Speaking from an Italian, this was some of the best Italian food I've ever had!! I'd give a 10 star if I could!!

Food was fresh and direct. My ribeye was perfectly cooked. The risotto was creamy and well flavored. Service was exceptional and professional. Ambiance was standard. I would recommend this establishment for its straightforward fare and reasonable prices read more

Amazing food super delicious and well prepared. Highly recommend! And a very nice open bar/dining area

The good - It's a nice large space with a somewhat authentic Italian feel to it with a cozy bar area. The bad - it was evident they were severely understaffed & although our server was trying to keep up with all of her tables she was frazzled & wasn't good under pressure at all. Also our order of Lobster Risotto & The Chicken Parmesan was flavorless & it was served luke warm. The Chicken Parms sauce was so runny I had a difficult time cutting it without the sauce running over the rim of the plate ( see picture attached ) one last thing was the bill was a bit on the pricey side, 2 entrees & a drink apiece for $ 79.94. After a pretty miserable experience we will not go back to La Minnestra. read more

La Minestra - Chicken Parmesan with the thinnest, runiest sauce I've ever seen. - Italian Near Me - Pierre, South Dakota

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Delicious authentic Italian cuisine. The entire team; chefs and servers go above and beyond in every aspect for a delightful dining experience in this local family-owned restaurant. read more

La Minestra - Delectable seafood linguine (mussels, scallops, shrimp with made from scratch pasta) in light red sauce. - Italian Near Me - Pierre, South Dakota

Breaks my heart that there are no options for "0/5". I'm writing this review, with my husband account, to share my unique experience today, 6/4/2024. I was in town for work, and this restaurant was recommended by a colleague when deciding where to go for lunch, and a group of us decided to eat here. Mind that even though no one deserves bad service, unless you have been a bad customer in the past, we are all professional women, we behave professionally, we looked professional. Upon entering in the establishment, we encountered a sign that read "seat yourself". All the tables that we initially saw were to sit up to 4 people, and our group was bigger than that, so we decided to pull some table together, when a young waitress, in a very rude tone, basically scolded us "NO,NO, DON'T DO THAT! We have bigger tables for that", rolled her eyes and walked away without even pointing out were those table were. Eventually, we found our own table, which was WAY bigger than what we needed. At that point we were debating if we should've leave or not, but we felt bad because the person that recommended this place was among the group, so we decided to still give it a try. After a few minutes, this waitress came to us, and with the same tone of voice asked "Is this all of you?", in a very snooty way, again rolling her eyes. We told her we were waiting for one more person, and she proceeded to asl the group for drinks. A few of the group said "water" and she just assumed everybody wanted water and left without asking the rest of the group. The person we were waiting for came in and sat down, and then she proceeded to take out order. From that point, everything seemed okay, until the last few minutes of our meal. One of my colleagues was coming back to the table and walked by a pile of "to go" containers and just grabbed one. When the waitress came back with our check, she scolded that colleague, in the most unprofessional, I'm-your-mother-and-you-listen-to-me, rude way. We understand places have their own rules and we didn't think it was a big deal, on the contrary, we assumed she was busy and we didn't want to bother that young girl for a "to go" container, but it was the way she talked to us in front of other customers. She brought our checks individually, and at that point some of the group were already upset with the whole experience. Some left tips, other decided not to, some other left a note in their check indicating how the felt about the service, nothing offensive, nothing out of the ordinary. Then we decided to leave, and as we were walking to the door, this tall and bald (or short hair?), stood behind the bar and yelled "HEY LADIES", so we turned around and he proceed to yell across the place, in front of other customers, "DON'T YOU EVER RETURN TO THIS ESTABLISHMENT" and then proceeded to yell either " TAKE YOUR MASKY ASSES OUT OF HERE" (one of the members was wearing a mask", or "TAKE YOUR NASTY ASSES OUT OF HERE", even though the later makes more sense, I prefer to believe it was the former. The only thing that it cross our mind that could case such reaction was the event of taking a "to go" container, so that colleague went to talk to the waitress and profusely apologized, to which she replied "No, it wasn't because of that, but let me escort you out". We later learned that gentleman was the owner, and he didn't even try to talk to us to let us know what happened, if we did anything wrong, or if, or why, we were unhappy about the service. We all felt very shocked, with no idea what even happened, since we have never experience something like this before. read more

The staff is extremely nice! The pasta was great but portions are really big - if you are really hungry this is your type of place! The bar area looks fun and would definitely come back to get a drink there! read more

La Minestra - Shrimp scampi special - Italian Near Me - Pierre, South Dakota

Worst service I've ever experienced in my life. There is a young waitress there that carries a seemingly peculiar disdain for hospitality and customer service. Constant snide remarks aimed at paying customers and eye-rolling seem to be her strong suits. Poor attentiveness during our visit added to the sour taste in our mouths left by her. A verbal accosting from the owner ensured we will never set foot there again, and we will tell everyone we know to do the same if they don't want to waste their money. It's unfortunate really, because the food is good, and our other visits have not been like this. But, no food is too good to endure that nonsense. I'll gladly eat at McDonald's before spending money here again. read more

PSA: La Minestra had a server named Mattie that was very rude and almost inhumane to my mom and her Native American/elder nurse friends. They went in there just a lunch and were yelled at by the owner and his daughter while this grown man yelled at them "get your nasty a**** out of here!". Then my mom who has a lapband, tried to get a to-go box and the waitress screamed at her to stop and those were for workers. My mom later tried to apologize for it and the waitress escorted her out? These nurses are not rude or sassy in any way and it is a real shame people don't respect their elders and Native American first responders none the less. We are all the same no matter who you are and deserved to be treated with some respect. I have commented and tried to reach out to them but they are taking down all of my comments trying to hide their coward actions. read more

Busy place. Not a lot of restaurants to eat at in Pierre. Waitress was rude, no customer service skills! No eye contact setting the ketchup, drinks and food on the table when it arrived without words or looking at you. Cook/ owner acts the same way. Burger very dry and the bun was huge. Waitress told me I could not order a burger without the bun. No pickles available they only serve them at the bar. Loud atmosphere. Do not recommend this establishment. Subway has better customer service/ manners. It was the worst experience. Saw the owner outside yelling at other clients and swearing. Very inappropriate behavior. read more

Bad service. Unfriendly waitress no eye contact and no smile. Burger dry and bland. No pickles available for food only for the bar. Cook/ owner rude and hostile. Obviously has anger issues! Pierre does not have a lot of options for lunch. Rude. Loud atmosphere tables close together. Do NOT recommend. read more

Great food and friendly service. We sat at the bar as it was a packed Friday at lunch. This will always be a go-to should I get to Pierre again. read more

I'm giving this restaurant a one and if I could, I would give it a zero, not because of the quality of the food, but due to the management being absolute jackasses. this was our second time to eat at this restaurant, last year being the first, granted, we are a big group, 12, but even last year they treated us as if it was a burden to them. This year, we walked to the restaurant. A couple of people had a drink in their hand when we entered, the same skinny manager started screaming at us to get out because he assumed they were alcoholic beverages. We left and ate elsewhere. I encourage you to avoid this restaurant simply because they do not care about your business much less trying to give you a nice dining experience. There are other restaurants in the area. that care about your patronage, and I encourage you to visit them and avoid this restaurant at all costs. read more

What a fantastic group of people and fabulous food. We catered in one night and enjoyed 3 pastas and 3 salads, ate their great pizza one day for lunch and then the finally ate at the restaurant. We have a group of 21 and they never missed a beat!! Thank you Mya!! read more

I've been a regular customer for some time now. The food is very good. Ive had a few issues with take out orders and when I called with my complaint about not getting dressing with my salad the owner Mark told me what a lousy customer and tipper I was and I should not come back. Now for anyone that would like to see my receipts I spend around $100.00 for every meal at least 4 times per month and always tip 15-20%. I guess I won't go back. Hope you don't either! read more

A great little Italian restaurant where the family can get together and perfect for a romantic date. The service was great and the food even better! Would recommend! read more

Great place, both the pizza and Buffalo Mac' 'n Cheese we're very good. The service was great. All servers were hustling to do a fine job. Prices weren't out of line either. I'll definitely come back next time in Pierre. read more

I went with coworkers and this is an amazing restaurant. From gime made bread with dipping sauce. I had a pasta dish with cream sauce, prosciutto and green peas. Made me think i was in the Italian area in downtown Boston. We all had something different and were very happy. A place to go again. read more

Wow! What an absolute great meal, inviting ambiance and super staff! The place was busy, vibe was fun, and even w/a short wait, it was fun watching the busyness. Jenna was our server and was an absolute joy! Wait staff make a difference so we hit a grand slam w/her! I had the chicken Thai dish: perhaps the best Thai noodle bowl ever, and I am a Thai connoisseur. Hubby had the ravioli; no complaints from him. Definitely recommend! read more

Awesome food and drinks, always delicious. Great atmosphere and pleasant vibes :) The beet salad and jalapeño popper pizza are some of my favorites! read more

OMG....I've been to Pierre many times in past years. I came back expecting the typical excellent steak and extraordinary biscuits and gravy... a friend suggested this place..I assumed it to be like finding Sushi in Pierre....how sadly mistaken I was. I've traveled the USA and have eaten at every "Little Italy" coast to coast. Thus place stacks up to the best of the best...my only complaint is that I am not staying in town longer.... read more

Friendly staff, great atmosphere & ALWAYS yummy food! Everything on the menu is delicious! Probably my town favorite!

They were very busy tonight with a 40 person birthday party! But the wait staff did a great job of serving us without too long a wait. We had the house salad and chicken parmesan. The house salad was fresh with a nice assortment of vegetables; cherry tomatoes, cucumber, carrots served Ruth your choice of dressing. They also served fresh homemade bread. The chicken Parmesan was delicious. Each portion was large enough to share or take some home. The atmosphere was quaint and contemporary at the same time! A definite for dinner anytime! read more

La Minestra - Italian Near Me - Pierre, South Dakota

I love this place it's a family owned and run amazing atmosphere. The food is AMAZING 10/10 recommended.

Best pizza in Pierre. The Atomic Goat is my favorite. Also fabulous Greek salads. Service is always professional and friendly.

This is one of the worst restaurant experiences I have ever had. First of all, the food is insanely expensive and is only decent. Second of all, the restaurant is all stuck up because they think they're the best restaurant in a town of 13,000. However, they stole $100 from us. Our family had been give. a $100 gift card (with the receipt) that we wanted to use. We took it to the restaurant, and they said that they got rid of the card reader for that card. We even showed them the receipt for our $100 gift card, and they still refused to take it, or allow us to exchange it for a new gift card. Our friends payed $100 for that gift card, and they stole it. That's just slimy. I'll never support them again. read more

Traveling for work means using Yelp a ton for suggestions and this one was a huge surprise! Ordered the Beet Salad (dressing on the side) which was incredibly fresh and super tasty. Ordered several IPAs (Fernson out of Sioux Falls) and indulged as we waited on a Steak pizza to go. We walked in the door 20 min before they closed, even thought this is not a common practice for us. (Sorry again guys!) But they were so welcoming. The bartender even gave us advice on where we should hike nearby. Go here! read more

Don't waste your time trying to go here, when we walked in several people walked right by us and ignored us. Finally some came and us they weren't seating anymore, (40 minutes before they closed). So we went a mile down the street and had a great meal at Redrossa. read more

Amazing food. Had we have been going here every year for almost 20 years. It's always a stop on our 5 night stay in Pierre. It never disappoints. Even with Covid, the food was excellent and the service too notch. Love to support these folks. I had to Cajun Lobster parpadelle, daughter had the chicken parm. All were really well prepared meals. read more

Found this place on Yelp. We there at 6pm on a Friday night. We sat at the bar. Ordered a bottle of wine and flatbread pizza appetizer. The crust was like baked bread and the topping/cheese were delicious. For the entrée, I had the Lobster Rockefeller. Loaded with lobster and bacon in a cream sauce over fettuccini. Rich and savoring. Hey, it's got lobster and bacon, how could one not like it? Best of all, the staff were entertaining. Love this place! "Seriously!" read more

Absolutely fantastic. I had the special, which was linguine pasta with prosciutto, olives, and shrimp. It was incredible. The shrimp were perfectly cooked, the mark of expertise IMO. I would recommend to all family members, friends, and strangers. Six stars out of five. read more

We were super hungry and not too particular about where we ate, but we definitely didn't want pub grub (or atmosphere). We walked into La Minestra at 7:30 on a Tuesday night - the tables were about half full which I though was pretty good for a Tuesday. We ordered drinks to start, and my mom's White Peach Sangria was so delicious I had to order one for myself! The chef forgot our appetizer, but that turned out to be a blessing in disguise because the servings were HUGE!!! I got the Buffalo Mac and cheese (one of my favs - yum! But super rich!!), my mom got the chicken tortellini and my dad ordered the chicken parm with papardelle noodles, and it came out on a platter!! We probably could've all split just that plate! Everything was delicious and perfectly seasoned and cooked. Our waitress was very polite and friendly but she was busy, so unfortunately I didn't catch her name, but she makes a stellar sangria! Too bad we're only passing through on our way back to Seattle or we would return for sure!! read more

Marks favorite is probably the best pasta dish I've ever had. The perfect texture and ingredients are just right. If your in the mood for a steak, you've gotta order 'The Royál' it's blue cheese with avocado on top of the most tender ribeye or strip you'll have in Pierre. Definitely a great place to hang out at the bar or take your date. Great atmosphere, friendly staff and best food on the river. read more

When walking through the downtown area we kept asking where would be a good place to have lunch or dinner. Only one person mentioned la minestra others said the Italian restaurant. So we kind of expected spaghetti and meatballs or the typical Italian fare. What a delightful surprise to have an eclectic menu and food to truly satisfy a discerning pallet. I ordered the Cajun lobster dinner and my husband ordered mark's special dinner. We were delighted with our choices and were even able with the generous portionsto take some home for a second meal. Course is certainly a restaurant that one should not mess with visiting the capital city. It was A special treat read more

Best cake ever!!!! The food is really good and there is a nice selection, but the desert is my favorite......you can never have too much chocolate! read more

As the Cattleman's Club does steaks, this place does Italian. Locally owned and operated, La Minestra is definitely a bang for your buck. Although the place is spendy, as far as Pierre is concerned, it's worth every penny. Definitely worth checking out, if you're planning on being in the area. read more

Came with my parents while on a "roots" trip. Possibly the best option in Pierre (we didn't get a chance to try anywhere else). First, La Minestra has no soup. I wonder if they know what "La Minestra" means... Second, flavor of everything we had was fine; portion sizes were insane. My dad had the eggplant Parmesan, which nominally was supposed to be on a bed of Penne, but in fact was on a bed of about a pound of Linguini, into which the eggplant ended up mooshing. I'm not sure why it was necessary to add a pound of pasta under the eggplant, tomato and cheese. Lots of cheese. I had the "Thai" chicken pasta. It was chicken sliced too-thinly and then overcooked, a few small pieces of broccoli, and then some sesame oil. One of two bites had a whiff of ginger, so I think there was probably some ginger in there. Again, about a pound of Linguine. At least the linguini was reasonably correctly cooked. If they'd had some sriracha or something it might have been a bit better. My mom ordered the "Matt's Favorite" which was describe as pasta with red peppers and tomato. When it arrived, it turned out that it was about as close to soup as "La Minestra" has to offfer. Very liquidy sauce which she said was not too bad of peppers and tomato, but the noodles that were soaking in it was so overcooked they were falling apart. Again, there was about a pound of pasta mooshing its way into the soupy sauce, way more than anyone could reasonably eat. All 3 dishes took an incredibly long time to arrive at the table; the restaurant was not especially busy. I suppose they needed the extra time to really boil the crap out of my mom's noodles and to really make sure my chicken was as dry as possible without burning it. I might go back if I were to return to Pierre some day, but only because by the time you reach Pierre, you've already eaten so much steak and pork on the road that the steakhouse in town seems less than appealing. read more

The only reason they are getting 1 star is that the beet and goat cheese salad we had was delicious but that was the ONLY redeeming quality of our experience here. I would like to start with, I almost never leave reviews on yelp. You either have to be the most fantastic place/food/experience EVER or completely terrible. And I have a very low bar for what constitutes terrible service but this place takes the cake! First we walked in at 820pm (the posted hours say they close at 9pm). We asked upon walking in if they were still serving food. The server asked the kitchen staff and they said yes so we were seated. We had already looked up the menu online cause we knew we were coming in late. We had been driving since 8am. We sat and ordered our food within 5 minutes. And mind you, there was only 2 other people in the restaurant eating at this time. We ordered a full salad and a pasta dish to split between the two of us. I am a vegetarian. The pasta dish had prosciutto in it...I ordered it without the meat. The server (brunette woman with glasses...receipt says her name is Marlo) said "no problem". We had some very delicious bread and our salad came out promptly. At this point it's 835pm. Next our server brought out our pasta already split into two plates, which we didn't ask for but that's fine. As she set down the plates she said, "um I'm really sorry but I forgot to tell them no prosciutto." And then proceeded to shrug her shoulders and stare at me like it was no big deal and I got the very distinct impression she expected me to eat it. She told me it was shaved so I could pick it out. I politely told her I could not eat it. I don't eat meat. She stared at me and asked what I would like her to do. I actually told her, "I know you guys are closing up soon so just make me the easiest, fastest pasta. I'm not picky about sauce either as long as there is not meat on it." She was CLEARLY irritated and being a total rude ass at this point. She said "red or white sauce?" Once again I answered, "I don't care. Whatever is easiest for you guys." She walks away and returns moments later and informed me the kitchen is closed. Even though it is 840p and the posted hours are for 9pm. Keep that in mind if you want/need a late meal. They don't actually cook till the posted closing time. At this point, we are still very cordial, even if we are somewhat at a loss. The rude server told us she would bring us some complementary bread when we asked her to pack up the pasta (my friend does eat meat). She then takes the pasta in the back to box it up. She brings us our bill and she not only charged us for the pasta SHE ADMITS to screwing up on and has the nerve to charge us a split plate charge....on a meal I couldn't even eat! Then she doesn't bring us back the boxed up pasta. We have to ask the kitchen guy for it. And she doesn't bring us our "comp'd bread" that was promised. $30 for a salad essentially...and one of the rudest serving experiences I have ever had. We left cause I was starving and tired. Taco Johns for a bean burrito..at least they can get an order right. I hope the management or owners address her rude behavior and terrible service. To charge us for that pasta was absolutely ridiculous. read more

The staff was friendly. The food was super pricey. They must have changed their menu recently (the prices, not the items) because everything was about $5 more expensive than it was on the website. The pizza is enormous though, so splitting a pie between two or even three people is a good way to have an economical visit. The pre-dinner bread was cold and a few days old, and I personally get a bit annoyed when people bring me oil and vinegar without any Parmesan cheese. In conclusion: Decent, not great, probably not worth the price. read more

Nice Italian place with more atmosphere than I expected. Friendly and helpful service. The food was really good, but not over the top. Will go back there mainly for the atmosphere. The pasta is cooked in chicken broth. If you are vegetarian request them to cook it in water; they will accommodate you. read more