Ride Or Dine Restaurant

As a kid I grew up in Scotland South Dakota. I remember a great many things from this time. Main street Scotland looked much different. There was a bakery, used car lot, Hot Stuff Pizza, and three bars. As well as 3 gas stations, two grocery stores, Rettedal’s, and my favorite, The Frosty Shop.

The one I remember quite well for some reason was a place called Schmidt Pharmacy. I think it was the very decorative tiles on the ceiling. Or maybe it was the cool cheap toys they had for sale. Either way, it stuck out in my mind.

Fast forward to about a month ago now, I wrote an article called “The Bon Homme Restaurant challenge“. I was surprised to get a very good amount of feed back from you the readers. Which I give you all a big thank you.

However there was 2 restaurants that were brought to my attention that I forgot. And people wanted to see in the challenge. This wasn’t intentional. This was me trying to use Google and my own experience with these places to let people know you don’t have to go 70 miles to get some awesome food.

So rather than rewrite the original challenge and an article on 2 restaurants i’ve never been in, I decided I will visit them both personally and include these in their own articles. As well as hopefully add them to your dining list. These 2 places that I needed to visit, was “Ride Or Dine” in Scotland South Dakota. And “Tolsma’s Cove” in Avon South Dakota. The first article to start with is the “Ride Or Dine”. And I will be going to “Tolsma’s Cove” for my next article. With that, I traveled back to my home town. Scotland.

About Ride Or Dine

Remember that long winded speech about my memories of “Schmidt Pharmacy”? This is the location on Main street Scotland. As you walk through the front doors it has a very warm feeling. From the decorations to the walls. And yes. You guessed it. That wonderful decorative ceiling is still there.

Knowing some of the history of the building myself, the last few proprietors of this building were bars. They were also very nice and had a warm feeling to them. I know that the new owners are using this decor to their advantage, however, without being able to put my finger on why, the theme seems to fit the “Ride Or Dine” a lot better.

The Food

With menu in hand, we dove in. They have a very good selection of most beverages that you would want to drink including Coke and Pepsi products. They do not serve alcohol. And as of now does not sound like they want to. They also serve some chilled drinks. I unfortunately did not get a chance to try these. Next time I guess.

They start you off with a nice basket of chips and salsa with a choice of mild, medium, or spicy. You get one of these for no charge, and then any additional will cost $1. We tried the medium salsa. It was amazing, fresh, and crunchy. I could have probably made a meal of these alone as the salsa made my mouth water. I didn’t though. And avoided the urge to get more.

The menu was very well put together and definitely had something for everyone. We personally had the steak sandwich with fries and Boneless wings with fries. The day we came I noticed some of the other food such as steak and a Stir fry special. All of which looked amazing.

They also had a small salad bar that could be added to the meals and is included with some of the meals.

As far as the taste? The sandwich was amazing and juicy. With ample amounts of meat, cheese, and onions it had a burst of flavor. The fries were a golden crunchy crisp on the outside and soft and flavorful in the middle.

Our food came in a very timely manner. From when we ordered to eating our food took about 13 minutes. Very good for a home town restaurant.

I tried a bit of the boneless wings as well. They were cooked to a golden perfection as well. And nice and juicy in the middle. They take and put the sauce of your choice on the side. This way you have the option to dip them or pour it over the top.

The Price

This was maybe the most surprising part for me. The prices would contend with any fast food restaurant hands down. And tastes much better. In total for 1 drink and 2 meals was less than $20 dollars. Very reasonable for a meal anywhere and prices on everything else looked very good as well.

It’s also very family friendly and a great place to stop for just a snack. The people were also very friendly and greeted me with a smile on every chance.

The Buzz

“Ride Or Dine” is in it’s very early stages. I was told they have only been open a couple months. Everything I have heard and seen about it though has been very positive. Asking some of the local people about the restaurant, “They love it! Especially the pizzas. And the unique way they get delivered”. Are you still wondering why it’s called the ride and dine?

“Ride Or Dine” is not only a restaurant, but a bike shop as well. They take bikes and customize them and fix them up. If there was another good reason to stop, some of these bikes will definitely turn heads and is a must see while you are there. He has some of these for sale. Beware though, I’m told they sell pretty fast. Especially, the cool ones.

Did I mention that they deliver in Scotland as well? Using a trike bike that has been not only tricked out, but it also comes with a delivery cart behind it. Making it a completely green delivery service I might add.

Conclusion

I’m very happy to have been able to go to Ride Or Dine. And a big thank you for pointing it out to me.

And to the owners, a big congratulations on a successful opening. I can’t wait to try it again.

Unfortunately Closed

When I started going through to update my posts, this one showed up. And as the heading says, it is closed. A seemingly growing trend in small towns and small business’s in general, is closures. And the Ride and Dine was one of them.

I debated removing this article completely. However, it doesn’t change the wonderful experience I had. And it keeps the Ride And Dine alive and well. Even if it is only a memory. And maybe just a warning. That the small town business’s in our community’s need our help. Because without us, they can and will vanish for good.