AUGUST 26, 1992
Franchise restaurants may come and go, but Whitey’s of East Grand Forks goes on forever. It’s a place where people go when they come back to visit this community.
“I think they would be disappointed if we changed too much,” says Dave Homstad, an assistant manager. “People seem to like Whitey’s the way it is, and I guess we operate on the theory that if it isn’t broke, we won’t fix it.”
This is a great time of year for Whitey’s, with the students coming back, the farmers finishing up their work and the people back from the lakes. Whitey’s will be swinging into its fall and winter routine, Homstad says. But for a few more weeks, the restaurant will be offering skewer lunches—an assortment of fresh fruit arranged on skewers and served with dip, cheese wedge, smoked sausage slice and a hard roll.
Constant Companion and I have been going there almost every Friday for a single skewer and a cup of wild rice soup for $3.25. That’s quite a deal. And it reminds me so much of the pub lunches we enjoyed when we visited London.
We also go regularly to Whitey’s when one of our three musketeers comes back for a visit. Usually, they want to see if the steaks are as good as the ones they remember. We went there Friday night with our Bismarck daughter, Gail, and we were not disappointed. She had a 4-ounce beef tenderloin steak ($8.50). Constant Companion tried a half rack of ribs ($8.95), and I settled for a Riverboat sandwich ($4.75). This, to my way of thinking, is a great thing to eat when you don’t want to go all out. And it’s a great food buy, because it comes in a sourdough bun with a choice of french fries, tossed salad or potato salad.
The dinner items are served with a relish tray, which has become a fairly rare item in restaurants today, and the usual tossed salad, roll and choice of potatoes.
There are pluses and minuses at Whitey’s. You get a big, white cloth napkin whether you sit in the dining room or at one of the booths in the lounge. Soups are super. The wild rice on Fridays is a big draw. It’s thick, with pieces of carrot and slivers of almond. Chicken and dumplings served on Fridays ($4.25) for lunch are better than your mom used to make, according to Don Anderson, who stopped by our table recently. Jinny Anderson said it’s the walleye that brings her back for more.
On the other hand, some people do not like the laid-back atmosphere in the lounge at Whitey’s. They are happier eating at tables in the dining room at the rear.
For the most part, Whitey’s staff is experienced and professional, but there are times when you wish some of the waitstaff would spruce up a little and be more concerned about restraining long hair.
Whitey’s was established by the late Edwin “Whitey” Larson in 1925 and moved to its present location in 1930. The stainless steel horseshoe bar was the first one built in the United States, and is still referred to as “Whitey’s Wonderbar.” When a fire damaged the building in 1942, a new front facade was added.
Because it put the emphasis on food, Whitey’s is the lone survivor from the days when gambling was rampant in East Grand Forks. In recent years, Whitey’s has expanded to include a side bar with pool tables and dart games and a separate back entrance. Thus, the restaurant promotes an atmosphere for everyone.
With its art deco design and American and Canadian flags, Whitey’s doesn’t change very much. It’s a tradition in this community, and thrives on its comfortable mix of clientele and a menu strong on meat and potatoes. But, they have made some concessions to changing tastes, such as adding a taco salad and submarine sandwiches. And, where imported beers used to be displayed, there are now regional beers of America.