This episode of Travel South Dakota Stories is a four-course road trip, and you’re invited! Our appetizer is the state’s “official nosh,” chislic, followed by a James Beard-recognized restaurant in a town of 1,800 people. For dessert, host Brian Thacker heads to Wall Drug Store to sample their world-famous (and addictive) donuts. Our meal isn’t complete without a digestif from Black Hills Contraband Distillery, although the one we try is downright dangerous.
You’ll hear from:
- Joy Ann Smith and Andrea Bear from the South Dakota Chislic Festival
- Joseph Raney from Skogen Kitchen
- Sarah Hustead from Wall Drug Store
- Jerry Sailer from Black Hills Contraband Distillery
- Cowboy Keith from the Blue Bell Lodge Chuckwagon Dinner
It’s kind of a joke within the state that you can’t go from east to west river and be OK if you haven’t stopped to get donuts.
”Featured Locations
Wall Drug Store
Pretty much everyone knows about the free ice water and 5-cent coffee at this iconic roadside attraction. But have you tried their doughnuts? The heavenly scent of fried dough wafts through the hallways of Wall Drug Store seven days a week, 365 days of the year, offering a sweet respite for road-weary travelers.
Skogen Kitchen
In 2016, Joseph and Eliza Raney traded Southern California for Custer, opening Skogen Kitchen the following year. In 2023, Joseph earned a spot on the James Beard Foundation shortlist for Best Chef: Midwest. The restaurant highlights local ingredients and global flavors in dishes like lobster steam buns and buffalo short ribs.
Blue Bell Lodge Chuckwagon Dinner
During the summer, Blue Bell Lodge in Custer State Park serves up the quintessential Western experience. Jostle along on a hayride before tucking into a home-cooked meal with all the fixings, accompanied by live music around a campfire.
Black Hills Contraband Distillery
Located in Rapid City, this family-run distillery boasts a recipe that has been passed down through seven generations. Their signature spirit offerings include vodkas and bourbons in flavors like root beer, gingerbread and Island Butter that truly live up to the motto: “So Good, It’s Dangerous!”
South Dakota Chislic Festival
Find your way to Freeman in southeastern South Dakota for this annual celebration of the official state nosh. Chislic consists of seasoned cubes of lamb or mutton, skewered and fried to tender, juicy perfection. Vendors from around the state bring their best, and it’s up to festivalgoers to decide which chislic rules them all.
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