The experience from beginning to finish was as follows... We enter, unsure whether to seat ourselves, and are asked, albeit almost silently, to pick a table of our liking. And upon choosing a table, we were given menus by our server, who didn't have a name tag, so I couldn't reference her specifically, and asked to select a drink. After getting water, we eagerly wait for 15-ish minutes for our waitress to take our order. After placing our order of two burgers, nothing special, we waited patiently for our food. Keep in mind, we arrived at 8:10, 50 minutes before closing. We then waited 30 minutes for our burgers, only getting a light apology after 25. Upon receiving our food, we were FAMISHED, and it tasted good! But I think practically everything tastes good when you're hungry, am I right?!? After GOBBLING our burgers down, we received the check at approximately 9:05, and the waitress was eagerly looking at the screen when we politely left a tip justifiable for the service. I'm one always to tip a server, even if the service isn't the best. At the end, we were sent off with an "okay" and nothing more. I'm not one to complain, but a thank-you would've been nice since we weren't rude to her about the insane wait time. Ultimately, be warned: when you come here, it's a cute place to take family when passing through, but not when you're on a time crunch. In short, the food is pretty good, somewhere between 6/7 out of 10, but the service was very subpar, leaving us with a sour taste in our mouths. read more

Came on a weekday for lunch. Service is average to slow and there were only a few people inside. Prices range from $12 lunch weekday specials to $15-25 for full entree items. I ordered the bison burger and an extra sweet potatoes fries. The food took a very long time for our group of 12. Probably about 20 minutes. We chose our own table and basically had to put our own chairs together as they did not offer any help in moving them besides acknowledging our party size. The bison burger was dry with a bit of crispy exterior texture on the patty that made it taste somewhat better. The bun was not special and although we asked for medium rare, it was more like medium to medium well done. The potato fries tasted good and were soft inside with a nice firm and slightly crunch outer casing. The sweet potato fries were limp and not very good unless you like them greasy, soft, and starchy. In hindsight, I would have just eaten the lunch special hamburger and fries. They also had a $5 upgrade to salad bar option. read more

Hill City Cafe - Bison burger and fries - Diners Near Me - Hill City, South Dakota

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This restaurant has a good location in Hill City. The service was the highlight of my visit. Our server was a young man that was attentive and took very good care of us. The food is pretty average...a greasy spoon kind-of-place. It'd be nice if they had a few "lighter" options. read more

Hill City Cafe - Hamburger - Diners Near Me - Hill City, South Dakota

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I was willing to accept slow service on a Thursday night, especially when there is a Help Wanted sign in the front window. However, after waiting nearly 30 minutes, the "medium rare" steak was completely uncooked and cold to the touch. It was not edible. I stopped my son from eating after two bites when he said it was cold. They would not offer a refund or replacement. So after paying $35 for the steak ($76 total bill for 3) , we found ourselves buying anything we could find at 9:00 in the grocery store for my starving son. read more

Hill City Cafe - This is the raw cold beef that was served to us as a "medium rare rib eye steak" . We paid $76 for 3 entrees. - Diners Near Me - Hill City, South Dakota

We went for lunch and had literally the rudest waitress ever. Her name was Dyana. She acted mad that she was there, had snarky comments when we asked a question about the menu, never came back to check on us or refill drinks. I have never not tipped a waiter/waitress until today but her attitude was deserving of NO TIP! Dyana needs to find a new job that is not in the service industry. read more

GREAT Mango margarita! Yummy steak ends. We loved it so much we went back for dinner. My burger was yummy & cooked just right. Hubby LOVED the grilled chicken. read more

Hill City Cafe - Yummy Mango Margarita - Diners Near Me - Hill City, South Dakota

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I have eaten at HCC a couple of times last year and it was pretty good. This year I had lunch and while the food was good, the service was awful. I had 2 teenage boys waiting on the entire section and they were definitely untrained and wanting to be kind. I decided to try dinner this time as a second chance and to be honest I never thought the experience could get worse...it did. After a 15 minute wait, I finally received a menu and a setup. After waiting a total of 30 minutes, I still had not been asked to place a drink order never-mind an actual food order. I am a local to Custer these days and am in Hill City on a semi regular basis. I can definitely say I won't be back to HCC again until they hire competent help. I thought I had a chance when I saw adults working this time, but evidently it was not going to be an improvement. With both Sturgis and the tourist trade kicking into high gear soon, I would suggest they re-evaluate their front end staff quickly. read more

We were touring the area via motorcycle and happened to be in HIll City looking for a late lunch. Another place a few doors down was filled with people (drinking, not eating) so we decided to go the "Cafe less-traveled" route and wandered in to the Hill City Cafe. The server was cheerful and prompt. I ordered a "Prime Rib Dip" that was rather short on the prime rib, but tasty nonetheless. Came with a salad bar that was fresh and had a variety of options. My wife had a turkey wrap that was reportedly tasty. Check was reasonable, even though I had a Bloody Mary (with LOTS of garnish) and my wife had a vodka and soda. She originally asked for a Myers's Dark Rum and Ginger Ale.. but apparently they don't know about Ginger Ale in SW SD? Server said: "Um... we have Ginger BEER..?" No worries, it was a good lunch and a good choice of venue. read more

Hill City Cafe - Diners Near Me - Hill City, South Dakota

This is the only restaurant in Hill city open on Sunday so it's busy. They have 1 waitress and 1 cook. They are walking around with their black "sanitary " gloves touching everything and taking money. The old lady with the blonde hair taking orders is very RUDE. We waited 45 minutes and other people were waiting also. We walked out. AVOID this filthy rude establishment at all cost! read more

Food and service were both mediocre, won't probably visit again. Expensive for what it was.

Came by for lunch. Service was quick and friendly. Ordered the grilled ham and cheese. It arrived with no ham. When I pointed this out, I was brought a plate of ham. At this point in time, my grilled cheese had cooled to the point that it was glue. This was't the move. I should've just sent it back. As it was, I was still charged full price for a sandwich I had to DIY. Disappointing read more

Good burgers & decent salad bar (not open all the time). Kids meal came with a frisbee which my kids used for days while we were hiking in the black hills! read more

Price was reasonable. Food came quickly Great place to meet and hang out with the locals read more

We came here after waiting at the hostess desk at Bumpin' Buffalo for a bit with no one event acknowledging us. The reviews for this restaurant were not great so we decided we should come for ourselves and see what we thought. We were promptly greeted once we entered the double doors (with a sign on then stating to please close the door behind) by Gage! He was friendly and attentive the whole visit. Our food was delicious and hot! I requested no cheese/ranch on my chicken wrap which they obliged. It tasted awesome, not dry at all. I switched the chips for fries for an upcharge and was delighted with my choice. Hubs got the grilled ham and cheese which sported buttered Texas toast and a delicious pile of ham and melty cheese. Kiddo ordered mac and cheese. I will note that the menu prices were about $2-$3 less on the menu than what we were actually charged. When we received the check we were surprised to be charged $9.49 for the kids mac when the menu stated $7.49. Original price on menu was $13.99 for my chicken wrap but I was charged $17.99. I was just a bit aggravated with the conflict, so I'm deducting a star for the misleading prices. Anyway, service was friendly and food was good. Just super overpriced and the menu is apparently not up to date on these high prices. I'd like to know firsthand what I'm about to pay, the TRUE price. read more

Stopped in for breakfast on a Saturday. The food was adequate, nothing special. The service started out fantastic and tailed off quickly once it got busier. The server was running ragged and I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt but she passed up multiple opportunities to refill my coffee. After waiting 20-25 minutes for my check I ended up having to get up and ask for it. Definitely disappointed that my $2.99 cup of coffee was not refilled. It was good coffee but not that good. read more

Okay this review was something I really contemplated on writing but feel it really needs to be said. My kid and I decided to give this place a try for dinner on Sunday August 31st. We decided to split the Bison steak. It quite a while to get a medium rare steak to our table. When it showed up it has a piece of steel scouring pad on the bottom which was a huge red flag. Next it had very very little flavor almost as bland as cardboard. The "salad bar" was pathetic and picked over more than the sale bin in the local shops. Service was lacking like they were trying really hard but didn't have much idea of what they should be doing. The layout of the space was choppy and almost like an after thought on how to setup a dinning room. If you are in the area and seeking food I bet the local grocery store would be a much better option or almost any other options. We were severely disappointed especially given the price points and generous tip I left they have got to do better. read more

Pork chop was soggy, ribs horrible and talapia flavorless. The table was right by the sidewalk, with windows open it gave a nice breeze and views of the people walking by. Server was friendly, but based on her food recommendations, they were about getting money and not about taste. Wouldn't recommend coming here. read more

Place wasn't very busy when we arrived. Waitress was what appeared to be a very young girl. She was slow and not very attentive to her customers. One couple arrived before we did got up and walked out. The waitress would stand around talking to what may have been her grandmother rather than tending to customers drink refills etc. Food order took almost a half hour to come out of the kitchen. I ordered the Ruben sandwich, was the wordy Ruben I've ever had. Wife liked her grilled chicken sandwich. read more

The food was good. The service was good, but the best part of all was that my granddaughter left her backpack and it was returned the next day when we went back. Looking for it completely intact. Thank you hill city cafe. read more

Stopped here on 8-11-2024 A really great place to eat. Our waitress was awesome. All the servers helped each other and were so nice. The Frog-legs are delicious. Really impressed with all the food. Big servings for a great price. The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly. The whole place was so clean. Can't recommend this place enough read more

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One of my favorites in Hill City. Prices are a little better than most nearby. Food was good. Open air seating, TV sports, background, and hometown atmosphere. See us on YouTube at Coolest Life. read more

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Worst restaurant ever. They have an unlimited salas bar, but there was no salad. The meal came with green beans that were cold and the worst part was we ordered walleye and were given trout. The manager wanted to argue with us and explained that the person she buys the walleye from claims it to be walleye. It was obvious she doesn't know her fish. The scales and color of the meat gave it away as being trout! read more

Stopped in for pizza! Veggie pizza with mushrooms and olives, light on cheese. Best described as a pan style, dense heavier crust. Cheese was a bit greasy. Lots of sauce. Baked it well done. Took about 25 minutes from order. All pizzas are 16 inch for $14.99. Add $1 per topping. Very friendly owners. read more

Hill City Cafe - Veggie pizza with mushrooms and olives, light on cheese - Diners Near Me - Hill City, South Dakota

Food was quick and good and service was friendly. We came for breakfast and they were short staffed, so the local paramedics were helping customers. Buffet was a little pricey, but very good! read more

I honestly don't know why this place doesn't have more stars. It is an adorable family-owned cafe smack dab in the heart of small-town America. We had a wait but it's July, peak season - most people who are here are visitors seeing Mt. Rushmore just like us. As we passed tables, the food looked great. Heavy, stick to your ribs diner food that you should probably only be eating once a year. Chicken fried steak was obviously a fan favorite; half the restaurant seemed to have it. Me and my husband split the open faced roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy. Holy moly it was good. My girls both got kids' spaghetti and it was a hit. Honestly the best part was our server, who was super sweet and engaging. She pointed out family photos, her grandfather's letterman jacket, a memorial for her uncle who was a local football coach. Even though it was a really late dinner for our kids, she joked with them and asked them questions. It definitely made our everything much more enjoyable and distracted the girls from their road trip exhaustion. We would definitely come back here. OH! Get the corn nugget appetizer. Just do it! read more

great service, terrible over priced food. chicken tenders were very greasy. the grease tasted old. I don't recommend.

I had to take 2 stars away because of the waiter when we entered. He said we have to sit in the other side because he was swamped. (Maybe he should try something different). He had many tables available and the other side had one as well s there were more tables on that side. The waitress on the side we were sent to was amazing tho. There was a teenage young man running around helping out both sides that did an awesome job. I did not eat but the two ladies that I was with both had the shrimp box and stayed that the shrimps were good but the fries were very good. read more

Service was outstanding! Jalapeno burger was excellent as were the fries. The french dip was ok... not recommended. Enjoyed our lunch very much. read more

Slow service forgot about us. Poor fries poor chicken strips. Poor service. Waitress did not know beer taps.

The best diner in town! Well it's likely the only diner in town! :D We came for breakfast. One has to set their expectations accordingly when coming to a place like this. If I graded on a curve, this place would like get 4 stars. But alas I do not. First off, the reason to come here, despite my three stars, is their unbelievably good chicken fried steak with sausage gravy. OMG. The gravy had delicious bits of sausage and the steak was not over cooked. It was still juicy underneath that fabulous crust. The downside to this place was the coffee. If you are running a cafe you must have good coffee. Now I am not so bougie that I need something g coming out of a fancy machine. However, even a drip coffee requires ample amount of decent beers to make a good pot. Skimping on how many bags of hospitality-grade coffee grounds you put in will result in a weak, acid (not a good acid) tasting coffee. Only creamer available was the fake stuff. Vanilla. Probably to help hide the taste. I always order toast dry with butter on the side. As I often suspect. Not butter. Some kind of country crock margarine. Not my thing. Had to ask for jam to be brought to table. Staff was nice. Ambiance was nice as well. Not many places to go in town for breakfast (or within miles) so you are pretty much stuck here. At least now you know what to expect. read more

Food was good, service was excellent and ambiance was not bad, price was respectable.

Waited an hour for the most mid burger of my life. After waiting so long for my food when it was all I ordered on a non-busy Monday night, I thought, wow, they must be cooking up something really special back there. I can assure you they were not. Big disappointment in Custer read more

We stopped in for breakfast and it was very good. Nothing special, but excellent food and the bacon was great! Our waitress was working her tail off serving everyone, with a smile and being courteous to everyone. She deserves a big shout-out (and an above average tip!) read more

The burgers and fries were really good but it took forever. The service was not good, water went dry and they forgot my wife's order. There were a ton of biting horse flies everywhere in the dining area. read more

After visiting Mount Rushmore and crazy horse we decided to grab a quick bite. The Hill city café has a long history which was kind of neat. The food was average and prices were a little on the high side... However, if you do find yourself visiting this restaurant, please make sure to check out some of that circle photographs they have of the place in years gone past... read more

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Hill City Cafe... Service is indeed very slow. Food is also super slow arriving to tables. The coffee I drank straight black was just okay. Not very strong. The lone unisex restroom was grimy. FYI, parents: no baby changing station. FOOD The "Wild Hog" - at $14.99 this was priced too high for limp bacon and mostly undercooked hash browns. The eggs had a weird aftertaste. It was a good portion, but it just wasn't that good. The kiddy cakes from both of our girls' plates were brought out cold. I started buttering the pancakes as soon as they arrived to our table and it wasn't melting. "What the..." Cut into the bottom one - hardly warm! This place certainly caters to locals. That's fine, but we were paying customers too. If you sit in the back near the restroom, you will feel like you're sitting on a "hill." The floors slope throughout the entire restaurant as far as I could tell. Pretty annoying. | Food: 2 | Service: 2 | Environment: 1 | Price: 2 | 2017 Yelp Challenge 100/100 read more

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Don't know why I thought this place would be worth trying again but there I was at 4p on a Monday. Salad Bar had not been tended to since lunch. Flies all over everything. Just disgusting. Food came out about 10 minutes after it was ordered. It was disgusting. I don't think anyone in the kitchen gives a damn anymore. Of all the restaurants that have come and gone in Hill City I will never understand how this one has survived. Do yourself (and your innards) a favor and walk on by Hill City cafe. read more

Great breakfast buffet and be sure to stop for lunch and get that chicken fried steak. Great people too!

Best atmosphere and hot chocolate with real cocoa and ice cream!!!!! Historic town great shops and bars

Food: I was pleasantly surprised by our dinner here. The steak was great, and cooked perfectly for what I asked. I'm picky with shrimp but it was great as well. Surprisingly the green beans I think were my favorite, not sure what they did but they were amazing! Good beer selection as well. (I forgot to get a pic before eating some of my food so this is all I got lol) Experience: Went to this cafe last night and had a great experience here. There was a snow storm in town the night before so this was one of only two places open for dinner still. They were completely packed up front but the waiter opened the back seating area to let other people in since there was nowhere else to eat. Staff was very attentive even though they were very busy. Super friendly the entire time too. I was very impressed and had a great experience! read more

Hill City Cafe - Dinner special: steak and shrimp - Diners Near Me - Hill City, South Dakota