Red Pepper expanding to Fargo
January 4, 2013 at 12:15 am in Grand Forks Herald
A number of Grand Forks pizzerias have moved south and found success here. Now, a restaurant with Mexican flare is on the move to Fargo. The Red Pepper, a taco shop that is a favorite among UND students and Grand Forks natives, will open soon in Fargo near North Dakota State University. Continue Reading
It’s not the same as it used to be. I went in there a couple years ago for the first time in 15 years and the grinders had about half the meat that I remembered. I think their double-meat option used to be the regular sized portion. Maybe it was because I went in there sober.
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You are right on with this. I did not know that ham and salami could be sliced so thin. Heck you can see through the ham it is so thin.
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You would have to be high or drunk to think red pepper food is a good deal. The grinders are tasty but obscenely overpriced and not filling. All the taco stuff is the basic recipe you can make for yourself at home. The college kids are probably the only reason the red pepper turns a profit.
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All these rational, sensible comments from people who, ostensibly, are no longer customers of the Red Pepper. Yet, they are still a well-loved, profitable, and growing company! Oh the injustice!
The Red Pepper is an institution. Its niche is being exactly what it is, and being consistent at doing it for decades. The long lines trailing out the doors will not miss the presence of you few detractors in Fargo or in Grand Forks. Can’t wait to hit up the Fargo store. Cheers.
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Whitey’s and the Bronze Boot were institutions to.
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Whitey’s is the best restaurant in GF/EGF. The Bronze Boot was a gold mine. Problem was, the owner’s son took over and pulled every penney out of the place. No reason to eat at a restaurant with no a/c and a roof that leaks…buckets do not add to the atmosphere. Goes to show that if something is just given to you, you have no pride in achievement.
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Wow … it sounds like I need to try Whitey’s again. I’m glad to hear this from you Gene. I can’t count how many people I know who have worked there over the years, many were family members. I’m glad we had this talk.
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I was enormously pleased with Whitey’s under its new management. It is a high class place, with great food, superb service, and elegant atmosphere. Try the tiramisù for dessert. I might at Trudy from Bronze Boot is working there now. Some never liked her. I always got a kick out of her.
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Never understood the Boot hoopla myself. I went there only very occasionally, (maybe once every 3-4 years), over the course of the last 15-20 years. Every time I went there, it was due to an invitation from someone for an occasion like a birthday, anniversary, work get-together, etc.
I was underwhelmed every time, and it wasn’t due to any unfairly high expectations from all of the hype I’d heard. Looking back on it now, I remember telling myself on the way there, (more than once), that maybe *this* trip will be different. Maybe I’ll “get it” this time.
But nope….never did.
Let the flaming begin!
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Whitey’s used to be good the former owner let it slide. The current owners made it into a “burger” joint, food is not so great.
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Whitey’s is just another burger joint. Nothing special
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Have you even eaten there? Prime rib, pork ribs, steak, fish…hardly a burger joint.
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I quit going to the Red Pepper when, in the space of a few weeks, they upped there prices 30% for the same poor quality food. Add to that the employees never come out from behind the counter to wipe the tables, and have the nads to put a tip jar next to the register for service that doesn’t exist, and Taco John’s looks good. Only Mailyn Hagerty could find something positive to say about it.
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I am still trying to figure out how they get such a high health inspection score. Come on now laying the grinder bun on their arm while they put meat on it?
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They have a mole in the Health Dept who calls and tells them the inspector is coming. It’s the only time the tables are ever wiped.
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“Come on now laying the grinder bun on their arm…..”
Ever gone to one of those “traditional” pizza places and watched some really hairy dude whirling the pie dough into the air and catching what’s soon-to-be-your-meal repeatedly?
The dough-in-the-air part I like. When it comes back down and drapes over the guy’s hairy arms from fist to elbow….I close my eyes and think happy thoughts.
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I have two beefs with that place.
1. The beef
2. Receiving your drinking cup rim side down on the dirty countertop every patron touches..Yuck!
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From my experience, people who grew up in Grand Forks love the Red Pepper. People who moved to Grand Forks at a later date can’t figure out why so many locals like the place. I wish them the best in Fargo. If they stay open late, they should be popular with the NDSU students.
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People in Grand Forks believe Paradiso serves authentic Mexican food and that the Olive Garden was a Godsend. It’s why there are maybe 5 decent restaurants in the whole town, while everything else runs from poor to mediocre.
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5? I
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OK, OK…I was being generous. 3.
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What are your three?
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Whitey’s
Sander’s
Toasted Frog
But Sander’s has gone down hill over the years. Sometimes you get great service, other times the waiter spends all his time in the back complaining about his love life. The consequence of hiring college students.
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They will do just fine in Fargo. Best of luck to them.
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Not if the requirements for employment are the same as Grand Forks.
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Okay … now I’m curious. What are the requirements? Blood pumping through your veins? A pulse? The ability to breathe? At least one good eye?
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The first three. And it helps to be able to show you have no interest in your job.
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I might add that in the old days the only requirement was to be a friend of one of Bruce Telmon’s kids who needed a job.
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Actually, you may be right. I just found an on-line travel site where people ranked J L Beers the 2nd best restaurant in Fargo.
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I haven’t tried the JL Beers in GF. The building looks so tiny from the outside.
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Actually, the parking lot is three times bigger than the restaurant. And if you do go, take your own water, you won’t get it free there.
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A couple days ago I are at one of my favorite Mexican places in Arlington, TX and was reminded once again why I don’t consider Grand Forks to have any Mexican restaurants. Then again when you go into a place where everyone but yourself is speaking Spanish, the TV on the wall is on a Spanish channel, and the waitress has to go back to bring an English menu, and you do best by pointing to the menu what you want…….You can pretty well bet you’re going to get real Mexican food…..Damn good
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In the same GFers don’t know real Mexican food, they believe coffee should be the color of tea.
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Head south for better experience Gene, Spitfire and Maxwell’s in West Fargo and Sarello’s across the river in Moorhead.
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I’ve eaten there when in GF working.. The food was rather unremarkable. One of the better places was a little pub bar down town on Demurs that sold good food.
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Bonzers?
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Honestly I don’t remember the name.. I was there working in one of those buildings that had been hit by the flood, and they have found a tenant for some of the space.. I was told about some place down the street and actually really enjoyed it.
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The Plain Brown Wrapper?
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lol!!!! that was a good one!
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DuBois & Schurkey just aren’t happy people. Can you tell ?
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Quite the contrary. Criticizing the eating scene in Grand Forks and being content are not mutually exclusive. Actually, I find it better than the passive-aggressive attitude around here which goes by the euphemism “North Dakota nice”.
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I am glad to see that I’m not the only person in town who thinks red pepper is mediocre at best. I’ve had a real Philly cheesesteak…red pepper can’t hang with that. Glad to see they get to spread their mediocre food to Fargo… Maybe they’ll retaliate and open a Famous Daves up here… yeah, I like the sound of that!
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How did Famous Dave’s become famous? That is a mystery to me.
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Because Dave Anderson thought he was?
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http://www.famousdaves.com/about-daves/famous-daves-legend/
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Their own website rewrites history. The first store in Minneapolis was in Calhoun Square in the Uptown and not the converted gas station in Linden Hills.
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I ate at the red pepper once 12 years ago when I was drunk. Haven’t been back since.
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The Red Pepper isn’t real Mexican? The Olive Garden isn’t real Italian? Come on man. Next you’ll be trying to tell me that no Grandma is cooking my food at Grama Butterwicks. And the Italian Moon has been here for years so I don’t get all the clamor over another Italian restaurant coming to town.
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There’s no moose at the Blue Moose nor buffalo at Buffalo Wild Wings, either. Sorry.
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Isn’t there a big moose statue out front???? It might not be cooking but there is ‘one’ there..
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The moose are in front of Cabella’s.
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Dave has a big blue moose in fr0nt of the Blue Moose on the east side of the building also.
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I always come from the west so haven’t seen it.
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I like it because it is a cool piece of artwork.
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Gene the stautes is front of Cabelas are of elk.
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You’re kidding, right?
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nope…
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http://www.panoramio.com/photo_explorer#view=photo&position=206&with_photo_id=62083364&order=date_desc&user=397384
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Yes those are definitely the antlers of moose. You are correct Gene. Forgive me for ever doubting you.
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The greatest restaurant ever in GF accd. to the oldtimers was a place called Bobby’s across from Whitey’s. It stood where Rood Brother’s furniture store was before the 97 flood, now where Cabella’s parking lot is. It had 10-15 different kinds of fruit cocktail and was considered the best food between Seattle and Mpls. Leonard Zimmer, the deceased owner of the East Sides Zimmer’s bar worked there in the 40s. He said once “Step & Fetch It”, the black vaude ville comedian was performing over at the old opera house in GF and went to Bobby’s for dinner & was turned away at the door cuz he was black. Leonard told me he found out what Step’s favorite beer was and delivered a case to him in his room at the Dakotah Hotel with an apology. I don’t hear too many on here that know about how colorful GF/EGF has always been. Many of the Eastside bars were connected to Capone via Kidd Cann, the MSP godfather accd. to Mr. Zimmer who lived it.
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ish…. good luck in fargo REDPEPPER…. hope they have lots of restrooms .. since you can hardly make it out the door before it explodes… this place is just plain gross… they grind there hamberger and put oat meal in it. thats why its like paste on a stale wrap… and that white sauce…. ish ish ish…. had a son that worked there… its not any big secret… also a dirty nastie place… you have to watch for the rats to finish there meal before you get your own….
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Can you pick out the snobs here folks…?
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I’m wondering what Red Pepper in the Forks area all the really negative complaints about cleanliness and such are referring to. The one out by me on 42nd is a lot newer, and I thought better, but I just do the drive up for a couple tacos and chili once in a while. I wasn’t aware of any cleanliness problems there
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I have only ever eaten at the one on 42nd, and only three times. The last time was less then a month ago. Each time I have been there I could not find a table with a clean top to sit down at. The kitchen there looks clean to me though.
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