Pierre Restaurants and Dining

(Pierre, South Dakota - SD, USA)

Being a particularly small and modest state capital, Pierre doesn't come with a great dining scene to match its status. However, there are certainly enough restaurants and eateries to more than meet the needs of both visitors looking for a meal and locals enjoying a night out.

Downtown Pierre is where you will find the biggest selection of restaurants, which include diners, steakhouses, fast-food chains and traditional American-style eateries. Standing on East Dakota Avenue and just a few blocks away from Taco John's is La Minestra, an Italian restaurant where fine dining features tasty dishes with homemade pasta. Favorites here include crab linguine, creamy lobster pappardelle, spaghetti and clams, cheese ravioli and baked chicken tortellini.

Just down the road from La Minestra is the Longbranch Restaurant, which certainly ranks amongst the best places in Pierre to go for evening dinner. The dining menu at Longbranch features chicken-fried steak, chili with Cheddar cheese, burgers with grilled onions and BBQ sauce, and grilled walleye (a native freshwater fish).

Where to Eat

Fast-food restaurants and eateries in Pierre are available in the city center, in the guise of Burger King and Subway, both of which are located on West Sioux Avenue. Arby's is another familiar name and this popular sandwich chain is also to be found standing on West Sioux Avenue, next to Hardees.

Located on the far easterly outskirts of Pierre, just past Farm Island and on South Dakota Highway 34, the Cattleman's Club Steakhouse is certainly one restaurant not to be missed. Prime ribs, sirloin steaks, T-bones and ribeye all appear on the dining menus at the Cattleman's, along with jumbo breaded shrimp, chicken fritters, soups and salads, while the views across beautiful Lake Sharp are an added bonus.

Also to the east of downtown Pierre and on South Dakota Highway 34 is the View 34 Restaurant, which boasts scenic panoramas across the neighboring park and golf course.

Diners heading to View 34 can expect more than just a great view though, with specialties here including the likes of ahi tuna marinated with teriyaki sauce, etouffee (spicy Cajun stew), Maine lobster, oysters on the half shell, sauteed mako shark, scallop skewers and sirloin stuffed with crab meat. However, this is a fairly pricey Pierre restaurant, so be sure to bear that in mind when you book a table.

Standing on East Wells Avenue is Big Tom's Diner, which is the perfect place to go for breakfast dining if you are looking for something outside of your hotel. Many locals in Pierre favor Big Tom's, coming here for the grilled homemade hamburger patties and steak sandwiches.