Jimmy’s Famous Heros Offers A Glimpse Into Genuine Brooklyn Congeniality

It was my first time in this classic Sheepshead Bay sandwich shop.

I was confused because I didn’t see the typical menu sheet hanging above the cold cuts counter. I looked around, clearly needing a hand, and the owner, whose name I would later learn is Victor, asked if he could help me.

“It’s my first time here,” I said. “How does this work?”

“Come here,” Victor said.

I came around to the side of the counter and towards the back into the kitchen, and Victor came out from the back with a pan full of fresh chicken cutlets.  He handed me one in a napkin and told me to try it.

It was thinly sliced chicken that was perfectly breaded and fried, and just oily enough to make it feel like it was melting in my mouth. I told him how great it was and he said it is excellent with fresh mozzarella cheese, roasted peppers, mayo and the works.

“I’ll have one of those,” I told him, excitedly.

“Gotta love people who take the chef’s recommendations,” Victor said happily.

Genuinely curious, Victor asked me how I knew about this place. At this point, he still wasn’t aware that I’m from Sheepshead Bites. I told him, I first saw the storefront in an old photograph on the Facebook page, Southern Brooklyn Scrapbook (above).

He didn’t know of the page and pointed at the computer on the table in front of the counter, and asked me to pull the page up on it. The computer was half buried in paperwork — this place is dripping with honesty. As I pulled the page up, I told him that I was from the Bites and he lit up.

He proceeded to tell me about how great he thought the Taste of Brooklyn event we held two years ago was, and how the community of businesses in the area are working cooperatively together to enhance the neighborhood with holiday lights and such. It was clear that Victor loves Sheepshead Bay with a fervor.

Victor worked at Jimmy’s since he was a kid, and ended up buying the joint when he was still in college, according to the store’s website.

The experience alone was enough to convince me of the glory of Jimmy’s. Before he knew I was a reporter, he treated me like a friend even though it was my first time in the store. I imagine he gives each and every customer the same treatment. The little sandwich shop on Sheepshead Bay Road contains a warmness that is hard to find anywhere else.

And then there was the sandwich.

First things first, it was gigantic. I had it for lunch, and then later on for dinner. Victor clearly knew what he was talking about when he recommended the hero. I was in awe at how tender the chicken was and how well it went with the mozzarella cheese, which was oh so fresh.

The roasted peppers added a sweetness to the sandwich that only enhanced by the light layer of mayonnaise. I normally stay very far away from mayo, but I wasn’t going hinder Victor from bringing his masterpiece to full fruition.

The hero was soft and warm and didn’t lose its softness throughout the day. The sandwich came wrapped in Boar’s Head wax paper, and secured with a rubber band — which was necessary due to the massiveness of the sandwich.

The friendliness and the quality of food at Jimmy’s make it obvious why the sandwich shop has remained there for three-quarters of a century.