You never know what you’ll end up eating when you’re on the road and looking  a  good meal. Cathryn and I struck it rich in Spearfish, South Dakota when the manager at our motel recommended Steerfish Steak & Smoke.

Spearfish is one of those towns that most folks have never heard of, but this restaurant and the annual motorcycle rally in neighboring Sturgis have put them on the map. If you are ever anywhere in the area, visiting this eatery is a must.

The 18th century building that houses the restaurant has been meticulously restored to it’s former glory.  Stained glass in the windows, old photographs and some artifacts give you a warm feeling as soon as you walk in the door.

The polished hardwood floors looked beautiful, but proved a challenge for Cathryn’s new cowboy boots. With the song Uptown Girl playing in her head, she unexpectedly, but gracefully treated the other diners to her version of the splits, as she strode to our table. Her embarrassment was short-lived when the manager apologized for the slippery floors by way of free drinks and dessert.

We had a couple of local craft beers to wet our appetite and ordered the smoked trout tacos as a appetizer. My apologies – we ate two of the tacos before taking the picture. We asked the waitress to hold off on our next course, we wanted to take our time and enjoy the evening.

The tacos were a great start, the texture of the soft pita and smoky fish blended perfectly. The three generous portions were enough for a meal.

For our next course we split a Caesar salad. The lettuce was fresh and crisp with just the right amount of Parmesan and dressing.

Although Cathryn likes to split meals, I insisted on a whole order of cheeseburger mac and cheese for myself. She opted for the bacon burger with smashed fries. It came on a brioche bun, her favorite. She ate the whole thing. My mac and cheese was just what the doctor ordered. Creamy and full of meat. We were both stuffed, but the manager reminded us that we had a free dessert coming. I ate the bread pudding back at the motel.

Cathryn and I rate Steerfish Steak & Smoke a 10 out of 10.