Arnold’s Classic Diner
1940 LaCrosse St, Rapid City, SD, 57701
Arnold’s Classic Diner Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Rapid City for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Rapid City for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Rapid City for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
1940 LaCrosse St
Rapid City, SD, 57701 - Phone (605) 721-9452
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Opening Hours
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Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Samantha T.
I had been craving a hotdog for a couple of days so we decided to check our this little restaurant near our hotel. It was formerly called Arnold's Diner, but was in the process of being turned into a Dog N Suds. It was a cute little place with jukebox machines at the tables. Gene thought that it would have been better had the servers been wearing roller skates. Our server didn't think it was a good idea, lol. Either way, or dogs were great and the fries were good too. It will be interesting to see what it will all look like when they are completely finished remodeling. I guess I will have to keep updated on their website. Please check out my other restaruant and attraction reviews on our travel blog at ourtravelingblog.com/201… . Enjoy.
(3)Jack C.
My wife and I were passing through Rapid City, on our way to Denver, and we spent the night at a local hotel. Neither one of us really wanted to eat at a chain restaurant for breakfast, and as I craned my head around to see if I could spot anything, the sun glinted off of a shiny diner in the distance! Chain restaurants rarely use the old-school, diner look, so we took a chance and headed across I-90 to get a closer look. The parking lot was fairly full, and it looked like a classic diner from the '50s. Local, greasy spoon place for breakfast suited me just fine, but the food was anything but! My wife had their Strawberry Pancakes with a cup of cocoa; she got two refills on the cocoa, and she NEVER gets refills on anything! I had their Elvis French Toast (French toast with bananas), and it was awesome! I also had a side order of bacon, and that was cooked to perfection! It's always amazed me how hard it is to find a place that can properly cook something as simple as bacon, but these guys can! I had to help my wife finish her pancakes, and those were really good, too! Our waitress was very friendly and attentive, and when she was busy with other customers, another waitress got us refills without us having to say a word! I know this place has had some issues in the past (I'm gathering this from previous posts that I've read), but Arnold's Classic Diner is under new management, and our experience was awesome! We will definitely be back here the next time we're in the Black Hills!
(5)Blake G.
They have terrific milkshakes. It was a cheap dinner with great service and memorabilia that takes me back. I recommend
(4)Vicki K.
RUN! Stay far away. We ordered and got wrong orders. Sent them back to get corrected orders. Watched waitress bring out our wrong orders to someone else . That was after she brought them back to kitchen. Scared to see what we will get. Still waiting to see what get. Wait. Wrong orders again. Food came out wrong again. Cook was yelling at us that he sent out correct order first time. We walked out.
(1)Laura N.
Very nice waitress. She helped me with my food allergy concerns. My dad liked his food. The food came out a bit slow for eggs, but it was tasty enough.
(3)Shaun V.
Attentive staff, almost too many people asking if we needed anything. Better coordination would help. Downfall was the kitchen. Shrimp not consistently browned looked like dumped in basket and never turned. Patty melt was good but needed more cheese and onion. Kid burger was okay and kids pancake was huge. They seem to be trying and are not as bad as other ratings lead me to expect.
(3)Teri W.
The diner is adorable from the outside. However none of the jukeboxes work. The service is slow and on the rude side. We were very excited about diner food as we had been living off boxed and canned food while camping. I would rather eat the cardboard box than ever dine here again. The food was burnt and when I asked to have it redone I was told that's just how it is done. The only reason for the 2 stars is location, the fact that it is cute and great for pictures and because the milkshakes were great. Won't go back thought because it's just not worth it.
(2)Fran S.
We've been to Arnold's over the last 6 years. At first, the breakfast we each would order was good. One order was chicken fried chicken. The grease wasn't old and the chicken was a good portion. The potatoes were okay. The other order was ham and eggs and potatoes. The ham was excellent and the potatoes were okay too. In the last three times we went there and ordered the same. So bad we could hardly eat it. Old, old grease, downsized chicken portion and the potatoes were worse than rotten tasting: swimming in old grease and just short of burnt. We aren't going there anymore. All is lost with what quality they once had.
(1)Cecelia G.
The food was decent, but very slow coming out. Even though there were only 4 other tables, it took 30 minutes to get a coney dog and fries. The waitress wasn't rude, exactly, but not very friendly, either. At one point, she was speaking to us, hiccupped, and didn't excuse herself. Also, the novelty is gone. The waitresses no longer wear poodle skirts or period outfits. As it was explained to me, the new owner doesn't "make them" wear them.
(2)Courtney B.
While the food was very hot and fresh, it wasn't amazing tasting. The service wasn't great either, and the server messed up our orders.
(3)D. W.
I don't remember exactly how we came by this place, if it was something in an ad beforehand - I think it was - or if was the happenstance of this place being relatively close to our hotel, but as soon as we encountered it, we made immediate plans to go there, both myself and wife having that craving for a big bite into the raw taste of honeyed nostalgia. This restaurant is named in homage, of course, to the place in the tv show "Happy Days." The exterior of the place is on the money. It looks like a 50's era malt shop, with gleaming chrome flashing and an old style neon sign. The inside follows this as well, aside from the front clip of what appears to be a '57 Chevrolet Bel Air stuck into the front counter. Jukeboxes on every table, a black and white checked floor, waitresses in heavily stylized uniforms and booth tables with the grooved metal trim all show that considerable effort went into getting the look as close as possible. The menu itself references a number of vintage autos and tastefully restrains itself to that era, so the later muscle car references are skipped. A lot of menu space is spent on malts and dessert treats, again keeping with things thematically. Not being a fan of that sort of thing, generally, I opted for regular entrees and my wife and son followed suit. I had the Number 37, sort of a house specialty with jalapenos, bacon and mushrooms on a half-pound burger. My wife had a different burger and my son had his usual of chicken strips and fries. There was nothing especially wrong with any of our food, aside from the chicken strips being notably overdone - something that must be some kind of trend in Rapid City, since we noticed it elsewhere - but it frankly never really rose above mediocre. Our initial interest in the main lure - the aesthetic of the building and atmosphere inside - rather quickly waned as poor wait staff service gave us little else to but admire the scenery for long periods of time. Clearly, the best thing about this place is its resemblance to a 50's malt shop and not the food and were we not hungry from the road and were not this so close to our hotel, the dismal service might have sent us calling for the management before heading to the door. I would classify our waitress not so much as rude but definitely disinterested. If this place wants to get to any kind of next level, some serious re-vamping in the actual food and service levels needs to take place. Overall, this is an experience that satisfied our initial curiosity about the look and that we would not care to ever repeat.
(3)thomas C.
Good 50's atmosphere. Food and service were a little flat. Things seemed a little tired for this greasy spoon but it fit the purpose to feed the kids a monster hot dog.
(3)Gunsmoke D.
Went on a Tuesday evening. Only one other couple there. Had a table of 5 adults, e 3 yr old, and infant. Waitress was not rude, but she was not interested in her customers and not personable. Ordered the hamburger on the senior menu. Hamburger was over cooked. All the hamburgers order were over cooked. Would not go again till they do a complete overhaul.
(1)PJ B.
If I could give this a NEGATIVE star rating I would. Total dive, greasy spoon, icky place. The atmosphere is skanky, dirty, and there's a smell of fatty fried deep fryer food that overwhelms you when you walk in. Hate to sound so negative but man, this place is ratty.
(1)Michael W.
14 Apr 12, approximately 3-4pm. Severely overpriced. Bad food with little to no taste. Specifically, the Club sandwich. No sauces to speak of, uncooked bacon, cheap generic lunch meat, cheap bread only half toasted. 3 x Club sandwiches $30. Although, it does include a show. The waitress/server doing her hair and makeup in the food preparation area was particularly awesome.
(1)Z K.
Diner itself is a little dirty....however the people working were very nice when we walked in 10 minutes before closing. We were staying close and just wanted a milkshake to go. They had made some food incorrectly so I benefited from this with a free ham/cheese melt with onion rings. I did buy a shake which was really good!
(3)Renee P.
I must day, I guess we got lucky when we went here. My kids (ages 7, 5 and 3) ordered the corn dog kid's meal (for 2 kids) and a hamburger kid's meal for the other kid. The family member we were with (my cousin) ordered the Cadillac Burger (Cheese and bacon) and I ordered the The Number 37 (Arnold's Deluxe Burger) which had swiss cheese, bacon, sliced jalapeños, grilled onions and sautéed mushrooms on a lightly grilled bun with lettuce, onions (yes more - these were typically raw) sliced tomato and crinkle cut pickles on the side. There was nothing else on the bun - no mayo, mustard or ketchup - I loved that! The meat was cooked perfect! It had a very light char on the meat but it was still soooo tasty and moist/juicy but not watery. The fries were pretty decent - unsalted as well. I also ordered Cherry Coke and never had an empty glass because our waitress was very attentive. The day we went there were 6 other tables with customers, when we got our food, about 8 and when we left there were 10 tables full. One other waitress on duty and both were friendly and doing a great job. It was amusing to see the waitresses wearing a "costume" of a long 1950's style black skirt, with a tucked in shirt and a scarf tied around their ponytails. My cousin loved his burger and for someone who doesn't care for swiss cheese - my burger was to die for! I couldn't stop going on and on about it while we were eating and INSISTED my cousin try it - he was jealous after trying my food! We had NO issues with the employees, food or bill - the restaurant was very clean, as were the restrooms.... and our food came out faster than we expected! I will DEFINITELY be going back the next time we are in the area! Oh, and they did have coloring mats and crayons for the kids - which if you have kids - you know how important that can be in a restaurant.
(5)Rachel A.
Don't go here. It seems like ppl staying at nearby hotels frequent this the most. Locals stay away for a reason. It is kitschy, it's cute, and it's got a military discount, & yes, the staff is also super nice...BUT the food is terrible, so if you're looking for more than a fun place to sit and have a good meal, there are TONS around - go there. Please.
(2)Mike Z.
Miserable food...my wife's salad was inedible. Combined with slow service & the high lack of cleanliness, this place is to be avoided
(1)Brian H.
You can get a breakfast for $5-6 a head here which is pretty good. I wouldn't dare go for lunch based on the service alone - the waitress was really sparse and spent a lot of time standing around - but it's a decent breakfast joint.
(3)Paula W.
Heading to the Hampton Inn from the airport, the first interesting thing I spotted was Arnold's Classic Diner near my hotel. I was so excited to check it out! I did a little digging and found out that the restaurant, "a replica of a 1950s-era diner, was originally built on Mount Rushmore Road in 1999." I was quite surprised by that as it definitely has the feeling of an actual 1950's establishment. "In 2007, David and Tracy Bradsky moved the entire building through downtown Rapid City and north to its new home next to the Quality Inn on LaCrosse. Once in place, Bradsky and his crew began remodeling and outfitting the old diner to look even more like a product of the 1950s. The Arnold's name comes from the "Happy Days" hangout in the popular television show." Walking in the front door I first spotted the old fashioned phone in foyer and knew that the rest of the enterior was going to be true to the era. "Each booth is equipped with a Seeburg wall box, the 1950s style of jukebox that lets diners select songs from their seats. Apparently Bradsky spent eight months on eBay buying up enough wall boxes to outfit Arnold's. However, the Arnold's jukebox, connected to all the wall boxes, plays music CDs instead of old 45-rpm records. That's about the only modern convenience Bradsky bowed down to. Otherwise, Arnold's Classic Diner is pure '50s. It has half-pound, hand-pattied hamburgers. It has foot-long hot dogs that actually measure up, he said. And it has old-fashioned malts and shakes served in tall glasses with the steel blender containers on the side." I arrived for breakfast and was greeted by a waitress who looked like she could have begun working for Arnold's in the 50's. Poodle skirt, booby socks, white short-sleeved shirt. She wasn't exceptionally friendly but I looked past that as she brought me coffee fairly quickly. The menu isn't very extensive so I ordered the chicken fried chicken breakfast and sat back to enjoy the surroundings. I knew that I might have made a bad choice when I hear the cook ask someone, "how do you make a chicken fried chicken?". The key to this entree is to pound out the chicken breast to about a 1/4" thick sheet, dip in breading, then deep fry. The cook didn't quite get that. He just dipped and deep fried a full on chicken breast so parts of it were quite thick. It was completely cooked though so I couldn't really complain. The country gravy was good and the rest of the dish acceptable. Nothing special for sure. Plus I had to wait several minutes for a refill on my coffee and there was only one other couple in the restaurant. To tell the truth I was a bit disappointed. I was really looking forward to a good old fashioned country breakfast and great service. Instead I got mediocre food and so-so service.
(3)John S.
To call this a major disappointment would be an understatement. The decor is awesome. Nice atmosphere. Love the nostalgic take on the signs and decor. But the service and price, portion of the food left a lot to be desired. The burger I ordered was fine. The portion of the fries left a lot to be desired. Maybe they thought I needed to be on a diet? But if I'm paying $9.00 for a hamburger plate I expect more fries than that. The service was absolutely horrendous. I had one glass of tea. ONE! No refills. The kid brought my plate and I never saw him again. Seriously. I counted a total of seven people in there at one time including myself. Two wait staff and seven total customers. Saw his head pop up back in the kitchen once or twice but he never looked my way or came by. The reviews I read about this place are true.
(1)Jacki H.
We went here for dinner as it was right across the parking lot from our hotel. As we were travelling with our 13 yr old twins, wanted something quick & close. Mistake! Big mistake. We were initially excited as it was full seating, which is generally the sign of good food. Seating hostess had the charm of a dead lizard. Waitress was overloaded with tables & couldn't keep up. Asked for drink refills, got an attitude & then it comes about 25 minutes later! Bill was wrong. Forgot to deduct coupon (given by hotel), then seating hostess/ mgr in charge argued with me that they couldn't re-run the charge. She could care less about customer service, who I argued with her a bit and then she agreed to re-do the charge- while not making eye contact, apologizing for waitress error, etc. Nope, nothing. It was a 10% disc, so not huge, but at this point I was so upset with the whole experience it was a matter of principle. Food was good, prices reasonable. The establishment just need a huge personality make-over.
(1)John L.
Food awful! My senior burger was 2 oz of burnt meat? No taste burnt and paper thin $6.00. Wifes special bacon tomato lettuce $6.99 was 2 slices of bread and 3 pieces of deep fried bacon, burnt and brittle. 40 yr old blondish waitress was unfriendly. It's amazing how many waitresses are out there that obviuosly think they are too good or too beautiful to work as a waitress. Avoid this place. We stopped at a Harddes down the street and it had the same 50's look but great counter people who make fresh hand dipped ice cream milkshakes! Our turkey burgers and hamburgers and fresh made fries makes Arnolds look like a porkaria! Try the Hardees and save $$$ and leave happy plus the Hardees people refused a tip!
(1)