Where to Eat in Sioux Falls, South Dakota

21 years ago, a small restaurant with butter-yellow walls opened in an inconspicuous shopping center in downtown Sioux Falls. Sanaa’s offered an alternative to the cuisine that was then predominantly based on meat and potatoes: fresh, vegetable-focused Mediterranean cuisine. Herb-rich tabbouleh, crispy falafel, spicy harissa eggplant.

People often came, says owner Sanaa Abourezk, out of curiosity. So she started simply with soup and warm, baked pita bread. Then she introduced people to kufta, a spicy minced meat kebab, comparing it to the Norwegian meatballs that many of her neighbors were more familiar with.

And today, two decades later and with two James Beard Award nominations under her belt, Abourezk’s extensive menu includes dishes like shish tawook (cumin-spiced chicken), mjadara (lentil-bulgur pilaf), and 14 flavors of fatayers (which she describes as Mediterranean empanadas).

“My friends thought no one would come because it was completely different,” says Abourezk. “I proved them all wrong.”

Abourezk grew up in Damascus, Syria, where she studied agricultural engineering and then nutrition in California. When she moved to Sioux Falls in 1995, it was a very different place. Today, it is one of the fastest-growing cities in the Midwest, with strong medical and banking industries and a metropolitan population of just over 300,000. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent on parks, green spaces, downtown housing, public gathering spaces and mixed-use complexes. These amenities have improved the quality of life for locals and given travelers driving through South Dakota good reasons to stop for more than just gas.

On a sunny Wednesday afternoon in early fall, Sioux Falls is bustling with activity. Downtown patios are packed with diners, while tourists stroll along the SculptureWalk on Phillips Avenue. In Falls Park, the city’s 300-acre centerpiece, bikers picnic among stacks of quartzite and families climb around rocky ponds. A construction site looms behind the park, a constant reminder of growth. But it’s a welcome change.

“People have never ventured here, and now we’re convincing them to come,” says Abourezk. “The food scene is responding to our cultural growth, and more and more people are seeing us as a full-fledged tourist destination.”

Interest skyrocketed when Abourezk received her first James Beard nomination for Best Chef of the Midwest in 2023. “For a long time, no one considered anyone from South Dakota,” Abourezk says. “I don’t cook high-end cuisine – I make healthy, home-cooked meals with sustainable ingredients. As a finalist, I felt like I was on the right track.”

This trend has brought other chefs and restaurant owners on board too – the city now offers authentic Brazilian food, multi-course tasting menus, Korean chicken and a thriving cocktail culture. “Restaurants now pay attention to the ingredients and where they come from,” Abourezk says. “That means people pay attention. That’s the trend and part of my survival. I’m happy to see that in Sioux Falls.”

Seeing tray after tray of beef pomegranate fataya, creamy hummus and colorful coleslaw coming out of Sanaa’s kitchen, it seems like Sioux Falls is happy about it, too.

Where to eat

Start your day with a masala latte from Coffea or a hearty breakfast at Josiah’s. (Share a five-egg omelet so you have room for a snickerdoodle blondie from the pastry case.)

Streams of people flock to Bread and Circus Sandwich Kitchen for lunch, enjoying curried cauliflower on fluffy pita bread and fries with an addictive parmesan sauce. For a sweet treat, colorful macarons and elaborate petits gâteaux shine at CH Patisserie.

In the evening, you have your pick: Try pão de queijo (cheese bread) and moqueca (coconut milk stew) at Roots of Brasil. Check the Icon Event Hall’s concert calendar for a dinner and show at the venue’s Dada Gastropub. The menu leans toward funky fusion, but if you’re in the mood for something local, order chislic, a South Dakota-style fried steak. Or head to Harvester Kitchen and indulge in chef Bryan Moscatello’s gastronomic interpretation of the seasons, with three tasting menus to choose from. On Sundays, guests receive a complimentary champagne toast at the Bubble Bar.

Where to have a drink

Graphic, ornate wallpaper, lush furs on couches and an outdoor fire pit make Highball a chic and cozy cocktail hangout. The drinks keep the mood going – try the warming Devil on Your Shoulder with mezcal, bitter orange liqueur, cinnamon syrup, lime juice and Hellfire Habanero Bitters.

In a cozy downtown setting, the bartenders at Carpenter Bar put their expert spin on the classics and open fresh oysters every last Friday of the fall.

Head to the tropics at The Hello Hi, which also has a great selection of mocktails. Kudos if you can pronounce the drink Humuhumunukunukuapua’a.

The Fernson Brewing Company in downtown offers a varied selection of classic and rotating beers as well as hard seltzers – and a lovely mural in the taproom.