![\"Chef](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PBM-L-Big-Jims-1.jpg\")
Chef James \u201cBig Jim\u201d Jones, having some fun while making one of his popular sandwiches. (Courtesy of James Jones)<\/p>\nWhen Chef James \u201cBig Jim\u201d Jones purchased a deli slicer in the aftermath of the COVID pandemic, it wasn\u2019t a random purchase, it was the start of owning his own restaurant.<\/p>\n
His goal for his eatery was to introduce his favorite roast beef sandwich \u2014 the North Shore 3-Way \u2014 to southern California, beginning from his home in Pacific Beach.<\/p>\n
His self-named deli, Big Jim\u2019s Roast Beef & Subs, on Cass Street, has proven the success of his concept.<\/p>\n
Jones said the North Shore 3-Way is a Massachusetts-style roast beef sandwich, a popular regional sandwich of North Shore Boston.<\/p>\n
Chef James \u201cBig Jim\u201d Jones, having some fun while making one of his popular sandwiches. (Courtesy of James Jones)<\/p>\n
\u201cThe North Shore 3-Way features thinly sliced, rare roast beef piled high on a buttered, toasted onion roll. The 3-Way combo includes mayonnaise, white American cheese and James River barbecue sauce,\u201d Jones said.<\/p>\n
He said the combo of rare, thinly shaved roast beef is usually top round or bottom round, while the James River barbecue sauce is a \u201ctangy, peppery, not spicy, very flavorful vinegary barbecue sauce synonymous with the roast beef sandwich in Massachusetts.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you aren\u2019t using James River, you\u2019re not doing it right,\u201d Jones said.<\/p>\n
He said the North Shore Super Beef comes in more versions than just the 3-Way.<\/p>\n
\u201cA 2-Way refers to the combo of mayonnaise and barbecue sauce without cheese, a 1-Way includes only one topping from the mayo, barbecue and cheese options, while a 4-Way adds an onion ring to the combo and a 5-Way adds horseradish sauce,\u201d Jones explained.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the \u201cSuper Beef,\u201d one of Jones\u2019 favorite sandwiches, that is the cornerstone of his menu.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been almost six years doing this, and I could still eat a \u2018Super Beef\u2019 every single day,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019re very well constructed, with the tanginess of the barbecue, the soft flavor of the beef, served on a crispy onion roll made with a butter and beef tallow mixture that we grill all the buns in, made in-house.\u201d<\/p>\n
The \u201cJunior Beef,\u201d is similar to the \u201cSuper Beef,\u201d but features 5 ounces of roast beef as compared to the Super\u2019s 8 ounces, and is served on a buttered and grilled plain bun.<\/p>\n
Another one of Jones\u2019 favorites is the \u201cFrench Dip\u201d sub.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the same shaved top round roast beef, fresh, but simmered in juice made with house-made caramelized onions. The simmered beef and onions get strained out, then goes into a locally baked, toasted sub roll with our house-made horseradish mustard and provolone cheese.<\/p>\n
The \u201cFrench Dip\u201d comes with a side of au jus for dipping.<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PBM-L-Big-Jims-2.jpg\")
The Steak and Cheese sandwich at Big Jim\u2019s Roast Beef & Subs is a popular choice. (Courtesy of James Jones)<\/p>\n
Another favorite sub is the \u201cSteak and Cheese,\u201d which comes in three variations in addition to the original; the \u201cOnion Steak,\u201d \u201cPepper Steak\u201d and \u201cSteak Bomb.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jones\u2019 version doesn\u2019t use the standard ribeye, but instead uses leftover house-sliced roast beef, grilled with a beef and tallow mixture with their house seasoning blend. Eight ounces of the roast beef, along with five slices of melted White American cheese, is then served on a sesame seed hoagie roll.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe \u2018Steak and Cheese\u2019 is almost as popular as the \u2018Super Beef\u2019,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The \u201cOnion Steak\u201d features 8 ounces of shaved and grilled top round, saut\u00e9ed onions and melted white American cheese served on a hoagie roll.<\/p>\n
The \u201cPepper Steak,\u201d made with 8 ounces of shaved, grilled top round, is served with a cherry pepper relish and melted white American cheese on a hoagie roll, while the \u201cSteak Bomb,\u201d adds crispy fried salami to the pepper steak version of the sub.<\/p>\n
Sides include barbecue curly fries and various chips, with Pepsi products on the drink menu.<\/p>\n
For those who like to finish their meal with a sweet treat, Jones offers cheesecake, rotating the flavor every couple of days.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just my thing and it sells pretty quick,\u201d he said. \u201cI keep it creative on the flavors, with a fluff-n-nutter, a marshmallow cheesecake with a peanut butter magic shell on top, and Irish coffee as a couple of his latest creations.<\/p>\n
Growing up in Massachusetts and working in the food industry most of his life, Jones said the pandemic forced a change in his plans.<\/p>\n
\u201cI grew up cooking; I kind of just naturally happened to work in restaurants. I was a growing boy and needed a place to eat, while the kitchen spaces were available and willing to teach me and feed me,\u201d he said. \u201cMy first jobs were dishwashing and working a salad station.\u201d<\/p>\n
After 33 years in Massachusetts, Jones moved to San Diego in October 2015.<\/p>\n
After interviewing for restaurants such as Lumi, in downtown San Diego, Jones decided to take a job in Mammoth in December 2019.<\/p>\n
![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/PBM-L-Big-Jims-4.jpg\")
An Italian sub from Big Jim\u2019s Roast Beef & Subs. (Courtesy of James Jones)<\/p>\n
\u201cI was snowboarding and making sushi in the village,\u201d he said, \u201cand COVID hit. They shut down the mountains and during the furloughed COVID unemployment I moved back to San Diego,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
It was during that time, after \u201cwatching all my roommates spend their money on stupid stuff,\u201d that he purchased the deli slicer.<\/p>\n
\u201cI got the idea for the roast beef from making sandwiches back home. So I started acquiring stuff for a mobile kitchen. I also bought a freezer for the beef and started cooking at my house,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Those first sandwiches were sold in the alley behind his house, which became a sort of drive-thru, Jones said. As word spread, it didn\u2019t take long before he was selling sandwiches at a pop up in North Park.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe started finding more and more breweries and bars willing to host our pop up, and then we started getting into farmers markets. We just developed a really steady schedule,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
About 2 1\/2 years ago, Jones said one of his neighbors told him about a vacant space on Cass Street that has since become the home of Big Jim\u2019s Roast Beef & Subs.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve successfully doubled our sales every year for the first four years, we\u2019ve been nominated for \u2018Best Sandwich\u2019 in San Diego Magazine, and we have more than 500 5-star reviews,\u201d Jones said. \u201cWe\u2019ve been doing everything we can to keep it going and get as much traction as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Part of his success is because he stays present in the Pacific Beach community.<\/p>\n
\u201cI go around and give lunches to several local shops, just so they can try my food,\u201d he said. He also donates gift cards to local organizations and causes.<\/p>\n
Find the recipe for Big Jim\u2019s Roast Beef & Subs Horseradish Mustard at PBMonthly.net.<\/p>\n
Want to visit?<\/p>\n
Big Jim\u2019s Roast Beef & Subs<\/p>\n
Address: 4508 Cass St., Suite B in Pacific Beach<\/p>\n
Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; and closed Tuesdays.<\/p>\n
Website: bigjimsandiego.com<\/p>\n
Phone: 858-352-6762<\/p>\n
Good to know: Delivery is available by ordering online.<\/p>\n
Recipe for Big Jim\u2019s Roast Beef & Subs Horseradish Mustard<\/p>\n
The horseradish mustard at Big Jim\u2019s is a staple of several of the available sandwiches. To make it, mix together equal parts mayonnaise, atomic horseradish and a good quality Dijon mustard and add it to your favorite sandwich.<\/p>\n
Courtesy of Chef James \u201cBig Jim\u201d Jones<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When Chef James \u201cBig Jim\u201d Jones purchased a deli slicer in the aftermath of the COVID pandemic, it…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":247538,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[110542,77648,49239,74,76,75],"class_list":["post-247537","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-diego","tag-big-jims-roast-beef-subs","tag-restaurants-in-pacific-beach","tag-restaurants-in-san-diego","tag-san-diego","tag-san-diego-headlines","tag-san-diego-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/247537","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=247537"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/247537\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/247538"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=247537"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=247537"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=247537"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}