Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [67]
AT MOUNT RUSHMORE NATIONAL MEMORIAL
Buffalo Dining Room
At Mount Rushmore National Memorial. ☎ 605/574-2515. Breakfast items $3.95–$7; lunch and dinner main courses $6–$8. AE, DISC, MC, V. Summer daily 8am–10pm; rest of year daily 8am–5pm (off-season hours may vary). AMERICAN.
Every day, visitors to the Black Hills dine with presidents at Mount Rushmore's fabled Buffalo Dining Room. Operated by Xanterra Parks and Resorts, the concessionaire, the dining room serves a wide array of food year-round in one of the world's most famous settings. Scrambled eggs, hash browns, homemade biscuits and sausage gravy, and country-fried steak, served with coffee, tea, or milk, are a deal at $3.95. What's especially nice about the place is that most choices retain a homemade taste—not something you can say about all national park fare. The buffalo stew is excellent; you'll also find burgers, hot dogs, chicken, pot roast, spaghetti, baked fish, ham steaks, great pies and fudge, and monumental scoops of ice cream.
IN KEYSTONE
The Ruby House Restaurant and Red Garter Saloon
126 Winter St., Keystone. ☎ 605/666-4404. Main courses $6–$10 lunch, $9–$20 dinner. DISC, MC, V. Mid-April to mid-October daily 11am–9pm. STEAK/SEAFOOD/BUFFALO/ELK.
Steaks, seafood, game, and other specialties are served in a richly appointed Victorian dining room. If you've never tried buffalo, order one of the steaks or burgers here—the meat is similar to very lean beef, but pricier. This is a quiet stop in a tumultuous town.
IN HILL CITY
The Alpine Inn
225 Main St., Hill City. ☎ 605/574-2749. Main courses $2–$7 lunch, $8–$10 dinner. No credit cards. Summer Mon–Sat 11am–2:30pm and 5–10pm; winter Mon–Sat 11am–2:30pm and 5–9pm. STEAKS.
The Alpine Inn remains a favorite among most locals and all carnivores. This is a steak place, and steak is what the restaurant does well. The lack of a wide selection of entrees is mitigated by a choice of more than 30 desserts, most of which are homemade and all of which are delectable. An attractive porch overlooks the bustle of downtown.
IN RAPID CITY
Botticelli Ristorante Italiano
523 Main St., Rapid City. ☎ 605/348-0089. Main courses $7–$10 lunch, $10–$25 dinner. AE, MC, V. Call for open hours. ITALIAN.
In business only since the late 1990s, Botticelli has quickly become a culinary hot spot. Featuring a wide selection of creamy pastas and delightful chicken and veal dishes, the menu smacks of northern Italy. Even though Botticelli is in the heart of cattle country, the fresh seafood specials and other non-beef items are generally the best choices. There's also a fine wine selection.
Firehouse Brewing Co.
610 Main St., Rapid City. ☎ 605/348-1915. Main courses $6–$12 lunch, $7–$18 dinner. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Summer Sun–Thurs 11am–11pm, Fri–Sat 11am–midnight; rest of year Sun–Thurs 11am–10pm, Fri–Sat 11am–11pm. CONTINENTAL/PUB FARE.
The entire brewing process is visible behind glass in this renovated fire station. Burgers, buffalo, and chicken wings are favorites, but we also recommend the Reuben sandwich, the bean soup (offered in the fall), and the desserts, such as the Big Cookie—a freshly baked white-and-dark-chocolate mix the size of a dinner plate topped with two large scoops of French vanilla ice cream and served with melba sauce on the side. Live entertainment on a large heated patio runs Wednesday through Saturday nights in the summer.
Fireside Inn
S. Dak. 44, 6 miles west of Rapid City. ☎ 605/ 342-3900. Main courses $13–$23. AE, DISC, MC, V. Daily 5–9pm. STEAKS/SEAFOOD/PASTA.
Bean soup is a great starter, but the Fireside Inn has made a name for itself with its excellent prime rib and intimate setting. Relax with refreshments on the spacious patio before checking out the 20-ounce Cattlemen's Cut. Or you might want to sample fresh salmon or delicious chicken Wellington. The New