Right in the heart of downtown Wall, South Dakota, sits a gastropub that’s quickly become the town’s most surprising stop for anyone passing through on I-90. 🥩
Salty Steer opened its doors on June 6, 2023, bringing a genuinely elevated gastropub menu to a town best known for Wall Drug and its Badlands views.
What started as one of Wall’s newest establishments has grown into a real destination for both locals and travelers heading toward Badlands National Park.
How Salty Steer won Wall’s hearts
Wall itself has long been defined by Wall Drug, the sprawling roadside pharmacy-turned-tourist attraction that the Hustead family opened back in 1931 and still runs to this day.
Salty Steer changed that equation almost overnight after opening in June 2023, building a full gastropub menu around hand-picked ingredients, hearty burgers, and steaks alongside lobster mac and buffalo specialties sourced from the surrounding South Dakota plains.
That land-and-sea philosophy shows up clearly on the menu, where South Dakota buffalo meatloaf and meatballs sit right alongside pan-seared salmon and lobster mac and cheese.
The restaurant leaned into its location near Badlands National Park, positioning itself as a stop worth making for both locals from the surrounding ranch country and the steady stream of travelers exploring the Badlands and the Black Hills.
Word of the restaurant’s surprisingly ambitious menu spread quickly among travelers, with many visitors admitting they expected a standard roadside diner and instead found scratch-made ravioli, house-smoked wings, and a full cocktail list.
That reputation as a South Dakota gastropub worth the detour has only grown since opening, with locals from nearby ranch towns making the drive into Wall specifically for dinner.
Barely three years into business, Salty Steer has already become one of the most talked-about restaurants in the entire Badlands region, proof that even a town of a few hundred people can support a genuinely serious kitchen.
Food Highlights
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Buffalo Meatloaf: A full pound of South Dakota buffalo baked with an in-house spice blend and topped with a sweet BBQ glaze, served with seasonal veggies and a wedge salad. 🦬
- Prime Sirloin: A 14-ounce sirloin served with a wedge salad, seasonal veggies, and choice of side.
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Spaghetti & Buffalo Meatballs: Spaghetti tossed in a rich bolognese made from ground buffalo and pork sausage, topped with house-made buffalo meatballs and a sprinkle of parmesan.
- Steak Mac & Cheese: Three-cheese pasta topped with tender sirloin, served with a wedge salad.
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Lobster Mac & Cheese: Salty Steer’s three-cheese pasta loaded with real lobster meat, served with a wedge salad 🦞
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Pan-Seared Salmon: An 8-ounce Atlantic salmon fillet piled over a choice of mac and cheese or seasonal vegetables, served with a wedge salad. 🐟
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Mushroom & Steak Ravioli: Cheese-stuffed ravioli in a mushroom garlic cream sauce with baby button mushrooms and tender sirloin, served with toasted French bread.
- Cheese Steer Burger: Two smash-style patties topped with melty American cheese, piled on fresh arugula, tomato, and onion. 🍔
Atmosphere
Salty Steer keeps its space casual and welcoming, right on Main Street just steps from Wall Drug’s storefronts. 🌾
A full bar and casino area give the restaurant a lively, small-town-tavern energy alongside its more polished plates.
The dining room draws a genuine mix of local ranchers, road-trippers heading to the Badlands, and regulars settling in for a beer and a burger.
It’s unpretentious on the surface, with a kitchen clearly capable of much more. 🥩
Bottom Line
Visit for South Dakota buffalo specialties you won’t find at a typical roadside stop, a surprisingly ambitious gastropub menu, lobster mac and cheese in the middle of the prairie, a prime Main Street location near Wall Drug, and proof that this small town hides a genuinely serious kitchen. 🥩
Address:
600 Main Street, Wall, SD 57790
📞 (605) 279-2700
🕔 Open daily, 11 AM–10 PM