Pepper’s Cafe: Welcoming Haven on South University

By Neil Schloesser
Contributing Writer

I entered Pepper’s Café with my head low like a leper trying to hide the scars and marks of a maligned and forsaken illness; only I’m not ill.  I’m human with a gay twist.  I take a seat at a table and am instantly offended by the interior as much as America is offended by me; only I haven’t done a thing except be born. 

This interior hasn’t been updated in untold years.  It looks like the interior of a house from an 80s family movie. I laugh at the green paint, the mishmash of tables and chairs, and the tube televisions. The pain momentarily leaves but instantly returns. I cannot forget that I am loathed by America and the feeling wears me down like a spinning grindstone. I am not an animal, I am a human being.

Pepper’s is bar food and diner food. The menu is hamburgers, melts, sandwiches, salads, and a burrito. I want a burrito; need a burrito, but my head balks. “Mexican at an Americana restaurant, are you stupid?” it asks.

I reply “no” but still order the burrito, a cup of chili, and fries. Being hated makes me hungry. I look around, suspicious of people, wondering if they can see the gay in me and are perhaps getting a lynch mob together to kill me before I decide to get married or ask for respect. No one is paying attention. 

I relax but keep my guard up. The streets aren’t safe now that tea is being smoked in the nation’s capital. The purges are about to begin. Minnesota and Iowa are about to fall. I shouldn’t even be out this late in North Dakota, but I never expected Peppers to be this busy on a Thursday night. They must have a loyal following because they’ve been in this location for almost all of my 29 years and the parking lot is packed.

The food arrives without trouble and is delivered by a bored looking girl. The burrito looks impressive. It’s a good size and is covered in a spicy cheese sauce. Black beans are served in a small cup on the side and one third of the plate is filled with black olives, lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream. 

It was a nice presentation. Even more surprising than the presentation was the taste.  It was great. The chicken was seasoned well and had a faint hint of sweetness that went well with the roasted peppers. The black beans were seasoned with lemon juice.  They were simple but still flavorful and when it was all mixed together on the plate it was a tasty meal.

The chili however was sad. It was bland like a ragu sauce and thick like a jambalaya.  The fries were excellent. They were thin, fried until crispy, and they stayed crispy throughout the meal.
I pay my bill and leave. I keep my back to the wall to avoid being jumped. This is America. It isn’t safe for my kind. I make it back to my car and head home but I’m angry. This is America. I shouldn’t be scared and I shouldn’t hate myself but what am I do with all the hate being thrown about like balloons at a party? 

Even mountains crumble. Somewhere America lost its way and now I’m a self-hating fag being corralled into a pen; a ritual sacrifice for the God of America. Thankfully there are surprises like Pepper’s to make survival worth while.   
       
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If You Go

What: Pepper’s Cafe
Where: 2510 University Dr S
When: 11:15am-1am, 7 days a week.
Info: 701.232.2366