Iconic Sioux Falls Restaurants: Whiffer’s Sandwiches

UPDATE :

• Sioux Falls 'Whiffer's Sandwiches Restaurant' Closing For Good (Jun 4, 2020)
• An Iconic Creator of Some of Sioux Falls Favorite Sandwiches Dies (Feb 1, 2022)

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The Merriam-Webster definition of iconic is "widely recognized and well-established." That would definitely describe Whiffer's Sandwiches on North Minnesota Avenue.

The gone but not forgotten sandwich shop was located in an old house at 1133 North Minnesota Avenue. It served sandwiches to Sioux Falls from November 1978 until summer 2020.

The little shop was owned by Whiffer Randall - real name Cecelia Randall. How did she get the name Whiffer? It's a name given to her when she was just a baby. A relative called her Little Whiffer and the name stuck.

Before Whiffer opened the restaurant the building had been someone's home, a political headquarters, and a western dress shop.

Whiffer has quite the resume. She has a master's degree from Augustana College and was a teacher. At one time, she owned a dress shop in the Park Ridge Mall called Cecelia's. She's even a former Mrs. South Dakota, winning the national title of Mrs. Congeniality.

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Whiffer's was known for large portions. You could order a whole, half, or mini sandwich. I will warn you, the whole sandwich was huge. It was big enough for two people - or one hungry radio D.J. Choose your bread, meat, cheese, and toppings or order one of the special sandwiches on the menu like the Blue Max with corned beef, pastrami, roast beef, cheese, and onion. Or, maybe you're a tuna salad, cheese, and cucumber lover - then, you would order the Pedlar. The Humdinger is a popular sandwich with roast beef, ham, turkey, cheese, and onion.

You could add a bag of chips, some potato salad, or homemade dessert to your order. Cans of pop were in the cooler at the end of the counter. The cooler looked like it's been there since Whiffer opened the eatery.

That was part of the appeal of Whiffer's. The nostalgia. Aside from the pig decor that is literally everywhere around the restaurant, there are antiques scattered throughout. From the trays that the desserts sit on to the salt and pepper shakers, everything has a retro vibe. Seating includes mismatched chairs around wooden cable spools and a few picnic tables.

There are Norman Rockwell prints decorating the dining room along with framed newspaper clippings featuring Whiffer.

So, what's the story behind the pigs? The collection is completely unintentional. Several years ago Whiffer was gifted a Miss Piggy doll and her collection grew from there. She never bought one piece of pig decor. It's was all given to her.

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