Jimmy Wong's was located at 426 S Wabash Avenue in Chicago. Although it was a Chinese restaurant, it was quite famous in its day and extremely "tiki adjacent".
Eventually 2 other locations were opened. One of them was at 3058 West Peterson. The third was at 423 S Clark (Nan Yan).
Jimmy Wong's was known for its Cantonese cooking, Hong Kong Steak, and whole fish dishes. It was also known for celebrity sightings.
The two-floor restaurant had an impressive neon sign out front, a pagoda-like skylight, Chinese green tile divider screens along the booths, bamboo trim on the walls, and a bubbling Buddha fountain.
Although it was marketed as a Chinese restaurant, like so many other Chinese restaurants of this period, they borrowed classic tiki elements that were all the rage in the 60s. Waiters wore flowered Aloha shirts and there was a Polynesian cocktail menu with take-home mugs marked for Jimmy's. All five shown in their menu are represented in this site's collections. See menu below…
This original Jimmy Wong's opened in 1959 and stood for nearly 40 years under the Wabash El between Van Buren and Jackson. The building was closed and torn down in 1997.
As a South Loop restaurateur, Jimmy Wong was best known for his Hong Kong Steak and the opportunity to spot celebrities at his restaurants -- see him with Sammy Davis Jr. in the photo below.
Mr. Wong passed away in 2001 -- a beloved entrepreneur of Chicago's 50's & 60's.