I've been a couple of times. The last time we stopped in before having to take friends to the airport that were visiting. 4 adults, 2 children, and 1 baby all of us ordered burgers to keep it simple and quick (except the baby). Ordered two beers as well and a round of waters and a milk. Beers and water took 30 mins, milk about 40 minutes (to the point the child was asking why she could't have milk). The burgers didn't come for 1.5 hrs which left us in a tough spot. We had to say to waiter, " seriously no more 'any minute it is coming out' comments. Get the food and put it in to-go boxes because we are going to be late to the airport." This was after already horrid service. Plus since the hostess jammed us into a weird area that slightly blocked access to one other table, another waiter came behind after we had been waiting an hour and blew out air and rolled his eyes in annoying disgust of how we were intrusive on his walking space, which I picked up on instantly. I was already more annoyed with this restaurant than any other dining experience in my life (well almost anyways) and uncharacteristically felt like getting up and slapping the eye rolling disgust off his face and make sure he was aware of who put us there in the first place and to not make us feel like WE were the problem there. Friends and kids ate their food on the drive to airport, waiter made no apology. They strung us out long enough we didn't just leave and get something from somewhere else until we knew we had no other choice time wise other than to wait. The restaurant was busy, but not enough for slow drinks and burgers taking that long ( I used to be a cook). The burgers were expensive and not that good. I gave two stars for the nice bar decor and the beer prices are fair to good.
(2)
Lindsey K.
Had a small bridal shower brunch here with my mom and aunts to celebrate, and it was wonderful! The service is a little slow, but it was nice and relaxed. We ordered the Benedict and it was fantastic.
(4)
Craig J M.
Yikes, if you are in the mood for cold food with service that makes you feel like a burden you have chosen the right place. I had a Windsor on the rocks it was $9 (we are in North Dakota, right?). The skirt Steak feature was 25 dollars and was not bad tasting but the sauce was not present and the rice, vegetable, and steak were all cold to the touch. We got there at 6:15 e left about 7:30 the service was slow and there were three tables in the whole restaurant. They did have some bar business but the restaurant was dead. all I can say is skip it.
(1)
Lisa L.
This place was recommended, but basically just a bar place. The food was edible, but nothing great. The waitress took over 30 minutes to bring us a water. She NEVER brought my husband ketchup and mustard for his burger. I finally asked another table for ketchup or he would still be sitting with a dry burger. The martinis were good. Wish it were better, but it wasn't. There is a good beer place across the street.
(2)
Jason L.
Great food and service I've bin here before with my wife and mom and had a great time !
(4)
G. G.
Ambiance: good. Location: excellent. Food was mediocre at best. In order: My cocktail order was wrong and the waiter would not fix it. The drink sat on the table for the evening untouched. We were never given the glasses of water we asked for and then the main courses arrived before our appetizers. When the waiter arrived with the entre plates, he said that we should just cancel our salads because they were in a different kitchen which was having trouble. The shrimp plate was 8 pieces of shrimp diagonally lined across the dish with 6 emaciated asparagus stalks. That's all that was on the plate. I told the waiter how bad the martini was (sickly greenish tint from olive brine and no vermouth with the gin) and he removed the full glass. I was charged for the bad drink and charged $28 for the bare shrimp plate whose surface area averaged more visible ceramic than food. It was appetizer portions as a main dish... disappointing and unfit. The experience was a comically bad combination of disorganized staff, poorly planned plates, and presumptuous pricing. Within the block are far better experiences that all offer more appropriate and realistic value for the cost.
(1)
Jack W.
As I have often indicated, not serving rare burgers is an absolute deal breaker. I commented in another forum about this, and owner Dale makes sarcastic comments (as he usually does) about feeling sorry for me, etc.. Fact is this: all the restaurants (with no exception) on The East Coast make rare burgers. I mean everybody from your Local Tavern, to Ruth Chris Steakhouse, to Gallagher's Steakhouse /Burger Bar in NJ. Those are very high-end places, and Im sure they care about their consumers health, and they serve rare burgers. Heck, there are several places even in Bismarck, and Dickinson ND that do it! I have been to Rapid City SD, and MOST places there will do it. So obviously, this guy is a closed minded hick who doesnt Know better, yet thinks that he does. Or, perhaps he thinks his restaurant is better, or higher-end than Ruth Chris Steakhouse, or Gallaghers. Right.
(1)
Zoey B.
Went for happy hour with my husband and his work buddy... great time!! Wine was cheap, food was cheap and all great tasting (happy hour pricing). We had edamame with sea salt, hummus plate and my husband had the wonton/seafood bites. I prefer a plain hummus to the red bell pepper hummus, but the chips were great. We stayed for dinner and I had the vegetarian burger (I was told it was Vegan as well) and it was awesome. My husband and his buddy had the bacon, avocado cheeseburger and loved it too. You'll have to try the beer margarita... odd, but definitely a new trend. We had Melissa as our server and she was great. Quick to take our order and deliver drinks and all the food came out timely and correct. We will definitely be back if my husband ever gets a week day off again.
(4)
Dennis B.
Stopped by for dinner because the other place we planned on going was closed Monday's. We were pleasantly surprised. They have a great beer selection. I had the halibut and my colleague had a burger with fried egg on it. Both of our entrees were fresh, hot and good.
(4)
Gigi G.
Californian sandwich was good. The Asian nachos were interesting and quite good along with the French onion soup.
(4)
Jayson J.
This came on the recommendation of one of our local clients as a nice place for dinner. We ordered steaks and they were OK (kind of what I imagine they serve at Applebee's). We were hoping for an independent joint with some great food, but it was all just meh. Our server seemed a bit rude / distracted. It was just a table of 6 and he messed up one order and got a few steaks way overlooked (or left under a heat lamp). Sides and apps were OK...better than the steaks. It was cheap and close to where we had an earlier meeting, so for the area I guess this is considered good food.
(3)
Bob M.
Got a very good steak dinner here, properly cooked and served with fresh, crisp asparagus and a good baked potato (not wrapped in aluminum foil, thank heavens). The room was very attractive and comfortable. But the staff was unfriendly (not hostile, just a little unwelcoming) and the cocktails suffered from short pours. The waitstaff could have made up for inexperience with a more outgoing attitude, but we were left feeling somewhat invisible. It was OK, but could easily have been much better.
(3)
Layla L.
This summer I gave the quick review of "Good food and great beer. :-) what else can you say" I have to add to that, and not in a pleasant way. We've dinned here several times since moving to Bismarck. From casual get together for Meetup.com events, bar hoping, date night, all the way to my husbands company Christmas party. The service in the bar is SPECTACULAR. They are ON it, never giving me anything to say about them that wasn't wonderful. The service in the dining room relies solely on the food to make up for their attitudes. The waiters are lazy and/or overworked, either way, they are not at the same quality level as the food is. Last friday was no different, only we were on a schedule. My group of nine were seated (staggard) from 530-550 pm. We didn't get to put in a drink order til 615. When we did Rudy not only messed up the orders but forgot to take some as well. Keep in mind our entire party was seated by that time. We had a play to get to that started at 730, which we reminded him of when he did actually make it to our table. Another group next to us was also going to the play. They were seated at 615, ate, drank, and happily went on their way by 7pm.... we were not that lucky. Rudy was a horrible waiter for the following reasons: *he didnt get everyones drink order *when he did finally take our food order he completely skipped my husband (later saying that it was because he thought the appetizer and burger i ordered was for both of us) *refills were almost non existant *he brought my husbands burger out before anyone even had an appetizer served to them so my husband got to sit there and look at his food while everyone waited for their appetizer *he then brought the rest of the food out all at once .... at 7pm. no appetizers first, just everything all at once. *he missed THREE out of nine of the orders, in that we ordered and he didn't deliver. *when he brought us the food at 7 we said can we get our checks now so we can just shovel this food in and go.... he came back twice to carry the rest of the drink orders with no check. *then he said that he would just take our cards, no chance for us to look at the bill, just take our cards "it would speed things along" FINE... we hand over our cards and he comes back with the MOST discombobulated stack of receipts and charges. *we had two of the egg burgers, he charged for one egg burger one avocado burger and the appetizer of course. so we figured fine, it'll just come out of his tip. We signed the papers and left. Another in our group said that he overcharged her for the appetizer she never got so she left no tip and left as well. *four people in our group stayed behind rather than be late to the play which is INCREDIBLY embarrassing. We RAN around the corner and sat down AT 730 just in time to get dirty looks and feel like the a-holes in the room. those that did stay behind got to feel the force of Rudy's wrath and failure in life achievements that landed him where he was that night. They were texting us during intermission saying that he was yelling at them, causing a scene, accusing us of not paying, trying to charge one person for the entire table, etc etc etc etc.... the list goes on and on. Everything a waiter should NEVER do... yea, Rudy could write the book on how he works. We immediately looked through our piles of receipts to make sure we all paid for everything and one girl said she didn't get charged for a steak so we told our friends to let him know we'd be back to pay it. After the show we went back in to pay for the steak and to let the manager know what an incredible disappointment Rudy was and see if s/he was willing to do anything about it. Instead we were met with the host who asked what the issue was and not two sentences into explaining said situation Rudy pops his face in and says "tonight wasn't me, that's not how I serve, you just got a bad side of me" we say well it was an incredibly embarrassing evening for us and our friends... he says, "embarrassing for you!? How do you think I feel getting stiffed on the tip I deserved" He deserved to be punched in the throat by that point in our night.... he then took the receipts that we had laid out, crumpled them up and threw them in the trash saying "I'll figure it out, it's taken care of" as he stormed off. To Rudy: choice choice words for you that I will not post.... To management: either hire better employees or don't expect us (or the companies we represent) back to your location. By the way, you're looking at a law firm, the state tax department, University of Mary, and writers for the Bismarck Tribune, to name a few.... Looking to lose a lot of business if you can't improve the service you provide. To those looking to dine at Peacock Alley: the food IS amazing. If you're going to eat there stick to the bar area, yes it's noisy but SO MUCH BETTER than the dining area. Also, careful washing your hands they don't have a regulator on their hot water and it WILL scald.
(1)
Priscila E.
I had the best sandwich ever! I travel all over the country and have been to many places. Different food, ethnicity, wide taste but, the experience at Peacock Alley was priceless! Californian sandwich at this menu, with cucumber sauce, spinach and artichoke dip, salad, wasabi, all together was amazing. Inventive place. Awesome fries. I would always go back!!! Besides, service was great and ambience is interesting and nice.
(5)
Raj S.
This place has some great steaks. They are flavorful and tasty. I got a filet mignon and it was seasoned perfectly. The gorgonzola cream sauce is great as well. As for the buffalo fries, I felt they could put less blu cheese, it seems to overpower the overall flavor. Overall, it is a great place for steak!
(4)
kaneka r.
Good happy hour and fabulous martinis. They just added outdoor seating, perfect timing with spring/summer here.
(4)
Laurie B.
I enjoying sitting in the bar area here and enjoying some great drinks and appetizers. The Asian nachos and buffalo fries are my favorite. If you come for happy hour theses are discounted and they have some great drink specials. There burgers are really good
(4)
James U.
The first three people I met in this restaurant were incredibly rude and pretentious. The restaurant smelled of rotten meat and bleach. I left the restaurant when I asked the waitress if there was a certain allergen in the dish I wanted and she yelled "How am I supposed to know?". Two of my coworkers stayed. They claimed the service did not improve with my departure. They were not impressed with the food either. I will not ever allow any of my money to go toward the employees or owner of this restaurant.
(1)
Dave L.
Great atmosphere. Cool old time interior and classic bar. There were great pictures of the local area and the historic building the grill is in. I really like the setting of this, couldn't be done better I had a burger at lunch, the Dakota. It was huge. And had great taste. The only down side was the bun wasn't warmed or toasted, in fact is was cold. Kind of a let down from an otherwise great burger. I also had a cup of the soup. I can't remember the name, but it's a regional favorite, a potato and dumpling soup, very good. Great beer selection, but being it was at lunch I didn't get a chance to partake. I may have to head back after work to try out the beers. I can recommend this place for a lunchtime stop. If I get back to sample the beer, I'll update.
(4)
Jamie R.
Great lunch place with your basic burgers, sandwiches, etc. Delicious food, and a very cool old building. Parking can be tricky at lunchtime rush hour.
(4)
Lisa A.
Over-rated, food and service was just average. Our server seemed rushed every time he call to our table, even though the place was pretty quiet, a couple times he even yelled from the service station over to another table, very unprofessional. Food was slow to delivery, even the salads and the bread was forgotten. Once our meal for four did arrive, two needed to be sent back. Roadhouse has better steaks for the cost of what we ordered. The atmosphere is great, bar is nice, but food is very average. Have to say we would not go back.
(2)
Josh O.
Had dinner there and the place was great. The history behind it is pretty amazing. I had the tuna and squash mash. All was great. Would go back in a minute. Friendly staff as well.
(4)
Heathyr P.
Martinis are divine! Great atmosphere, good food and service. One of the places I like to bring my friends visiting from out of town!
(5)
Katey S.
I've been a Bismarck resident for 19 months and only been to the Peacock once, and that was last week. It seemed like the kind of place you go to when you have a special occasion, not so much for regular eats. I'm not a big drinker so the bar doesn't draw me in. I didn't love my meal. The small size prime rib was fatty, which may be normal for that cut, but ew. It was cooked to my specifications, though. The potato medley was bland. The salad was iceberg, but fresh. The appetizer sampler was good, as were the beer bread and the service. We ordered less food than we did at Pirogue the other month and the price was about the same. I'd choose Pirogue over Peacock next time I have something to celebrate. Plus, have you seen their commercials? They do not do the restaurant any favors. So your chef is untrained and the owners think that's hilarious...guess the joke's on me.
(3)
Mark F.
In a word -- slow. In another word - flavorless. When you walk in, this place seems like it would have such potential. After the meal, we told some locals about our experience and explained that the quality of the restaurant has been in decline for some time now, which is unfortunate. I wanted to like it. However, when the waitress asked if I wanted to blacken my steak because it "will give it more flavor" I should have picked up the signs. By more flavor she meant any flavor at all. Unfortunately, the bar wasn't very busy and the service was slow. Real slow. Watching an 7 yr old try to use a rotary dial phone slow. The best part of the experience was the nightly drink special of 1/2 off a bottle of wine. Everything else left so much more to be desired.
(2)
Isela V.
Brought a group of about 40 here. Their service was quick and efficient. We had a set menu of three choices to help expedite the process. They handles it like a pro. The chicken salad and club sandwich were good. The fries are amazingly crunchy and good. Was very impressed with their service but their decor, especially the coffin draped roof can use some cleaning/upgrade.
(4)
Matthew L.
After failing to remember to look at Yelp for restaurant recommendations for dinner the night before in Billings, MT and therefore eating at the Olive Garden, we made sure to check on Yelp for a decent place to have lunch the next day. And this hit the spot, in quite an awesome room. Our sandwiches weren't anything special, but good nonetheless. This strikes me as a good place to drink a few beers and watch sports - they have a good selection on tap. Note: we actually ate here in August 2010
(3)
Marissa R.
A friend and I like to meet up here for a martini once in awhile after work. They are super yummy - the bomb pop is one of my favorites and really pretty too. The atmosphere is really nice and the service is pretty good as well. Trying to find parking downtime is semi-frustrating so if you can carpool I recommend it.
(4)
J W.
We have given Peacock Alley a second chance, and I must say that I'm glad we did. I would give the service 2-stars, and the food 3.5. However, I really enjoy the atmosphere. The burgers are pretty good, and they have a lot of beers on tap. The BAMS are legit! Below is my previous Review We used to go here all the time. The Alley Cat burger was awesome, and the open faced prime rib sandwich ( blackened of course) was completely legit. When the place switched owners, I feel like, the place went downhill while trying to do the opposite. A $35 Ribeye? Are you kidding me? It seriously was not good. We tried to go back a few times, but when our salads had a 1/2 " of water at the bottom of the bowl, the food was again bad, and the server took the crutons off of my salad with his hands (right in front of me) that was the last straw. I haven't haven't been back in almost two years. It's sad really. This used to be a Bismarck institution, and my wife and I loved it. We went here the night we got engaged. Nachos went down hill. The servers left for different establishments. At least we still have our regular server. Just at a different place.
(3)
Solina E.
First time me and my boyfriend tried the peacock alley was for his birthday, 4/5. food was good, but service was terrible! Waiter, Derrick was very kind, but I felt like he had no idea what he was doing, he knew the menu well, but service was not what I was expecting for the price I paid for the dinner. We were seated after the reservation time, and we even got there early! I felt so bad I wanted to cry!! The table next to us had my boyfriends' nephews dinner so while we were eating, he had to wait for his plate! I feel like when groups go out to eat, they all want to eat together too! As soon as we got the food I asked for the ticket right away because we had a 9:30 movie so we literally got our food at 8:40 and had to scarf it down, but I didn't get my ticket to pay I had to go and find someone to help us with that even! And when I talked to the manager Bob, he wanted to give me gelato to go and I said no thank you, all in all it was a bad experience and I probably won't ever try it again, just because of the way it was handled as well.. Food was great thanks cooks! But service.... Yeah could've walked across and got a pizza in that 1.5 hour of waiting to get our main course!
(1)
Dawn M.
Fabulous and open late for real food. Great happy hour menu and outside seating. Service was excellent. Glad we made the effort to get off the highway and find it. Very long road trip - and this was pretty much the best food we've had since leaving Oregon.
(5)
Stephen R.
Solid bar and restaraunt. Great Prime Rib Sides werent that great-frozen vegetables and wild rice tasted like they were instant rice and not fresh veggies. The French Onion soup is stellar. Lots of local history in this bar related to local government. Overall a good place for a solid meal if you want meat. Ostritch looked good Walleye looked good Prime Rib was excellent But again their sides werent fresh or very good at all.
(3)
Karina H.
A Bismarck classic! Always such a wonderful time and the food is made with such care. Loved the popover/rolls that we got before dinner.
(5)
Elle L.
Absolutely fantastic. I cannot believe that I waited over a decade after moving away from Bismarck to discover the neat little downtown scene they have goin' on. Peacock Alley is by far my favorite place to meet friends for cocktails. The martinis are the best I've had. In fact, sometimes I crave them when I'm at home in Florida. The espresso martini is my favorite. I just had the pleasure of dining there not long ago. My cousin and I shared the spinach and artichoke spread, served with small garlic toasts and multi-colored tortilla chips. I'm really, really picky when it comes to S&A dip as I think I make the best, but dang - it was really good and it was such a big portion I didn't even order dinner. A surprisingly great place in the heart of downtown Bismarck, ND.
(5)
Kitten M.
One of the best places for lunch or dinner in Bismarck. The service is always great, and the food is always fresh, delicious, and quick. They easily accomodate large groups for dinner and do a wonderful job serving everyone quickly and accurately. I've eaten here about once a month for the last 2 years and have yet to have a bad meal. The only downsides are 1) parking is difficult to find, so plan to carpool, walk, or use the parking garage; 2) Friday and Saturday nights are busy starting early (5 pm), so make sure you have a reservation; and 3) when it's busy, it's very loud, especially in the bar area.
(4)
Tammy M.
Choices are a bit limiting in Bismarck, but that is no excuse for SLOW service or mediocre food. Should have reconsidered when our waitress asked if someone wanted their steak blackened because it would add some flavor. My fish was dry and pretty flavorless.
(2)
Lucas B.
Very nice place. Keeps many of the influences present from when the place was established. Place holds a lot of history and definitely tries to show it off in its pictures and other pieces. Food is good, over priced in some areas, but the restaurant tries to hold itself a little higher for class, so the price is to be expected. The bar isn't bad, nice selection and bartenders are very social even if you aren't a regular.
(4)
Pam B.
Bad experience. The service was slow and the server was arrogant, with an attitude. I ordered the lunch Chef's Feature, Buttermilk Shrimp Grand Ceasar. It was supposed to come with sliced cucumbers, red onion, and grape tomatoes. I got none of the above on my salad. Just some lettuce with over breaded, over cooked tiny shrimp.
(2)
Conly D.
While in Bismarck, I stopped in as I had read reviews on Yelp (which has mysteriously disappeared) that it carried some of South Dakota's finest micro-brews. Never one to shy away from that, I went to give it a shot. It is an old turn of the century building with plenty of history. The pictures and memorabilia add to the authenticity of the experience. What it was missing, however, was the micro-brews! I moved on and ordered a Guinness, which I nearly spit out. Turns out that after talking with the bartending, I learned that they do not clean their tap lines but once a year. That lack of effort really made the experience pretty awful. I hope if I go back that things will be different.
(4)
Jeff S.
Had an early dinner there. Food and atmosphere was good. Service was excellent (we sat at the bar). They have a nice selection of beer on tap. They have a couple of choices for seasoning and I selected the local seasoning. The ribeye was quite tasty and the bread was excellent. The other person in my party really liked his beef sandwich as well. I'll go back when in town again.
(3)
Stephen W.
Peacock Alley is one of the few upscale restaurants in Bismarck. They have great food and a large bar area. I recommend the Bloody Mary Breakfast served on Saturdays.
(4)
Patrick W.
Nice atmosphere. Our waiter was friendly and attentive, but had an abrupt manner. I ordered a special that you could get with a dessert or a glass of wine. I wanted the dessert, but our waiter made it "al a carte" without asking. He also didn't explain what my options were for sides--assumed I wanted a salad ("What kind of dressing?") and a baked potato ("Ya' want a baked potato?"). With all of these things, I could have asked and probably would have got what I wanted, but in an unfamiliar restaurant, I'm a bit uncomfortable going against the grain. And if he had asked at the end of the meal, "What dessert would you like?", I would have happily complied and the restaurant would have collected the extra $5 for the full special without me batting an eye. I had the Apple Bourbon Pork Tenderloin. It was one of their October specials and came with a baked potato, steamed vegetables (carrots and broccoli), a salad and a roll for $21. The pork was very tender and wasn't dry, but I didn't much like the flavor. I thought it might just be me, but someone else at my table had the same thing and had a similar reaction. There was nothing special about the sides. The baked potato came with sour cream and butter, both in plastic cups on the side. The steamed vegetables were plain carrots and broccoli. The salad was disappointing. It seemed to be Romaine lettuce, maybe with some darker greens mixed in, along with a few vegetables (a couple of whole baby carrots and some grape tomatoes). It had grated cheddar cheese on top. I had it with balsamic vinaigrette. The vinaigrette wasn't very good at all. It just tasted like cheap balsamic vinegar. Myself and one other person at my table didn't order anything to drink besides water. The provided a carafe of water (good), but only very small glasses (bad). I realize this is the sort of place where people order drinks (they had a menu of flavored martinis), but if I feel like drinking water, I have to refill a tiny glass endlessly.
(3)
Brice B.
Driving across the country is never easy. I can make this statement with a straight face because I've done it three times in the last four years. 2,500 miles of interstate can make you a little grumpy with Dwight D. Eisenhower and his Utopian vision for the interstate highway system. Then I arrive in a place like Bismarck. When I rolled into ND, I had previously visited 45 states in the union. While North Dakota lacks the overt charm of California or Maine, my stop at the Peacock Alley made me a believer in the power of the American ethos. The front desk staff at our hotel recommended a chain bar for dinner, but my best buddy and I opted for local flavor over predictability. The result? Pure joy. We hit the Peacock on a Friday night after 1,000 miles on the road. We rocked some sammies and a couple of huge beers, and we were fat and happy. This place oozes Old West without sacrificing 21st century amenities. The blackjack table was hoppin', the beer selection was solid, and the locals were really good looking. If you're reading this review, I hope you'll remember the Peacock the next time you're in Bismarck. You may not get there often, but you'll be missing out if you skip this badass beer hall!
(5)
Jace S.
This place rocks my socks off! The food is delicious, the drinks are great and the service is up where it should be for a local restaurant. This is the closeted gay bar of Bismarck so no matter your sexuality your more then welcome! Peacock was just voted Bismarck's Best Martini this year and they truly do have the best martini's in town!
(4)
Amanda P.
This place looks nice from the outside and has a great website, but what a disappointment. I was in town for business so went to dine by myself. Service was fine, but food was terrible. I wanted to order the pork tenderloin medallions but they were all out, interesting since this is not even a special. Then decided on the shrimp, which I ordered simply broiled. It came with two sides which I choose the side salad and a baked potato. The shrimp was drowning in butter and grease, you could see the grease floating on the bed of rice pilaf it was sitting on. This is not what broiled shrimp is!!The baked potato looked like it had been cooked for 10 hours, burnt skin and all. The green beans - also covered in grease. Not what I wanted at all. Will not be returning.
(2)
Don J.
Best burger in Bismarck. End of discussion. The exact name of the burger escapes me -- the Alley Cat or the Alley Burger, something like that -- is on special most of the week. It costs a little more on the weekend, but I think it's still worth it. Nice ambience, and Guiness on draft -- for burger and a beer, it's the best choice in town.
(4)
Shaneille U.
fantastic new happy hour!
(5)
C M.
I've eaten here a couple of times and the food (STEAK !) is always great. Our server (Ryanne ?) was beyond helpful with the menu and especially the drink selection, which can be daunting with the many brews and the extensive martini list. This gal knows her stuff and doesn't mind telling you. The historic pictures that cover the bar walls are fascinating and our dinners were served in no time, cooked to perfection. A little pricey but worth the extra dough.
(5)
Tom S.
My review is of just the bar portion. The drinks are good and they had several quality beers on tap. Our server was friendly and knowledgable in explaining the flavor differences of the beers they had on tap. Peacock Alley is located in a neat old building, but the interior is in dire need of some updating. Don't get me wrong, the atmosphere is nice, but it is time to make repairs and replace furnishings. We sat in the upper portion and floor would bounce as anybody would walk by.
(3)
Tristan C.
Me and my girlfriend got stranded one tuesday evening on the way home from seeing mount Rushmore to Fargo. We have to decides on a restaurant to satisfy our tummy and we have to decides fast. We settled on this place. I got in and I wait around for 5 minutes and nobody even bother to come and ask us where we wanted to seats. After 5 minutes looking like fools waiting, the bartender finally asked us if we needs help. He then said, oh you can sit anywhere, its a bar. So People, its not a restaurant, Its a damn bar, just sit yourself. But thats the only thing that take away the star from the 5 star I would've given this place. The food was terrific. Their smoked steak are among the best steaks I ever encountered and I ate lots and lots of steaks. Server's service are so so but very efficient and friendly, dont expect a fine dining service here, its a Bar! Drinks are ok, I happen to come on a buy two martini for the price of one on tuesday night. Go ahead, try their food. You'll be glad you did!
(4)
Margaret B.
Peacock Alley American Grill and Bar has a good bar and a perfect restaurant. It's a good place to go if you want to have beers and some grilled meat, a perfect combination. I ordered pasta, and it was good. It's very tasty. I also tried their salad, I was impressed because it's freshly picked. The serving is big, so it's good for people with big appetite, which I have. I can't go home without trying the bar. I ordered wine and some cocktail. I love the friendly bartender in the bar. All in all, I have a happy experience in Peacock Alley American grill and bar. Next time I go back, I'll bring some friends with me.
(5)
Steve K.
Was here for a convention and ended up eating here twice. Very nice prime rib and the Ahi Tuna was perfect. Nice selection of beers and great atmosphere in the bar. Nice!
(4)
Pete M.
On a business trip to Bismarck, I was looking to experience some local flavor. On tap - a multitude of North Dakota micro brews, plus the usual selection you can find elsewhere. The bartender gave us some great recommendations and we were definitely pleased. The steak was served up perfectly and was some of the freshest rib eye I've ever had. Their menu heralds the building's great historical past, and the atmosphere is pretty old-school 1900s era. The ceiling has draped velvet, kind of a massive fire hazard, but who cares, it looked really cool.
(3)
Peter L.
There are two parts to the Peacock Alley, the corner bar and the back rooms. The bar area is generally busy with a friendly crowd, the back rooms are more for people that want to have a quiet dinner. The dinner menu runs from steak and prime rib to seafood and a good selection of pasta's. Nice selection of app's, such as fried artichoke hearts with a dipping sauce. Several salad choices available in addition to the dinner salad that comes with most entree's. Servings are large so do not pig out on the app's! We had a very good veal Oscar type dish and an pecan crusted Pike. Both were very good. Cocktails were generous in size and a they had a decent wine list including some good wines by the glass. Two cocktails, one glass of wine, one shared app and 2 entrees ran just short of $100 with tax and tip.
(4)
Jay S.
We visit this restaurant annually on our trip through the capital. This restaurant is one of the better eating establishments in Bismarck. I highly recommend the baked Brie appetizer--a puff pastry filled with gooey Brie, served with sliced Granny Smith apples and fresh Garlic toast rounds. Fantastic to share. Another favorite of the family's is the Pecan-encrusted Walleye--a mild white fish. The ambiance is nice enough to impress, but not stuffy at all. I highly recommend it.
(5)
Bryan L.
I'm back in town for business and wanted to do this again. The hanger steak was excellent last time. My waiter, Nedad, suggested another great dish. More in a minute on that. The rolls and whatever kind of sweet butter they use for dipping is tasty. But bread is a filler and I'm here for the beef. With that said, I had to order the Bacon Fritters. I'd love to try those for breakfast some time. Went with the Teres Major. Unique. The quality of the medallion cuts was outstanding and it was cooked perfectly. It comes with a type of rice that I hadn't had before. Complemented the steak great. As before, I didn't save room for desert. Nenad brought me a small serving of the Gelato to try. First time I've ever had it. Very good. All in all I really liked the food and the atmosphere. I will be back on my next trip. Really enjoyed it.
(5)
Scott N.
This place looks great, tucked inside an historic building. The staff were extremely friendly and inviting. I had the Bacon Grind Burger. Yes... that's a burger with bacon ground right into the meat. I didn't eat the bun, but the burger, cheese, tomato and onion really hit the spot. Good, solid meat flavor. They serve them medium well, which sounded like it could be too done for my taste, but that wasn't the case. The burger was juicy and had a great, grilled flavor and of course the unbeatable taste of bacon throughout. I asked if I should get the fries or homemade chips. Chips were recommended so that's what I ordered. They were good. Very similar to Saratoga Chips at Montgomery Inn in Cincinnati. To that end, they would have been much tastier if I'd had some barbecue sauce for dipping. Based on one burger and chips... I'd say this place is A-OK.
(3)
Vince R.
My first martini had a wierd taste.. Blue cheese stuffed olives might have turned a bit.. Dunno. The second was perfect without the funky olives. We were charged for both drinks. My wife's Ahi was terrible. 30.00 too. My steak was tasty and the house made onion rings were good. .25 charge for dipping sauce. Lissa our server was great though.
(2)
Shayna A.
I had steak and cheese curds. I have nothing but amazing things to say about everything I ate. I actually ordered take out, but the location looked nice and the staff was lovely.
(5)
Nicholas F.
The first two times I came here I wouldn't have recommended it or given it a positive review. I really wanted to like it though, so I gave it a few more tries. I'm glad I did. For the most part, the service is decent. On Tuesdays, martinis are buy one get one free, which is great. Their happy hour foods and bar menu is really good. I feel like their regular menu though is horribly overpriced. There is one bartender that really needs some help...she pours the shortest shots ever. When you're ordering premium liquor and paying a lot for it, you really want the full amount you're paying for, right? Go for happy hour, and try it out.
(4)
Ruth H.
Mixed experience: My waiter was helpful in making suggestions for dinner selection. But, overall disappointed with the service. I waited what seemed to be forever for my food (almost 30 minutes according to the time stamp on the receipt when the order was placed), then waited "forever" for my check. The salmon had decent flavor, but was very dry. The mixed veg included beets...that was a nice surprise.
(3)
Analena V.
Very awesome dining experience. Sitting at the bar was great and service fast!! Good food-enjoyed salmon salad.
(4)
Casey K.
This place is excellent for relaxing with friends and eating a quality meal and having martinis! The happy hour is the best I've seen in Bismarck. I recommend the espresso martini and local cheese curds!
(5)
Lauren C.
Food is hit or miss. Atmosphere is good in the bar/lounge area and nice in the dining room. Drinks are a bit over priced.
(3)
Irena K.
The front desk lady wasn't very welcoming. When a sign says 'please wait to be seated' this is what my husband and I expected. Instead, we got an unpleasant 'can I help you guys?' from the lady. We asked her for a table for two, and she told us that we can sit anywhere at the bar area. Apparently the whole restaurant is the bar area. I'm sorry, but I've never been here. How would I know that? Location is fancy, prices are fancy, but the restaurant itself is not fancy at all. Poor service. Silverware is wrapped into paper napkin - cafeteria style. Water in plastic cups - just like at fast food places. Food is not bad. Just ok. Nothing special. Will NOT come back
(2)
Chris C.
I felt slightly out of place since I was in town for a job but this place is amazing. So you do not have to dress up for this place. I had the hanger steak which was a special at the time so I'm not sure if it's still available. The food overall was great and the butter for the rolls is f-ing fantastic!
(5)
Jared G.
I've been a couple of times. The last time we stopped in before having to take friends to the airport that were visiting. 4 adults, 2 children, and 1 baby all of us ordered burgers to keep it simple and quick (except the baby). Ordered two beers as well and a round of waters and a milk. Beers and water took 30 mins, milk about 40 minutes (to the point the child was asking why she could't have milk). The burgers didn't come for 1.5 hrs which left us in a tough spot. We had to say to waiter, " seriously no more 'any minute it is coming out' comments. Get the food and put it in to-go boxes because we are going to be late to the airport." This was after already horrid service. Plus since the hostess jammed us into a weird area that slightly blocked access to one other table, another waiter came behind after we had been waiting an hour and blew out air and rolled his eyes in annoying disgust of how we were intrusive on his walking space, which I picked up on instantly. I was already more annoyed with this restaurant than any other dining experience in my life (well almost anyways) and uncharacteristically felt like getting up and slapping the eye rolling disgust off his face and make sure he was aware of who put us there in the first place and to not make us feel like WE were the problem there. Friends and kids ate their food on the drive to airport, waiter made no apology. They strung us out long enough we didn't just leave and get something from somewhere else until we knew we had no other choice time wise other than to wait. The restaurant was busy, but not enough for slow drinks and burgers taking that long ( I used to be a cook). The burgers were expensive and not that good. I gave two stars for the nice bar decor and the beer prices are fair to good.
(2)
Lindsey K.
Had a small bridal shower brunch here with my mom and aunts to celebrate, and it was wonderful! The service is a little slow, but it was nice and relaxed. We ordered the Benedict and it was fantastic.
(4)
Dawn M.
Fabulous and open late for real food. Great happy hour menu and outside seating. Service was excellent. Glad we made the effort to get off the highway and find it. Very long road trip - and this was pretty much the best food we've had since leaving Oregon.
(5)
Stephen R.
Solid bar and restaraunt. Great Prime Rib Sides werent that great-frozen vegetables and wild rice tasted like they were instant rice and not fresh veggies. The French Onion soup is stellar. Lots of local history in this bar related to local government. Overall a good place for a solid meal if you want meat. Ostritch looked good Walleye looked good Prime Rib was excellent But again their sides werent fresh or very good at all.
(3)
Karina H.
A Bismarck classic! Always such a wonderful time and the food is made with such care. Loved the popover/rolls that we got before dinner.
(5)
Elle L.
Absolutely fantastic. I cannot believe that I waited over a decade after moving away from Bismarck to discover the neat little downtown scene they have goin' on. Peacock Alley is by far my favorite place to meet friends for cocktails. The martinis are the best I've had. In fact, sometimes I crave them when I'm at home in Florida. The espresso martini is my favorite. I just had the pleasure of dining there not long ago. My cousin and I shared the spinach and artichoke spread, served with small garlic toasts and multi-colored tortilla chips. I'm really, really picky when it comes to S&A dip as I think I make the best, but dang - it was really good and it was such a big portion I didn't even order dinner. A surprisingly great place in the heart of downtown Bismarck, ND.
(5)
Kitten M.
One of the best places for lunch or dinner in Bismarck. The service is always great, and the food is always fresh, delicious, and quick. They easily accomodate large groups for dinner and do a wonderful job serving everyone quickly and accurately. I've eaten here about once a month for the last 2 years and have yet to have a bad meal. The only downsides are 1) parking is difficult to find, so plan to carpool, walk, or use the parking garage; 2) Friday and Saturday nights are busy starting early (5 pm), so make sure you have a reservation; and 3) when it's busy, it's very loud, especially in the bar area.
(4)
Tammy M.
Choices are a bit limiting in Bismarck, but that is no excuse for SLOW service or mediocre food. Should have reconsidered when our waitress asked if someone wanted their steak blackened because it would add some flavor. My fish was dry and pretty flavorless.
(2)
Lucas B.
Very nice place. Keeps many of the influences present from when the place was established. Place holds a lot of history and definitely tries to show it off in its pictures and other pieces. Food is good, over priced in some areas, but the restaurant tries to hold itself a little higher for class, so the price is to be expected. The bar isn't bad, nice selection and bartenders are very social even if you aren't a regular.
(4)
Ruth H.
Mixed experience: My waiter was helpful in making suggestions for dinner selection. But, overall disappointed with the service. I waited what seemed to be forever for my food (almost 30 minutes according to the time stamp on the receipt when the order was placed), then waited "forever" for my check. The salmon had decent flavor, but was very dry. The mixed veg included beets...that was a nice surprise.
(3)
Analena V.
Very awesome dining experience. Sitting at the bar was great and service fast!! Good food-enjoyed salmon salad.
(4)
Bryan L.
I'm back in town for business and wanted to do this again. The hanger steak was excellent last time. My waiter, Nedad, suggested another great dish. More in a minute on that. The rolls and whatever kind of sweet butter they use for dipping is tasty. But bread is a filler and I'm here for the beef. With that said, I had to order the Bacon Fritters. I'd love to try those for breakfast some time. Went with the Teres Major. Unique. The quality of the medallion cuts was outstanding and it was cooked perfectly. It comes with a type of rice that I hadn't had before. Complemented the steak great. As before, I didn't save room for desert. Nenad brought me a small serving of the Gelato to try. First time I've ever had it. Very good. All in all I really liked the food and the atmosphere. I will be back on my next trip. Really enjoyed it.
(5)
Scott N.
This place looks great, tucked inside an historic building. The staff were extremely friendly and inviting. I had the Bacon Grind Burger. Yes... that's a burger with bacon ground right into the meat. I didn't eat the bun, but the burger, cheese, tomato and onion really hit the spot. Good, solid meat flavor. They serve them medium well, which sounded like it could be too done for my taste, but that wasn't the case. The burger was juicy and had a great, grilled flavor and of course the unbeatable taste of bacon throughout. I asked if I should get the fries or homemade chips. Chips were recommended so that's what I ordered. They were good. Very similar to Saratoga Chips at Montgomery Inn in Cincinnati. To that end, they would have been much tastier if I'd had some barbecue sauce for dipping. Based on one burger and chips... I'd say this place is A-OK.
(3)
Vince R.
My first martini had a wierd taste.. Blue cheese stuffed olives might have turned a bit.. Dunno. The second was perfect without the funky olives. We were charged for both drinks. My wife's Ahi was terrible. 30.00 too. My steak was tasty and the house made onion rings were good. .25 charge for dipping sauce. Lissa our server was great though.
(2)
Shayna A.
I had steak and cheese curds. I have nothing but amazing things to say about everything I ate. I actually ordered take out, but the location looked nice and the staff was lovely.
(5)
Nicholas F.
The first two times I came here I wouldn't have recommended it or given it a positive review. I really wanted to like it though, so I gave it a few more tries. I'm glad I did. For the most part, the service is decent. On Tuesdays, martinis are buy one get one free, which is great. Their happy hour foods and bar menu is really good. I feel like their regular menu though is horribly overpriced. There is one bartender that really needs some help...she pours the shortest shots ever. When you're ordering premium liquor and paying a lot for it, you really want the full amount you're paying for, right? Go for happy hour, and try it out.
(4)
Casey K.
This place is excellent for relaxing with friends and eating a quality meal and having martinis! The happy hour is the best I've seen in Bismarck. I recommend the espresso martini and local cheese curds!
(5)
Lauren C.
Food is hit or miss. Atmosphere is good in the bar/lounge area and nice in the dining room. Drinks are a bit over priced.
(3)
Irena K.
The front desk lady wasn't very welcoming. When a sign says 'please wait to be seated' this is what my husband and I expected. Instead, we got an unpleasant 'can I help you guys?' from the lady. We asked her for a table for two, and she told us that we can sit anywhere at the bar area. Apparently the whole restaurant is the bar area. I'm sorry, but I've never been here. How would I know that? Location is fancy, prices are fancy, but the restaurant itself is not fancy at all. Poor service. Silverware is wrapped into paper napkin - cafeteria style. Water in plastic cups - just like at fast food places. Food is not bad. Just ok. Nothing special. Will NOT come back
(2)
Chris C.
I felt slightly out of place since I was in town for a job but this place is amazing. So you do not have to dress up for this place. I had the hanger steak which was a special at the time so I'm not sure if it's still available. The food overall was great and the butter for the rolls is f-ing fantastic!
(5)
Jared G.
I've been a couple of times. The last time we stopped in before having to take friends to the airport that were visiting. 4 adults, 2 children, and 1 baby all of us ordered burgers to keep it simple and quick (except the baby). Ordered two beers as well and a round of waters and a milk. Beers and water took 30 mins, milk about 40 minutes (to the point the child was asking why she could't have milk). The burgers didn't come for 1.5 hrs which left us in a tough spot. We had to say to waiter, " seriously no more 'any minute it is coming out' comments. Get the food and put it in to-go boxes because we are going to be late to the airport." This was after already horrid service. Plus since the hostess jammed us into a weird area that slightly blocked access to one other table, another waiter came behind after we had been waiting an hour and blew out air and rolled his eyes in annoying disgust of how we were intrusive on his walking space, which I picked up on instantly. I was already more annoyed with this restaurant than any other dining experience in my life (well almost anyways) and uncharacteristically felt like getting up and slapping the eye rolling disgust off his face and make sure he was aware of who put us there in the first place and to not make us feel like WE were the problem there. Friends and kids ate their food on the drive to airport, waiter made no apology. They strung us out long enough we didn't just leave and get something from somewhere else until we knew we had no other choice time wise other than to wait. The restaurant was busy, but not enough for slow drinks and burgers taking that long ( I used to be a cook). The burgers were expensive and not that good. I gave two stars for the nice bar decor and the beer prices are fair to good.
(2)
Lindsey K.
Had a small bridal shower brunch here with my mom and aunts to celebrate, and it was wonderful! The service is a little slow, but it was nice and relaxed. We ordered the Benedict and it was fantastic.
(4)
Craig J M.
Yikes, if you are in the mood for cold food with service that makes you feel like a burden you have chosen the right place. I had a Windsor on the rocks it was $9 (we are in North Dakota, right?). The skirt Steak feature was 25 dollars and was not bad tasting but the sauce was not present and the rice, vegetable, and steak were all cold to the touch. We got there at 6:15 e left about 7:30 the service was slow and there were three tables in the whole restaurant. They did have some bar business but the restaurant was dead. all I can say is skip it.
(1)
Lisa L.
This place was recommended, but basically just a bar place. The food was edible, but nothing great. The waitress took over 30 minutes to bring us a water. She NEVER brought my husband ketchup and mustard for his burger. I finally asked another table for ketchup or he would still be sitting with a dry burger. The martinis were good. Wish it were better, but it wasn't. There is a good beer place across the street.
(2)
Jason L.
Great food and service I've bin here before with my wife and mom and had a great time !
(4)
G. G.
Ambiance: good. Location: excellent. Food was mediocre at best. In order: My cocktail order was wrong and the waiter would not fix it. The drink sat on the table for the evening untouched. We were never given the glasses of water we asked for and then the main courses arrived before our appetizers. When the waiter arrived with the entre plates, he said that we should just cancel our salads because they were in a different kitchen which was having trouble. The shrimp plate was 8 pieces of shrimp diagonally lined across the dish with 6 emaciated asparagus stalks. That's all that was on the plate. I told the waiter how bad the martini was (sickly greenish tint from olive brine and no vermouth with the gin) and he removed the full glass. I was charged for the bad drink and charged $28 for the bare shrimp plate whose surface area averaged more visible ceramic than food. It was appetizer portions as a main dish... disappointing and unfit. The experience was a comically bad combination of disorganized staff, poorly planned plates, and presumptuous pricing. Within the block are far better experiences that all offer more appropriate and realistic value for the cost.
(1)
Jack W.
As I have often indicated, not serving rare burgers is an absolute deal breaker. I commented in another forum about this, and owner Dale makes sarcastic comments (as he usually does) about feeling sorry for me, etc.. Fact is this: all the restaurants (with no exception) on The East Coast make rare burgers. I mean everybody from your Local Tavern, to Ruth Chris Steakhouse, to Gallagher's Steakhouse /Burger Bar in NJ. Those are very high-end places, and Im sure they care about their consumers health, and they serve rare burgers. Heck, there are several places even in Bismarck, and Dickinson ND that do it! I have been to Rapid City SD, and MOST places there will do it. So obviously, this guy is a closed minded hick who doesnt Know better, yet thinks that he does. Or, perhaps he thinks his restaurant is better, or higher-end than Ruth Chris Steakhouse, or Gallaghers. Right.
(1)
Ruth H.
Mixed experience: My waiter was helpful in making suggestions for dinner selection. But, overall disappointed with the service. I waited what seemed to be forever for my food (almost 30 minutes according to the time stamp on the receipt when the order was placed), then waited "forever" for my check. The salmon had decent flavor, but was very dry. The mixed veg included beets...that was a nice surprise.
(3)
Analena V.
Very awesome dining experience. Sitting at the bar was great and service fast!! Good food-enjoyed salmon salad.
(4)
Bryan L.
I'm back in town for business and wanted to do this again. The hanger steak was excellent last time. My waiter, Nedad, suggested another great dish. More in a minute on that. The rolls and whatever kind of sweet butter they use for dipping is tasty. But bread is a filler and I'm here for the beef. With that said, I had to order the Bacon Fritters. I'd love to try those for breakfast some time. Went with the Teres Major. Unique. The quality of the medallion cuts was outstanding and it was cooked perfectly. It comes with a type of rice that I hadn't had before. Complemented the steak great. As before, I didn't save room for desert. Nenad brought me a small serving of the Gelato to try. First time I've ever had it. Very good. All in all I really liked the food and the atmosphere. I will be back on my next trip. Really enjoyed it.
(5)
Scott N.
This place looks great, tucked inside an historic building. The staff were extremely friendly and inviting. I had the Bacon Grind Burger. Yes... that's a burger with bacon ground right into the meat. I didn't eat the bun, but the burger, cheese, tomato and onion really hit the spot. Good, solid meat flavor. They serve them medium well, which sounded like it could be too done for my taste, but that wasn't the case. The burger was juicy and had a great, grilled flavor and of course the unbeatable taste of bacon throughout. I asked if I should get the fries or homemade chips. Chips were recommended so that's what I ordered. They were good. Very similar to Saratoga Chips at Montgomery Inn in Cincinnati. To that end, they would have been much tastier if I'd had some barbecue sauce for dipping. Based on one burger and chips... I'd say this place is A-OK.
(3)
Vince R.
My first martini had a wierd taste.. Blue cheese stuffed olives might have turned a bit.. Dunno. The second was perfect without the funky olives. We were charged for both drinks. My wife's Ahi was terrible. 30.00 too. My steak was tasty and the house made onion rings were good. .25 charge for dipping sauce. Lissa our server was great though.
(2)
Shayna A.
I had steak and cheese curds. I have nothing but amazing things to say about everything I ate. I actually ordered take out, but the location looked nice and the staff was lovely.
(5)
Nicholas F.
The first two times I came here I wouldn't have recommended it or given it a positive review. I really wanted to like it though, so I gave it a few more tries. I'm glad I did. For the most part, the service is decent. On Tuesdays, martinis are buy one get one free, which is great. Their happy hour foods and bar menu is really good. I feel like their regular menu though is horribly overpriced. There is one bartender that really needs some help...she pours the shortest shots ever. When you're ordering premium liquor and paying a lot for it, you really want the full amount you're paying for, right? Go for happy hour, and try it out.
(4)
Casey K.
This place is excellent for relaxing with friends and eating a quality meal and having martinis! The happy hour is the best I've seen in Bismarck. I recommend the espresso martini and local cheese curds!
(5)
Lauren C.
Food is hit or miss. Atmosphere is good in the bar/lounge area and nice in the dining room. Drinks are a bit over priced.
(3)
Irena K.
The front desk lady wasn't very welcoming. When a sign says 'please wait to be seated' this is what my husband and I expected. Instead, we got an unpleasant 'can I help you guys?' from the lady. We asked her for a table for two, and she told us that we can sit anywhere at the bar area. Apparently the whole restaurant is the bar area. I'm sorry, but I've never been here. How would I know that? Location is fancy, prices are fancy, but the restaurant itself is not fancy at all. Poor service. Silverware is wrapped into paper napkin - cafeteria style. Water in plastic cups - just like at fast food places. Food is not bad. Just ok. Nothing special. Will NOT come back
(2)
Chris C.
I felt slightly out of place since I was in town for a job but this place is amazing. So you do not have to dress up for this place. I had the hanger steak which was a special at the time so I'm not sure if it's still available. The food overall was great and the butter for the rolls is f-ing fantastic!
(5)
Zoey B.
Went for happy hour with my husband and his work buddy... great time!! Wine was cheap, food was cheap and all great tasting (happy hour pricing). We had edamame with sea salt, hummus plate and my husband had the wonton/seafood bites. I prefer a plain hummus to the red bell pepper hummus, but the chips were great. We stayed for dinner and I had the vegetarian burger (I was told it was Vegan as well) and it was awesome. My husband and his buddy had the bacon, avocado cheeseburger and loved it too. You'll have to try the beer margarita... odd, but definitely a new trend. We had Melissa as our server and she was great. Quick to take our order and deliver drinks and all the food came out timely and correct. We will definitely be back if my husband ever gets a week day off again.
(4)
Dennis B.
Stopped by for dinner because the other place we planned on going was closed Monday's. We were pleasantly surprised. They have a great beer selection. I had the halibut and my colleague had a burger with fried egg on it. Both of our entrees were fresh, hot and good.
(4)
Gigi G.
Californian sandwich was good. The Asian nachos were interesting and quite good along with the French onion soup.
(4)
Layla L.
This summer I gave the quick review of "Good food and great beer. :-) what else can you say" I have to add to that, and not in a pleasant way. We've dinned here several times since moving to Bismarck. From casual get together for Meetup.com events, bar hoping, date night, all the way to my husbands company Christmas party. The service in the bar is SPECTACULAR. They are ON it, never giving me anything to say about them that wasn't wonderful. The service in the dining room relies solely on the food to make up for their attitudes. The waiters are lazy and/or overworked, either way, they are not at the same quality level as the food is. Last friday was no different, only we were on a schedule. My group of nine were seated (staggard) from 530-550 pm. We didn't get to put in a drink order til 615. When we did Rudy not only messed up the orders but forgot to take some as well. Keep in mind our entire party was seated by that time. We had a play to get to that started at 730, which we reminded him of when he did actually make it to our table. Another group next to us was also going to the play. They were seated at 615, ate, drank, and happily went on their way by 7pm.... we were not that lucky. Rudy was a horrible waiter for the following reasons: *he didnt get everyones drink order *when he did finally take our food order he completely skipped my husband (later saying that it was because he thought the appetizer and burger i ordered was for both of us) *refills were almost non existant *he brought my husbands burger out before anyone even had an appetizer served to them so my husband got to sit there and look at his food while everyone waited for their appetizer *he then brought the rest of the food out all at once .... at 7pm. no appetizers first, just everything all at once. *he missed THREE out of nine of the orders, in that we ordered and he didn't deliver. *when he brought us the food at 7 we said can we get our checks now so we can just shovel this food in and go.... he came back twice to carry the rest of the drink orders with no check. *then he said that he would just take our cards, no chance for us to look at the bill, just take our cards "it would speed things along" FINE... we hand over our cards and he comes back with the MOST discombobulated stack of receipts and charges. *we had two of the egg burgers, he charged for one egg burger one avocado burger and the appetizer of course. so we figured fine, it'll just come out of his tip. We signed the papers and left. Another in our group said that he overcharged her for the appetizer she never got so she left no tip and left as well. *four people in our group stayed behind rather than be late to the play which is INCREDIBLY embarrassing. We RAN around the corner and sat down AT 730 just in time to get dirty looks and feel like the a-holes in the room. those that did stay behind got to feel the force of Rudy's wrath and failure in life achievements that landed him where he was that night. They were texting us during intermission saying that he was yelling at them, causing a scene, accusing us of not paying, trying to charge one person for the entire table, etc etc etc etc.... the list goes on and on. Everything a waiter should NEVER do... yea, Rudy could write the book on how he works. We immediately looked through our piles of receipts to make sure we all paid for everything and one girl said she didn't get charged for a steak so we told our friends to let him know we'd be back to pay it. After the show we went back in to pay for the steak and to let the manager know what an incredible disappointment Rudy was and see if s/he was willing to do anything about it. Instead we were met with the host who asked what the issue was and not two sentences into explaining said situation Rudy pops his face in and says "tonight wasn't me, that's not how I serve, you just got a bad side of me" we say well it was an incredibly embarrassing evening for us and our friends... he says, "embarrassing for you!? How do you think I feel getting stiffed on the tip I deserved" He deserved to be punched in the throat by that point in our night.... he then took the receipts that we had laid out, crumpled them up and threw them in the trash saying "I'll figure it out, it's taken care of" as he stormed off. To Rudy: choice choice words for you that I will not post.... To management: either hire better employees or don't expect us (or the companies we represent) back to your location. By the way, you're looking at a law firm, the state tax department, University of Mary, and writers for the Bismarck Tribune, to name a few.... Looking to lose a lot of business if you can't improve the service you provide. To those looking to dine at Peacock Alley: the food IS amazing. If you're going to eat there stick to the bar area, yes it's noisy but SO MUCH BETTER than the dining area. Also, careful washing your hands they don't have a regulator on their hot water and it WILL scald.
(1)
Jayson J.
This came on the recommendation of one of our local clients as a nice place for dinner. We ordered steaks and they were OK (kind of what I imagine they serve at Applebee's). We were hoping for an independent joint with some great food, but it was all just meh. Our server seemed a bit rude / distracted. It was just a table of 6 and he messed up one order and got a few steaks way overlooked (or left under a heat lamp). Sides and apps were OK...better than the steaks. It was cheap and close to where we had an earlier meeting, so for the area I guess this is considered good food.
(3)
Bob M.
Got a very good steak dinner here, properly cooked and served with fresh, crisp asparagus and a good baked potato (not wrapped in aluminum foil, thank heavens). The room was very attractive and comfortable. But the staff was unfriendly (not hostile, just a little unwelcoming) and the cocktails suffered from short pours. The waitstaff could have made up for inexperience with a more outgoing attitude, but we were left feeling somewhat invisible. It was OK, but could easily have been much better.
(3)
Priscila E.
I had the best sandwich ever! I travel all over the country and have been to many places. Different food, ethnicity, wide taste but, the experience at Peacock Alley was priceless! Californian sandwich at this menu, with cucumber sauce, spinach and artichoke dip, salad, wasabi, all together was amazing. Inventive place. Awesome fries. I would always go back!!! Besides, service was great and ambience is interesting and nice.
(5)
Raj S.
This place has some great steaks. They are flavorful and tasty. I got a filet mignon and it was seasoned perfectly. The gorgonzola cream sauce is great as well. As for the buffalo fries, I felt they could put less blu cheese, it seems to overpower the overall flavor. Overall, it is a great place for steak!
(4)
kaneka r.
Good happy hour and fabulous martinis. They just added outdoor seating, perfect timing with spring/summer here.
(4)
Laurie B.
I enjoying sitting in the bar area here and enjoying some great drinks and appetizers. The Asian nachos and buffalo fries are my favorite. If you come for happy hour theses are discounted and they have some great drink specials. There burgers are really good
(4)
James U.
The first three people I met in this restaurant were incredibly rude and pretentious. The restaurant smelled of rotten meat and bleach. I left the restaurant when I asked the waitress if there was a certain allergen in the dish I wanted and she yelled "How am I supposed to know?". Two of my coworkers stayed. They claimed the service did not improve with my departure. They were not impressed with the food either. I will not ever allow any of my money to go toward the employees or owner of this restaurant.
(1)
Dave L.
Great atmosphere. Cool old time interior and classic bar. There were great pictures of the local area and the historic building the grill is in. I really like the setting of this, couldn't be done better I had a burger at lunch, the Dakota. It was huge. And had great taste. The only down side was the bun wasn't warmed or toasted, in fact is was cold. Kind of a let down from an otherwise great burger. I also had a cup of the soup. I can't remember the name, but it's a regional favorite, a potato and dumpling soup, very good. Great beer selection, but being it was at lunch I didn't get a chance to partake. I may have to head back after work to try out the beers. I can recommend this place for a lunchtime stop. If I get back to sample the beer, I'll update.
(4)
Jamie R.
Great lunch place with your basic burgers, sandwiches, etc. Delicious food, and a very cool old building. Parking can be tricky at lunchtime rush hour.
(4)
Lisa A.
Over-rated, food and service was just average. Our server seemed rushed every time he call to our table, even though the place was pretty quiet, a couple times he even yelled from the service station over to another table, very unprofessional. Food was slow to delivery, even the salads and the bread was forgotten. Once our meal for four did arrive, two needed to be sent back. Roadhouse has better steaks for the cost of what we ordered. The atmosphere is great, bar is nice, but food is very average. Have to say we would not go back.
(2)
Josh O.
Had dinner there and the place was great. The history behind it is pretty amazing. I had the tuna and squash mash. All was great. Would go back in a minute. Friendly staff as well.
(4)
Heathyr P.
Martinis are divine! Great atmosphere, good food and service. One of the places I like to bring my friends visiting from out of town!
(5)
Katey S.
I've been a Bismarck resident for 19 months and only been to the Peacock once, and that was last week. It seemed like the kind of place you go to when you have a special occasion, not so much for regular eats. I'm not a big drinker so the bar doesn't draw me in. I didn't love my meal. The small size prime rib was fatty, which may be normal for that cut, but ew. It was cooked to my specifications, though. The potato medley was bland. The salad was iceberg, but fresh. The appetizer sampler was good, as were the beer bread and the service. We ordered less food than we did at Pirogue the other month and the price was about the same. I'd choose Pirogue over Peacock next time I have something to celebrate. Plus, have you seen their commercials? They do not do the restaurant any favors. So your chef is untrained and the owners think that's hilarious...guess the joke's on me.
(3)
Mark F.
In a word -- slow. In another word - flavorless. When you walk in, this place seems like it would have such potential. After the meal, we told some locals about our experience and explained that the quality of the restaurant has been in decline for some time now, which is unfortunate. I wanted to like it. However, when the waitress asked if I wanted to blacken my steak because it "will give it more flavor" I should have picked up the signs. By more flavor she meant any flavor at all. Unfortunately, the bar wasn't very busy and the service was slow. Real slow. Watching an 7 yr old try to use a rotary dial phone slow. The best part of the experience was the nightly drink special of 1/2 off a bottle of wine. Everything else left so much more to be desired.
(2)
Isela V.
Brought a group of about 40 here. Their service was quick and efficient. We had a set menu of three choices to help expedite the process. They handles it like a pro. The chicken salad and club sandwich were good. The fries are amazingly crunchy and good. Was very impressed with their service but their decor, especially the coffin draped roof can use some cleaning/upgrade.
(4)
Matthew L.
After failing to remember to look at Yelp for restaurant recommendations for dinner the night before in Billings, MT and therefore eating at the Olive Garden, we made sure to check on Yelp for a decent place to have lunch the next day. And this hit the spot, in quite an awesome room. Our sandwiches weren't anything special, but good nonetheless. This strikes me as a good place to drink a few beers and watch sports - they have a good selection on tap. Note: we actually ate here in August 2010
(3)
Marissa R.
A friend and I like to meet up here for a martini once in awhile after work. They are super yummy - the bomb pop is one of my favorites and really pretty too. The atmosphere is really nice and the service is pretty good as well. Trying to find parking downtime is semi-frustrating so if you can carpool I recommend it.
(4)
J W.
We have given Peacock Alley a second chance, and I must say that I'm glad we did. I would give the service 2-stars, and the food 3.5. However, I really enjoy the atmosphere. The burgers are pretty good, and they have a lot of beers on tap. The BAMS are legit! Below is my previous Review We used to go here all the time. The Alley Cat burger was awesome, and the open faced prime rib sandwich ( blackened of course) was completely legit. When the place switched owners, I feel like, the place went downhill while trying to do the opposite. A $35 Ribeye? Are you kidding me? It seriously was not good. We tried to go back a few times, but when our salads had a 1/2 " of water at the bottom of the bowl, the food was again bad, and the server took the crutons off of my salad with his hands (right in front of me) that was the last straw. I haven't haven't been back in almost two years. It's sad really. This used to be a Bismarck institution, and my wife and I loved it. We went here the night we got engaged. Nachos went down hill. The servers left for different establishments. At least we still have our regular server. Just at a different place.
(3)
Solina E.
First time me and my boyfriend tried the peacock alley was for his birthday, 4/5. food was good, but service was terrible! Waiter, Derrick was very kind, but I felt like he had no idea what he was doing, he knew the menu well, but service was not what I was expecting for the price I paid for the dinner. We were seated after the reservation time, and we even got there early! I felt so bad I wanted to cry!! The table next to us had my boyfriends' nephews dinner so while we were eating, he had to wait for his plate! I feel like when groups go out to eat, they all want to eat together too! As soon as we got the food I asked for the ticket right away because we had a 9:30 movie so we literally got our food at 8:40 and had to scarf it down, but I didn't get my ticket to pay I had to go and find someone to help us with that even! And when I talked to the manager Bob, he wanted to give me gelato to go and I said no thank you, all in all it was a bad experience and I probably won't ever try it again, just because of the way it was handled as well.. Food was great thanks cooks! But service.... Yeah could've walked across and got a pizza in that 1.5 hour of waiting to get our main course!
(1)
Pam B.
Bad experience. The service was slow and the server was arrogant, with an attitude. I ordered the lunch Chef's Feature, Buttermilk Shrimp Grand Ceasar. It was supposed to come with sliced cucumbers, red onion, and grape tomatoes. I got none of the above on my salad. Just some lettuce with over breaded, over cooked tiny shrimp.
(2)
Conly D.
While in Bismarck, I stopped in as I had read reviews on Yelp (which has mysteriously disappeared) that it carried some of South Dakota's finest micro-brews. Never one to shy away from that, I went to give it a shot. It is an old turn of the century building with plenty of history. The pictures and memorabilia add to the authenticity of the experience. What it was missing, however, was the micro-brews! I moved on and ordered a Guinness, which I nearly spit out. Turns out that after talking with the bartending, I learned that they do not clean their tap lines but once a year. That lack of effort really made the experience pretty awful. I hope if I go back that things will be different.
(4)
Patrick W.
Nice atmosphere. Our waiter was friendly and attentive, but had an abrupt manner. I ordered a special that you could get with a dessert or a glass of wine. I wanted the dessert, but our waiter made it "al a carte" without asking. He also didn't explain what my options were for sides--assumed I wanted a salad ("What kind of dressing?") and a baked potato ("Ya' want a baked potato?"). With all of these things, I could have asked and probably would have got what I wanted, but in an unfamiliar restaurant, I'm a bit uncomfortable going against the grain. And if he had asked at the end of the meal, "What dessert would you like?", I would have happily complied and the restaurant would have collected the extra $5 for the full special without me batting an eye. I had the Apple Bourbon Pork Tenderloin. It was one of their October specials and came with a baked potato, steamed vegetables (carrots and broccoli), a salad and a roll for $21. The pork was very tender and wasn't dry, but I didn't much like the flavor. I thought it might just be me, but someone else at my table had the same thing and had a similar reaction. There was nothing special about the sides. The baked potato came with sour cream and butter, both in plastic cups on the side. The steamed vegetables were plain carrots and broccoli. The salad was disappointing. It seemed to be Romaine lettuce, maybe with some darker greens mixed in, along with a few vegetables (a couple of whole baby carrots and some grape tomatoes). It had grated cheddar cheese on top. I had it with balsamic vinaigrette. The vinaigrette wasn't very good at all. It just tasted like cheap balsamic vinegar. Myself and one other person at my table didn't order anything to drink besides water. The provided a carafe of water (good), but only very small glasses (bad). I realize this is the sort of place where people order drinks (they had a menu of flavored martinis), but if I feel like drinking water, I have to refill a tiny glass endlessly.
(3)
Brice B.
Driving across the country is never easy. I can make this statement with a straight face because I've done it three times in the last four years. 2,500 miles of interstate can make you a little grumpy with Dwight D. Eisenhower and his Utopian vision for the interstate highway system. Then I arrive in a place like Bismarck. When I rolled into ND, I had previously visited 45 states in the union. While North Dakota lacks the overt charm of California or Maine, my stop at the Peacock Alley made me a believer in the power of the American ethos. The front desk staff at our hotel recommended a chain bar for dinner, but my best buddy and I opted for local flavor over predictability. The result? Pure joy. We hit the Peacock on a Friday night after 1,000 miles on the road. We rocked some sammies and a couple of huge beers, and we were fat and happy. This place oozes Old West without sacrificing 21st century amenities. The blackjack table was hoppin', the beer selection was solid, and the locals were really good looking. If you're reading this review, I hope you'll remember the Peacock the next time you're in Bismarck. You may not get there often, but you'll be missing out if you skip this badass beer hall!
(5)
Jace S.
This place rocks my socks off! The food is delicious, the drinks are great and the service is up where it should be for a local restaurant. This is the closeted gay bar of Bismarck so no matter your sexuality your more then welcome! Peacock was just voted Bismarck's Best Martini this year and they truly do have the best martini's in town!
(4)
Amanda P.
This place looks nice from the outside and has a great website, but what a disappointment. I was in town for business so went to dine by myself. Service was fine, but food was terrible. I wanted to order the pork tenderloin medallions but they were all out, interesting since this is not even a special. Then decided on the shrimp, which I ordered simply broiled. It came with two sides which I choose the side salad and a baked potato. The shrimp was drowning in butter and grease, you could see the grease floating on the bed of rice pilaf it was sitting on. This is not what broiled shrimp is!!The baked potato looked like it had been cooked for 10 hours, burnt skin and all. The green beans - also covered in grease. Not what I wanted at all. Will not be returning.
(2)
Don J.
Best burger in Bismarck. End of discussion. The exact name of the burger escapes me -- the Alley Cat or the Alley Burger, something like that -- is on special most of the week. It costs a little more on the weekend, but I think it's still worth it. Nice ambience, and Guiness on draft -- for burger and a beer, it's the best choice in town.
(4)
Shaneille U.
fantastic new happy hour!
(5)
C M.
I've eaten here a couple of times and the food (STEAK !) is always great. Our server (Ryanne ?) was beyond helpful with the menu and especially the drink selection, which can be daunting with the many brews and the extensive martini list. This gal knows her stuff and doesn't mind telling you. The historic pictures that cover the bar walls are fascinating and our dinners were served in no time, cooked to perfection. A little pricey but worth the extra dough.
(5)
Tom S.
My review is of just the bar portion. The drinks are good and they had several quality beers on tap. Our server was friendly and knowledgable in explaining the flavor differences of the beers they had on tap. Peacock Alley is located in a neat old building, but the interior is in dire need of some updating. Don't get me wrong, the atmosphere is nice, but it is time to make repairs and replace furnishings. We sat in the upper portion and floor would bounce as anybody would walk by.
(3)
Tristan C.
Me and my girlfriend got stranded one tuesday evening on the way home from seeing mount Rushmore to Fargo. We have to decides on a restaurant to satisfy our tummy and we have to decides fast. We settled on this place. I got in and I wait around for 5 minutes and nobody even bother to come and ask us where we wanted to seats. After 5 minutes looking like fools waiting, the bartender finally asked us if we needs help. He then said, oh you can sit anywhere, its a bar. So People, its not a restaurant, Its a damn bar, just sit yourself. But thats the only thing that take away the star from the 5 star I would've given this place. The food was terrific. Their smoked steak are among the best steaks I ever encountered and I ate lots and lots of steaks. Server's service are so so but very efficient and friendly, dont expect a fine dining service here, its a Bar! Drinks are ok, I happen to come on a buy two martini for the price of one on tuesday night. Go ahead, try their food. You'll be glad you did!
(4)
Jeff S.
Had an early dinner there. Food and atmosphere was good. Service was excellent (we sat at the bar). They have a nice selection of beer on tap. They have a couple of choices for seasoning and I selected the local seasoning. The ribeye was quite tasty and the bread was excellent. The other person in my party really liked his beef sandwich as well. I'll go back when in town again.
(3)
Stephen W.
Peacock Alley is one of the few upscale restaurants in Bismarck. They have great food and a large bar area. I recommend the Bloody Mary Breakfast served on Saturdays.
(4)
Margaret B.
Peacock Alley American Grill and Bar has a good bar and a perfect restaurant. It's a good place to go if you want to have beers and some grilled meat, a perfect combination. I ordered pasta, and it was good. It's very tasty. I also tried their salad, I was impressed because it's freshly picked. The serving is big, so it's good for people with big appetite, which I have. I can't go home without trying the bar. I ordered wine and some cocktail. I love the friendly bartender in the bar. All in all, I have a happy experience in Peacock Alley American grill and bar. Next time I go back, I'll bring some friends with me.
(5)
Steve K.
Was here for a convention and ended up eating here twice. Very nice prime rib and the Ahi Tuna was perfect. Nice selection of beers and great atmosphere in the bar. Nice!
(4)
Pete M.
On a business trip to Bismarck, I was looking to experience some local flavor. On tap - a multitude of North Dakota micro brews, plus the usual selection you can find elsewhere. The bartender gave us some great recommendations and we were definitely pleased. The steak was served up perfectly and was some of the freshest rib eye I've ever had. Their menu heralds the building's great historical past, and the atmosphere is pretty old-school 1900s era. The ceiling has draped velvet, kind of a massive fire hazard, but who cares, it looked really cool.
(3)
Peter L.
There are two parts to the Peacock Alley, the corner bar and the back rooms. The bar area is generally busy with a friendly crowd, the back rooms are more for people that want to have a quiet dinner. The dinner menu runs from steak and prime rib to seafood and a good selection of pasta's. Nice selection of app's, such as fried artichoke hearts with a dipping sauce. Several salad choices available in addition to the dinner salad that comes with most entree's. Servings are large so do not pig out on the app's! We had a very good veal Oscar type dish and an pecan crusted Pike. Both were very good. Cocktails were generous in size and a they had a decent wine list including some good wines by the glass. Two cocktails, one glass of wine, one shared app and 2 entrees ran just short of $100 with tax and tip.
(4)
Jay S.
We visit this restaurant annually on our trip through the capital. This restaurant is one of the better eating establishments in Bismarck. I highly recommend the baked Brie appetizer--a puff pastry filled with gooey Brie, served with sliced Granny Smith apples and fresh Garlic toast rounds. Fantastic to share. Another favorite of the family's is the Pecan-encrusted Walleye--a mild white fish. The ambiance is nice enough to impress, but not stuffy at all. I highly recommend it.
(5)
Craig J M.
Yikes, if you are in the mood for cold food with service that makes you feel like a burden you have chosen the right place. I had a Windsor on the rocks it was $9 (we are in North Dakota, right?). The skirt Steak feature was 25 dollars and was not bad tasting but the sauce was not present and the rice, vegetable, and steak were all cold to the touch. We got there at 6:15 e left about 7:30 the service was slow and there were three tables in the whole restaurant. They did have some bar business but the restaurant was dead. all I can say is skip it.
(1)
G. G.
Ambiance: good. Location: excellent. Food was mediocre at best. In order: My cocktail order was wrong and the waiter would not fix it. The drink sat on the table for the evening untouched. We were never given the glasses of water we asked for and then the main courses arrived before our appetizers. When the waiter arrived with the entre plates, he said that we should just cancel our salads because they were in a different kitchen which was having trouble. The shrimp plate was 8 pieces of shrimp diagonally lined across the dish with 6 emaciated asparagus stalks. That's all that was on the plate. I told the waiter how bad the martini was (sickly greenish tint from olive brine and no vermouth with the gin) and he removed the full glass. I was charged for the bad drink and charged $28 for the bare shrimp plate whose surface area averaged more visible ceramic than food. It was appetizer portions as a main dish... disappointing and unfit. The experience was a comically bad combination of disorganized staff, poorly planned plates, and presumptuous pricing. Within the block are far better experiences that all offer more appropriate and realistic value for the cost.
(1)
Jack W.
As I have often indicated, not serving rare burgers is an absolute deal breaker. I commented in another forum about this, and owner Dale makes sarcastic comments (as he usually does) about feeling sorry for me, etc.. Fact is this: all the restaurants (with no exception) on The East Coast make rare burgers. I mean everybody from your Local Tavern, to Ruth Chris Steakhouse, to Gallagher's Steakhouse /Burger Bar in NJ. Those are very high-end places, and Im sure they care about their consumers health, and they serve rare burgers. Heck, there are several places even in Bismarck, and Dickinson ND that do it! I have been to Rapid City SD, and MOST places there will do it. So obviously, this guy is a closed minded hick who doesnt Know better, yet thinks that he does. Or, perhaps he thinks his restaurant is better, or higher-end than Ruth Chris Steakhouse, or Gallaghers. Right.
(1)
Zoey B.
Went for happy hour with my husband and his work buddy... great time!! Wine was cheap, food was cheap and all great tasting (happy hour pricing). We had edamame with sea salt, hummus plate and my husband had the wonton/seafood bites. I prefer a plain hummus to the red bell pepper hummus, but the chips were great. We stayed for dinner and I had the vegetarian burger (I was told it was Vegan as well) and it was awesome. My husband and his buddy had the bacon, avocado cheeseburger and loved it too. You'll have to try the beer margarita... odd, but definitely a new trend. We had Melissa as our server and she was great. Quick to take our order and deliver drinks and all the food came out timely and correct. We will definitely be back if my husband ever gets a week day off again.
(4)
Dennis B.
Stopped by for dinner because the other place we planned on going was closed Monday's. We were pleasantly surprised. They have a great beer selection. I had the halibut and my colleague had a burger with fried egg on it. Both of our entrees were fresh, hot and good.
(4)
Gigi G.
Californian sandwich was good. The Asian nachos were interesting and quite good along with the French onion soup.
(4)
Lisa L.
This place was recommended, but basically just a bar place. The food was edible, but nothing great. The waitress took over 30 minutes to bring us a water. She NEVER brought my husband ketchup and mustard for his burger. I finally asked another table for ketchup or he would still be sitting with a dry burger. The martinis were good. Wish it were better, but it wasn't. There is a good beer place across the street.
(2)
Jason L.
Great food and service I've bin here before with my wife and mom and had a great time !
(4)
Jayson J.
This came on the recommendation of one of our local clients as a nice place for dinner. We ordered steaks and they were OK (kind of what I imagine they serve at Applebee's). We were hoping for an independent joint with some great food, but it was all just meh. Our server seemed a bit rude / distracted. It was just a table of 6 and he messed up one order and got a few steaks way overlooked (or left under a heat lamp). Sides and apps were OK...better than the steaks. It was cheap and close to where we had an earlier meeting, so for the area I guess this is considered good food.
(3)
Bob M.
Got a very good steak dinner here, properly cooked and served with fresh, crisp asparagus and a good baked potato (not wrapped in aluminum foil, thank heavens). The room was very attractive and comfortable. But the staff was unfriendly (not hostile, just a little unwelcoming) and the cocktails suffered from short pours. The waitstaff could have made up for inexperience with a more outgoing attitude, but we were left feeling somewhat invisible. It was OK, but could easily have been much better.
(3)
Layla L.
This summer I gave the quick review of "Good food and great beer. :-) what else can you say" I have to add to that, and not in a pleasant way. We've dinned here several times since moving to Bismarck. From casual get together for Meetup.com events, bar hoping, date night, all the way to my husbands company Christmas party. The service in the bar is SPECTACULAR. They are ON it, never giving me anything to say about them that wasn't wonderful. The service in the dining room relies solely on the food to make up for their attitudes. The waiters are lazy and/or overworked, either way, they are not at the same quality level as the food is. Last friday was no different, only we were on a schedule. My group of nine were seated (staggard) from 530-550 pm. We didn't get to put in a drink order til 615. When we did Rudy not only messed up the orders but forgot to take some as well. Keep in mind our entire party was seated by that time. We had a play to get to that started at 730, which we reminded him of when he did actually make it to our table. Another group next to us was also going to the play. They were seated at 615, ate, drank, and happily went on their way by 7pm.... we were not that lucky. Rudy was a horrible waiter for the following reasons: *he didnt get everyones drink order *when he did finally take our food order he completely skipped my husband (later saying that it was because he thought the appetizer and burger i ordered was for both of us) *refills were almost non existant *he brought my husbands burger out before anyone even had an appetizer served to them so my husband got to sit there and look at his food while everyone waited for their appetizer *he then brought the rest of the food out all at once .... at 7pm. no appetizers first, just everything all at once. *he missed THREE out of nine of the orders, in that we ordered and he didn't deliver. *when he brought us the food at 7 we said can we get our checks now so we can just shovel this food in and go.... he came back twice to carry the rest of the drink orders with no check. *then he said that he would just take our cards, no chance for us to look at the bill, just take our cards "it would speed things along" FINE... we hand over our cards and he comes back with the MOST discombobulated stack of receipts and charges. *we had two of the egg burgers, he charged for one egg burger one avocado burger and the appetizer of course. so we figured fine, it'll just come out of his tip. We signed the papers and left. Another in our group said that he overcharged her for the appetizer she never got so she left no tip and left as well. *four people in our group stayed behind rather than be late to the play which is INCREDIBLY embarrassing. We RAN around the corner and sat down AT 730 just in time to get dirty looks and feel like the a-holes in the room. those that did stay behind got to feel the force of Rudy's wrath and failure in life achievements that landed him where he was that night. They were texting us during intermission saying that he was yelling at them, causing a scene, accusing us of not paying, trying to charge one person for the entire table, etc etc etc etc.... the list goes on and on. Everything a waiter should NEVER do... yea, Rudy could write the book on how he works. We immediately looked through our piles of receipts to make sure we all paid for everything and one girl said she didn't get charged for a steak so we told our friends to let him know we'd be back to pay it. After the show we went back in to pay for the steak and to let the manager know what an incredible disappointment Rudy was and see if s/he was willing to do anything about it. Instead we were met with the host who asked what the issue was and not two sentences into explaining said situation Rudy pops his face in and says "tonight wasn't me, that's not how I serve, you just got a bad side of me" we say well it was an incredibly embarrassing evening for us and our friends... he says, "embarrassing for you!? How do you think I feel getting stiffed on the tip I deserved" He deserved to be punched in the throat by that point in our night.... he then took the receipts that we had laid out, crumpled them up and threw them in the trash saying "I'll figure it out, it's taken care of" as he stormed off. To Rudy: choice choice words for you that I will not post.... To management: either hire better employees or don't expect us (or the companies we represent) back to your location. By the way, you're looking at a law firm, the state tax department, University of Mary, and writers for the Bismarck Tribune, to name a few.... Looking to lose a lot of business if you can't improve the service you provide. To those looking to dine at Peacock Alley: the food IS amazing. If you're going to eat there stick to the bar area, yes it's noisy but SO MUCH BETTER than the dining area. Also, careful washing your hands they don't have a regulator on their hot water and it WILL scald.
(1)
Priscila E.
I had the best sandwich ever! I travel all over the country and have been to many places. Different food, ethnicity, wide taste but, the experience at Peacock Alley was priceless! Californian sandwich at this menu, with cucumber sauce, spinach and artichoke dip, salad, wasabi, all together was amazing. Inventive place. Awesome fries. I would always go back!!! Besides, service was great and ambience is interesting and nice.
(5)
Raj S.
This place has some great steaks. They are flavorful and tasty. I got a filet mignon and it was seasoned perfectly. The gorgonzola cream sauce is great as well. As for the buffalo fries, I felt they could put less blu cheese, it seems to overpower the overall flavor. Overall, it is a great place for steak!
(4)
kaneka r.
Good happy hour and fabulous martinis. They just added outdoor seating, perfect timing with spring/summer here.
(4)
Laurie B.
I enjoying sitting in the bar area here and enjoying some great drinks and appetizers. The Asian nachos and buffalo fries are my favorite. If you come for happy hour theses are discounted and they have some great drink specials. There burgers are really good
(4)
James U.
The first three people I met in this restaurant were incredibly rude and pretentious. The restaurant smelled of rotten meat and bleach. I left the restaurant when I asked the waitress if there was a certain allergen in the dish I wanted and she yelled "How am I supposed to know?". Two of my coworkers stayed. They claimed the service did not improve with my departure. They were not impressed with the food either. I will not ever allow any of my money to go toward the employees or owner of this restaurant.
(1)
Dave L.
Great atmosphere. Cool old time interior and classic bar. There were great pictures of the local area and the historic building the grill is in. I really like the setting of this, couldn't be done better I had a burger at lunch, the Dakota. It was huge. And had great taste. The only down side was the bun wasn't warmed or toasted, in fact is was cold. Kind of a let down from an otherwise great burger. I also had a cup of the soup. I can't remember the name, but it's a regional favorite, a potato and dumpling soup, very good. Great beer selection, but being it was at lunch I didn't get a chance to partake. I may have to head back after work to try out the beers. I can recommend this place for a lunchtime stop. If I get back to sample the beer, I'll update.
(4)
Jamie R.
Great lunch place with your basic burgers, sandwiches, etc. Delicious food, and a very cool old building. Parking can be tricky at lunchtime rush hour.
(4)
Lisa A.
Over-rated, food and service was just average. Our server seemed rushed every time he call to our table, even though the place was pretty quiet, a couple times he even yelled from the service station over to another table, very unprofessional. Food was slow to delivery, even the salads and the bread was forgotten. Once our meal for four did arrive, two needed to be sent back. Roadhouse has better steaks for the cost of what we ordered. The atmosphere is great, bar is nice, but food is very average. Have to say we would not go back.
(2)
Josh O.
Had dinner there and the place was great. The history behind it is pretty amazing. I had the tuna and squash mash. All was great. Would go back in a minute. Friendly staff as well.
(4)
Heathyr P.
Martinis are divine! Great atmosphere, good food and service. One of the places I like to bring my friends visiting from out of town!
(5)
Katey S.
I've been a Bismarck resident for 19 months and only been to the Peacock once, and that was last week. It seemed like the kind of place you go to when you have a special occasion, not so much for regular eats. I'm not a big drinker so the bar doesn't draw me in. I didn't love my meal. The small size prime rib was fatty, which may be normal for that cut, but ew. It was cooked to my specifications, though. The potato medley was bland. The salad was iceberg, but fresh. The appetizer sampler was good, as were the beer bread and the service. We ordered less food than we did at Pirogue the other month and the price was about the same. I'd choose Pirogue over Peacock next time I have something to celebrate. Plus, have you seen their commercials? They do not do the restaurant any favors. So your chef is untrained and the owners think that's hilarious...guess the joke's on me.
(3)
Mark F.
In a word -- slow. In another word - flavorless. When you walk in, this place seems like it would have such potential. After the meal, we told some locals about our experience and explained that the quality of the restaurant has been in decline for some time now, which is unfortunate. I wanted to like it. However, when the waitress asked if I wanted to blacken my steak because it "will give it more flavor" I should have picked up the signs. By more flavor she meant any flavor at all. Unfortunately, the bar wasn't very busy and the service was slow. Real slow. Watching an 7 yr old try to use a rotary dial phone slow. The best part of the experience was the nightly drink special of 1/2 off a bottle of wine. Everything else left so much more to be desired.
(2)
Isela V.
Brought a group of about 40 here. Their service was quick and efficient. We had a set menu of three choices to help expedite the process. They handles it like a pro. The chicken salad and club sandwich were good. The fries are amazingly crunchy and good. Was very impressed with their service but their decor, especially the coffin draped roof can use some cleaning/upgrade.
(4)
Matthew L.
After failing to remember to look at Yelp for restaurant recommendations for dinner the night before in Billings, MT and therefore eating at the Olive Garden, we made sure to check on Yelp for a decent place to have lunch the next day. And this hit the spot, in quite an awesome room. Our sandwiches weren't anything special, but good nonetheless. This strikes me as a good place to drink a few beers and watch sports - they have a good selection on tap. Note: we actually ate here in August 2010
(3)
Marissa R.
A friend and I like to meet up here for a martini once in awhile after work. They are super yummy - the bomb pop is one of my favorites and really pretty too. The atmosphere is really nice and the service is pretty good as well. Trying to find parking downtime is semi-frustrating so if you can carpool I recommend it.
(4)
J W.
We have given Peacock Alley a second chance, and I must say that I'm glad we did. I would give the service 2-stars, and the food 3.5. However, I really enjoy the atmosphere. The burgers are pretty good, and they have a lot of beers on tap. The BAMS are legit! Below is my previous Review We used to go here all the time. The Alley Cat burger was awesome, and the open faced prime rib sandwich ( blackened of course) was completely legit. When the place switched owners, I feel like, the place went downhill while trying to do the opposite. A $35 Ribeye? Are you kidding me? It seriously was not good. We tried to go back a few times, but when our salads had a 1/2 " of water at the bottom of the bowl, the food was again bad, and the server took the crutons off of my salad with his hands (right in front of me) that was the last straw. I haven't haven't been back in almost two years. It's sad really. This used to be a Bismarck institution, and my wife and I loved it. We went here the night we got engaged. Nachos went down hill. The servers left for different establishments. At least we still have our regular server. Just at a different place.
(3)
Solina E.
First time me and my boyfriend tried the peacock alley was for his birthday, 4/5. food was good, but service was terrible! Waiter, Derrick was very kind, but I felt like he had no idea what he was doing, he knew the menu well, but service was not what I was expecting for the price I paid for the dinner. We were seated after the reservation time, and we even got there early! I felt so bad I wanted to cry!! The table next to us had my boyfriends' nephews dinner so while we were eating, he had to wait for his plate! I feel like when groups go out to eat, they all want to eat together too! As soon as we got the food I asked for the ticket right away because we had a 9:30 movie so we literally got our food at 8:40 and had to scarf it down, but I didn't get my ticket to pay I had to go and find someone to help us with that even! And when I talked to the manager Bob, he wanted to give me gelato to go and I said no thank you, all in all it was a bad experience and I probably won't ever try it again, just because of the way it was handled as well.. Food was great thanks cooks! But service.... Yeah could've walked across and got a pizza in that 1.5 hour of waiting to get our main course!
(1)
Dawn M.
Fabulous and open late for real food. Great happy hour menu and outside seating. Service was excellent. Glad we made the effort to get off the highway and find it. Very long road trip - and this was pretty much the best food we've had since leaving Oregon.
(5)
Stephen R.
Solid bar and restaraunt. Great Prime Rib Sides werent that great-frozen vegetables and wild rice tasted like they were instant rice and not fresh veggies. The French Onion soup is stellar. Lots of local history in this bar related to local government. Overall a good place for a solid meal if you want meat. Ostritch looked good Walleye looked good Prime Rib was excellent But again their sides werent fresh or very good at all.
(3)
Karina H.
A Bismarck classic! Always such a wonderful time and the food is made with such care. Loved the popover/rolls that we got before dinner.
(5)
Elle L.
Absolutely fantastic. I cannot believe that I waited over a decade after moving away from Bismarck to discover the neat little downtown scene they have goin' on. Peacock Alley is by far my favorite place to meet friends for cocktails. The martinis are the best I've had. In fact, sometimes I crave them when I'm at home in Florida. The espresso martini is my favorite. I just had the pleasure of dining there not long ago. My cousin and I shared the spinach and artichoke spread, served with small garlic toasts and multi-colored tortilla chips. I'm really, really picky when it comes to S&A dip as I think I make the best, but dang - it was really good and it was such a big portion I didn't even order dinner. A surprisingly great place in the heart of downtown Bismarck, ND.
(5)
Kitten M.
One of the best places for lunch or dinner in Bismarck. The service is always great, and the food is always fresh, delicious, and quick. They easily accomodate large groups for dinner and do a wonderful job serving everyone quickly and accurately. I've eaten here about once a month for the last 2 years and have yet to have a bad meal. The only downsides are 1) parking is difficult to find, so plan to carpool, walk, or use the parking garage; 2) Friday and Saturday nights are busy starting early (5 pm), so make sure you have a reservation; and 3) when it's busy, it's very loud, especially in the bar area.
(4)
Tammy M.
Choices are a bit limiting in Bismarck, but that is no excuse for SLOW service or mediocre food. Should have reconsidered when our waitress asked if someone wanted their steak blackened because it would add some flavor. My fish was dry and pretty flavorless.
(2)
Lucas B.
Very nice place. Keeps many of the influences present from when the place was established. Place holds a lot of history and definitely tries to show it off in its pictures and other pieces. Food is good, over priced in some areas, but the restaurant tries to hold itself a little higher for class, so the price is to be expected. The bar isn't bad, nice selection and bartenders are very social even if you aren't a regular.
(4)
Pam B.
Bad experience. The service was slow and the server was arrogant, with an attitude. I ordered the lunch Chef's Feature, Buttermilk Shrimp Grand Ceasar. It was supposed to come with sliced cucumbers, red onion, and grape tomatoes. I got none of the above on my salad. Just some lettuce with over breaded, over cooked tiny shrimp.
(2)
Conly D.
While in Bismarck, I stopped in as I had read reviews on Yelp (which has mysteriously disappeared) that it carried some of South Dakota's finest micro-brews. Never one to shy away from that, I went to give it a shot. It is an old turn of the century building with plenty of history. The pictures and memorabilia add to the authenticity of the experience. What it was missing, however, was the micro-brews! I moved on and ordered a Guinness, which I nearly spit out. Turns out that after talking with the bartending, I learned that they do not clean their tap lines but once a year. That lack of effort really made the experience pretty awful. I hope if I go back that things will be different.
(4)
Patrick W.
Nice atmosphere. Our waiter was friendly and attentive, but had an abrupt manner. I ordered a special that you could get with a dessert or a glass of wine. I wanted the dessert, but our waiter made it "al a carte" without asking. He also didn't explain what my options were for sides--assumed I wanted a salad ("What kind of dressing?") and a baked potato ("Ya' want a baked potato?"). With all of these things, I could have asked and probably would have got what I wanted, but in an unfamiliar restaurant, I'm a bit uncomfortable going against the grain. And if he had asked at the end of the meal, "What dessert would you like?", I would have happily complied and the restaurant would have collected the extra $5 for the full special without me batting an eye. I had the Apple Bourbon Pork Tenderloin. It was one of their October specials and came with a baked potato, steamed vegetables (carrots and broccoli), a salad and a roll for $21. The pork was very tender and wasn't dry, but I didn't much like the flavor. I thought it might just be me, but someone else at my table had the same thing and had a similar reaction. There was nothing special about the sides. The baked potato came with sour cream and butter, both in plastic cups on the side. The steamed vegetables were plain carrots and broccoli. The salad was disappointing. It seemed to be Romaine lettuce, maybe with some darker greens mixed in, along with a few vegetables (a couple of whole baby carrots and some grape tomatoes). It had grated cheddar cheese on top. I had it with balsamic vinaigrette. The vinaigrette wasn't very good at all. It just tasted like cheap balsamic vinegar. Myself and one other person at my table didn't order anything to drink besides water. The provided a carafe of water (good), but only very small glasses (bad). I realize this is the sort of place where people order drinks (they had a menu of flavored martinis), but if I feel like drinking water, I have to refill a tiny glass endlessly.
(3)
Brice B.
Driving across the country is never easy. I can make this statement with a straight face because I've done it three times in the last four years. 2,500 miles of interstate can make you a little grumpy with Dwight D. Eisenhower and his Utopian vision for the interstate highway system. Then I arrive in a place like Bismarck. When I rolled into ND, I had previously visited 45 states in the union. While North Dakota lacks the overt charm of California or Maine, my stop at the Peacock Alley made me a believer in the power of the American ethos. The front desk staff at our hotel recommended a chain bar for dinner, but my best buddy and I opted for local flavor over predictability. The result? Pure joy. We hit the Peacock on a Friday night after 1,000 miles on the road. We rocked some sammies and a couple of huge beers, and we were fat and happy. This place oozes Old West without sacrificing 21st century amenities. The blackjack table was hoppin', the beer selection was solid, and the locals were really good looking. If you're reading this review, I hope you'll remember the Peacock the next time you're in Bismarck. You may not get there often, but you'll be missing out if you skip this badass beer hall!
(5)
Jace S.
This place rocks my socks off! The food is delicious, the drinks are great and the service is up where it should be for a local restaurant. This is the closeted gay bar of Bismarck so no matter your sexuality your more then welcome! Peacock was just voted Bismarck's Best Martini this year and they truly do have the best martini's in town!
(4)
Amanda P.
This place looks nice from the outside and has a great website, but what a disappointment. I was in town for business so went to dine by myself. Service was fine, but food was terrible. I wanted to order the pork tenderloin medallions but they were all out, interesting since this is not even a special. Then decided on the shrimp, which I ordered simply broiled. It came with two sides which I choose the side salad and a baked potato. The shrimp was drowning in butter and grease, you could see the grease floating on the bed of rice pilaf it was sitting on. This is not what broiled shrimp is!!The baked potato looked like it had been cooked for 10 hours, burnt skin and all. The green beans - also covered in grease. Not what I wanted at all. Will not be returning.
(2)
Don J.
Best burger in Bismarck. End of discussion. The exact name of the burger escapes me -- the Alley Cat or the Alley Burger, something like that -- is on special most of the week. It costs a little more on the weekend, but I think it's still worth it. Nice ambience, and Guiness on draft -- for burger and a beer, it's the best choice in town.
(4)
Shaneille U.
fantastic new happy hour!
(5)
C M.
I've eaten here a couple of times and the food (STEAK !) is always great. Our server (Ryanne ?) was beyond helpful with the menu and especially the drink selection, which can be daunting with the many brews and the extensive martini list. This gal knows her stuff and doesn't mind telling you. The historic pictures that cover the bar walls are fascinating and our dinners were served in no time, cooked to perfection. A little pricey but worth the extra dough.
(5)
Tom S.
My review is of just the bar portion. The drinks are good and they had several quality beers on tap. Our server was friendly and knowledgable in explaining the flavor differences of the beers they had on tap. Peacock Alley is located in a neat old building, but the interior is in dire need of some updating. Don't get me wrong, the atmosphere is nice, but it is time to make repairs and replace furnishings. We sat in the upper portion and floor would bounce as anybody would walk by.
(3)
Tristan C.
Me and my girlfriend got stranded one tuesday evening on the way home from seeing mount Rushmore to Fargo. We have to decides on a restaurant to satisfy our tummy and we have to decides fast. We settled on this place. I got in and I wait around for 5 minutes and nobody even bother to come and ask us where we wanted to seats. After 5 minutes looking like fools waiting, the bartender finally asked us if we needs help. He then said, oh you can sit anywhere, its a bar. So People, its not a restaurant, Its a damn bar, just sit yourself. But thats the only thing that take away the star from the 5 star I would've given this place. The food was terrific. Their smoked steak are among the best steaks I ever encountered and I ate lots and lots of steaks. Server's service are so so but very efficient and friendly, dont expect a fine dining service here, its a Bar! Drinks are ok, I happen to come on a buy two martini for the price of one on tuesday night. Go ahead, try their food. You'll be glad you did!
(4)
Jeff S.
Had an early dinner there. Food and atmosphere was good. Service was excellent (we sat at the bar). They have a nice selection of beer on tap. They have a couple of choices for seasoning and I selected the local seasoning. The ribeye was quite tasty and the bread was excellent. The other person in my party really liked his beef sandwich as well. I'll go back when in town again.
(3)
Stephen W.
Peacock Alley is one of the few upscale restaurants in Bismarck. They have great food and a large bar area. I recommend the Bloody Mary Breakfast served on Saturdays.
(4)
Margaret B.
Peacock Alley American Grill and Bar has a good bar and a perfect restaurant. It's a good place to go if you want to have beers and some grilled meat, a perfect combination. I ordered pasta, and it was good. It's very tasty. I also tried their salad, I was impressed because it's freshly picked. The serving is big, so it's good for people with big appetite, which I have. I can't go home without trying the bar. I ordered wine and some cocktail. I love the friendly bartender in the bar. All in all, I have a happy experience in Peacock Alley American grill and bar. Next time I go back, I'll bring some friends with me.
(5)
Steve K.
Was here for a convention and ended up eating here twice. Very nice prime rib and the Ahi Tuna was perfect. Nice selection of beers and great atmosphere in the bar. Nice!
(4)
Pete M.
On a business trip to Bismarck, I was looking to experience some local flavor. On tap - a multitude of North Dakota micro brews, plus the usual selection you can find elsewhere. The bartender gave us some great recommendations and we were definitely pleased. The steak was served up perfectly and was some of the freshest rib eye I've ever had. Their menu heralds the building's great historical past, and the atmosphere is pretty old-school 1900s era. The ceiling has draped velvet, kind of a massive fire hazard, but who cares, it looked really cool.
(3)
Peter L.
There are two parts to the Peacock Alley, the corner bar and the back rooms. The bar area is generally busy with a friendly crowd, the back rooms are more for people that want to have a quiet dinner. The dinner menu runs from steak and prime rib to seafood and a good selection of pasta's. Nice selection of app's, such as fried artichoke hearts with a dipping sauce. Several salad choices available in addition to the dinner salad that comes with most entree's. Servings are large so do not pig out on the app's! We had a very good veal Oscar type dish and an pecan crusted Pike. Both were very good. Cocktails were generous in size and a they had a decent wine list including some good wines by the glass. Two cocktails, one glass of wine, one shared app and 2 entrees ran just short of $100 with tax and tip.
(4)
Jay S.
We visit this restaurant annually on our trip through the capital. This restaurant is one of the better eating establishments in Bismarck. I highly recommend the baked Brie appetizer--a puff pastry filled with gooey Brie, served with sliced Granny Smith apples and fresh Garlic toast rounds. Fantastic to share. Another favorite of the family's is the Pecan-encrusted Walleye--a mild white fish. The ambiance is nice enough to impress, but not stuffy at all. I highly recommend it.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Garage, Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Music : Background Good For Dancing : No Alcohol : Full Bar Happy Hour : Yes Best Nights : Fri, Sat Coat Check : No Smoking : No Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Jared G.
I've been a couple of times. The last time we stopped in before having to take friends to the airport that were visiting. 4 adults, 2 children, and 1 baby all of us ordered burgers to keep it simple and quick (except the baby). Ordered two beers as well and a round of waters and a milk. Beers and water took 30 mins, milk about 40 minutes (to the point the child was asking why she could't have milk). The burgers didn't come for 1.5 hrs which left us in a tough spot. We had to say to waiter, " seriously no more 'any minute it is coming out' comments. Get the food and put it in to-go boxes because we are going to be late to the airport." This was after already horrid service. Plus since the hostess jammed us into a weird area that slightly blocked access to one other table, another waiter came behind after we had been waiting an hour and blew out air and rolled his eyes in annoying disgust of how we were intrusive on his walking space, which I picked up on instantly. I was already more annoyed with this restaurant than any other dining experience in my life (well almost anyways) and uncharacteristically felt like getting up and slapping the eye rolling disgust off his face and make sure he was aware of who put us there in the first place and to not make us feel like WE were the problem there. Friends and kids ate their food on the drive to airport, waiter made no apology. They strung us out long enough we didn't just leave and get something from somewhere else until we knew we had no other choice time wise other than to wait. The restaurant was busy, but not enough for slow drinks and burgers taking that long ( I used to be a cook). The burgers were expensive and not that good. I gave two stars for the nice bar decor and the beer prices are fair to good.
(2)Lindsey K.
Had a small bridal shower brunch here with my mom and aunts to celebrate, and it was wonderful! The service is a little slow, but it was nice and relaxed. We ordered the Benedict and it was fantastic.
(4)Craig J M.
Yikes, if you are in the mood for cold food with service that makes you feel like a burden you have chosen the right place. I had a Windsor on the rocks it was $9 (we are in North Dakota, right?). The skirt Steak feature was 25 dollars and was not bad tasting but the sauce was not present and the rice, vegetable, and steak were all cold to the touch. We got there at 6:15 e left about 7:30 the service was slow and there were three tables in the whole restaurant. They did have some bar business but the restaurant was dead. all I can say is skip it.
(1)Lisa L.
This place was recommended, but basically just a bar place. The food was edible, but nothing great. The waitress took over 30 minutes to bring us a water. She NEVER brought my husband ketchup and mustard for his burger. I finally asked another table for ketchup or he would still be sitting with a dry burger. The martinis were good. Wish it were better, but it wasn't. There is a good beer place across the street.
(2)Jason L.
Great food and service I've bin here before with my wife and mom and had a great time !
(4)G. G.
Ambiance: good. Location: excellent. Food was mediocre at best. In order: My cocktail order was wrong and the waiter would not fix it. The drink sat on the table for the evening untouched. We were never given the glasses of water we asked for and then the main courses arrived before our appetizers. When the waiter arrived with the entre plates, he said that we should just cancel our salads because they were in a different kitchen which was having trouble. The shrimp plate was 8 pieces of shrimp diagonally lined across the dish with 6 emaciated asparagus stalks. That's all that was on the plate. I told the waiter how bad the martini was (sickly greenish tint from olive brine and no vermouth with the gin) and he removed the full glass. I was charged for the bad drink and charged $28 for the bare shrimp plate whose surface area averaged more visible ceramic than food. It was appetizer portions as a main dish... disappointing and unfit. The experience was a comically bad combination of disorganized staff, poorly planned plates, and presumptuous pricing. Within the block are far better experiences that all offer more appropriate and realistic value for the cost.
(1)Jack W.
As I have often indicated, not serving rare burgers is an absolute deal breaker. I commented in another forum about this, and owner Dale makes sarcastic comments (as he usually does) about feeling sorry for me, etc.. Fact is this: all the restaurants (with no exception) on The East Coast make rare burgers. I mean everybody from your Local Tavern, to Ruth Chris Steakhouse, to Gallagher's Steakhouse /Burger Bar in NJ. Those are very high-end places, and Im sure they care about their consumers health, and they serve rare burgers. Heck, there are several places even in Bismarck, and Dickinson ND that do it! I have been to Rapid City SD, and MOST places there will do it. So obviously, this guy is a closed minded hick who doesnt Know better, yet thinks that he does. Or, perhaps he thinks his restaurant is better, or higher-end than Ruth Chris Steakhouse, or Gallaghers. Right.
(1)Zoey B.
Went for happy hour with my husband and his work buddy... great time!! Wine was cheap, food was cheap and all great tasting (happy hour pricing). We had edamame with sea salt, hummus plate and my husband had the wonton/seafood bites. I prefer a plain hummus to the red bell pepper hummus, but the chips were great. We stayed for dinner and I had the vegetarian burger (I was told it was Vegan as well) and it was awesome. My husband and his buddy had the bacon, avocado cheeseburger and loved it too. You'll have to try the beer margarita... odd, but definitely a new trend. We had Melissa as our server and she was great. Quick to take our order and deliver drinks and all the food came out timely and correct. We will definitely be back if my husband ever gets a week day off again.
(4)Dennis B.
Stopped by for dinner because the other place we planned on going was closed Monday's. We were pleasantly surprised. They have a great beer selection. I had the halibut and my colleague had a burger with fried egg on it. Both of our entrees were fresh, hot and good.
(4)Gigi G.
Californian sandwich was good. The Asian nachos were interesting and quite good along with the French onion soup.
(4)Jayson J.
This came on the recommendation of one of our local clients as a nice place for dinner. We ordered steaks and they were OK (kind of what I imagine they serve at Applebee's). We were hoping for an independent joint with some great food, but it was all just meh. Our server seemed a bit rude / distracted. It was just a table of 6 and he messed up one order and got a few steaks way overlooked (or left under a heat lamp). Sides and apps were OK...better than the steaks. It was cheap and close to where we had an earlier meeting, so for the area I guess this is considered good food.
(3)Bob M.
Got a very good steak dinner here, properly cooked and served with fresh, crisp asparagus and a good baked potato (not wrapped in aluminum foil, thank heavens). The room was very attractive and comfortable. But the staff was unfriendly (not hostile, just a little unwelcoming) and the cocktails suffered from short pours. The waitstaff could have made up for inexperience with a more outgoing attitude, but we were left feeling somewhat invisible. It was OK, but could easily have been much better.
(3)Layla L.
This summer I gave the quick review of "Good food and great beer. :-) what else can you say" I have to add to that, and not in a pleasant way. We've dinned here several times since moving to Bismarck. From casual get together for Meetup.com events, bar hoping, date night, all the way to my husbands company Christmas party. The service in the bar is SPECTACULAR. They are ON it, never giving me anything to say about them that wasn't wonderful. The service in the dining room relies solely on the food to make up for their attitudes. The waiters are lazy and/or overworked, either way, they are not at the same quality level as the food is. Last friday was no different, only we were on a schedule. My group of nine were seated (staggard) from 530-550 pm. We didn't get to put in a drink order til 615. When we did Rudy not only messed up the orders but forgot to take some as well. Keep in mind our entire party was seated by that time. We had a play to get to that started at 730, which we reminded him of when he did actually make it to our table. Another group next to us was also going to the play. They were seated at 615, ate, drank, and happily went on their way by 7pm.... we were not that lucky. Rudy was a horrible waiter for the following reasons: *he didnt get everyones drink order *when he did finally take our food order he completely skipped my husband (later saying that it was because he thought the appetizer and burger i ordered was for both of us) *refills were almost non existant *he brought my husbands burger out before anyone even had an appetizer served to them so my husband got to sit there and look at his food while everyone waited for their appetizer *he then brought the rest of the food out all at once .... at 7pm. no appetizers first, just everything all at once. *he missed THREE out of nine of the orders, in that we ordered and he didn't deliver. *when he brought us the food at 7 we said can we get our checks now so we can just shovel this food in and go.... he came back twice to carry the rest of the drink orders with no check. *then he said that he would just take our cards, no chance for us to look at the bill, just take our cards "it would speed things along" FINE... we hand over our cards and he comes back with the MOST discombobulated stack of receipts and charges. *we had two of the egg burgers, he charged for one egg burger one avocado burger and the appetizer of course. so we figured fine, it'll just come out of his tip. We signed the papers and left. Another in our group said that he overcharged her for the appetizer she never got so she left no tip and left as well. *four people in our group stayed behind rather than be late to the play which is INCREDIBLY embarrassing. We RAN around the corner and sat down AT 730 just in time to get dirty looks and feel like the a-holes in the room. those that did stay behind got to feel the force of Rudy's wrath and failure in life achievements that landed him where he was that night. They were texting us during intermission saying that he was yelling at them, causing a scene, accusing us of not paying, trying to charge one person for the entire table, etc etc etc etc.... the list goes on and on. Everything a waiter should NEVER do... yea, Rudy could write the book on how he works. We immediately looked through our piles of receipts to make sure we all paid for everything and one girl said she didn't get charged for a steak so we told our friends to let him know we'd be back to pay it. After the show we went back in to pay for the steak and to let the manager know what an incredible disappointment Rudy was and see if s/he was willing to do anything about it. Instead we were met with the host who asked what the issue was and not two sentences into explaining said situation Rudy pops his face in and says "tonight wasn't me, that's not how I serve, you just got a bad side of me" we say well it was an incredibly embarrassing evening for us and our friends... he says, "embarrassing for you!? How do you think I feel getting stiffed on the tip I deserved" He deserved to be punched in the throat by that point in our night.... he then took the receipts that we had laid out, crumpled them up and threw them in the trash saying "I'll figure it out, it's taken care of" as he stormed off. To Rudy: choice choice words for you that I will not post.... To management: either hire better employees or don't expect us (or the companies we represent) back to your location. By the way, you're looking at a law firm, the state tax department, University of Mary, and writers for the Bismarck Tribune, to name a few.... Looking to lose a lot of business if you can't improve the service you provide. To those looking to dine at Peacock Alley: the food IS amazing. If you're going to eat there stick to the bar area, yes it's noisy but SO MUCH BETTER than the dining area. Also, careful washing your hands they don't have a regulator on their hot water and it WILL scald.
(1)Priscila E.
I had the best sandwich ever! I travel all over the country and have been to many places. Different food, ethnicity, wide taste but, the experience at Peacock Alley was priceless! Californian sandwich at this menu, with cucumber sauce, spinach and artichoke dip, salad, wasabi, all together was amazing. Inventive place. Awesome fries. I would always go back!!! Besides, service was great and ambience is interesting and nice.
(5)Raj S.
This place has some great steaks. They are flavorful and tasty. I got a filet mignon and it was seasoned perfectly. The gorgonzola cream sauce is great as well. As for the buffalo fries, I felt they could put less blu cheese, it seems to overpower the overall flavor. Overall, it is a great place for steak!
(4)kaneka r.
Good happy hour and fabulous martinis. They just added outdoor seating, perfect timing with spring/summer here.
(4)Laurie B.
I enjoying sitting in the bar area here and enjoying some great drinks and appetizers. The Asian nachos and buffalo fries are my favorite. If you come for happy hour theses are discounted and they have some great drink specials. There burgers are really good
(4)James U.
The first three people I met in this restaurant were incredibly rude and pretentious. The restaurant smelled of rotten meat and bleach. I left the restaurant when I asked the waitress if there was a certain allergen in the dish I wanted and she yelled "How am I supposed to know?". Two of my coworkers stayed. They claimed the service did not improve with my departure. They were not impressed with the food either. I will not ever allow any of my money to go toward the employees or owner of this restaurant.
(1)Dave L.
Great atmosphere. Cool old time interior and classic bar. There were great pictures of the local area and the historic building the grill is in. I really like the setting of this, couldn't be done better I had a burger at lunch, the Dakota. It was huge. And had great taste. The only down side was the bun wasn't warmed or toasted, in fact is was cold. Kind of a let down from an otherwise great burger. I also had a cup of the soup. I can't remember the name, but it's a regional favorite, a potato and dumpling soup, very good. Great beer selection, but being it was at lunch I didn't get a chance to partake. I may have to head back after work to try out the beers. I can recommend this place for a lunchtime stop. If I get back to sample the beer, I'll update.
(4)Jamie R.
Great lunch place with your basic burgers, sandwiches, etc. Delicious food, and a very cool old building. Parking can be tricky at lunchtime rush hour.
(4)Lisa A.
Over-rated, food and service was just average. Our server seemed rushed every time he call to our table, even though the place was pretty quiet, a couple times he even yelled from the service station over to another table, very unprofessional. Food was slow to delivery, even the salads and the bread was forgotten. Once our meal for four did arrive, two needed to be sent back. Roadhouse has better steaks for the cost of what we ordered. The atmosphere is great, bar is nice, but food is very average. Have to say we would not go back.
(2)Josh O.
Had dinner there and the place was great. The history behind it is pretty amazing. I had the tuna and squash mash. All was great. Would go back in a minute. Friendly staff as well.
(4)Heathyr P.
Martinis are divine! Great atmosphere, good food and service. One of the places I like to bring my friends visiting from out of town!
(5)Katey S.
I've been a Bismarck resident for 19 months and only been to the Peacock once, and that was last week. It seemed like the kind of place you go to when you have a special occasion, not so much for regular eats. I'm not a big drinker so the bar doesn't draw me in. I didn't love my meal. The small size prime rib was fatty, which may be normal for that cut, but ew. It was cooked to my specifications, though. The potato medley was bland. The salad was iceberg, but fresh. The appetizer sampler was good, as were the beer bread and the service. We ordered less food than we did at Pirogue the other month and the price was about the same. I'd choose Pirogue over Peacock next time I have something to celebrate. Plus, have you seen their commercials? They do not do the restaurant any favors. So your chef is untrained and the owners think that's hilarious...guess the joke's on me.
(3)Mark F.
In a word -- slow. In another word - flavorless. When you walk in, this place seems like it would have such potential. After the meal, we told some locals about our experience and explained that the quality of the restaurant has been in decline for some time now, which is unfortunate. I wanted to like it. However, when the waitress asked if I wanted to blacken my steak because it "will give it more flavor" I should have picked up the signs. By more flavor she meant any flavor at all. Unfortunately, the bar wasn't very busy and the service was slow. Real slow. Watching an 7 yr old try to use a rotary dial phone slow. The best part of the experience was the nightly drink special of 1/2 off a bottle of wine. Everything else left so much more to be desired.
(2)Isela V.
Brought a group of about 40 here. Their service was quick and efficient. We had a set menu of three choices to help expedite the process. They handles it like a pro. The chicken salad and club sandwich were good. The fries are amazingly crunchy and good. Was very impressed with their service but their decor, especially the coffin draped roof can use some cleaning/upgrade.
(4)Matthew L.
After failing to remember to look at Yelp for restaurant recommendations for dinner the night before in Billings, MT and therefore eating at the Olive Garden, we made sure to check on Yelp for a decent place to have lunch the next day. And this hit the spot, in quite an awesome room. Our sandwiches weren't anything special, but good nonetheless. This strikes me as a good place to drink a few beers and watch sports - they have a good selection on tap. Note: we actually ate here in August 2010
(3)Marissa R.
A friend and I like to meet up here for a martini once in awhile after work. They are super yummy - the bomb pop is one of my favorites and really pretty too. The atmosphere is really nice and the service is pretty good as well. Trying to find parking downtime is semi-frustrating so if you can carpool I recommend it.
(4)J W.
We have given Peacock Alley a second chance, and I must say that I'm glad we did. I would give the service 2-stars, and the food 3.5. However, I really enjoy the atmosphere. The burgers are pretty good, and they have a lot of beers on tap. The BAMS are legit! Below is my previous Review We used to go here all the time. The Alley Cat burger was awesome, and the open faced prime rib sandwich ( blackened of course) was completely legit. When the place switched owners, I feel like, the place went downhill while trying to do the opposite. A $35 Ribeye? Are you kidding me? It seriously was not good. We tried to go back a few times, but when our salads had a 1/2 " of water at the bottom of the bowl, the food was again bad, and the server took the crutons off of my salad with his hands (right in front of me) that was the last straw. I haven't haven't been back in almost two years. It's sad really. This used to be a Bismarck institution, and my wife and I loved it. We went here the night we got engaged. Nachos went down hill. The servers left for different establishments. At least we still have our regular server. Just at a different place.
(3)Solina E.
First time me and my boyfriend tried the peacock alley was for his birthday, 4/5. food was good, but service was terrible! Waiter, Derrick was very kind, but I felt like he had no idea what he was doing, he knew the menu well, but service was not what I was expecting for the price I paid for the dinner. We were seated after the reservation time, and we even got there early! I felt so bad I wanted to cry!! The table next to us had my boyfriends' nephews dinner so while we were eating, he had to wait for his plate! I feel like when groups go out to eat, they all want to eat together too! As soon as we got the food I asked for the ticket right away because we had a 9:30 movie so we literally got our food at 8:40 and had to scarf it down, but I didn't get my ticket to pay I had to go and find someone to help us with that even! And when I talked to the manager Bob, he wanted to give me gelato to go and I said no thank you, all in all it was a bad experience and I probably won't ever try it again, just because of the way it was handled as well.. Food was great thanks cooks! But service.... Yeah could've walked across and got a pizza in that 1.5 hour of waiting to get our main course!
(1)Dawn M.
Fabulous and open late for real food. Great happy hour menu and outside seating. Service was excellent. Glad we made the effort to get off the highway and find it. Very long road trip - and this was pretty much the best food we've had since leaving Oregon.
(5)Stephen R.
Solid bar and restaraunt. Great Prime Rib Sides werent that great-frozen vegetables and wild rice tasted like they were instant rice and not fresh veggies. The French Onion soup is stellar. Lots of local history in this bar related to local government. Overall a good place for a solid meal if you want meat. Ostritch looked good Walleye looked good Prime Rib was excellent But again their sides werent fresh or very good at all.
(3)Karina H.
A Bismarck classic! Always such a wonderful time and the food is made with such care. Loved the popover/rolls that we got before dinner.
(5)Elle L.
Absolutely fantastic. I cannot believe that I waited over a decade after moving away from Bismarck to discover the neat little downtown scene they have goin' on. Peacock Alley is by far my favorite place to meet friends for cocktails. The martinis are the best I've had. In fact, sometimes I crave them when I'm at home in Florida. The espresso martini is my favorite. I just had the pleasure of dining there not long ago. My cousin and I shared the spinach and artichoke spread, served with small garlic toasts and multi-colored tortilla chips. I'm really, really picky when it comes to S&A dip as I think I make the best, but dang - it was really good and it was such a big portion I didn't even order dinner. A surprisingly great place in the heart of downtown Bismarck, ND.
(5)Kitten M.
One of the best places for lunch or dinner in Bismarck. The service is always great, and the food is always fresh, delicious, and quick. They easily accomodate large groups for dinner and do a wonderful job serving everyone quickly and accurately. I've eaten here about once a month for the last 2 years and have yet to have a bad meal. The only downsides are 1) parking is difficult to find, so plan to carpool, walk, or use the parking garage; 2) Friday and Saturday nights are busy starting early (5 pm), so make sure you have a reservation; and 3) when it's busy, it's very loud, especially in the bar area.
(4)Tammy M.
Choices are a bit limiting in Bismarck, but that is no excuse for SLOW service or mediocre food. Should have reconsidered when our waitress asked if someone wanted their steak blackened because it would add some flavor. My fish was dry and pretty flavorless.
(2)Lucas B.
Very nice place. Keeps many of the influences present from when the place was established. Place holds a lot of history and definitely tries to show it off in its pictures and other pieces. Food is good, over priced in some areas, but the restaurant tries to hold itself a little higher for class, so the price is to be expected. The bar isn't bad, nice selection and bartenders are very social even if you aren't a regular.
(4)Pam B.
Bad experience. The service was slow and the server was arrogant, with an attitude. I ordered the lunch Chef's Feature, Buttermilk Shrimp Grand Ceasar. It was supposed to come with sliced cucumbers, red onion, and grape tomatoes. I got none of the above on my salad. Just some lettuce with over breaded, over cooked tiny shrimp.
(2)Conly D.
While in Bismarck, I stopped in as I had read reviews on Yelp (which has mysteriously disappeared) that it carried some of South Dakota's finest micro-brews. Never one to shy away from that, I went to give it a shot. It is an old turn of the century building with plenty of history. The pictures and memorabilia add to the authenticity of the experience. What it was missing, however, was the micro-brews! I moved on and ordered a Guinness, which I nearly spit out. Turns out that after talking with the bartending, I learned that they do not clean their tap lines but once a year. That lack of effort really made the experience pretty awful. I hope if I go back that things will be different.
(4)Jeff S.
Had an early dinner there. Food and atmosphere was good. Service was excellent (we sat at the bar). They have a nice selection of beer on tap. They have a couple of choices for seasoning and I selected the local seasoning. The ribeye was quite tasty and the bread was excellent. The other person in my party really liked his beef sandwich as well. I'll go back when in town again.
(3)Stephen W.
Peacock Alley is one of the few upscale restaurants in Bismarck. They have great food and a large bar area. I recommend the Bloody Mary Breakfast served on Saturdays.
(4)Patrick W.
Nice atmosphere. Our waiter was friendly and attentive, but had an abrupt manner. I ordered a special that you could get with a dessert or a glass of wine. I wanted the dessert, but our waiter made it "al a carte" without asking. He also didn't explain what my options were for sides--assumed I wanted a salad ("What kind of dressing?") and a baked potato ("Ya' want a baked potato?"). With all of these things, I could have asked and probably would have got what I wanted, but in an unfamiliar restaurant, I'm a bit uncomfortable going against the grain. And if he had asked at the end of the meal, "What dessert would you like?", I would have happily complied and the restaurant would have collected the extra $5 for the full special without me batting an eye. I had the Apple Bourbon Pork Tenderloin. It was one of their October specials and came with a baked potato, steamed vegetables (carrots and broccoli), a salad and a roll for $21. The pork was very tender and wasn't dry, but I didn't much like the flavor. I thought it might just be me, but someone else at my table had the same thing and had a similar reaction. There was nothing special about the sides. The baked potato came with sour cream and butter, both in plastic cups on the side. The steamed vegetables were plain carrots and broccoli. The salad was disappointing. It seemed to be Romaine lettuce, maybe with some darker greens mixed in, along with a few vegetables (a couple of whole baby carrots and some grape tomatoes). It had grated cheddar cheese on top. I had it with balsamic vinaigrette. The vinaigrette wasn't very good at all. It just tasted like cheap balsamic vinegar. Myself and one other person at my table didn't order anything to drink besides water. The provided a carafe of water (good), but only very small glasses (bad). I realize this is the sort of place where people order drinks (they had a menu of flavored martinis), but if I feel like drinking water, I have to refill a tiny glass endlessly.
(3)Brice B.
Driving across the country is never easy. I can make this statement with a straight face because I've done it three times in the last four years. 2,500 miles of interstate can make you a little grumpy with Dwight D. Eisenhower and his Utopian vision for the interstate highway system. Then I arrive in a place like Bismarck. When I rolled into ND, I had previously visited 45 states in the union. While North Dakota lacks the overt charm of California or Maine, my stop at the Peacock Alley made me a believer in the power of the American ethos. The front desk staff at our hotel recommended a chain bar for dinner, but my best buddy and I opted for local flavor over predictability. The result? Pure joy. We hit the Peacock on a Friday night after 1,000 miles on the road. We rocked some sammies and a couple of huge beers, and we were fat and happy. This place oozes Old West without sacrificing 21st century amenities. The blackjack table was hoppin', the beer selection was solid, and the locals were really good looking. If you're reading this review, I hope you'll remember the Peacock the next time you're in Bismarck. You may not get there often, but you'll be missing out if you skip this badass beer hall!
(5)Jace S.
This place rocks my socks off! The food is delicious, the drinks are great and the service is up where it should be for a local restaurant. This is the closeted gay bar of Bismarck so no matter your sexuality your more then welcome! Peacock was just voted Bismarck's Best Martini this year and they truly do have the best martini's in town!
(4)Amanda P.
This place looks nice from the outside and has a great website, but what a disappointment. I was in town for business so went to dine by myself. Service was fine, but food was terrible. I wanted to order the pork tenderloin medallions but they were all out, interesting since this is not even a special. Then decided on the shrimp, which I ordered simply broiled. It came with two sides which I choose the side salad and a baked potato. The shrimp was drowning in butter and grease, you could see the grease floating on the bed of rice pilaf it was sitting on. This is not what broiled shrimp is!!The baked potato looked like it had been cooked for 10 hours, burnt skin and all. The green beans - also covered in grease. Not what I wanted at all. Will not be returning.
(2)Don J.
Best burger in Bismarck. End of discussion. The exact name of the burger escapes me -- the Alley Cat or the Alley Burger, something like that -- is on special most of the week. It costs a little more on the weekend, but I think it's still worth it. Nice ambience, and Guiness on draft -- for burger and a beer, it's the best choice in town.
(4)Shaneille U.
fantastic new happy hour!
(5)C M.
I've eaten here a couple of times and the food (STEAK !) is always great. Our server (Ryanne ?) was beyond helpful with the menu and especially the drink selection, which can be daunting with the many brews and the extensive martini list. This gal knows her stuff and doesn't mind telling you. The historic pictures that cover the bar walls are fascinating and our dinners were served in no time, cooked to perfection. A little pricey but worth the extra dough.
(5)Tom S.
My review is of just the bar portion. The drinks are good and they had several quality beers on tap. Our server was friendly and knowledgable in explaining the flavor differences of the beers they had on tap. Peacock Alley is located in a neat old building, but the interior is in dire need of some updating. Don't get me wrong, the atmosphere is nice, but it is time to make repairs and replace furnishings. We sat in the upper portion and floor would bounce as anybody would walk by.
(3)Tristan C.
Me and my girlfriend got stranded one tuesday evening on the way home from seeing mount Rushmore to Fargo. We have to decides on a restaurant to satisfy our tummy and we have to decides fast. We settled on this place. I got in and I wait around for 5 minutes and nobody even bother to come and ask us where we wanted to seats. After 5 minutes looking like fools waiting, the bartender finally asked us if we needs help. He then said, oh you can sit anywhere, its a bar. So People, its not a restaurant, Its a damn bar, just sit yourself. But thats the only thing that take away the star from the 5 star I would've given this place. The food was terrific. Their smoked steak are among the best steaks I ever encountered and I ate lots and lots of steaks. Server's service are so so but very efficient and friendly, dont expect a fine dining service here, its a Bar! Drinks are ok, I happen to come on a buy two martini for the price of one on tuesday night. Go ahead, try their food. You'll be glad you did!
(4)Margaret B.
Peacock Alley American Grill and Bar has a good bar and a perfect restaurant. It's a good place to go if you want to have beers and some grilled meat, a perfect combination. I ordered pasta, and it was good. It's very tasty. I also tried their salad, I was impressed because it's freshly picked. The serving is big, so it's good for people with big appetite, which I have. I can't go home without trying the bar. I ordered wine and some cocktail. I love the friendly bartender in the bar. All in all, I have a happy experience in Peacock Alley American grill and bar. Next time I go back, I'll bring some friends with me.
(5)Steve K.
Was here for a convention and ended up eating here twice. Very nice prime rib and the Ahi Tuna was perfect. Nice selection of beers and great atmosphere in the bar. Nice!
(4)Pete M.
On a business trip to Bismarck, I was looking to experience some local flavor. On tap - a multitude of North Dakota micro brews, plus the usual selection you can find elsewhere. The bartender gave us some great recommendations and we were definitely pleased. The steak was served up perfectly and was some of the freshest rib eye I've ever had. Their menu heralds the building's great historical past, and the atmosphere is pretty old-school 1900s era. The ceiling has draped velvet, kind of a massive fire hazard, but who cares, it looked really cool.
(3)Peter L.
There are two parts to the Peacock Alley, the corner bar and the back rooms. The bar area is generally busy with a friendly crowd, the back rooms are more for people that want to have a quiet dinner. The dinner menu runs from steak and prime rib to seafood and a good selection of pasta's. Nice selection of app's, such as fried artichoke hearts with a dipping sauce. Several salad choices available in addition to the dinner salad that comes with most entree's. Servings are large so do not pig out on the app's! We had a very good veal Oscar type dish and an pecan crusted Pike. Both were very good. Cocktails were generous in size and a they had a decent wine list including some good wines by the glass. Two cocktails, one glass of wine, one shared app and 2 entrees ran just short of $100 with tax and tip.
(4)Jay S.
We visit this restaurant annually on our trip through the capital. This restaurant is one of the better eating establishments in Bismarck. I highly recommend the baked Brie appetizer--a puff pastry filled with gooey Brie, served with sliced Granny Smith apples and fresh Garlic toast rounds. Fantastic to share. Another favorite of the family's is the Pecan-encrusted Walleye--a mild white fish. The ambiance is nice enough to impress, but not stuffy at all. I highly recommend it.
(5)Bryan L.
I'm back in town for business and wanted to do this again. The hanger steak was excellent last time. My waiter, Nedad, suggested another great dish. More in a minute on that. The rolls and whatever kind of sweet butter they use for dipping is tasty. But bread is a filler and I'm here for the beef. With that said, I had to order the Bacon Fritters. I'd love to try those for breakfast some time. Went with the Teres Major. Unique. The quality of the medallion cuts was outstanding and it was cooked perfectly. It comes with a type of rice that I hadn't had before. Complemented the steak great. As before, I didn't save room for desert. Nenad brought me a small serving of the Gelato to try. First time I've ever had it. Very good. All in all I really liked the food and the atmosphere. I will be back on my next trip. Really enjoyed it.
(5)Scott N.
This place looks great, tucked inside an historic building. The staff were extremely friendly and inviting. I had the Bacon Grind Burger. Yes... that's a burger with bacon ground right into the meat. I didn't eat the bun, but the burger, cheese, tomato and onion really hit the spot. Good, solid meat flavor. They serve them medium well, which sounded like it could be too done for my taste, but that wasn't the case. The burger was juicy and had a great, grilled flavor and of course the unbeatable taste of bacon throughout. I asked if I should get the fries or homemade chips. Chips were recommended so that's what I ordered. They were good. Very similar to Saratoga Chips at Montgomery Inn in Cincinnati. To that end, they would have been much tastier if I'd had some barbecue sauce for dipping. Based on one burger and chips... I'd say this place is A-OK.
(3)Vince R.
My first martini had a wierd taste.. Blue cheese stuffed olives might have turned a bit.. Dunno. The second was perfect without the funky olives. We were charged for both drinks. My wife's Ahi was terrible. 30.00 too. My steak was tasty and the house made onion rings were good. .25 charge for dipping sauce. Lissa our server was great though.
(2)Shayna A.
I had steak and cheese curds. I have nothing but amazing things to say about everything I ate. I actually ordered take out, but the location looked nice and the staff was lovely.
(5)Nicholas F.
The first two times I came here I wouldn't have recommended it or given it a positive review. I really wanted to like it though, so I gave it a few more tries. I'm glad I did. For the most part, the service is decent. On Tuesdays, martinis are buy one get one free, which is great. Their happy hour foods and bar menu is really good. I feel like their regular menu though is horribly overpriced. There is one bartender that really needs some help...she pours the shortest shots ever. When you're ordering premium liquor and paying a lot for it, you really want the full amount you're paying for, right? Go for happy hour, and try it out.
(4)Ruth H.
Mixed experience: My waiter was helpful in making suggestions for dinner selection. But, overall disappointed with the service. I waited what seemed to be forever for my food (almost 30 minutes according to the time stamp on the receipt when the order was placed), then waited "forever" for my check. The salmon had decent flavor, but was very dry. The mixed veg included beets...that was a nice surprise.
(3)Analena V.
Very awesome dining experience. Sitting at the bar was great and service fast!! Good food-enjoyed salmon salad.
(4)Casey K.
This place is excellent for relaxing with friends and eating a quality meal and having martinis! The happy hour is the best I've seen in Bismarck. I recommend the espresso martini and local cheese curds!
(5)Lauren C.
Food is hit or miss. Atmosphere is good in the bar/lounge area and nice in the dining room. Drinks are a bit over priced.
(3)Irena K.
The front desk lady wasn't very welcoming. When a sign says 'please wait to be seated' this is what my husband and I expected. Instead, we got an unpleasant 'can I help you guys?' from the lady. We asked her for a table for two, and she told us that we can sit anywhere at the bar area. Apparently the whole restaurant is the bar area. I'm sorry, but I've never been here. How would I know that? Location is fancy, prices are fancy, but the restaurant itself is not fancy at all. Poor service. Silverware is wrapped into paper napkin - cafeteria style. Water in plastic cups - just like at fast food places. Food is not bad. Just ok. Nothing special. Will NOT come back
(2)Chris C.
I felt slightly out of place since I was in town for a job but this place is amazing. So you do not have to dress up for this place. I had the hanger steak which was a special at the time so I'm not sure if it's still available. The food overall was great and the butter for the rolls is f-ing fantastic!
(5)Jared G.
I've been a couple of times. The last time we stopped in before having to take friends to the airport that were visiting. 4 adults, 2 children, and 1 baby all of us ordered burgers to keep it simple and quick (except the baby). Ordered two beers as well and a round of waters and a milk. Beers and water took 30 mins, milk about 40 minutes (to the point the child was asking why she could't have milk). The burgers didn't come for 1.5 hrs which left us in a tough spot. We had to say to waiter, " seriously no more 'any minute it is coming out' comments. Get the food and put it in to-go boxes because we are going to be late to the airport." This was after already horrid service. Plus since the hostess jammed us into a weird area that slightly blocked access to one other table, another waiter came behind after we had been waiting an hour and blew out air and rolled his eyes in annoying disgust of how we were intrusive on his walking space, which I picked up on instantly. I was already more annoyed with this restaurant than any other dining experience in my life (well almost anyways) and uncharacteristically felt like getting up and slapping the eye rolling disgust off his face and make sure he was aware of who put us there in the first place and to not make us feel like WE were the problem there. Friends and kids ate their food on the drive to airport, waiter made no apology. They strung us out long enough we didn't just leave and get something from somewhere else until we knew we had no other choice time wise other than to wait. The restaurant was busy, but not enough for slow drinks and burgers taking that long ( I used to be a cook). The burgers were expensive and not that good. I gave two stars for the nice bar decor and the beer prices are fair to good.
(2)Lindsey K.
Had a small bridal shower brunch here with my mom and aunts to celebrate, and it was wonderful! The service is a little slow, but it was nice and relaxed. We ordered the Benedict and it was fantastic.
(4)Dawn M.
Fabulous and open late for real food. Great happy hour menu and outside seating. Service was excellent. Glad we made the effort to get off the highway and find it. Very long road trip - and this was pretty much the best food we've had since leaving Oregon.
(5)Stephen R.
Solid bar and restaraunt. Great Prime Rib Sides werent that great-frozen vegetables and wild rice tasted like they were instant rice and not fresh veggies. The French Onion soup is stellar. Lots of local history in this bar related to local government. Overall a good place for a solid meal if you want meat. Ostritch looked good Walleye looked good Prime Rib was excellent But again their sides werent fresh or very good at all.
(3)Karina H.
A Bismarck classic! Always such a wonderful time and the food is made with such care. Loved the popover/rolls that we got before dinner.
(5)Elle L.
Absolutely fantastic. I cannot believe that I waited over a decade after moving away from Bismarck to discover the neat little downtown scene they have goin' on. Peacock Alley is by far my favorite place to meet friends for cocktails. The martinis are the best I've had. In fact, sometimes I crave them when I'm at home in Florida. The espresso martini is my favorite. I just had the pleasure of dining there not long ago. My cousin and I shared the spinach and artichoke spread, served with small garlic toasts and multi-colored tortilla chips. I'm really, really picky when it comes to S&A dip as I think I make the best, but dang - it was really good and it was such a big portion I didn't even order dinner. A surprisingly great place in the heart of downtown Bismarck, ND.
(5)Kitten M.
One of the best places for lunch or dinner in Bismarck. The service is always great, and the food is always fresh, delicious, and quick. They easily accomodate large groups for dinner and do a wonderful job serving everyone quickly and accurately. I've eaten here about once a month for the last 2 years and have yet to have a bad meal. The only downsides are 1) parking is difficult to find, so plan to carpool, walk, or use the parking garage; 2) Friday and Saturday nights are busy starting early (5 pm), so make sure you have a reservation; and 3) when it's busy, it's very loud, especially in the bar area.
(4)Tammy M.
Choices are a bit limiting in Bismarck, but that is no excuse for SLOW service or mediocre food. Should have reconsidered when our waitress asked if someone wanted their steak blackened because it would add some flavor. My fish was dry and pretty flavorless.
(2)Lucas B.
Very nice place. Keeps many of the influences present from when the place was established. Place holds a lot of history and definitely tries to show it off in its pictures and other pieces. Food is good, over priced in some areas, but the restaurant tries to hold itself a little higher for class, so the price is to be expected. The bar isn't bad, nice selection and bartenders are very social even if you aren't a regular.
(4)Ruth H.
Mixed experience: My waiter was helpful in making suggestions for dinner selection. But, overall disappointed with the service. I waited what seemed to be forever for my food (almost 30 minutes according to the time stamp on the receipt when the order was placed), then waited "forever" for my check. The salmon had decent flavor, but was very dry. The mixed veg included beets...that was a nice surprise.
(3)Analena V.
Very awesome dining experience. Sitting at the bar was great and service fast!! Good food-enjoyed salmon salad.
(4)Bryan L.
I'm back in town for business and wanted to do this again. The hanger steak was excellent last time. My waiter, Nedad, suggested another great dish. More in a minute on that. The rolls and whatever kind of sweet butter they use for dipping is tasty. But bread is a filler and I'm here for the beef. With that said, I had to order the Bacon Fritters. I'd love to try those for breakfast some time. Went with the Teres Major. Unique. The quality of the medallion cuts was outstanding and it was cooked perfectly. It comes with a type of rice that I hadn't had before. Complemented the steak great. As before, I didn't save room for desert. Nenad brought me a small serving of the Gelato to try. First time I've ever had it. Very good. All in all I really liked the food and the atmosphere. I will be back on my next trip. Really enjoyed it.
(5)Scott N.
This place looks great, tucked inside an historic building. The staff were extremely friendly and inviting. I had the Bacon Grind Burger. Yes... that's a burger with bacon ground right into the meat. I didn't eat the bun, but the burger, cheese, tomato and onion really hit the spot. Good, solid meat flavor. They serve them medium well, which sounded like it could be too done for my taste, but that wasn't the case. The burger was juicy and had a great, grilled flavor and of course the unbeatable taste of bacon throughout. I asked if I should get the fries or homemade chips. Chips were recommended so that's what I ordered. They were good. Very similar to Saratoga Chips at Montgomery Inn in Cincinnati. To that end, they would have been much tastier if I'd had some barbecue sauce for dipping. Based on one burger and chips... I'd say this place is A-OK.
(3)Vince R.
My first martini had a wierd taste.. Blue cheese stuffed olives might have turned a bit.. Dunno. The second was perfect without the funky olives. We were charged for both drinks. My wife's Ahi was terrible. 30.00 too. My steak was tasty and the house made onion rings were good. .25 charge for dipping sauce. Lissa our server was great though.
(2)Shayna A.
I had steak and cheese curds. I have nothing but amazing things to say about everything I ate. I actually ordered take out, but the location looked nice and the staff was lovely.
(5)Nicholas F.
The first two times I came here I wouldn't have recommended it or given it a positive review. I really wanted to like it though, so I gave it a few more tries. I'm glad I did. For the most part, the service is decent. On Tuesdays, martinis are buy one get one free, which is great. Their happy hour foods and bar menu is really good. I feel like their regular menu though is horribly overpriced. There is one bartender that really needs some help...she pours the shortest shots ever. When you're ordering premium liquor and paying a lot for it, you really want the full amount you're paying for, right? Go for happy hour, and try it out.
(4)Casey K.
This place is excellent for relaxing with friends and eating a quality meal and having martinis! The happy hour is the best I've seen in Bismarck. I recommend the espresso martini and local cheese curds!
(5)Lauren C.
Food is hit or miss. Atmosphere is good in the bar/lounge area and nice in the dining room. Drinks are a bit over priced.
(3)Irena K.
The front desk lady wasn't very welcoming. When a sign says 'please wait to be seated' this is what my husband and I expected. Instead, we got an unpleasant 'can I help you guys?' from the lady. We asked her for a table for two, and she told us that we can sit anywhere at the bar area. Apparently the whole restaurant is the bar area. I'm sorry, but I've never been here. How would I know that? Location is fancy, prices are fancy, but the restaurant itself is not fancy at all. Poor service. Silverware is wrapped into paper napkin - cafeteria style. Water in plastic cups - just like at fast food places. Food is not bad. Just ok. Nothing special. Will NOT come back
(2)Chris C.
I felt slightly out of place since I was in town for a job but this place is amazing. So you do not have to dress up for this place. I had the hanger steak which was a special at the time so I'm not sure if it's still available. The food overall was great and the butter for the rolls is f-ing fantastic!
(5)Jared G.
I've been a couple of times. The last time we stopped in before having to take friends to the airport that were visiting. 4 adults, 2 children, and 1 baby all of us ordered burgers to keep it simple and quick (except the baby). Ordered two beers as well and a round of waters and a milk. Beers and water took 30 mins, milk about 40 minutes (to the point the child was asking why she could't have milk). The burgers didn't come for 1.5 hrs which left us in a tough spot. We had to say to waiter, " seriously no more 'any minute it is coming out' comments. Get the food and put it in to-go boxes because we are going to be late to the airport." This was after already horrid service. Plus since the hostess jammed us into a weird area that slightly blocked access to one other table, another waiter came behind after we had been waiting an hour and blew out air and rolled his eyes in annoying disgust of how we were intrusive on his walking space, which I picked up on instantly. I was already more annoyed with this restaurant than any other dining experience in my life (well almost anyways) and uncharacteristically felt like getting up and slapping the eye rolling disgust off his face and make sure he was aware of who put us there in the first place and to not make us feel like WE were the problem there. Friends and kids ate their food on the drive to airport, waiter made no apology. They strung us out long enough we didn't just leave and get something from somewhere else until we knew we had no other choice time wise other than to wait. The restaurant was busy, but not enough for slow drinks and burgers taking that long ( I used to be a cook). The burgers were expensive and not that good. I gave two stars for the nice bar decor and the beer prices are fair to good.
(2)Lindsey K.
Had a small bridal shower brunch here with my mom and aunts to celebrate, and it was wonderful! The service is a little slow, but it was nice and relaxed. We ordered the Benedict and it was fantastic.
(4)Craig J M.
Yikes, if you are in the mood for cold food with service that makes you feel like a burden you have chosen the right place. I had a Windsor on the rocks it was $9 (we are in North Dakota, right?). The skirt Steak feature was 25 dollars and was not bad tasting but the sauce was not present and the rice, vegetable, and steak were all cold to the touch. We got there at 6:15 e left about 7:30 the service was slow and there were three tables in the whole restaurant. They did have some bar business but the restaurant was dead. all I can say is skip it.
(1)Lisa L.
This place was recommended, but basically just a bar place. The food was edible, but nothing great. The waitress took over 30 minutes to bring us a water. She NEVER brought my husband ketchup and mustard for his burger. I finally asked another table for ketchup or he would still be sitting with a dry burger. The martinis were good. Wish it were better, but it wasn't. There is a good beer place across the street.
(2)Jason L.
Great food and service I've bin here before with my wife and mom and had a great time !
(4)G. G.
Ambiance: good. Location: excellent. Food was mediocre at best. In order: My cocktail order was wrong and the waiter would not fix it. The drink sat on the table for the evening untouched. We were never given the glasses of water we asked for and then the main courses arrived before our appetizers. When the waiter arrived with the entre plates, he said that we should just cancel our salads because they were in a different kitchen which was having trouble. The shrimp plate was 8 pieces of shrimp diagonally lined across the dish with 6 emaciated asparagus stalks. That's all that was on the plate. I told the waiter how bad the martini was (sickly greenish tint from olive brine and no vermouth with the gin) and he removed the full glass. I was charged for the bad drink and charged $28 for the bare shrimp plate whose surface area averaged more visible ceramic than food. It was appetizer portions as a main dish... disappointing and unfit. The experience was a comically bad combination of disorganized staff, poorly planned plates, and presumptuous pricing. Within the block are far better experiences that all offer more appropriate and realistic value for the cost.
(1)Jack W.
As I have often indicated, not serving rare burgers is an absolute deal breaker. I commented in another forum about this, and owner Dale makes sarcastic comments (as he usually does) about feeling sorry for me, etc.. Fact is this: all the restaurants (with no exception) on The East Coast make rare burgers. I mean everybody from your Local Tavern, to Ruth Chris Steakhouse, to Gallagher's Steakhouse /Burger Bar in NJ. Those are very high-end places, and Im sure they care about their consumers health, and they serve rare burgers. Heck, there are several places even in Bismarck, and Dickinson ND that do it! I have been to Rapid City SD, and MOST places there will do it. So obviously, this guy is a closed minded hick who doesnt Know better, yet thinks that he does. Or, perhaps he thinks his restaurant is better, or higher-end than Ruth Chris Steakhouse, or Gallaghers. Right.
(1)Ruth H.
Mixed experience: My waiter was helpful in making suggestions for dinner selection. But, overall disappointed with the service. I waited what seemed to be forever for my food (almost 30 minutes according to the time stamp on the receipt when the order was placed), then waited "forever" for my check. The salmon had decent flavor, but was very dry. The mixed veg included beets...that was a nice surprise.
(3)Analena V.
Very awesome dining experience. Sitting at the bar was great and service fast!! Good food-enjoyed salmon salad.
(4)Bryan L.
I'm back in town for business and wanted to do this again. The hanger steak was excellent last time. My waiter, Nedad, suggested another great dish. More in a minute on that. The rolls and whatever kind of sweet butter they use for dipping is tasty. But bread is a filler and I'm here for the beef. With that said, I had to order the Bacon Fritters. I'd love to try those for breakfast some time. Went with the Teres Major. Unique. The quality of the medallion cuts was outstanding and it was cooked perfectly. It comes with a type of rice that I hadn't had before. Complemented the steak great. As before, I didn't save room for desert. Nenad brought me a small serving of the Gelato to try. First time I've ever had it. Very good. All in all I really liked the food and the atmosphere. I will be back on my next trip. Really enjoyed it.
(5)Scott N.
This place looks great, tucked inside an historic building. The staff were extremely friendly and inviting. I had the Bacon Grind Burger. Yes... that's a burger with bacon ground right into the meat. I didn't eat the bun, but the burger, cheese, tomato and onion really hit the spot. Good, solid meat flavor. They serve them medium well, which sounded like it could be too done for my taste, but that wasn't the case. The burger was juicy and had a great, grilled flavor and of course the unbeatable taste of bacon throughout. I asked if I should get the fries or homemade chips. Chips were recommended so that's what I ordered. They were good. Very similar to Saratoga Chips at Montgomery Inn in Cincinnati. To that end, they would have been much tastier if I'd had some barbecue sauce for dipping. Based on one burger and chips... I'd say this place is A-OK.
(3)Vince R.
My first martini had a wierd taste.. Blue cheese stuffed olives might have turned a bit.. Dunno. The second was perfect without the funky olives. We were charged for both drinks. My wife's Ahi was terrible. 30.00 too. My steak was tasty and the house made onion rings were good. .25 charge for dipping sauce. Lissa our server was great though.
(2)Shayna A.
I had steak and cheese curds. I have nothing but amazing things to say about everything I ate. I actually ordered take out, but the location looked nice and the staff was lovely.
(5)Nicholas F.
The first two times I came here I wouldn't have recommended it or given it a positive review. I really wanted to like it though, so I gave it a few more tries. I'm glad I did. For the most part, the service is decent. On Tuesdays, martinis are buy one get one free, which is great. Their happy hour foods and bar menu is really good. I feel like their regular menu though is horribly overpriced. There is one bartender that really needs some help...she pours the shortest shots ever. When you're ordering premium liquor and paying a lot for it, you really want the full amount you're paying for, right? Go for happy hour, and try it out.
(4)Casey K.
This place is excellent for relaxing with friends and eating a quality meal and having martinis! The happy hour is the best I've seen in Bismarck. I recommend the espresso martini and local cheese curds!
(5)Lauren C.
Food is hit or miss. Atmosphere is good in the bar/lounge area and nice in the dining room. Drinks are a bit over priced.
(3)Irena K.
The front desk lady wasn't very welcoming. When a sign says 'please wait to be seated' this is what my husband and I expected. Instead, we got an unpleasant 'can I help you guys?' from the lady. We asked her for a table for two, and she told us that we can sit anywhere at the bar area. Apparently the whole restaurant is the bar area. I'm sorry, but I've never been here. How would I know that? Location is fancy, prices are fancy, but the restaurant itself is not fancy at all. Poor service. Silverware is wrapped into paper napkin - cafeteria style. Water in plastic cups - just like at fast food places. Food is not bad. Just ok. Nothing special. Will NOT come back
(2)Chris C.
I felt slightly out of place since I was in town for a job but this place is amazing. So you do not have to dress up for this place. I had the hanger steak which was a special at the time so I'm not sure if it's still available. The food overall was great and the butter for the rolls is f-ing fantastic!
(5)Zoey B.
Went for happy hour with my husband and his work buddy... great time!! Wine was cheap, food was cheap and all great tasting (happy hour pricing). We had edamame with sea salt, hummus plate and my husband had the wonton/seafood bites. I prefer a plain hummus to the red bell pepper hummus, but the chips were great. We stayed for dinner and I had the vegetarian burger (I was told it was Vegan as well) and it was awesome. My husband and his buddy had the bacon, avocado cheeseburger and loved it too. You'll have to try the beer margarita... odd, but definitely a new trend. We had Melissa as our server and she was great. Quick to take our order and deliver drinks and all the food came out timely and correct. We will definitely be back if my husband ever gets a week day off again.
(4)Dennis B.
Stopped by for dinner because the other place we planned on going was closed Monday's. We were pleasantly surprised. They have a great beer selection. I had the halibut and my colleague had a burger with fried egg on it. Both of our entrees were fresh, hot and good.
(4)Gigi G.
Californian sandwich was good. The Asian nachos were interesting and quite good along with the French onion soup.
(4)Layla L.
This summer I gave the quick review of "Good food and great beer. :-) what else can you say" I have to add to that, and not in a pleasant way. We've dinned here several times since moving to Bismarck. From casual get together for Meetup.com events, bar hoping, date night, all the way to my husbands company Christmas party. The service in the bar is SPECTACULAR. They are ON it, never giving me anything to say about them that wasn't wonderful. The service in the dining room relies solely on the food to make up for their attitudes. The waiters are lazy and/or overworked, either way, they are not at the same quality level as the food is. Last friday was no different, only we were on a schedule. My group of nine were seated (staggard) from 530-550 pm. We didn't get to put in a drink order til 615. When we did Rudy not only messed up the orders but forgot to take some as well. Keep in mind our entire party was seated by that time. We had a play to get to that started at 730, which we reminded him of when he did actually make it to our table. Another group next to us was also going to the play. They were seated at 615, ate, drank, and happily went on their way by 7pm.... we were not that lucky. Rudy was a horrible waiter for the following reasons: *he didnt get everyones drink order *when he did finally take our food order he completely skipped my husband (later saying that it was because he thought the appetizer and burger i ordered was for both of us) *refills were almost non existant *he brought my husbands burger out before anyone even had an appetizer served to them so my husband got to sit there and look at his food while everyone waited for their appetizer *he then brought the rest of the food out all at once .... at 7pm. no appetizers first, just everything all at once. *he missed THREE out of nine of the orders, in that we ordered and he didn't deliver. *when he brought us the food at 7 we said can we get our checks now so we can just shovel this food in and go.... he came back twice to carry the rest of the drink orders with no check. *then he said that he would just take our cards, no chance for us to look at the bill, just take our cards "it would speed things along" FINE... we hand over our cards and he comes back with the MOST discombobulated stack of receipts and charges. *we had two of the egg burgers, he charged for one egg burger one avocado burger and the appetizer of course. so we figured fine, it'll just come out of his tip. We signed the papers and left. Another in our group said that he overcharged her for the appetizer she never got so she left no tip and left as well. *four people in our group stayed behind rather than be late to the play which is INCREDIBLY embarrassing. We RAN around the corner and sat down AT 730 just in time to get dirty looks and feel like the a-holes in the room. those that did stay behind got to feel the force of Rudy's wrath and failure in life achievements that landed him where he was that night. They were texting us during intermission saying that he was yelling at them, causing a scene, accusing us of not paying, trying to charge one person for the entire table, etc etc etc etc.... the list goes on and on. Everything a waiter should NEVER do... yea, Rudy could write the book on how he works. We immediately looked through our piles of receipts to make sure we all paid for everything and one girl said she didn't get charged for a steak so we told our friends to let him know we'd be back to pay it. After the show we went back in to pay for the steak and to let the manager know what an incredible disappointment Rudy was and see if s/he was willing to do anything about it. Instead we were met with the host who asked what the issue was and not two sentences into explaining said situation Rudy pops his face in and says "tonight wasn't me, that's not how I serve, you just got a bad side of me" we say well it was an incredibly embarrassing evening for us and our friends... he says, "embarrassing for you!? How do you think I feel getting stiffed on the tip I deserved" He deserved to be punched in the throat by that point in our night.... he then took the receipts that we had laid out, crumpled them up and threw them in the trash saying "I'll figure it out, it's taken care of" as he stormed off. To Rudy: choice choice words for you that I will not post.... To management: either hire better employees or don't expect us (or the companies we represent) back to your location. By the way, you're looking at a law firm, the state tax department, University of Mary, and writers for the Bismarck Tribune, to name a few.... Looking to lose a lot of business if you can't improve the service you provide. To those looking to dine at Peacock Alley: the food IS amazing. If you're going to eat there stick to the bar area, yes it's noisy but SO MUCH BETTER than the dining area. Also, careful washing your hands they don't have a regulator on their hot water and it WILL scald.
(1)Jayson J.
This came on the recommendation of one of our local clients as a nice place for dinner. We ordered steaks and they were OK (kind of what I imagine they serve at Applebee's). We were hoping for an independent joint with some great food, but it was all just meh. Our server seemed a bit rude / distracted. It was just a table of 6 and he messed up one order and got a few steaks way overlooked (or left under a heat lamp). Sides and apps were OK...better than the steaks. It was cheap and close to where we had an earlier meeting, so for the area I guess this is considered good food.
(3)Bob M.
Got a very good steak dinner here, properly cooked and served with fresh, crisp asparagus and a good baked potato (not wrapped in aluminum foil, thank heavens). The room was very attractive and comfortable. But the staff was unfriendly (not hostile, just a little unwelcoming) and the cocktails suffered from short pours. The waitstaff could have made up for inexperience with a more outgoing attitude, but we were left feeling somewhat invisible. It was OK, but could easily have been much better.
(3)Priscila E.
I had the best sandwich ever! I travel all over the country and have been to many places. Different food, ethnicity, wide taste but, the experience at Peacock Alley was priceless! Californian sandwich at this menu, with cucumber sauce, spinach and artichoke dip, salad, wasabi, all together was amazing. Inventive place. Awesome fries. I would always go back!!! Besides, service was great and ambience is interesting and nice.
(5)Raj S.
This place has some great steaks. They are flavorful and tasty. I got a filet mignon and it was seasoned perfectly. The gorgonzola cream sauce is great as well. As for the buffalo fries, I felt they could put less blu cheese, it seems to overpower the overall flavor. Overall, it is a great place for steak!
(4)kaneka r.
Good happy hour and fabulous martinis. They just added outdoor seating, perfect timing with spring/summer here.
(4)Laurie B.
I enjoying sitting in the bar area here and enjoying some great drinks and appetizers. The Asian nachos and buffalo fries are my favorite. If you come for happy hour theses are discounted and they have some great drink specials. There burgers are really good
(4)James U.
The first three people I met in this restaurant were incredibly rude and pretentious. The restaurant smelled of rotten meat and bleach. I left the restaurant when I asked the waitress if there was a certain allergen in the dish I wanted and she yelled "How am I supposed to know?". Two of my coworkers stayed. They claimed the service did not improve with my departure. They were not impressed with the food either. I will not ever allow any of my money to go toward the employees or owner of this restaurant.
(1)Dave L.
Great atmosphere. Cool old time interior and classic bar. There were great pictures of the local area and the historic building the grill is in. I really like the setting of this, couldn't be done better I had a burger at lunch, the Dakota. It was huge. And had great taste. The only down side was the bun wasn't warmed or toasted, in fact is was cold. Kind of a let down from an otherwise great burger. I also had a cup of the soup. I can't remember the name, but it's a regional favorite, a potato and dumpling soup, very good. Great beer selection, but being it was at lunch I didn't get a chance to partake. I may have to head back after work to try out the beers. I can recommend this place for a lunchtime stop. If I get back to sample the beer, I'll update.
(4)Jamie R.
Great lunch place with your basic burgers, sandwiches, etc. Delicious food, and a very cool old building. Parking can be tricky at lunchtime rush hour.
(4)Lisa A.
Over-rated, food and service was just average. Our server seemed rushed every time he call to our table, even though the place was pretty quiet, a couple times he even yelled from the service station over to another table, very unprofessional. Food was slow to delivery, even the salads and the bread was forgotten. Once our meal for four did arrive, two needed to be sent back. Roadhouse has better steaks for the cost of what we ordered. The atmosphere is great, bar is nice, but food is very average. Have to say we would not go back.
(2)Josh O.
Had dinner there and the place was great. The history behind it is pretty amazing. I had the tuna and squash mash. All was great. Would go back in a minute. Friendly staff as well.
(4)Heathyr P.
Martinis are divine! Great atmosphere, good food and service. One of the places I like to bring my friends visiting from out of town!
(5)Katey S.
I've been a Bismarck resident for 19 months and only been to the Peacock once, and that was last week. It seemed like the kind of place you go to when you have a special occasion, not so much for regular eats. I'm not a big drinker so the bar doesn't draw me in. I didn't love my meal. The small size prime rib was fatty, which may be normal for that cut, but ew. It was cooked to my specifications, though. The potato medley was bland. The salad was iceberg, but fresh. The appetizer sampler was good, as were the beer bread and the service. We ordered less food than we did at Pirogue the other month and the price was about the same. I'd choose Pirogue over Peacock next time I have something to celebrate. Plus, have you seen their commercials? They do not do the restaurant any favors. So your chef is untrained and the owners think that's hilarious...guess the joke's on me.
(3)Mark F.
In a word -- slow. In another word - flavorless. When you walk in, this place seems like it would have such potential. After the meal, we told some locals about our experience and explained that the quality of the restaurant has been in decline for some time now, which is unfortunate. I wanted to like it. However, when the waitress asked if I wanted to blacken my steak because it "will give it more flavor" I should have picked up the signs. By more flavor she meant any flavor at all. Unfortunately, the bar wasn't very busy and the service was slow. Real slow. Watching an 7 yr old try to use a rotary dial phone slow. The best part of the experience was the nightly drink special of 1/2 off a bottle of wine. Everything else left so much more to be desired.
(2)Isela V.
Brought a group of about 40 here. Their service was quick and efficient. We had a set menu of three choices to help expedite the process. They handles it like a pro. The chicken salad and club sandwich were good. The fries are amazingly crunchy and good. Was very impressed with their service but their decor, especially the coffin draped roof can use some cleaning/upgrade.
(4)Matthew L.
After failing to remember to look at Yelp for restaurant recommendations for dinner the night before in Billings, MT and therefore eating at the Olive Garden, we made sure to check on Yelp for a decent place to have lunch the next day. And this hit the spot, in quite an awesome room. Our sandwiches weren't anything special, but good nonetheless. This strikes me as a good place to drink a few beers and watch sports - they have a good selection on tap. Note: we actually ate here in August 2010
(3)Marissa R.
A friend and I like to meet up here for a martini once in awhile after work. They are super yummy - the bomb pop is one of my favorites and really pretty too. The atmosphere is really nice and the service is pretty good as well. Trying to find parking downtime is semi-frustrating so if you can carpool I recommend it.
(4)J W.
We have given Peacock Alley a second chance, and I must say that I'm glad we did. I would give the service 2-stars, and the food 3.5. However, I really enjoy the atmosphere. The burgers are pretty good, and they have a lot of beers on tap. The BAMS are legit! Below is my previous Review We used to go here all the time. The Alley Cat burger was awesome, and the open faced prime rib sandwich ( blackened of course) was completely legit. When the place switched owners, I feel like, the place went downhill while trying to do the opposite. A $35 Ribeye? Are you kidding me? It seriously was not good. We tried to go back a few times, but when our salads had a 1/2 " of water at the bottom of the bowl, the food was again bad, and the server took the crutons off of my salad with his hands (right in front of me) that was the last straw. I haven't haven't been back in almost two years. It's sad really. This used to be a Bismarck institution, and my wife and I loved it. We went here the night we got engaged. Nachos went down hill. The servers left for different establishments. At least we still have our regular server. Just at a different place.
(3)Solina E.
First time me and my boyfriend tried the peacock alley was for his birthday, 4/5. food was good, but service was terrible! Waiter, Derrick was very kind, but I felt like he had no idea what he was doing, he knew the menu well, but service was not what I was expecting for the price I paid for the dinner. We were seated after the reservation time, and we even got there early! I felt so bad I wanted to cry!! The table next to us had my boyfriends' nephews dinner so while we were eating, he had to wait for his plate! I feel like when groups go out to eat, they all want to eat together too! As soon as we got the food I asked for the ticket right away because we had a 9:30 movie so we literally got our food at 8:40 and had to scarf it down, but I didn't get my ticket to pay I had to go and find someone to help us with that even! And when I talked to the manager Bob, he wanted to give me gelato to go and I said no thank you, all in all it was a bad experience and I probably won't ever try it again, just because of the way it was handled as well.. Food was great thanks cooks! But service.... Yeah could've walked across and got a pizza in that 1.5 hour of waiting to get our main course!
(1)Pam B.
Bad experience. The service was slow and the server was arrogant, with an attitude. I ordered the lunch Chef's Feature, Buttermilk Shrimp Grand Ceasar. It was supposed to come with sliced cucumbers, red onion, and grape tomatoes. I got none of the above on my salad. Just some lettuce with over breaded, over cooked tiny shrimp.
(2)Conly D.
While in Bismarck, I stopped in as I had read reviews on Yelp (which has mysteriously disappeared) that it carried some of South Dakota's finest micro-brews. Never one to shy away from that, I went to give it a shot. It is an old turn of the century building with plenty of history. The pictures and memorabilia add to the authenticity of the experience. What it was missing, however, was the micro-brews! I moved on and ordered a Guinness, which I nearly spit out. Turns out that after talking with the bartending, I learned that they do not clean their tap lines but once a year. That lack of effort really made the experience pretty awful. I hope if I go back that things will be different.
(4)Patrick W.
Nice atmosphere. Our waiter was friendly and attentive, but had an abrupt manner. I ordered a special that you could get with a dessert or a glass of wine. I wanted the dessert, but our waiter made it "al a carte" without asking. He also didn't explain what my options were for sides--assumed I wanted a salad ("What kind of dressing?") and a baked potato ("Ya' want a baked potato?"). With all of these things, I could have asked and probably would have got what I wanted, but in an unfamiliar restaurant, I'm a bit uncomfortable going against the grain. And if he had asked at the end of the meal, "What dessert would you like?", I would have happily complied and the restaurant would have collected the extra $5 for the full special without me batting an eye. I had the Apple Bourbon Pork Tenderloin. It was one of their October specials and came with a baked potato, steamed vegetables (carrots and broccoli), a salad and a roll for $21. The pork was very tender and wasn't dry, but I didn't much like the flavor. I thought it might just be me, but someone else at my table had the same thing and had a similar reaction. There was nothing special about the sides. The baked potato came with sour cream and butter, both in plastic cups on the side. The steamed vegetables were plain carrots and broccoli. The salad was disappointing. It seemed to be Romaine lettuce, maybe with some darker greens mixed in, along with a few vegetables (a couple of whole baby carrots and some grape tomatoes). It had grated cheddar cheese on top. I had it with balsamic vinaigrette. The vinaigrette wasn't very good at all. It just tasted like cheap balsamic vinegar. Myself and one other person at my table didn't order anything to drink besides water. The provided a carafe of water (good), but only very small glasses (bad). I realize this is the sort of place where people order drinks (they had a menu of flavored martinis), but if I feel like drinking water, I have to refill a tiny glass endlessly.
(3)Brice B.
Driving across the country is never easy. I can make this statement with a straight face because I've done it three times in the last four years. 2,500 miles of interstate can make you a little grumpy with Dwight D. Eisenhower and his Utopian vision for the interstate highway system. Then I arrive in a place like Bismarck. When I rolled into ND, I had previously visited 45 states in the union. While North Dakota lacks the overt charm of California or Maine, my stop at the Peacock Alley made me a believer in the power of the American ethos. The front desk staff at our hotel recommended a chain bar for dinner, but my best buddy and I opted for local flavor over predictability. The result? Pure joy. We hit the Peacock on a Friday night after 1,000 miles on the road. We rocked some sammies and a couple of huge beers, and we were fat and happy. This place oozes Old West without sacrificing 21st century amenities. The blackjack table was hoppin', the beer selection was solid, and the locals were really good looking. If you're reading this review, I hope you'll remember the Peacock the next time you're in Bismarck. You may not get there often, but you'll be missing out if you skip this badass beer hall!
(5)Jace S.
This place rocks my socks off! The food is delicious, the drinks are great and the service is up where it should be for a local restaurant. This is the closeted gay bar of Bismarck so no matter your sexuality your more then welcome! Peacock was just voted Bismarck's Best Martini this year and they truly do have the best martini's in town!
(4)Amanda P.
This place looks nice from the outside and has a great website, but what a disappointment. I was in town for business so went to dine by myself. Service was fine, but food was terrible. I wanted to order the pork tenderloin medallions but they were all out, interesting since this is not even a special. Then decided on the shrimp, which I ordered simply broiled. It came with two sides which I choose the side salad and a baked potato. The shrimp was drowning in butter and grease, you could see the grease floating on the bed of rice pilaf it was sitting on. This is not what broiled shrimp is!!The baked potato looked like it had been cooked for 10 hours, burnt skin and all. The green beans - also covered in grease. Not what I wanted at all. Will not be returning.
(2)Don J.
Best burger in Bismarck. End of discussion. The exact name of the burger escapes me -- the Alley Cat or the Alley Burger, something like that -- is on special most of the week. It costs a little more on the weekend, but I think it's still worth it. Nice ambience, and Guiness on draft -- for burger and a beer, it's the best choice in town.
(4)Shaneille U.
fantastic new happy hour!
(5)C M.
I've eaten here a couple of times and the food (STEAK !) is always great. Our server (Ryanne ?) was beyond helpful with the menu and especially the drink selection, which can be daunting with the many brews and the extensive martini list. This gal knows her stuff and doesn't mind telling you. The historic pictures that cover the bar walls are fascinating and our dinners were served in no time, cooked to perfection. A little pricey but worth the extra dough.
(5)Tom S.
My review is of just the bar portion. The drinks are good and they had several quality beers on tap. Our server was friendly and knowledgable in explaining the flavor differences of the beers they had on tap. Peacock Alley is located in a neat old building, but the interior is in dire need of some updating. Don't get me wrong, the atmosphere is nice, but it is time to make repairs and replace furnishings. We sat in the upper portion and floor would bounce as anybody would walk by.
(3)Tristan C.
Me and my girlfriend got stranded one tuesday evening on the way home from seeing mount Rushmore to Fargo. We have to decides on a restaurant to satisfy our tummy and we have to decides fast. We settled on this place. I got in and I wait around for 5 minutes and nobody even bother to come and ask us where we wanted to seats. After 5 minutes looking like fools waiting, the bartender finally asked us if we needs help. He then said, oh you can sit anywhere, its a bar. So People, its not a restaurant, Its a damn bar, just sit yourself. But thats the only thing that take away the star from the 5 star I would've given this place. The food was terrific. Their smoked steak are among the best steaks I ever encountered and I ate lots and lots of steaks. Server's service are so so but very efficient and friendly, dont expect a fine dining service here, its a Bar! Drinks are ok, I happen to come on a buy two martini for the price of one on tuesday night. Go ahead, try their food. You'll be glad you did!
(4)Jeff S.
Had an early dinner there. Food and atmosphere was good. Service was excellent (we sat at the bar). They have a nice selection of beer on tap. They have a couple of choices for seasoning and I selected the local seasoning. The ribeye was quite tasty and the bread was excellent. The other person in my party really liked his beef sandwich as well. I'll go back when in town again.
(3)Stephen W.
Peacock Alley is one of the few upscale restaurants in Bismarck. They have great food and a large bar area. I recommend the Bloody Mary Breakfast served on Saturdays.
(4)Margaret B.
Peacock Alley American Grill and Bar has a good bar and a perfect restaurant. It's a good place to go if you want to have beers and some grilled meat, a perfect combination. I ordered pasta, and it was good. It's very tasty. I also tried their salad, I was impressed because it's freshly picked. The serving is big, so it's good for people with big appetite, which I have. I can't go home without trying the bar. I ordered wine and some cocktail. I love the friendly bartender in the bar. All in all, I have a happy experience in Peacock Alley American grill and bar. Next time I go back, I'll bring some friends with me.
(5)Steve K.
Was here for a convention and ended up eating here twice. Very nice prime rib and the Ahi Tuna was perfect. Nice selection of beers and great atmosphere in the bar. Nice!
(4)Pete M.
On a business trip to Bismarck, I was looking to experience some local flavor. On tap - a multitude of North Dakota micro brews, plus the usual selection you can find elsewhere. The bartender gave us some great recommendations and we were definitely pleased. The steak was served up perfectly and was some of the freshest rib eye I've ever had. Their menu heralds the building's great historical past, and the atmosphere is pretty old-school 1900s era. The ceiling has draped velvet, kind of a massive fire hazard, but who cares, it looked really cool.
(3)Peter L.
There are two parts to the Peacock Alley, the corner bar and the back rooms. The bar area is generally busy with a friendly crowd, the back rooms are more for people that want to have a quiet dinner. The dinner menu runs from steak and prime rib to seafood and a good selection of pasta's. Nice selection of app's, such as fried artichoke hearts with a dipping sauce. Several salad choices available in addition to the dinner salad that comes with most entree's. Servings are large so do not pig out on the app's! We had a very good veal Oscar type dish and an pecan crusted Pike. Both were very good. Cocktails were generous in size and a they had a decent wine list including some good wines by the glass. Two cocktails, one glass of wine, one shared app and 2 entrees ran just short of $100 with tax and tip.
(4)Jay S.
We visit this restaurant annually on our trip through the capital. This restaurant is one of the better eating establishments in Bismarck. I highly recommend the baked Brie appetizer--a puff pastry filled with gooey Brie, served with sliced Granny Smith apples and fresh Garlic toast rounds. Fantastic to share. Another favorite of the family's is the Pecan-encrusted Walleye--a mild white fish. The ambiance is nice enough to impress, but not stuffy at all. I highly recommend it.
(5)Craig J M.
Yikes, if you are in the mood for cold food with service that makes you feel like a burden you have chosen the right place. I had a Windsor on the rocks it was $9 (we are in North Dakota, right?). The skirt Steak feature was 25 dollars and was not bad tasting but the sauce was not present and the rice, vegetable, and steak were all cold to the touch. We got there at 6:15 e left about 7:30 the service was slow and there were three tables in the whole restaurant. They did have some bar business but the restaurant was dead. all I can say is skip it.
(1)G. G.
Ambiance: good. Location: excellent. Food was mediocre at best. In order: My cocktail order was wrong and the waiter would not fix it. The drink sat on the table for the evening untouched. We were never given the glasses of water we asked for and then the main courses arrived before our appetizers. When the waiter arrived with the entre plates, he said that we should just cancel our salads because they were in a different kitchen which was having trouble. The shrimp plate was 8 pieces of shrimp diagonally lined across the dish with 6 emaciated asparagus stalks. That's all that was on the plate. I told the waiter how bad the martini was (sickly greenish tint from olive brine and no vermouth with the gin) and he removed the full glass. I was charged for the bad drink and charged $28 for the bare shrimp plate whose surface area averaged more visible ceramic than food. It was appetizer portions as a main dish... disappointing and unfit. The experience was a comically bad combination of disorganized staff, poorly planned plates, and presumptuous pricing. Within the block are far better experiences that all offer more appropriate and realistic value for the cost.
(1)Jack W.
As I have often indicated, not serving rare burgers is an absolute deal breaker. I commented in another forum about this, and owner Dale makes sarcastic comments (as he usually does) about feeling sorry for me, etc.. Fact is this: all the restaurants (with no exception) on The East Coast make rare burgers. I mean everybody from your Local Tavern, to Ruth Chris Steakhouse, to Gallagher's Steakhouse /Burger Bar in NJ. Those are very high-end places, and Im sure they care about their consumers health, and they serve rare burgers. Heck, there are several places even in Bismarck, and Dickinson ND that do it! I have been to Rapid City SD, and MOST places there will do it. So obviously, this guy is a closed minded hick who doesnt Know better, yet thinks that he does. Or, perhaps he thinks his restaurant is better, or higher-end than Ruth Chris Steakhouse, or Gallaghers. Right.
(1)Zoey B.
Went for happy hour with my husband and his work buddy... great time!! Wine was cheap, food was cheap and all great tasting (happy hour pricing). We had edamame with sea salt, hummus plate and my husband had the wonton/seafood bites. I prefer a plain hummus to the red bell pepper hummus, but the chips were great. We stayed for dinner and I had the vegetarian burger (I was told it was Vegan as well) and it was awesome. My husband and his buddy had the bacon, avocado cheeseburger and loved it too. You'll have to try the beer margarita... odd, but definitely a new trend. We had Melissa as our server and she was great. Quick to take our order and deliver drinks and all the food came out timely and correct. We will definitely be back if my husband ever gets a week day off again.
(4)Dennis B.
Stopped by for dinner because the other place we planned on going was closed Monday's. We were pleasantly surprised. They have a great beer selection. I had the halibut and my colleague had a burger with fried egg on it. Both of our entrees were fresh, hot and good.
(4)Gigi G.
Californian sandwich was good. The Asian nachos were interesting and quite good along with the French onion soup.
(4)Lisa L.
This place was recommended, but basically just a bar place. The food was edible, but nothing great. The waitress took over 30 minutes to bring us a water. She NEVER brought my husband ketchup and mustard for his burger. I finally asked another table for ketchup or he would still be sitting with a dry burger. The martinis were good. Wish it were better, but it wasn't. There is a good beer place across the street.
(2)Jason L.
Great food and service I've bin here before with my wife and mom and had a great time !
(4)Jayson J.
This came on the recommendation of one of our local clients as a nice place for dinner. We ordered steaks and they were OK (kind of what I imagine they serve at Applebee's). We were hoping for an independent joint with some great food, but it was all just meh. Our server seemed a bit rude / distracted. It was just a table of 6 and he messed up one order and got a few steaks way overlooked (or left under a heat lamp). Sides and apps were OK...better than the steaks. It was cheap and close to where we had an earlier meeting, so for the area I guess this is considered good food.
(3)Bob M.
Got a very good steak dinner here, properly cooked and served with fresh, crisp asparagus and a good baked potato (not wrapped in aluminum foil, thank heavens). The room was very attractive and comfortable. But the staff was unfriendly (not hostile, just a little unwelcoming) and the cocktails suffered from short pours. The waitstaff could have made up for inexperience with a more outgoing attitude, but we were left feeling somewhat invisible. It was OK, but could easily have been much better.
(3)Layla L.
This summer I gave the quick review of "Good food and great beer. :-) what else can you say" I have to add to that, and not in a pleasant way. We've dinned here several times since moving to Bismarck. From casual get together for Meetup.com events, bar hoping, date night, all the way to my husbands company Christmas party. The service in the bar is SPECTACULAR. They are ON it, never giving me anything to say about them that wasn't wonderful. The service in the dining room relies solely on the food to make up for their attitudes. The waiters are lazy and/or overworked, either way, they are not at the same quality level as the food is. Last friday was no different, only we were on a schedule. My group of nine were seated (staggard) from 530-550 pm. We didn't get to put in a drink order til 615. When we did Rudy not only messed up the orders but forgot to take some as well. Keep in mind our entire party was seated by that time. We had a play to get to that started at 730, which we reminded him of when he did actually make it to our table. Another group next to us was also going to the play. They were seated at 615, ate, drank, and happily went on their way by 7pm.... we were not that lucky. Rudy was a horrible waiter for the following reasons: *he didnt get everyones drink order *when he did finally take our food order he completely skipped my husband (later saying that it was because he thought the appetizer and burger i ordered was for both of us) *refills were almost non existant *he brought my husbands burger out before anyone even had an appetizer served to them so my husband got to sit there and look at his food while everyone waited for their appetizer *he then brought the rest of the food out all at once .... at 7pm. no appetizers first, just everything all at once. *he missed THREE out of nine of the orders, in that we ordered and he didn't deliver. *when he brought us the food at 7 we said can we get our checks now so we can just shovel this food in and go.... he came back twice to carry the rest of the drink orders with no check. *then he said that he would just take our cards, no chance for us to look at the bill, just take our cards "it would speed things along" FINE... we hand over our cards and he comes back with the MOST discombobulated stack of receipts and charges. *we had two of the egg burgers, he charged for one egg burger one avocado burger and the appetizer of course. so we figured fine, it'll just come out of his tip. We signed the papers and left. Another in our group said that he overcharged her for the appetizer she never got so she left no tip and left as well. *four people in our group stayed behind rather than be late to the play which is INCREDIBLY embarrassing. We RAN around the corner and sat down AT 730 just in time to get dirty looks and feel like the a-holes in the room. those that did stay behind got to feel the force of Rudy's wrath and failure in life achievements that landed him where he was that night. They were texting us during intermission saying that he was yelling at them, causing a scene, accusing us of not paying, trying to charge one person for the entire table, etc etc etc etc.... the list goes on and on. Everything a waiter should NEVER do... yea, Rudy could write the book on how he works. We immediately looked through our piles of receipts to make sure we all paid for everything and one girl said she didn't get charged for a steak so we told our friends to let him know we'd be back to pay it. After the show we went back in to pay for the steak and to let the manager know what an incredible disappointment Rudy was and see if s/he was willing to do anything about it. Instead we were met with the host who asked what the issue was and not two sentences into explaining said situation Rudy pops his face in and says "tonight wasn't me, that's not how I serve, you just got a bad side of me" we say well it was an incredibly embarrassing evening for us and our friends... he says, "embarrassing for you!? How do you think I feel getting stiffed on the tip I deserved" He deserved to be punched in the throat by that point in our night.... he then took the receipts that we had laid out, crumpled them up and threw them in the trash saying "I'll figure it out, it's taken care of" as he stormed off. To Rudy: choice choice words for you that I will not post.... To management: either hire better employees or don't expect us (or the companies we represent) back to your location. By the way, you're looking at a law firm, the state tax department, University of Mary, and writers for the Bismarck Tribune, to name a few.... Looking to lose a lot of business if you can't improve the service you provide. To those looking to dine at Peacock Alley: the food IS amazing. If you're going to eat there stick to the bar area, yes it's noisy but SO MUCH BETTER than the dining area. Also, careful washing your hands they don't have a regulator on their hot water and it WILL scald.
(1)Priscila E.
I had the best sandwich ever! I travel all over the country and have been to many places. Different food, ethnicity, wide taste but, the experience at Peacock Alley was priceless! Californian sandwich at this menu, with cucumber sauce, spinach and artichoke dip, salad, wasabi, all together was amazing. Inventive place. Awesome fries. I would always go back!!! Besides, service was great and ambience is interesting and nice.
(5)Raj S.
This place has some great steaks. They are flavorful and tasty. I got a filet mignon and it was seasoned perfectly. The gorgonzola cream sauce is great as well. As for the buffalo fries, I felt they could put less blu cheese, it seems to overpower the overall flavor. Overall, it is a great place for steak!
(4)kaneka r.
Good happy hour and fabulous martinis. They just added outdoor seating, perfect timing with spring/summer here.
(4)Laurie B.
I enjoying sitting in the bar area here and enjoying some great drinks and appetizers. The Asian nachos and buffalo fries are my favorite. If you come for happy hour theses are discounted and they have some great drink specials. There burgers are really good
(4)James U.
The first three people I met in this restaurant were incredibly rude and pretentious. The restaurant smelled of rotten meat and bleach. I left the restaurant when I asked the waitress if there was a certain allergen in the dish I wanted and she yelled "How am I supposed to know?". Two of my coworkers stayed. They claimed the service did not improve with my departure. They were not impressed with the food either. I will not ever allow any of my money to go toward the employees or owner of this restaurant.
(1)Dave L.
Great atmosphere. Cool old time interior and classic bar. There were great pictures of the local area and the historic building the grill is in. I really like the setting of this, couldn't be done better I had a burger at lunch, the Dakota. It was huge. And had great taste. The only down side was the bun wasn't warmed or toasted, in fact is was cold. Kind of a let down from an otherwise great burger. I also had a cup of the soup. I can't remember the name, but it's a regional favorite, a potato and dumpling soup, very good. Great beer selection, but being it was at lunch I didn't get a chance to partake. I may have to head back after work to try out the beers. I can recommend this place for a lunchtime stop. If I get back to sample the beer, I'll update.
(4)Jamie R.
Great lunch place with your basic burgers, sandwiches, etc. Delicious food, and a very cool old building. Parking can be tricky at lunchtime rush hour.
(4)Lisa A.
Over-rated, food and service was just average. Our server seemed rushed every time he call to our table, even though the place was pretty quiet, a couple times he even yelled from the service station over to another table, very unprofessional. Food was slow to delivery, even the salads and the bread was forgotten. Once our meal for four did arrive, two needed to be sent back. Roadhouse has better steaks for the cost of what we ordered. The atmosphere is great, bar is nice, but food is very average. Have to say we would not go back.
(2)Josh O.
Had dinner there and the place was great. The history behind it is pretty amazing. I had the tuna and squash mash. All was great. Would go back in a minute. Friendly staff as well.
(4)Heathyr P.
Martinis are divine! Great atmosphere, good food and service. One of the places I like to bring my friends visiting from out of town!
(5)Katey S.
I've been a Bismarck resident for 19 months and only been to the Peacock once, and that was last week. It seemed like the kind of place you go to when you have a special occasion, not so much for regular eats. I'm not a big drinker so the bar doesn't draw me in. I didn't love my meal. The small size prime rib was fatty, which may be normal for that cut, but ew. It was cooked to my specifications, though. The potato medley was bland. The salad was iceberg, but fresh. The appetizer sampler was good, as were the beer bread and the service. We ordered less food than we did at Pirogue the other month and the price was about the same. I'd choose Pirogue over Peacock next time I have something to celebrate. Plus, have you seen their commercials? They do not do the restaurant any favors. So your chef is untrained and the owners think that's hilarious...guess the joke's on me.
(3)Mark F.
In a word -- slow. In another word - flavorless. When you walk in, this place seems like it would have such potential. After the meal, we told some locals about our experience and explained that the quality of the restaurant has been in decline for some time now, which is unfortunate. I wanted to like it. However, when the waitress asked if I wanted to blacken my steak because it "will give it more flavor" I should have picked up the signs. By more flavor she meant any flavor at all. Unfortunately, the bar wasn't very busy and the service was slow. Real slow. Watching an 7 yr old try to use a rotary dial phone slow. The best part of the experience was the nightly drink special of 1/2 off a bottle of wine. Everything else left so much more to be desired.
(2)Isela V.
Brought a group of about 40 here. Their service was quick and efficient. We had a set menu of three choices to help expedite the process. They handles it like a pro. The chicken salad and club sandwich were good. The fries are amazingly crunchy and good. Was very impressed with their service but their decor, especially the coffin draped roof can use some cleaning/upgrade.
(4)Matthew L.
After failing to remember to look at Yelp for restaurant recommendations for dinner the night before in Billings, MT and therefore eating at the Olive Garden, we made sure to check on Yelp for a decent place to have lunch the next day. And this hit the spot, in quite an awesome room. Our sandwiches weren't anything special, but good nonetheless. This strikes me as a good place to drink a few beers and watch sports - they have a good selection on tap. Note: we actually ate here in August 2010
(3)Marissa R.
A friend and I like to meet up here for a martini once in awhile after work. They are super yummy - the bomb pop is one of my favorites and really pretty too. The atmosphere is really nice and the service is pretty good as well. Trying to find parking downtime is semi-frustrating so if you can carpool I recommend it.
(4)J W.
We have given Peacock Alley a second chance, and I must say that I'm glad we did. I would give the service 2-stars, and the food 3.5. However, I really enjoy the atmosphere. The burgers are pretty good, and they have a lot of beers on tap. The BAMS are legit! Below is my previous Review We used to go here all the time. The Alley Cat burger was awesome, and the open faced prime rib sandwich ( blackened of course) was completely legit. When the place switched owners, I feel like, the place went downhill while trying to do the opposite. A $35 Ribeye? Are you kidding me? It seriously was not good. We tried to go back a few times, but when our salads had a 1/2 " of water at the bottom of the bowl, the food was again bad, and the server took the crutons off of my salad with his hands (right in front of me) that was the last straw. I haven't haven't been back in almost two years. It's sad really. This used to be a Bismarck institution, and my wife and I loved it. We went here the night we got engaged. Nachos went down hill. The servers left for different establishments. At least we still have our regular server. Just at a different place.
(3)Solina E.
First time me and my boyfriend tried the peacock alley was for his birthday, 4/5. food was good, but service was terrible! Waiter, Derrick was very kind, but I felt like he had no idea what he was doing, he knew the menu well, but service was not what I was expecting for the price I paid for the dinner. We were seated after the reservation time, and we even got there early! I felt so bad I wanted to cry!! The table next to us had my boyfriends' nephews dinner so while we were eating, he had to wait for his plate! I feel like when groups go out to eat, they all want to eat together too! As soon as we got the food I asked for the ticket right away because we had a 9:30 movie so we literally got our food at 8:40 and had to scarf it down, but I didn't get my ticket to pay I had to go and find someone to help us with that even! And when I talked to the manager Bob, he wanted to give me gelato to go and I said no thank you, all in all it was a bad experience and I probably won't ever try it again, just because of the way it was handled as well.. Food was great thanks cooks! But service.... Yeah could've walked across and got a pizza in that 1.5 hour of waiting to get our main course!
(1)Dawn M.
Fabulous and open late for real food. Great happy hour menu and outside seating. Service was excellent. Glad we made the effort to get off the highway and find it. Very long road trip - and this was pretty much the best food we've had since leaving Oregon.
(5)Stephen R.
Solid bar and restaraunt. Great Prime Rib Sides werent that great-frozen vegetables and wild rice tasted like they were instant rice and not fresh veggies. The French Onion soup is stellar. Lots of local history in this bar related to local government. Overall a good place for a solid meal if you want meat. Ostritch looked good Walleye looked good Prime Rib was excellent But again their sides werent fresh or very good at all.
(3)Karina H.
A Bismarck classic! Always such a wonderful time and the food is made with such care. Loved the popover/rolls that we got before dinner.
(5)Elle L.
Absolutely fantastic. I cannot believe that I waited over a decade after moving away from Bismarck to discover the neat little downtown scene they have goin' on. Peacock Alley is by far my favorite place to meet friends for cocktails. The martinis are the best I've had. In fact, sometimes I crave them when I'm at home in Florida. The espresso martini is my favorite. I just had the pleasure of dining there not long ago. My cousin and I shared the spinach and artichoke spread, served with small garlic toasts and multi-colored tortilla chips. I'm really, really picky when it comes to S&A dip as I think I make the best, but dang - it was really good and it was such a big portion I didn't even order dinner. A surprisingly great place in the heart of downtown Bismarck, ND.
(5)Kitten M.
One of the best places for lunch or dinner in Bismarck. The service is always great, and the food is always fresh, delicious, and quick. They easily accomodate large groups for dinner and do a wonderful job serving everyone quickly and accurately. I've eaten here about once a month for the last 2 years and have yet to have a bad meal. The only downsides are 1) parking is difficult to find, so plan to carpool, walk, or use the parking garage; 2) Friday and Saturday nights are busy starting early (5 pm), so make sure you have a reservation; and 3) when it's busy, it's very loud, especially in the bar area.
(4)Tammy M.
Choices are a bit limiting in Bismarck, but that is no excuse for SLOW service or mediocre food. Should have reconsidered when our waitress asked if someone wanted their steak blackened because it would add some flavor. My fish was dry and pretty flavorless.
(2)Lucas B.
Very nice place. Keeps many of the influences present from when the place was established. Place holds a lot of history and definitely tries to show it off in its pictures and other pieces. Food is good, over priced in some areas, but the restaurant tries to hold itself a little higher for class, so the price is to be expected. The bar isn't bad, nice selection and bartenders are very social even if you aren't a regular.
(4)Pam B.
Bad experience. The service was slow and the server was arrogant, with an attitude. I ordered the lunch Chef's Feature, Buttermilk Shrimp Grand Ceasar. It was supposed to come with sliced cucumbers, red onion, and grape tomatoes. I got none of the above on my salad. Just some lettuce with over breaded, over cooked tiny shrimp.
(2)Conly D.
While in Bismarck, I stopped in as I had read reviews on Yelp (which has mysteriously disappeared) that it carried some of South Dakota's finest micro-brews. Never one to shy away from that, I went to give it a shot. It is an old turn of the century building with plenty of history. The pictures and memorabilia add to the authenticity of the experience. What it was missing, however, was the micro-brews! I moved on and ordered a Guinness, which I nearly spit out. Turns out that after talking with the bartending, I learned that they do not clean their tap lines but once a year. That lack of effort really made the experience pretty awful. I hope if I go back that things will be different.
(4)Patrick W.
Nice atmosphere. Our waiter was friendly and attentive, but had an abrupt manner. I ordered a special that you could get with a dessert or a glass of wine. I wanted the dessert, but our waiter made it "al a carte" without asking. He also didn't explain what my options were for sides--assumed I wanted a salad ("What kind of dressing?") and a baked potato ("Ya' want a baked potato?"). With all of these things, I could have asked and probably would have got what I wanted, but in an unfamiliar restaurant, I'm a bit uncomfortable going against the grain. And if he had asked at the end of the meal, "What dessert would you like?", I would have happily complied and the restaurant would have collected the extra $5 for the full special without me batting an eye. I had the Apple Bourbon Pork Tenderloin. It was one of their October specials and came with a baked potato, steamed vegetables (carrots and broccoli), a salad and a roll for $21. The pork was very tender and wasn't dry, but I didn't much like the flavor. I thought it might just be me, but someone else at my table had the same thing and had a similar reaction. There was nothing special about the sides. The baked potato came with sour cream and butter, both in plastic cups on the side. The steamed vegetables were plain carrots and broccoli. The salad was disappointing. It seemed to be Romaine lettuce, maybe with some darker greens mixed in, along with a few vegetables (a couple of whole baby carrots and some grape tomatoes). It had grated cheddar cheese on top. I had it with balsamic vinaigrette. The vinaigrette wasn't very good at all. It just tasted like cheap balsamic vinegar. Myself and one other person at my table didn't order anything to drink besides water. The provided a carafe of water (good), but only very small glasses (bad). I realize this is the sort of place where people order drinks (they had a menu of flavored martinis), but if I feel like drinking water, I have to refill a tiny glass endlessly.
(3)Brice B.
Driving across the country is never easy. I can make this statement with a straight face because I've done it three times in the last four years. 2,500 miles of interstate can make you a little grumpy with Dwight D. Eisenhower and his Utopian vision for the interstate highway system. Then I arrive in a place like Bismarck. When I rolled into ND, I had previously visited 45 states in the union. While North Dakota lacks the overt charm of California or Maine, my stop at the Peacock Alley made me a believer in the power of the American ethos. The front desk staff at our hotel recommended a chain bar for dinner, but my best buddy and I opted for local flavor over predictability. The result? Pure joy. We hit the Peacock on a Friday night after 1,000 miles on the road. We rocked some sammies and a couple of huge beers, and we were fat and happy. This place oozes Old West without sacrificing 21st century amenities. The blackjack table was hoppin', the beer selection was solid, and the locals were really good looking. If you're reading this review, I hope you'll remember the Peacock the next time you're in Bismarck. You may not get there often, but you'll be missing out if you skip this badass beer hall!
(5)Jace S.
This place rocks my socks off! The food is delicious, the drinks are great and the service is up where it should be for a local restaurant. This is the closeted gay bar of Bismarck so no matter your sexuality your more then welcome! Peacock was just voted Bismarck's Best Martini this year and they truly do have the best martini's in town!
(4)Amanda P.
This place looks nice from the outside and has a great website, but what a disappointment. I was in town for business so went to dine by myself. Service was fine, but food was terrible. I wanted to order the pork tenderloin medallions but they were all out, interesting since this is not even a special. Then decided on the shrimp, which I ordered simply broiled. It came with two sides which I choose the side salad and a baked potato. The shrimp was drowning in butter and grease, you could see the grease floating on the bed of rice pilaf it was sitting on. This is not what broiled shrimp is!!The baked potato looked like it had been cooked for 10 hours, burnt skin and all. The green beans - also covered in grease. Not what I wanted at all. Will not be returning.
(2)Don J.
Best burger in Bismarck. End of discussion. The exact name of the burger escapes me -- the Alley Cat or the Alley Burger, something like that -- is on special most of the week. It costs a little more on the weekend, but I think it's still worth it. Nice ambience, and Guiness on draft -- for burger and a beer, it's the best choice in town.
(4)Shaneille U.
fantastic new happy hour!
(5)C M.
I've eaten here a couple of times and the food (STEAK !) is always great. Our server (Ryanne ?) was beyond helpful with the menu and especially the drink selection, which can be daunting with the many brews and the extensive martini list. This gal knows her stuff and doesn't mind telling you. The historic pictures that cover the bar walls are fascinating and our dinners were served in no time, cooked to perfection. A little pricey but worth the extra dough.
(5)Tom S.
My review is of just the bar portion. The drinks are good and they had several quality beers on tap. Our server was friendly and knowledgable in explaining the flavor differences of the beers they had on tap. Peacock Alley is located in a neat old building, but the interior is in dire need of some updating. Don't get me wrong, the atmosphere is nice, but it is time to make repairs and replace furnishings. We sat in the upper portion and floor would bounce as anybody would walk by.
(3)Tristan C.
Me and my girlfriend got stranded one tuesday evening on the way home from seeing mount Rushmore to Fargo. We have to decides on a restaurant to satisfy our tummy and we have to decides fast. We settled on this place. I got in and I wait around for 5 minutes and nobody even bother to come and ask us where we wanted to seats. After 5 minutes looking like fools waiting, the bartender finally asked us if we needs help. He then said, oh you can sit anywhere, its a bar. So People, its not a restaurant, Its a damn bar, just sit yourself. But thats the only thing that take away the star from the 5 star I would've given this place. The food was terrific. Their smoked steak are among the best steaks I ever encountered and I ate lots and lots of steaks. Server's service are so so but very efficient and friendly, dont expect a fine dining service here, its a Bar! Drinks are ok, I happen to come on a buy two martini for the price of one on tuesday night. Go ahead, try their food. You'll be glad you did!
(4)Jeff S.
Had an early dinner there. Food and atmosphere was good. Service was excellent (we sat at the bar). They have a nice selection of beer on tap. They have a couple of choices for seasoning and I selected the local seasoning. The ribeye was quite tasty and the bread was excellent. The other person in my party really liked his beef sandwich as well. I'll go back when in town again.
(3)Stephen W.
Peacock Alley is one of the few upscale restaurants in Bismarck. They have great food and a large bar area. I recommend the Bloody Mary Breakfast served on Saturdays.
(4)Margaret B.
Peacock Alley American Grill and Bar has a good bar and a perfect restaurant. It's a good place to go if you want to have beers and some grilled meat, a perfect combination. I ordered pasta, and it was good. It's very tasty. I also tried their salad, I was impressed because it's freshly picked. The serving is big, so it's good for people with big appetite, which I have. I can't go home without trying the bar. I ordered wine and some cocktail. I love the friendly bartender in the bar. All in all, I have a happy experience in Peacock Alley American grill and bar. Next time I go back, I'll bring some friends with me.
(5)Steve K.
Was here for a convention and ended up eating here twice. Very nice prime rib and the Ahi Tuna was perfect. Nice selection of beers and great atmosphere in the bar. Nice!
(4)Pete M.
On a business trip to Bismarck, I was looking to experience some local flavor. On tap - a multitude of North Dakota micro brews, plus the usual selection you can find elsewhere. The bartender gave us some great recommendations and we were definitely pleased. The steak was served up perfectly and was some of the freshest rib eye I've ever had. Their menu heralds the building's great historical past, and the atmosphere is pretty old-school 1900s era. The ceiling has draped velvet, kind of a massive fire hazard, but who cares, it looked really cool.
(3)Peter L.
There are two parts to the Peacock Alley, the corner bar and the back rooms. The bar area is generally busy with a friendly crowd, the back rooms are more for people that want to have a quiet dinner. The dinner menu runs from steak and prime rib to seafood and a good selection of pasta's. Nice selection of app's, such as fried artichoke hearts with a dipping sauce. Several salad choices available in addition to the dinner salad that comes with most entree's. Servings are large so do not pig out on the app's! We had a very good veal Oscar type dish and an pecan crusted Pike. Both were very good. Cocktails were generous in size and a they had a decent wine list including some good wines by the glass. Two cocktails, one glass of wine, one shared app and 2 entrees ran just short of $100 with tax and tip.
(4)Jay S.
We visit this restaurant annually on our trip through the capital. This restaurant is one of the better eating establishments in Bismarck. I highly recommend the baked Brie appetizer--a puff pastry filled with gooey Brie, served with sliced Granny Smith apples and fresh Garlic toast rounds. Fantastic to share. Another favorite of the family's is the Pecan-encrusted Walleye--a mild white fish. The ambiance is nice enough to impress, but not stuffy at all. I highly recommend it.
(5)