The focus on simple, fresh, and delicious food at affordable prices has made this very small establishment into a phenomenon with one of the best reputations of any restaurant in the Black Hills. It's located in a renovated, downtown building with exposed brick walls and stained-glass accents. The only problem here is the difficulty getting a seat in the small dining area: hours are limited, the place fills up fast, and because the reputation is so stellar, people are willing to endure long waits outside on the bench or even just standing on the sidewalk.

Best quality ingredients with minimal processing are hallmarks of this family-owned restaurant. Highlights on the menu consist of, you guessed it, their burgers on their house baked buns. (That are out-of-this-world!) Entree’s such as The Hot Granny which features USDA chunk beef (ground in house daily), cream cheese, fresh jalapeno’s, and sweet-spicy jalapeno sauce await you in this glorious burger haven right on Mt. Rushmore Rd.

My favorite book for hiking in this area is "Hiking the Black Hills Country: A guide to more than 50 hikes in South Dakota and Wyoming" by Bert and Jane Gildart. It gives good descriptions, detail locations of trail markers, and interest flora and fauna to see. You should be able to pick this book up in Rapid or any local bookstore in the area.

With renowned food and service around the country, the Black Hills Burger & Bun Co. is a place you must visit when you stop into Custer. Several years ago Trip Advisor named them the top burger joint in the country, but you better get there early, because Dolsee shares that most times there’s a line out the door!

For this trip, we were happy Black Hills Burger and Bun, regarded as one of the best burger joints in America, was open.