Recently, I traveled with a few friends down to a place in Cincinnati called Jungle Jim’s. You may or may not know it as the LARGEST GROCERY STORE IN AMERICA™, but, either way, it sure does live up to its title as its infamous extensive selection of international foods does not disappoint. However, we’ll get to that a little later, because another thing Jungle Jim’s is? Overwhelming. So, I wanted to give a small run down of my experience with the place and some tips and tricks I learned from being there. 

It isn’t all food

(Yes, unfortunately, this is real)

Depending on where you enter, you may not initially be greeted by food. In our case, it was an entire wall of Funko Pops and fifty different versions of Monopoly and Yahtzee. Granted, you probably won’t want to stick around there long as there isn’t much actually worth buying, save a few hidden gems. Still, it’s safe to say the non-edible part of the store is just as extravagant and diverse as the delicious majority. 

You’re going to want a map

It is actually that big. Luckily, the official website has an easy to access map for you so you don’t get lost. The website also contains a list of items available at the store and where to find them. Don’t be fooled, though! Sometimes the maps are wrong or out of date, so be careful. You do not want to end up like us and spend a half hour running around looking for Tim Tams in the non-existent Australian International section. There are also two locations, so make sure you know which one you’re at so you’re using the corresponding map. 

Recommendation: Take a breather

Before you continue your journey deeper into Jungle Jim’s, off to the side of the market you can spot an unsuspecting Starbucks where you might find it nice to stop and rest. With all that food around, you’re bound to get hungry (or hangry), and ordering something there will mean you’re able to enjoy the rest of your trip to the fullest. 

Regular produce and the sweet stuff

(This nightmare inducing fellow welcomed us to the store.)

While the food from around the world is definitely the main attraction, Jungle Jim’s also offers a less exotic section of their store if you want something more normal. While many items that can be found in this area are from different corners of the globe, the usual things like paper towels, bread, and cereal are all stored here. While this may sound quite boring, and it certainly appears to be, at first, there are two departments in and around this part of the store that make it quite the worthwhile stop.

Walking through the mundane you will find yourself face to face with a whole heck of a lot of cheese. And when I say a lot of cheese, I mean a lot of cheese. In fact, let’s call this part CHEESE just to symbolize how much dairy you’ll be able to find here. These cheeses come from all over the planet, and it’s kind of like its own mini international section. Just around the corner, you’ll find the sweets. This is mostly American goodies, and you’ll have to go to the international market for worldwide sugary foods, as well as a deeper in for sodas and flavored drinks. That doesn’t make it a bad part of the store, though. 

Recommendation: Jelly beans, jelly beans…

Jungle Jim’s proudly boasts a large collection of almost every kind of jelly bean you could think of, and some you probably never did. For example, I’m a huge fan of root beer, but I’d never heard of root beer jelly beans before in my life until I visited the grocery over spring break. Needless to say, they were delicious. Another thing I love about this set up is the payment system. You take a bag and fill it up to a certain line telling you how much the amount of beans you’re buying will cost. For about ten dollars, you can get, at minimum, quite a few jelly beans of around four different flavors in total. I feel like this is a fun little stop for anyone looking for something more typical or safe to buy while visiting. 

So much food…

As we’ve touched on, Jungle Jim’s can be broken up into a few main components: Miscellaneous Items, Candy/Sweets, Regular Produce, CHEESE, and International. If you manage to make it through the first four without demolishing your bank account, you will find yourself face to face with the final boss of Jungle Jim’s: The International Aisles. Rows upon rows of food imported from all around the globe, the reason everybody comes there in the first place. It can be tantalizing, to say the least. My best recommendation for tackling this section is to start with food from your favorite place or culture. Usually, countries geographically near each other are grouped together, but you can also check the map for help if need be. They’ll be signified with either orange or yellow markers hanging above their respective lanes.

Recommendation: Japanese/Asian Department 

(Fun Fact: Japan will slap almost any anime character on a snack bag or bottle! The drink I bought pictured Sailor Mercury from “Sailor Moon”.)

If you know me or have read my review of One Piece for Blue Ace Media already, you’re probably aware I’m a big fan of anime. So, it’s fairly predictable that the first place I’d go once in the international part of the store would be the Japanese aisles. And I was not disappointed. Japan (and broader Asia) is widely known for its strange snacks, which you can find a ton of at Jungle Jim’s. Do be warned, though, the advertising doesn’t lie, and it’ll taste the way it looks. The pear flavored sparkling water I got, for example, had the flavor of what I believe liquefied gummy bears would taste like. Nevertheless, if you want to try something truly new, this part is a must! And if you’re not a fan of the weird, feel free to bring home as many delicious instant noodles as you can. 

Checkout and leaving

No experience at Jungle Jim’s is complete without a visit to the world famous restrooms that appear as porta potties, but are actually fully functioning extremely well kept bathrooms. It’s a little surprise that makes the journey all the more memorable. When you’re done there, you can head to one of the checkouts.

That’s right, even the checkout system is unique, though not overcomplicated. There are multiple lines named after different animals (Rhinoceros, giraffe, etc…) based on how many items you have in your cart, and it keeps the store lines from getting super congested. Once you’re done there, your journey into the wild world that is Jungle Jim’s is complete.

Recommendation: Before you go…

Being around all that food was bound to have made you hungry, but most of it needs to be prepared before being eaten or is only candy or small snacks. Chances are that you’ll be exiting around the time you’d either have lunch or dinner, or won’t be home in time for one, too. Lucky for you, right down the street is a LaRosa’s pizzeria. This was my first time having LaRosa’s and I really enjoyed it. So, if you’re craving something after your long walk around the supermarket, LaRosa’s would have to be the place to eat!