Food came out really fast, it was really good, and the French fries were some of the best I've ever had. The workers were so nice and helpful. The store is perfect for like eating by yourself, 3 people, or like a whole friend group. read more

Ok I hesitated trying this place out because of the review rating, but I'm glad I decided to try it! First, before you order, read the description of the sausage and the description of the hot dog. It made me want to try both, and I'm glad I did. They both have a smoky flavor with garlic and they have that ever so coveted snap. We ordered the Maxwell style polish sausage and the Chicago hot dog. Both were great. They came with peppers that were larger than normal and definitely added to the flavor. These were of similar caliber to Portillo's, but different. I enjoy both of their takes on a similar product. We also got the fish sandwich, and I'm glad I got to try it, but the grilled onions and peppers were not as good of a mixture with the fish as I thought it would be, but I still enjoyed it. Most of the negative reviews discuss lack of free water, which they seem to have remedied because I saw a water dispenser on the counter where you order. There were also negative comments on the service. The lady taking our orders was not very friendly or helpful but the people at the pick up counter were helpful and nice. The ambience was great with the old school pictures and Chicago themed style. I enjoyed the AC on the inside, but the patio was nice in the evening even though it was hot out. I will definitely be back and I am excited to try the burgers next time as the pictures looked good. Give this place a try, and don't listen to the nitpicking in the other negative reviews. read more

Ignore the haters! This place is amazing. Had the original Polish sausage -- perfectly cooked, hot and oh so delicious! The battered fries are like crack, served super hot and WOW! they are truly great. Prices are a steal, $8.50 for a polish sausage and fries, unbeatable. Has a nice Chicago linked ambiance too. Faaaaar better taste, ambiance and value than PCH down the street -- A LOT better. Hurry over and get some tasty Polish sausage and fries at a nice price. Staff was super smiley and friendly too. Anytime the Bears, Bulls, Cubs or Blackhawks play we'll have some tasty Chicago food to enjoy watching the games with. read more

Very disappointing Food was so very mid. Chicago dog was okay but not great. California burger was a total bust. Has no flavor. Fries were okay. Building designs is cool but for a place that most everyone wants to sit outside how about having a speaker so you can hear were your food is ready if have one of the workers bring it to you Anyway just heard about the place opening and was excited to try it but not going back as might as well hit PCH dogs up the road as much better. read more

I always get excited when my midwest favorites come to the west coast! I had to visit Jim's Original to see if it lived up to memory. It's not a huge menu, but we opted for the The Original (polish sausage) and Italian Beef sandwich. Love how they give you a free side of fries with your order! The polish sausage had a nice snap to it and the caramelized onions and the mustard cut through the fattiness. It also came with a pickled pepper. I got cocky about my spice tolerance and bit through that sucker and nearly died. If you like to live on the edge, by all means eat the pepper. The Italian Beef was just okay. The bread was kind of hard and the au jus (just a quick dip) made it fall apart. The fries were nice and crisp and added to the overall enjoyment of the meal. Give this place a try! read more

Second time here and first dining in. It's a small indoor area with a big unshaded patio. The footprint of the lot dictated this. Orders are prepared very quickly and the food is well priced. All sandwiches come with a big order of fries so before a drink your lunch is right around 10 bucks give or take. Speaking of drinks, I see a number of people lost their minds because there were no free water cups. Don't the water obsessed always have a giant water bottle with them at all times? Anyway, they listened and now have a water dispenser and small cups. I had the bone-in pork chop sandwich. Instructions are provided so you don't bite into the bone. It was a delicious chop served Maxwell Street style which means a mix of yellow mustard and lots of lightly grilled onions. I saw some people complaining about the bun being dry. I did notice that at first but was thankful for it as I ain't because the onions and mustard are a wet mix and if there's pineapple bun was steamed it would never stay together. My wife went Old School Chicago having the Chicago style hot dog. It's got all the required ingredients for the style. Let's make it clear: this is a hot dog stand. It is not Napa Rose. Good food, served quickly at a great price. It's that simple. read more

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I'm a firm believer that they're should be just as many hot dog fast food chains as burger chains because, all things being equal, I enjoy hot dogs/beef franks/sausages more than burgers. I always have. I don't know why burger fast food joints outnumber hot dog ones 9:1. I wish we had a place like Ted's here. Jim's Original is a good substitute. It doesn't have quite the variety or the taste of a Ted's, but the two dogs I had were quite good. I think I preferred the Maxwell Street Style over the Chicago Dog. Onions, peppers, and mustard is more my taste at any rate. I even liked the fries a lot, especially when they give you order for free with every sandwich. I thought the customer service was okay. The wait was rather long because they only have the one register. This is the same problem you run into at PCHot Dogs. Even one more register would help. But otherwise my order got to me fast and I had no problems with my order. I thought the dining room and patio was an okay size so the complaints from others is really strange to me. The parking lot one though I agree is very on the nose. It is a small parking lot and the last few spots are in danger of being blocked off if Ty's drive-thru line is rather long. That's a terrible design flaw. All in all, Jim's Original turned out to be okay and a place I'll consider if I'm in the area. read more

Jim’s Original - Everything you've ever dreamt of Disappearing when you wake up Double Hot Dog (Chicago & Maxwell Street Styles) Combo from #JimsOriginal - Hot Dogs Near Me - Orange, California

I wasn't impressed with this place at all. First the parking lot is tiny. If you are parked in the back you might get stuck because of the drive thru line. The inside is really cramped. Its hard to get your drinks with everyone waiting for their food. The double Chicago dog wasn't bad. I'll get a single next time since the second dog kept falling out of the bun. It did have a nice snap. Fries come with everything but they were a little soggy. The burger was awful. It reminded me of a burger you would get in a school cafeteria. I think I would rather drive up the street to PCH dogs. read more

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So my third review. Drive thru today and ordered the polish sausage. Fries were good, sausage was good, bun was good, onions were not hot? Not even warm, like they were on a plate waiting for a ride on a sausage. Overall, the sausage made up for it. large and spiced just right. I will try again hoping for warm onions. read more

I really wanted to like it . As someone who's been to Chicago many many times, I really wanted to like it . The hot dog was over boiled/cooked. It had a weird snap to it. The burger was cold, cheese not melted and when we sat outside (there's no speaker if you sit outside to know when it's ready) the 3 employees stood there and didn't wave or say anything . Though they were super slow and one could have walked over and brought the order or at least opened the patio door to say "your food's ready" all 3 of them stood there staring out the window . You are in the service industry, not cashier industry. I'm giving them 2 stars not 1 because the bathrooms were clean and the fries were good. The other items wouldn't make me come back. A Vienna sausage should be available IMO , if you want to feel Chicago in OC! read more

Jim’s Original - Hot Dogs Near Me - Orange, California

Was craving Portillo's so decided to give Jim's Original a try. We had the beef sandwich, fries and onion rings. All was amazing quality. Usually my beef sandwich elsewhere's bread is soggy before we could get to it. Not here! The au ju sauce was perfect. After we decided to try the strawberry lemonade Italian ice and boy was it soooo refreshing! Keep in mind every sandwich including hot dogs come with an order of fries. The sign show they will be serving beer. A cold beer would of hit the spot yesterday. Now i have something to look forward to. I would definitely recommend giving Jim's a try. read more

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Came to check out this new restaurant in the area with some friends, and they have a very convenient drive-thru. The prices are very reasonable, and each sandwich came with a side of fries. It was hard to get a good photo since we got the food to-go, but the Italian beef sandwich came with a lot of meat. The sandwich would've benefited from more of the beef stock/sauce because it was a little dry, but overall flavorful. For a fast food meal, this was great quality. read more

Jim’s Original - Fries - Hot Dogs Near Me - Orange, California

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Jim's Original just wasn't for me. I ordered the burger and an all-beef Chicago-style dog. Honestly, I didn't finish either one. The burger was probably the saddest burger I've had in a while. The Chicago dog was absolutely drenched in relish, so much that the bun fell apart. It was also packaged standing upright, which didn't do it any favors by the time I got to it. That said, the staff was super friendly, and the place looked clean inside and out. They were easily the best part of the experience. I did read another review mentioning that tips were automatically added. I hope that isn't true because I was never prompted to leave a tip--I just tapped my card and paid. Maybe it was just how the payment system works, but it caught my attention. At the end of the day, considering the prices, you kind of get what you pay for. I'm still leaving 5 stars because the staff was genuinely kind and the restaurant was clean. The food just wasn't for me, and that's okay. I can see why people enjoy it--it just wasn't my taste. read more

Jim’s Original - Hot Dogs Near Me - Orange, California

The polish is a hit! According to the owner, the beef sandwich is undergoing a a few tweaks. Can't wait to try it again!!! read more

Jim’s Original - Polish dog is amazing and full of onions and mustard! - Hot Dogs Near Me - Orange, California

We attempted to have lunch here around 12:30 but there was no parking in the tiny lot, so we went to the drive-thru and brought it home. I was holding the bag and the bottom felt damp, by the time we were home it was wet and leaking. We each had the original Polish dog which comes with fries. I liked the fries, they had a good texture, were crisp outside and fluffy inside. The large pepper on top was too spicy or us, and it was awkward to eat it on the dog. The second I picked up my bun, the bottom split and the dog fell out. There were entirely too many wet, soggy, onions on the dog, my husband removed half of his. Mine had soaked the bun so much that it was basically inedible, just mush. I ended up eating my dog with a fork and knife. The dog itself had a good snap and a nice flavor, very rich. The onions had zero flavor, they needed salt for sure, and they had been cooked to death, they didn't even taste like onions. Husband liked his since it stayed together and he was able to eat it properly, although he did agree the onions were flavorless. I am not dying to go back but he said he wants to try them again after they have been open longer and it's not so busy. read more

My husband is a native from Illinois and he has introduced me to the Chicago food scene over the last few years and our visits there. I have never been too appealed by a hot dog, but after visiting Chicago and trying the loaded Chicago dogs I changed my mind and actually enjoyed them. I was expecting to find a similar experience at Jim's after reading the reviews for their original Chicago location, and the excitement my husband had to try this place! Unfortunately, we found the Chicago dog to be lacking of toppings, a bun that was missing the poppy seeds, and soggy. The Italian beef was dry and missing flavor. The fries that come with everything is a nice added touch but sadly the best part of the meal. My husband who was very excited to try it was sadly disappointed. I'm not sure if we will be back. read more

Was so excited to try this place to bad it was a fail . Spent over $25 couldn't even get a water cup . Definitely go to pch dog They do not give you free water cup The $7 salad was literally the smallest salad maybe 3 bites haha . Save yourself some time don't bother Stale hotdog bun read more

Jim’s Original - Hot Dogs Near Me - Orange, California

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This is my first time trying JO so it can be a bit hard to put together a review based on a single visit, so I'll do my best to point out the highlights. In first place with the Polish sausage with the grilled onions that is certainly their signature and their specialty and I can't imagine anyone else doing it better than Jim's. I made the mistake of ordering the California style cheeseburger which in retrospect seems a little bit silly because that is not really what they specialize in so my disappointment there should be tempered by the fact that they probably just have this on their menu to keep a variety for groups that want more than just a hotdog. Their onion rings were fantastic, but I was a little disappointed in the fries because I simply don't care for fries that have the crispy coating on them versus natural french fries. I have been to hotdog places in Chicago that do natural hand cut fries very well and I think if Jim could find some way to do that it would early add to what was otherwise very good food. The people working here are very helpful and they're actually seems to be more seating both inside and outside and some of the other reviews might imply so if you can find a parking place, then you will likely find a place to sit. They do have a drive-through, however. I'm looking forward to another visit where I can try the Chicago dog and I suspect that I will be very happy with it. read more

I've been waiting a long time for the new Jim's to open I've been a fan in a long time and obviously other people were waiting for you to open I finally got a chance to go have lunch there today and I was impressed it was 11:00 and the drive-thru was already like pretty gnarly and inside was already pretty crowded but man it was worth waiting in that drive-thru I got what I always used to get double cheeseburger fries and a grape soda the only problem I have is when I got up to the front of the line to pay and I couldn't believe before I can't even tap my phone to pay guess what showed up the tip screen I was like alrighty then you can just go ahead and press zero on that and let me pay for my food it's already overpriced and by the way lunch was perfect food-wise read more

Jim’s Original - Hot Dogs Near Me - Orange, California

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So-so Chicago dog. Dog wasn't hot (temp). I had fries replaced because they had been sitting for a while. Even then the new fries were not hot. Dog had a good crunch to it. Bun was stale and broke apart while eating. read more

Jim’s Original - Fries. Great coating but "cold" - Hot Dogs Near Me - Orange, California

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A Taste of Chicago Right Here in California! We have been patiently awaiting the opening of Jim's Original, and it absolutely did not disappoint! My husband Joe and my brother Jimmy brought home lunch, and the Italian Beef was spectacular. The beef was tender, flavorful, perfectly seasoned, and tasted like it was made with real care and quality ingredients. Every bite was incredible. The fries were just as impressive, golden, crispy, and cooked to perfection. What makes this place even more special is the people behind it. Owners Jim and Joann Christopoulos are some of the kindest, most generous people you'll ever meet. Their passion for serving great food and creating a welcoming experience shines through in every detail. The staff was friendly, attentive, and genuinely happy to be there. If you're looking for an authentic Chicago street food experience, this is it. Jim's Original is bringing a little piece of Chicago to California, and our community is better for it. Do yourself a favor, skip the chain restaurants and support this local family-owned business. Great food, great people, and an atmosphere that makes you want to come back again and again. We can't wait for our next visit! read more

Jim’s Original - Italian Beef and Fries - Hot Dogs Near Me - Orange, California

I live in Orange an recently stopped by Jims Original and picked up a couple of Italian beef sandwiches and fries to take home. The food was outstanding. The Italian beef very tasty and fries were crispy. The staff is working hard on getting things up and running with the new opening . If you're in the area, give them a chance and support a local business that's working hard to bring a taste of Chicago to the community. I'll definitely be back. read more

Jim’s Original - Italian beef and french fries - Hot Dogs Near Me - Orange, California

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I was driving by and I noticed a new Chicago spot and I'm already a big lover of Portillo's and wanted to give this a shot and I was pleasantly surprised. The Polish dog was really good! I definitely recommend giving it a shot. read more

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I was excited to try this new restaurant. Ordered the pork chop sandwich and immediately regretted it. The pork chop sandwich was dry and bland at the same time. They didn't season it at all. The fries were ok but lacked salt. Only thing that did enjoy was their Italian ice. read more

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So happy to have a slice of home in Orange! Jim's was a staple for me in college, so naturally I was excited to see a location here. The best was being able to show my college ID and get a free drink. Hotdog, polish, and burger were great. The buns were slightly stale, but not a huge deal. I will have to come back for the fish sandwich and pork chop sandwich. Biggest critique would be the Italian beef - I asked for the sandwich dipped and the bread was dry. A dipped beef has to be mushy, basically falling apart in my hand!! Hoping some of those things get better over time. Overall, really happy with Jim's in Orange! read more

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I really wanted to believe these reviews weren't true. I promise I went with an open mind. But dang did this disappoint heavily. I know it seems corny, but the stars offered are for service alone. The service was fantastic and I have nothing bad to say about that. The remaining 3 were for how bad the food quality was. No one is exaggerating in their reviews. I thought they were. I can go down the line like everyone else is saying. Bun is weirdly stiff, I wouldn't say stale, but it's such a low quality bun for both the burger and hot dog. The onions are oddly too jammy and not quite a grilled onion I think a lot of us are used to. For the burger the cheese slice was cold and unmelted, somehow McDonald's does a better job. Burger seemed like a frozen patty that was cooked to make sure it would never mop again. The chicken sandwich was egregious in how bland it was, and it almost seemed boiled because of how soft it. Combined with the ultra soft onions, it was not a pleasant bite. I guess I will say that that only redeeming factor was the polish sausage itself was great tasting. The fries are very crispy and well seasoned. But I don't want to go to a place for good French fries and just a sausage to be good. Everything should work in harmony. I'm very disappointed especially because of how long this place had been advertised it was opening. I was excited! I genuinely hope this is just a growing pain and they figure out a better solution for their food quality. But if this is the standard. I would steer clear. read more

Came in to try breakfast. Wanted to share the breakfast menu with you. Trying the polish sausage breakfast burrito. It comes with salsa & tater tot's. The burrito is easily twice the size of Del Tacos breakfast burrito. Friendly cashier and quick served to order. read more

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Tried this place out on July 4th 2026. We got the Chicago Style Hotdogs and the Maxwell Style Hotdogs and Onion Rings. AMAZING food. The fries were still piping hot and the onion rings were fresh. The hotdogs were amazing. My only regret was only getting one of each lol. I will for sure come back and get more of their hotdogs and try their cheeseburger next time coz it looked good on the menu. 10/10! read more

Polish sausage is ok. Porkchop sandwich is a letdown. Bun was hard. Porkchop was dry and borderline inedible. Nothing like the original Chicago spot. Sad. read more

Someone told me about a Chicago style hot dog place in Orange. I went and first of all... the place is beautiful, friendly people and FAST!!! It took only a few minutes and they were done with my order, not kidding!! It was just like it was in Chicago! The sausage was warm and juicy, the outside crispy and the bread was warm but the one thing it top everything was the grilled onions. They were sweet and with a crunch. Overall great experience and good food. Come and check it out. read more

Polish dog was great !! Chicago dog perfect!! Where is a water cup?!? Don't need the fries! Tator tots just ok. Beef sandwich needs to be sliced thinner too tough!! Service on point! Very clean and nice tables outside! read more

Fantastic Chicago style food. Service is great. Restaurant layout works well. The Maxwell polish and Chicago glizzys are great. read more

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First off the food, a Maxwell and a Chicago beef, were very good and reasonably priced. They do need to work on staff training a bit. Inside seating is limited and the patio needs more shade. They need to post the full menu before you get to the window. We will be back. Also I will put catchup on my hot dog if I want. read more

Dropped into Jim's Original today in Orange and it was like walking into an old school burger diner. First picked 2 different hotdogs came with order of fries that were slightly battered crispy only thing is they lacked a little salt. I ordered 2 different hotdogs which came out very quick. One was the Maxwell Street Style with a polish sausage, grilled onions and mustard. It was very tasty and the pepper it came with took it to a whole different level. The other dog was a Chicago dog typical with tomato, grilled onions, pickle slice and mustard. All beef hotdog in the Chicago dog was nice! But the star of the show was hands down the onion rings. Lightly battered , crispy, and super nice . I will be back next time to try the burgers and fish sandwich that looked delicious. Overall if you are from Chicago or crave that Chicago style food, this will bring you back. Eating outdoors is always nice. Only recommendation is I wish they would give you a cup for water. The server told me they don't give out cups for water. Overall I would give this place a solid 4 stars read more

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I have had the Chicago Jim's Original on my radar for years, especially after it appeared on one of the best food shows, 'Somebody Feed Phil.' So when they announced they were opening a store in Orange, I knew I had to go ASAP. I was lucky to arrive at a rare time when Jim's Original wasn't busy, so I had no trouble parking and no line out the door. I ordered the Polish sausage and the single hotdog, both Maxwell style. Both were great with a good balance of flavors. I'm a sucker for perfectly grilled onions and there is no shortage of those if you choose Maxwell style. Personally I enjoyed the hotdog more than the Polish sausage. The hotdog had a definite snap to it and that put it over the top for me. The buns on both were just a little bit stale but still enjoyable. Each item I ordered came with a solid portion of fries which was an added bonus. The fries are crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. I would have preferred them to be a little more seasoned but they did the trick. The Googie-inspired architecture is a plus for those of you who appreciate mid century modern aesthetics. The restaurant was clean and because it wasn't busy there were a lot of tables outside. The options to eat inside are limited to counter-style seating in the queue area which might not be great when it's busy. Their soda fountain was out of lemonade during my visit which was also a bummer. Jim's Original was pretty much what I expected. If I am in the mood for a hotdog with amazing grilled onions, I will go back. read more

They just opened. Let's give them a little time to work out the rough patches. The fries were very good. The Fish Sandwich less. Maybe this isn't my thing. The new building is nice. The parking is a little crowded. This is your "Call to action". Try it and tell me what you find read more

Loved the Polish sausage slathered with grilled onions, and the French fries were excellent, too! Good service, nice patio, and very clean (because it's so new). We will be repeat customers, as there is a shortage of good hot dog places nearby. read more

Was so happy to see the name pop up around the area. 1 star just for the presence here. As being a Chicago grown I was just so excited to be here. Ordered 3 polishes and a fountain drink. Asked for extra hot peppers. First impression was the very casual and slow moving staffs. Just miss them hectic kitchen with insane speed environment. Then the food. I could see they tried replicating the fries.. just too greesy. The polishes,, bread wasnt the bread it used to be. Not sure if they changed it overall or just this location but didnt go well with the polish imo. Onions were definitely overcooked and not warm enough, maybe the slow paced cooking idk. Even the hot peppers werent hot enough. Miss them crazy spicy hot peppers I had to take smallest bites, but these hot peppers for some reason werent close. I had like 10 peppers to finish 2 polishes. I always had to order another fries separate cuz thats the way i would overcome the spiciness but neither the spicyness nor the fries were up to par. Couldnt even finish an order of the fries. Threw out 2. So will I be back? I dont think so. It just makes me crave more of the real Jims Original back home. read more

Jim’s Original - Hot Dogs Near Me - Orange, California

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I hate leaving negative reviews, but this experience was incredibly disappointing. My husband and I ordered a meal at Jim's Hot Dog, and halfway through eating his Polish sausage, he realized the bun was covered in mold. It was clearly moldy, and by that point he had already eaten a significant portion of it. This is a serious food safety issue. When we brought it to the staff's attention, we expected them to make things right. Instead, they only refunded the Polish sausage--not the rest of our meal. Considering the circumstances, this response felt completely inadequate. Finding mold on food isn't a minor inconvenience, and it's hard to understand why the restaurant wouldn't refund the entire order after such a serious issue. We were extremely disappointed, both by the lack of quality control and by how the situation was handled. We hope they take food safety more seriously in the future so this doesn't happen to anyone else. read more

Came here today at 11:00am when they first opened. There was already at least 10 people lined up waiting so i decided to go through the Drive-thru. I was the 2nd car, surprisingly it still took a little longer than normal for a Drive-thru, the guy in the front had an issue with his order and when it was my time to pay, the handheld that the girl was using had issues. So I think they're still working out the kinks. I had ordered the Chicken Polish Sausage and it was delicious...good size, definitely filling. I love that it comes with so much onions. It also came with fries which was decent. I ordered a can of coke instead of the fountain drink... total was about $13.00+. It's definitely worth it. I will definitely be returning to try their regular polish sausage. The parking can probably be horrendous during peak times. I got there at 11am and I only saw 2 spots available left. And be careful pulling out of the place... Tustin St is pretty busy. read more

Jim’s Original - Chicken Polish Sausage - Hot Dogs Near Me - Orange, California