Novel Coronavirus Outbreak
• Saint James Seafood [Official]
• North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper Halts Dine-In Option for Restaurants
• Working Through an Explosion and a Pandemic, Durham’s Saint James Continues to Be Resilient