USA TODAY 10Best
Best Walleye Sandwich in South Dakota: Drifters Bar & Grille!
Best Walleye Sandwich in South Dakota (2017)
Walleye, the state fish of South Dakota, has a flaky white flesh and a sweet, mild flavor. Anglers from around the nation come to South Dakota in search of this prized fish, and during the summer season, it hits the fry pan in restaurant kitchens across the state.
Often lightly breaded and fried, walleye finds its way onto many a menu in the form of a sandwich, often served no-frills with lettuce, tomato and a bit of tartar sauce.
10Best and Sandwich America set out to find the best walleye sandwich in the state. To do so, 10Best editors joined forces with the South Dakota Department of Tourism and The Food Channel to nominate 14 worthy restaurants across the state. For the last four weeks, our readers have been voting daily for their favorites, and the results are in.
The top 10 winners in the category Best Walleye Sandwich in South Dakota are as follows:
- Lunkers Restaurant - Watertown
- Watertown Brewing Co. - Watertown
- Minervas - Multiple Locations
- Callaway's - Sioux Falls
- McNally's Irish Pub - Sioux Falls
- The Landing Restaurant and Lounge - Yankton
- Brown Rock Café - Deadwood
- Bay Leaf Cafe - Spearfish
- RiverCenter Cafe - Pierre
- Drifters Bar & Grille - Fort Pierre
Photo courtesy of Lunkers Restaurant / Facebook
No. 10:
Lunkers version of the walleye sandwich features a lightly breaded and golden fried fish filet topped with American cheese.
Photo courtesy of Watertown Brewing Co. / Facebook
No. 9:
While Watertown Brewing Co. doesn't have walleye in sandwich form on their normal menu, this fish-centric sandwich does make an appearance as a special. It's beer-battered and fried, and served with a choice of side.
Photo courtesy of Thinkstock
No. 8:
While you won't find a walleye sandwich on the regular menu at Minervas, it does make an appearance as a special from time to time. This iteration includes a lightly breaded walleye filet, citrus aioli, lettuce and tomato.
Photo courtesy of Thinkstock
No. 7:
The guest-favorite walleye sandwich from Callaway's in Sioux Falls is made from a beer-battered walleye filet, topped with American cheese and garnished with tartar sauce.
Photo courtesy of McNally's Irish Pub
No. 6:
Hungry seafood lovers dining at McNally's Irish Pub can sink their teeth into a hearty sandwich made with herb-crusted walleye, lettuce, tomato and house-made tartar sauce on a toasted Kaiser roll.
Photo courtesy of The Landing Restaurant and Lounge
No. 5:
The wildly popular walleye sandwich from The Landing in Yankton uses South Dakota made or grown ingredients whenever possible, including locally baked buns, heirloom tomatoes from a nearby hobby farm and cheese from a dairy in Dimock.
Photo courtesy of Brown Rock Sports Cafe
No. 4:
The Brown Rock Cafe at Cadillac Jack in Deadwood serves their sandwich with grilled or fried fresh walleye garnished with a lemon basil aioli, lettuce and tomatoes on a toasted hoagie roll.
Photo courtesy of Bay Leaf Cafe / Facebook
No. 3:
Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Bay Leaf Cafe serves a winning walleye sandwich, served grilled, fried or Cajun-style on a grilled roll. The sandwich comes with a choice of side.
Photo courtesy of RiverCenter Cafe
No. 2:
Pierre is home to some of the best walleye fishing in the state, so it's no surprise that the restaurant at the Ramkota Pierre serves a stellar version of the walleye sandwich. Seasoned with Cajun spices, this sandwich often makes an appearance on the daily lunch special board.
Photo courtesy of Drifters Bar & Grille
No. 1:
Diners at Drifters Bar & Grille in Fort Pierre can get their walleye sandwich fix two ways. Walleye sliders are made from beer-battered walleye garnished with poppyseed coleslaw and zingy jalapeño aioli, while the popular walleye tacos come with all of the above, plus pineapple pico de gallo.
Congratulations to all our winning sandwich shops in South Dakota!
About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
The Experts
Jennifer Daskevich
After winning the World Sandwich Championships,... Read More
After winning the World Sandwich Championships, Jennifer took her love of America’s first and still favorite “hand held device” better known as the sandwich, and founded Sandwich America, America’s comprehensive sandwich driven meal occasion platform. Jennifer believes that “a sandwich is the only food genre that is good for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, or a snack.” Jennifer has won numerous cooking competitions and is a restaurateur, wine sommelier, award winning food photographer, TV food personality with NBC Affiliate WFLA in Tampa and appeared on FYI’s original series World Food Championships. She looks forward to embarking on The Great American Sandwich Trail this summer. Socialize with Sandwich America on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Jennifer Daskevich
After winning the World Sandwich Championships, Jennifer took her love of America’s first and still favorite “hand held device” better known as the sandwich, and founded Sandwich America, America’s comprehensive sandwich driven meal occasion platform. Jennifer believes that “a sandwich is the only food genre that is good for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, or a snack.” Jennifer has won numerous cooking competitions and is a restaurateur, wine sommelier, award winning food photographer, TV food personality with NBC Affiliate WFLA in Tampa and appeared on FYI’s original series World Food Championships. She looks forward to embarking on The Great American Sandwich Trail this summer. Socialize with Sandwich America on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Kay Logsdon
Kay serves as Editor in Chief of The Food Channel,... Read More
Kay serves as Editor in Chief of The Food Channel, developing food-related stories, videos, recipes and more for the website and its distribution network. She speaks and consults on food trends, working with some of the biggest food brands in America. Her favorite thing to do is work with chefs across the country as they do menu development, since she gets to taste and critique the dishes.
Kay Logsdon
Kay serves as Editor in Chief of The Food Channel, developing food-related stories, videos, recipes and more for the website and its distribution network. She speaks and consults on food trends, working with some of the biggest food brands in America. Her favorite thing to do is work with chefs across the country as they do menu development, since she gets to taste and critique the dishes.
South Dakota Department of Tourism
In South Dakota, we like to think that we are best... Read More
In South Dakota, we like to think that we are best known for our friendly people, the great faces that welcome you to our state full of great places. The South Dakota Department of Tourism is happy to help as you plan your South Dakota vacation. Their website, publications and social media sites can be great resources for inspiration and planning.
South Dakota Department of Tourism
In South Dakota, we like to think that we are best known for our friendly people, the great faces that welcome you to our state full of great places. The South Dakota Department of Tourism is happy to help as you plan your South Dakota vacation. Their website, publications and social media sites can be great resources for inspiration and planning.
