All About Food | August 17th, 2016
Sanborn North Dakota is a small farming community a little over an hour from Fargo on the I-94, just past Valley City. It has a population of a little less than 200 people, and may be best known for their Bull-o-rama in mid-July, and Fourth of July events which include a parade and a demolition derby that has become somewhat legendary in the surrounding communities.
The J&L Bar and Grill is the local social hub serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, and libations. Breakfast is served from 8 to 11am. They also have killer lunch specials and prime rib the third Saturday of the month.
The atmosphere is clean and spacious, the log cabin decor gives the patron the sense of a lodge type of environment. Decor is minimal; the building has a great ambience of natural light and a large patio fit for stargazing over dinner.
The dinner menu includes a variety of steaks, burgers, wings, sandwiches and appetizers. I’m a sucker for bar food and can’t help but peruse the appetizers in search of something new, delightfully deep fried, and exciting. These happened to include Reuben Balls which contain corned beef, swiss cheese, and sauerkraut--breaded and deep fried to perfection. The second appetizer that caught my eye were the corn fritters--which consisted of deep fried creamed corn which was equal parts sweet (as corn can be) and savory.
The J&L’s signature wings are available with a variety of sauces: garlic parmesan, teriyaki, sweet barbecue, sweet chili, buffalo, and Asian plum. You are given the option of traditional or boneless. The local favorite is the sweet barbecue. The local favorite sandwiches are the Dagwood and “The Ryley” which is a large-scale BLT. All sandwiches are served with your choice of potato--may we suggest the wedges?
The kitchen closes at 9pm, but patrons can enjoy a frozen Pizza Corner or Firehouse Pizza if they are late comers.
Entertainment includes blackjack on Friday and Saturday nights and pulltabs, and pool. There are daily happy hour specials between 5:30 and 6:30pm. Keesha our bartender noted that it tends to be quiet around the harvest. Fortunately, the J&L keeps the thirsty farmer in mind with a late night harvester happy hour between 10:30 and 11:30pm.
Another perk is the shake of the day. A dollar buys you a roll of the dice. If you roll five of a kind--all naturals (ones aren’t wild in this game)-- you win the jar of the collected winnings. If you roll four of a kind you win a six pack and if you roll three of a kind you win a drink.
She also made note that happy hour prices are in full effect during Bison games--as the one UND fan in the room rolled his eyes in good humor. But then again, who can complain when you get a buck off your beer? We call this a win win situation where I come from...which is not too terribly far from where we were.
IF YOU GO
J & L’s Bar & Grill
Monday to Saturday, 8am-2am; Sunday, noon to 8pm
400 6th Ave, Sanborn, N.D.
(701) 646-6280
February 23rd 2026
January 12th 2026
November 18th 2025
November 12th 2025
September 16th 2025
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