Skogen Kitchen, Custer
Award-Winning Restaurants & Chefs in South Dakota
Pull up a chair at one of South Dakota’s most honored restaurants
From Mediterranean delights to nationally recognized pizza, South Dakota is home to award-winning meals created by renowned chefs. Enjoy!
Sanaa's 8th St. Gourmet, Sioux Falls
Sanaa Abourezk has racked up plenty of praise in the 20 years since she opened Sanaa’s 8th St. Gourmet. That praise reached a new height in 2023 when she was named one of five finalists for the Best Chef: Midwest James Beard Award. In 2025, USA Today named her restaurant one of the top 45 restaurants in the entire country! With rich Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavors and options you’d never suspect were vegetarian and/or gluten-free, Sanaa’s keeps attracting national attention — and lots of repeat customers.
The Pheasant Restaurant & Lounge, Brookings
Say hello to the first South Dakota restaurant to ever win a James Beard Award. Beginning as a gas station and cafe in 1949, Brookings' oldest full-service restaurant secured a coveted James Beard America's Classics Award in 2024, in part because of their quality dishes that range from the classic (hot beef sandwich) to the refined (duck wings) to the brunch-weird (a hot beef waffle). At The Pheasant, your order has no choice but to be delicious.
Skogen Kitchen, Custer
Tucked in the sleepy Black Hills town of Custer, Skogen Kitchen quickly made a name for itself with fresh ingredients and exciting dishes. Chef Joseph Raney’s creations earned prestigious national attention in 2023 when he was named a semifinalist for the Best Chef: Midwest James Beard Award. Taste for yourself why that won’t be the last time this gem gains honorable accolades.
Dempsey’s Brewery, Pub & Restaurant, Watertown
This legendary location is known for its staggering number of awards almost as much as its pizza and beer. A graduate from the International School of Pizza, Sean Dempsey has racked up plenty of national awards at the International Pizza Expo and Conference, including best pizza in the region. See why the second-oldest brewery in SoDak keeps gaining national attention. And that’s just this at this location…
Danger Von Dempsey’s Pizzeria and Brewhaus, Aberdeen
It didn’t take long for the newer Dempsey’s location to win its own awards. Manager David Solum placed second overall in the traditional pizza category at International Pizza Expo and Conference in 2021, and he did it all with a cheese pizza.
Crawford’s Bar & Grill, Sioux Falls
Held every January, the Sioux Falls Downtown Burger Battle soared from 8 entries in the first year to 32 in 2023. The competition didn’t scare one of Sioux Falls’ top-rated restaurants, as Crawford’s Bar & Grill took first place in 2023 with its Truffle Jam burger. Diners loved the prime beef patty with baby arugula, tomato and pepper jam, jalapeno bacon and black truffle cheese spread on a pretzel bun so much that Crawford's might keep it on the menu for a while. And then in 2024, they won again. It's easy to see your taste buds will thank you for a meal at Crawford’s.
Harvester Kitchen by Bryan, Sioux Falls
Before Chef Bryan Moscatello moved to Sioux Falls in 2020, he spent years in big cities winning bigger awards, including running one of Esquire magazine’s Best New Restaurants in the Country (2002), being one of Food & Wine magazine’s Best New Chefs in America (2003) and being named 2003 Chef of the Year from Denver’s 5280 magazine. And that was all before getting a Forbes Five-Star Award (2015) and serving patrons like Ruth Bader Ginsberg, John Lithgow and more at The Oval Room in Washington, DC. Today, you can taste how Moscatello uses locally grown and sourced ingredients at his restaurant in downtown Sioux Falls. Bon appétit!
Meridian Corner, Freeman
Chislic is South Dakota’s official nosh. In 2018, Argus Leader readers named Meridian Corner the best spot to get the lamb version of the tasty dish. Come for the award-winning skewered meat cubes, stay for the cozy ambiance of this hidden gem at the corner of Highway 18 & 81.
The Travel South Dakota Stories
Episode 9: South Dakota on a Plate
South Dakota's culinary scene has been shaped by Indigenous people, immigrants, farmers, hunters ... and even church-basement ladies. Take a four-course road trip to meet some of the talented people making South Dakota so delicious.
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