The Sheraton Sioux Falls Hotel & Convention Center has a wide range of clients who stop for a bite and beverage at the restaurant adorned by waterfalls.
“I would say the majority of our business is probably business casual with a mix of some families,” said general assistant manager Ghena Ferguson. “We get an overflow of events at the [Denny Sanford] Premier Center, like sports events and concerts.”
One of these events that the crew is preparing for is the Summit League Basketball Tournament happening March 7-10.
“It’s packed wall to wall,” said executive chef Richard Lockard. “Marching bands come through and play the fight song, depending on how well they do. If they win or lose, they might drink more.”
THE SHERATON HOTEL HAS 243 ROOMS.
One of the restaurant’s themed drinks for the Summit League will be the Slam Dunk, which has whiskey, cranberry juice, ginger beer, and a lime twist.
For visitors and for locals, the Sheraton has a few specials that give a taste of home, like The Local. This salad has chopped romaine topped with red onions, diced tomatoes, cheese curds, and an order of house-seasoned chislic.
“It’s nice and smooth and fun.” – Ferguson on the Love Punch cocktail.
“It’s a spin on a South Dakota favorite,” said Lockard. “It’s local chislic with Stensland Family Farms cheese curds.”
For dressing, he recommends the sriracha ranch.
“It’s something different to spice it up,” said Lockard.
More On The Menu
APPETIZERS
CHICKEN WINGS // Wings tossed in a choice of buffalo, BBQ, teriyaki, or sweet chili.
HUMMUS AND PITA // Housemade lemon garlic hummus, served with cucumbers, olives, and grilled pita.
SANDWICHES
PORTOBELLO MELT // Grilled portobello mushroom and tomatoes topped with balsamic onions, spinach, havarti, and garlic hummus, served on focaccia.
RUSHMORE BURGER // 6-ounce hand-formed beef patty topped with havarti, shoulder bacon, and dijonaise, served on a salt-and-pepper bun.
ENTREES
CHICKEN WELLINGTON // Chicken breast stuffed with spinach, onion, bacon, and Boursin cheese, wrapped in a puff pastry set in a tarragon cream sauce. Served with a choice of potato and vegetable of the day.
CRAB STUFFED WALLEYE // Broiled walleye filled with lump crab stuffing set in a lobster cream sauce, and served with quinoa rice or vegetable of the day.
A fresh dish that is a special right now is the Buddha Bowl, which Lockard says is his go-to when he’s hungry at work. This includes a quinoa and wild rice blend topped with avocado, carrots, cucumbers, spiced garbanzos, purple kale, and radishes.
“And then it’s all topped off with a peanut sauce,” said the chef.
Some of the Sheraton’s best sellers are the Ribeye (with whiskey peppercorn cream) and the New York Strip Sandwich (served on a hoagie roll).
“[The steak sandwich] is nice and tender; you don’t need a knife to cut it with. It’s cooked well every time,” said Ferguson.
Then there’s the Jerry Burger—a six-ounce hand-formed beef patty topped with bacon and onion marmalade, sriracha, a jalapeño spread, and smoked gouda cheese, served on a salt-and-pepper bun.
“It’s named after our most famous bellman,” said Lockard. “We were putting it together for the menu and he walked by and tried it and liked it, so we named it the Jerry Burger.”
The staff says they enjoy the laid-back atmosphere and, most of all, giving visitors a taste of South Dakota.
“You definitely don’t have to be in a business suit and you don’t have to feel underdressed or overdressed when you come in,” said Ferguson. “Our clientele is all over the board.”
Lockard added, “There’s a lot of twists on things you can find around town, but there’s also a lot of things that are unique just to this restaurant and my menu.”
For more information, visit marriott.com/fsdsi.
