Red Pepper (Grand Forks, ND)

Who’s hungry?! Well, have I got a place for you that will definitely satisfy your appetite! It’s called the Red Pepper and the original is located in Grand Forks, ND. There are also a few other locations in Grand Forks and Fargo, but I checked out the original, and it was amazing! Come along as I tell you all about it…

Honestly, I’m not quite sure how to explain the Red Pepper. It’s definitely nostalgic and very much a classic – my brother went to college at the University of Minnesota – Crookston and told me that he and his friends would stop in at the Red Pepper whenever they were in Grand Forks. He said their grinder sandwiches were the best, and I had to give it a try while in North Dakota. It’s rare that I listen to my brother *wink*, but I took his advice, and I did not regret it! I texted him a picture of the restaurant, and he texted back, “That’s the place!” After all these years, it hadn’t changed a bit.

The History of the Red Pepper

The Red Pepper has been a Grand Forks landmark and University of North Dakota (UND) mainstay since the 1960s. The original Red Pepper is settled in a residential area (no joke!) between UND and downtown Grand Forks. In the 1970s, Bruce Tellmann was working as a writer and told his wife, Janet, that he had to find a new way to work because he couldn’t drive by the Red Pepper without stopping to eat. Instead of taking a new route, the couple decided to purchase the business. The Tellmanns bought the Red Pepper and turned the small taco shop into a favorite place for many Grand Forks locals. While practically everything remained the same, the Tellmanns added a level of pride that helped the Red Pepper thrive.

Over the years, the Red Pepper’s reputation for delicious fresh-made grinder sandwiches, tasty tacos, and homemade sauces has grown nationally. By the 1980s, the Red Pepper chip sauce could be found in grocery stores throughout the Red River Valley, and by the 1990s, the Red Pepper was shipping “grinder kits” all over the United States.

Today, The Red Pepper is owned by Bruce’s son, Jeff, and his wife, Nicki, and the food is still fresh and delicious. And the Red Pepper is still growing! In 2006, the Tellmanns opened a second Red Pepper in Grand Forks, known as Campus Place, and in 2013, they opened a third Red Pepper in Fargo. In early 2018 they opened another location in Grand Forks, near Choice Health & Fitness and the ICON Sports Center.

My Experience

On a Friday night I visited the Red Pepper, a red building in the middle of a Grand Forks neighborhood. I walked right in and was immediately greeted with a warm welcome from the staff. While ordering I explained that I was a first timer to the Red Pepper, and they stopped everything to explain the grinder and everything that goes on it. I decided on the Everything Grinder (keep reading to see more about the delicious food!) – I mean, go big or go home, right?! The staff were so friendly, and even sparked up a conversation with me about Mackinac Island (I was wearing my Mackinac Island sweatshirt) while making my sandwich. I was going to eat at the joint but opted to take it to go as the place started to fill up fast with college kids and families alike (that’s when you know it’s a good joint, all feel welcome!). The grinder was still amazing even while eating it at a later time.

The Delicious Food

The Red Pepper is best known for their grinder sandwiches (they are after all known as the “Home of the Grinder”). Let me explain to you what a grinder is, because I don’t want you to think this is just any sub sandwich! The grinder is a sub sandwich made with your choice of ham, salami, or turkey (or any combination), Colby or Swiss cheese, lettuce, the house made white sauce, hot sauce, and…taco meat! Yes, taco meat on the top of the sandwich! I’ll admit I wasn’t sure how I would like taco meat on my sub sandwich, but it was surprisingly fantastic! The taco meat and sauces added some spice to the already amazing sub sandwich – delicious! You can also put double meat and cheeses on your grinder, heat it up or eat it cold, and choose half or whole size. Whatever you choose, know that your grinder will be amazing!

The Red Pepper is more than just grinders though, it also has delicious tacos, tostados, enchiladas, salads, soups, coney doggs, taco burgers, and much more. And the sauces – oh my goodness, the sauces – they have the Red Pepper sauce (spicy, but sweet salsa), hot sauce (spicy red sauce), enchilada sauce (tangy, mild sauce), and white sauce (simple, peppery white sauce). Friends, may I say that you have to try the white sauce – it is amazing to put on the grinder, with chips, on everything! You can buy all the sauces in different amounts. Buy some extra sauce to take home and put on your boring lunch for work on Tuesday! 😊

And everything is fresh and lean. The Red Pepper shreds their own Colby cheese, gets the leanest locally ground beef available, uses original recipe buns, and all of their food is made-to-order. And their sauces are all made right in their own kitchen. There’s definitely a reason the Red Pepper was voted “The Best Late-Night Food in the United States” by Esquire magazine!

Oh and one other unique thing about the Red Pepper – it doesn’t have forks. Yep, you read that right – no forks. So, if you dine in at the joint be mindful of what you order. Haha!

The next time you’re in Grand Forks, ND be sure to check out the Red Pepper for the most amazing grinder sandwich, and any of the other tasty items on their menu!