Rapid City's quiet overachiever hiding decent wine
Downtown · Rapid City · New American
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 14, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Tally's Silver Spoon’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You don't expect much from a downtown Rapid City bistro-diner, and then the wine list shows up with Riesling by the glass and an Oregon Pinot rotation. It's not long — maybe 30 bottles on a good day — but whoever put it together was paying attention. This is not a steakhouse wine list. This is something a little more interesting.
The list swings between California, the Pacific Northwest, Italy, and France without pretending to be exhaustive about any of them. There's an Argentinian Malbec anchoring the approachable end, a rotating Oregon and California Pinot Noir keeping things honest, and a German or Washington Riesling that signals someone here actually thinks about white wine. It's a modest list, but the instincts are right — it tracks the food rather than just filling slots. The gaps are real: no serious Burgundy, no aged bottles, no deep cellar play here. But for a chef-driven spot in the middle of South Dakota, it reads like a thoughtful edit rather than a lazy afterthought.
Eight to twelve pours by the glass is a solid number for a room this size, and the range — Prosecco, Riesling, Malbec, and rotating Pinot Noir — covers the bases without padding the list with obvious filler. Prices run $8 to $14 a glass, which is genuinely reasonable for the quality tier. We'd like to see the rotation move a little faster, but what's here earns its keep.
Malbec (Argentina, by the glass) — $8/glass
At $8 a glass with a 166% markup calculated off a $12 retail bottle, you're essentially paying for the pour and not much else. It's the rare glass that doesn't punish you for ordering wine at dinner.
Riesling (Germany or Washington, by the glass)
Nobody at a bison-and-duck tasting menu spot is ordering Riesling. That's exactly why you should. It has the acidity and weight to cut through rich proteins, and at this price point it's one of the most versatile glasses on the list.
Prosecco (Italy, by the glass)
At $9 a glass off a $13 retail bottle, the math is fine — but Prosecco by the glass at a bistro-diner is almost always sitting open too long. Order it first or not at all.
Pinot Noir (Oregon/California rotation, by the glass) + Duck tasting menu course
Duck wants something with enough fruit to match its richness and enough acidity to cut the fat. An Oregon Pinot does exactly that without steamrolling the kitchen's work.
The Bottom Line
Tally's Silver Spoon shouldn't have a wine list this considered, and that's the whole point. If you're in Rapid City and you want a real dinner with a glass of wine that doesn't insult you, this is the move.
· Rapid City · Wine Bar / Cocktail Bar
Windsor Block Bar shouldn't be this interesting — a 14-bottle wine list in Rapid City that name-checks Vidal-Fleury and a 2019 Cab Franc is a genuine surprise. If you're passing through and need something better than house red, this is your stop.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Rapid City · American / breakfast-to-dinner
Colonial House is a comfortable neighborhood diner that treats wine as an afterthought, and the list reflects exactly that. Drink the Whitehaven, avoid the $46 upsells, and save your wine ambitions for a different night.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
North Rapid City · Rapid City · Hotel Lounge
Timbers Lounge is a place to have a drink after a long drive to Mount Rushmore, not a destination for wine. Order a cocktail or a beer and save your wine energy for somewhere that's put in the work.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Central Rapid City · Rapid City · Mexican
Mi Mexico is not a wine destination, and it doesn't pretend to be — order a margarita, enjoy your meal, and don't expect the wine list to surprise you. If you absolutely must have wine with your tacos, the Sangria is $6.25 and nobody will judge you.
Grocery Store
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Rapid City · Rapid City · Steakhouse
LongHorn Rapid City is exactly what it is — a reliable chain steakhouse with a wine list that was built by committee and hasn't changed much since. If you're here for the steak, you'll be fine; just aim for the Joel Gott and don't expect the staff to talk you through it.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
East Rapid City · Rapid City · Steakhouse
There is no version of this wine list that warrants a special trip or even a deliberate order — it's a functional corporate program designed to move bottles, not to impress. If you're at Outback for the steak, grab the Alamos Malbec and call it a night; if wine actually matters to you, this is a cocktail dinner.
Crowd Pleasers
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Irvine · New American
Benchmark is a genuinely pleasant surprise for Irvine — a short, owner-driven list that punches above its modest size by leaning hard into Paso Robles producers who actually deserve your attention. If you're a Cab-or-nothing drinker, you might feel constrained; if you're willing to follow the owner's enthusiasm toward Law Estate Grenache or a Bodega de Edgar Tempranillo, this list rewards the curious.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· Toledo · New American
The Heights isn't trying to be a wine destination, and it doesn't pretend to be. What it offers is a fair, no-drama wine list with every bottle available by the glass — a practical setup for a casual New American dinner in Toledo. Stick to the Kung Fu Girl or the Petite Sirah, avoid the Cab markup, and you'll be just fine.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
· San Jose · New American
The Lexington House is doing more with its wine list than it gets credit for — that Italian section alone beats most comparable spots in the South Bay. The near-total absence of by-the-glass options is a frustrating structural gap, and the familiar crowd-pleasers in the New World section drag the overall ambition down a notch. But if you're ordering a bottle and you know to head straight for the Italian reds or the Director Picks, you'll drink well here.
Solid Range
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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