Jimmy’s Famous Hot Dogs
Jimmy’s looks like your average fast food joint serving burgers and dogs, but Jimmy’s is like stepping back in time. Jimmy’s is filled with Durham nostalgia – old basketball pics, historic shots of downtown Durham, a cooler full of bottle Cokes and snapshots of the owner and his family. On the back of the paper menu, you’ll find the story of this family-owned restaurant and its long history in Durham.
When we stopped in on a Saturday afternoon, it was packed. The simple menu consists of hot dogs, burgers and wings. Side options are crinkle-cut fries or onion rings. Desserts are “Diane’s homemade cakes” and banana pudding. We tried “Jimmy’s Famous Hot Dog Combo,” which is two hots dogs, fries and a soda for $5.74, with a container of banana pudding for $1.77. Note: Jimmy’s is cash only, but they do have an ATM.
The slaw and chili are house-made and you can tell. The slaw is classic Southern style – fresh grated cabbage tossed with mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar. The chili also a classic take – ground beef cooked with chili pepper and cumin. The hot dogs are grilled instead of boiled which is a nice touch. The banana pudding was also fresh and homemade, vanilla custard studded with just barely too ripe bananas and soft vanilla wafers. We spotted hamburgers on the table next to us and they actually looked even better than the hotdogs.
Jimmy’s is not trying to be anything fancy or trendy, it is just a classic lunch counter with a friendly staff that’s great for a quick bite. It’s also a nice alternative to King’s, Wimpy’s or Cook Out when you want to sit at a table.
Jimmy’s Famous Hot Dogs
Monday-Saturday 10:30 am -8:00 pm
Sunday 10:30 am – 3:00 pm
Cash Only
2728 Guess Road
Durham, NC 27705
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I generally agree.I generally disagree.
We’ve eaten there a few times and have enjoyed it. The banana pudding is great. Now I want to try the hamburgers.
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I’ve been meaning to try this place. Now it’ll be a priority.
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sorry for hijacking, but anyone hear about Bull Mccabes buying vacant lot/property next to bar for a beer garden ?
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not sure – would be great but I thought city owned that property – will research
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ok – so is privately owned – they’re using it for St. Patrick’s day. Not sure beyond that.
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one more piece of intell. – so yes you are right – they aren’t expanding the building – putting up a fence of some type – cornhole, tables, bocce, dog friendly. pretty cool.
I don’t know if they have made changes since I was there a couple of months ago. I did not have a good experience. The staff were very friendly, and the atmosphere is fun. However, I did not find the food to be very good. Everything was made from pre-packaged, frozen food and pretty tasteless.
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similar experience a few months ago – dog was boiled and no snap or flavor. i asked about grilling and it wasn’t an option then. yellow mustard. seems maybe they’ve changed?
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the dogs were grilled when we stopped in – and yes the fries are the frozen crinkle cut kind, but the chili and slaw were housemade.
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Hot dogs have always been grilled since they opened. Chili, slaw, desserts and most items are homemade. They were probably working out the kinks, you should definitely give them a second chance. Awesome food!
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I wouldnt say the food is awesome…but its solid…and the price is right!
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long history in durham? Wasnt this place JJs fish and chicken a few months ago?
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they haven’t always been at this location – the same family has run restaurants in Durham for decades. Current owner’s grandfather, Jimmy Pashales, came to Durham in the 1940s and opened a restaurant downtown called ABC Lunch. Then the family owned University Grill. They played some part in Liberty grill.
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ah…got it
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I stopped by tonight after reading this post. I would skip the burgers and stick to the dogs. The burgers are generic flavorless frozen pre-made patties. Jimmy’s famous dog (aka the chili dog with everything) is definitely the way to go, I loved it, I could eat 4 right now! I don’t know if mine was grilled but I didn’t care, it was a good dog. The fries were frozen krinkle cuts, but they were crisp outside and fluffy inside. Frankly the fries were exactly like Elmo’s fries, when Elmo’s fries are at their best.
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I couldn’t disagree more. This is the best burger I’ve had in Durham. The food was fresh, flavorful, and hot. The thin patty and was nicely browned and juicy. The proportion of burger to toppings was perfect (I had it all the way, onion, slaw, chili, mustard and cheese), and the bun did what it was supposed to, hold everything in place without adding too much bulk. Best of all, I walked away satisfied without feeling like they had to roll me out the front door which is often the case with the mammoth burgers that have become commonplace. This is no gourmet joint, but this is where I’ll go when I want to satisfy my craving for good burger.
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