The friendly little tavern; Grand Meadow’s Skjenke Bom Lounge is about community

Published 11:50 am Sunday, May 13, 2018

Sitting on the south side of Highway 16 in Grand Meadow is a restaurant and bar with an odd name: Skjenke Bom Lounge.

One might be tempted to pronounce the name phonetically, sounding something like “skuh-jen-kuh bom,” but alas, nothing in life is that simple. The correct pronunciation is “shank-uh boom,” Norwegian for “the friendly little tavern.”

While one will get the feel of a traditional bar, complete with a pool table, neon signs and an attached liquor store (featuring a policy of “buy your beer here and have one on us”), there is an air of family friendliness.

Grand Meadow’s Skjenke Bom Lounge is a restaurant and bar where literally everybody knows your name.

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Adorning the southern wall are framed Grand Meadow High School football T-shirts commemorating the team’s recent past championships. Tables and booths are available for those seeking something more than to wet their whistles.

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Chances are you’ll see owners Cathy Paul and Hesper Everson chatting up the clientele as they take their orders. Paul and Everson, who started as employees at Skjenke Bom, have owned it since June of 2017.

“We enjoyed working here and when Kevin (Linbo, the previous owner) decided to retire, we decided to buy it and keep the employees that worked here so that we could keep it the same for the customers,” Everson said.

Neither of them owned a restaurant before purchasing Skjenke Bom. Everson had restaurant experience, having worked as the kitchen manager and on the floor at the .Branding Iron in Preston before moving to Grand Meadow 13 years ago. Paul, a native of Grand Meadow, worked in a factory and in daycare before starting part-time at Skjenke Bom. Along with owning the restaurant, she works full-time for Grand Meadow Schools.

Although the intent was to keep the restaurant the same for the customers, Everson and Paul have added their touch to the menu.

“We put a few things on the menu that are new,” Everson said.

New menu items include the chipotle burger, brat burger, ultimate grilled cheese, jalapeño poppers and pretzels.

Everson and Paul have also introduced the Wednesday Wing Night, where patrons can get a deal on wings in any of their five sauces.

“Trying to make everything new and fresh and trying new things can be a bit of a challenge,” Paul said. “That’s kind of hard in a small town.”

Co-owner of Skjenke Bom Lounge in Grand Meadow, Hesper Everson talks with customers at the bar.
Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com

But the loyal customers approve of the change, coming from not only Grand Meadow, but also Dexter, Hayfield, Stewartville and LeRoy. Whether they are there for the Monday burger night, where you can get a burger, side and beverage for $5, or to listen to the live music sometimes featured at the restaurant, members of the community come back for more.

“Grand Meadow is all about community,” Paul said. “We’re all there for each other; we all support each other. We have a bunch of good people that come in here all the time and become our community and our family.”

“Everybody gets along, everybody knows everybody from town, everybody that comes in talks and buys each other drinks,” Everson said. “It’s very fun.”

Skjenke Bom Restaurant and Lounge in Grand Meadow offers a tasty assortment of foods.

Having trouble deciding what to get at Skjenke Bom Lounge? Here are some suggestions from Everson and Paul

Chipotle burger – a new menu item, this burger comes with pepper jack cheese, lettuce, jalapeños and is smothered in a homemade chipotle sauce for a tasty burn. Order it with some jalapeño and cheese corn nuggets to kick it up a notch.

Wings – coming with five different sauces, these wings are breaded and fried for a satisfying crispiness. Everson and Paul say the garlic Parmesan and honey barbecue flavors are the top sellers.

Chicken Wrap – available with crispy chicken or grilled chicken (for you health aficionados), these wraps come with cheese, tomatoes and shredded lettuce and are served in a warm tortilla. They are available with chipotle sauce, bacon and ranch or a citrus pepper Asian sauce.

Appetizers – for first timers, Everson and Paul recommend their best sellers: onion rings, seasoned pepper fries and/or fried cheese curds made with white cheddar cheese.