Jimmy's Food Store

Jimmy’s is an East Dallas institution, a grocery store with a deli counter that pulls double duty cranking out the best sandwiches in the city. The Italian Stallion sandwich is one of the biggest, baddest sandwiches around, loaded with just about every meat this superb shop has in its cases. The other sandwiches are formidable, too, including one of the better muffalettas west of the Louisiana border.

Top pick: Grab an Italian Stallion, which, during the pandemic, is available pre-made and wrapped in a cooler case. When it’s safe again, Jimmy’s sandwiches may be made to order again, but for now, the pre-prepared versions are still as satisfying as ever.

The downside: Saturday afternoons at Jimmy’s get wild as hundreds of sandwich-craving customers descend. If you need to get some grocery shopping done, it’s better to stop by on a weekday.

Fun fact: The DiCarlo family has owned Jimmy’s since 1966, although the store only pivoted to its current all-Italian format in 2005, in a remodel that was necessitated by a fire.