Jim's Original

This is a Chicago classic Amazing foodAmazing serviceThe best security guard And a feeling of being part of this amazing cities history!

Never get tired of a quality bone in pork chop sandwich at Jim's! I know, nuts right, has a bun?!! But I'm telling you, it's a good bite of a sandwich. And the grilled Polish....always a good Polish dog!

BACKGROUNDAlongside the famous Chicago dog and Italian beef, the Maxwell Street Polish is another historic Chicagoan food item, albeit a bit overshadowed. I already tried the first two earlier on during my vacation, so to complete the trifecta, my friend and I visited the first Jim's Original on the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) campus at around 6:00 PM on a Wednesday.Located next to a UIC parking lot, Jim's Original stands out with its bold red and yellow bricks and its tall signage. If you're curious about the history of this institution, their website is pretty insightful: http://jimsoriginal.com/HistoryFOODObviously, I had to order the Polish sausage ($6.50). I appreciated how the price you saw on the menu was the price you paid since tax was already baked in. And they don't ask for a tip.To be frank (pun intended), I did not like the Polish sausage sandwich. First, I'm surprised that more reviews don't mention how the hot sport peppers are extremely spicy. I'm probably a little better than average when it comes to handling spicy foods. However, I took one bite of the sandwich with the peppers and started tearing up immediately and had to gulp down a lot of water. Maybe I got some extra spicy peppers, but I promptly removed them from the top of my sandwich. I thought the sausage itself was fine; the flavor was nothing to write home about, but it did have a snappy texture. I do love onions, and I'm indifferent to mustard. Therefore, I thought the entire sandwich was just okay.As stated on their menu, every sandwich order comes with free fries. They were the saving grace of the order. The fries were tasty, consisting of a nice salty flavor and a crisp texture.I'm glad I got to try the iconic Polish sausage, but I wouldn't go out of my way for it. Of course, my tastes and preferences are different from yours, so you might really enjoy it. The menu is extremely affordable, and I can definitely see why Jim's Original is so appealing.SERVICEWhen we arrived, there were no other customers, so it was a bit quiet. Therefore, the employees were fast, the service was quick, and I received my food immediately after paying.TIPSThe menu has both the Polish sausage and the Polish sausage, all beef. I asked the employee which item was the traditional one, and he was very helpful and informed me it was the former. So if you want the original order with the same recipe and taste since 1943, get just the Polish sausage (source: https://jimsoriginal.com/Timeline ).

The Maxwell street polish is still the best anywhere flavor wise, but it has shrunk. It's still the least expensive of similar joints (except next door) but I'm guessing instead of raising prices they just shrunk the size of the sausage along with the tiniest smear of mustard and a skimpy portion of sautéed onions. Plus the hot peppers included with every sandwich was limited to two for my order of four sandwiches. They're hot as hell but I want one with every Sando! Back in the day of a mighty polish they'd give you two peppers each. So disappointing that they would cave like that. No restrooms so don't get pepper juice near your eyes. Fries included with each sandwich. No they ain't free they're 'included'.Great service, eat in your car or on it. Don't sit on the curb and eat you'll get run over!!

This place is great. The food is tasty. And free fries makes it even better. I would definitely recommend.

You can't top the price, or the originality, at Jim's original. I had the Polish, and it was a filling late-night treat for this first-time Chicago visitor. However, I can't say the flavor compared to the meat in my hometown Polish markets (Pittsburgh). Overall, a good stop on any Chicago food tour!

Lines can be somewhat long but they move really quickly. We had about 5 people in front of us and it took just under 10 mins to get to the counter to order. Me & my boyfriend had the polish sausage and cheese fries. The food was fresh and delicious. Can't wait to come back the next time we're in Chicago.

I wish I didn't wait until the last full day of my trip to come because it was the best sausage I had in Chicago. I ordered a polish dog, and it automatically comes with fries. For less than $10, it's a whole filling meal. The sausage had the perfect amount of snappiness to it. Seasoned perfectly. A hearty hot dog. Onions and mustard were enough to cut the richness. The fries were great too. Slightly crispy, good flavor. Definitely make a trip out here if you can. You won't regret it.

Yummy! National Hotdog Day (7/15/24) they hit a 100% HOME RUN!!!!! Katie thank you for the reminder, though you may have meant Jimmy's up north. (;-)

It is this easy.When you land in Chicago + you are hungry ....head to Jims. It is our tradition and I highly recommend that it be yours too.Why - because you can smell the sautéed onions as you drive up. It is one of the best sausages around for its price. Because if you want to be just like a local, it is just what you do. EXCELLENT street food and always a fun experience that is now a tradition for my hubby and I when we arrive in Chicago.