Another Friday night, another dive bar.  Well, we 'thought' we were going to a dive bar.

A few weeks ago my friend Yvonne suggested we go to the Detour Bar, but my friend Dusti said that she heard it was pretty rough and we probably should have more people. We decided to take our chances. After all, it was only 6:00 PM.

We walked in and were pleasantly surprised. It didn't look like a dive bar at all. It was clean, with cool light fixtures above the bar. It didn't stink. We were wondering how this place got such a bad reputation.

It turns out the Detour Bar at 2501 West 10th Street in Sioux Falls is under new ownership and has been completely remodeled. The bar we heard not-so-great things about was Mr. D's Bar, which the Detour Bar replaced. Apparently, Mr. D's was a little rough around the edges.

We wouldn't exactly classify the Detour Bar as a "dive," but it isn't exactly upscale either. So, we'll call the Detour Bar an elevated dive bar.

Paul, the owner, was working the night we were there. We asked him about the transition from Mr. D's to the Detour Bar. He cleaned it up, added some modern design elements, traffic signs for decor, and concentrated on the booze.

Detour Bar has over 100 beers and over 130 liquors on display. There is basically a wall of liquor that would look awesome in your house.

Beers on tap include Summer Shady, Stone IPA, Fernson Lions Paw, Bud Light and others. Paul changes the taps often. You'll find high-end liquors too. Tequilas, Dublin 43 whiskey, 12-year-old Scotch and Jameson Black Barrel.

The Happy Hour from 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM is what brings friends together at the Detour Bar after work. You can get a cheap well drink or domestic beer and relax after a long day.

If you're hungry, they can take care of that too.  They don't have a full kitchen, but they do have a pizza oven and can make you a Rosken's pizza. Those are awesome!

The signature drink at the Detour Bar is the Road Block. It's Red Stag by Jim Beam bourbon, bing cherry juice, orange bitters and a sprinkle of sugar. It tastes like a Cherry Old-Fashioned. Definitely something you should try.

There's a small patio for smokers. Have some fun playing pool, foosball and darts. They even host dart leagues.


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