Sioux Falls is a city that defies simple description. On one hand, it’s home to the state’s largest population center (and not because everyone’s flocking for the winter winds). On the other, significantly more delicious hand, it’s home to a surprisingly fierce wing scene. Frankly, calling this just another Midwestern city doesn’t seem appropriate. It’s a wing destination, a sauce-soaked sanctuary, a place where crispy, saucy perfection awaits.
KFC
$ | (605) 336-9688 | WEBSITE
For all our talk of artisanal small plates, farm-to-table vegetables, and handcrafted cocktails, deep down we know that good fried chicken is the best kind of food in the world. When the culinary trends fade and the fancy restaurants close, crispy chicken is what we’ll be left with. Golden, extra-crispy, and satisfyingly simple.
Hopefully we have some time between now and then, but meanwhile, we can go to KFC, a spacious fast-food spot with a comfortable dining area that serves some of the best saucy nuggets with Korean BBQ sauce and addictive apple pie poppers in the city.
Papa Johns Pizza
$ | (605) 361-7272 | WEBSITE
The pizza at Papa Johns in Sioux Falls isn’t going to surprise you. Your pepperoni pies, veggie options, and chicken wings are all here, but it’s on this list because they’re all made about as reliably as any delivery pizza you’re likely to have in the Midwest. If you live nearby, their online ordering page should be on your favorites tab.
Slim Chickens
$ | (605) 271-2710 | WEBSITE
If you kind of liked the straightforward satisfaction of fast food chicken, but also wish it was just a little bit more like a proper sit-down spot, then Slim Chickens is waiting for you in Sioux Falls. The spotless dining area, crispy chicken, and professional window service are almost enough to make you forget that on the other side of the counter lies an entirely different fast food joint.
Even if the staff isn’t always super friendly, you’ll enjoy what is essentially a comfort food haven crossed with a clean, reliable eatery. The food isn’t going to reinvent the wheel, but you’ll scarf down those perfectly cooked chicken strips and flavorful fries after a long day or when that craving hits.
Domino’s Pizza
$ | (605) 331-2121 | WEBSITE
At most pizza chains, the standard experience involves waiting endlessly for a delivery that arrives lukewarm, with cheese that’s congealed into a rubbery mess. At Domino’s Pizza in Sioux Falls, though, the experience is hot pizza delivered with genuine care, often by staff who bring it right to your car window. With all due respect to other delivery options, we like the way Domino’s does it better.
Call up this location the next time you want pizza that disappears from the box in minutes, not the cardboard-tasting pies that have been sitting in a delivery bag since the lunch rush. Note that during peak hours, however, you might encounter a longer wait time.
Buffalo Wild Wings
$$ | (605) 274-2382 | WEBSITE
For a living metaphor of how much variety you’ll find in Sioux Falls, leave the quiet downtown streets and head to Buffalo Wild Wings, where the giant screen overlooks not a peaceful scene but a packed house of sports fans cheering in air-conditioned comfort.
There are plenty of delicious wings available here, with diverse sauce offerings, and you can join the crowds sipping tasty drinks like the strawberry margarita, watching live games, and enjoying the friendly and attentive service from the staff. The chicken wings come out fresh and crispy, delivering satisfying spicy and tasty meals even when the place gets busy.
Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers
$ | (605) 910-4383 | WEBSITE
There are certain things that Sioux Falls does better than any other place in the Midwest. These include creating friendly neighborhood spots, serving generous portions that satisfy any appetite, and perfecting the late-night cheeseburger. The rest of South Dakota might not know much about patty melts with cheese curds and veggie burger options, but we’ve got Freddy’s.
Come to this welcoming spot in the busy part of town the next time you want some frozen custard, a satisfying combo meal, and a place to hang out with friends.
Little Caesars Pizza
$ | (605) 332-3131 | WEBSITE
Little Caesars Pizza on Minnesota Ave is the rare fast-food spot that somehow feels like a neighborhood kitchen. If you visit during the lunch rush, you’ll find yourself surrounded by the aroma of hot, delicious meals, and there’s a genuine warmth to the service here. The menu stays consistent, but you can expect to find classic pizza favorites, along with those new stuffed breadsticks everyone’s talking about.
Get the hot wings and pretend you’re at a family gathering where someone just pulled fresh food from the oven.
Pizza Hut
$ | (605) 332-2277 | WEBSITE
The 12th Street Pizza Hut in Sioux Falls is a straightforward pizza joint, but its pepperoni pies and garlic cheese sticks are some of the most satisfying comfort foods we’ve ever tried. You could use this pizza box as a doorstop if you misplaced yours, and it’s so consistently good that, even after reheating leftovers for two straight lunches, you’ll still crave another slice.
Marco’s Pizza
$ | (605) 275-9696 | WEBSITE
The best thing about being a fan of college football is always having an excuse to order pizza for the game. There are few better places in Sioux Falls to do that than Marco’s Pizza on a busy Saturday night. The pizza is just standard takeout fare, but it’s the type of authentic neighborhood spot where you’ll actually get piping hot food delivered by friendly staff.
Come here the next time you want to grab a pie in a place where people call ahead to check on orders and occasionally praise Russ and his crew for their hard work.
Boston’s Pizza Sioux Falls
$$ | (605) 275-2716 | WEBSITE
Is Boston’s Pizza Sioux Falls the chicken wing capital of the Midwest? Seeing as that’s an impossible question to answer and no one can call us out on it, we’re going to say that it absolutely, definitely is. Boston’s Pizza is a fun, casual restaurant with TVs and ample seating where the lunch specials are filling enough to be called satisfying.
Don’t feel like you need to stick to the wings, though – our favorite thing on the menu is actually the bourbon bbq chicken pizza, a delicious pie topped with tender chicken and tangy sauce.