Because every restaurant is more than just what’s on the plate.

Type: Modern American Price: $$$ Location: 2181 Promise Rd, Rapid City, SD

Settling In

Until this dinner, I never gave much thought to what sage really is. To me, sage is the Badlands. Short little bushes that I’m assuming snakes hide in. Turns out that’s a different plant entirely. I only know that because a restaurant put it on the sign and I finally looked it up. The kitchen kind is an herb in the mint family, earthy and a little peppery, and strong enough that a small amount goes a long way.

You step into Wild Sage near the middle of a long, straight room, bar on one side, tables running the other way. I can’t explain why a layout like that works on me, but it does. It sort of lets you pick your mood when you walk in. 

That choice is the personality of the place. You could come for an occasion, something special after a long week. You could also roll in off a day driving through the hills, dusty and hungry, and feel right at home. Show up in boots or a button-down and you fit either way.

The Little Stuff

We started with cocktails. The Cherry Sage Smash comes served on ice, built on Elijah Craig small batch bourbon with sage, demerara, cherry, lemon, and a little ginger ale. Victoria decided on Ask the Fish, a bright blue tropical drink with RumChata, coconut, Deep Eddy pineapple vodka, and curaçao. It was hot the day we went, and these were both excellent refreshers. The fish glass Victoria’s came in makes you want a whole set. But don’t steal. That’s not cool. 

The staff knows the menu, too. You can tell they’ve actually eaten this food. Their recommendations come easy, and they leave you room to enjoy the meal.

The Reason You’re There

Sage shows up all over this menu. It’s in the cocktail, it comes fried with the elk stuffed mushrooms, and it shows up again with the chicken sauté. From what I read, it’s an easy herb to overdo. Nothing we ate came out that way. This kitchen clearly knows what they’re doing with it, which makes sense, given how often they use it.

The elk stuffed mushrooms were the first real standout. Firm mushrooms, elk sausage portioned just right for each bite, and a bourbon-pepper demi over the top that made me wonder just what else this would be good on. I decided it would be good on almost anything. The chili shrimp came next, sweet and spicy, and I wanted more before the plate was empty.

Then the chicken sauté, thin seared medallions with grapes, prosciutto, and mushroom in a Madeira glaze over parmesan-garlic mashed potato. A dish like this can sometimes get too salty. This walked right up to that line but didn’t cross it. Flavorful from start to finish.

Reading up on sage sent me down a little rabbit hole. People have been cooking with it since the Romans, mostly on pork and other rich meats, so it makes sense next to elk sausage. The name comes from a Latin word for healing, and old stories claimed the herb was good for your wisdom and your memory. I forgot my car keys when we left, so I don’t know how accurate the “memory” part of the claim is.

Victoria’s Taste

“Honestly, I could have made a whole meal out of the appetizers and walked away thrilled. The mushrooms and the shrimp were that good. I love a place where the small plates feel like the main event, and this one does. Next time I might just order four starters and call it dinner.”

Final Bite

We closed with the crème brûlée cheesecake, topped with balsamic marinated strawberries, and clean is the only word for it. The strawberries bring a little tart edge against the cream, very well done. It’s not too sweet, light enough that you finish your slice and feel like you could go again, which almost never happens to me with cheesecake.

I walk into every restaurant hoping to love it. Part of this job is keeping an eye out for the gripes all the same, and a night where I come up empty always makes me happy. This was our first visit, and there’s a lot of menu left to work through. I left confidently sure these folks know exactly what to do with sage.

Taste the Room pays for every meal we review. We don’t accept comped food, and restaurants aren’t notified of our visit in advance. It’s how we keep our reviews honest and independent.