Jaime’s Grill is located on 324 Sw 25th St. and is open for lunch every day but Sunday.(map)

Please note: In 2008, Jaime’s changed ownership and became known as “Grill on the Hill.” This review is about the old Jaime’s and may not accurately reflect the new restaurant.

Deep in the heart of Capitol Hill lies a little known gem of a restaurant called Jaime’s Grill. Although the line spilling out into the street on a Friday around noon would argue that it’s hardly “little known.” Despite being located in the heart of the unofficial Hispanic Capital of Oklahoma City, Jaime’s is counterintuitively pronounced the English way. Jaime’s is a diner very reminiscent of the type of place you would find in a small town along the Mississippi River. Its no wonder, these guys are from Memphis!

Jaime’s is in a historic 100 year old building that attracts meetings of antique societies, car clubs, etc. Jaime’s walls are covered with pictures of what life was like before Capitol Hill was annexed by Oklahoma City. These pictures along with the antique planes, wagons, bikes, and other items scattered about with a disorganized genius remind the surprisingly diverse lunch crowd that it wasn’t that long ago that this part of the city was a bustling center of commerce.

While it may be fun to drive around Capitol Hill and practice your Spanish by reading all the local signs, peruse the pawn shops for bargains, or shop for that new dual vacuum advanced distributor for your Volkswagen Beetle at the salvage yard, the real reason to come to this part of town is to eat. Jaime’s gives you a compelling reason to do just that. Thick juicy burgers are probably the signature and can be ordered in various shapes and sizes. In fact, when the line is spilling out the door and the assistant to the cashier starts taking down orders to get a “head start” in the kitchen while you wait to pay, don’t be surprised if she takes a jab at you for only ordering a single when your friends order a double. Jaime’s has hand cut fries, homemade onion rings, and large slices of grandma’s pie, like any self respecting diner would have. You can also get the typical “meat and three”, as we Tennessee type people call a plate of a meat type product (catfish, shrimp, meatloaf, chicken fried steak) and a couple or three vegetable type products.

While all of these choices are tasty, there is one item on the menu that stands out above the rest, the “redneck club sandwich”. Imagine, if you will, your typical club sandwich with the toasted bread, crisp bacon, fresh tomato and lettuce, a little mayo…..ok now think about that thinly shaved deli style turkey. What could we do with that turkey that would really kick a club sandwich up a notch? That’s right! Replace it with thick slices of fried bologna!! Ridiculous! I haven’t seen another place in town that serves up fried bologna, but you can get it at Jaime’s in a couple different fashions. I respect that in a diner. For those looking for a healthier choice there is a variety of salad’s, baked potatoes, soup’s, etc.

Jaime’s has a lot of what you want in a lunch spot. Its relatively fast, the quality of the food is fantastic, and the price is lower than what you would pay at your local mega chain lunch spot for a bland slab of meat or overpriced sandwich. Are there any negatives you ask? I am always the type of guy to give you both sides of the story. First, Jaime’s is not a health food restaurant. You should probably eat an onion and a couple cloves of garlic at dinner to counteract any damage done by the fried bologna. I would like to think our readers are conscious enough of their health and well being to know to eat burgers and fries in moderation. Second, Jaime’s has a smell like that of your grandmother’s basement. Not exactly an appetizing aroma. Why it doesn’t smell of fries and onion rings when you walk in is a mystery to me. I kind of like the way it smells. Its a 100 year old building, it smells like one, but I have had others remark that they wish it smelled more like “food”. Third, the surrounding neighborhoods are not very aesthetic. I am particularly fond of the Mother Mary mural painted on a garage just down the road, but overall the neighborhoods are a little under-cared for. And finally, the Dr. Pepper fountain lacks CO2 despite numerous reminders to management that it is not working properly. They must not care. Normally this would bother me greatly, since Dr. Pepper is very important to me, but I have quit buying carbonated beverages at restaurants because they are overpriced.

So go try Jaime’s. Friendly staff, fantastic food, and historic culture. What else could you want in a lunch spot?

Other articles you might like:

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• Johnny’s Burgers and More: the other, better Johnny’s [closed]
• Coney Island: red hot wieners for Oklahoma City since 1924
• El Regio Loco: Shady Restaurant of the Month
• Max Burger: Shady Restaurant of the Month [closed]

This article was posted by Andrew Littleton on Monday, October 1st, 2007. It is filed under:

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