When my husband, John, and I were heading to Pierre for a conference, we asked a few lobbyist friends where a good place to grab a bite would be. Drifters Bar and Grille was mentioned several times, and we heard it was newer to Fort Pierre right across the bridge.

Walking into the restaurant (which is connected to its event center), it felt like a modern boathouse, with a canoe hanging over the bar and cowhide (faux or real, I’m not sure) bar stools. A classy seagull statue welcomes you at the entrance, and the open floor plan had varieties of seating, including a nice area for a larger dinner or business meeting.

No matter where we sat, there was an incredible view of the Missouri River, and it felt like we were on vacation. Our server, Tara, greeted us, and handed us menus that I wish I could have taken home with me. They were presented on classy, wooden boards. Each page of the food and drink menus had beautiful seafood and river-inspired designs.

“Who designed this? This is amazing,” I said.

“Oh, thanks! I actually did all of the branding,” she replied. We then found out Tara Berg worked directly with the owner, Emily Zarecky, on the design for the business through her company, DESIGNWORKS. It did seem like a lot of details with the décor and branding were very well thought out, and I found out later from Zarecky that she had been planning the restaurant and event center for 10 years when the land was purchased in 2006. Drifters is the “kick-off” to more phases for the Riverwalk Landing Development on Teton Island. They are working on an expansive marina with on-site boating services, as well as developing small businesses and residential condominiums.

When we finally got to actually reading the menu, it was apparent we were not at what you would expect from an average “bar and grille.” First off, I love a good theme, and food items were listed as “Bait, Hooks, Lines, Sinkers, and For the Crew.” I was loving it.

They had everything from Coconut Shrimp to Chipotle Chicken Nachos to Oyster Po-Boy to Chicken Strips. It’s been a while since I’ve seen such a nice variety of seafood options.

My eyes darted to the Tuna Stack. “Sushi rice, avocado, seared Yellowfin Tuna, spicy mayo, eel sauce, and scallions.” What in the what?! It came out and looked like a giant piece of sushi, expect eating this with a fork is a must and is more acceptable that chopsticks in this presentation. It was heaven. The sauces had so much flavor, and there was plenty on the plate to dip in to. It was so good that I honestly have thought of reasons to try to get to Fort Pierre so I can order it again.

For a lighter fare, we tried Thai, which included edamame, red peppers, carrots, toasted peanuts, scallions, and sesame ginger dressing. There are protein add-ons, so I chose shrimp. This definitely is a good choice if you don’t want anything too heavy, but I would suggest ordering the protein to kick it up a notch.

The Irish Burger was next, and it looked like a food commercial. It was gooey goodness, with a bleu cheese-stuffed Angus burger, an Irish whiskey glaze, Guinness beer cheese, and was topped with haystacks and a pretzel bun. I’m almost positive I said this last month, but pretzel buns make everything better. We ordered the steak fries for our side, and they were one of my highlights. Not only did we get to indulge in the thick fries seasoned with pepper and sea salt, but we doubled down with a side of onion rings. They were so crispy, you could easily bite through them (even for those of us who failed to put in our rubber bands with braces and don’t have aligned jaws… sorry, Mom).

John was on a diet, which almost seemed cruel to eat all of these things in front of him, so he ordered the Tuna. This was pan-seared, Mediterranean tapenade, with garbanzo bean puree. Again, the sauce reigned supreme and made the meal very savory, and the tuna almost seemed to melt when you cut into it.

BOTTOM LINE:

Everything was very fresh and delicious. And if it wasn’t weird, I would write love letters to the Tuna Stack. Seriously. Don’t worry, Tuna Stack;
I’m coming back for you!

Rating Scale: Ambiance ++++ | Average Price Per Meal: $—$10 & under;  $$—$20 & under; $$$—$30 & under; $$$$—over $30 | Taste ++++