South Dakota

South Dakota’s most romantic restaurants for a memorable date night

Published

4 months ago

February 5, 2026

Press Room

South Dakota’s most romantic restaurants for a memorable date night

Where to take your Valentine? Here are a few restaurants in South Dakota with ambiance made for first kisses and memorable nights.

It should feel like the entire restaurant was made for two.

Some of the most romantic restaurants in South Dakota have barely lit corners for kisses, velvet couches to snuggle into and a good wine list to make your Valentine swoon.

Here’s a look at some memorable, fairy tale dinners. Note: Don’t look at the prices when you make this reservation; the impassioned ambiance is worth the cost for this one.

Minerva’s Restaurant

Cozy booths, sparkly chandeliers and friendly maître d’s make up this historical corner of downtown Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Minerva’s has been open since 1977, but the establishment has been well-known since 1917, when it was first a confectionery and then a creperie. The nostalgia holds strong with a sprawling salad bar today, Santee bison steaks and a decadent chocolate soufflé for two.

Details: 301 S. Phillips Ave., Sioux Falls, S.D., 605-334-0386. Hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 4:30 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 4:30 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Visit minervas.net.

Parker’s Bistro

Another historic building giving remarkable charm in Sioux Falls, Parker’s Bistro has exposed brick walls like a hug around white linen tabletops, glimmering candles and fresh flowers. (Tip: There’s a flower shop nearby. Stop there first.) It’s very intimate in there, with corner nooks on one side and an upscale bar next door with velvet couches near the windowfront. All of it hints at the first kiss.

Details: 210 S. Main Ave., Sioux Falls, S.D., 605-250-1322. Hours are 4:30 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 4:30 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Visit parkersbistro.net.

R Wine Bar

Italiano is spelled a-m-o-r-e.

Owners Riccardo and Marybeth Tarabelsi brought a romantic nighttime-in-Florence experience to downtown Sioux Falls with four upscale establishments, including R Wine Bar, Maribella Ristorante, Brix Wine Bar and Trio Jazz Club. If you really want to impress your date, squeeze it all into one date night, progressive dinner style.

R Wine Bar was first to open, introducing a large wine menu featuring Penfolds or Caymus from Napa Valley and an Antinori Tignanello Chianti from Classico, Italy. Appetizers include mussels and ceviche; dinner includes pasta al limone, Champagne chicken or Gorgonzola steak and gnocchi.

There’s always jazz music in the corner.

Details: 322 E. Eighth St., Sioux Falls, S.D., 605-271-0814. Hours are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 3 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 3 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Visit RWineBar.com.

Legend’s Steakhouse

A legendary dinner for a legendary date night. The Legends Steakhouse is on the upper floor of the Silverado Franklin Hotel in Deadwood, South Dakota, and is notorious for its guests like presidents Teddy Roosevelt and William Howard Taft. Babe Ruth enjoyed the hotel bar, too.

Deadwood has so much kitschy history to love.

At the Silverado, it’s raucous at the casino downstairs, but quiet in the restaurant upstairs with a private dinner vibe, soft music barely there and lobster or steak Oscar for dinner.

Details: 709 Main St., Deadwood, S.D., 605-578-3670. Hours are 7:30 to 11 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 5 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7:30 to 11 a.m. and 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Visit silveradofranklin.com.

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South Dakota

South Dakota mom launches book drive for foster children

Published

3 hours ago

May 27, 2026

Press Room

South Dakota mom launches book drive for foster children

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) -A South Dakota mom is turning her love of children’s books into hope for kids in foster care.

Elizabeth Heggem started selling children’s books through Paper Pie to build a library for her two sons. She soon thought about how she could make an impact in her community.

“There’s roughly 1,600 kids in foster care in South Dakota right now, and maybe only around 700 homes available. So a lot of these kids have to travel when they’re placed in foster care,” Heggem said. “That’s kind of the goal with this book drive: once they’re placed in care and traveling, they have something to do, they have something to hold on to. And they know that they matter.”

Heggem is partnering with South Dakota Kids Belong for a statewide book drive during National Foster Care Month in May. She launched the campaign online with a goal to get books into the hands of kids the moment they enter care.

What’s in each pack

Each EmpowerME pack includes $50 worth of new, high-quality books, a non-disposable bag the child can keep, and age-appropriate selections designed to provide comfort, encouragement, and entertainment during transitions.

The packs are available in five age categories: 0-2, 3-5, 6-9, 10-13, and 14 and older.

“It’s 35 dollars to sponsor a child. Like I mentioned, with Paper Pie’s match, I’m able to provide 50 dollars worth of high-quality, engaging books, and they also get a bag to keep that’s theirs,” Heggem said.

How to donate

Donors can give online or directly to Heggem via Venmo.

$35 sponsers one child
$105 sponsers three children
$350 sponsers 10 children

The books will be waiting in foster care offices across South Dakota for kids of all ages to grab as they head to a new home.

“Sometimes hope looks like a safe place to land and sometimes it looks like a book in a child’s hand,” Heggem said.

Heggem’s goal is to place 500 book packs in offices statewide.

Those interested in sponsoring a book pack can donate online or via Venmo: @Elizabeth-Heggem.

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South Dakota

Woman dies after bison attack in South Dakota’s Custer State Park

Published

15 hours ago

May 27, 2026

Press Room

Woman dies after bison attack in South Dakota’s Custer State Park

Joshua Haiar
| South Dakota Searchlight

A 70-year-old Canadian woman died after being struck by a bison May 18 while hiking with her husband in South Dakota’s Custer State Park, after another park visitor was injured by a bison earlier this month.

The couple were on the Grace Coolidge Trail and found themselves behind a group of about five bull bison, according to the Custer County Sheriff’s Office. The couple paused about 500 yards from the animals and waited for them to continue up the trail and out of sight. The couple then continued hiking, came around a corner and encountered the bulls at a distance of 50 yards.

The couple stopped again, and then continued trailing the bison as the animals moved away. A bull eventually broke from the group, charged the woman, hooked her and tossed her into the air.

The woman died from her injuries.

Custer State Park is managed by the Department of Game, Fish and Parks. Spokesperson Nick Harrington said staff moved the bison from the area and are monitoring the animal’s behavior “to ensure public safety and prevent future incidents.” He said dry conditions have caused bison to spread throughout the park in search of grass, increasing the chance that visitors may encounter them on trails.

Harrington said park visitors should keep their distance from wildlife, make noise while hiking, use caution around corners and ridges, and keep pets on leashes.

“It’s important to remember that bison are wild animals and need to be treated as such,” Harrington said in a written statement. “Visitors are reminded to keep their distance from all wild animals and safely enjoy both the trails and wildlife within the park.”

On May 1, a 22-year-old hiker encountered a bison while hiking the Lost Trails by Center Lake, Harrington said in response to South Dakota Searchlight questions about prior incidents. The hiker was with a friend and their dog when they rounded a corner.

“The hiker was struck by the buffalo on the back of her legs and was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries,” Harrington said.

Harrington said the department is not aware of any other incidents involving bison within Custer State Park this year, and there had not been a fatal incident involving a bison in the park since 2001.

The 110-square-mile park in the Black Hills is home to a herd of about 1,400 bison, also known as buffalo. Bull bison can stand up to 7 feet tall at the shoulders, weigh 2,000 pounds and run up to 35 mph, according to the department.

South Dakota Searchlight is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

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