Dave and Joy Gess recently opened a restaurant in Big Lake. The restaurant, “Gess What’s Cooking” is serving BBQ and American staples in the shop that used to be the Chinese restaurant next to Lake Liquors and The Jerky Shop.

Opening

The Gesses held their soft opening event about a week and a half ago, and 60 guests were lucky to be the restaurant’s first customers.

The Gess family has been running a food truck of the same name for about five years, and are a huge hit in the community. Dave said that people would always call him to see where the truck would be for the day. Then they would be disappointed if their favorite dish was not on the menu.

“We did street tacos at Lupulin once, just to try it,” Dave said. “Next time we went, people were asking for them again, saying that’s why they came out.”

So the Gesses thought a brick-and-mortar location would allow people to come and get their fix whenever they needed it, regardless of where the food truck travelled. Husband and wife both said that it was the logical next step. Dave was happy that he would get a chance to be a little more selective with what they did with the trailer, as far as where they would go and what they would serve in the truck on a given day, and it will make catering a lot easier on the staff.

The Gesses are looking forward to being more connected with the community now that they are in a permanent location.

Delays in Opening

The restaurant opening was delayed a couple of months due to COVID-19. The owners had to wait on parts for their equipment, such as the walk-in freezer.

Coming Soon

Joy said that soon the restaurant hoped to offer delivery and web ordering for their customers, and she hoped to play around with the menu and come up with new items. Dave said they would like to someday offer live music and breakfast on the weekends.

What to Order

When asked about the best items on the menu, the Gesses suggested the Henry Burger or the Henry Porker for customers who liked horseradish. The Poutine Burger is also a good choice. Dave was hesitant to say what his favorite menu items were, however.

“People always ask me what’s good on the menu,” Dave said. “If it’s on my menu, it’s good!”

How to Order

The restaurant is open for dine-in and carry-out seven days a week. Their hours are Monday - Thursday, 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.