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Most visitors are drawn to Mitchell’s Corn Palace but there’s much more on the menu in this little South Dakotan town. You’ll find plenty of traditional Midwestern dishes here, as well as niche cafes, wholesome family-style restaurants and the best steak houses around. Here’s our guide to the top 10 restaurants in Mitchell, South Dakota.

Corn Palace in 2008

Cafe Teresa

Cafe

Situated on historic Main Street in midtown, Cafe Teresa is a popular pitstop for coffee and light bites. Serving only 100 percent Fair Trade Arabica beans, Cafe Teresa will make your cup of joe just the way you like it. The menu offers daily sandwich specials (also available as wraps) like Cafe Club, roast beef and classic ruebens and grilled cheese — not forgetting French toast for brunch and fresh garden salads. Be sure to ask about the next wine and pizza night for a great place to dine with the locals. Food aside, Cafe Teresa regularly hosts cultural events, such as painting classes, to get your creativity flowing.

Chef Louie’s Steak House & Lounge

If an evening of indulgent dining is what you’re craving, Chef Louie and his team can provide. The menu’s lavish offerings are hard to choose from, with the filet steak and prime rib being particularly delicious. With salad, vegetables and potatoes all included in the price, it’s safe to say you’re getting value for money. The elegant decor, enthusiastic and attentive service, and exceptional quality of food place Chef Louie’s Steak House as one of Mitchell’s best restaurants.

Chef Louie’s Steak House & Lounge, 601 E Havens Ave, Mitchell, SD, USA, +1 605 996 7565

Chimichangas

Corona Village

Hailed as having the best fajitas in town, Corona Village is a lively and inviting Mexican venue in the heart of Mitchell. The friendly service, authentic dishes and generous portions keep customers coming back for more. Sample traditional Mexican cuisine made to order, including pollo chipotle, fiery chimichangas, killer margaritas and creamy enchiladas. If you’re with friends, order the Corona platter — a huge spread of chips, spicy salsa and tostadas — to share, and wash it down with a glass of signature sangria.

Whisky Creek

Named Whisky Creek by cowboys, this wood-fire grill eatery is full of Western spirit. Using only the finest cuts of beef, slow cooked over traditional wood fires gives a memorable eating experience every time. Try popular menu items such as the baby back ribs; pulled pork or burnt ends brioche sandwiches; or Creek combo baskets such as overnight brisket, hand rubbed with special seasonings.

Cattleman’s Club Steakhouse Restaurant

Cattleman’s Club Steakhouse only uses prime cuts (Black Angus is a favorite), aged in-house until they’re perfect. Choose from top sirloin steaks, fall-off-the-bone prime ribs, and filets. There are burgers with seductive add-ons and as many varieties of sides as your brain can fathom. Sweet potato fries, waffle fries, Texas toast, buffalo chips — there are endless options to discover.

Cattleman’s Club Steakhouse Restaurant, 601 East Norway Avenue, Mitchell, SD, USA, +1 605 990 2222

Shay’s Restaurant & Lounge

Bar, Restaurant, American, Pub Grub

Baby Back Ribs
© Ted Murphy/Flickr
Shay’s Restaurant & Lounge scores points for its friendly waitstaff and finely tuned menu, in a casual-dining setting. Shay’s loves its nightly specials, with Wing Wednesday and Taco Bar Thursday. The Sunday Breakfast buffet is also not to be missed, with both continental and European options — waffles and fresh fruit, biscuits and gravy, and short stack pancakes.

The Depot Pub and Grill

Bar, Pub, Restaurant, American

This old freight depot in Mitchell town has been beautifully renovated into a vibrant and historic eatery. The Depot Pub and Grill caters to all whims with its extensive menu — Dakota southern steak, Depot patty melt burger, French dip (shavings of beef in a hoagie bun with tasty gravy), and Jack Daniels beer-battered shrimp are just the beginning.

El Columpio

El Columpio delights customers with its hearty Mexican dishes and welcoming staff. Fill up on the restaurant’s freshly prepared meals such as torta (a specialty sandwich) with spiced pork or the super macho burrito (feeds two or a ravenous individual). There are swings to keep kids entertained and ice-cold margaritas for the adults.
El Columpio, 804 E Spruce St, Mitchell, SD, USA, +1 605 990 4014

Twin Dragon

Twin Dragon delivers a culinary Chinese experience with quality. Opened in 1990, this family-run business is a Mitchell town treasure. With excellent value for money, the dishes are packed full of flavor but without the salt and additives you might find in other establishments. You can also order all dishes to suit your level of spice. General Tao chicken, moo goo gai pan (a stir-fry with snow peas, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, and mushrooms in a white sauce), Taiwanese beef, and scallops in garlic sauce are notable highlights.

Fanny Horner’s Eating Establishment

Where do the real locals of Mitchell get their grub? Fanny Horner’s Eating Establishment. Specializing in home-style comfort food, regulars love the menu’s all-American classics: bean soup, roasted chicken, hash browns, skillets, large fluffy pancakes, and delicious pies.

About the author

Alice White Walker is a freelance writer with an eternal appetite for the unknown. After studying English Literature and Classics at the University of Reading and working in digital publishing, a niggling thirst for the French language and caf? society drove Alice to swap her native London for Paris. A year-something into living la vie fran?aise, Alice loves to unearth Paris's best bars, eateries and museums for The Culture Trip and her blog www.alicewhitewalker.co.uk. At her happiest reading in Buttes-Chaumont, making an Aperol Spritz or planning the next road trip. Her favorite spots are Naples, New York, the Greek Islands, and of course, Paris.

If you click on a link in this story, we may earn affiliate revenue. All recommendations have been independently sourced by Culture Trip.
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