Indian Food in the Black Hills

I love to sample the local food when I visit new places. It’s a good thing, too. My wife is so opposed to dining at McDonald’s while we’re traveling that she’d probably divorce me if I thought too hard about a Big Mac.

Naturally, there are a lot of good restaurants in downtowns, city centres and where ever else tourists are likely to travel. But in my experience, the best food is usually found at little out-of-the-way places, where regular customers are more likely to be locals.

Rapid City’s Curry Masala is one of those restaurants. Located in the back of a commercial strip mall on the city’s west side, this East Indian (Asian Indian, as opposed to North American Indian) eatery is hidden behind two sets of buildings. There’s a small sign on the West Main Street side, but unless you’ve got eagle eyes or someone has already pointed it out to you, you probably won’t find it.

Let’s start by being honest: Curry Masala isn’t big on charm. Decorated with maps of India and recycled fast-food restaurant booths, you’re not exactly going to be blown away by the ambiance. Your attitude probably won’t shift much to the positive side when you get your order served on disposable plates.

Fortunately, what Curry Masala lacks in atmosphere it more than makes up for in taste. The food is simple - on any given day, you usually have a choice of three vegetable curries, three meat curries, rice and bread - but the flavors are fantastic. And for less than five bucks, you’ll take away more than enough food for one meal. It may not be a great restaurant for a night out on the town, but it’s a fun change of pace for a quick lunch. Be sure to say hi to Al, the proprietor - he wanders the dining room greeting guests at all hours of the day.