Very Dissappointing I understand this is an historical building but it is sorely in need of updating and repairs. The bathroom ( toilet tub) area is about as small as an airline bathroom. The bathroom vanity is very low to the ground almost mid- thigh height. The floors feel sticky and moist on bare feet and the walls are in desperate need of paint from all the dings and scratches. One positive is the shower water pressure which is nice and strong! Maybe it is just the area, but there are also a lot of flies that buzzed around and got in the room when the door was open which woke me up early every morning due to their buzzing around the room. The rooms are set up like a motel where people can walk past and look into your room if the shades are open. I never liked places like that. The restaurant has a very interesting menu for dinner which is reservation only. The buffet breakfast, however, contains a lot of pre-made food items like the mini pasteries, instant oatmeal, waffles that need to go in a toaster and eggs that are in a big vat. The location of this lodge is very nice and it is close to the Nature Loop which is a fun drive as there are herds of bison. The staff seems average friendly. I wouldn't stay here again. read more

Good food and horrible service. Laura gave us the worst service we've ever had. She was rude and unhelpful. When asked basic questions about the menu and what she prefers food-wise, she glared at us and refused to answer. We waited 40 minutes for drinks and 1.25 hours for food. Drinks came after a reminder and appetizers. Laura never checked in on us and we had to ask other staff for drinks and the bill. Overall, a 2 hour experience. Will never be back. read more

Food was so so. Very overpriced. The host acted like he couldn't wait for us to leave Our server was nice though. But not a memorable lunch at all. read more

DINING: (Five Stars) This was my first trip back to SGL in seven years. The menu definitely exceeded my expectations! We ate their twice for dinner and once for breakfast. Both of my dinner meals (the trout and buffalo short ribs) were to die for! While the ambiance for dinner is a white table cloth setting, there were plenty of people dressed in their regular vacation clothes. My breakfast omelette was fantastic, as well! The breakfast menu was rather limited as they really wanted you to buy the breakfast buffet. If you're looking for a bigger variety for breakfast, I may want to go to Legion Lake. I would HIGHLY recommend making reservations for lunch and dinner, and I would also check to make sure when bus tours are dining. You will definitely get better service if you avoid the bus tours! Mind you, I think we would have had good service regardless, but things get hectic when large amounts of people come in, particularly for lunch. HOTEL: (Four Stars) We spent three total nights in the hotel, one night in a Deluxe Room and two nights in one of their smaller rooms. The only thing deluxe about the room was a slightly larger room and a bathroom with a sink behind the door. Regardless, both rooms seemed very cramped (we were a group of three adults) for the high price, though that does encourage mingling and relaxation on the lodge's many patios. The lodge itself appears to have gone through a facelift over the past few years, but many of the renovations in the rooms seemed cheaply done. One major negative (and this is the millennial in me talking) was that there was no working wifi in the hotel portion, and the lodge Wifi was sporadic at best. This is 2017 people.... you need to have public wifi for your guests. I love everything about this lodge. The porch, the views, and relaxed atmosphere. Staying in Rapid City does not cut it. You have to stay in the Hills to make this experience the best it can be! However, we may look into a cabin for future years. read more

Beautiful setting but otherwise lackluster for the price. We were in Custer for a wedding at the state park, and given the limited lodging options were in a position of 'take whatever we can get'. While the location of this lodge lived up to expectations just about everything fell far short. And was exorbitantly expensive. The room we stayed in, the historical Eisenhower room, was laughably small. It could've been no larger than 8x8. And while we had a true bathroom (unlike some of the other rooms in the lodge) they could barely wedge the queen bed and a chair in to the room. And this was for the cool coat of $255 a night. Moreover, the guests who stayed in the Coolidge room were a bit loud and with the paper thin walls we could hear EVERYTHING- from the hawking of lougies to conversations about the tv not working, at all hours of the night. The motel rooms in the newer part of the hotel were much cheaper but we were told those were all sold out. Also- you may ask what does $255 get you? At the game lodge, absolutely nothing. The $12 breakfast downstairs is a total rip off- bland cafeteria food and watery coffee. The bar while pleasant closes super early. Finally- we happened to be there on the first hot weekend of the year and none of the gift shops had sunscreen. While not a deal breaker it was surprising to see the sheer amount of 'Custer State Park' memorabilia but none of the basic toiletries you would expect a store to carry. For $255 don't bother with the lodge and get a cabin. read more

Very nice place to stop. Classic fireplace and décor. Great place to relax. Comfertable outside seating. Great place to stay with family. Lots of nice items in gift shop. read more

State Game Lodge - Unlimited lemonade. - Hotels Near Me - Custer, South Dakota

Very nice atmosphere, even though a lot of empty tables the service was slow and the server screwed up our bill hence four stars but the food was good. Bison burgers and elk osso bucco, both tasty. read more

Nice place to stay inside Custer State Park. Rooms were clean and beds comfortable. Rooms on the smaller side. No WiFi in room, but available in lobby. Restaurant in hotel, but a little on the expensive side. Nice outdoor seating options available. Close to number of trails and visitor center. Convenience store down the road (walkable) has coffee and very basic grocery options. read more

Ordered the Buffalo stew, which was more a soup. Mostly liquid, very little buffalo. Supposed To have roasted red potatoes but instead made with russet potatoes. No other veggies in it, although the description said it would be served with fresh vegetables. It was so soupy I asked for mashed potatoes which weren't brought for 20 minutes, after I finished eating. Elk osso bucco pretty flavorless. I wish i would remember to not eat at NPS restaurants since they are always lackluster. read more

Stopped for lunch on a bus tour. Food was good, waitress was great, home is beautiful. Drinks are very expensive.

This review is strictly for the restaurant located in the State Game Lodge. I am thoroughly convinced the people working at this restaurant are aliens disguised as humans. How in the earth do they manage to have the United Nations working here, in the middle of nowhere? Our waitress was African, there were two Asian guys, one Indian, and one Latino. For f*cks sake, this is South Dakota. There aren't supposed to be anybody here except for Native Americans and white people (I am only half-kidding). How did these people end up working here? After being puzzled, we ordered food. It was 2pm and we were starving. They also have a buffet. We decided to order from the menu because they were almost closing the buffet. I got the Bison stew and a Bison burger. He had a roast beef sandwich. The Bison stew was phenomenal (yes, I just used a big word). The bison burger was delicious. He liked his roast beef. We came to know that they raise their own Bison herd to make the stew and burgers. Excellent! Gives a whole new meaning to "burgers from the back yard". Stop by and get the bison stew if you happen to visit Custer Park. You will definitely need it to sustain you through the long time you will spend admiring the wildlife. P.S. A little history lesson for you: The State Game Lodge served as the "Summer White House" for President Calvin Coolidge in 1927 and was visited by President Dwight D. Eisenhower for several days in 1953. It was built in 1920, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. read more

We were there on a Monday for my wife's birthday. Neat place, other than entering and exiting through a schlocky gift shop. My wife was satisfied with her bison steak, cooked right and presented ok. Her sides were mostly left on the plate. My nine year old had the pork chop. It was giant, over cooked, dry and mostly inedible. His sides were also left on the plate. I had the trout. It was over cooked, dry and awful. My sides were a rice concoction that was under cooked and crunchy with ingredients that were again inedible. The carrots were wildly under cooked and hard. When the waiter finally came back to check on us we explained our displeasure. He said "that the kitchen was having a hard time keeping up tonight"........the place was almost empty. This was a Monday and clearly the C or D team. The waiter insisted on making it right by giving us a single dessert. Wow. An $8 dessert to make up for $48 worth of terrible food. The dessert was ok, but did not make up for the awful food and service. Extremely disappointed. We had been looking forward to this dinner for several weeks. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THE STATE GAME LODGE TO ANYONE. Our family trip to the Black Hill, Mt Rushmore, Custer St. Park and surrounding area was definitely tarnished by The State Game Lodge. Save your hard earned money and eat anywhere else read more

This review is only for the restaurant. We've been through Custer State Park many times but never stopped at the State Game Lodge until this year. The lodge is beautiful and definitely fitting of a presidential getaway. They have a lot of beautiful artwork being painted inside where you can meet the actual artists. We came to eat at the restaurant but had no idea what to order. They ended up having a buffet during lunch time and it turned out to be perfect. They had a huge assortment of foods, including buffalo. Everything we had was good and they had a large table filled with deserts as well. The eating area had a ton of amazing paintings in it and frosted glass with designs on it. They also have a dining room across the hall which is where the President and his guests sat. I would probably choose eating here over Blue Bell Lodge if passing through again. read more

Clean modern, up to date rooms that are quiet, spacious and comfortable. The prices are also reasonable for a top notched place. The staff is friendly and very helpful. The restaurant is pleasant with excellent service and great tasting food. A beautiful location with South Dakota friendliness complimented with 4 star service. A piece of paradise on the prairie. read more

This was a very nice place but when I made the reservation, they maybe told me I was in the 'new wing' but I didn't realize we wouldn't actually be in the historic lodge. The room was huge - you could sleep a dozen people in it but we were only in it for 8-9 hours so in the end not worth the price. I'd consider coming back for a few days (not just one night) and sharing with kids/grandkids. read more

We stayed here for a night on the way to Montana. The rooms were clean and well-appointed, and the restaurant had a very nice menu with very good food. I thought the menu prices were in line for a place of this nature and considering the fare. The rooms were a bit pricey for what they were, but then again, this isn't a Motel 6, it's a historic lodge and experience. Do NOT miss taking the 'game loop' drive or whatever it is called, it's a wonderful experience and you will see buffalo, antelope, prairie dogs, beautiful flowers and birds. I took some stunning photos of wildlife in the park. read more

Beautiful restaurant . Historic home revamped in great style. Food and service --both first class. In 2019, walleye roulade, buffalo stew and crab cake appetizer were excellent. 2 crab cakes were on the appetizer. Dog friendly outside on porch. Reasonable wine selection from $28 per bottle to $100+. read more

State Game Lodge - Walleye Roulade 2019 - Hotels Near Me - Custer, South Dakota

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Lodging only review: Over priced. We stayed in a cabin when heat was needed. The heater did not work. After calling the front desk, they sent a nice guy from housekeeping, but he could not fix it. He said he'd call maintenance. After another hour I called the front desk but no one answered. I had to go up there. The said they'd send maintenance, and handed me a space heater. The maintenance guy did show up, but also could not fix the heater. He called his boss who probably told him to just get out of our room which he did. There was no offer of a reduced nightly rate, moving to another cabin, or any recompense. It was just kind of "oh well." I just found the experience to be of a place that gets enough business where they really don't care a whole lot. Also, be prepared for drunk people late at night making noise. read more

Had lunch off menu. Sweet potatoes fries were delicious. Service was awesome. My chicken took a little long and the servers noticed before I had to say anything. They took it completely off bill! My father in laws Reuben was awesome and my husbands buffalo burger was perfection. Our waiter and his partner were so good and funny. Again sweet potatoes fries were awesome with good sweet potatoe flavor! The beer battered chicken was Also very tasty! read more

We stayed here for some nights. Room Rates are too high, doors need lube, room in need of renovation. Food was exzellent, eg Buffalo stew, New York Strip. Service was kind, but 2,6$ for a coffee that is for free anywhere else... no way. A request for reservation for dinner was ignored. We had better experience with Sylvan Lodge, although owned by the same company. read more

Had such a great experience at the restaurant. Our waiter Maribel was so kind and personable! And the host, Damien, was very helpful and funny. The food was amazing! I highly recommend the Buffalo ravioli, it was highlight of our meal. All around a great environment, delicious food, and excellent service! read more

I drove from Texas to State Game Lodge without expectations. Oh my. It has far exceeded anything that I could have imagined. Friendly people. Great food. Sights beyond compare. We've done all of the tourist spots (Rushmore, Crazy Horse, etc.), and it has been awesome. We have eaten at four lodges in the park, and they have been excellent. We will be back. Juliet, in the lounge at State Game, has been exceedingly accommodating. This is a trip not to be missed. read more

The Buffalo Stew was as good as I remember from a prior visit 11 years ago. We both had the stew with a $3 side salad. The homemade ranch dressing was light tasting and perfect. The roasted potatoes on top of the stew was an excellent addition. We enjoyed our early dinner. read more

State Game Lodge - Buffalo stew was so good, I forgot to take a picture. - Hotels Near Me - Custer, South Dakota

This was a huge disappointment! We just went to the restaurant, as my husband grew up near here and has always wanted to try it. The staff was not friendly....it was a long wait before our server came to the table....we already drank 2 glasses of water before she even came over. She asked if we wanted a drink before ordering, my husband ordered a drink off their specialty drink menu, but was told they didn't have the ingredients for that drink anymore. When we ordered dinner, the same thing happened...the 2 items we ordered weren't available:( The food was mediocre at best, and the service was awful! We so wanted to like this place....but it looked as though everyone in the restaurant had similar experiences to the one we had....don't waste your money:( read more

This is a MUST. Fabulous food and a very accommodating staff. I'm so glad we stopped instead of ending up at some sub-par tourist trap. I would be tempted to stay at the facility in the future based on this experience at the restaurant. read more

State Game Lodge - Dining room is lovely - Hotels Near Me - Custer, South Dakota

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I'll have buffalo stew with a side of short buffalo ribs and I'll finish it off with a buffalo burger. (no joke) The restaurant was pretty empty cause it was in the end of spring so this SD is still pretty cold. We went after Mt. Rushmore but be prepared that it's pretty out of the way but you get to see some buffalo & great scenery. Back to the restaurant, our waiter was extremely nice who seemed to be in a foreign exchange program. (I've done that before but I was in the main city.) poor guy got stuck in South Dakota but he's probably learning English a lot faster and probably knows how to say buffalo in various languages. I gave it only 3 stars because it wasn't peak season so I don't think we got the freshest of everything but highly recommended read more

State Game Lodge - Buffalo short ribs - Hotels Near Me - Custer, South Dakota

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If you looking for a good Buffalo Dinner this is the place to go, they have some of the best Buffalo in the area. I had been here plenty of times during the year, a family member of mine used to work for the Park and she would take me there a lot, even had the pleasure to stay in one of the big Cabins there, was so muc h fun. Anyways great service here and remember get your buffalo on!! read more

This is for the white house dining room at the state game lodge in Custer State Park. Was looking for some casual fine dining and this was right on target. We both had buffalo - my wife had the buffalo salad with asparagus & it was tasty. I had the buffalo stroganoff and it was hearty and rustic. The highlight was the Indian fry bread appetizer - it was unique and flavorful. Good service, interesting menu with lots of local fare for about 60 bucks with drinks! read more

We stopped by here on a bus tour for lunch. We weren't particularly hungry, but decided to eat anyways. We were so glad we did. The food and service was as good as it gets. I had the smoked salmon and pasta. Wow! That was real smoked salmon, and it embarked a flavor onto that cream sauce with some asparagus and a bit of red pepper. The shaved hazelnuts I think, gave it a wonderful textured contrast to the perfectly al dente bow tie pasta. Best smoked salmon pasta I have ever had. The porch side martinis was craft fully made. Beautiful lunch! read more

While the location is beautiful, the actual room accommodations are more like a low-price motel. This was the third hotel we stayed in on our trip, and by far it had the smallest bathroom/shower area. We knew there wouldn't be housekeeping every day, but we did request more towels. We were first informed that we would have to bring our dirty towels down and exchange them, so when my husband did this, they told him that they didn't have any towels to exchange for us. We called down after a few hours and asked and they said they would send someone to exchange out the towels. Nobody ever came. Overall, the location is great, but for the price, the accommodations were lacking. read more

The previous poster was right -- the UN in the middle of the wilderness! And that includes the chef. I had a perfectly cooked buffalo steak -- tender, flavorful, succulent, atop a mushroom reduction. Along side were the best garlic mashed potatoes I have ever had in my life. My husband had a bison burger which was quite tasty but the best part of his meal was the coleslaw. Julienne cabbage, daikon and carrot dressed with a light vinegar. It was like a fabulous binh ma. Great food, great setting, great experience. read more

The hotel itself is very nicely appointed and clean. Great location and scenery. The staff were all nice and were very helpful. The restaurant has a good buffet breakfast and their dinner is very good as well. The buffalo ravioli are particularly yummy! If anything I wish they had fresh oatmeal for breakfast. read more

State Game Lodge - The Walleye - Hotels Near Me - Custer, South Dakota

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One of the worst dining experience I have ever had. My mom and I waited about 45 minutes for our food after waiting almost 20 mins for them to take our order. Most of the people were getting the buffet, so it's not like the servers had to bring food to most of the guest. I had to ask twice to get missing items from our order and the food wasn't very good. read more

The food here is actually pretty good. The service is variable. Breakfast was terrific. However. Last night we had a lazy waiter who was totally inattentive. Tonight we have Tiffany, who doesn't listen. We ordered the pork chop and she brought a club sandwich! ! Then she said she'd bring salad right away. We ordered blue cheese and she brought vinaigrette. Te bar tender is marvelous! Wish we'd eaten there. read more

Beautiful hotel/lodge in a beautiful setting. A must stop. We had lunch and it was delicious. Great waiter and servers. I would love to stay at this lodge! read more

I have been staying here for the last week, hands down this is the best accommodations in the Black Hills. The rooms are very nice and clean and are updated, the lodge itself has been updated as well and is very nice, the restaurant is upscale and very nice, we have had breakfast everyday and it has been vey good along with a few nights we have had dinner here as well. The food is really the best in the Black Hills that we have found! Also the historical value of this place is amazing! You can stay in the same room as past presidents Coolidge and Eisenhower. Also the location is incredible, you literally are in the heart of the Black Hills in one of the most beautiful parks in the United States. The lodge is located in a grove of mature pine trees and really gives it a cozy feel, you are close to all things in the park as well. I highly recommend staying here if you are coming to the area as it will be a great experience! If you are looking to spend a significant amount of time here you need to book in advance as it does fill up quickly but it is worth the planning! The only thing that you will have to prepare for is that there is no WiFi in your room and only is available in the lobby and front porch but it is a nice break as well. I can not wait until I can make it back! read more

It was nice dinner. Our waitress had charming smile and polite. I chosen elk steak as medium well done but I didn't know the elk meat is hard to bite. Lol my boyfriend had a buffalo steak. It was nice choice because it was delicious. Everything was great except of mojito. The mojito wasn't good. And we got a coin chocolate after the dinner. I wanna suggest the buffalo steak. The price was about $100 for 2people. I repeat it was dinner . Maybe the lunch time might be cheaper. read more

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This review is for the RESTAURANT not the hotel!! The Cobb salad wasn't very good, it had small amounts of chicken and little to no dressing. It was supposed to come wth quail eggs but they it wasn't on either of the salads. There were small amounts of avocado/tomato/buffalo bacon bits. The bacon burger had one tiny piece of bacon on it with small bits of onion rings. It would've been alright but it was literally scorched and black. It wasn't very good. The southwestern salad was alright, nothing special. The buffalo stew was basically brown sauce with little to no buffalo in it, the amount of buffalo in it was less than half an ounce. On the bright side, the waiter was VERY nice along with the service. This restaurant was over priced and not worth almost $100. I would not recommend going here unless you NEED to. read more

State Game Lodge - The Cobb Salad - Hotels Near Me - Custer, South Dakota

Stopped here, quite by chance, after driving through the hills on our 40th anniversary. It was beautiful; the staff allowed us to peek into the Eisenhower and Coolidge rooms in the main lodge, and shared some rock history on the fireplaces... look for the fossilized bat! But the dinner...oh, my! I had the Elk Osso Bucco with Cabernet Brown Sauce, and Wild rice, and it was divine! The meat just melted in your mouth (I even ate the marrow from the bone, which has no flavor). Dessert was a trio of homemade ices: Choc chip Berry, Prickly Pear, and Blood Orange, with two enormous strawberries dipped in chocolate. If you have time, be sure to stop and dine. The staff are friendly, professional, and informative. read more

Not impressed with our front end service when we got to the lodge and less impressed when we went to the restaurant. Now, that said, food was great and the waiter was quality, but our tone was set with the host at the front. We will not stay here again as the cleaning service (yes I get we are in an odd time right now) didn't even vacuum our room before check-in. Just not worth the money honestly. read more