Big Jim's really starts a new phase in the Triple D journey for Ben and I--it was really like the starting place for a small goal within the larger one of hitting up every one of Guy's joints. Usually, central Pennsylvania is home, but when Ben got accepted to grad school in Pittsburgh, the perspective changed. We had the whole city in front of us and inside of this awesome city were 7 Triple D favs. So when I moved to Pittsburgh for the summer, we decided our goal was to work our way through the city before my 10 weeks of internship were up. We started with Big Jim's--a place we'd visited earlier in the year after we'd seen the episode on TV, but like every other place we'd already visited it hadn't been photographed. I started work at the end of May and to celebrate making it through my first day of workin' at the hospital we decided to kick off the summer with a trip to Big Jim's. We figured since it was a kind of celebration, it'd be better to start with a place we knew we liked, ya know jump start the summer with style, and what has more style than some homemade Italian food???Any Pittsburgh local can probably tell you exactly where "the run" is. It's a small strip of the city on the outskirts of Southside, underneath the Hot Metal Bridge, home to some old fashioned houses and a building you'd probably drive right on past if you didn't know what you were looking for--Big Jim's. From the outside, Jim's looks like a typical dive bar, only noticeable because of the sign up on the outside wall, but it's really what's on the inside that counts right? And that's why locals have been packin' into this place for over thirty years. There's a reason Jim's was on the episode "Long Time Legends." It's called Pittsburgh home since 1977 when the current owner's Uncle Jim bought the place to start cooking up his Mom's homemade recipes she brought over from Italy. Jim's nephew bought the place in 1992 with a couple of partners to keep his uncle's traditions alive. It started out as just a bar with about ten tables not counting the bar stools, but they've added on with a larger dining area recently. No matter how many seats there are though the place is always packed, so if you're going around dinner expect a wait--but trust me it's worth it. The first time we went to Jim's it was in February, we got there around 5:30 right as a huge snow storm was brewing, the weather didn't stop business though. By the time we left there were three inches of snow on the ground and a line of people waiting to get in--talk about dedication! Ben and I usually sit in the bar area, mostly because I like to watch the TVs they always have tuned into ESPN, cuz hey it is a bar after all, even if the food they're crankin' out isn't your typical bar food.
The second time we went to Jim's I told myself I'd try something new, I promised myself this would be the time I tried their homemade pasta, try their big as a brick lasagna, but when it comes down to it, I know what I like, and what I like at Big Jim's is the chicken pa
rm sub. I've had this thing twice and haven't been able to finish it in one sitting yet. The whole is probably pushin' 16 to 18 inches of homemade bread (that is some of the best I've ever had) stuffed full of provolone, chicken, and their homemade red sauce. Their definately famous for their sauce, which is of course a secret family recipe that hasn't been changed in thirty years. Ben's the more adventurous of the two of us, so he changed orders the second time around, but it still didn't lead to either of us trying any homemade pasta. This time Ben replaced his meatball sub (made with homemade fried meatballs) for the infamous veal parm. Now if you're a fan of the show, you know Guy's prone to exaggeration, but when he said this thing was as big as your head, he wasn't lying. This was the biggest sandwich I've ever seen, and is one of the house favorites. Both the chicken and the veal are fried to perfection. They're crisp and tender, but be careful cuz these things come out smokin' hot--I've burned my mouth both times, but for these subs it's totally worth it. So 
between the two of us, we've covered their sub section fairly well--even though there are plenty more than what we've tried, and we've hit up a couple of appetizers too. They're fryin' up provolone sticks and making an Italian wedding soup like you've never had, complete with homemade mini meatballs. Put some parmesan cheese on top of it and you'd think you were in heaven. I'm still holding out hope that the next time around I'll try some pasta, but when you've got something as good as their subs and soup, it's hard to pull yourself away. Here's what I've learned from Big Jim's though, and I think it's the perfect example of Guy's goal with Triple D (If it's funky we'll find it), you can't judge a place by the outside. Driving by Jim's you'd probably think it's just a run down bar, but you'd be missing out on some amazing food, so the next time you're in Pitt, head down to the run and check out Big Jim's...it'll be worth the wait.
rm sub. I've had this thing twice and haven't been able to finish it in one sitting yet. The whole is probably pushin' 16 to 18 inches of homemade bread (that is some of the best I've ever had) stuffed full of provolone, chicken, and their homemade red sauce. Their definately famous for their sauce, which is of course a secret family recipe that hasn't been changed in thirty years. Ben's the more adventurous of the two of us, so he changed orders the second time around, but it still didn't lead to either of us trying any homemade pasta. This time Ben replaced his meatball sub (made with homemade fried meatballs) for the infamous veal parm. Now if you're a fan of the show, you know Guy's prone to exaggeration, but when he said this thing was as big as your head, he wasn't lying. This was the biggest sandwich I've ever seen, and is one of the house favorites. Both the chicken and the veal are fried to perfection. They're crisp and tender, but be careful cuz these things come out smokin' hot--I've burned my mouth both times, but for these subs it's totally worth it. So 
between the two of us, we've covered their sub section fairly well--even though there are plenty more than what we've tried, and we've hit up a couple of appetizers too. They're fryin' up provolone sticks and making an Italian wedding soup like you've never had, complete with homemade mini meatballs. Put some parmesan cheese on top of it and you'd think you were in heaven. I'm still holding out hope that the next time around I'll try some pasta, but when you've got something as good as their subs and soup, it's hard to pull yourself away. Here's what I've learned from Big Jim's though, and I think it's the perfect example of Guy's goal with Triple D (If it's funky we'll find it), you can't judge a place by the outside. Driving by Jim's you'd probably think it's just a run down bar, but you'd be missing out on some amazing food, so the next time you're in Pitt, head down to the run and check out Big Jim's...it'll be worth the wait.They just set up their website since they opened up a new place outside the city, but the one you're lookin' for is Big Jim's Restaurant so check out the menu on the left
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