Yesterday, I stopped into Sub Brothers on Morse for a Tuna Sub. On a whim, I asked the proprietor if he made Jim Shoes. 'Of course' , he replied with a smile. Although the sandwich was not on the blackboard, it was on the price list by the register. Apparently, the sandwich is pretty popular, but this being my first one, I had no point of comparison. Just to be safe, I got a small one. I thought it was pretty tasty. The Gyros meat was nice and crispy. The corned beef was the typical sub shop corned beef (I would like to try making my own upscale Shoe with Romanian Kosher corned beef and a gyros from Parkway across the street). On the whole, I thought the sandwich was pretty darned good. The sesame bread was a nice touch.

Sub Brothers
1417 W. Morse Ave., Chicago
Tel: (773) 381-4533

Rene G wrote:

sazerac wrote:Isn't gym shoes or some phrase that includes that a connotation for 'everything' (hence the inclusion of all meats in house)?

Like "the kitchen sink"? I'm drawing a blank but if someone could fill me in, that'd be great.

Let me offer that a lovely woman from (the westernmost) Hyderabad with whom I work has a Facebook friend with the last name Jimshu.

I have been working a contract in Blue Island and have been following this thread with interest. Had the occasion to travel to the Pullman area after work today and came across this sign in a restaurant window (look close, it is there ).



Jacks Famous Wings & Sandwiches
100 W 111th St, Chicago
(773) 660-8633
http://www.jackswings.com‎

Going inside confirmed...



It took a few minutes, giardiniera is a 35¢ upgrade.




I am far from an expert as this was my maiden voyage but this was a good sandwich. warm, sliced and not chopped, cheese, sesame bun. Not overwhelmingly messy. A footlong for $10. I had a big lunch and this was just after 3:00 so I took a few token bites and saved the rest for an early dinner and for My Bride to try.

I had actually seen some signage a few months ago and was curious but never followed up. Today I stopped by for a pic.



Sun Subs
321 N Laramie Ave, Chicago
(773) 378-8380

I'll have to stop and give them a try.

One of the specialties at Jim's (mentioned in the post above) was their 'Crispy' sandwiches. Somewhat a sub, wrapped in a burrito tortilla and then deep fried.

I'll be willing to bet they would be willing to make a 'Crispy' Jim Shoe.

That would be a twist.

It looks like the Jim Shoe has been introduced to greater America, courtesy of NPR, via LTH

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/0 ... n=20130812

DClose wrote:It looks like the Jim Shoe has been introduced to greater America, courtesy of NPR, via LTH

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/0 ... n=20130812

We have the absolute best coverage, thanks to Peter and tasting crew - that goes without saying. For additional reference only, here is an older roundup, and the UrbanDictionary entry made in 2007:

http://chicago.seriouseats.com/2012/06/ ... -shoe.html
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.p ... gym%20shoe

I'm on the trail of the name origin, with strong opinions so far in both the Pakistani and other-"shoe"-named-sandwich camps.

DClose wrote:It looks like the Jim Shoe has been introduced to greater America, courtesy of NPR, via LTH

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/0 ... n=20130812

I just logged in to post this as well. You out-scooped me, DClose!

Sharona wrote:

DClose wrote:It looks like the Jim Shoe has been introduced to greater America, courtesy of NPR, via LTH

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/0 ... n=20130812

I just logged in to post this as well. You out-scooped me, DClose!

What can I say...I get easily distracted at work!

I've been away from the board for quite a while and my first post read coming back is this heartbreaking work of staggering genius. A wild and completely rewarding picaresque. Huck and his buddy Jim Shoo rafting down the river.

I've yet to encounter this, but I'm rarely in the places that are likely to offer one. If I can find a likely griddled version, hopefully not too wet, I may give it a shot. But frankly, it makes me nervous.

Jumped off the Ryan at lunch today to try my first Shoe at Southtown Sub.
I had a "small" and could barely finish it. Not sure who could handle a large. A Bears lineman? An LTH fourth degree black belt?
This sandwich was a grease and salt bomb . . . in a good way. I knew from the menu description that this would be right up my alley. As Beef said upthread, a f-ing mess to eat. But a darn tasty one. Skin-on fries that were complimentary and above average were a nice surprise.
Be aware that giardiniera does not come standard with this version; one has to ask.
Good ingredients, deftly prepared. Thanks, Mr. G, for pointing me in this direction.

Things change quickly in the world of the Jim Shoe. Here are some updates to the alphabetical list from July 2013. I have no intention of trying to keep the list up to date.

In July 2013, Rene G wrote:Commercial Sub, 8904 S Commercial Av





One of the better sliced-style Shoes on much better than usual bread. A pleasant surprise.

Unfortunately, Commercial Sub seems to be closed, at least for the time being. Their phone has been disconnected.

Commercial Sub, September 2013

In July 2013, Rene G wrote:Super Fast Food, 2247 E 71st St



A somewhat nondescript South Shore spot with a bit of nice gyros art.



Inside, the Jim Shoe is featured on an unusually fine hand painted wall menu. Note the repeated use of the apostrophe in corn' beef. I have a feeling this was done by the same sign painter who did Commercial's menu.



One of the better sliced-meat Shoes I've had.

Super Fast Food seems to be under new management. Although the exterior looks the same, the interior has been remodeled and the fine old menu has been painted over. They no longer serve a sliced-style Shoe.

Jim Shoe, Super Fast Food, September 2013


Super Fast now serves a very respectable griddled version. Some of the meats were a bit crisp on the edges, a nice touch.

Rene G wrote:

fropones wrote:That thing is so awesome. I definitely need to make another trip out to Super Sub soon. I mean a jim shoe on a pita? Who could ask for more.

But you should ask for more. Super Sub will give you more! Last year these guys started making the Crispy Philly—sort of a deep-fried Philly steak burrito.



I don't think a Crispy Jim Shoe would be an unreasonable request. That would go beyond awesome, no? Marquette Park's Super Sub & Gyro really seems to be pushing the boundaries of Chicago-style junk food.

Last month a few of us headed to Marquette Park to ask Super Sub & Gyro about making a Crispy Jim Shoe. It clearly wasn't the first time they'd had that request and they were happy to oblige.







That thing was actually pretty tasty though I don't see too many in my future. I think the sub (or taco) format, with the lettuce, tomato and sauce inside the sandwich, makes a lot more sense. The Crispy Philly seems to be appearing at more and more sub shops so it will be interesting to see if the Crispy Jim Shoe spreads too.

For the picnic last month I brought a few Shoes from Stony Sub (8440 S Stony Island). Here are pictures of the three sandwiches being prepared.

Over on the Hipinion board, bicycle made for two wrote:i had the Jim Shoe at 84th and Stony last weekend and it was hands down the best meal I had all year.

Rene G wrote:Stony Sub, 8440 S Stony Island Av

Even the regular is huge (that's half of one).

Went for a Jim Shoe today at Stony Sub, giardiniera is included when a Jim Shoe is ordered w/everything.

Our sandwich did not have near the structural integrity that the one in your photo does. Thankfully Stony Sub puts plastic forks in the bag.

I did ask for fries w/bbq sauce, which made for a mess before even getting the sandwich out of the bag as the server, opens bag & inserts wrapped Jim Shoe into bag, then shovels in fries, then simply squirts bbq sauce over fries. Even though I cleaned my steering wheel well, I'm fairly certain I missed some of the BBQ sauce.

All the above said, TERRIFIC sandwich, thanks Rene G for identifying!

Next time in area, I'll also peek into Turkey Time on the east side of Stony Island, a bit north of Stony Sub
Turkey Time BBQ & Grill
8301 South Stony Island Avenue
Chicago, IL 60617
(773) 768-7427

For those that always wanted to try a Jim Shoe but only eat halal, your time is now, and they're found on the North side. I have yet to try. I did however recently have one from a spot on the West Side.


#13 on the Menu at Makki Grill on Kimball in Albany Park


The North avenue Location of Sun Sub in the Austin neighborhood...was tempted by a Sun Sub Original but went with thee original.


GYM Shoe w/ Everything (Grilled Onion, Tzatziki, Giardineria, Mayo, Lettuce, Tomato and Cheese). Not as finely chopped as the one in Peter's original post but still good in a very evil way. I'll be ready for another in about 5-6 months.

Makki Grill
4702 North Kimball Avenue
Chicago, IL 60625
(773) 661-4430

Sun Sub
5542 W North Ave # 1
Chicago, IL 60639
(773) 622-8240

Da Beef wrote:The North avenue Location of Sun Sub in the Austin neighborhood...was tempted by a Sun Sub Original but went with thee original.


GYM Shoe w/ Everything (Grilled Onion, Tzatziki, Giardineria, Mayo, Lettuce, Tomato and Cheese). Not as finely chopped as the one in Peter's original post but still good in a very evil way. I'll be ready for another in about 5-6 months.

Sun Sub
5542 W North Ave # 1
Chicago, IL 60639
(773) 622-8240

think I had the other half of this sandwich on SB Sunday. my first Gymshoe, frickin' fantastic.

I really enjoyed the original article but didn't have anything to add, until now. I'd like to report a recent sighting and consumption of a North Side Jim Shoe, at Best Sub # 2 near Diversey and Milwaukee.







The friendly counterman griddled each meat separately for maximum browning and grease absorption, but the resulting sandwich was not really any greater than the sum of its parts. The roll was also cut all the way through which caused the sandwich to self-destruct when picked up. My guess is that properly layered construction and paying attention to the roll's load capacity is crucial to making a good sandwich of this type.

Best Sub #2
3426 W Diversey

Chicago Grill and Gyros - home of Indy’s only Gym Shoe

If there was an award for farthest gym shoe traveled, this place may be the current record holder. Surely there are others, and hope they pop up on this thread as well.

While eating at Bombay Bazaar in Indy I struck up a conversation with another diner about food in Indianapolis. It turned out he was from Chicago and 2 years ago moved to Indy to open up a Chicago style BBQ and gyros joint in Indy. Pakistani owned Chicago style gyros? I added 2 and 2 and decided to go out on a limb and ask if he is familiar with a Gym Shoe, which rendered him speechless for a second, but much to my surprise his response was “YES! we serve one at my restaurant!”

The Gym Shoe here was a great rendition. For the meats, they use freshly sliced corn-beef, freshly shaved gyros meat, and roast beef pulled from the jus on the warmer (used for Italian beefs). I was happy to see him throw it all onto the griddle chop it to bits and crisp up the edges, similar to my favorite in chicago, Stony Sub. It included mayonnaise, tzatziki, mustard, and white american cheese. I requested it spicy so they included giardiniera.

It reminded me a lot of the Stony Sub, only with less mayo, more mustard, which translated to a less heavy more tangy sandwich, which I found even more appealing than the Stony version. When the owner’s son, Sonny came back to ask how we were enjoying it, I relayed that it was very similar to my favorite in Chicago, Stony Sub, he burst into laughter. When he came to, he told me that he worked at Stony sub for 6 years. He was absolutely delighted that I knew about the Gym Shoe and completely nailed his preparation. I was a proud LTHer.

This was directly after a huge meal at Bombay Bazaar, so I was stuffed to the gills, and about to make the 3 hour drive home to Chicago, otherwise I’d have tried some of their BBQ which looked tremendous.

Chicago Grill & Gyros
2068 N Arlington Ave
Indianapolis, IN 46218

Andrew Huff of Gapers Block found a Gym Shoe sub on the menu at Chicago Sub & Grill, a new place at the corner of Foster and Damen:
http://instagram.com/p/nOPQnZlU6g/

Chicago Sub & Grill
5131 N Damen Ave
Chicago, IL 60625

laikom wrote:Chicago Grill and Gyros - home of Indy’s only Gym Shoe

Chicago Grill & Gyros
2068 N Arlington Ave
Indianapolis, IN 46218

thanks for this, I drive through Indy somewhat frequently and am always looking for a new spot. I plan to try the bbq as well

A while ago, when waiting for an eastbound #66 Chicago bus @ Chicago & Cicero; I was standing in front of this place, Chicago Submarine. I didn't eat anything from there (or even go in), but I did notice it has a Jim Shoe sandwich on the menu.

The Jim Shoe runs North


House of Corned Beef in Milwaukee

On a previous visit to HoCB I noticed a hand written advertisement for a "Gym Shoe" sandwich plastered to the bulletproof glass. However this was after my order so I took a mental note and waited for a time to return, hopefully with more eating power. That day came this past week as Laikom and Jefe joined me on a daytrip to MKE. After going back and forth about whether or not we should give this a try we decided it would be a travesty not to see what was up with it. Shortly after a quick pit-stop at Jake's Deli we made our way to House of Corned Beef. The fact they have a Jim Shoe on the menu shouldn't come as much of a surprise as I already posted a photo of a Milwaukee sub shop that advertises one on it's exterior wall, on top of that I come from the land where these can be found all over in certain parts of town, so why bother with this one? Well thats due to the fact I much like HoCB and their namesake product and because of it this particular Jim Shoe had as much potential as any.


Their Interpretation

As seen from the picture theirs is made with both sauteed green bell pepper and also onions and Italian beef instead of just roast beef. I made sure to ask the friendly lady behind the glass if the corned beef used in the Shoe was the same as the stuff they put on the signature sandwiches and was assured that this was the case. After about a 4 minute wait our sandwich was ready, we weren't sure this was a good thing thus we were all very intrigued what lay beneath the Styrofoam to-go box. Upon it's opening we were huddled over it snapping pictures as if the worlds first baby unicorn was being revealed. It soon became apparent that this was a Jim Shoe different from the others.


Gym Shoe Sandwich from HoCB

Somewhere underneath all that meat there's a lightly toasted sub roll but no way was this able to be eaten in sandwich form as is. My first thought upon seeing the strips of both corned beef and gyros, along with the sauteed peppers and onions was 'Jim Shoe Fajitas' and had they served this with some warmed flour tortillas and a side of sour cream and cup of pickled jalapenos I would of been just fine with that. So you can add fajitas to the list of things Jim Shoe ingredients would work well with. After taking bites stacking up all three meats and some sauteed vegetables to taste with them, we got it down into sandwich form and proceeded to ask the lady for some gyro sauce and also a cup of giardineria.


Eaten down into Sandwich Form

I prefer the finely chopped well griddled preparation to that of the layers of sliced meat but due to the fact they were using a superior brand of corned beef that as always works mysteriously well paired with the gyros and a heaping amount of Italian beef, this one really hit the spot. Laikom made sure to make the Doctor proud and asked how the sandwich came to be on the menu. Turns out one of the employees is from Chicago and suggested they add it on. The lady in charge then asked if they were doing them right and while not the norm, we all agreed this was a really good freestyle. South to Indianapolis, North to Milwaukee. Where to next?


Up Close

House of Corned Beef
6200 West Silver Spring Drive
Milwaukee, WI 53218
(414) 461-4292

Da Beef wrote:The lady in charge then asked if they were doing them right and while not the norm, we all agreed this was a really good freestyle.

Admittedly, I did quite like this rendition of a shoe. That said, the more I think about it, this might have had the inverse character of what makes your more orthodox shoe such a wondrous concoction. What I appreciate about the Jim Shoe is that it takes low rent, industrial product, then in the hands of skillful grill cooks transforms alchemically into a beyond-the-sum-of-its-parts tasty, if not excessive and greasy sandwich. Its like how Spam tastes so much better when fried to a crisp.

What we had here was a quickly, somewhat thoughtlessly, assembled platter of adequate (the gyro and IB) to very good (corned beef) products. And I have to say that it took us ordering the appropriate condiments– this thing was served dry– to pull together what ended up being a quite tasty sandwich. So to me, the makings of a good shoe require not only the good effort of the grill man, but also the cacophony of condiments to tie the whole thing together. So to answer the counter woman's question, I don't think they are doing it right. At the very least it should be served with appropriate condiments, then we can talk merits of sliced vs. chopped.

I've said on record that the Jim Shoe is one of the down-and-dirty street foods that cannot be gussied up. This HoCB rendition, once lubed up and contained to the roll, pointed towards what a shoe made with quality ingredients might taste like. Maybe we outta grab some corned beef from Moon's, some Gyros from Greek Islands, Italian Beef from Al's (though I do think IB is too wet to grill in the kat-a-kat style) griddle it up with Bari giardiniere and throw it on a D'Amatos roll with some quality tzatziki and see what happens.

Jefe wrote:Maybe we outta grab some corned beef from Moon's, some Gyros from Greek Islands, Italian Beef from Al's (though I do think IB is too wet to grill in the kat-a-kat style) griddle it up with Bari giardiniere and throw it on a D'Amatos roll with some quality tzatziki and see what happens.

Name the time and place.

Jason Meisner in the Chicago Tribune wrote:Bursting with corned beef and gyros meat and slathered with tkatziki sauce and mayo, the Jim Shoe's girth is apparently ideal for smuggling small plastic baggies filled with marijuana into Cook County Jail, where the pot can then fetch up to five times street value.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-c ... story.html

Rene G wrote:

Jason Meisner in the Chicago Tribune wrote:Bursting with corned beef and gyros meat and slathered with tkatziki sauce and mayo, the Jim Shoe's girth is apparently ideal for smuggling small plastic baggies filled with marijuana into Cook County Jail, where the pot can then fetch up to five times street value.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-c ... story.html

The names in this article almost sound like Sum Ting Wong - the contraband-fencing inmate is named T. Goods, the girlfriend caught on a phonecall is named McCollum (and of course the Sheriff is Dart). Add Jim Shoe into the mix and this whole thing just sounds like Mickey Spillane at his worst.

Friday night, 1:30 am, the boys wanted grease. So we made the pilgrimage across Ashland to my local. Wings are the go to, though I've been feeling kinda wing-ed out lately. Sensing my indecision, my man, the master fry cook, Asad lights up and starts giving me the pitch: there's a new sandwich, its sloppy and meaty and cheesy. You'll love it. Before he could complete his spiel, I finished his thoughts, the Jim Shoe, ya?

The telltale bad-photoshop-job placard had popped up over the summer and of course I had to check out my Super Sub's rendition. There was a father and son team working that night and I got their story, the pops a recent transplant from Sun Sub on North, it was he who brought the Shoe east. Good version, in the chopped style and a big mess from a heavy hand with the condiments.

Asad's interpretation was different than the previous sandwich. I watched him assemble. His recipe (probably now the protocol for the shop I'm thinking) employs hand cut batons of corn beef and roast beef. I asked Asad about it and he said they cut thick slices off the meat log and then into strips. And in some ways this coarser treatment called to mind the unorthodox version found up in MKE. Similarly, if not more so, fajita like. Compounding this effect is the big old mess of onions and generous hand with the giardinaire my boy grilled up the meats with. He was not quite as vigorous with the spatula work as some and I asked him about kat-a-kat style and he didn't know what I was talking about.

The whole effect was indeed quite sloppy, plenty of melted low rent cheese and abundant sauces, which were applied with care, mustard and mayo on the bottom half of the roll melding with the meats and cheese and gyro sauce applied to the top lending its cooling effect mingling with the lettuce and tomato. Very good stuff. I think Asad was f-ing with us by not packing napkins, but after we were finished I got to check out life behind the bullet proof glass and security door to use their washroom.

A tasty and unique shoe, worth seeking out and for many, conveniently located north of Augusta on Ashland.

Super Sub
1050 North Ashland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 489-6666

spotted at Quenchers last weekend. I was already way too full to order.

AlekH wrote:spotted at Quenchers last weekend. I was already way too full to order.

Fascinating, thanks! A line has been crossed... This is even more significant than the Jim Shoe appearing in neighboring states. Any idea if the Shoe was a one-time thing or is an occasional special?

laikom wrote:Chicago Grill and Gyros - home of Indy’s only Gym Shoe

If there was an award for farthest gym shoe traveled, this place may be the current record holder. Surely there are others, and hope they pop up on this thread as well.

It's very interesting watching the Jim Shoe spread outward from Chicago, cementing our city's reputation as a culinary trendsetter. For those keeping track, Shoes are now available in Colorado Springs. I could see them becoming popular in the state of Colorado.

Last August I was able to visit Chicago Grill and Gyros to sample the Hoosier Shoe. Not a lot to add to what Matt already wrote.



CGG is quite plush and offers amenities unknown to Shoe-eaters in Chicago. While waiting, one can practice putting or pick up the latest DVDs.



It's a good Shoe, with nothing to suggest it's not a Chicago product.

Sweet Willie wrote:

laikom wrote:Chicago Grill and Gyros - home of Indy’s only Gym Shoe

Chicago Grill & Gyros
2068 N Arlington Ave
Indianapolis, IN 46218

thanks for this, I drive through Indy somewhat frequently and am always looking for a new spot. I plan to try the bbq as well

That address is wrong. Maybe CGG used to be at that location?

2068 N Arlington, August 2014


I think the following is correct:

Chicago Grill & Gyros
6044 E 21st St
Indianapolis IN
317-426-2464

eating while walking wrote:I'd like to report a recent sighting and consumption of a North Side Jim Shoe, at Best Sub # 2 near Diversey and Milwaukee. … The roll was also cut all the way through which caused the sandwich to self-destruct when picked up. My guess is that properly layered construction and paying attention to the roll's load capacity is crucial to making a good sandwich of this type.

Always appreciate the reports. As you point out, construction technique is critical. Best #2 closed a while back. With bowls of porridge going for $12 just down the street, it's not too surprising.

Best Sub #2, May 2014

Da Beef wrote:For those that always wanted to try a Jim Shoe but only eat halal, your time is now, and they're found on the North side. I have yet to try.

Excellent! That's at least one more halal Shoe on the North Side. It's buried in a long post, but above I mentioned my Jim Shoe iftar at Flavor Shack on Devon.

Decadent 'Gym Shoe' at Stony Sub Might Be South Side's Best Sandwich Ever

I'm sold! Since I drive by Stony Sub about once a week it looks it's time to finally try one. The only question remaining is will it knock off the Breaded Steak sammy as my favorite South side sandwich?

So I popped my Jim Shoe cherry today. I'd gotten out of jail around 11 and figured I'd hit Sun Submarine, which is near Oak Park (5542 W North Ave). I realize this is 12-14 hours earlier than most people think of eating a Jim Shoe, but I needed sustenance.

Overhead as I stand by the bullet-proof carousel:

Bicycle Guy rushes in, carrying his bicycle, taps on the glass to get attention of counterman:

BICYCLE GUY: Hey, I'm going to get coffee. You want any?
COUNTERMAN: No

Counterman then bethinks himself, runs to window and taps furiously to get the Bicycle Guy's attention as he opens the door:

COUNTERMAN: You can't have coffee! You're fasting!!
BICYCLE GUY: Doh.

Bicycle guy leaves.

I was hungry, so sandwich was good…maybe not great, in fact definitely not great, but worth a try. As Comrade Engler mentions, the griddling makes a huge difference, and my sandwich had greasy crumbles of warm gyro meat sprinkled throughout, which I liked. The Jim Shoe does not get a lot of praise, and I do not come here to praise it, though I plan to have one again, sometime, inshallah.

David Hammond wrote:I'd gotten out of jail around 11...

No explanation needed.