DECEMBER 27, 1989
Outside, on a cold day, there may be anywhere from 30 to 70 trucks with motors idling. Inside, there’s a faint smell of diesel fuel. If you come during the noon hour, you may have to hunt for a place to sit down in the Big Sioux Truck Stop Cafe.
We chose Big Sioux because I wanted to check out more about the lutefisk dinner for $5.75. It’s served from Nov. 15 to Jan. 1. I didn’t want to eat it, I just wanted to ask about it. And I learned the cafe sells about 400 pounds of lutefisk each year. It’s not the biggest item on the menu, but there are certain people who count on the Big Sioux for their lutefisk each year. They probably are people of Norwegian heritage, with mates of German or Italian background. Our waitress, Mary Jo Carey, says sometimes she’ll have six orders during a dinner hour. But, she says, when Southern truck drivers ask about it, she doesn’t encourage them to order it.
We were pleasantly surprised by the quality of food at Big Sioux. I ordered a 7-ounce sirloin steak special ($4.50), which comes with a bowl of soup or fries and toast. Constant Companion ordered the pork dinner special ($3.95). It came with a cup of soup, coleslaw dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy and a dinner roll. That’s an amazing amount of food for the price, we thought. Especially since it was excellent food.
The potato soup was thick and hot with nicely diced potatoes. You could tell they were fresh. And the soup did not have the pasty consistency you sometimes get with restaurant soup. Along with potatoes, it had finely diced carrots and ham and snipped parsley in it.
The coleslaw passed the test. It was crisp. The dressing was light and not sloppy. There was a tiny paper cup of applesauce with the pork. Service was prompt and pleasant. No pretenses here. No coming back six times and asking if everything is all right.
The Big Sioux exceeded my expectations with its outward appearance of cleanliness and professionalism. Waitresses wear black-and-white checkered blouses with black vests. Kitchen help, whom you can see through the window, wear clean, white shirts and trousers with blue aprons and red caps. So do those who bus dishes. The caps certainly must impress the city health department inspectors. They have an awful time getting restaurant employees to restrain their hair.
It’s fun sitting in a place where truck drivers mingle as they wait for a load of potatoes to carry south, or east. Sometimes, they daydream as they stir their coffee and wait for a page from the message center. Sometimes they swap tales with other drivers. Most of them wear plaid shirts and heavy trousers. They have heavy outer vests and caps. They peel back their outdoor gear as far as they can.
Big Sioux continues to operate in Grand Forks.