South Dakota's Black Hills Hide A World-Renowned Inn Famed For Tasty European Cuisine And Charm

Visitors to South Dakota's Custer State Park come to experience some of the coolest natural wonders along the thrilling drive of Needles Highway. It's packed with towering rock formations and breathtaking tunnels to squeeze through. If you drive it south to north, you'll exit through a stunning finale of tunnels. Keep going a few more miles and you'll hit the historic town of Hill City, home to a foodie favorite that locals swear by.

The Alpine Inn is famous for melt-in-your-mouth filet mignon. This steak is so popular that, when it comes to dinner, it is the only main course the Alpine Inn serves, aside from a vegetarian alternative that is their sole concession to non-steak lovers. The Alpine Inn prides itself on serving authentic European dishes passed down from generation to generation. It also hopes to preserve a piece of Hill City history. The building has stood for over 130 years, nearly as old as the town itself.

Founded in the late 1800s, Hill City had such a notorious reputation that it was nicknamed "One Mile of Hell". This was because Main Street had a church on each end and a string of rowdy, miner-filled bars in between, where gunfights regularly broke out. The Harney Peak Hotel was eventually built on the corner of Main and Elm Streets, serving as a welcome and civilizing addition that anchored the growing community of Hill City.

It became the Alpine Inn under the ownership of Waldraut Matush, of Stuttgart, Germany, in the 1970s. Wally, as she's affectionately known by locals, brought her old family recipes of heartwarming favorites, including her homemade schnitzel, a thin slice of crispy breaded pork, and kaes spaetzle, German dumplings with cheese. Her goal was to fill the historic walls of the building with "Gemütlichkeit", a German word meaning a feeling of warmth and good cheer.

The Alpine Inn is now owned and managed by Wally's daughter, Monika. Though retired, Wally's spirit lives on and will continue indefinitely if she gets her way. When she dies, Wally has asked to be buried in the basement of the Alpine Inn "so that she can haunt the building with the rest of its ghosts," according to the Alpine Inn website.

Stepping into the Alpine Inn is like settling into a cozy pinewood chalet in the German Alps. On the menu is a selection of German beers, like the Erdinger brand, and wines such as Riesling. It also features products from some of Hill City's wineries, a hidden paradise for wine lovers. If you want to sample a variety of German cuisine, come for lunch when the schnitzel and kaes spaetzle are served. There is also a smoked pork chop available, along with a variety of sandwiches, salads, and classic German potato salad. 

If you want steak, dinner is, of course, the ideal time to dine at the Alpine Inn. The filet mignon comes wrapped in bacon, so make sure you have plenty of space in your stomach! You might be tempted to fall straight into bed after such a big meal. Fortunately, the Alpine Inn has four stately rooms to sleep in, each preserved with the same elegance of the original Harney Peak Hotel. 

In addition to the Alpine Inn, there is plenty to explore in the area. You can jump aboard the 1880 Train, a historic steam train ride between Hill City and Keystone, South Dakota. It's about a three-hour ride back and forth, allowing passengers to enjoy views of Black Elk Peak. If you need a brisk walk instead, take a short drive south past Needles Highway to hike up to Crazy Horse Memorial, the world's largest mountain carving.