Laughing Water Restaurant

I really enjoyed my experience here. The host was hilarious and was very kind. The server was quick and got us our food in a timely fashion as we needed to catch the tour bus. The food was super tasty. The views were awesome. The other staff were funny as well. I highly recommend you give them a try.

#LaughingWaterRestaurant takes its name from an area creek with headwaters at the bottom of Crazy Horse Mountain. We were seated looking out the window with great views of the Crazy Horse monument. The waitress took our order and the food arrived quickly and hot. My husband opted for the #BBQBourbonBurger which was drizzled with a wonderful bourbon BBQ sauce. the burger came with several strips of bacon, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, and some lovely onion rings. The burger came with a choice of side, he enjoyed the #PotatoSalad I wanted to try one of their specialties the #TatankaStew Prime cuts of tender Black Hills Bison, slow cooked with carrots, sweet peas, onions, potatoes and celery, simmered in their own blend of tasty seasonings, served with fry bread, and cheese garnish. I loved that the stew came with their native fry bread. The dish was yummy, loved the flavor, and enjoyed dipping the bread in the stew. Overall a great meal, with a great view with wonderful service. A great way to end our visit at Crazy Horse Memorial.

Located in the Crazy Horse Memorial the food was decent. Indian taco tasted like Taco Bell on fry bread and the Tatonka stew was very very similar to Dinty Moore. Also had the salad bar which was good. Service was friendly. There was an older couple eating with their dog (not a service dog) at the table and in their laps. It’s head was on the table. No one seemed to mind which I thought was surprising.

The waitress was really nice and always made sure we had what we needed. My bison burger and sweet potato fries were delicious and cooked perfectly. The restaurant was nicely decorated with good views of the Crazy Horse monument.

The stew was good, however, I sat down for 15 mins, no water no server, has to go to the host to ask to be serve a menu and a water. Had to wait another 20 mins for the check, oh don’t worry they also forget to bring me the kuchen (dessert) , and I had to ask for it. Comes in a box, looks like it’s made in the year of 1900s , saggy and mold. Wasted my time and my continue experience to the museum. November 2025

The restaurant kitchen closed at 7PM on a Wednesday, so we rushed from the parking lot to get seated in time! The restaurant has large windows to view the memorial carving and we got seated closest to that end. The menu was decently priced for being on-site and we loved the food! We ordered the Native American Taco & the Tatanka Stew (buffalo). They were both delicious!

First the view there was just breath taking. Sitting there waiting for lunch. The atmosphere there was so peaceful. The girls were so quick with the service. Being out of state we all wanted to try different things. We pretty much did. And it was all so good. The service. The food. The views. Prefect!

Great views and awesome food. Came in for the Native Taco but opted for the Tatonka stew. Very good. Meat was very tender. Not my grandmother’s stew. This was much better.

Stopped in for lunch after my adventure of visiting the Crazy Horse museum. My 2nd time dining. This time I ordered the bison burger with side of potato salad. I love bison! The flavor is so tasty and less fat than cow meat. The bun was very buttery and crisp, with swiss cheese, tomato and pickle. Delicious! Potato salad very good to. I had a nice waitress who was very attentive. The views while dining are exceptional. I love this little place in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Definitely recommend. Located at Crazy Horse Memorial.

Great place to grab a quick bite during your visit to the Crazy Horse Memorial. Offerings are standard snack bar foods but, better prepared than many we have had. The service was friendly and they kept the line moving. The only wait was for pizza because it was baked to order not setting under a light. The seating area was clean well kept.

Tatanka Stew with Indian Fry Bread! Don't miss this one folks. It was perfect for a cold, snowy day at the Memorial Tender chunks of buffalo/bison taters carrots peas and a perfectly spiced brown gravy sauce! Why not have dessert. If you have never heard of Kuchen (Koo- Gen) give it a shot as well. I had the cherry at it was gone before I knew it

Came in with my family of four and this was such a perfect experience from start to finish. We made sure to get a seat for lunch on the early side (1130) and were sat right away with plenty of tables available around us. The building was rustic and the view out the big windows was pretty. Every staff member we encountered was warm and operated with a sense of urgency. Our server Zach was perfect. We ordered the stew and taco and both plates were delicious. The kids buffet was a perfect choice for our 4 & 6 y.o.s to both find some healthy and filling choices they liked. Buffett food all looked fresh. We ended our meal with dessert and coffee and our bill was only $74. We left nice and full. My favorites were the stew, fry bread and the South Dakota dessert I don't recall the name of that was reminiscent of butter cake.

Great place to eat while visiting Crazy Horse. We got seated quickly. Ordered cheese burger with French fries. Great service from staff. We also ordered the fry bread.

Great view of Crazy Horse while you eat. They offer buffet on the menu for an affordable price and had decent options like fried chicken, Salisbury steak, full salad bar, etc. However, I opted for the Indian taco, which was really good. The Indian fried bread was very unique. It came with a lot of lettuce and tomatoes, it was more of a taco salad. The kids grilled cheese was delicious as well, they were generous with the butter on the grilled cheese bread. The service was decent too, although we never got refills on our drinks.

Quick service and they serve buffalo burgers and stew. The local dessert was also tasty.

I came here for two reasons. It was lunch and they had a Fry Bread Taco on the menu. Laughing Water Restaurant is located inside the Crazy Horse Memorial and is open during its hours. Parking is part of the overall complex and is a bit difficult. The restaurant is large and understaffed making service difficult. Their lunch buffet seemed to be popular as it may have been part of the many tours passing through. I wanted the Fry Bread Taco so I ordered it and looked at the memorial through the large windows. The taco was good. I'm used to a southwestern style which is usually thinner. This fry bread was more thick so I had to eat the taco with a fork. It was loaded with bland ingredients but the strength of the fry bread still came through. If you're stopping here around lunch it's good to stop here for lunch. They also have a quick service counter which may help. Overall it's just a normal park cafeteria with all the normal issues. But get the fry bread!

If you are at Crazy Horse during lunch, this is your option. It was ok, albeit a bit heavy. Lots of fries options on the menu. There was a buffet with salad bar and soup with two hot entrees. I had the soup, slip pea and ham. It was fine. Service was friendly. View from dining room was of the monument. Pretty.

Came in for lunch. We ordered a Tatanka soup and Native American taco. The soup came with two pieces of meat and the taco wasn't great. Bread tasted like it was frozen. Hard edges and overall no flavor to the entire meal. I didn't finish the plate I was excited for. This place has potential if food is made FRESH to order.

The bbq buger is good the ppl are to. The vibes are good the service is good to. Mmmmmmmmm

Best Burger and stew ever! Wish we had them in Colorado! Friendly service! Great end to our Crazy Horse tour!

We enjoyed a far better meal than anticipated based upon the reviews. We were provided a table with a great view of the Crazy Horse memorial. The food is standard of a state or federal park area, and acceptably tasty. I had the fish sticks with fries, and they were better than expected. My wife had a burger which again was pretty standard, along the lines of any casual sit-down restaurant. Pricing was reasonable at about $25 per person all in, including soft drinks, tip and tax. An overall pleasant experience.

This was an excellent dining experience during our visit to the Rapid City, SD community a few months ago. We was wanting to find something and it was kinda late around 8pm. I was able to search Google and Yelp for restaurants open and with good reviews. Once I found this restaurant and I called ahead to ensure what their business hours were at the time. I spoke with a very friendly female who confirmed that they were still open for another hour, so I decided to give them a try. This is a buffet style restaurant in which you seat yourself, and you pay approximately $15 per person for all you can eat. All the staff was complying by the COVID-19 pandemic precautions. All the food was fresh and after being prepared tasted very good. I would definitely return for another visit, and I would recommend this place to friends and family members.

I was torn on what to say about this. You are welcomed and seated. We had a nice view of Crazy Horse site while we ate. I ordered the Native American Taco. The flavors were decent and the portion is huge. Come hungry. It had a nice addition I have never had is refried beans. The waiter didn't fill our water so that was kind of disappointing. My wife had the jack Daniels burger. It was really good. The flavors left a party in your mouth.

Perfectly serviceable. The food doesn't have quite the same wow factor as the Crazy Horse monument, in respect to flavors or ingredients. The Sweet Potato Fries and the Coffee are real standouts, genuinely well cooked and generously given. I visited for the "Native American Taco", which was solid - don't get me wrong - but it wasn't amazing. I appreciated the fresh toppings and that the waitress was so kind as to check if the beans were vegetarian or not (yes, the service is great here!). The dishes that disappointed were the burgers. They looked like school cafeteria burgers and were rather dry - the grilled chicken the worst offender, the buffalo patty not as bad. The "Garden Burger" was decent though, it had some nice flavors. Glad that I'm supporting the monument by eating at Laughing Water, and I encourage you to do the same (at least the Native American taco if you've never had), but I wish they could dress up the food just a little bit.

Prices are great! The food is amazing! We loved the Tatanka Stew w/ honey butter Indian bread!!

Came for restaurant week. Everything was great as was the service. Great food & desserts. Will be back for sure for the regular menu they have. Has a nice big seating area & we had a good view of Crazy Horse while we ate.

We had a nice time here, the views of Crazy Horae were Devine! The buffalo stew was topped only by the service. Kody was a wonderful server, attentive yet fun! Emily was a wonderful cashier, offering us some sightseeing tips. The blond lady (Manager whose name escape me) was equally friendly and engaging (as suchcollected the Raster Peeps Goblet fro our table. All in all, a wonderful experience!

We had the Native American taco served on fry bread and tatonka Buffalo stew, and enjoyed them both. The restaurant gives you a view of the Crazy Horse monument if you are fortunate enough to get a table near the window. Try the Kuchen for dessert! It's very unique - sort of a cake base with a light fruit preserve center and a sweet custard spread on top.

Okay, so I'm a fan of the museum but the restaurant had some bad tasting food. I got the all you can eat salad/food bar and it was not good. $17. The meatballs were yucky, the mashed potatoes were ew, the salad was, plain. The soup was okay but overall just bleh. Once I was done, the checkout clerk overcharged me and when I pointed it out she murmured under her breath, "stupid". Save your money, go elsewhere.

Worse than horrible service. From the hostess to the waitress. Zero eye contact or communication such as "follow me to your table," or "how is your food?" When I asked the waitress if I can have a bigger cup of coffee or if I can have two small cups, she suggested I walk to the nest by snack shop and get my own free coffee. So I go to the snack shop and they seemed very confused but eventually gave me a cup. This should never happen, your job is to wait on us and we tip, that's the purpose of eating out. Food was mediocre but fairly priced.

Don't come here trash food trash service. Just go to a gas station and get food. They had open tables but refused to seat our party of 16. They had half the restaurant open but turned us away to the "snack shack" garbage just garbage

Went to the restaurant because of the location convenience, and got the buffet. The food was not good. It was all old and felt like it was microwaved and soggy. Service was ok? And I think I left the restaurant with food sickness of some kind. Did like the diverse menu, but that's the only benefit.

Tasty food. Good service. The right price. Great view. The cookies were good also................

We got there just a few minutes before they closed at 8, but they still allowed us to get our food to go and eat on the picnic tables on the deck. The Tatanka stew ($10.99) was delicious! It had pretty good chunks of bison in there. Easy way to grab a meal while at the Crazy Horse Memorial.

Lovely restaurant inside the park with a view of Crazy Horse mountain! Hubs enjoyed the Tatonka stew and I had some excellent fried shrimp and sweet potato fries; though I did think the portion of shrimp was rather small. Would love to have given this place 5 stars, but had to take one off for those landfill plastic packets used for tartar sauce. A real disappointment. They also have a buffet and it did look yummy and fresh, especially the salad bar and desserts, but I truly didn't pay too attention, as I'm not much of a buffet person. The interior is beautiful and we were lucky to be seated by one of the huge windows overlooking the monument. And, once you're finished with your nice lunch, right across the walkway is the huge gift shop - win/win!

Very nice waitress(I think her name was Minzy?) served us for our late lunch. We got there around 3:30pm and she told us salad bar was open so salad buffet (~$7.99?) option was open. Lunch buffet ends at 3:45pm so we were to late for that. It's supposed to have two meat choices and salad, dessert. We got the laughing water specialty dishes native American tacos, beef stew. They were very popular because I saw a lot of people ordering those. We also got the spaghetti with meatball, the club sandwich and sweet potatoes fries instead. Beef stew was great. Beef was tender and had a lot of flavors. It's not greasy at all. I also really like the bread that came with it. Native American tacos were ok. It tasted just like regular tacos except for the "taco shell"were the same bread as the one that came with the stew. Spaghetti with meatballs was ok. It's just like any regular one. Sweet potato fries was very crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I like it.

Ate here. Total plus was seeing the carving in process while we ate! We could see pieces falling from our table. Larger windows could better facilitate for all diners. Windows are small and obscured by plants. I had the Native American taco. I had several on my trip and this was my favorite. Most of our group had sandwiches or burgers. Kids for tenders and they were well liked and eaten. Everyone really liked the fries. AC could have been better. Don't miss the viewing area and binoculars out back.

I stopped here while driving through SD after visiting mt rushmore. I saw the native american taco and wanted to try it! We ordered the native american taco, tatanka/buffalo stew and buffalo burger. The buffalo burger was a bit plain and dry for my taste, but everything else was fantastic. The stew was warming and delicious and the fry bread that came with it was great. The taco was divine, I still think about it sometimes. This meal really hit a spot and if I ever find myself in the area again for some reason, I'm 100% revisiting.

We came here on 4th of July while visiting Crazy Horse. We wanted to try the Native American taco but they were busy and understaffed, so they had a hot buffet lunch. It was great and the staff were attentive and friendly!

Best hostess and servers in a long time. We both had the self serve taco bar. We knew they had kuchen for dinner so we requested it after our lunches since it was not on the menu. Let me just say yum to the kuchen!

Walked past the buffet when we went in, and it looked fairly standard. I recommend you walk past it too. My fiancee and I each ordered the tatanka, an authentic Native American buffalo stew. Since we visited the memorial during an intermittent thunderstorm, the stew hit the spot. Thick broth, tender buffalo, and loads of vegetables. It came with an assortment of fresh, still hot, still crispy, Indian fry bread. There is the previously mentioned buffet, and standards of burgers and sandwiches, but as this is at the crazy horse memorial, go for the delicious stew. Just my humble opinion....

Great Native American Taco. I also ordered fry bread to go and they added some little packets of honey. The food came out fast and hot.

Came on Christmas Eve. The monument is amazing. Since I found out they had a buffalo stew and fry bread I was so excited to have that for dinner. So was so disappointed. The fry bread was flat and tasted like fryer grease. The stew wasn't any better than opening a can of dinty Moore. Truly disappointed in the food.

Nice surprise to find a really nice restaurant inside a park. The Tatonka stew was great as the the club sandwich was perfect. The sweet potato fries were a nice side. Kids' corn dogs were a little small and served over a bed of shredded lettuce (almost a deal breaker for my youngest one). If you get the right seats you're looking out at the monument. The Native American taco was a little heavy on the shredded iceberg lettuce but of good quantity and quality.

We had dinner at this restaurant in Crazy Horse Memorial before the Light Show. I had the Tatanka Stew as I wanted to have Buffalo meat on my trip. It was very good with fried bread. The portion was just right to fill my stomach. It is a very relaxed place, and they offered free coffee while we waited for the Light Show. There was a place to charge the cell phone, too. The decor of the restaurant matches the theme of Crazy Horse Memorial. I liked this place a lot.

Friendly service, very okay buffet. The salad bar is very okay, but the tomato soup I had was decent. The desserts were very okay as well. But, if you've been hustling through Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse all day and not had a moment to eat, it's not a terrible place to stop and take a break.

Do not eat at this restaurant! They will force you to eat with other individuals/strangers at a table (they put 6 people at a table) because of their limited capacity. Very uncomfortable experience!!!

After a day of sight seeing and feeling hungry, but not ready to head back to town, we found this little gem. Headed straight for the restaurant with only an hour before they closed. The taco came on fried bread and was huge and delicious! It has refried beans, ground beef, lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, and sides of salsa and sour cream. My husband was stuffed and I couldn't finish it. Our service was great!

Great restaurant at the Crazy Horse memorial! I wanted to try the buffalo stew with Indian fry bread and it was delicious. My husband had the Native tacos which is taco salad on top of fry bread, and he really liked it. They have free coffee which is nice. Our server was attentive. The hostess wasn't much of a hostess though. She was somewhere in the back and someone had to go get her to seat us and she took her time to come out.

Restaurant in the Crazy Horse Memorial. They have a really big space so are able to accommodate large groups. We got seated right away and our server was very friendly. It was a chilly, rainy day so I ordered the buffalo stew (when in South Dakota, right?), which came with fry bread. It was really good!!! Definitely hit the spot & was just the kind of comfort food I was looking for. The food was reasonably priced, service was good and the food was good. Definitely stop in here if you're at The Crazy Horse Memorial!!

Traveling on I-90 had left us with very few memorable eating experiences. We hadn't planned on eating while visiting Crazy Horse Monument, but I'm so glad that we did. Best food of our trip so far!! We even got a window seat so we could see the monument during our meal. The fry bread here is absolutely delicious and we were not disappointed with our portions. Somehow we managed to save room for dessert (not pictured because it was inhaled immediately upon presentation). Would definitely recommend the strawberry rhubarb pie (seasonal availability) and the strawberry kuchen. Will definitely recommend to all visiting the monument, or those who want a really great meal along I-90!

Pretty decent place for lunch, if you are visiting the memorial. You have to pay to even get to the restaurant, but considering that from your table, you have an unobstructed view of the Crazy Horse memorial, that makes sense. Get there early if you want to have the best table, closest to the window. But all of the tables in the restaurant have a view. My husband and I were on a cross-country road trip and wanted to take advantage of their menu, which featured popular South Dakotan dishes. We both had the Native American taco, which was basically a taco salad on top of fry bread. They were not skimpy at all with the toppings or the meat. It was on the basic side, but satisfying. For dessert, we tried the Dakota kuchen. I didn't care for it at all, but my husband ate it. (That's not really saying anything, if you knew him. He has a lovingly given nickname "the human garbage can.") But the problem for me was the texture. It was very soft and gummy. And the flavor was eggy and really bland. Our server was nice but he was not around all that much to give refills. Again, the whole place was on the basic side. You really would only want to go here if you needed somewhere to eat while visiting the memorial. But if you can hold off, there are better places in Custer, which is just down the road.

For a restaurant at a tourist spot, it's surprisingly good. Fast and quick service. Relatively affordable. They have some local cuisine. Pleasantly surprised! Try it out!

Good food wouldn't think you'd find food in a place like this but you must try!! A mixture of Native American and modern American food. Good service !!

This was literally the BEST MEAL we had while visiting SD! We had stopped in to see the Crazy Horse Memorial; but, were hungry after the drive; and, action-packed morning, so we walked over to the on-property restaurant. It was busy; but, the hostess offered us an unclaimed table that had a "reserved" sign on it. It turns out we were sitting with the University Faculty (Indian studies) and were fortunate to see them greet the incoming class. Our lunch for three included the exceptionally delicious Tatanka (buffalo) Stew X 2; and, the Indian Taco. Each featured "fried" bread, which was just so delicious we could have made a meal out of the bread alone. For the taco, the bread was topped with ground meat, cheese, and the usual condiments. The only thing that made this a standout was the bread. The stew was just heavenly, packed with lots of tender, cooked buffalo meat; a rich, thick gravy; and, delicious and tender vegetables and potatoes. Our server didn't work full-time as a waitress and struggled with the local brews; but, brought out the cans so we could look them over. We each ordered one of the three selections she brought out; and, we were well-pleased. Well, except for our friend that got the IPA... the hops and dry finish were too much for him (me too!)

OKAY on July 3rd of 2014, after taking advantage of viewing the Crazy Horse Monument, we were starving and had a bite to eat here and I saw lots of Native American dancers stomping and clapping their hands and feet outside on the patio. I enjoyed the Turkey BLT with a side of celery and carrots. My little sister had the chicken tenders, and kids' grilled cheese with pickles on the side and fries! The tables were sooo long and we had lots of wonderful views to the mountains and sculptures. I thought the menu had a variety of Native American foods and also this left us wanting to come back. --Cheers from Denver Colorado!

The food was decent. Larry, our server was excellent. He made sure our drinks were refilled and was very efficient. Two stars immediately lost due to our experience with the cashier, Wendy. While we were perusing the menu trying to decide whether to eat here or in the snack area, I asked Wendy if she knew what kind of pie was being served today. Her response "I have no idea... I'm not a waitress" delivered in a "I could really care less" tone was an immediate turn off to the restaurant. Not a great first impression to bring in business to a fairly empty restaurant. Just to be clear as there apparently were 2 Wendys, this Wendy had the purple/red dye job.