What happened to Sioux Falls' affinity for English pubs: Looking back
The Round Table Restaurant served steak and seafood to customers at its location at 1500 W. Russell St. between 1974 and 1979. It was the second in a chain of restaurants that started in Winnipeg, Manitoba. A third location opened in Bismarck shortly after the opening of the Sioux Falls location.
The theme was old English inn. Part owner and manager John Nielson moved from Winnipeg to get the location on its feet. His co-manager was Ron Owens, who came from Omaha, Nebraska. The building was a 5,000 square-foot Tudor-inspired structure with room for 126 customers in the dining area and 55 in the pub. The dining area had five semi-private cubicles, each with its own fireplace.
The bar area, named The Squire’s Pub, had its own fireplace. Named for the famed gathering place of the knights of Camelot, The Round Table employed 55 when fully staffed.
The restaurant was open by late October 1974. Though English inn-themed, the menu was populated with plenty of the staples of American dining, such as steaks, sea food, and hamburgers. There was a nod to British cuisine, though, with fish and chips, an English dip sandwich, and Worcestershire sauce was always on hand. Much of the menu was sourced in-state, and some of the dishes were named for local attractions, like Corn Palace Barbecued Ribs, and Onion Soup Minnehaha. The English inn atmosphere was mostly found in the decorations.
The location was perfect for attracting customers from the Holiday Inn and Sioux Falls Arena across the street to the south. Considered to be a bit more upscale, the restaurant attracted first dates, wedding parties, prom date, and large groups. There was competition on this front from the Normandy until it closed in early 1977. The Northlander fired up in fall of 1978, and there were other fine dining spots in Sioux Falls. By 1977, The Round Table was having some issues, and was sold to Minneapolis restauranteur and London native Nigel Chilvers.
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The Round Table was remodeled and a new grand opening was held on Nov. 9, 1977. Though he emceed the grand reopening, Chilvers left managers Steve Preiss and Greg Thompson in charge. Preiss had prior restaurant experience in Minneapolis and Palm Springs, California. Thompson had experience in West Orange, New Jersey and New York. Preiss and Thompson raised the Union Jack alongside the stars and stripes on reopening day.
All stops were pulled out for the grand reopening, which featured madrigal singers, a Scottish Bagpiper, and an appearance by Miss South Dakota, Karen Janousek. The beer menu was expanded to include the largest selection of imports to be found in Sioux Falls. But by July 1979, the writing was on the wall. The Round Table could not remain open.
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The establishment was remodeled and reopened as the new Bull & Lion. The Bull & Lion was a familiar name to those who remembered the English pub that opened in 1962 at the Cataract Motor-Inn. Like The Round Table, the original Bull & Lion had a dining area and a pub. It closed in November, 1971, shortly before the Cataract itself was closed and demolished.
The new Bull & Lion did essentially the same thing The Round Table did, but added nightly live music. The Bull & Lion carried on until 1990. It was replaced by the Lion’s Pub, became Legends Ballroom in 2002, and in 2005, the Jefferson Bus Lines station. In 2015, the building was razed to give Chuck Brennan’s Badlands Pawn, Gold & Jewelry more parking spaces.
While Sioux Falls is currently lacking any English pubs, the Irish are represented well by the Blarney Stone and McNally’s. Let the English take a break for a bit.
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: What happened to Sioux Falls' affinity for English pubs: Looking back
