Jungle Jim's Cincy, OH.

One of my favorite stops in the Cincinnati area is Jungle Jim's. If you are not familiar with Jungle Jim's you probably don't know anyone who lives within 2 hours of it, and you have never watched the travel channel.
Jungle Jim's, if you don't know, is a huge grocery store that's over the top. Each section is decorated with a theme. There is a huge soup can character in a swing over the soup isle. Boats and divers over the seafood area. There is an a cereal band over the cereal isle with the Trix Rabbit, the Lucky Charms leprechaun, and the Cheerios Bee. I think it is a converted Showbiz or Chucky Cheese band.
There are sample stations everywhere, and I always get suckered in to buying some cheese or cider there after a sample. Jungle Jim's seems to support the local guy too. Many of the sample people mention being from around the area, and making their product locally.

I can't imagine being a kid and going through their candy isle. Their candy section would compete with any novelty candy shop I have ever seen.
I am not a drinker, but their wine area would also best most wine shops I would imagine. You have to walk past it to get to their bathrooms (also featured on several shows.... there is a video loop playing above the bathrooms showing clips from their various TV appearances). Not to give the joke away, but the bathroom entrance looks like you are about to walk into a small porta potty. The inside is..... well, not a porta potty.
I could go on about each section in Jungle Jim's. Each one is festively decorated and well stocked.
Jungle Jim's also now has a post office and a Starbucks. There is a small movie theater in the store too which shows a video about how Jungle Jim's got started. Take a moment to watch this. Jungle Jim literally set up in vacant lots selling fruit in the early 70's. His is a great "work hard in America to succeed" story.
For souvenir people like myself, Jungle Jim's will give you a store map when you walk in. They have postcards, and my favorite, an elongated penny machine.


You could go in to Jungle Jim's and have a fun time without spending money. Don't do that though. Drop a few bucks on some things you will never find at your local grocery. Pick up something novel for a friend (I have picked up gator jerky for my dad here).