Mt. Rushmore and the Black Hills Restaurants

Like neighboring Wyoming, the Black Hills are not known for culinary diversity, and no matter where you go in this part of the world, beef is king. Nevertheless, thanks to a growing population and increasing numbers of visitors, the area is beginning to see more dining options. Rapid City and Spearfish have an abundance of national chain restaurants, and both communities have local eateries that specialize in Continental, contemporary, Native American, and traditional American cooking. Although dining in Deadwood's casinos usually involves an all-you-can-eat buffet, the tiny town also claims some of the best-ranked restaurants in South Dakota. Don't be afraid to try wild game dishes: buffalo, pheasant, and elk are relatively common ingredients in the Black Hills.

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  • 1. Deadwood Social Club

    $$$

    On the second floor of historic Saloon No. 10, this warm restaurant surrounds you with wood and old-time photographs of Deadwood. Light jazz and blues play over the sound system. The decor is Western, but the food is northern Italian, a juxtaposition that keeps patrons coming back. Try the wild boar bundles as an appetizer, paired with one of numerous martinis or a bottle from one of the largest wine cellars in the state. The menu stretches from pheasant to walleye, as well as creamy pasta dishes, buffalo, and melt-in-your-mouth rib-eye steaks. Reservations are recommended.

    657 Main St., Deadwood, South Dakota, 57732, USA
    605-578–3346

    Known For

    • Eclectic Italian menu
    • Great martinis
    • Historic setting

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
  • 2. Dough Trader Pizza

    $$

    Whether sitting by the fireplace in the small, indoor seating area or by the fire pit on the outdoor patio, you'll get some of the best pizza in the Black Hills at this beloved Spearfish eatery, located in a remodeled former Tastee Freeze. The gourmet pizza is cooked in a stone oven and served with fresh toppings generously applied.

    543 W. Jackson Blvd., Spearfish, South Dakota, 57783, USA
    605-642--2175

    Known For

    • Crust made from 1880s sourdough starter
    • Fun signature pizza names like "Dances with Goats" and "Naked in the Garden"
    • Associated bakery sells sourdough treats

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Tues.
  • 3. Leones' Creamery

    $

    Leones' is the kind of quiet, locally beloved, hole-in-the-wall place you could easily miss but definitely shouldn't---its handcrafted and ever-evolving ice cream flavors are the best in the Black Hills. The owners pour their passion into creative creations that often incorporate locally produced beers, produce, and other novel ingredients. Leones' is the ideal place to treat yourself after a day of exploring the Black Hills.

    722½ Main St., Spearfish, South Dakota, 57783, USA
    605-644--6461

    Known For

    • Transforming surprising ingredients (like rhubarb) into amazing ice cream
    • Small outdoor seating area
    • Rotating specialties including popsicles, floats, and ice-cream sandwiches

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon.--Thurs.
  • 4. Steerfish Steak & Smoke

    $$$

    Western chic is the style of this restaurant, where a buffalo head and cowboy art adorn the walls of a historic, 1893 stone building with wood floors. Steaks, smoked meats, and burgers are the focus, but the menu also includes a large salad section, and the prices range widely from $12 sandwiches to $40 choice steaks. The bar serves an extensive selection of beer, wine, whiskey, cocktails, and mixed drinks. In a city with some great restaurants, this one stands out.

    701 Fifth St., Spearfish, South Dakota, 57783, USA
    605-717--2485

    Known For

    • Hand-cut certified Angus beef
    • Steaks grilled over hickory wood
    • Large, decadent dessert menu
  • 5. Antunez

    $$$

    Going for the feel of a Spanish or South American café, this small restaurant is one of the few in the Black Hills attempting to elevate Hispanic food into high cuisine. Although the elaborate dinner entrees are quite expensive, the menu also includes more affordable, all-day choices such as enchiladas, quesadillas, and tacos.

    117 E. Illinois St., Spearfish, South Dakota, 57783, USA
    605-722--8226

    Known For

    • Succulent meat dishes including buffalo rib eye and Wagyu steak
    • International wine selection
    • Spanish and Latin background music

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
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  • 6. Branding Iron Steakhouse & Saloon

    $$$

    Much of the Belle Fourche--area economy is built on cattle, and when local ranchers and other residents want a good steak, they go to the Branding Iron. This is a no-nonsense, saloon-style facility with wood paneling on the walls, a bar, pool tables, lots of seating, and big food portions.

    19079 S. U.S. 85, Belle Fourche, South Dakota, 57717, USA
    605-892--2503

    Known For

    • Steak tips
    • Slow-roasted prime rib
    • Boisterous local atmosphere

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
  • 7. Gold Country Inn Cafe

    $

    For a change of pace from Deadwood's upscale dining options, try this affordable, comfort-food café with a small-town, unassuming atmosphere and a menu full of traditional options like eggs, hash browns, burgers, and chicken salad sandwiches.

    801 Main St., Deadwood, South Dakota, 57732, USA
    800-287--1251

    Known For

    • Friendly, hard-working waitstaff
    • Raspberry French toast on the breakfast menu
    • One of the most affordable dining options in Deadwood

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No dinner
  • 8. Legends Steakhouse

    $$$

    In a place where legends aren't taken lightly, this establishment in the lower level of the historic Franklin Hotel has quickly made a name for itself, beckoning back locals who like its aged beef, moderate prices, and flair. You'll find all the usual suspects on the menu—buffalo, beef, and chicken—but each with a flavorful twist. Arrive early and have a cocktail in the lounge, because they don't take reservations.

    709 Main St., Deadwood, South Dakota, 57732, USA
    605-578–3670

    Known For

    • Local hangout
    • Meat-eater's dream
    • Festive ambience

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No lunch, Reservations not accepted
  • 9. Legends Steakhouse

    $$$

    The atmosphere is historic elegance in this intimate, fine-dining establishment where steak, seafood, and dessert are served up with pride and style in the basement of the 1903 Franklin Hotel. With its stone walls, dark wood finishes, and large wine list, Legends Steakhouse is a great place to step out and spend a little extra on a relaxing evening meal.

    709 Main St., Deadwood, South Dakota, 57732, USA
    800-584--7005

    Known For

    • Surprising choices such as escargot and elk meat
    • Thick, juicy steaks, both beef and bison
    • Lobster, salmon, and other unexpected seafood options
  • 10. Lotus Up Espresso & Deli

    $

    In a building that looks like a ski lodge, this multilevel coffeehouse has lots of private nooks and comfy chairs to settle in with a hot cup of coffee or tea. It's also in a great location with windows looking out to the Sanford Lab Homestake Visitor Center and the Open Cut.

    95 E. Main St., Lead, South Dakota, 57754, USA
    605-722--4670

    Known For

    • Outdoor deck seating available
    • Quick breakfast and lunch items
    • Italian sodas

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No dinner
  • 11. Mavericks Steaks and Cocktails

    $$

    Recycled barn wood decorates this casual bar-and-grill establishment in the heart of downtown, where steaks are the star of the menu and big-screen TVs are tuned to ballgames.

    688 Main St., Deadwood, South Dakota, 57732, USA
    605-578--2100

    Known For

    • 30-day aged, certified black Angus beef
    • Slow-roasted baby back ribs
    • Signature specialty drinks

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
  • 12. Nonna's Kitchen

    $$

    Finding a good Italian restaurant can be challenging in some cities, but not in Spearfish. Nonna’s (Italian for grandmother) Kitchen opened in 2020 in an 1895 building that’s full of character and good, authentic Italian food. The owner wanted to share family recipes that have been passed down for generations, so everything is made fresh. There’s also a great wine selection. Outdoor seating along Main Street allows you to take in the crisp Black Hills air when the weather allows for it.

    544 N Main St., Spearfish, South Dakota, USA
    605-307–1345

    Known For

    • Authentic food
    • Unique experience
    • Exceptional service
  • 13. Pump House at Mind Blown Studio

    $

    This eclectic, locally owned establishment is a combination coffee shop, deli, and glassblowing studio all housed in a retro Texaco station that looks like something straight out of the 1950s, complete with old gas pumps and period signage.

    73 Sherman St., Deadwood, South Dakota, 57732, USA
    605-571--1071

    Known For

    • Locally roasted coffee
    • Opportunities to watch glassblowing in action
    • One of the few non-casino-affiliated, truly local shops in town
  • 14. Snitches

    $$$$

    Upscale, chef-inspired cuisine is on the short menu at this small, art deco--style restaurant with a clean, elegant, 1920s vibe inside the Tin Lizzie Gaming Resort. The restaurant bills itself as a "gastronomic experience" featuring "exotic ingredients" that dress up steak, chicken, and seafood.

    555 Main St., Deadwood, South Dakota, 57732, USA
    605-571--2255

    Known For

    • Elaborate presentation
    • Thoughtful extras like grilled baguettes with entrées
    • Three-course dinner with tastings from every part of the menu

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No lunch
  • 15. Stage Stop Cafe at Cheyenne Crossing

    $$

    Located at a crossing that can take you west to Wyoming, north into Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway, or east to Lead, this country café with simple decor serves up hearty, home-cooked food without pretension. It's 8 miles southwest of Lead on a site that also includes a small lodge and gift store.

    21415 U.S. 14A, Lead, South Dakota, 57754, USA
    605-584--3510

    Known For

    • Native American tacos
    • Fry-bread desserts
    • Popular stop for motorists driving Spearfish Canyon
  • 16. Stampmill Restaurant & Saloon

    $$

    Pub food is served up in a relaxed setting in this downtown Lead establishment, located in a lovingly preserved 1897 building with exposed-brick walls, wood floors, high ceilings, and a fireplace. There are two Victorian-style rooms for rent on the upper floors.

    305 W. Main St., Lead, South Dakota, 57754, USA
    605-717--0554

    Known For

    • Laid-back vibe
    • Lovely patio seating available
    • Bleu cheese--and--olive burgers and chicken sandwiches

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed winter
  • 17. The Green Bean Coffeehouse

    $

    Local character and flavor permeate this hip, comfortable coffeehouse inside a spacious former residential home, where the window seating is plentiful and padded chairs are tucked into corners and alcoves. Besides coffee and tea, there are also quick breakfast and lunch items on the menu.

    304 N. Main St., Spearfish, South Dakota, 57783, USA
    605-717--3636

    Known For

    • Cozy setting and atmosphere
    • Tasty paninis and grilled sandwiches
    • Smoothies, iced coffee, and other cold drinks
  • 18. The Latchstring Restaurant

    $$$

    This restaurant with a simple menu focusing on buffalo meat, beef, fish, soup, and salads is built in a log-cabin style with a stone fireplace and animal heads on the walls. It's in an unbeatable setting 14 miles from Lead, next to Spearfish Canyon Lodge in Spearfish Canyon. If the weather is good, no diner should miss walking the short trail behind the restaurant to Spearfish Falls, a 50-foot waterfall.

    10619 Roughlock Falls Rd., Lead, South Dakota, 57754, USA
    605-584--3333

    Known For

    • Locally caught trout dishes
    • Buffalo stew
    • Outdoor seating available with beautiful canyon views

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