FARGO — The Great Northern railway station hasn’t been a railway station for more than 35 years. Between then and now, it has housed a series of eateries and, even if one allows that restaurants are a risky business to begin with, they didn’t do well and they didn’t last long.
Its most successful incarnation as a business has been its current owner and tenant, the Great Northern Bicycle Company. And if you take a few minutes to wander around the shop and the grounds it will soon become clear that it does a good deal more than sell bicycles. Among other things, it has taken what was once a parking lot and turned it into a grassy dining space that’s home to several food trucks, dining tables and an open lawn. It may be proof that the Great Northern Bicycle Company can do what several others couldn’t do, even it it didn’t start out with that mission.
In addition to being the only business that has stayed open in the building for longer than a few years, they have made a home for dining options in downtown Fargo that may well last longer than the restaurants that used to be in the building that is now a bike shop.
Each day several food trucks line up in the Feed Zone to dish out fast versions of some pretty specialized cuisine. And, thanks to the invitation of the Great Northern Bicycle Company, there is a lawn and picnic tables available to enjoy them. Currently, tenants include the Taco Brothers, Adibon, Pickabob and Sips Energy .
What’s most appealing about these trucks is the dining space. That alone sets them apart in that they inhabit some place other than the common native habitat of food trucks, the parking lot. And, for atmosphere, it beats their closest cousins, the shopping mall food court.
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Eric Daeuber / The Forum
For all practical purposes, it’s a park. Your lunch is a picnic, and this little corner of downtown is the great outdoors. The 117-year-old building at one end is an equal partner in the atmosphere, as are the bicycles inside, appropriate to the outdoor theme.
Our lunches came from Pickabob Grill & BBQ, a barbecue truck that prepares and serves its food on-sight, and Taco Brothers, a truck that has been driving around Fargo for years.
The food is good too and the compromises that come with food truck dining are predictable. At Pickabob, the smoke in the meat is spot on, and this is no small thing when it comes to food truck barbecue. Good smoke takes a long time and a great deal of attention. Food trucks are by nature crowded places and there isn’t enough room for dedicated servers, hosts, cooks and food prep people. All this contributes to a different kind of food service than a diner or even a food truck that isn’t faced with the challenges inherent in barbecue.
Eric Daeuber / The Forum
Our meals did not come out all at once so some cooled in the breeze before it all came together. And some options where not available, again, a common issue when dealing with foods that may well take 14 hours to prepare. You can’t just throw another brisket on. But it does mean that you might need a plan-B when you get to the window, and you may have to wait a little once you get there.
Eric Daeuber / The Forum
Mexican food faces similar challenges and there are always some concessions to be made. Paper clamshell takeout containers can’t deliver a sizzling fajita and refried beans may not stay in the place where they were put, but these are the sorts of tradeoffs that are inherent in all takeout foods and the kinds of things with which the pandemic life has made us all too familiar.
When to comes to barbeque, pulled pork is a staple. Most every bar and bistro in Fargo has some take on this ubiquitous trotter fodder. So you might want to opt for something more traditional. They were out of pork belly when I visited, but the rib tips ($14.50) give you a good introduction to smoke given it’s greater surface area and just enough of the fat you need to balance chew with tenderness. There are some sauces you can ask about to add a little heat, but with smoke done this well, be sure to try it alone. The crust is worth the price.
Eric Daeuber / The Forum
There are burger options at Pickabob, like a ground brisket burger (around $13), and some sides, like smoked fried rice and mac and cheese (both $5) that try to bring a bit more smoke to the table. Subtle, but, in their own way, unique enough to try.
Those adventurous and trusting can give the Taco Brother’s Trust Your Bro platter a try ($9.50). I wrote about this menu item in a review years ago and I still trust them.
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Dessert? Walk across the street to Insomnia Cookies. It only takes a second or two. And for beverages, Sips Energy offers a bewildering array of flavors along with good old-fashioned lemonade.
Eric Daeuber / The Forum
Food trucks always come with compromises. Time, limited space, eating out of cardboard , menu options that come and go as availability changes, and less than stellar atmosphere. And it can be expensive. But downtown Fargo on a sunny summer day has become a destination all it’s own. With the support of businesses like the Great Northern Bicycle Company, urban outdoor dining in Fargo is no longer an oxymoron. And, if it hasn’t changed recently, the bicycle shop will pull a complimentary espresso for those browsing inside at 3 p.m. on most days. In a bit of economic irony, they use an espresso machine - one of the only pieces of vintage restaurant equipment left over after the last restaurant pulled out of the Fargo station.
Hours and vendors vary but there are usually offerings available at lunch.
Eric Daeuber is an instructor at Minnesota State Community and Technical College. Readers can reach him at food@daeuber.com.
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