We ordered Denver sandwiches when Susie Shaft (SS) and I stopped at the Big Sioux Cafe for supper before an event on a recent Saturday night.
And we were well-pleased.
The sandwiches ($4.65) arrived on toasted wheat bread, as we had requested. There was a fresh quality with the crisp onions, and the ham was plentiful.
We were going to settle for just sandwiches until we began to talk about soup. So, SS ordered a cup of tomato soup just to see if it would pass the taste test.
The soup ($2.55 for a cup and $3.55 for a bowl) more than satisfied our palates. It was piping hot when it arrived and nice and thick with discernible tomato chunks.
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As we ate, we looked around. The woman in the next booth had ordered a chef's salad ($7.65) that came in a huge bowl and looked garden fresh. With a lettuce base, it was laced with turkey, ham, Co-Jack cheese, raw onion, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, cucumbers and tomato and came with a dinner roll.
We saw that she could eat only half of it and asked for a container to take the rest home. Later, we noticed a couple who ordered the same salad with two plates, so they could split it.
Most of the time -- it doesn't matter if it's a Saturday evening or a Sunday morning --- this cafe seems to be busy. Part of the draw Sunday is the $2.99 breakfast that includes an egg as you like it, toast and potatoes. Coffee is extra.
I stopped by with friends after church on a Sunday. Again, as on Saturday night, the place was hopping.
You kind of mosey along once inside and look for a table or one of the booths along the windows. There also is room for overflow in the back dining area that used to be for smoking, when it was allowed.
Now, there is a patio outdoors for smokers, but not many want to light up out there in the dead of winter.
The chili looked good when I saw it delivered to another table. So, I ordered a bowl ($3.85). It was very good with lots of beans and lean burger. It was more than I could finish at one sitting. And I have been called "The Appetite."
The Big Sioux menu is extensive. The hot beef sandwich is $5.95. There's a trucker's 16-ounce T-Bone for $13.95. The menu also includes walleye, liver and onions and grilled pork chops with applesauce.
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Betty was our waitress when SS and I visited the Big Sioux. She was efficient, friendly and helpful. She told us about the homemade desserts, especially recommending the carrot cake.
The draw of the Big Sioux includes the everyday, cheery ambience along with the pleasant decor done in beige tones with lamps that hang over booths at the perimeter of the large restaurant.
Sometimes, the place gets a little messy when it is very busy. But I noticed the boys in white jackets who were clearing the tables know how to hustle.
You also can get a glimpse of the cooks through a big window to the kitchen. To me, that is a plus.
Reach Marilyn Hagerty at mhagerty@gra.midco.net or call (701) 772-1055.
