Ken's Grill & NC Barbecue — Restaurant in Kinston

First let me preface this review by saying that I have been going to Ken‘s since I was a young child since I am now in my late 50s I consider that a pretty long time.

However there has been a couple circumstances when I have eaten lunch with my family but every time I have had this one particular waitress who is Ken‘s daughter-in-law, I have received poor service, a snippy attitude and her being downright rude.

This is a review of the service we received by this person who should not be waiting on people when she’s having whatever kind of problem she has.

Four of us went to lunch today. My elderly mother, my aunt, my fiancé, and myself. It was after the major lunch rush so things were not going at a fast quick pace. Unfortunately we had Ken‘s daughter-in-law wait on us. She began taking orders. First with my aunt. My aunt ordered a cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, onions, mayonnaise and pickles. She then went over to my fiancé, he said “I will have the same thing she is having, with everything. Ms. b#!+(h-a-lott asked “do you want that with cheese?” Where as he replied “yes please”.

The waitress with an attitude from hell, then came to me and asked for my order. I replied I would like a cheeseburger with catchup mustard and chili and an order of fries crispy. I also said we would like an order of onion rings. My mother then gave her order which was a copycat burger of my aunts and my fiancé’s.

I noticed the onion rings on the counter as they were waiting for the other items to be finished. I made a statement that those onion rings looked very overcooked. When the order made it to our table I commented about the over cooked onion rings. Ms. b#!+(h-a-lot looks at my fiancé and snaps “you said crispy!”. I replied “I asked for crispy fries, not onion rings. She then slammed her hand down on the table, grabbed the OR and fries and stormed away. She left on the table a HAMBURGER with chili, mustard, and onion. We thought she gave us someone else’s burger. When she returned with the properly cooked OR and fries, I asked about this HAMBURGER no one ordered. She practically spit “HE said all the way” The table response was, no, he ordered a burger like my aunts. She insisted not (jeez it was a single hamburger...what happened to the customer is always right?) I pointed out to her that the ticket (in her handwriting) clearly states that I ordered crispy fries, not crispy onion rings and that seem to only irritate her even more. The ticket also HB ATW which was clearly not the case since we specifically requested the same thing my aunt ordered. I get it people make mistakes, but you have to start slamming things around and being such a rude person over a silly hamburger? The thing is she was directing her anger that my fiancé who never said anything or contradicted her order in anyway, it was me. I do not know what provoked her. I do know this put us in a peculiar situation, because my aunt and my mother eat there multiple times during the week, and we did not want to give a bad impression or make a scene. I do know what Ms. b#!+(h-a-lot does is completely wrong; even though she is related to the business owner should not be condoned in...

Disclaimer: the 3 star rating is a gift weighted by my past experiences, not my latest.

I grew up in La Grange and have very fond memories of multiple lunches per week at Ken's grill. Their smashed grilled cheeseburgers were always fantastic. On Fridays you could go in and tomato-based fish stew was available as a daily special. Multiple days per week (was Wednesday & Friday back then, they may have added Thursdays now) Eastern NC style chopped pork Barbeque was on the menu and a huge draw. I never recall having a disappointing meal here. It was small-town grilling perfection.

It's been years since I've been, so my family stopped in for a meal on a trip out of town. We went in and everything looks exactly the same as I remember it from 20+ years ago. We were told to seat ourselves, so we grabbed an open table. While we were sitting, a waitress came over and mentioned she was asked to open the window blinds as she reached over us to do that (so she knew we were there). I sat and watched for the next 10 minutes or so as a couple of other groups came in behind us. It wasn't immediate, but the apparent 2 waitresses on duty got their drink order without further acknowledging my family. A gentleman who was leaving the table behind us saw out plight and said he'd mention it to them when he went to to counter to pay. I saw his interaction with the waitress in the red shirt (who was the one who opened the blinds over us) and I could see her pointing to and area behind the counter/bar I couldn't see, which I interpreted to mean we weren't her table and the waitress in the orange shirt was supposed to be with us. I watched a while longer as neither one of them seemed terribly busy and spent most of their time wandering behind the counter. By this time my wife is fuming, my kids are restless, and no one was going to be happy if they ever acknowledged us again so we just left.

I'm not really sure what was going on that day, but we went down the road a bit to BoJangles' and moved on about our day. Hopefully this isn't a normal occurrence, but it'll be difficult to get my wife to give them another...

"Hidden Gem with Delicious Food and Charming Service!

Nestled in a quaint corner of town, Ken's Grill may seem a bit outdated at first glance, but don't let its appearance fool you. This cozy eatery exudes a nostalgic charm and boasts some of the best food and service in the area.

Upon entering, the decor may appear a tad old-fashioned, but the warm greeting from the staff immediately makes you feel at home. The attentive service throughout the meal only adds to the welcoming atmosphere.

Now, let's talk about the food. Wow! From the first bite to the last, every dish was bursting with flavor. The menu may not be cutting-edge, but the kitchen delivers on classic dishes with an expertise that's hard to find elsewhere. The burger and fries I had were cooked to perfection, the onion rings were incredibly fresh, and the homemade desserts were simply divine.

While the ambiance might not be ultra-modern, the quality of the food and the genuine hospitality more than make up for it. If you're in the mood for a delicious meal served with a side of old-world charm, Ken's Grill is the place to be. I can't wait to return for another delightful dining...