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Friday was a bit cloudy and dull.

But my day brightened considerably when I met some friends at the Original Lemonade House Grill.

There was a bit of a wait in line and a little bit of a wait to get my order, but it was all time well spent.

At the Original Lemonade House Grill, the line becomes time for true social interaction. It’s much more entertaining than eating somewhere with a big screen television in front of you.

Boyfriends are discussed, husbands are discussed, ex husbands are discussed. Then there is a chiming in from the guy’s side, lamenting all of the trouble with women. Overheard conversations are entertainment.

Well, you get the picture. Just the chance to talk to other people is a welcome change from the fast food world, where orders are dispensed quickly, but with no discussion or really any human touch at all.

That is what I like about the Original Lemonade House Grill. I like that human touch.

Everything about it is authentic. The food is fresh, great and handmade. The lemonade is like a glass of sunshine…mine was a peach berry sunshine. Very tasty with chunks of real fruit. Just looking at it made me feel better.

A friend, Rhonda Belcher, had the candied apple lemonade, which she bragged about incessantly. And she noted the mixture was her husband Daniel’s concoction. That is another cool thing about Lemonade House Grill. They love experimenting.

Rhonda said she has tried just about everything on LHG’s menu, and has never found a single item she hasn’t loved. She also loves the way they constantly add new things to the menu, so there is never a chance of getting bored with the food.

“My current favorite is the El Paso Burger,” said Rhonda. “It has just the right amount of spicy kick.”

A typical Lemonade House Grille Dakily Specials Menu

She said she was also very happy when the Italian beef was added to the menu. And then another favorite is the mushroom and Swiss burger.

But like me, Rhonda also loves the personal touch at LHG.

“No matter how busy they are, Jim takes the time to talk to you,” explained Rhonda.

She says the good food is great, but it’s the atmosphere that keeps her family coming back time and time again.

I was even impressed with the packaging, or rather, lack of packaging at LHG. Brown paper bags. Environmentally, they are much better than Styrofoam I love to see businesses that have an environmental conscience.

Of course there have been challenges for Poplar Bluff’s first food truck, agrees Jim Hoyt. Weather is probably the biggest challenge. And creating all fresh food from a small space can be difficult. But he notes people are amazingly loyal and patient. Sometimes the line is lengthy, and sometimes the weather is not great. But he could not be more pleased with the public’s response to his family’s latest venture.

The Original Lemonade House Grill is parked at Barron Road near the Municipal Utilities location.

He is so grateful for the opportunity to bring something new and different to Poplar Bluff.

They may have started as a little lemonade stand at farmers markets and community events, but now Easy Squeezy has grown up.

And likely it will keep growing.

As one patron said to me, “He could easily put another truck on the other side of town, and I can guarantee both would be busy.”

That’s because every side of town could use a dose of sunshine in a cup, and a great hot dog, burger or sandwich. Sometimes it’s the small things that make a big difference.

The Original Lemonade House Grill generally operates 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., but the schedule can change because of weather. The best place to keep up with them, of course, is on social media. They are active Facebook and Twitter users, which suits the social aspect of the business. Orders can also be phoned in at 573-776-8053.

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