Tracker Pixel for Entry

​Battle of the Taco Grinder Sandwiches

All About Food | March 3rd, 2023

By Rick Gion

rickgion@gmail.com

When thinking of popular sandwiches associated with the Upper Midwest, the sloppy joe immediately comes to mind. But let’s not forget the sandwich with a spicy side – the taco grinder. It’s a Fargo staple.

Now that outdoor temperatures have warmed up a wee bit, it’s time to get out of the house for a food competition. There are not two but three heavyweights in this sandwich match. Which sandwich will deliver the knock-out? Let’s get in the ring.

I recently ordered “deluxe,” everything,” and “ultimate” grinders at three area establishments - the Red Pepper, Spicy Pie and the Taco Shop.

The ingredients that make this sandwich ultimate and such include a meat medley of ham, salami, taco-flavored ground beef, turkey, and then cheese.

All three sandwiches were “warmed up.” I prefer this option, because the bread has a better texture. You’ll read why a little further down.

To our feathered friends to the north, the Red Pepper is North Dakota legendary. Visiting the Fargo location is not quite the same as eating at the old-school Grand Forks location on University Avenue…even if there’s that weird retro rug on the wall.

Okay, with those jabs now out of my system, let’s get down to the issue at hand. The Red Pepper’s grinder sandwich held up to the reputation. It had ample taco meat and was not full of bland-tasting shredded iceberg lettuce. It also had a surprisingly spicy kick.

Adding extra white sauce to the sandwich made it even better. The Red Pepper’s white sauce is excellent and readily available in a squeeze bottle right by the soda filling machine. To be honest, I really enjoyed the Red Pepper’s taco grinder sandwich. They know what they’re doing.

I next headed to the Downtown Fargo Spicy Pie location to check out what they have to offer.

Spicy Pie makes the bread for their taco grinder sandwich, so extra points go to them. It’s also warmed up in their large pizza oven. The bread gets crispy this way. Be sure to take them up on this option, because other places just use a microwave to warm up their grinders.

Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed by the amount of taco meat in this sandwich. During prior visits, the portion size was much more meaningful. I also didn’t enjoy the limp shredded lettuce that topped this sandwich. Lettuce should be crisp.

However, I do think the white sauce at Spicy Pie is superb. I slathered a bunch of it on the sandwich. I like the abundance of coarse-ground black pepper in their white sauce. It beats the competition. Grand Forks people can go ahead and fight me.

For the Taco Shop’s version of the grinder sandwich, I drove down to the only location left in the area which is just off of Fargo’s south University Drive.

From decades of experience, the Taco Shop’s sandwich bread can be somewhat dry. There’s also a lot of bread included with their version of this sandwich. My recommendation is to get this grinder warmed up. It solves the dryness issue and makes the bread much more enjoyable.

I’m not quite sure why, but you have to ask for extra white sauce for your grinder sandwich at the Taco Shop. Here’s a friendly suggestion for them: Please offer a little extra on the side with an order.

The cost for the Red Pepper everything half-grinder is about $6. The cost for an ultimate six-inch Spicy Pie grinder is about $7. At the Taco Shop, a half-deluxe grinder is about $7.

All things considered, I think the Red Pepper is the ultimate winner. The Taco Shop and Spicy Pie sandwiches were quite good though. It’s just that the sandwich artists at the Red Pepper did prove to be the most legendary.

P.S. If you’re from Grand Forks, I hope you’re happy. We all know which one you’d vote for anyway.

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Red Pepper, 1105 19th Ave N., Fargo

Downtown Fargo Spicy Pie, 322 N. Broadway

Taco Shop, 1825 South University Dr, Fargo

Rick Gion administers a Facebook group page called “Fargo-Moorhead Eats” that’s dedicated to the area’s great cooks and cuisine. The page now has nearly 15,000 followers. Check it out, join, and feel free to post items about your local culinary adventures and home cooking. And, while you’re at it, also join the Instagram page!

Recently in:

By Laura Simmonslaurasimmons2025@u.northwestern.edu Dr. Stephen McDonough researched why North Dakota had the highest COVID death rate and cases in the fall of 2020. His investigation accumulated into a 1,000-plus page book titled…

By Michael M. Miller michael.miller@ndsu.eduOne of the most important books published about the Germans from Russia in North Dakota is “Along the Trails of Yesterday: A Story of McIntosh County” by Nina Farley Wishek, published…

photo credit: Jessica GavinSeptemberOktoberfest: Now-October 3Wurst Bier HallStein-holding competition, happy hour Mon-Fri from 4-6, wear your dirndl or lederhosen, German music.https://wurstfargo.com/Papa’s Pumpkin…

By John Strandjas@hpr1.comOur Opinion: Thank you, Reader readers, for 29 fulfilling yearsChugging along, The Little Newspaper That Could commences its 30th volume and year with this issue. Simply getting here speaks volumes. Just…

By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comIs Cruelty a Part of Nature—or Is It Just Part of Human Nature?Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman has been my economics guru for many years for his pithy columns in The New York Times. In…

We are looking for 55-gallon plastic food grade barrels, do you have ideas or connections?We use these barrels to teach our resilient yard workshop series including Make Your Own Rain Barrel and Make Your Own Compost Tumbler. If…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.comMy new venture as a master’s degree student has got me thinking…again about food. Although I’m in an online program with the University of North Dakota, I thought it would be handy to list and…

By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.comThe Melvins formed in 1983 Montesano, Washington, founded by singer/guitar player Buzz Osborne. The group is known for its heavy sound mixed with a dose of punk, forming its own subgenre.…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.comAs reactions and reviews of Wes Anderson’s return to the world of Roald Dahl attest, the quartet of short story adaptations undoubtedly would have been better experienced as a theatrical…

By HPR Staffsubmit@hpr1.comThe Fargo Moorhead Visual Artists’ much-lauded neighbor lovin’ Studio Crawl is just around the corner – October 7 and 8, noon to 6pm. During the free event, the people who add culture and vibrancy…

By Eric Dallmanericd@hpr1.comWe recently watched “The PROM” at Chanhassen Dinner Theatre, and it was an experience that left a lasting impact on us. The story, a heartwarming yet familiar one, follows a group of Broadway stars…

By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…

By John Showalter  john.d.showalter@gmail.comThey sell fentanyl test strips and kits to harm-reduction organizations and…

JANUARY 19, 1967– MARCH 8, 2023 Brittney Leigh Goodman, 56, of Fargo, N.D., passed away unexpectedly at her home on March 8, 2023. Brittney was born January 19, 1967, to Ruth Wilson Pollock and Donald Ray Goodman, in Hardinsburg,…

By Faye Seidlerfayeseidler@gmail.com On the first day of the month I ask people to thank a journalist they know or someone who contributes to papers in some meaningful way. When I grew up, my best friend's father was a journalist…