Always consistent which is nice for those that travel across state 3-4 times a year. Today we tried the Walleye POboy and it was great. Thanks again for your good food! read more

One of the BEST (if not the best) meal on our vacation. We sat on the bar side. It's such a fun place and the waitstaff was wonderful. I had the lobster po-boy. I don't think I'll ever have as good of a po-boy as that one. The place also has TCH drinks! Yay for this non-alcohol drinker. It's right on the lake so I'm sure it's a popular place with the boaters. read more

The Smoking Mule - 12oz Ribeye with mushrooms and beans. - American Near Me - Chamberlain, South Dakota

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The restaurant is by a marina on the Missouri River. The place is nicely decorated. It was a bit cold in the dining area and I'm RARELY cold! We shared the fried pickle fries. They were very good with a strong pickle taste. My husband ordered the BBQ Brisket Melt and garlic cheese curds for the side. I had the Lobster & Shrimp Po Boy with fries. The Brisket Melt was amazing. The brisket was tender and flavorful. The cheese curds were also very good! But, it helps if you love garlic. The Po Boy was good but very rich. The aioli was actually a little too much. The Horny Mule and local brown beer were both very good! I won't order the PoBoy again, but wouldn't hesitate to eat here again. Our server was very friendly and helpful. The kitchen was a little slow. But it was a Wednesday evening with two large tables. We felt the prices were very reasonable. read more

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While the patio is closed, we were able to bring our dog into the bar. Simba is a giant breed and they welcomed him. The bar was crowded at 3pm, space was a premium but there was enough space for a giant dog. We ordered the Smoking Mule Deluxe pizza, it came piping hot and the base was cripsy, ingredients on the pizza was generous. We also had an order of boneless hot chicken. Both were tasty. Definitely a must visit again. read more

The Smoking Mule - American Near Me - Chamberlain, South Dakota

Nice restaurant right next to the mighty Mo River. There is a large indoor restaurant with some outdoor seating, and a separate bar area. Service was very quick, attentive, and super friendly. As the name implies, barbecue is the main attraction here along with other typical bar fare. We started with fried pickles which was a first for me and honestly they were pretty addicting. I never ate pickles growing up though had I had these that might have been a different story. For the mains, my spouse orders the 1/2 rack of spare ribs with onion rings. This comes with a cornbread biscuit that he left for me - a little on the dry side if I'm splitting hairs. The ribs were great and portion is quite bountiful. I had to help him finish it. Meanwhile, I ordered the Cowboy Chips with pulled pork. This would be the perfect drunk food - and probably is! Homemade potato chips topped with all the fixings like onions, shredded cheese, pulled pork, and sweet BBQ sauce. Personally I found the sauce a bit overwhelming and wasn't able to eat more than half the dish. It's a very heavy appetizer so probably best shared with several others. Overall we had a good experience and enjoyed the food, and recommend to others. read more

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You can take your dog inside!!!!!!!!!! I found this place on Bring Fido while driving from Washington State to Georgia State. The only other place I know of where I could do this was a stones throw from where I worked in the Idaho Panhandle on the Washington border. I ate a friggin' amazing lobster and crab po'boy. They have great local beers! This was a nice "little" place by a boat slip. Full of friendly locals.... Felt like I was back on the Pend Oreille River back home. read more

For everything that's holy do yourself a huge favor if you're ever in Chamberlain, South Dakota, never and I may never go to the smoke and mule other than the fact they act like they've never seen Black people before and considering this town has 52 Black people in it. My family made up three of those Black people when we got here. Somehow they will treat you like they've never seen an African-American before and that they don't want to serve one and it makes me sick to my stomach knowing people can still act like this and hold me accountable for not liking poor service! I brought my daughters here because it was well recommended as far as our Midwestern tour and to say I was thoroughly disappointed in both service and treatment of my daughters and I is an understatement. instead of the waitress asking me if I would like to speak with a manager or what I may be needed to have conversation for search for service she insisted on just giving me 50% off of my plate and all I ate was two rib bones and about 10 onion rings. Rather than try to deal with the issue she just asked if I'd like a box for my food. Mind you, it took nearly an hour to get our food on a slow night, based on the number of patrons present. At that moment we came to the cashier and she look like she couldn't wait for my family and I to get out. If you want to show me the this country has come as far as it has with respect treatment of minorities, this Store/Restaurant is a poor example of that. I'll never subject my children to this restaurant if I'm ever in this neck of woods again! read more

Are here two nights in a row, food was good and service was excellent despite being packed both nights. Sign on the door warns about wait times for food so if you are in a rush, consider going somewhere else. Respectable beer menu, chislic and garlic cheese curds were great to start with. The smash burger is not a real smash burger, just two patties. It was good and I would order again, but not anywhere close to a smashed burger patty. The brisket is not great but having had some of the best brisket in Texas I have high expectations. Pulled pork grilled cheese was good and the smoked chicken salad looked delicious. Will be back next time I'm in Chamberlain! read more

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The Reuben, cheeseburger, brisket burger, bbq half chicken, sweet potato tater tots and those beans were all delish! View was good of end of lake. The downside was the flies - would go back! read more

Had a great lunch here. June 2025. There were 9 of us for lunch and enough choices for all. Our dog was allowed in, no problem. Great view of the Missouri River out the window. Busy place but great service. Would definitely eat here again. read more

We were headed from Mt. Rushmore to a hotel in Sioux Falls. We decided to stop in Chamberlain for an early dinner. We sat in the bar with our dog and enjoyed the walleye platter special and a hamburger. They had very nice service and it was a good family atmosphere. We also appreciated that they allowed our dog in the bar. It's a great locals restaurant. read more

Had really good pulled pork sandwiches and sweet potato tots. Also enjoyed the strawberry rhubarb pie. Our table had a nice water view and we saw fish jumping, swimming birds, etc. read more

Awesome riverside eating place. Lots of locals and fishermen. It has good burgers, a nice wait staff, and an overall fun vibe. Highly recommend. read more

1- super nice folks 2- awesome food 3- great atmosphere 4- not just dog friendly, dog welcoming! read more

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Good food, good people, very nice location nice atmosphere and the waitress was very friendly

Awesome barbecue... wished I would have taken a photo... I had grilled cheese with brisket, potato salad "best ever" and the kick ass beans " so good", my hubby had the pulled pork sandwich... food was so good & freshly made. Would highly recommend this restaurant!! Great scenery of marina too! read more

Food: I got the brisket burger and the beans. Burger was cooked perfectly and the jalepenos made the burger very delicious. So, while the burger was good... I gotta say, I'd come back just for the beans! Wow! They must stick crack in those because I wanted to just keep eating! Plus there were Lima beans in it, so I thought that made it a health food! Ha! Can you please sell me the recipe...? Atmosphere: It's a bar inside, hard wooden stalls that were a little uncomfortable, but overall not a big deal. I think it would be cool to spruce up the inside a little and maybe keep it a little warmer in the winter... Price: 20$ for a good burger and drink, pretty standard. Nothing on the menu was really expensive, it was all pretty middle of the road and the portions were good for the price. Service: Even though they were getting ready to close, they did not shoo us away. We took our time and thanked them by tipping nicely. Our servers were all very nice and greeted us with a smile, even though I am from "out of town" (which I read other reviews and they said they were not friendly to out of towners). Overall: I can see why this place is a local favorite. If all of the good is as good as the burger and the beans, then I gotta try more items on the menu. Keep it up! read more

The Smoking Mule - Brisket Burger and beans. - American Near Me - Chamberlain, South Dakota

Excellent food and service! Our group had the brisket sandwich, pulled pork sandwich, wings and the. Lobster/shrimp po'boy sandwich. All were delicious!!! Wish they had the same menu outside as we would have stayed longer and had more cocktails. Pet friendly which was nice, another reason we would have liked the full menu outside. Would recommend! read more

Amazing food and service! Couldn't believe the generous portions. We've been traveling all around the U. S. including the south, and this is the best BBQ we've found. We had burnt ends and ribs with cole slaw, beans, and cornbread biscuits. So yummy! Get off the interstate and try the Smoking Mule! You won't be disappointed! read more

The Smoking Mule - Burnt ends, cole slaw, beans, and a cornbread biscuit! - American Near Me - Chamberlain, South Dakota

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Great Food. Great local brews. I recommend Buffalo Snot (don't be put off by the name it's snot bad!) we enjoyed lunch there I had the 1/2 Smoky Chicken and Kick Ass Beans. Friendly staff with a patio view of the Missouri River. read more

One thing that attracted me to go was the smoked Mac and cheese, witch they no longer have! Disappointing but the totally awesome. Beans were totally awesome. The ribs had a good smoke on them, but dry fall off the bone. I would go back and try the lobster shrimp po-boy. read more

This is the best food in town, if you don't want fast-food. They were out of the ribs, which everyone in town says are fantastic. I picked the brisket sandwich, which was not fantastic. I think the pulled pork or the burger might have been better choices and earned them a higher rating. I chatted with some local people after dinner in the bar. I should have done this before hand. Consider this a cautionary review. The server was fast and friendly. The side of coleslaw was perfectly good slaw. The selection of beers/IPAs on tap is also perfectly reasonable - a nice selection, not huge but nice diversity. The view is lovely. I will also mention, while they have "a bar," it is really more of a beer place. While martinis are a little out of range, the beer is cold and they can do a solid bourbon on the rocks (or a rum and coke kind of thing). And they have free popcorn! I would come here again and just anticipate some BBQ pork substance (or a burger) and an ice cold beer in a bottle. I think that would be lovely. read more

Service was good and fast. The food was terrible. Brisket burger was soggy with a thin, dense patty that tasted like a frozen patty from the grocery store. Bun was stale and dry. My lady's 1/2 chicken had some decent smoky flavor but was very dry. Very disappointing overall. read more

The food here is excellent, I enjoyed the Mule Burger, which is hamburger, brisket, Gouda cheese, grilled onions on a bun with a side of crispy onion rings. My husband had the half rack of ribs, the beef ribs were good and the serving was ample, he liked the homemade coleslaw. The star of this place is the food. They were very busy, service was a little slow, but there were no empty tables. read more

Though I was overwhelmed when first arriving because they only had two open table in the entire place and it was loud (I'm on the spectrum so loud can be triggering and very overwheling). I would understand quickly why they had almost not a dry seat in the house. Every staff that walked by would apologize and tell us they would be with us quickly. As we could tell they were packed and have been traveling the country we were in absolutely no rush. HANDS DOWN BEST FOOD I EVER HAD IN MY LIFE! My husband and and tried diffrent things and we shared so we could each try it all and nothing I mean NOTHING was bad. we found yourselfs very full but some how craving more. I also love that you can bring your dogs as well and they have water dishes for the 4 legged family members you decide to bring. read more

To be honest, you don't really have a choice if you are going out to eat in Chamberlain. HOWEVER, the staff is excellent! (Maybe a little rough around the edges, but this really is a podunk honkytonk minus the county music.) Get there at about 5pm to get a window seat and watch the fishing boats unload their catch. Oh wow the smoked ribs were devoured by my wife and I had a perfectly cooked ribeye. You MUST ORDER THE SIDE OF BAKED BEANS! The side of fries were perfect also. The side salad was meh. Great service in a low pressure, casual atmosphere. This place was far above any expectations! Highly recommend. I a teetering between 4 and five stars. I would say 4.5 read more

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Had a pulled pork cheese sandwich and the Kick Ass baked beans. The sandwich was great but the beans...easily the best baked bean dish I've ever had! Multiple bean varieties, some red pepper and corn to add color, sauce had great flavor. That side dish would be worth the visit in and of itself! Staff was pleasant and my waitress, Adri, was so attentive and spot on. Nothing fancy about the place but I'd eagerly try it all again! read more

My husband and I are on a road-trip and stopped in Chamberlain for the night on the way through the area. We chose The Smoking Mule because it had outdoor seating and allowed dogs. When we arrived, it was clearly a really popular place. We sat right away and ordered from the bar. We ordered 1 lb. of the spicy shrimp and the half rack of ribs. Think shrimp scampi and fall of the bone smoked ribs. It was truly the BEST country surf and turf I could have ever imagined. Everything was fresh, hot, and they clearly took a lot of care and pride in their product. 10/10 recommend read more

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Best place to stop and see a view of the water over the marina! Big restaurant with tables not on top of each other. Lots of parking too. Amy was a great waitress and helped us decide what to order because everything looked good. Half chicken was so tender and juicy! Brisket sandwich was lean and the sweet potato fries and regular fries were hot and delicious. We would definitely stop there next time we are in town. read more

Incredible comfort food. The place has a separate bar, a dining area and a patio. Very friendly staff, nice view on the marina. Highly recommend for both, food, and a quick cool drink. read more

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Great smoked brisket sandwich. A very good bite just tender enough but yet a good pull. Smoke flavor stood its ground. Just right! Service was great, ordered to go, came out quickly. I'd love to sit down and have a meal here because the ambiance was amazing but we are traveling and had a timeline so didn't have time. read more

The food was sooooooo good! A perfect stop by that we choose to made and it was one our best chosen on our road trip! The service was great and nice but read more

This place is amazing, if your driving by on I-90, stop, everything that I have ever had there is absolutely delicious, definitely one of the best barbecue places in SD, it is truly a treat! read more

Fun location watching boats launch. Good food, reasonable prices and good waitstaff.

We were looking for a place with local flavor - WE FOUND IT. The various burgers we tried were tasty and the Smoked Mac & Cheese didn't disappoint! read more

The Smoking Mule - American Near Me - Chamberlain, South Dakota

The food was outstanding! The beans were unbelievable. Our waitress was great, and so very nice. The ambience was a little tired and worn, but everything else made up for it. Definitely recommend you stop if you are passing through chamberlain. read more

#TheSmokingMule 2024 Burger Battle was delicious: highly recommend trying it! Fries & onion rings were crispy. Pizza was flavorful & they do not skimp on the cheese! Definitely worth stopping at when in Chamberlain. read more

Ribs weren't ready and still on the smoker with no ETA. And never been to a place that's taken so long to serve a pulled pork sandwich. Was tasty but not sure worth the wait. A bit disappointed because the reviews looked good. read more

The Smoking Mule is a must try if you are anywhere near Chamberlain, SD! I was greeted by several friendly staff members who helped me choose dishes to satisfy my cravings that day and I am still thinking about that delicious chocolate cake! I enjoyed the special, which included perfectly cooked succulent shrimp, and I'm looking forward to trying more menu items when I return to South Dakota. Definitely stop by for an unforgettable experience, delicious food, and a fun atmosphere! read more

Ended up giving The Smoking Mule a try while driving cross country. We try to eat at small family owned restaurants and this was a keeper. Everything we had was great. It was perfectly casual and the service was great. Nice place to stop and enjoy great food. read more