Deadwood is a favorite spot for the 605 staff, as the team feels transported back to the late 1800s, when laws were loose and the whiskey was flowing.

Literally if there is any excuse to stop in town, we’ll will be there, especially when we hear there is a newer steakhouse that has gourmet burgers.

Twist my arm, 605 art director Liz Painter and I drove in from Spearfish after a full day of collecting content to give it a try.

Eagle Bar and Steakhouse is located on Main Street and is connected to the Nugget Saloon through a merchandise store, which has the same ownership. Looking out the windows, you get a view of Mineral Palace.

Things were looking up, as a sign near the entrance read they have “the best burgers in Deadwood.” Bring it on (and not in a cocky way, I mean bring it on, I’m starving).

Another sign told the story of the M.B. Wilson Building. The upper floor in the 1930s and 1940s was home to the Shasta Rooms, one of Deadwood’s brothels, and it once housed an automobile garage and electrical service.

The vibe of the place seemed to play off of the automobile garage history with collections of license plates and a vintage car, among other antique finds.

My coworker and I were greeted by our friendly server and executive chef and general manager Bob Godich. Godich informed us that they grind their own sirloin daily, and that they proudly serve Angus Certified Beef.

At this point the anticipation was killing me.

Our server explained the restaurant gets cocktails from the Nugget Saloon, and informed us they’re “home of the world’s best Bloody Mary.”

World’s best? So many confident statements!

We had to order the “world’s best,” and also ordered a Sex on the Beach.

The Sex on the Beach was a creamy, dessert-like drink that made us feel like we were on vacation.

The Bloody Mary was epic. It was like it was someone’s last day on earth and they got one more trip to the Bloody Mary bar. There were carrots, asparagus, a garlic clove, lemon, lime, a pickle, olives, and smoked bacon (I could be missing something).

Yes, the drink was delicious and packed a punch, and yes, it also almost doubled as a salad.

Speaking of salad, up first for our dishes was the Steakhouse Sirloin Salad. The iceberg lettuce with onion, tomato, croutons, and a hard boiled egg was topped with a seven-ounce grilled Certified Angus Beef sirloin steak.

As you should at a steakhouse, we ordered it with blue cheese dressing. After taking a few bits of the salad, I found myself honing in on just the beef with hard boiled egg, dipping them in dressing.

“This meat is good,” said Liz, focusing on just that part of the meal as well.

Next up was the Rotisserie Chicken. This juicy half chicken was fried and golden brown. It was served with a breadstick, veggies, and loaded potato with bacon, sour cream, and cheese. The pieces of bacon were off the chain (I’m bringing it back) and the chicken was flaky and melted right off the bone.

Our “veggie medley” consisted of carrots, broccoli, and green beans. By the time I devoured the chicken with the fresh vegetables, I didn’t even need the breadstick, which I usually am obsessed with.

“I’m full by the time I get to the breadstick, but if I have to eat the breadstick, I’m not mad about it,” my co-worker stated. And she was right.

Now the baked potato was a different story. While the bacon was mouthwatering and delightful, it was doused with sour cream. Again, not usually mad about this type of problem, but it almost was too much. If this is my biggest problem right now, I’m a lucky gal.

And now on to the gourmet burgers. The Stroganoff Burger came the table, smothered with mushroom gravy, sour cream, and onion. Our side was the Garlic Fries, which were thick and crunchy.

As I was overwhelmed by the charbroiled half-pound burger, which came with a side of more gravy (g’bless), Liz had to stop me from getting too full off of the fries.

In order to share and to consume (no one wants to see that), we cut the burger in half. It was delicious, very messy, and only had the downfall of being a little too mushroom heavy.

We were finishing up our burger, when we actually gasped when the giant Smoked Prime Rib sandwich came out. We thought we were done, and hallelujah, this masterpiece arrived.

Served with a side of heaven’s dip, or as others call, au jus, we stared at it, making a game plan of how to tackle it. Seeming like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, we tipped it over with a knife and split it into two tins.

I tell you, the breaded onion with the half-pound prime rib was so scrumptious.

BOTTOM LINE:

South Dakota is known for its beef, and this location is a can’t miss. From in-house ground sirloin to smoked prime rib, there are plenty of ways to experience it. For those not feeling beef, there are other options like Smoked Pork Chops, Jumbo Shrimp, Caesar Salad, and more.

SASSY STOOLS

“People take photos there constantly,” said Bob Godich of the derrière bar stools with legs. While they could seem like a random feature elsewhere, they fit in at the Eagle Bar and Steakhouse for two reasons: it’s Deadwood, so why not, and they don’t seem out of place amongst the diverse décor. Bonus: Some even have a lower back tattoo.

EAGLE BAR HAS AN IMPRESSIVE TAP LIST

The steakhouse has a variety of local craft beers, like:

Canyon Cream Ale & Pile O’Dirt Porter
Crow Peak Brewing Company

Mango Cream Ale
Miner Brewing Co.

Knucklehead Red Ale
Knuckle Brewery

+ National Craft Beers like Big Wave from Kona.