We were seated near the front window and had a wonderful view of the monument. Our server Kody M. Was awesome. We really enjoyed the tatanka (buffalo) stew with an exceptional fry bread for a side. We had the kuken (spelling?) for dessert. I will come back if we're ever in the area again. read more

tl;dr the Native-ish dishes deliver on the comfort food front, and nowhere have I dined with such a stunning view for this low of a price Among the regional dishes native to South Dakota, many trace their roots to Native American cuisine. An accessible spot to sample these dishes is at the Laughing Water Restaurant at Crazy Horse Memorial. Here, the menu features American comfort food with a Native bent. Briefly, Crazy Horse Memorial is an in-progress mountainside sculpture depicting the eponymous Lakota warrior. Thus far, only Crazy Horse's face and hand have been completed, but the titanic scale of the sculpture dwarfs even Mt Rushmore. One of the best views of the sculpture is from the museum complex, including select tables within the attached Laughing Water Restaurant. The expansive, banquet hall-esque dining space features polished wood motifs across the walls, ceilings, tables, and chairs. Every inch of wall space is occupied by windows, Native American artwork, or memorabilia related to Crazy Horse. Austere, warmly lit chandeliers complement the ample natural light. The floors are lined with thin brown carpeting that proactively hides most stains. Background music plays quietly throughout the space. My party arrived for early lunch, aiming to dine before an incoming tour group. Our proactivity was rewarded with an unrivaled view of Crazy Horse from a secluded secondary dining room. We opted to share a smattering of entrees and desserts. Notably, multiple plates featured Indian fry bread, a disk of deep-fried dough somewhere between naan and funnel cake. My favorite dish was the Native American Taco -- fry bread topped with ground beef, refried beans, and all of the other Americanized taco fixings. The hearty combination was a half-step above the standard, at-home "taco night" creation. I also enjoyed the rich and salty Tatanka Stew, loaded with buffalo and vegetables, then sprinkled with shredded cheese. The only disappointing entree was the 1/3 lb Buffalo Smash Burger; the "smashed" patty lost all of its juice and ended up dry and flavorless. Of desserts, I couldn't get enough of the Kuchen. Derived from the German word for "cake", this custard-y tart is the official dessert of South Dakota. Laughing Horse's version featured strawberry rhubarb in its rich custard filling. Meanwhile, the Wajape (a Native berry sauce) was mostly indistinguishable from the compote paired with pancakes at any roadside diner. The service was friendly and attentive, and the prices were reasonable. Across all dishes, the portions were generous, and the food felt homemade (rather than fast-food quality or overtly upscale). The Native influences across the dishes were clearly watered down, but the food was palatable, and the views were unparalleled. Considering that we were a captive audience, Laughing Water exceeded expectations and offered a glimpse into native South Dakotan cuisine without breaking the bank. read more

Laughing Water Restaurant - Native American Taco - American Near Me - Crazy Horse, South Dakota

Stopped in for lunch after my adventure of visiting the Crazy Horse museum. My 2nd time dining. This time I ordered the bison burger with side of potato salad. I love bison! The flavor is so tasty and less fat than cow meat. The bun was very buttery and crisp, with swiss cheese, tomato and pickle. Delicious! Potato salad very good to. I had a nice waitress who was very attentive. The views while dining are exceptional. I love this little place in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Definitely recommend. Located at Crazy Horse Memorial. read more

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Great place to grab a quick bite during your visit to the Crazy Horse Memorial. Offerings are standard snack bar foods but, better prepared than many we have had. The service was friendly and they kept the line moving. The only wait was for pizza because it was baked to order not setting under a light. The seating area was clean well kept. read more

Tatanka Stew with Indian Fry Bread! Don't miss this one folks. It was perfect for a cold, snowy day at the Memorial Tender chunks of buffalo/bison taters carrots peas and a perfectly spiced brown gravy sauce! Why not have dessert. If you have never heard of Kuchen (Koo- Gen) give it a shot as well. I had the cherry at it was gone before I knew it read more

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Quick service and they serve buffalo burgers and stew. The local dessert was also tasty. read more

Laughing Water Restaurant - Kuchen - American Near Me - Crazy Horse, South Dakota

Great place to eat while visiting Crazy Horse. We got seated quickly. Ordered cheese burger with French fries. Great service from staff. We also ordered the fry bread. read more

Laughing Water Restaurant - Hamburger - American Near Me - Crazy Horse, South Dakota

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Visited here today and although it was too foggy to see the Monument, the food and people here made our afternoon a success anyway! After visiting the fabulous museum, we had late lunch, including a Native American taco, Buffalo stew with fry bread and a buffalo burger. All were great and our server, Karen, was wonderfully friendly and helpful. Stop in if you're at the Monument ! I certainly hope to return. read more

Best tatanka (bison) stew I ever tasted. Recommended by a friend who had it there years ago. The Indian fry bread was good too. read more

Laughing Water Restaurant - Tatanka stew and Indian fry bread - American Near Me - Crazy Horse, South Dakota

I came here for two reasons. It was lunch and they had a Fry Bread Taco on the menu. Laughing Water Restaurant is located inside the Crazy Horse Memorial and is open during its hours. Parking is part of the overall complex and is a bit difficult. The restaurant is large and understaffed making service difficult. Their lunch buffet seemed to be popular as it may have been part of the many tours passing through. I wanted the Fry Bread Taco so I ordered it and looked at the memorial through the large windows. The taco was good. I'm used to a southwestern style which is usually thinner. This fry bread was more thick so I had to eat the taco with a fork. It was loaded with bland ingredients but the strength of the fry bread still came through. If you're stopping here around lunch it's good to stop here for lunch. They also have a quick service counter which may help. Overall it's just a normal park cafeteria with all the normal issues. But get the fry bread! read more

Laughing Water Restaurant - Buffet Area - American Near Me - Crazy Horse, South Dakota

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Great view of Crazy Horse while you eat. They offer buffet on the menu for an affordable price and had decent options like fried chicken, Salisbury steak, full salad bar, etc. However, I opted for the Indian taco, which was really good. The Indian fried bread was very unique. It came with a lot of lettuce and tomatoes, it was more of a taco salad. The kids grilled cheese was delicious as well, they were generous with the butter on the grilled cheese bread. The service was decent too, although we never got refills on our drinks. read more

Laughing Water Restaurant - Taco - American Near Me - Crazy Horse, South Dakota

Came in with my family of four and this was such a perfect experience from start to finish. We made sure to get a seat for lunch on the early side (1130) and were sat right away with plenty of tables available around us. The building was rustic and the view out the big windows was pretty. Every staff member we encountered was warm and operated with a sense of urgency. Our server Zach was perfect. We ordered the stew and taco and both plates were delicious. The kids buffet was a perfect choice for our 4 & 6 y.o.s to both find some healthy and filling choices they liked. Buffett food all looked fresh. We ended our meal with dessert and coffee and our bill was only $74. We left nice and full. My favorites were the stew, fry bread and the South Dakota dessert I don't recall the name of that was reminiscent of butter cake. read more

If you are at Crazy Horse during lunch, this is your option. It was ok, albeit a bit heavy. Lots of fries options on the menu. There was a buffet with salad bar and soup with two hot entrees. I had the soup, slip pea and ham. It was fine. Service was friendly. View from dining room was of the monument. Pretty. read more

Laughing Water Restaurant - Native Taco Salad - American Near Me - Crazy Horse, South Dakota

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The bbq buger is good the ppl are to. The vibes are good the service is good to. Mmmmmmmmm read more

Laughing Water Restaurant - American Near Me - Crazy Horse, South Dakota

This was an excellent dining experience during our visit to the Rapid City, SD community a few months ago. We was wanting to find something and it was kinda late around 8pm. I was able to search Google and Yelp for restaurants open and with good reviews. Once I found this restaurant and I called ahead to ensure what their business hours were at the time. I spoke with a very friendly female who confirmed that they were still open for another hour, so I decided to give them a try. This is a buffet style restaurant in which you seat yourself, and you pay approximately $15 per person for all you can eat. All the staff was complying by the COVID-19 pandemic precautions. All the food was fresh and after being prepared tasted very good. I would definitely return for another visit, and I would recommend this place to friends and family members. read more

I was torn on what to say about this. You are welcomed and seated. We had a nice view of Crazy Horse site while we ate. I ordered the Native American Taco. The flavors were decent and the portion is huge. Come hungry. It had a nice addition I have never had is refried beans. The waiter didn't fill our water so that was kind of disappointing. My wife had the jack Daniels burger. It was really good. The flavors left a party in your mouth. read more

Laughing Water Restaurant - Jack Daniels Burger - American Near Me - Crazy Horse, South Dakota

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We enjoyed a far better meal than anticipated based upon the reviews. We were provided a table with a great view of the Crazy Horse memorial. The food is standard of a state or federal park area, and acceptably tasty. I had the fish sticks with fries, and they were better than expected. My wife had a burger which again was pretty standard, along the lines of any casual sit-down restaurant. Pricing was reasonable at about $25 per person all in, including soft drinks, tip and tax. An overall pleasant experience. read more

Came for restaurant week. Everything was great as was the service. Great food & desserts. Will be back for sure for the regular menu they have. Has a nice big seating area & we had a good view of Crazy Horse while we ate. read more

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We had the Native American taco served on fry bread and tatonka Buffalo stew, and enjoyed them both. The restaurant gives you a view of the Crazy Horse monument if you are fortunate enough to get a table near the window. Try the Kuchen for dessert! It's very unique - sort of a cake base with a light fruit preserve center and a sweet custard spread on top. read more

Came in for lunch. We ordered a Tatanka soup and Native American taco. The soup came with two pieces of meat and the taco wasn't great. Bread tasted like it was frozen. Hard edges and overall no flavor to the entire meal. I didn't finish the plate I was excited for. This place has potential if food is made FRESH to order. read more

Best Burger and stew ever! Wish we had them in Colorado! Friendly service! Great end to our Crazy Horse tour!

Perfectly serviceable. The food doesn't have quite the same wow factor as the Crazy Horse monument, in respect to flavors or ingredients. The Sweet Potato Fries and the Coffee are real standouts, genuinely well cooked and generously given. I visited for the "Native American Taco", which was solid - don't get me wrong - but it wasn't amazing. I appreciated the fresh toppings and that the waitress was so kind as to check if the beans were vegetarian or not (yes, the service is great here!). The dishes that disappointed were the burgers. They looked like school cafeteria burgers and were rather dry - the grilled chicken the worst offender, the buffalo patty not as bad. The "Garden Burger" was decent though, it had some nice flavors. Glad that I'm supporting the monument by eating at Laughing Water, and I encourage you to do the same (at least the Native American taco if you've never had), but I wish they could dress up the food just a little bit. read more

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We had a nice time here, the views of Crazy Horae were Devine! The buffalo stew was topped only by the service. Kody was a wonderful server, attentive yet fun! Emily was a wonderful cashier, offering us some sightseeing tips. The blond lady (Manager whose name escape me) was equally friendly and engaging (as suchcollected the Raster Peeps Goblet fro our table. All in all, a wonderful experience! read more

Laughing Water Restaurant - Prime Rib dip w sweet potato fries. - American Near Me - Crazy Horse, South Dakota

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Okay, so I'm a fan of the museum but the restaurant had some bad tasting food. I got the all you can eat salad/food bar and it was not good. $17. The meatballs were yucky, the mashed potatoes were ew, the salad was, plain. The soup was okay but overall just bleh. Once I was done, the checkout clerk overcharged me and when I pointed it out she murmured under her breath, "stupid". Save your money, go elsewhere. read more

We got there just a few minutes before they closed at 8, but they still allowed us to get our food to go and eat on the picnic tables on the deck. The Tatanka stew ($10.99) was delicious! It had pretty good chunks of bison in there. Easy way to grab a meal while at the Crazy Horse Memorial. read more

Laughing Water Restaurant - Tatanka stew - American Near Me - Crazy Horse, South Dakota

Lovely restaurant inside the park with a view of Crazy Horse mountain! Hubs enjoyed the Tatonka stew and I had some excellent fried shrimp and sweet potato fries; though I did think the portion of shrimp was rather small. Would love to have given this place 5 stars, but had to take one off for those landfill plastic packets used for tartar sauce. A real disappointment. They also have a buffet and it did look yummy and fresh, especially the salad bar and desserts, but I truly didn't pay too attention, as I'm not much of a buffet person. The interior is beautiful and we were lucky to be seated by one of the huge windows overlooking the monument. And, once you're finished with your nice lunch, right across the walkway is the huge gift shop - win/win! read more

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Worse than horrible service. From the hostess to the waitress. Zero eye contact or communication such as "follow me to your table," or "how is your food?" When I asked the waitress if I can have a bigger cup of coffee or if I can have two small cups, she suggested I walk to the nest by snack shop and get my own free coffee. So I go to the snack shop and they seemed very confused but eventually gave me a cup. This should never happen, your job is to wait on us and we tip, that's the purpose of eating out. Food was mediocre but fairly priced. read more

Very nice waitress(I think her name was Minzy?) served us for our late lunch. We got there around 3:30pm and she told us salad bar was open so salad buffet (~$7.99?) option was open. Lunch buffet ends at 3:45pm so we were to late for that. It's supposed to have two meat choices and salad, dessert. We got the laughing water specialty dishes native American tacos, beef stew. They were very popular because I saw a lot of people ordering those. We also got the spaghetti with meatball, the club sandwich and sweet potatoes fries instead. Beef stew was great. Beef was tender and had a lot of flavors. It's not greasy at all. I also really like the bread that came with it. Native American tacos were ok. It tasted just like regular tacos except for the "taco shell"were the same bread as the one that came with the stew. Spaghetti with meatballs was ok. It's just like any regular one. Sweet potato fries was very crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I like it. read more

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Ate here. Total plus was seeing the carving in process while we ate! We could see pieces falling from our table. Larger windows could better facilitate for all diners. Windows are small and obscured by plants. I had the Native American taco. I had several on my trip and this was my favorite. Most of our group had sandwiches or burgers. Kids for tenders and they were well liked and eaten. Everyone really liked the fries. AC could have been better. Don't miss the viewing area and binoculars out back. read more

Laughing Water Restaurant - Native American Taco - American Near Me - Crazy Horse, South Dakota

Prices are great! The food is amazing! We loved the Tatanka Stew w/ honey butter Indian bread!!

Don't come here trash food trash service. Just go to a gas station and get food. They had open tables but refused to seat our party of 16. They had half the restaurant open but turned us away to the "snack shack" garbage just garbage read more

I stopped here while driving through SD after visiting mt rushmore. I saw the native american taco and wanted to try it! We ordered the native american taco, tatanka/buffalo stew and buffalo burger. The buffalo burger was a bit plain and dry for my taste, but everything else was fantastic. The stew was warming and delicious and the fry bread that came with it was great. The taco was divine, I still think about it sometimes. This meal really hit a spot and if I ever find myself in the area again for some reason, I'm 100% revisiting. read more

Laughing Water Restaurant - American Near Me - Crazy Horse, South Dakota

Went to the restaurant because of the location convenience, and got the buffet. The food was not good. It was all old and felt like it was microwaved and soggy. Service was ok? And I think I left the restaurant with food sickness of some kind. Did like the diverse menu, but that's the only benefit. read more

Tasty food. Good service. The right price. Great view. The cookies were good also................ read more

Laughing Water Restaurant - Indian taco - American Near Me - Crazy Horse, South Dakota

Friendly service, very okay buffet. The salad bar is very okay, but the tomato soup I had was decent. The desserts were very okay as well. But, if you've been hustling through Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse all day and not had a moment to eat, it's not a terrible place to stop and take a break. read more

Walked past the buffet when we went in, and it looked fairly standard. I recommend you walk past it too. My fiancee and I each ordered the tatanka, an authentic Native American buffalo stew. Since we visited the memorial during an intermittent thunderstorm, the stew hit the spot. Thick broth, tender buffalo, and loads of vegetables. It came with an assortment of fresh, still hot, still crispy, Indian fry bread. There is the previously mentioned buffet, and standards of burgers and sandwiches, but as this is at the crazy horse memorial, go for the delicious stew. Just my humble opinion.... read more

Laughing Water Restaurant - Tatanka stew with delicious fry bread - American Near Me - Crazy Horse, South Dakota

For a restaurant at a tourist spot, it's surprisingly good. Fast and quick service. Relatively affordable. They have some local cuisine. Pleasantly surprised! Try it out! read more

Came on Christmas Eve. The monument is amazing. Since I found out they had a buffalo stew and fry bread I was so excited to have that for dinner. So was so disappointed. The fry bread was flat and tasted like fryer grease. The stew wasn't any better than opening a can of dinty Moore. Truly disappointed in the food. read more

Laughing Water Restaurant - American Near Me - Crazy Horse, South Dakota

We came here on 4th of July while visiting Crazy Horse. We wanted to try the Native American taco but they were busy and understaffed, so they had a hot buffet lunch. It was great and the staff were attentive and friendly! read more

Best hostess and servers in a long time. We both had the self serve taco bar. We knew they had kuchen for dinner so we requested it after our lunches since it was not on the menu. Let me just say yum to the kuchen! read more