There’s nothing worse than watching eager customers come through the door of your restaurant or diner only to make the quick appraisal that there is no room left to find a seat and immediately hit the bricks again in search of an alternative place to dine. Over the past few years Jacob and Jim Kramer, owners of Tim’s Too in downtown St. Joseph decided they were losing entirely too much business because of the overwhelming success of their tasty enterprise.
Now, after plotting solutions for some time, the Kramers have dramatically enhanced the opportunity to dine with them at their amazing Asian Fusion restaurant in the heart of the central business district of St. Joseph, and they accomplished that by acquiring the space next door and knocking down part of the common wall between them.
What was a compact 1,000 square foot restaurant with seating for 32 has doubled to 2,000 square feet and more than doubling their seating capacity by adding 50 new seats in the house bringing to 82 the capacity at Tim’s Too. The space that formerly housed a brokerage firm provides a much larger footprint for the Kramer family enterprise.
Diners at Tim’s Too now also have booth options on the west wall of the new side of the house to go with the long banquette on the east wall of the house and tables for 2 to 4 each which could be put together for larger groups. There are also table top options on the new side of the restaurant which brings a beautiful new decor to the popular space.
Tim’s Too was the original brainchild of renowned Chef Tim Sizer, owner of Timothy’s of Harbor Country. He operated the grill in St. Joe starting in July of 2007, but sold the business to the Kramers several years later, and the restaurant has flourished thanks to the unique nature of the hands-on approach that diners employ in setting up their meal.
Guests select from a broad array of vegetables, pasta noodles, meats, fish, and a dynamic range of house-made sauces which are then fused in a one-of-a-kind stir fry on a massive round grill, commonly referred to in the industry as a “Mongolian barbecue,” and then served up in bowls which can be accompanied by brown or white rice options are eaten fresh from the bowl. With that enormous grill staged in the front window, diners and even passers-by can watch the chef in action as each meal is prepared individually for the hungry patrons.
The custom sauces can range from mild to wild with little zest or lots of heat depending on your personal palate choice. The restaurant stocks the freshest ingredients possible and refills the selection bins multiple times a day thanks to the popularity of the place.
Tim’s Too, located less than a block from Lake Bluff Park, can be found at 511 Pleasant Street in St. Joseph, and offers a wide selection of beer, wine and cocktails to be paired with your favorite stir-fry. You’ll find them in the house every Sunday through Thursday from 11am until 8pm and on Fridays and Saturdays from 11am until 9pm, serving lunch and dinner or anytime in between.
Hopefully, fewer diners will be turned away with the dramatic enhancements at Tim’s Too in downtown St. Joe.
