Hot dogs at Jimmy John's

(Credit: Jessica Bratton)

It's been all baseball talk all week here around the office. All that talk about opening day, relaxing in the sun, having a beer and watching a baseball game got me thinking about my favorite baseball food -- the hot dog. And once I get started thinking about this porcine pleasure, I have to have one. So it was off to my favorite hot dog spot, Jimmy John's.

I've been going to Jimmy John's since I was little, thanks to my dad's similar love of a good hot dog, and have yet to find a dog I like better. But we'll get to the dogs in a moment, because before you get to experience the Jimmy John's dog, the first thing you get when you walk in the door is a good dose of nostalgia.

Jimmy John's started as nothing more than a roadside stand in 1940, selling hot dogs and birch beer. Large photos on the walls show the evolution from roadside stand, to the long brick building it is today. Trains run in glass display cases in the middle of the store, and the walls above the built-in booths are packed with memorabilia. The old-time photos are fun to look at while you're waiting for your order, and my group particularly enjoyed seeing the collection of ginger ale cans featuring the entire 1976 Philadelphia Phillies.

They still serve birch beer and hot dogs, and all that practice has paid off. The hot dogs ($2.35) come on a soft roll, not your typical hot dog bun. The crisp, natural casing snaps with every bite, revealing a hot dog that isn't overly spiced like so many are.

While purists will eat the dogs plain, or with a smear of yellow or brown mustard, there's a plethora of toppings to add to your blank canvas of a dog. Besides the yellow and brown mustard, and ketchup of course, you can add fried onions, sauerkraut, onions, relish, sweet peppers, pickles, Old Bay or Tabasco to your dog. If you really want to load it up, they'll top it with cheese or chili for 30 cents.

Most hot dog-lovers are divided into two groups -- those who like the crispness and bite of a natural casing, and those who don't. Don't skip out on Jimmy John's if you fall into the latter group -- just order the skinless kid's dog, or one of their other sandwiches.

Our table was divided on their pulled BBQ pork sandwich ($3.60). Some of us (myself included) liked the vinegary tang, while others wanted more smoky, barbecue flavor. Their zesty hot sausage ($2.35) was another winner.

I didn't expect much from the cheesesteak ($3.60), but I was impressed. The steak was evenly covered with melted cheese, had good cheesesteak flavor and came on a nice, soft club roll. It was a welcome change from those giant, unwieldy cheesesteak hoagies that are too big to eat in one sitting, leaving half to get wrapped up, then stinking up the entire fridge. Jimmy John's cheesesteak packed all that flavor into a sandwich that you could eat for lunch, without feeling like you had to take a nap or visit the cardiologist afterwards.

Don't miss the fries or onion rings when you go. The fries ($2.25 for a large) were salty and crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside. Eat them by themselves, or douse them in the malt vinegar that's available. Their onion rings ($1.75) are what all onion rings should aspire to be. Crisp outside, with tender onion that you can bite all the way through, so the onions and batter stay together instead of the onion slipping all the way out of the batter.

Pair those with one of their dogs and a milkshake ($2.35) and you'll know why Jimmy John's has been around so long, and why we all keep going back.

Insider tips:

Bring cash

This is a cash-only operation, so make sure you have some moolah when you get there. If not, don't worry, they do have an ATM in the store.

Break your fast

They're not dogs, but they also serve up some tasty breakfast sandwiches.

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