We have been dining at the Knotty Pine since 1981. We go at least more than twice a month. Every time we've been there we've been glad we made the visit. All there menu items are excellent. If you visit them for the first time, it will not be your last. read more

My husband and I had heard good things about the Knotty Pine so wanted to give it a try. Drove from Brookings on a Thursday night. Our favorite steak is filet mignon so we both ordered the "Queen" filet mignon, 8 ounces. Honestly, I have never had such a terrible steak as I had there. I had to spit the few bites I ate out because I couldn't chew them. My husband's was very tough as well, but he managed to chew through it. The owner noticed my plate and noticed I hadn't eaten it. I wasn't going to say anything, but when she asked I decided they should know. I was not impressed with her response of a $4 discount off the price. There should not have been any charge. The dinner salad was a simple plate of iceberg lettuce, the kind that you can buy for $1.99 a bag at HyVee. That amazes me when a steak house serves the least quality of lettuce. I was going to order wine and asked our server what they had for red wine and she said she didn't know her alcohol. I asked to see a wine list. The wine they serve is Barefoot, so I decided to drink water. When we walked in, we thought it was a fun looking place and we were looking so forward to a great filet. Needless to say, we won't be back. read more

Don't have time to get all dressed up but you want a fine steak, at a GREAT price AND with great service? Willing to drive a little outside Brookings town limits? Knotty Pine Supper Club is where you need to go. Fact: Go to Knotty Pine and you will not leave there without having a great steak and you should still have money to go out on Main Street when you get back to Brookings, SD. We went here after a long day at The Summit League Tournament and we didn't have time to change into a collared shirt but they let us right in without any judgment. I will go back every time I'm near Brookings, SD read more

This winter (2022) my fiancé brought me here for the first time after our engagement. Tonight after a long day of work we decided to come here with my parents for a pre-wedding dinner. The last dinner with my parents I'll have as a single woman, lol. We came all the way from Sioux Falls with the plan of a nice dinner and then getting back with in enough time to sleep and enjoy the evening. It is currently 10:08pm as I right this and we are still on the Highway. So let's recount this experience which is why we will never return. We arrived and were seated after being looked at as if we were not in the right place. After being seated about 10 minutes our drink orders were taken. Two fountain drinks, a water and one bar drink. About 20 minutes later nothing, the manager came around and asked us how things were going. She then brought us our drinks. My father ordered a bottle of wine at this point. The sodas have arrived but the water still had not. Our server came with the bottle of wine and asked my mom "would you guys like glasses with this?" My mom responded in the most perfect way "No, I think I'll just drink it from the bottle." LMAO. "Yes, I think we should use glasses." She responded after her chuckle. The server came back with the glasses, but she never got the water. Then she came to take the order. We ordered three steak dinners. The bill was simple please put the alcohol on one tab and everything else on the other. This is the good part and the only reason there are stars given at all. As always the food was amazing. The quality and consistency of the food is the best. That's where the positive remarks end. The server checked a couple of times on our table but did not respond to any requests in a timely manner. We arrived at 7:30pm and didn't get our bill till about 9:45pm. We had asked for our bill and it never came, finally our server came to the table and asked us if we would like to close our bill, and asked for our form of payment. We gave our cards only to find out the bill was done completely wrong but the cards were already run. My fiancé has management experience in the restaurant industry and decided that was not going to work. After much struggle the bill was fixed and ran correctly (I'll update if this doesn't stay correct). Here's the part I don't really understand. I talked with the manager and explained the issues we had with the massive wait time, not getting an appetizer we ordered, not receiving our drinks or the bill BEFORE our cards had been ran. Her response was ..... I don't know why that happened. That was it. No I'm sorry, no "your server was new". Nothing. With that said I leave this experience learning a few things. One: I need to be a little more aggressive when things start to go wrong. Two: I need to demand an itemized bill before paying ANYWHERE, and Three: good food and a pretty drive doesn't equal a good experience. As of now, we will never make this drive again. I love the Brookings/Elkton area, but we won't be returning. This was an embarrassing experience. We chose Knotty Pine because we wanted to take my parents somewhere nice, somewhere that isnt a chain, somewhere enjoyable, somewhere South Dakota. This was our last time here, it's too sad because it we had some great experiences here before... 2025- I got on to help for the first time in years to see this was in my drafts. I contemplated not posting it because of how long ago this was...but decided it was a bad enough experience that we have still not been back so it was worth posting. I still stand by my review and do not recommend this place. There is a great place called The Rusty Nail in willow lake if your looking for a small town eatery with amazing prime rib and steak. read more

Dining at the Knotty Pine was outstanding! The food was excellent including salads, relish tray, and dinner rolls to accompany our meals. The ribs, chicken, walleye and shrimp were delicious! Our server was delightful and took excellent care of our dining needs. I highly recommend dining at the Knotty Pine for an exceptional night out! read more

The food is absolutely delicious! The service and atmosphere is amazing! I eat there on a regular basis and I have never been disappointed. read more

One of the greatest menus with attractive pricing. The quality of the food is outstanding. Easily one of the best. We've ordered many of the menu items over time and have absolutely enjoyed everything. Mike K read more

We came in at 7pm, fairly empty. Waited at the table after being seated for 25 minutes without a single person walking by to take an order. After a waitress came to the table next to us with her back turned the entire time we left. read more

My wife and I had a wonderful dinner. Our sever was the owner and we had a great conversation with her. The food was great with those reminders of supper clubs of the past (e.g., the relish tray). The Chislic was an awesome local find. It is a South Dakota specialty and a great appetizer. The steaks were very flavorful and done just right. Don't miss the ice cream drinks for desert. My wife was waxing poetically of her grandfather as she enjoyed a Golden Cadillac. I highly recommend this 'gem on the prairie'. Thanks Chris and Randy for a great evening. read more

The side salad was amazing! It's rare that you get crackers and a pickle dish these days. Shrimp Alfredo was good and the chicken cashew salad was terrific! Service was amazing and atmosphere was good. We will be back! read more

I like this place! The food is Great and the owners and staff are very nice. When I want a good Prime Rib meal this is it read more

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We went in and it was about 10-15 minutes before we were acknowledged. my mother was shoved by a waitress and she didn't even bother to say excuse me. We were told it would be another 15 minute wait for A table so we sat up front for a bit. After we realized that people were being sat before us (arrived after and i heard them say they had no reservation) we had to go ask at the bar if we could take an empty table back there. We waited 45 MINUTES after being sat when a waiter walked up and asked if we were ready to order.. yet we were never given menus.. The waiter apologized as he had noticed we were being flat out ignored by the other staff. He was absolutely great and made sure we were well taken care of. The food was very good but due to the horrible service, we will not be back any time soon. NOT worth the 30 minute drive.. read more

Horrible service from the time we walked in the door. Complained as we paid and the cashier said she already knew others had complained. Spent well over $100.00, called the owner and he sent me a $10.00 gift certificate. I sent it back and I've been telling everyone I can. read more

I read the reviews before going and they were spot on. The food was FANTASTIC! My son and I tried the shrimp scampi which we would definitely order again. I like that they brought a little relish tray to begin the meal. The only downside would be the service. The waitress was very nice but the service was slow. They could probably use more wait staff. read more

Great food with great service! Waiters and bar tenders are all nice and usually will attend to any special needs (i.e. Gluten free options). Food is good quality, nothing to be frowned upon. read more

Very neat restaurant and bar just outside Elkton. Good menu, great steak, very reasonable prices and good service. Would recommend to anyone looking for a quality experience. Well worth the short drive. read more

WOW! This place is a little gem out in the middle of nowhere! Love the atmosphere, and the food was out of this world. That's saying a lot for me, because I love going to expensive and fancy restaurants. If you're in the area or just passing by, don't miss your chance to grab some dinner here! The prime rib was cooked perfectly and tasted better than any I've ever had anywhere els! Staff was friendly and helpful! read more

This place knows how to cook a steak! Went for Mother's Day weekend for the first time and was rather impressed! Friendly service,cozy laid back environment and kick ass food! Will certainly be returning to this little gem! read more

Very laid back atmosphere in the middle of a field. Great food & a tasty, healthy, appetizer is served before your meal! Worth the short drive from Brookings. read more