Friday, March 10, 2017
Jims Original
Jims Original
Location: 1250 S Union Ave
Cost: Less than $5 per person
A little while after I got back from NYC, my dad had some tickets to the Sox game he was trying to get off his hands. So Jeremy, the Professor, Scottie, and I took a little trip down south to watch them battle the Twins. Just a side note, it always amazes me how empty the games are, especially when theyre in a playoff race. Either way, when we left the game we were looking for a place to grab a bite. Since it was on the way back North, we decided to stop at Jims Original for some Polish sausages.
Logistics
Jims Original is a Chicago mainstay thats been around since the 1930s. Its a simple setup. You walk up to a window, place your order, and walk over to a counter built into the side of the building to eat. Theres plenty of street parking around. The biggest logistic point is not to be confused by the stand right next door. Sometimes they build up a decent line, but youre probably better off waiting so that you dont get food thats been sitting around.
The guys working the stand are one of a kind. They give you the impression that theres a thin line between experienced flavor and health code violation. I forget exactly what the cost was, but for a sausage, fries, and a coke it was around $4.
The Food
Theyve got plenty of options to choose from. Jeremy almost went for the fish sandwich, but instead we all got the same order of a Polish Sausage and Fries. The sausages are grilled to a subtle char. They have a great snap and plenty of juiciness. They have this gigantic pile of grilled onions that they toss on top. Mine were soggy and oily. The bun was simple and soaked up everything real well. The fries were nothing special. They were a little mushy for my taste. The cheese on the side for the fries was the stereotypical ballpark nacho stuff.
Overall
Jims Original is a piece of Chicago history. Its pretty convenient to hit up if youre going to or coming from a Sox game. The sausages are great, but everything else is the standard greasy stuff youd expect from an average stand. Im giving them 3.5 Pearls.
Cost: Less than $5 per person
A little while after I got back from NYC, my dad had some tickets to the Sox game he was trying to get off his hands. So Jeremy, the Professor, Scottie, and I took a little trip down south to watch them battle the Twins. Just a side note, it always amazes me how empty the games are, especially when theyre in a playoff race. Either way, when we left the game we were looking for a place to grab a bite. Since it was on the way back North, we decided to stop at Jims Original for some Polish sausages.
Logistics
Jims Original is a Chicago mainstay thats been around since the 1930s. Its a simple setup. You walk up to a window, place your order, and walk over to a counter built into the side of the building to eat. Theres plenty of street parking around. The biggest logistic point is not to be confused by the stand right next door. Sometimes they build up a decent line, but youre probably better off waiting so that you dont get food thats been sitting around.
The guys working the stand are one of a kind. They give you the impression that theres a thin line between experienced flavor and health code violation. I forget exactly what the cost was, but for a sausage, fries, and a coke it was around $4.
The Food
Theyve got plenty of options to choose from. Jeremy almost went for the fish sandwich, but instead we all got the same order of a Polish Sausage and Fries. The sausages are grilled to a subtle char. They have a great snap and plenty of juiciness. They have this gigantic pile of grilled onions that they toss on top. Mine were soggy and oily. The bun was simple and soaked up everything real well. The fries were nothing special. They were a little mushy for my taste. The cheese on the side for the fries was the stereotypical ballpark nacho stuff.
The Polish Sausage
A Close up on the Fries
Overall
Jims Original is a piece of Chicago history. Its pretty convenient to hit up if youre going to or coming from a Sox game. The sausages are great, but everything else is the standard greasy stuff youd expect from an average stand. Im giving them 3.5 Pearls.
Chicago
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