Grille 26 — Restaurant in Sioux Falls Township

5/7/21 5:30/6 pm

Grill 26 is casual dining but with the swagger of a modern Minerva’s vibe. You’ll likely feel underdressed as you enter, but they emphasize to “come as you are.” Since it is owned by the upscale Minerva’s, you can expect the pricing to be a tad higher than your average sit-down restaurant. However, if you’re looking for a nicer place that won’t completely break the bank, it is more affordable than their counterpart.

Having their own brick-oven in house, the staff emphasize those items cooked in it as their specialties, like the brick-oven salmon and pizzas. Our waitress strongly encouraged the brick-oven salmon and the creole penne. She was very confident in her recommendations so we followed her advice to a T.

For our appetizer, which they call small plates, we had the steak nachos. These were a delightfully unique flavor. Using wonton wrappers for the chips created a sweet light and airy but crisp experience. You wouldn’t expect all these different flavors, from the savory steak to the surprisingly sweet tomato jam, to all compliment each other so well, but after having had it, I can say it is something that I would order again. Only downside to using wonton chips, they are more brittle and not as optimal to scooping up the extra fixings. Additionally, we tried a couple of their drinks, the Primo Margarita and the Sparkling Berry. Honestly, with what the prices were for the drinks I would definitely skip these in future visits. Don’t get me wrong, they were fine and they didn’t completely skimp on the alcohol like some places do. But, when spending almost an equal amount to that of a meal, on just one drink, it seems rather steep to me.

Having been recommended to share the brick oven salmon, we did just that. When seeing the plate, we were a bit nervous, would this really be filling enough for the both of us? But in combination with the appetizer and dessert, it was the perfect amount. Personally, I’m not a big fan of fish. I have had some good salmon here and there, but it isn’t typically the thing I would go out and order for myself. Thankfully our waitress knew what she was talking about, and the dish ended up being enjoyable. Combining the flavors of the salmon, pesto sauce and cooked spinach created a satisfying taste. The mushroom risotto patty had a good flavor, but was rather chewy and got stuck in my teeth. My husband, who enjoys fish, really liked the dish but agreed you needed to combine all the different pieces to get the perfect taste.

Having shared our meal, we were able to have room for dessert! Again, listening to our waitress’s advice, we ordered the strawberry rhubarb cheesecake. Let me say this first, it was delicious, but it was not the best I’ve eaten. It had a very homemade taste and feel to it. I suppose that is both a positive and negative. The strawberry rhubarb syrup gave the essence of freshly picked produce. However, the cheesecake itself was a tad too soft and sticky and the crust was quite hard. We did enjoy it, but I think I would try a different dessert next time.

Grill 26 is a busy place, so make sure you aren’t in too big of a rush when visiting. Our waitress was fantastic. She was very personable and ready with recommendations. There were times however when a little faster service would have been appreciated.

All in all, Grill 26 is definitely a place I would recommend for someone looking for a nice night out. We saw a couple of individuals eating before attending prom, and I think Grill 26 is the absolute perfect place for something like that. It exudes high class but at a more...

I had such strong feelings on this restaurant that I had to review it as soon as I got home. I just left there about 30 mins ago.

I had high hopes as this is a restaurant owned by the same group that owns Minervas, a restaurant I really like. Upon entering, it has almost a diner vibe as opposed to a nice restaurant.

We ordered the app of Bangkok shrimp and entrees of Jambalaya and Creole pasta. The Bangkok shrimp itself was good. Sauce was tasty. All the other extras with it weren't that great.

Then comes my Jambalaya. So bad. I will attach the photo of the gross amount of grease floating in it. It had barely any shrimp or crawfish. I'm not sure why they have a salsa Verde type sauce on one side. I've been to New Orleans many, many times, and this was not even close to authentic Jambalaya. My stomach is currently in bad shape, that's how bad this was.

My wife's Creole pasta wasn't terrible. It was very average. We ordered Creme Brulee and Strawberry Rhubarb cheesecake. My cheesecake was all shoved to one side of the plate like it was almost dropped. Pic is attached. It also had a taste of rotten eggs. I'm not sure what's going on there. My strawberry sauce tasted like syrup or something from a jar. Definitely not homemade. The creme brulee was OK. Again, it's just very average.

The server was very quiet. There is nothing wrong with him, but definitely no personality. I like chatty waiters and waitresses. Adds to a pleasant experience.

Bottom line is, even if I was offered to eat here for free, I would pass in a heartbeat. Utterly...

For being one of the best date restaurants in Sioux Falls I could not have guessed it would also be the best place to take small kids in the city. For years we've loved their food, quality, and romantic TV free dining area. It is always decorated beautifully and lends to an intimate setting. On a whim, we took the kids out on a Saturday night and were immediately seated, kids got crayons, and the waitress took their order with our drink order so the kids could eat as soon as possible. Milk cups were quick to follow. The portions for kids are generous to say the least. Giant full pizzas for the kids, a big side, unlimited milk, and a generous helping of ice cream to boot. The waitress treated the kids so well by asking them how they were doing and complementing them. Too often places ignore the kids, shove us to a table next to the bathroom, and make it awkward. Grille 26 understands the secret rule that if you treat the kids well then the parents can relax and enjoy themselves (and increase their drink tab!) Not to mention that kids well treated are calm and not disruptive. We had the best dining experience ever with our kids and this has become our default celebration place with them. Grille 26 is a place designed for romantic adult celebrations but it sure knows how to treat kids when they come. We'll be raving about them...