I had the opportunity to stop here and talk with the owner a bit almost 2 years ago and finally had the opportunity to return with my wife and parents along with an Aunt that lives nearby last night. I was impressed with the decor and the appetizers that they offered, so we stopped late in the afternoon to sample their wines, cocktails and appetizers.
My Dad has enjoyed metal work over the years (sometimes being called Square Tubing Dave for frequently using square tubing in his projects), so you’ll see several facility pictures highlighting the metal work on the shelving and tables.
My wife ordered a Wine Flight (see picture) and I started with the Bloody Mary (see picture), which included some of their Jalapeno wine – and was quite tasty. For an appetizer, we decided to try the Charcuterie Plate (Large – see picture) – and found it quite tasty, with the dark chocolate with almonds and chocolate covered raisins making a nice complement to the savory items.
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
We were looking for a place to stop for brunch after Mass in Webster on our way back home to Des Moines and my in-laws suggested Bitter Lake Lodge’s buffet. The building has a modern steel exterior and a modern hunting cabin like interior with a concrete floor (see pictures).
Service was prompt and there was a reasonable selection on the buffet line (scrambled eggs, scrambled eggs with veggies and cheese, bacon, sausages, potatoes, biscuits & gravy, pancakes and french toast sticks). The scrambled eggs were very good and the potatoes were good, but they were out after we went through and were not replenished. The sausages were plentiful and the bacon was thick, hearty and smokey.
Overall, this was a solid, above average buffet with good service at a good value ($12.99 + coffee / beverage). Other than a desire that they be a bit more attentive to the quantity of food in the pans and replenishing as required, my main disappointment was that black plastic forks were the only eating utensils available. Given the available foods, metal knives wouldn’t be necessary – but having metal forks would be appreciated.
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
Another enjoyable stop with my parents, son and his girlfriend during a stay at the lake. I always find it hard to avoid popcorn if I see it in a restaurant, so we started with several servings of popcorn from the machine. While it admittedly tasted like it was left over from the previous night…it was ok to go along with our pre-dinner beverages.
For our meal, we ordered a Brisket Smack pizza (see picture) to share – and once again, it was delicious! If the brisket isn’t enough to catch your attention, there was also macaroni and cheese as well as a smokey-sweet bbq sauce. You can’t go wrong with this!
Turns out that it was also Wing Wednesday, with bone-in wings for $0.90 each, so we ordered a variety of wings (see pictures) with Bourbon Honey Mustard (my favorite), Mango Habanero (next favorite…not very spicy), Garlic Parmesan & Buffalo sauces. We found the wings to be larger than typical and moist almost to a fault (the skin was also soft, while we prefer a crispy crust). We enjoyed them all though…and you can’t go wrong with the value at $0.90/each.
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.
08/10/2023 The Black Pelican
We have stopped here a few times during visits to the family lake cabin on Lake Elsie near Hankinson, ND. Each time we have thoroughly enjoyed our stop, with great food, reasonable prices and good service. They seem to continue to grow year after year, as each time we visit it seems the place is more busy – even on weeknights.
For this visit, we started with beers (there is a good selection of tap beers – both craft and standard domestics). For our meal my wife and I ordered the Peanut Buddy (Peanut Butter Zing, Pepperoni, Bacon, Jalapenos – topped with Peanut Butter Zing – see picture). While it might sound odd, we absolutely loved the flavor – a great combination of spicy (but not much) tempered by the sweetness of the Peanut Butter Zing.
Our friends (she is gluten sensitive) ordered the Chicken Bacon Ranch with a gluten-free crust (see picture). My wife and I each tried a piece to see what the gluten-free crust tasted like and while we don’t prefer it as much as their regular crust, we really appreciated that they offered this option so our friends could enjoy some great pizza also.
This is an exceptional place for a small town in North Dakota – with food quality and selection rivaling options in much bigger cities. Great food, good value and friendly service come together at this increasingly popular local favorite.
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
We used to live in Fargo and this place was one of our favorite burger joints while we were there due to their unique burgers, fresh cut potato chips or fries with dipping sauces and selection of tap beers. When we got back to town, we had to stop for dinner.
Along with the pre-requisite cold tap beers, tonight my wife ordered the Wham Bam Bacon Jam burger (see picture) and I opted for the Classic Chicken (see picture). As per what we’ve become accustomed to expecting at JL Beers, both of them were delicious. Those fresh cut potato chips and delicious dipping sauces just can’t be beat.
After eating tonight, our friends shared with us that they had gotten there early, so had their favorite appetizer – a large pretzel with homemade peanut butter. They had a little of the peanut butter left, so we tried it – and were hooked! We asked and found out that all they used for ingredients were honey roasted peanuts – so you know they were on our doorstop in Des Moines shortly after we returned home – and were ground into peanut butter that night! You definitely want to give it a try!
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
When we are staying in Hankinson during the summer months, we are always on the lookout for great restaurants to try in the area. We had heard about a Mexican restaurant that recently opened and my parents suggested we give it a try so we joined them – and boy, is it ever a small town gem!
My wife and I started off with a Mango Jalapeno Margarita (see picture) and Lime Margarita (see picture). They didn’t have the Mango Jalapeno Margarita on the menu but my wife likes them so asked if they could make one and they agreed. He asked her how spicy she wanted it and while she answered ‘fairly’, he must have assumed that she was a mild American…as she ended up muddling some of the jalapeno pepper delivered on the rim of the glass into the drink to spice it up a bit more! Both drinks were delicious though – and served nice, large, heavy margarita glasses.
We started eating with some chips and salsa (see picture), which was quite good – fresh and tasty. For our meals, my wife chose the Steak California Burrito (see picture) and I went with the Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos (see picture). We really enjoyed both meals (as we always sample each others order) and would highly recommend both of them. The Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos were the special for the night and while I’m biased – I highly recommend getting them with corn tortillas.
As we started eating, the husband of the owner stopped by our table to ask about where we were visiting from and asked if we had tried their macaroni and cheese dishes. We hadn’t, so he offered to bring us a sample (see picture) and after tasting it, we realized why he was so proud of it. My Dad said that is going to be his go-to dish on his next visit.
This place is a real gem in small town Lidgerwood, ND and well worth a drive to give it a try. It is well lit and quite roomy inside, with decor, food quality and margarita selection that would make you think you were in a much larger city. The prices are a little higher than you might expect in a small town, but the quality is quite good.
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
Stopped here while driving through Sioux Falls at dinner time and boy did it turn out to be a great stop. New, lively, open and fun atmosphere with reasonable prices and good food. We were a little disappointed with the service, but we were in a bit of a rush to get back on the road and they were busy – so we probably should have stayed at the bar and ordered there rather than being seated.
We started by ordering a Cucumber Jalapeno Grand Margarita (see picture) to go along with the free chips & salsa (see picture) – which tasted great. My wife ordered the Flauta (see picture) and I ordered a soft taco (see picture). As per our usual, we shared both dishes and both of us really enjoyed both of them.
Based on our stop, I would highly recommend this place for both food and drinks – close to the interstate, reasonably priced and an open, fun atmosphere.
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.
FlautaSoft TacoCucumber Jalapeno Grand MargaritaChips & Salsa
We were in town to treat our son for his birthday. Since he likes Italian and Johny Carino’s (one of his favorites) is now closed, I did a search and found this was a relatively new place in the former Tru Blu building (which we really enjoyed). It was lunch time on a weekday, so there was no problem getting a table as the restaurant was not that busy.
The interior was nice and welcoming, with the bar area and some of the dining area being pretty similar to what it looked like in the former Tru Blu business. We ordered from the lunch menu (see pictures), so the value seemed reasonable.
We were disappointed with the service. After dropping off our menus, our waitress didn’t show up for quite some time (actually, just after I had commented to the others that I was surprised they hadn’t come to take our orders yet). We would have liked some parmesan cheese after our food was delivered, but she was nowhere to be seen until our meals were consumed. Lastly, another lady that joined us for lunch asked that she pay separately for her meal, but the check was brought with everything on one anyway.
Relative to the food, we had mixed reviews from our group. I ordered the Sandwich Combo Lunch Special with Hot Italian sandwich & Italian Ham & Bean soup (see picture). It was very good and I would order it again. However, the others around the table were not as fortunate. The Angel Hair pasta was highly recommended by our waitress, so my wife ordered the lunch special (see picture) and was quite disappointed – finding it quite bland / lacking flavor. One of our sons ordered the Spaghetti and Meatballs and while he is usually a big eater, he didn’t eat much of it because he didn’t like it and my wife agreed after tasting it – so unless there was something wrong with it that day, I wouldn’t recommend ordering this. Another son ordered the Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo (see picture) and thought it was ok (my wife thought it had much more flavor than her Angel Hair Pasta).
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow.
Hot Italian & SoupAngel Hair Pasta with SaladShrimp Fettuccine AlfredoLasagna
For the latest Food & Drink Reviews – follow on Twitter: @TheFaDGuy
Latest Happy Hour & Specials Updates – follow on Twitter: @HHDesMoines For the best Happy Hours and Food Specials in Des Moines, visit: happyhourdesmoines.com
Had lunch here while visiting my sister and brother-in-law in Bismarck and enjoyed the stop…good food and a good beer selection. While we found the atmosphere a little dark to our liking (low light levels made reading the menu difficult) the quality and taste of the food was great!
The complimentary table bread and butter (see picture) was basic but good. For my lunch, I kept it simple and light…going for the Turkey Sandwich with Pepper Jack cheese (see picture). While the bread was basic bakery loaf style, the sandwich was fresh and tasted great!
Other than bringing your own light to read the menu (if you are over the age of 50 like us), you will enjoy a stop here – great food and service.
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. To receive Tweets of the latest Reviews, follow on Twitter: @TheFaDGuy
We stopped here while visiting my sister and brother-in-law and really enjoyed the food. The first thing we enjoyed were the chips and salsa – the chips were fresh and crispy and the salsa was thick and tasty. The only thing I wouldn’t recommend from the evening was the mezcal drink in the new menu (can’t remember the name). I love mezcal, but this drink was not good.
For the meal, my wife had the Parrillada and we both enjoyed it. I ordered the Chicken Street Tacos and thought they were delicious – small (easy to eat) & tasty.
Definitely one of the better Mexican restaurants I’ve been to – you won’t regret a stop here. The only knock on the menu…no desserts other than the homemade churros (which were quite expensive).
If you found this review helpful, please Share, Follow & Like.
We stopped here for Sunday brunch while visiting my sister and brother-in-law and really enjoyed the stop.
We started with coffees and found them every bit as good as the big names stores. My wife ordered the Chicken and Waffles and it was delicious. I ordered the Rookie and loved the infused ham, potatoes and cheese.
It was getting busy by the time we left, so if you go…get there early or plan to wait.
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. To receive Tweets of the latest Reviews, follow on Twitter: @TheFaDGuy
We made reservations and met friends here while visiting in Fargo. Reservations are right as it is a busy place and parking can bea but if a challenge (we had to park 3 blocks away).
The decor is modern and chic and the servers were friendly. My wife started with a Lingonberry Sour (see picture) and really liked it – tart and tasty.
We started our meal with the Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Dates – delicious and highly recommended! For our meals, my son ordered the Butcher Block Burger (see picture), my wife ordered the Prime Rib Sandwich (see picture) and I had the Nordic Salmon with Dill Sauce (see picture). All tasted very good, but delivery took a long time and they were all barely warm when delivered. I’m not sure if they were left on the counter accidentally or if they intentionally waited for something that took longer to prepare.
Overall, the atmosphere was great, but the prices were a little high and the food and service were only a little above average.
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. To receive Tweets of the latest Reviews, follow on Twitter: @TheFaDGuy
After seeing a Facebook post of a morning TV live cooking event from my 1st cousin which featured her son cooking for the hosts, I had to try this place. Anything that combines bbq meat and cheese has got to be good…
The building and atmosphere were great…modern, clean, vibrant – with a little country music playing in the background. You order at the counter, then take a number and they deliver it to your table. I loved the presentation – a heavy cast iron skillet preloaded with a real metal fork…ready to be enjoyed.
Per Parker’s recommendation, I ordered the BBQ Pulled Pork Mac & Cheese with Carolina Reaper cheese added – the ‘Parker Special’. Boy was it delicious – moist, flavorful pulled pork, tangy bbq sauce, creamy cheese…and a little bite from the Carolina Reaper cheese! I highly recommend this restaurant and this dish and can’t wait to return to try some other options.
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. To receive Tweets of the latest Reviews, follow on Twitter: @TheFaDGuy
One of the best restaurants in Fargo. This place is top-notch, with great food, service, place settings and cloth napkins. Tonight I enjoyed Salmon along with Cream Caramel Cheesecake.
Update following another visit…still great food and service. There was a mixup on assigning a waitress to our table, initially causing a delay. However, after they discovered the system error, they apologized and comped our appetizer. I ordered the chicken and brie sandwich and my wife ordered the hanger steak. I thought the chicken sandwich was very good…but the hanger steak was fantastic – extremely tender and full of flavor, as were the potatoes with horseradish sauce. I highly recommend both meals.
Update from March 2022: Once again, we left impressed after another great visit. This time we enjoyed the great value of the late night 1/2 price drinks and apps Happy Hour. We ordered Walleye Fingers and Seared Ahi and both were absolutely delicious and highly recommended.
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. To receive Tweets of the latest Reviews, follow on Twitter: @TheFaDGuy
I can’t speak to the Asian-inspired comments that some have made, but I do love gelato and can tell you that you won’t be disappointed with their gelato. There are some unique animal-faced cone options for the kids, but just a scoop of Snickers gelato, a scoop of coffee gelato and a drizzle caramel topping (see picture) was perfect for me.
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. To receive Tweets of the latest Reviews, follow on Twitter: @TheFaDGuy
Shout out to Megan and crew! We were celebrating my friends Birthday and came into Boiler Room, not knowing they were closing in 15 minutes; Megan was so gracious and made us feel so welcome! Service and hospitality was stellar!! We highly recommend making the Boiler Room a must do when you are in Downtown Fargo!
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. To receive Tweets of the latest Reviews, follow on Twitter: @TheFaDGuy
We met or son here for breakfast Saturday morning primarily due to its proximity to his work location and all enjoyed our selections (see pictures).
For starters, they bring you a bowl of popcorn (which was very good and not overly salty). On the waitress’ recommendation, I ordered the Hangover Quesadilla (very good and fresh – see picture). My wife ordered the Eggs Benedict (see picture) and my son ordered the Breakfast Burrito (see picture). All were on the waitress’ recommendation list and all tasted great!
You won’t regret stopping here for breakfast…lots of good options.
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. To receive Tweets of the latest Reviews, follow on Twitter: @TheFaDGuy
Excellent stop for beer and food on our trip to Watertown. The primary beers were really light for the typical SD patron, but we really enjoyed the food. Highly recommend the cheese curds (large gooey chunks with a light batter) and the Asian Excellence wings.
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. To receive Tweets of the latest Reviews, follow on Twitter: @TheFaDGuy
Came in at opening time on Saturday and ordered the Piglet to try pulled pork, pulled chicken and brisket. Assumed it would come separate to try them each separately, but they were all small pieces and scrambled together on the bun. That said, it tasted great, was on a high quality bun, the fries had a crispy coating and tasted great and the Hogs Breath sauce was a perfect compliment. We love Parrots Kay, but it was closed, so we tried this place and are glad we stopped.
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. To receive Tweets of the latest Reviews, follow on Twitter: @TheFaDGuy
Bison Meatballs were delicious! We enjoyed them as an appetizer before our pizza and would highly recommend them.
11/23/2014
The bread plate was excellent, as was the ‘special’ pizza. The BLT was ok, but not one of my favorites.
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. To receive Tweets of the latest Reviews, follow on Twitter: @TheFaDGuy
Loved their breakfast bagels with choice of cheese, sauce and vegetables. I had the 9-grain, which included flax seed and chia seed – delicious. Just as good as the big names in Minneapolis, but right here in Sioux Falls! Busy place Saturday morning, but if you like bagels and a great cup of coffee, you’ll want to stop here!
If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. To receive Tweets of the latest Reviews, follow on Twitter: @TheFaDGuy
