Q and A with Jimmie’s Restaurant Chef Kevin Hall

Last updated: April 3, 2024

Jimmie’s Restaurant in Princeton, WV, is a local dining establishment known for its classic American cuisine and friendly atmosphere. Located in the heart of Princeton, Jimmie’s has been serving up delicious meals since it first opened its doors.

Q: How long have you been a chef?
A: I’ve been a chef for more than 24 years.

Q: Can you give just a little bit of a history behind Jimmie’s Restaurant?
A: Jimmie’s Restaurant has been on Mercer Street since 1922 and it was owned until 2012 by
the same family. And then in 2022, we did a remodel and reopened it, but still pay homage to
the name – Jimmie’s Restaurant.

Q: What made you not want to rebrand it?
A: I didn’t want to rebrand it just for the simple fact that it’s been here for 100 years and
it’s been a staple on Mercer Street. We get so many people giving us more history about when
they used to come here as a kid 50 or 60 years ago.

Q: We think there’s something really caring about that when folks come in and not only are happy
about the food, but also have a story to tell you. How does that feel?
A: I mean, cooking for people is my true passion. I mean, it makes me happy. That’s what we
care most about. Our customers coming have a story to tell. They leave with a story to tell. Every
day, I learn a new story about how they used to come here as a kid and have a burger
and a Coke and it was 30 cents The stories never get old.

Q: How did people react when they heard that it was reopening?
A: We had a huge following of people that were excited that the restaurant was opening.
And it was even more exciting that we kept classic burgers and other favorites. They’re very welcoming of new items with flares that they may not have seen before.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit more about those items? Like what’s something that you’ve
brought in that is maybe more innovative that has really been accepted by the community?
A. People really seem to enjoy our daily specials. It could be like ahi tuna. It could be pasta. It could
be Italian. And then some of our menu items, we keep traditional items. We have a dish called the swine
bovine. That’s our hand-pressed beef patties with pulled pork barbecue and pickles on it. It’s two sandwiches merged into one.

Q: Is there a particular item on your menu that you would classify as uniquely Appalachian?
A: One of our Appalachian staple foods that we have is our fried baloney sandwich.
It’s all beef, fried baloney, four ounce thick cut, and it’s fried like a grilled cheese with
American cheese, pickles and mustard.

Q: What is Appalachian cuisine to you? Is it food? Is it service? How do you define
Appalachian cuisine?
A: I define Appalachian cuisine as comfort food. We want to welcome you like this is our home.

Jimmie’s Restaurant is located in the Mercer Street Grassroots District. Chef Kevin Hall is a former chef at the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs and The Market in Hinton, West Virginia.