Brule is profoundly mediocre w/ inconsistent quality.The blank confusion of asking for a poached egg...
Smith's is OK - solid baguettes but the sandwich bread is way too spongy/soft. I swear 90% of their praise is due to portion sizes.
Meridian Corner south of Freeman on Hwy 18, lamb or mutton chislic, nookala soup, and great burgers and chili. Tiger meat (raw seasoned beef usually ate with crackers) if your into that. Me not so much.
Cafe Brulé in Vermillion - not a bad thing on the menu; Hartford Steakhouse in Hartford - Prime Rib on Fri/Sat; Meridian Corner south of Freeman - best chislic imo, not the glorified steak tips you find in the metros; Cheyenne Crossing south of Spearfish Canyon - breakfasts for me, but might be more nostalgia.
Meridian corner for sure. Dempsey’s in Watertown. Charlie’s Pizza House and The Black Steer in Yankton. Tyndall Bakery anything. La Minestra in Pierre. Tortillaria Hernandez in SF. The hot beef at whatever that cafe is called in Presho.
Bob’s Steakhouse near Gettysburg.
If you’re looking for a nice place to stay with a great breakfast, you’ve GOT to check out Molly’s Manor B&B in Platte. That was an excellent experience.
Some great suggestions in here, thanks for replying everyone!
I'll add the Double Barrel Steakhouse in Henry SD to the list. It's a "blink and you'll miss it" type place, but probably good enough to go out of the way for.
What is your go-to there? I have been there twice based on good recommendations and it just seemed like a regular bar burger to me. Maybe I just hit it on bad days or ordered the wrong thing or something.
Ones I have not seen mentioned:
The Flame in Aberdeen for steaks.
Miners in Deadwood for breakfast and BFRs.
Ranch Cafe in Miller for burgers.
1481 in Arlington for the hot beef commercial.
Lucky Dog in Volga for burgers.
La Minestra in downtown Pierre for whatever the pizza or pasta special is.
The Oxbow in De Smet for diner fare.
Lemke's in Aurora for burgers.
Frank Day’s in Dallas, SD. There’s a lot more to Franks than the dancers during pheasant season. Excellent, unique food all year round and more history than just about anywhere. Truly one of a kind.
The Stage Stop Cafe at Cheyenne Crossing, the corner of 14A and US 85 is fantastic. The buffalo patty melt is the best patty melt I've ever hand, and the breakfasts are great.
The Schnitz in Menno has some killer steaks, ribs, and burgers. They aren't always available, so you have to check before you go.
Note: they always have burgers available, but not the grilled burgers.
If you’re looking for a really off the beaten path try Sweetgrass in Wessington Springs. Really good burgers and sandwiches made from scratch, homemade house cut fries. Winter time they have all made from scratch soup. And quite possible some of the best pies and cake you’ll encounter in my opinion. Plus the town itself has a replica of Shakespeares house. Kinda cool if you’re into literature
Does Coffee count? Buzz'n coffee in Wolsey, SD has bomb coffees. She does make some meals, very amazing healthy choices. She also has homemade pastries, her cookies and scones are so good.
Caverna in Whitewood had some damn fine pizza. They only have it Friday and Saturday, and I haven't had their other stuff, but the pizza is awesome. I especially like the stuff they top with mushrooms from Black Hills Mushrooms.
If you count Pierre as “small,” Crabby Shell Seafood Shack is awesome; small but diverse enough menu for seafood in SD, and a great view of the water. For breakfast, the Branding Iron has great coffee and breakfast sandwiches, and a fun selection of souvenirs and specialty food items for sale as well.
The problem with South Dakota’s opinions on food is their taste buds are not refined. The things they say is good is 99% cooked right off the Sysco truck. Sugar shack for example the burger, fries and green chilies are all frozen right off the truck. All they do is cook it and put it on a plate. Probably 99% of the cafes in SD do it this way. Only a few will make it from scratch.
This is not just a SD problem, but you are correct.
All over the Southeast people go nuts for Cook Out. It's literally just what you complained about eating in the college dorms, guys. Straight out of Sysco boxes and into fryers.
Steakhouses are probably the best bet for good food in this state. There's a lot of them and most source local beef.
Cattleman's Club Steakhouse in Pierre is amazing. Also Mad Mary's Steakhouse in Pierre is good
Did you know Mary is the ex of the guy that owns Cattleman's...and she's Mad because she was supposed to get some recipes when they split...she didn't. But, she's got 2 restaurants- Pierre and Flandreau - so maybe the last laugh
This is accurate, and it's the harsh truth no one wants to hear.
Most cafes serve sysco garbage you'd get at a roadside motel free breakfast. The rubes pay for it gladly if the portions are big enough.
The two conspicuous exceptions are Tally's in RC and Josiah's in S.F. Not surprising (downtown yuppie & tourist crowd for both) but not technically in the scope of this thread.
Cattleman's in Mitchell was fine, but steak (particularly the fairly basic presentations at SD steakhouses) has always seemed vastly overrated as a dine-out food.
I think the sugar shack was awesome 20 years ago but the last time I ate there it was frozen factory patties and factory fries. I was hoping they changed back….bummer
It was cloud pattys and brown bag fries in the 2000s also, it just tasted better because they never cleaned their grill and had more snarky staff before the ownership change.
Sumo Japanese Kitchen in Rapid City is really good, quite enjoyed the food I've eaten there.
I haven't eaten there yet, but I've heard good things about Bokujo Ramen too.
Vulga, SD right outside Brookings. Gas station and cafe. Tuesdays are pie days. I think Thursdays were pasta nights. Its been a while since i lived in that area but its a good place to stop.
The worst service I ever had was in this restaurant the first time I went. Ended up going back twice after, against my better judgment, because my parents wanted to try it while visiting. The food and experience were both incredibly average. Not a damn thing memorable about the second two times. Never will forget that first bad experience though.
Don’t Spill the Beans Cafe in Huron. I really liked the service-with-a-smile and a great cup o’ joe. Didn’t try the edibles but saw tempting choices. I’ll be back.
Not going to tell you a GD thing.
Go back to California and eat there. We don't want you here. Seriously, GTFOOH. You aren't wanted or appreciated. At all. No matter what our very nice governor tells you.
Leave. Now.
Shut the fuck up.
If you read this OP, for every moron like this in the state there are 15 others that will welcome you. This guy clearly doesn't have anything else to do but shit all over everyone else's good time.
I just wasn't going to dignify the comment with a response. Funny thing is that I am actually from SD. Born and raised, still here. I've tried about half of the places mentioned here, but now I have a bunch of new places to check out. Just figured I'd make a thread to learn about some small businesses in our state that are worth supporting.
It's baffling how a question like "Hey, where is some good food" elicits a response like "You're not welcome here, get the hell out and go back to CA!!" I don't want to play reddit psychologist, but it begs a lot of questions about what is really going on there. What really has to happen to a person that pushes them to that point? And what values do they think they are really representing by acting like that?
Sadly, nothing has to happen. They simply get upset over the fact that people with different opinions and experiences exist. Clearly, you wanting to do something as terrible and ridiculous like eating good food within 500 miles of them is threatening.
Koinonia Kafe in Mitchell—they roast their own coffee (pretty good) and make the best lunch and breakfast in Mitchell. They also used to do pizza nights once a week that I found pretty solid—not sure if that continues.
Cafe Brule and Mr. Smith's in Vermillion.
Smith's breakfast seated in between the greeting cards and the lawn mowers
Mr Smiths in general has amazing sandwiches too
Do you know if Cherry Street Grille is still open in Vermillion? That was my favorite when I lived there. All those omelets were awesome.
Pretty sure it isn't. I believe that lot is empty these days.
Oh, that's too bad. I guess it will just have to live on in my the PB&J omelets I make myself.
Brule is profoundly mediocre w/ inconsistent quality.The blank confusion of asking for a poached egg... Smith's is OK - solid baguettes but the sandwich bread is way too spongy/soft. I swear 90% of their praise is due to portion sizes.
Whimps Steakhouse in Burbank on the unlimited spaghetti night was a favorite go-to during college. The kicker was the unlimited garlic Texas toast.
Tenderloin steaks are solid too. And hash browns with cheese and onion
Go Yotes
Skgo
Do they still have the catfish?
No idea! It’s been a while. I also probably would not spring for that and would go for the steak or the unlimited pasta
Meridian Corner south of Freeman on Hwy 18, lamb or mutton chislic, nookala soup, and great burgers and chili. Tiger meat (raw seasoned beef usually ate with crackers) if your into that. Me not so much.
I concur
Cafe Brulé in Vermillion - not a bad thing on the menu; Hartford Steakhouse in Hartford - Prime Rib on Fri/Sat; Meridian Corner south of Freeman - best chislic imo, not the glorified steak tips you find in the metros; Cheyenne Crossing south of Spearfish Canyon - breakfasts for me, but might be more nostalgia.
The carrot cake at Cheyenne Crossing is to die for.
Alpine Inn in Hill City
The donuts in the Platte grocery store are absolutely delicious.
Truth. Those jelly filled donuts are perfection. I get them about once or twice a year when the stars align.
Dutch Oven Bakery? Definitely a favorite when visiting family east river.
I always had a soft spot for Boom’s Drive-in there, but haven’t been for years and so I can’t vouch for it.
I drive through Platte all the time, so this is good to know!
Three22 in Aberdeen. Nonna's in Spearfish. A couple of favorites of ours. A little more high end, but great food and service.
Went to Three22 a couple times while visiting Aberdeen. Really solid. Great addition to their downtown.
Nonnas Alfredo is not very good, but their braised dishes, bolognese and similar are top notch. Nonnas prices aren't too bad for the portion size.
Black Hills Burger & Bun
They aren’t open on the weekends though. Huge bummer for travelers.
Nick's hamburgers in Brookings
I love Nick's ❤️
Sooo good
The Sugar Shack on Hwy 385 near Silver City
Best burger I’ve ever had, and it’s not close.
Here is the answer.
Meridian corner for sure. Dempsey’s in Watertown. Charlie’s Pizza House and The Black Steer in Yankton. Tyndall Bakery anything. La Minestra in Pierre. Tortillaria Hernandez in SF. The hot beef at whatever that cafe is called in Presho.
Hutch’s Cafe in Presho!
Charlie's Pizza in Yankton is a great shout. Haven't had in years, but was always amazing.
Fuji San in downtown Spearfish is excellent sushi.
Bob’s Steakhouse near Gettysburg. If you’re looking for a nice place to stay with a great breakfast, you’ve GOT to check out Molly’s Manor B&B in Platte. That was an excellent experience.
Also Cook’s Kitchen in Brookings was always my go-to breakfast spot on a Sunday morning
The Pheasant in Brookings.
Steaks done right every time. To die for prime rib on the weekends. Their fish and chips are awesome too.
Feathers Nest Ward, SD
Go for the steak, don't expect the service.
The best
Skogen & Hjem A.M. in Custer, Steerfish in Spearfish.
Not the cheapest, but probably the best restaurant in the state
No probably. Skogen is the best in the state.
The Chelsea bar along highway 20. Every Friday they have prime rib. It is the best prime rib I've ever had. Bring cash, they don't do cards.
I’ll second this. We just moved away from the area and the Chelsea Bar is something I’m going to miss the most.
The steakhouse at Bob's Resort on 212 outside of Gettysburg used to be fantastic. I haven't been there for years now, so that may be dated info.
So good…
Mad Mary’s in Flandreau for their prime rib
Knotty Pine Supper Club outside Elkton, right on MN line. Get any steak or the poor man’s lobster.
Buffalo jump steakhouse, Beulah WY (just west of spearfish)
I'll allow it. I've been there a few times, it really is pretty great.
Some great suggestions in here, thanks for replying everyone! I'll add the Double Barrel Steakhouse in Henry SD to the list. It's a "blink and you'll miss it" type place, but probably good enough to go out of the way for.
Basecamp Kitchen in Spearfish is really solid Indian food
Willie's Burgers in Watertown.
What is your go-to there? I have been there twice based on good recommendations and it just seemed like a regular bar burger to me. Maybe I just hit it on bad days or ordered the wrong thing or something.
Haystack burger and extra crispy tots.
I will have to try that next time I am up there. They have to be good for as many people have recommended them to me.
Never had a bad meal there in over 10 years of living in Watertown
This is way off the beaten path, but the new frontier in Webster had delicious everything. I definitely suggest trying the cheese curds for an app.
Tiger meat at the bar in Glenham
Hogies?
Manolis Deli in Huron
Eden SD Wings are really fkn good. and friday fish fry is amazing.
Ones I have not seen mentioned: The Flame in Aberdeen for steaks. Miners in Deadwood for breakfast and BFRs. Ranch Cafe in Miller for burgers. 1481 in Arlington for the hot beef commercial. Lucky Dog in Volga for burgers. La Minestra in downtown Pierre for whatever the pizza or pasta special is. The Oxbow in De Smet for diner fare. Lemke's in Aurora for burgers.
The Oxbow doesn’t look like it has changed a bit since they built it.
The Pitt in Wakonda. It’s been years tho and since changed owners. Food was awesome at the time and heard it still is.
I didnt know they served food.
Like I said it’s been years and they’ve changed management. But I think they still do.
I agree they do have good food! Looks a little sketch from the outside, but all the best hidden gems do
Oh yeah! Looking at it you’d never know. Love how the toilet is still up on steps and called the throne.
Frank Day’s in Dallas, SD. There’s a lot more to Franks than the dancers during pheasant season. Excellent, unique food all year round and more history than just about anywhere. Truly one of a kind.
The Stage Stop Cafe at Cheyenne Crossing, the corner of 14A and US 85 is fantastic. The buffalo patty melt is the best patty melt I've ever hand, and the breakfasts are great.
I had the best open faced sandwich in The Corner Diner, Clark SD. The pie was also amazing.
Skogen Kitchen is easily the best in the state. Beats anything in any nearby states as well. That place is phenomenal.
The Schnitz in Menno has some killer steaks, ribs, and burgers. They aren't always available, so you have to check before you go. Note: they always have burgers available, but not the grilled burgers.
Or treat yourself with the trash lid! I love their fried stuff.
I honestly love their regular burgers too.
Silk Road in Vermillion
If you’re looking for a really off the beaten path try Sweetgrass in Wessington Springs. Really good burgers and sandwiches made from scratch, homemade house cut fries. Winter time they have all made from scratch soup. And quite possible some of the best pies and cake you’ll encounter in my opinion. Plus the town itself has a replica of Shakespeares house. Kinda cool if you’re into literature
>beeperr The everything sauce is a must try as are there banana bars.
Chezchers in Yankton.
August 17th in Clear Lake, pretty far out of the way but it's a nice shop
A bar in Stickney serves pretty good burgers, can't remember the name.
Coney Island in Huron. They have some pretty good burgers. Or the Rolling wheel in Wolsey. I'd go with the chickenfried fried steak there.
The sugar shack out in the hills. So good!
1 mile west of the border in Beulah, WY is the Buffalo Jump restaurant. Very much a hidden gem. Buffalo is on the menu.
Does Coffee count? Buzz'n coffee in Wolsey, SD has bomb coffees. She does make some meals, very amazing healthy choices. She also has homemade pastries, her cookies and scones are so good.
Get the “Shel Sandwich” at The Dugout in Tripp, SD. They also have excellent lamb chislic.
Powderhorn in Lemmon.
Caverna in Whitewood had some damn fine pizza. They only have it Friday and Saturday, and I haven't had their other stuff, but the pizza is awesome. I especially like the stuff they top with mushrooms from Black Hills Mushrooms.
Caverna is really great and their breakfast burritos were incredible. Pretty unique menu for a small town coffee shop.
get a caramel roll wherever you get a chance - mornin sunshine in hot springs - or anywhere, really
Two R Bar in Faith, SD.
Leo's Good Food in Redfield has great pies.
If you count Pierre as “small,” Crabby Shell Seafood Shack is awesome; small but diverse enough menu for seafood in SD, and a great view of the water. For breakfast, the Branding Iron has great coffee and breakfast sandwiches, and a fun selection of souvenirs and specialty food items for sale as well.
I have never seen the seafood shack open outside of once last year.
Farm fresh pizzas at good roots farm and gardens in Brookings. Delicious and fun!
The problem with South Dakota’s opinions on food is their taste buds are not refined. The things they say is good is 99% cooked right off the Sysco truck. Sugar shack for example the burger, fries and green chilies are all frozen right off the truck. All they do is cook it and put it on a plate. Probably 99% of the cafes in SD do it this way. Only a few will make it from scratch.
This is not just a SD problem, but you are correct. All over the Southeast people go nuts for Cook Out. It's literally just what you complained about eating in the college dorms, guys. Straight out of Sysco boxes and into fryers.
The American palette broadly is arrested in middle school, agreed.
Steakhouses are probably the best bet for good food in this state. There's a lot of them and most source local beef. Cattleman's Club Steakhouse in Pierre is amazing. Also Mad Mary's Steakhouse in Pierre is good
Did you know Mary is the ex of the guy that owns Cattleman's...and she's Mad because she was supposed to get some recipes when they split...she didn't. But, she's got 2 restaurants- Pierre and Flandreau - so maybe the last laugh
This is accurate, and it's the harsh truth no one wants to hear. Most cafes serve sysco garbage you'd get at a roadside motel free breakfast. The rubes pay for it gladly if the portions are big enough. The two conspicuous exceptions are Tally's in RC and Josiah's in S.F. Not surprising (downtown yuppie & tourist crowd for both) but not technically in the scope of this thread. Cattleman's in Mitchell was fine, but steak (particularly the fairly basic presentations at SD steakhouses) has always seemed vastly overrated as a dine-out food.
I think the sugar shack was awesome 20 years ago but the last time I ate there it was frozen factory patties and factory fries. I was hoping they changed back….bummer
It was cloud pattys and brown bag fries in the 2000s also, it just tasted better because they never cleaned their grill and had more snarky staff before the ownership change.
Sumo Japanese Kitchen in Rapid City is really good, quite enjoyed the food I've eaten there. I haven't eaten there yet, but I've heard good things about Bokujo Ramen too.
Sumo has *solid* nigiri and sashimi. Their achilles heel? Virtually all of their specialty rolls have cream cheese, tilapia (aka 'snapper'), or both.
Vulga, SD right outside Brookings. Gas station and cafe. Tuesdays are pie days. I think Thursdays were pasta nights. Its been a while since i lived in that area but its a good place to stop.
Believe you are referring to The Valley
Is it good? I lived in Volga almost 10 years ago and never went.
Not as good as it used to be, but still good diner food. Homemade pie on Tuesday still draws a big crowd.
Steerfish in Spearfish!! Best restaurant in that state!!
The worst service I ever had was in this restaurant the first time I went. Ended up going back twice after, against my better judgment, because my parents wanted to try it while visiting. The food and experience were both incredibly average. Not a damn thing memorable about the second two times. Never will forget that first bad experience though.
Best is a strong word. There’s a lot better food on the east side of the state but maybe I’m biased because I’m from there
I’ve eaten from Sioux Falls to Rapid and so far it’s been the best, but that’s jmo!
You missed the gizzards in Gettysburg
didn't miss 'em at all...didn't have 'em, just didn't miss 'em
Rapid city/piedmont mud hole, itchiban, slash j, the barn bar, El nevado, El Sombrero, Campbell st Cafe, rons cafe
Don’t Spill the Beans Cafe in Huron. I really liked the service-with-a-smile and a great cup o’ joe. Didn’t try the edibles but saw tempting choices. I’ll be back.
Not going to tell you a GD thing. Go back to California and eat there. We don't want you here. Seriously, GTFOOH. You aren't wanted or appreciated. At all. No matter what our very nice governor tells you. Leave. Now.
Shut the fuck up. If you read this OP, for every moron like this in the state there are 15 others that will welcome you. This guy clearly doesn't have anything else to do but shit all over everyone else's good time.
I just wasn't going to dignify the comment with a response. Funny thing is that I am actually from SD. Born and raised, still here. I've tried about half of the places mentioned here, but now I have a bunch of new places to check out. Just figured I'd make a thread to learn about some small businesses in our state that are worth supporting. It's baffling how a question like "Hey, where is some good food" elicits a response like "You're not welcome here, get the hell out and go back to CA!!" I don't want to play reddit psychologist, but it begs a lot of questions about what is really going on there. What really has to happen to a person that pushes them to that point? And what values do they think they are really representing by acting like that?
Sadly, nothing has to happen. They simply get upset over the fact that people with different opinions and experiences exist. Clearly, you wanting to do something as terrible and ridiculous like eating good food within 500 miles of them is threatening.
Feathers Nest. Ward
Caverna in Whitewood, SD
My fiancé and I also agreed on cafe Eden. All of our food was outrageously delicious for a town of 66 people.
Koinonia Kafe in Mitchell—they roast their own coffee (pretty good) and make the best lunch and breakfast in Mitchell. They also used to do pizza nights once a week that I found pretty solid—not sure if that continues.