We Finally Crossed This Hole-in-the-Wall Restaurant in Pittsburgh off Our Bucket List, and It Was Worth the Wait

Have you ever had that one place on your bucket list that, no matter how hard you try, you just can’t check off because life somehow always manages to get in the way? For me, that’s been Big Jim’s in The Run, a hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Pittsburgh that earns rave reviews from locals and, if that isn’t enough of a selling point, boasts a jam-packed menu, even for vegetarians like me. Somehow the stars aligned, and my daughter and I finally made it to Big Jim’s, and the entire experience was more than worth the wait.

Even though I’ve lived in the suburbs of Pittsburgh for a good chunk of my life, I wasn’t familiar with the Greenfield neighborhood. With help from GPS and despite having a decent wait in front of the Squirrel Hill Tunnels (if you live here, you understand), we had little trouble finding this hidden gem. Big Jim’s sits on a corner of Saline Street, where we found ample street parking.

The neighborhood restaurant has been a local favorite since 1977. Despite its hidden gem status in Pittsburgh, Big Jim’s earned national attention when it appeared on the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives” with Guy Fieri.

Big Jim’s has been called no-frills and a hole-in-the-wall, and perhaps it is, but I think comfortable better describes this cozy spot. From the time we were seated in the dining area by the bar, I felt right at home. Several TVs hung on the wall behind the bar while red and green Christmas ornaments dangled from the ceiling. The restaurant filled up during our visit, but the ambiance was laid back with a quiet buzz of conversation.

Our server made our visit even better with his friendliness and patience. I had already decided on the stuffed shells with marinara sauce and garlic bread, which comes with soup, salad, or coleslaw. Instead of going for my usual salad, I tried the coleslaw. Big Jim’s has a reputation for its huge servings – especially the large fish sandwich – and the coleslaw, so delightfully creamy, proved that true.

The stuffed shells, with ricotta spilling out and covered with marinara sauce, filled the entire plate. I’m pretty picky, but these were some of the best stuffed shells and marinara sauce I’ve had, and they were so filling that I took home leftovers. My daughter went with her standby of chicken fingers and fries, each served in a separate basket, and left with extras, too.

Big Jim’s has a large menu with just about everything you can imagine – dinner salads, specialty sandwiches like the large fried fish sandwich (it’s so big it spills off of the plate), burgers, oven-baked hoagies, pizza, and such classic entrees as New York strip steak, eggplant parmigiana, and fettuccine Alfredo.

If you’re going around dinnertime, expect a wait, especially on the weekends. Big Jim's closes at 7 p.m. nightly, so keep that in mind when making plans. If you don’t have time for a sit-down meal, you can also order to go. We ordered two meals to go. The portions were large, just like when dining in, and everything was packed and ready to go by the time we finished eating.

Find days, hours, and a menu on the official website of Big Jim’s in The Run. Or, stop by the Facebook page of this hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Pittsburgh for more information.

Have you been to Big Jim’s in The Run? If not, add it to your bucket list. Do you have a favorite hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Pittsburgh? Share it with us by nominating it.

After fueling up with a hearty meal at Big Jim’s, get out and explore a bit, starting at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, one of the most popular attractions in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, or lace up your hiking shoes for an easy hike in Boston, Pennsylvania, that leads to abandoned ruins.