The North Dakota Restaurant That’s One Of The Most Unique In America
North Dakota’s history is deeply rooted in what was once considered the wild west. It was a vast area of mostly untouched land that people from the east were eager to settle and cultivate. Back then, people like Theodore Roosevelt explored the lands of western North Dakota and fell in love with them. He spent most of his time around Medora, a town now mostly known for its western-themed tourism, and later would credit his time in this beautiful state to his success as a president of the entire country.
Today, there is a restaurant and hotel in his name in the town where he spent so many years. This place has come up with a unique twist on being historical, fitting the wild west, as well as elegance you wont find in many other restaurants. When you’re visiting Medora you’ll want to check this out, and here’s why:
The Rough Rider Hotel and Theodore's Dining Room have a beautiful backdrop of the Badlands.
This building looks like it jumped straight from an old west town, and in a way it did. Not only that but the views are spectacular! The building was originally constructed in 1885 and later renovated in 1960s. It has seen many big names come through over the years along with thousands of visitors.
The dining room is by far one of the most elegant and fanciest restaurants in North Dakota and has made a name for itself with its great service, impressive dining atmosphere, and top notch food.
Beyond the beautiful interior features is a deeply rooted history of the state of North Dakota itself.
This huge fireplace is wonderful to eat next to, but did you know it is historically significant, too? The bricks used to make it are actually from North Dakota's original capitol building in Bismarck, which burned down in 1930 and was then replaced with the Skyscraper on the Prairie we know of today. This fireplace has been here for decades.
Other historical and unusual features are included in the restaurant.
Even this lovely stained glass window, along with two others, originated from an old church that was built back in 1891. There are many little things here and there that keep this restaurant in its wild west roots and make it unique.
From the grand ceiling above to the food on your plate, eating at this dining room is quite an experience.
The restaurant was originally called the Metropolitan, until 1903 when the name was changed in honor of Theodore Roosevelt and his Rough Riders who served in the Spanish American War. The entire state of North Dakota is sometimes referred to as its nickname "The Rough Rider State" for this reason as well.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner is served at Theodore's and all of the options are simply divine.
From huge plates of hotcakes and fresh fruits to perfectly made eggs benedict with hash browns on the side, this place knows how to make delicious meals from dawn until dusk.
One of their unique flairs is placing a flower or two on their dinners as an unusual yet beautiful garnish.
They have some of our state's favorites including walleye or multiple bison options. What's shown above is the absolutely delicious Bison Osso Bucco, and there's so much more on the menu that looks just as good and tastes it, too.
Theodore’s Dining Room is certainly special in many ways, and the hotel is a perfect spot to stay at when visiting Medora in the summer when it is open for the season. If you plan on visiting, definitely stop by! It’ll certainly make your visit memorable.
The Rough Rider Hotel and the dining room are located at 310 N 3rd, Medora, ND 58645.
Leah moved to North Dakota when she was 12 years old and has traveled from the Red River Valley to the badlands and many places in between. She loves small-town life and currently enjoys living on a small farm in the ND prairie. She's always had a passion for writing and has participated in novel writing challenges such as NaNoWriMo multiple times. Her favorite part about this job is recognizing small businesses that deserve a boost and seeing the positive affect her articles can have on their traffic, especially in rural areas that might have otherwise gone overlooked.
