We had an absolutely wonderful dinner here recently. We were seated outside on the patio with our…read moredog, and able to enjoy the gorgeous sunset while we ate. The ambiance was lovely and warm with the cool evening breeze, light music in the distance and the sparkle of the sunset on the water. The overall vibe does feel a bit bourgeois but not in a bad way. You can tell they know they're very good at what they do. It seemed like most of the people here were regulars. When we first arrived there wasn't anyone at the front of house to greet us and we did have to wander around a bit before finding someone which took longer than expected and was a little awkward. It was also kind of a surprising for an establishment that is obviously sophisticated, however, once we were seated, the service was friendly, attentive and never rushed. The food was absolutely incredible. We had hoped to order the roasted onion fleishkuekle but we were advised that they were out of ingredients to prepare it. I ordered the Hasselhoffs, which were rich, comforting and packed with flavor. My mind kept telling me to eat slow and savor it, but my mouth wanted to gobble it down it was so good. It was like really elevated home cooking. My husband had the Fine Schwein, which was a braised pork dish. It was wonderfully savory and deeply flavored and was beautifully prepared and presented. He really enjoyed. We finished with a kitchen for dessert and everything we ate was outstanding. Despite the small hiccup at the start and the unavailable dish that we were hoping for, this was one of our best dining experiences in a long time. The setting the quality of the food and the overall atmosphere made for a fantastic evening for my husband and I and it is a place we would definitely return to regularly.

tl;dr the service is comically poor and the food falls flat at this riverfront neo-Nordic cocktail…read morebar Bismarck, North Dakota, was named in honor of German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, and the population has a strong German and Scandinavian background. So, it seems fitting that one of the most popular restaurants is a German- and Scandinavian-inspired cocktail bar: the Huckleberry House. Part of the Missouri Valley Heritage Alliance's riverfront revival project, the Huckleberry made its debut on the Missouri River in 2022. (The restaurant's name is a reference to Huckleberry Finn, who rafted along the Missouri in the eponymous Mark Twain novel.) Since its opening, the restaurant has become a favorite among locals, and Head Chef Cody Monson was even named a James Beard Award semi-finalist for 2025. The Huckleberry shares a riverfront post-and-beam warehouse with the Lewis and Clark Riverboat ticketing office. The minimalistic decor feels straight out of Ikea. The HVAC is left exposed toward the peaks of the soaring ceilings. The firetruck-red garage door windows and the vibrant houseplants provide the only pops of color against the otherwise whitewashed walls and lightwood furnishings. Half-booths run the length of the restaurant, flanked on either side by trim two-seaters and larger bartop tables. Woven chairs are organized underneath expansive umbrellas on the riverside patio. Soft instrumental is barely audible above the respectful din of chatter. Sunshine through the wide windows leaves the un-air-conditioned dining room feeling uncomfortably balmy. We arrived for weekday dinner, and immediately, the service was palpably poor. The staff declined to seat us in order to "pace the kitchen." Despite the nearly empty house, we weren't seated for 45 minutes, and we were over an hour in before having the opportunity to order. At least we had ample time to thoroughly review the menu beforehand -- or so we thought. Our waitress rattled off items that the kitchen was out of, and it was nearly half the menu. No matter, we quickly adapted and asked for every plate to be brought out as it was completed. Fortunately, this was only a matter of minutes (shorter, even, than the time between being seated and our order being taken). The best dish, surprisingly, was the Hasselhoffs (an elevated take on tater tot hotdish). Although the tater tots were obviously the frozen grocery store variety, they were paired with an eyebrow-raisingly dynamic combination of rich cheese sauce and tangy sauerkraut. The Buttermilk Chicken Schnitzel was passable; the overcooked chicken was at least crispy, and tasty charred cabbage helped cover up the gummy spaetzle egg noodles. The Smorbrod (a traditional open-faced sandwich in rye) had memorable soggy bread; otherwise, the beef and blue cheese were forgettable. The mashed potatoes-esque Curried Pumpkin Knoephla (German dumplings) was heavy on the curry spices and exceedingly light on the pumpkin or knoephla. One member of our party asked if the dish actually did have pumpkin, to which our waitress tried to explain that the pumpkin was kept to a minimum because patrons don't like the flavor of it (I wondered to myself why those pumpkin-hating people would order a dish with "pumpkin" in the name in the first place). Lastly, the Peachy Keen salad was topped with sliced apple instead of peaches; however, our server inexcusably neglected to tell us about this swap until after the salad had hit the table, offering little more than a shrug ("peaches are out of season right now"). In stark contrast to our extended wait for a table, our server was quick to usher us out the door. She slapped a check onto the table before we even finished our meal (without even the cursory mention of dessert). It felt as though the staff were in a hurry to close up early, even though it was just after 8PM. The prices weren't outlandish (the appetizers were all less than $20, and our entree was less than $30), but no dish was worth the price. While the ambitious fare sounded thrilling in theory, it fell flat in practice. And service was laughably unpalatable; I needed a full debrief afterward to believe what I had just experienced. Regrettably, I'd be more likely to recommend McDonald's than the Huckleberry; at least McDonald's won't take 2 hours and $100+ to serve you food that only loosely adheres to the menu description.

My first day in Bismarck was highlighted by delish BBQ ( pulled pork sandwich, rib platter, and…read morehomemade sides). We were asked to pay a cover upon entry ($10 each) and at first I was kinda meh about it, but the band playing was local and very good (well worth the cover and an extra tip!). The beer selection was plentiful and the IPA I chose was above board. I've been back a few times and plan to return often. The service was friendly and attentive too.

A very good place and great beer and food! The burnt ends and wings are absolutely awesome! Great…read morebeer selection and service is fantastic! Great atmosphere and axe throwing! Definitely one of the better places in this town!

Honestly one of the coolest bar or speak easy i have been in the nation. Sadly i sat at the door…read morefor a bit to figure it out. The staff was very friendly. Atmosphere was steam pink and a bit dark but i liked it. The drinks were top level. Prices were high but this place is an experience. High recommend. for a unique drink, try the one with the numbing berry.

This is a great cool spot. Every city needs a speakeasy. Bartender fantastic. Cool drinks. Gosh I…read morelove these kinds of finds.

10/10. Vibes = amazing, staff = even more amazing. We were in town for a work trip and went every…read morenight after having such a great experience on night one.

Went here with a couple friends several times. The staff was always courteous. Drinks are ok…read morepriced. The atmosphere is chill and i liked the days we went sitting out overlooking the town. There is some shade but if in direct sun can be intense. Cool place to go get a drink.

Mia was a phenomenal server ! Food was excellent, vibes were immaculate !…read more Had the paddle burger, super delicious !

Good - View and Staff…read more Bad- Food is sub par, wait tines are terrible . But in fairness i think they were having kitchen staffing problems, 1hr to get seated, and another hour to get food. . Better luck next time !

Ok! Here i am foolish is the middle of December going to the middle of North Dakota! Yes, I…read moreknow I left balmy Minnesota for North Dakota. And yes, the weather looked good and turning fast. Well with that little story I did find a nice little gem to eat and drink in Bismarck. And yes, it is callled Walrus. I do not know the story behind Walrus but willing to listen. I had the Cajun Tetrazinni, and it was great with every bite. With the food being great it sure was nice to have the host and my server match the food excellence! Great job! Warning I will be back!!! Thanks Much.

We split the Mediterranean Pizza. It was awesome. The waitstaff is great and the herbed butter was…read morea nice surprise. The feel is warm and lively. The Surly draft was fresh and delicious.

Come as you are cash bar with patio on the Missouri River. No grub. Blackjack, e-game, billiards,…read moredarts, live entertainment. Boat tie up. Great service and great place to cool off after work.

Pretty cool bar on the Missouri River. Our waitress that night would come out to the big huge deck…read morethey have there and ask us if we wanted more drinks and bring them out to us. It's got a lot of beer selection and like 20 slot machines. I would come back again for sure!!!

Great people great food. Affordable prices beautiful scenery. Gourmet steak dinner under 20…read morebucks.

Sadly, this was my first food service establishment experience in Bismarck, ND and boy, I was…read moredisappointed. Going to the "highly recommended for "new-in-towners" The Drink, I was expecting something a little more hip and put together. Other than the company I kept, it had a long way to go before it was a "to go to place"! Location: a 15-20 minute drive from anywhere in Bismarck. Decor: sports/martini/lake harbor bar?? Clearly, they have no idea who they want to be when they grow up and it showed. The upside was the they have a patio and it has a so-so view of a small harbor for boats, but they were playing 50 Cent's "Get Rich of Die Trying" CD and had a toothless bartender...what??? It's clean and has highly vaulted ceilings, but.... geez, what an airball. Food: popcorn, THAT'S IT. So I drive all the way across town to have a drink and a snack before dinner, and I'm presented with popcorn and a cheap martini? The cheap martini was good, but if I want to have another, I have to hail a cab because there's no way I'm driving all the way across town when the cops run rampant! Service: there were all of, hmmmm.... maybe 8 people in the entire place, including the 2 bartenders, and our server is running around the place with her head cut off, toothless and all and I just, ugh, not a great experience. The Drink has a long way to go before they get even one more star...