Jimmy's Quick Lunch
East Broad Street - Hazleton, PA
Most of the restaurants in my hometown that I went to when I was a child in the 80's and a teenager in the 90's are long gone. Coney Island closed in 1995 after 73 years in operation. Knotty Pine closed in 2010, which was coincidentally also in its 73rd year in operation. Carmen's Family Restaurant was sold in 2007 and closed soon after. The Blue Comet closed in 2011 after over fifty years in business and has sat abandoned ever since. The Beltway Diner burned down in 2018. Two Guys From Italy, Amore's, Rosie's Space, The Copper Kettle, and many others that I remember from growing up in Hazleton are now just a memory.
There are a few restaurants from the 80's and 90's that remain in business today like Eli's, Booty's Place, Top Of The 80's, and a few pizza parlors, but Jimmy's Quick Lunch has a different atmosphere. It's a feeling that wasn't unique in the 20th century with dozens of mom & pop diners to be found throughout the area, but it's the last of its kind in Hazleton today.
Jimmy's is the only place where I can get a bite to eat and still feel like I'm in the Hazleton that I grew up in. It looks mostly the same, with the exception of the clear booth dividers that were put up during the pandemic. It smells mostly the same, with the exception of the absence of cigarette smoke which was so pervasive in town when I was growing up that I didn't notice it at all until it was gone. It sounds exactly the same, which is a big part of the charm that this place has for me. Most importantly, the food still tastes the same. Sitting down to have a meal here is an immersive experience that, for someone who grew up in this town in the 20th century, feels a bit like stepping back in time.
The main attraction that has kept people coming back to Jimmy's Quick Lunch for 86 years is the Jimmy Dog. It's a Coney Island style chili dog topped with their family chili recipe, mustard, and minced onions. It's not the only thing on their menu, but it's the food that just about everyone from the area will immediately think of if you mention the name of the restaurant.
My dinner of choice at Jimmy's is usually a Farmer's Iced Tea with a cheeseburger, two Jimmy Dogs, and a cup of rice pudding with whipped cream for dessert. I'm tempted to try something else from their menu every time I come here, and I have strayed on a few occasions (the breakfasts here are outstanding), but more often than not, I end up sticking with my old favorites.
