40 Steak and Seafood — Restaurant in Bismarck

When it was East 40 you were greeted at the door by a smiling face who was happy to have you and your business. The wait for the food was never very long and the flavors were always spot on! The prices were more than fair. My husband and I loved this place! Whenever we had friends or family come to visit we would always take them there so they could see for themselves why we loved it so much - and they did.

Now that it is under new ownership/management and is no longer East 40 (or anything even resembling this once iconic establishment), our experiences there have been far different.

Upon entering 40 Steak and Seafood you are not greeted by a welcoming face, but rather an unamused one, and that is after you have stood there waiting for awhile. I have been seated by male and female host/hostesses, but the attitude is very much the same. They don't seem like they want to be there and more importantly the don't seem like they want you there either. A person should not walk into any business and immediately feel as though they are an inconvenience who has taken their host away from more pressing matters.

The table service has been hit and miss. I have had excellent service but I have also suffered through terrible service that has left our entire dinner party pretty shocked and shaken. If you asked for substitutes or changes to your dish from how they appear on the menu, just know that you may receive a horrible attitude from your server. I am sorry that my child wanting extra dressing has completely ruined your evening. I am sorry that my husband's food allergy is such a nuisance for YOU...come on!

The food is also a hit and miss, but no matter how it turns out just know that you will probably be waiting for quiet some time before it is brought to your table and there is a good possibility that it will be luke warm at best.

I have tried to share my complaints and opinions with who I believe to be the owner of 40 Steak and Seafood but I would have been better off talking to a brick wall, because at least then I wouldn't have been so disrespected. They seemed far more interested in running me and the old East 40 down than actually addressing their problems. I was told that my opinions are wrong, got called a liar, questioned on whether or not I have even been inside their establishment and talked down to as though I was too stupid to comprehend what they were saying or even the most basic concepts. I am not the only person who has had horrible experiences with them nor am I the only person who has been treated horrifically when they have voiced their opinions. They do this all the time and it is sickening! The owner is pompous enough to see nothing wrong with his treatments of others so I doubt this will be the last review addressing the matter.

People always say, "you get what you pay for", but that is definitely not the case with this restaurant and I am not just talking about the portion sized - which are quiet small. They are a bit on the pricey side but I've paid more at other (better) places. I don't understand how they justify their prices...their food quality is average, their portions sizes leave a lot to be desired and their service is lacking. Maybe we pay extra for the ill treatment and disrespect?

Please do yourselves a favor and spend your hard earned money on an establishment who actually sees the value of your time, your money and you as a person.

P.S. Look through the reviews and see where they replied to a lot of the older bad reviews claiming that is was not 40 Steak and Seafood because the were not open yet, but they kept all of the good 4-5 star ratings from the same time period (or older) without correcting them or replying to them at all. Pretty shady if you ask me. Also, 40 Steak and Seafood opened in April 2014 (not September) if you don't believe me just Google it. There was even an article in the local paper about...

Very mediocre at best. No staff to greet us upon arrival and it was a rather slow night. Waiter was either untrained or just didn't care. This millennial must have been more concerned with his hair and ear gauges than getting our order right. We ordered a rather expensive bottle of wine to go with our meal and had to decant it ourselves, no problem. Bread was brought out and we were told that it was some kind of jalapeno bread but I saw no correlation in sight nor taste of this particular food item. Appetizers were something you would find at a Chili's or Apple-bees. Not much to choose from so I ordered the Thai nachos, let's not cross cultures please. An ill fated attempt at some off the chain culinary creation which only achieved sophomoric success. My friend ordered the calamari which wasn't that bad but nothing to write home about. My regret it that those poor little sea creatures gave their lives for nothing. We both ordered the Tomahawk Rib-eye witch promised to be culinary delight among the carnivorous, sadly we should have vegan monks. The meat was aged alright, I would like to know where to send the flowers to the cow that died. I heard she lived a very long life. It was tough, there was hardly any marbling and the flavor was very bland. The menu listed side items that can be ordered as to your choosing. Tater-tots, onion rings, steak fires..... Are you kidding me?!!! Why not we just throw peanut shells on the floor like they do at Texas Roadhouse? The decor is the same and dare I say the quality of food and atmosphere? I Could have saved over $50. Trying to get our bill was another ordeal. It was like being held hostage. I was waiting for someone to come out with a video camera and film my beheading all the time I'm looking for an escape. Please, I just want to pay my bill for the sub standard food and service and never darken your doorway again. We finally made our exit into the North Dakota night air vowing never to return and spread the word. It's reminiscent of one of those old science fiction movies where a badly burned and disfigured earthling is crawling towards his comrades uttering the words "...

EDIT 11/13/19: This has been 40 Steak and Seafood for a couple years now, after being bought by the owner of Peacock Alley. Still my favorite bar in town for laid-back ambience. The menu and food is the best it's been in the last decade, possibly ever. Be prepared to spend some money, but know you'll be getting good food. This is still one of my favorite spots in Bismarck.

EDIT 3/7/17: There are now more sushi options in Bismarck, including Kobe and Shogun, and I don't think the 40 still does sushi. Peacock Alley and the Toasted Frog are also worth mentioning for quality food these days. Under new ownership, the menu for the 40 has changed but the character and quality of the place remains, and they now serve particularly excellent whiskeys if you can afford them. Some of the flavors have morphed a bit, but all are still excellent. This spot still gets my highest recommendation.

Original Review, 2009: As an on-again-off-again resident of Bismarck, I've had plenty of samplings of the food around town. As a frequent traveler, I have had many samplings of food all over the world. The East 40 is one of my favorite restaurants out there... in fact, it's the only restaurant in Bismarck that I miss when I am gone. The atmosphere is laid-back, so you feel like you can go there and relax, but it has quality that exceeds restaurants that have bigger names and more prestige. For the quality of the experience, it is modestly priced. As far as Bismarck goes, the only restaurant that could give it a competition in quality is the Pirogue Grille... But the East 40 bar gives it the upper hand in my opinion. The bar is one of the best in town in terms of selection and service, though you wouldn't go there to really party, it's too mellow for that. They have a variety of dishes that is surprising, even sushi; I've had much better sushi, I must say, but there aren't any better options in Bismarck if you are craving some. The standard and American cuisine is phenomenal - steak quality is fantastic, seasonings at times being nothing short of genius. I hold no reservation in giving this restaurant the...