The 50 best spots for lunch in Rapid City (2024)

We love the historic charm of the Alex Johnson but were disappointed by the lack of cleanliness. Our room had hair on the walls of the bathroom and one of the windows had a damaged blind. As others have stated the carpet desperately needs to be shampooed. There were cups and utensils outside of the 9th floor elevators when we arrived and they were still there when we checked out. Our shower’s shampoo bottle was empty and the shower door had a gap so the shower leaked onto the bathroom floor. We loved our time at paddy’s and although we enjoyed the vertex we found the servers to be incredibly rude. We went to the bar to order drinks and were told to move because we were in their way. We live locally so we don’t often stay in town but will recommend other places to family visiting the area. The hotel represents a rundown poorly maintained establishment more than a luxury hotel. The Rushmore hotel seems like a much better option for a comparable price.

What a find! A quaint, historic hotel with just enough modern improvements to be comfortable! Okay, the elevator was a little tight, but they are working on it.Our room was comfortable, clean, and quiet. We enjoyed a relaxing evening of drinks and dinner in the top-floor restaurant at a table by windows over-looking the city. Breakfast was at the less formal restaurant on the first floor.The staff was friendly and helpful. We could not have been more pleased with our stay.

I understand they will be updating the rooms soon. The cleaning person left a coffee cup of tea in our refrigerator when we arrived! The window cover was broken. On our checkout day, the cleaning lady was knocking on all the doors at 9am. I thought that was rude. We checked out a half hour early. The bar downstairs was a 10+ for food and drinks. The check-in person advised us to eat across the street. We were not impressed. The rooftop bar was breathtaking! The surrounding shops and bars were so much fun. The hotel has a lot history... all in all I had a nice time.

First, the positives are location and charm. The historic restored building is within easy walking distance of downtown Rapid City. It is easy to access from all points of entry. It is convenient to all the major tourist attractions. However, for our entire four night stay the service was unacceptable. There is no bell staff. Be prepared to take your own luggage out of your car, negotiate a small elevator and tight hallways yourself. Parking is a nightmare. Self parking is not really an option so plan on valet parking at an additional $25 per night. The text and web based vehicle retrieval system failed twice for me leading to even longer than usual delays. I recommend a minimum of thirty minutes notice if you need your car. That was at off peak times. Our loaded pickup was left with doors open at the curb with nobody in sight one morning. Luckily we had an extra key so we didn't miss an appointment. This fairly expensive hotel continues the Covid era tradition of no daily housekeeping. We requested housekeeping service each of three mornings and it was done once. I am a long time Hilton customer and was disappointed.

Such a neat historic hotel! Very clean, service was great, and they loved our pup! It is unfortunate that the parking makes it hard to unload but we were lucky to grab a metered spot across the street for the three days we were there. The rooms are a little small but that was to be expected as it was built when people had less stuff! Very cool to see the wall of all the celebrities who have stayed in the hotel. I hope they always allow pets as it was SO convenient to be able to have our dog with us in the room and the connecting restaurants.

Can't get any classier than Alex Johnson Hotel! Absolutely beautiful hotel that is rich with history. Hotel room was clean and comfortable, with a beautiful view of the city.Cynthia checked us in and was so nice! She let us know of delicious restaurants nearby and even checked on us via text message to make sure our room was up to par.If you have an opportunity to stay at this hotel during your trip to Rapid City, definitely stay here! I highly recommend it!

Very nice hotel with great location downtown. Smaller rooms and very small bathroom but we knew that ahead of time and didn't care about that. Very interesting and unique old hotel with lots of history. Unique original items but yet updated on many amenities for comfort.Can only do Valet parking for $25/night unless you can find a metered parking spot on street like we did and then downloaded the App and woke up at 6am to pay for spot until we checked out. Only cost about $4 for spot until 11am so well worth waking up to prepay on the app.Definitely would recommend for anyone staying in Rapid City!

Successful travel depends on a couple key components. Where you stay is critical, so choose wisely. The Alex Johnson added so much to my journey, I was tempted to add a day just to soak up what Rapid City and the Alex Johnson had to offer. Very clean. Very well maintained. Excellent staff. By that I mean friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. Great rooms, centrally located. Your travel experience will definitely be enhanced by the Alex Johnson Hotel.

My husband and I stayed at this Hotel on a whim. Best decision ever! We loved the charm and the majority of the staff. The desk clerk, Cynthia was extremely knowledgeable and helpful about the local area and places to go, things to do. Our room was very clean and comfortable. We had dinner at the rooftop restaurant, Vertex. Elk Ravioli and Flat Bread was delicious! Drinks outside with the fire pits going set a very romantic tone.

The service was nice and the location couldn't be any better in downtown and close to everything! But the room was very tiny. Before you book, keep in mind you need to check all the amenities and don't go with the usual Hilton chain standard that, if you book a king or two queens, there would be plenty of space. I booked a king and there was no way to fit a working desk in the room and the bathroom was very very tiny. I'm not so sure how a 6ft tall person would do anything in that bathroom. Also, remember: this is an old building turned into a hotel: there were no power outlets on the walls at all, I had to use the ones at the base of the night stand lamp. Also the inside door knob of my bathroom required maintenance, I could not open the door once I was locked inside the bathroom without some major MacGyver skills. One of the elevators was broken, so a little extra patience was required but it's comforting to see they are planning a new elevator shaft. Their root top restaurant was top notch (best view in town!!) and they also have a Starbucks at site, but you can't charge to your room. If you're in town for vacation and want to sleep in for a little bit, keep in mind they are starting work nearby for a new development and it gets very noisy. Lastly, if you grab drinks or sundries from their pantry, that does not count towards the $15 daily credit. I was told something different at check-in than the correct information they made me aware at check-out.

Love this historic hotel! The rooftop bar was amazing and Connor is THE MAN with his amazing service! Front desk staff was friendly and helpful, the shop connected to the lobby was full of great merchandise and best of all there is a Starbucks connected. Only concern was valet when we pulled up. The gentleman at the front asked if we checked in and said we had to make it quick bc he was almost done. I was hesitant to give him our car but we aren't familiar with the area. I don't mind paying for valet but a smile with "Welcome to the Alex Johnson " would have eased me when we arrived.

Staying at the Alex Johnson is a delightful change from the boring, hom*ogenized experience of most hotel chains. This classy historical hotel built in 1928, provides a feast-for-the eyes experience the moment you set foot in the beautiful lobby with its Indian-gothic architectural details. If you get a chance, check out the hotel ballroom which is equally impressive. Our 2 double bed room was bright, tidy and neat, and well appointed. The roof-top Vertex Sky Bar was dazzling. The entire staff was friendly, welcoming, upbeat, professional and accommodating. The check in process with Patrick at the front desk was pleasant and seamless. After unloading our baggage, I parked the car in the metered parking garage a block away with no problem, no muss, no fuss. This unique hotel is an amazing hidden gem and is highly recommended.

What a wonderful experience stopping back in time! Excellent hotel. We stop in Rapid City often but this time wanted to be downtown. Old world elegance and easy walking to restaurants. Thanks for keeping this legendary hotel alive.

Our hotel room was kind of old but clean. The staff was quite pleasant. However, very upsetting was the fact that after 10 days of grueling work and little sleep and then spending a full day traveling to Rapid City and looking very much forward to a great night’s sleep, at 6:50 AM one or more dogs in the next-door room started barking and whining. It did not stop for 45 minutes - so much for a relaxing first day of vacation. (Where were the owners?) Reception offered only that it is a dog friendly hotel. They did not alert us in advance that they were putting us next to a dog pound. This thoughtlessness makes me knock the rating considerably. Shame.

Overall my stay was great. Clean rooms and friendly service. The restaurant/bar is convenient to have in house. Tally's, the best food in Rapid bar none, is across the street. Views from the roof top terrace offer an amazing view of Rapid City. The building is a great historical experience. Two negatives; Parking is dicey and the elevator is very old and slow. It's key pad won't operate with the Hilton phone app, so a room key is unavoidable.

Old hotel with overall terrible service starting from the quality of cleaning all the way up to management. They rate themselves as being one of the oldest hotels in the downtown area with the architecture and feel of something upscale...but walking in you can only get a feel for something out of American horror story. Once you check in though get ready for the scams to come. Either valet your car or risk parking somewhere on the streets overnight only until 7am. And then plan to move your car every 2 hrs due to city parking time limits. Valet is slow to bring your car around. My car was towed when legally parked after being told by the front desk concierge that I'd be fine to do so instead of valeting to wake up and leave for work to find my car missing. $175 later and explaining the situation to the hotel GM, they said after speaking to their employee he did warn me, which was a complete lie on his behalf to save his own job, and I would not be reimbursed for any fees and I should have looked on social media. Clearly customer service is not something management cares about and I'd tell anyone to go down the street to the Rushmore! The Vertex sky bar food is over priced and draws people in based off requiring a membership or renting a room. NOT worth it at all just for a city view. If you want Hilton points I also recommend the Hilton Garden Inn. Very nice staff, clean rooms, great for business travel and convenient to highways to get around quickly. For any company traveling, prices are very low at the AJ and these reasons completely support it. Don't fall for this downtown scam!

If you are looking for a place to give you a little chill on the back of your neck this hotel is for you. You will want to stay on the 8th floor as that's where a lot of activity happens. Stayed here with my boyfriend and we both saw the lady in white. I had some stuff happen in our room but my boyfriend said that was the best he has slept in awhile. The only thing I would change is the pillows. Me and my boyfriend sleep with two pillows each and there was only 3 in the room but that won't keep us from coming back !The valet parking is on the pricey side but definitely worth it. Especially on a cold night. Definitely will be back to stay again! Thank you everyone for the awesome service.Definitely recommend checking out the sky bar if you are there!

Having visited this hotel and enjoyed a pleasant stay before, we stayed a couple nights while on our honeymoon recently. It is a historic hotel; charming, but know the rooms are fairly small. They are updated nicely however. Our rooms were clean and kept well. The price was probably in line for the season. I knew that due to construction in the area and no access to the parking garage we'd used in years past, we would either have to walk 3 blocks after finding parking ourselves, or use the valet parking which is somewhat pricy especially after considering a tip. However, this information came from an acquaintance, not from the hotel staff. The valet service was not horrid for our stay, but kind of hit and miss on their level of friendliness. I feel like they should have more people on staff. My main issue with this stay was with the front desk staff. Check in was listed on my confirmation as 3:00, however changed to 4:00 without notification. When we did check in, we had some confusion as to which desk we should be at and I noticed a little bit of perceived attitude coming from Cynthia at the front desk. Also, while some guests may appreciate her off color sense of humor, some may not. More of a sense of service, helpfulness and appreciation towards your guests may be in order. Anyone that is in a position to greet guests as the first representative of your hotel should be very service minded with guests made to feel welcome with the hospitality this hotel was undoubtedly built upon.

My husband and I were so excited to secure room #812 (the hotel’s notoriously most haunted room). The staff were excellent and inviting. The location and amenities were perfect. We knew the rooms and beds would be on the smaller side given the age of the hotel, but the room was more than adequate. The preservation of history here is impressive- there were so many relics all around. Such a delight, we stayed for 3 nights. Can’t wait for our next visit, already planning our future stay! Shoutout to Cynthia, Erik, & Laura!

What a fun hotel. It's decor is from the late 50 s maybe earlier It's how you imagine a western hotel cozy. They have a Starbucks and a Irish bar attached as well as a gift shop. Nicely centrally located and lots of history and famous people have stayed. They have a rooftop restaurant opened in the evening. Rooms are clean and nice as they used to be.

Always wanted to stay at the Alex Johnson, and I wasn’t disappointed. The staff were extremely friendly, very convenient food and coffee right nearby (including in the building), and the rooms are a great mix of updated and historical. Mine was a bit small (historical), but comfortable… my one complaint was wishing that I’d had a chair, though it would have been a tight fit to accommodate one, and it just motivated me to read in the well-appointed and comfortable lobby.

Had a great experience during the rapid city stock show! People working were very helpful especially Cynthia!! She went above and beyond helping our group of people and was always nice. Hotel was kept nice and clean and service was excellent!

Older rooms, but comfy beds and pillows. Shower, no tub, fridge/microwave. Staff is great! Restaurant/bar on first floor has trivia night. Top floor, more fancy. No pool/hot tub, but a great experience. Said haunted room from a lost love is fun to learn about. Be sure to ask the front desk about it. Nothing to be scared of at all. People are so kind and great in this city! The Firehouse is a local spot to visit for food.

Beautiful hotel! I often times visit Rapid for business, and this hotel makes it worth my time. Patrick is beyond kind and I always appreciate his warm customer service. The rooftop bar is relaxing after a long day, and it’s close to my place of business. Thank you everyone for making my stays away from home more enjoyable.

Absolutely LOVE this place!!! The only downsides were housekeeping didn't restock anything. We had to go down and get coffee pods for the morning and the valet service is pricey and takes a long time. Front desk staff was FABULOUS!!

I have to say this hotel was amazing. I love historical properties and this did not disappoint. The location is great. Very walkable to shops and restaurants. The hotel staff was the best. The desk staff was pleasant and accommodating. Cynthia, Laura, Patrick and Mason always had a smile and very helpful. The valet staff was on point. My car was always ready for me in a timely manor. My husband and I will definitely be back to visit my son and will only stay here. Sammie

The best hotel with lots of history, great restaurants, great service! I would definitely come back! It's the gateway to Mount Rushmore! Rooms were spotless and clean! Everone from the valet to the front desk; the restaurant staff and servers to the maids; basically, everyone did an excellent job! I'm coming back for sure!

My husband and I stopped in Rapid City on our drive from Minnesota to Wyoming and we had such a great time. Even with the little bit of construction that was going on the hotel was super clean, the staff was incredibly friendly, and the actual hotel was beautiful.Because of the weather we had to move our trip by one day, Cynthia who answered the phone was super helpful and got us rescheduled. We had such a good time we came back on our way home. We hope to come back one day.