Sauk Centre — When the trains pulled up their tracks, many of the businesses along them closed their doors. The Ding-Dong Café, in Sauk Centre, covered its walls in train memorabilia and kept right on serving. We asked Judy, the Ding-Dong owner, why the public keeps coming to this café tucked in a now quiet residential area. “Well, I don’t know,” Judy modestly said. “It’s the good food,” Melinda, at a nearby table pipes up. “The home-cooked meals are great. Charlie just had the roast beef special.” Charlie is at the corner table writing a Valentine’s letter to his mom. “It was really good. There were mashed potatoes, gravy, roast beef, corn and an excellent salad. I come here every day.” “The food is great,” dittos a big fellow with two children at another table. We feel like we’ve accidentally entered a set for a TV sit-com about a small town restaurant. Cut to Judy. “We use real potatoes and we make our own gravy.” “People knew about this place in Willmar when I lived there,” Charlie volunteers. “We have people come up from Iowa,” Judy admits. “We make fresh cream pies every day.” Iowans appreciate good banana, raisin and coconut cream pie. “We also make homemade apple, pumpkin and blueberry,” Judy says. “Our chocolate cake and peanut butter frosting are popular.” “You should come to the Sunday salad bar,” Melinda advises. “They make their own potato salad. It’s the best.” Charlie and a guy eating chili at the next table get to talking. “There was a big yard here for switching,” Charlie says. “I think they shipped a lot of grain.” “The engineers and train crews used to eat here,” the chili guy says. “It was built in 1946,” Judy adds. Charlie and Melinda agree to sit together to be photographed in their favorite café. Carol, the waitress, agrees also. “How am I going to explain this to my boyfriend?” asks Melinda, folding her newspaper as she exits. Charlie returns to his table, seals his letter, and exits. Judy returns to the kitchen. Carol greets a new customer. “Today’s specials are on the board,” she says. You can be part of a scene at the Ding-Dong by turning west off Main Street, in Sauk Centre, onto 6th Street South. Go two and a half blocks and you’re there. They open for breakfast and lunch every day. Supper on Friday.
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Ding-Dong Cafe, Sauk Centre Jan King
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Ding-Dong Cafe, Sauk Centre
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Ding-Dong Cafe, Sauk Centre
Discussion
Back Roads: Quiet on the set; eat!: Ding-Dong Café, Sauk Centre
Originally published in the March 5, 2010, print edition.
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