HURON — The Lodge Steakhouse and Lounge, located at 460 Dakota Ave. S. in Huron, has quickly become the new and exciting place to eat in downtown Huron.
In fact, The Lodge has been experiencing such amazing business since it’s grand opening in April that owners - the husband and wife team of Joel and Phyllis Davidson - and Joel’s mother Della Davidson, are perhaps a bit taken back, but also encouraged by the success of the business.
The decision to become a restaurant entrepreneur was the lifelong dream of Phyllis Davidson, who, having been involved in the food service industry since childhood, brings that knowledge and experience to the table...literally.
Originally from Carthage, she, her husband, Joel, and their three children moved to Huron a year and a half ago for the opportunity to start their own restaurant, where Phyllis could combine her love of people, food and design.
“We knew Huron had the clientele for the relaxed, yet elegant, atmosphere we wanted to provide,” Phyllis added. “What matters most is how much you enjoy your dining experience, have a good time, and want to return. This is the target we are aiming for.”

Revamping the iconic Elks Lodge, located adjacent to Huron’s historic post office, was no easy feat and took months to complete, but the polished transformation inside and out is a wonderful addition to Huron’s full dining venue.
The Lodge is open Tuesday through Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m. and offers a variety of specialty sandwiches along with a full dinner menu including steaks and prime rib. Each dish on the dinner menu includes choice of potato or wild rice and a trip through the extensive salad bar.
“One of our biggest surprises is the rising popularity of our in-house smoked ribs,” co-owner and chef, Joel said. “Smoking ribs is now a part of our daily routine. We’ve developed our own rub and barbecue sauce to create ribs you won’t soon forget.” Joining Joel in the kitchen is William Clarey, Joel’s brother-law and a former Marine, who has been busy developing his culinary skills  with great success. More crowd favorites are their seafood entrees and fresh salmon imported from Norway and Chile. Weekend specials include items on and off the menu.
The full service bar opens at 4 p.m., giving friends the opportunity to socialize over drinks while sharing a plate of appetizers. Besides the traditional cocktails, they have an extensive wine list or customers can choose from six “on tap” brews. And whether you’re into lagers, an IPA, pales or ambers, it will be easy to find the perfect compliment to The Lodge’s appetizers. Choose from an all-time South Dakota favorite, chislic, or a plate of provolone cheese sticks, waffle fries or coconut shrimp.
Along with the huge dining room and lounge area, The Lodge also has a large, private banquet room for hosting special events and parties. “We have a lot of square footage to work with here and although we do take reservations,” co-owner, Della Davidson explained, “with the exception of the banquet room, they really aren’t needed.” The Elks Club, which owns the building, still utilizes the facility for their monthly meetings, member nights and of course their infamous fundraiser pancake feeds.
The Lodge Steakhouse and Lounge is indeed a family business with each family member filling a special niche. And it goes without saying that Phyllis is the driving force behind their success.
At the age of 24, she is the mother of soon-to-be four and a very busy woman, but despite having such a full plate, she is optimistically looking toward the future. With her natural enthusiasm for the restaurant business, it’s safe to say that The Lodge is just a “stepping stone”  for her future goals, or as she puts it, “If you’re going to dream … you might as well dream big.”

Photo:

Co-owners of The Lodge Steakhouse and Lounge in Huron relax before the dinner rush. From the left are Della Davidson, Phyllis Davidson and Joel Davidson.

Photo by Diane Carter/Plainsman