The Diving Elk in Sioux City

I went back to Sioux City for Father's Day last weekend and I always face a conundrum when back in my hometown. Do I opt to eat at one of the tried and true places that I miss while I'm away or do I try one of the new places?

On this specific occasion, we decided to do the latter. We tried a place that we had not been to. The Diving Elk.

Get our free mobile app

The Diving Elk is located on the corner of 4th Street and Court.

Curious what the name is all about? Well, according to the restaurant's Facebook page, "...our name pays homage to a piece of Sioux City history. Before the turn of the 20th century, W.H. Barnes of Sioux City, Iowa, saw elk for the first time and became fascinated by the way they naturally jumped over any obstacle in their way. Barnes built a slight incline that he slowly trained his elk to ascend and then leap from. Their first jumps were a mere five feet high, but by raising the incline incrementally, the elk soon reached twenty feet. By 1903, the troupe was jumping from a forty-foot tower into a tank only sixteen feet across by six-foot deep and headlining traveling shows as the nationally known 'The Famous Diving Elks.'"

I grew up in Sioux City and had never heard that story. Wow!

The Diving Elk is a quaint space. The food menu wasn't very big, but it was eclectic. The drink menu, however, was full of options. Cocktails, beers, and everything in between.

My dad ordered the Lobster Roll with the broccolini and asparagus as a side. I didn't realize my dad was such an asparagus fan. I mean, I probably would have just went with fries, but you do you.

I went for the Farro & Roots Bowl with grilled chicken. This was a bit out of the box for me, but it was really good. I figured while we are trying a new place might as well try something a bit different as well. The Farro & Roots Bowl was made up of za'atar spiced grilled chicken breast, farro, roasted root vegetables, marinated feta, red pepper sauce, and chermoula. I didn't know what some of those words were, but it all tasted delicious! My only negative would be that it seemed to be more of a cold-weather dish. It was really good though.

Now for the drinks. I started with a Negroni cocktail and Dad got a Lion's Paw. Good to see a Sioux Falls beer on the menu. Then we shared a flight so we could try more local brews.