I just got back from one of the most legendary road trips a Minnesotan can take: Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills. Honestly, I feared I’d be spending the week at Applebee’s and Subway, but instead we found some great restaurants along the road that you should bookmark for your next trip!
Aw Shucks Café, Kadoka, Kadoka
Everyone knows about Wall Drug (the donuts are legit), but stop about 30 minutes to the east in the 700-person town of Kadoka for this gem. Aw Shucks is named for the owners, Colby and Teresa Shuck. They teach in the local school district and own this adorable restaurant where almost everything is made from scratch. I got the hot hamburger with mashed potatoes: Aw Shucks! It was good. 909 Main Street S., Kadoka, South Dakota, 605-837-2222
Independent Ale House, Rapid City
Pizzas and salads, that’s all you’ll find on the menu here. The Ale House has a killer beer list: 40 rotating taps with a display on a big screen that shows you how recently any given keg has been tapped. The pizzas are awesome, we had the Lucky Luciano with sun-dried tomatoes, crumbled gorgonzola cheese, chicken, and Kalamata olives. A steal at $11. The salads are incredible as well, just $6 for a perfectly put together Greek salad. Don’t miss it. 625 St. Joseph St., Rapid City, South Dakota, 605-718-9492
Firehouse Brewing, Rapid City
This is a great spot for a drink. Firehouse makes some very nice beers in this brewpub (the Smokin’ Betty was a drinkable ale that showed a nice touch of smoke and caramel), but the food? Well, our food showed up about five minutes after we ordered it, which made me appropriately concerned. Everything was . . . fine. Not bad, not great. Enjoy the beer. 610 Main St., Rapid City, South Dakota, 605-348-1915
Teddy’s Deli, Keystone
Keystone is a touristy town close to Mount Rushmore with many pizza and sandwich shops. Not much great here, but Teddy’s Deli is worth a visit. Great hot sandwiches over most of the day, and after 7 p.m. they shut off the oven and serve some very nice cold sandwiches. Owner Gideon Oakes will likely be behind the counter, but if not, you won’t miss the great posters with him photoshopped into moments with President Teddy Roosevelt. 236 Winter St., Keystone, South Dakota, 605-389-3354
Longhorn Saloon & Grill, Sundance
If you take the drive to Devil’s Tower (and you should), pull off I-90 in the small town of Sundance, and stop at the Longhorn Saloon. The steak tip salad was great, and you can get 12 local Wyoming beers on tap! 214 Main St., Sundance, Wyoming, 307-283-3644
