Oct. 9, 2024

The newest food truck in Sioux Falls spent the summer at Okoboji, gathering a following for its old-school hamburgers and lobster rolls.

Geo’s Hamburger Shopp is the creation of George Hendrickson, who had been thinking about starting a food truck and was propelled into it after the mild winter last season decimated his Sioux Falls-based ice and snow control business.

“We didn’t have enough money to survive (the summer), but there was enough to start a food truck,” said Hendrickson, who has “had a passion for cooking my entire life.”

Thirty years ago, he’d smoke racks of baby back ribs, and his friends would tell him “you should own a restaurant.” Hendrickson’s response? “Good, write me a check.”

Fast-forward to this year, and Hendrickson decided to jump into running a food truck with the goal of opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant.

With the end to lake season, Hendrickson brought the food truck here, parking it at 8th & Railroad Center, 401 E. Eighth St., which is where he hopes to have that restaurant someday. There are picnic tables for seating. Geo’s Hamburger Shopp is open roughly from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Updates to the schedule and menu — the weekly lobster supply sold out Tuesday and more likely won’t arrive until Friday — are posted on Facebook.

Hendrickson said his burgers are an homage to the “Sweezy burger” that got its start in 1929 in Spencer, Iowa. The beef for the burgers is choice-grade, certified Black Angus, 100 percent chuck that’s finely ground, never frozen and hand-pressed into 3-ounce patties, he said.

They’re deep fried in a tank-style fryer in beef tallow that’s USDA-certified, organic and grass-fed — which “is what makes the magic of this burger,” Hendrickson said.

Other special touches include rolling the buns in ghee before grilling them. For now, he’s getting buns weekly from a bakery in the Okoboji area. “I want a bun that tastes like it comes out of Grandma Helen’s kitchen,” he said, noting that he’d like to find a local bakery to make them.

Customers can get a burger for $5 or a bag of 10 for $40.

Hendrickson’s Connecticut-style lobster roll was so popular at Arnold’s Park that the owner of the nearby Wine Bar & Art Gallery asked to add them to his menu. Customers could order them at the bar and have them delivered.

The lobster rolls also are on a specific bun and feature beurre monte, an emulsified butter sauce. “There’s no mayo, no weird sauce. It’s steamed fresh lobster, fresh beurre monte, dried green chive just for color and Maldon sea salt flakes…. We do not cut corners on our ingredients. It’s all about the flavor. Once you start dinking around with cheaper ingredients, you lose that.”

Hendrickson’s oldest daughter, Payley, has been working on the truck, too, and is helping him craft an addition to the menu: lobster tacos.

The tacos will feature lobster knuckles dredged in the butter sauce and topped with a cilantro lime slaw. Hendrickson hopes to have them on the menu for the weekend.

Other menu items include all-beef, kosher Hebrew National hot dogs that are deep fried, Geo’s Tavern Dog, a brisket-stuffed smoked sausage and walking tacos.

Hendrickson said he’s overwhelmed by how quickly the community has supported the food truck.

“Sioux Falls has just been off the hook since we got here. … They want to order everything, and they’re coming back to hit the other items.”