12 Small Things That Can Infuriate a South Dakotan
I can never decide what part of South Dakota I like the most. The beautiful Black Hills, the endless plains, or the urban east? It's all perfect.
Well, maybe not perfect. There are some things that get under our skin. I'm sure it's the same everywhere else. But, still, living here has a few challenges.
Get our free mobile app
These small frustrations are part of the price of living in the wide open high plains.
12 Everyday Things That Drive Every South Dakotan Crazy
Is Sioux Falls Hungry For More Buffet Restaurants? Here Are Some Options.
“Take all you want, but eat all you take.” That’s a rule you had to follow if you were eating the buffet at Walt & Mary’s on East 10th Street next to Eastway Bowl in Sioux Falls. If you didn’t clean your plate, you didn’t get ice cream.
Many will remember the family-owned buffet restaurant as far back as the 1960’s.
They were known for their roast beef, fried chicken, real mashed potatoes and gravy, hot dinner rolls with butter, and maybe even the lemon gelatin dessert.
Walt & Mary’s was one of several restaurants that offered a buffet in Sioux Falls over the years. Today, you can count your options on one hand.
Since the COVID pandemic, many all-you-can-eat buffet restaurants have shuttered.
Royal Fork Buffet was a favorite in Sioux Falls for many years. The restaurant, which was located behind the Empire Mall, closed in August 2020.
Royal Fork offered classic comfort food on their buffet like carved ham and roast beef, fried chicken, incredibly delicious hot cinnamon rolls, make-your-own waffle station with the best syrup I’d ever tasted, homemade tomato soup, and a fully-stocked salad and dessert bar.
Remember these buffet restaurants; Coyote Canyon, Sirloin Stockade, Brenner’s, Pizza Inn, Valentino’s Grand Italian Buffet?
A buffet is a guilty pleasure for many. With so many choices, it's hard to stay focused on your diet. Many restaurants today have salad bars, which sort of satisfies our need for the "all-you-can-eat buffet" in the form of different salads and fixings.
This isn't a local problem. There are just not many all-you-can-eat buffet restaurants in business anymore. Golden Corral is closing stores. Only a handful of Godfather's, KFC's, and Valentino's still have buffets. Bonanza and Ponderosa continue to close stores.
If you want a tasty all-you-can-eat buffet, my suggestion is to travel out of town. Several small town restaurants around South Dakota, Iowa, and Minnesota offer a buffet. You just have to search them out.
We scoured the Sioux Empire to find restaurants that still serve a buffet, of sorts, although most are not "buffet" restaurants. Here's what we found.
Gallery Credit: Karla Brown / Townsquare Media
More From Hot 104.7 - KKLS-FM
