A dozen restaurants dueled for the title for best in Mitchell. Here’s who won

Sioux Falls has the Downtown Burger Battle.

But Mitchell has the Restaurant Rumble.

And the community seems to love it just as much.

The promotional contest started last summer when the Mitchell Convention & Visitors Bureau was trying to generate business for restaurants struggling to adjust to COVID-related protocols.

“And the Mitchell community really stepped up to support our local restaurants,” event coordinator Jared Indahl said.

“Our dining scene was severely impacted because of COVID-19, but the resiliency and attitude of our restaurant owners and managers has been inspiring.”

They brought the competition back in January to help during a traditionally slow time for restaurants, with 12 locations offering a total of 22 specials for customers to vote on.

The competitors

Take a look at the dozen restaurants that rumbled for the crown in Mitchell:

• Big Dummy’s Bar & Grill
• Blarney’s Sports Bar & Grill
• Cattleman’s Club Steakhouse
• Coborn’s
• Culver’s
• The Depot
• Elixir Roasterie
• Fika/Cornerstone Coffee
• Papa Murphy’s Pizza
• Pizza Ranch
• Subway
• Whiskey Creek Wood Fire Grill

Now, you know it’s true community involvement when the likes of Papa Murphy’s Pizza and Subway get involved in a restaurant contest. The Subway location even crafted a special chicken bacon ranch protein bowl.

Papa Murphy’s did a chicken bacon artichoke pizza on a thin crust.

And, of course, the locally owned favorites delivered. Cattleman’s Club Steakhouse, for instance, offered an 8-ounce top sirloin with two sides for $14.99. Blarney’s Sports Bar & Grill crafted chicken parm bites. Fika/Cornerstone Coffee did a ham and cheese with jalapeno cheese spread and its signature tomato soup.

“I marketed pictures of each restaurant’s special on social media midmornings and late afternoons to visually entice people when they’re most vulnerable,” Indahl joked.

“It was a great strategy, and the Mitchell community supported this once again. One restaurant ran out of their special on the first day we started and served over 40 specials in the first two days.”

Every restaurant drew customers specifically because of the Restaurant Rumble, he added.

The winner

The win, announced last week, went to Whiskey Creek for its pulled pork “tot-chos,” described as crisp, seasoned tater tots loaded with cheddar-jack cheese, pico de gallo and slow smoked pulled pork.

“I think the creativity in creating this special was very intriguing to people, but then once you tasted it, it was out-of-this-world good,” Indahl said. “The dish looked very appetizing as well, and with this being a contest where you vote by posting photos on social media, that in itself markets.”

The prize

Indahl wanted to get creative for the winner of this epic competition. An online search for a “gaudy, super-sized sparkling diamond utensil or plate” produced zero results.

“So a trip to Hobby Lobby resulted in a 3-foot tin spoon, two tubes of Gorilla glue and gold rhinestone fabric all for under $20!”

Or, you know, priceless.

Missed the chance to take a drive west for some dining this year? You’ll likely get another chance.

“As long as we have interest from our restaurants and they see value in participating, we’ll keep Restaurant Rumble going annually,” Indahl said.