One of the nicest things about JJ's is that they also carry regular groceries, which aren't that pricy, so you don't have to make a second trip for essentials in addition to the fancy fun stuff!
@@SaintShionI've lived ten minutes from jungle Jim's my whole life, never heard it called anything but the full name... Also, I thought Jim had died by now?
As someone that goes there regularly its the only place around where you can get saracha and ostrich eggs in the same place its like a fever dream of a grocery store
That's actually pretty cool tbh. I think the wide variety of stuff you wouldn't normally come across at a supermarket, makes it special. I'd honestly take a trip there just to see this store 😂
This store is a national treasure. I've been several time myself and we love to get international foods and try new things. The huge containers of olive oil and rice are amazing for my family!
This is the best store EVER! Especially if you're an immigrant and you're looking for food from your home country. They have everything from German, to British to Indian to every Asian food you can imagine. Thier produce department is off the chain. There are fruits and vegetables there that I've never even heard of. They have a liquor store that is by far the largest and most diverse I've ever seen. Their bakery is insane. If you're going to go, and you should plan on it being like a field trip because you will get lost and you will be there for hours finding foods that you've never even heard of. It is amazing! Add to the fact that every single person that works there is probably the nicest person I've ever met in my life!
Yes! We shop here from time to time. It's more for fun than about food. We walk out with $75 of the absolute best junk every time! A couple contauners of deliciois sushi, a couple bags of Tutku cookies, a six pack of butterbeer, a slice of penaut butter fudge pie, a chunk of parmigiano reggiano. And it's pretty decently busy, I think this youtuber must have been at the Fairfield location early in the AM. I feel like Eastgate is busier and that in general it's pretty busy at both stores between 11am-6pm
I love going to the store and I like the fact that they were going to build a rollercoaster around the place but because it was too risky they quit and it was by a road
Aw, that's unfortunate. Cincinnati is one of the few places I've been where I have little desire to return. Surrounding area is great, but Cincinnati itself is a pit.
@isaacschmitt4803 Cincinnati has really grown over the years. Not sure how long ago you were in the city. This grocery store is incredible highly recommend checking it out
the “lion elvis” is actually called the king, and he’s an old animatronic from chuck e cheese’s pizza time theater! i’m pretty sure jungle jim’s also has the warblettes, which are also from the ptt restaurants :)
YESSS I KNEW IT I knew I recognized that lion from somewhere. my facts about Chuck E. Cheese never seem to slip my mind no matter how old the fact is or how old I am 😭
Jim and his grocery store Jungle Jim’s, has done a lot for the community in Ohio. Because his team picks an amazing amount of variety of foods from all over the globe. Those who have immigrated here can find the food they’re familiar with and feel seen. Americans can also open up their taste palettes and learn about other countries. I’ve been coming since I was a kid, and it deserves the recognition. Edit: For those replying to me and complaining, your qualms about immigration have literally nothing to do with my comment. This is about normal people just wanting some familiar groceries. Like when an American goes to a different country and is happy to find American food. Y’all are so disagreeable, it’s sad. To make this overly abundant positive thing into a negative takes a lot of talent and energy, I will say. Sheesh!🙄
was hoping for a comment like this, thank you. Personally I visit this store quit a bit, and I'm not too far only in Indiana. I go there with friends or gf and it's always a good time, I either find something new or come back for something really good that I found the last time. I really like how this store has brought together so many people of different cultural backgrounds by providing them an easy way to feel at home on the other side of the ocean.
@@ytprevotheus2227 I could see how people not from Ohio may get the wrong idea about Jim’s. He’s the only chain owner of a place this big who visits his own establishment. He may be tough but he’s put all his heart into it for sure. I think this influencer underrepresented the success it has. I mean it’s practically a mall these days lol, a food mall. Edit: misspelling
He should sell some stuff online, build an interactive fandom, or create a video game. That way, he can reach more audiences, sell merch, and inspire more people to visit in Ohio. I've seen small businesses become mini tourist attractions by expanding online.
As a person who's actually been there several times. It is amazing. It's about the size of three Costco's put together. Literally anything you could possibly imagine is there. They import a lot of stuff. He's also forgetting about the podcast room that they open the display. Jungle Jim's also has multiple chain restaurants in the grocery store itself. And also has multiple chain, restaurants and other stores on the property. Basically imagine a mall but it's all owned by one company with one store brand and restaurants. This place is a must visit it is so cool. It's not run down at all, The animatronics and stuff like that are neat but not overly creepy. And it's really really cool to visit and buy anything you want.
He's actually a Chuck E Cheese character named The King. He was part of the rotating cast of "temporary" characters, before they went bankrupt.. the first time, in like the 80's. It's really interesting actually!
I live in southern Ohio. Where is this place!?! So neat. And my sister and her family moved to Clarksville Tennessee and the area they live in is very nice.
I’ve been there when I was 9. My uncle told me that I could pick anything out in the store for dinner that night, and he would prepare it. He mentioned they had catfish steak, and that sounded interesting. I picked out a catfish from the tank, and the worker put it on the scale. The fish flopped around too much to get the weight of the thing. He grabbed a mallet, and smacked the fish 3 times,killing it. I was horrified. Once the fish lay still, he laughed and said “he sure ain’t floppin around no more hahaha”. And to this day I remember every detail of that moment.
Unrelated to shopping, but I clearly remember my grandma making me drown a mole for tearing up her garden. I feel like that was something she could've done on her own time and not had a 6 year old do it.
Forget these other companies, this man right here deserves 5x the amount of customers they be getting. The mini theater showing the history of the place was the sprinkles on the damn cupcake🤣
As a native Ohioan, I go here pretty often to get the international foods normal grocery stores don’t sell, bulk meats, unique fruits and veggies, and of course the sweets. Their hot sauce selection is also really expansive.
Here’s a question, I saw in the video that they had a SHARK on sale… Do they actually serve LITERAL SHARK MEAT? IS IT A PROP? I MUST KNOW, I REQUIRE THE KNOWLEDGE…I need it…
@jaybirdcirca1988 people from three states come from hours away to shop there just because of the odd things you wouldn't imagine selling. Foodies like me love that an hour and a half away I can get just about any exotic food I would ever want to try. The produce section does have an area called the "scratch and dent" with discounted produce that is getting past its peak but I've never seen anything exciting in there. Just tomatos, grapes and all the usual produce. Never anything exotic or different. That stuff is what sells and why people come to the store. The normal food is a bit overpriced for stuff you can get anywhere.
The really fun part of Jungle Jim’s that it encourages you to think about and try products that aren’t stocked in typical grocery stores, and it has a wonderful selection of more exotic produce.
That's definitely going on my list! When I go on trips, I don't really like the "normal" tourist stuff. Most of my trips are planned around what I find on Atlas Obscura. 😊
@@CCL83 yes! It smells sooo bad!!! I'm the only one in my family that doesn't eat any kind of seafood. But when I seen the shark I had to go take a picture. It was worth it. 😂
Dude same! I love to grocery shop too and I just know I could get lost in this store for hours! Like I live in UT but I would (if I could afford it lol) take a trip to Ohio, just to go to this cool ass store lmao
My boyfriend always calls it a food theme park or a theme park for foodies. I'll never forget taking him the first time and him thinking we had seen the whole store and he couldn't stop talking about how big the store was. I was just like, you literally haven't seen the half of it. No kidding, the produce section is bigger than most grocery stores. I honestly once worked at a grocery store so small it was about the size of Jungle Jim's hot sauce section. I'm not sure which store's size that says more about.
In 1994 I was 4 and my parents moved us to Ohio and took us to this grocery store all the time. Thank you for showing me that it still exists and has changed and only gotten more ridiculous. Love it
There are actually 10 of those kings known in existence, they were once animatronics for Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre and in my opinion the best animatronic the company produced. There's a few other vintage Chuck E Cheese relics in that supermarket as well. They're built to run with pneumatic cylinders but Jim changed his to electionic servos a while ago.
OMG i always go here!!!! It’s so cool inside, they have a lot of different foods from different countries as well! This is the first time i’ve seen Jungle Jims featured on a youtube short!!!!!!!
that place has so much going on. if you like weird hot sauces, there's a full size grocery aisle just for you. and not even shared with dry spices, they have their own too. it is a wild place. if you're ever in southwest ohio, it's worth a route diversion to go check it out.
