Tag Archives: fine dining in Dickinson North Dakota

People Behaving Badly In Restaurants

Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , ,

I was getting ready to update a blog post that I wrote several years ago titled “Night Life In Dickinson, North Dakota”, where I listed and described the bars and restaurants in Dickinson.  In addition to updating this list, I was going to write a short advisement about people behaving badly in restaurants, in Dickinson.  That updated blog post will not be a good place for me to do a great deal of explaining about people behaving badly in restaurants, so I am going to explain this now, in this blog post.

When I grew up in the 1970s in the United States, there was an upper class, upper middle class, middle class, lower middle class, and lower class in society.  At that time, people in general had the belief and expectation that their children could do better in life than they did, all it took was getting an education, hard work, the right marriage, etcetera.

Women and mothers in particular, believed that their children should aspire to rising to the next higher social class.  Women and mothers believed in instructing their children, and sometimes their husbands, proper behavior, manners, and etiquette so that they would more easily fit into the next higher social class, or at least be respectable and not embarrass themselves.

Other writers have written in the past, that manners are what makes society run smoothly.  Or, that manners are not about snobbery, but about making other people comfortable.  If you look at it this way, which I do, in polite company, you do not do or say anything that would make other people uncomfortable.

Therefore, you wouldn’t ask someone how much money they make, how much money they have, pry into their religious or political beliefs, make controversial religious or political statements which might possibly offend someone, talk about sex, bodily functions, or use foul, crude, vulgar, lewd, or rude language.  Anyone belonging to the middle class, was expected to know this, and follow these rules, when in polite company, such as when mothers, fathers, and children are gathered together.

In order to not just pick on Dickinson, North Dakota, I will give an example of middle class rules of conduct not being followed when I was living in Florida.  My  fourth job out of college working as an engineer, I went to work for a newly formed engineering and construction company in Florida.  The owner of the company came from a very well known family that was successful in both business and politics.

This engineering and construction company took its name from the company owner, who was a registered professional engineer, who graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in mechanical engineering like I did.  The other company partners were registered professional engineers, one of them an electrical engineer, the other had a degree in both civil and mechanical engineering.

The construction manager who got me hired at this company as a superintendent, was a mechanical engineer in his fifties who had graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, who had spent most of his career in power plant construction, sometimes overseas.  I was happy to be working with so many mechanical engineers, and other engineers who had graduated from the University of Florida.

This company sometimes held a half day, quarterly meeting for the field management personnel at a very nice hotel conference room on Lido Beach, which is on the Gulf of Mexico at Sarasota, Florida.  At this particular meeting, there was the electrical engineering partner, the mechanical engineer construction manager, several superintendents who were engineers, two superintendents who were not engineers, several construction coordinators, two administrative assistant ladies, and one construction foreman who was being considered for superintendent, who was named Chris.

Down the street from the hotel on Lido Beach, was a fairly famous area called St. Armands Circle, which had several fine dining restaurants, and high end boutiques, clothing, jewelry, and specialty stores.  As the half day, quarterly meeting was drawing to a close, one of the construction coordinators was successfully talking the engineering partner into paying for lunch on St. Armands Circle.  One of the administrative assistant ladies, quickly called the best and most famous restaurant on the circle, the Columbia, to make reservations.

To describe what the Columbia restaurant is, there are three of them in Florida, one in Tampa, one in Sarasota, and one in St. Augustine, here is an excerpt from Wikipedia:

The original Columbia Restaurant, located in the historic Ybor City neighborhood in Tampa, is the oldest continuously operated restaurant in Florida, and the oldest Spanish restaurant in the United States, and one of the largest Spanish restaurants in the world with 1,700 seats in 15 dining rooms taking up 52,000 square feet over an entire city block.  Founded in 1905, the landmark is still owned by the Hernandez/Gonzmart family and serves Spanish and Cuban cuisine.

Myself, the construction manager, the other engineers, and one of the non engineer superintendents, were uncomfortable about what was probably going to happen, but we went to the Columbia restaurant with the company field management personnel.  Right away, the construction coordinators, administrative assistant ladies, non engineer superintendents, and the foreman who was up for promotion, all began drinking alcohol, and rather quickly too, because someone else was paying for it.

Mid way through lunch, our group of twelve company personnel, had become way too loud for this fine dining restaurant.  Primarily, the two construction coordinators, the two administrative assistant ladies, one superintendent, and Chris who was up for promotion, had all quickly gotten drunk, were too loud, and were becoming obnoxious.

I was embarrassed, and I knew that our group was getting attention from the other patrons for being too loud and too obnoxious, spoiling other patrons’ quiet conversations, and being completely ignorant and oblivious to the fact that this was one of the oldest and most prestigious restaurants in Florida.

This was foreman Chris’ big chance to make an impression, as the conversation turned to college football, and Chris had just the right thing to say about Florida State University, so he had to be sure to yell it very loudly, several times, “Hey, hey, hey!…Those Semen Holes!  Those Semen Holes!…Wait, those Semen Holes!”

At that moment, several of us got up, and said we have got to go, you take care now, have a nice rest of your day.  I can’t imagine what the other families in the Columbia restaurant at that time did.  I can’t imagine what someone’s wife who was eating at that moment, I can’t imagine what her reaction might have been.

On the following Monday, the restaurant manager or the restaurant owner family, that had operated the restaurant since 1905, telephoned the company owner and complained about his employees’ very rude and inappropriate behavior at the restaurant, which probably caused other patrons to leave.  And the patrons who complained to the restaurant manager at the time, they demanded to know who these rude obnoxious people were, and these angry restaurant patrons called the company owner and complained about his employees’ behavior too.  This was a big embarrassment to the company owner, whose company bore his family name.

Of the possibly 50,000 restaurants in Florida, the three Columbia restaurants in Sarasota, Tampa, and St. Augustine have the oldest and best reputation for fine dining, except for possibly Berns Steakhouse in Tampa, which opened in 1956.  Why the construction coordinator, and the administrative assistant ladies wanted to go to the Columbia restaurant, I don’t know.  Maybe because they had heard about it being famous, maybe because they had heard that the food was good, maybe because this was a chance to eat there and have someone else pay for it.

I couldn’t believe that a normal adult with any common sense, would not realize that this was a time to be on good behavior.  I am writing about this incident to show that some people, for some reason, misbehave when they are at a fine dining restaurant.  Maybe they think that this is a good opportunity to cause annoyance to wealthy people, to disturb them, to irritate them, to show disrespect to them, to ruin their dinner, to cause them to want to leave the restaurant.  Or, it is like trying to force people to have interaction or involvement with you, who do not want anything to do with you, even if that interaction consists of patrons asking you to please stop using profanity, patrons getting into an argument with you, or management asking you to leave.

In Dickinson, North Dakota, I have often seen this happen at ordinary bars and restaurants, but sometimes in a more severe way, where myself or the staff have had to telephone the police. Construction workers, oil field workers, criminals, and drug addicts, enter a bar or restaurant in Dickinson, and begin behaving inappropriately, rude, insulting, obnoxious, offensive, or threatening.  They are angry, upset, alone, depressed, mentally ill, intoxicated, or high, and walking into a bar or restaurant gives them the opportunity to approach people, and force people to either interact with them or leave, even if the interaction that they are forcing leads to arguing, threats, or fighting.

Night Life in Dickinson, North Dakota

Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

(This post was re-written and updated on 4/18/2018 in order to provide current information.)

I am going to start at the north end of town, and work my way south, in naming the bars and restaurants that serve alcohol in Dickinson, North Dakota.

But before I begin listing places where you can drink alcohol, I want to tell everyone the most important thing that they need to know about Dickinson, and that is, that the Police in Dickinson try as hard as they can to arrest people for DUI, like no other place that I have ever been.

Many bars and restaurants, will provide customers with a free voucher for the Camajur Bus Service and Taxi Service to get a ride home.  Even without a free voucher, the Camajur Bus or Taxi Service is very cheap, and I recommend using it.

  • Players Club – On the north side of Dickinson, just south of WalMart, is the Players Club sports bar and restaurant.  This building and restaurant, was built and is owned by the Fisher Group.  This sports bar is probably more upscale for Dickinson, and professional people and their wives would feel comfortable in the bar area.  The formal restaurant dining area is completely separate from the bar area.  Though you could expect that the formal restaurant would be suitable for an important business dinner, birthday dinner, or anniversary dinner, I would recommend to anyone in Dickinson who is planning a special dinner, to telephone the restaurant manager before hand, to emphasize that you are planning an important dinner, and ask if there was some way to help make sure that you would not be seated beside over intoxicated or rowdy people.
    • For any nice restaurant in Dickinson, I am going to have to give this warning, that if you are planning an important business dinner, family dinner, a date with your wife, or a date with a girlfriend, you are going to have to take steps yourself, to make sure that your dinner is not ruined by construction workers or oil field workers.  The young or inexperienced wait staff in Dickinson, will not hesitate to seat a group of intoxicated and rowdy males, beside a business meeting, family dinner, or couple on date, so you will have to do something about this yourself.
  • The Crossing – On the north side of Dickinson, on State Avenue, this upscale bar and formal dining restaurant was built and is owned by Seth Murphy, owner of SM Fencing and Energy Services.  From what I hear, this is the most expensive bar and restaurant in Dickinson, and that it is very nicely furnished.  I will not go there, because I do not like the owner and his wife.  If you work in construction, or if you work in the oil field, and you have a big pay check, please gather your friends together, have some drinks before hand, and then go try the Crossing bar and restaurant.
  • Grand Dakota Lodge – On the north side of Dickinson, southwest of the Prairie Hills Mall, is the Grand Dakota Lodge.  The Grand Dakota Lodge is probably one of the nicest hotels in Dickinson, with a bar, restaurant, several lobbies, conference rooms, and indoor swimming pool.  This hotel is a fairly safe, comfortable, indoor environment.
  • Elks Lodge – Just south from the Grand Dakota Lodge, the Elks Lodge in Dickinson has recently downsized, has sold the upstairs to their building, in order to move into the basement of the building.  I don’t know what they are doing.
  • New Life Pentecostal Church – Just south from the Grand Dakota Lodge, the New Life Pentecostal Church has recently purchased and renovated the upstairs of the Elks Lodge building.  Live music and entertainment on Wednesday night and Sunday morning.  A place to meet friendly people in Dickinson.
  • El Sombrero Restaurant – On the north side of Dickinson, just south of the Prairie Hills Mall.  Just average Mexican food.  A restaurant with a small bar.  At this restaurant, you can experience not being waited on, which was a common experience for myself, my friends, acquaintances, and other people that I have asked.
  • El Puricatan Restaurant – On the north side of Dickinson, just south of the Prairie Hills Mall.  A small Mexican restaurant with a wide variety of authentic, good, unique Mexican food, for reasonable prices.
  • Astoria Hotel – At the intersection of I-94 and Hwy 22, is the Astoria Hotel, which is one of the nicer hotels in Dickinson.  The very large ballroom is often used for shows, parties, and events.  There is a recently opened restaurant and bar inside the hotel, adjacent to the main hotel lobby.  A fairly safe, comfortable, indoor environment.
  • Applebees Restaurant – At the intersection of I-94 and Hwy 22, is Applebees Restaurant.
  • Sakura Japanese Restaurant – On the north side of Dickinson, across Hwy 22 from the Prairie Hills Mall, is the Sakura Japanese restaurant where you can order sushi, or watch your food being cooked at your table top hibachi by an entertaining chef.
  • Sanfords Pub And Grub – On the north side of Dickinson, adjacent to the Sakura Japanese restaurant, and surrounded by newer hotels, is Sanfords Pub And Grub sports bar and restaurant.  A fairly normal and fairly safe sports bar.  I believe that it is O.K. for wives and children.
  • The Wurst Shop – On the north side of Dickinson, behind Sanfords Pub And Grub and Sakura Japanese restaurant, is the Wurst Shop which serves bratwurst, hot dogs, sausage, and other meats that they create and process right there on the premises.  Though they might not serve alcohol, this food is something interesting to try in Dickinson.
  • Buffalo Wild Wings – On the northwest side of Dickinson, at the new Menards and Family Fare shopping center, is Buffalo Wild Wings.  This Buffalo Wild Wings is a fairly large sports bar and restaurant, which I believe is O.K. for wives and children.
  • Army’s West – On the south side of I-94, just west of Hwy 22, is Army’s West Sports Bar.  This bar, which is owned by Dan Porter of Dan Porter Motors, sometimes has live music.  Though adults of all ages go to this bar, it is sometimes the most liked bar of the Dickinson State University college students.
  • Mavericks Saloon – On the south side of I-94, next door to McDonalds, is Mavericks Saloon which is a fairly normal and safe bar.
  • Red Coach Lounge – Across the street from McDonalds, inside of the Motel 6, adjacent to the motel lobby is the Red Coach Lounge.
  • King Buffet – On Main Avenue, in the T-Rex Shopping Center, is the King Buffet Chinese restaurant, which is a fairly large buffet style restaurant.  You can have fresh food prepared on a hibachi, at no additional cost to the buffet.
  • JDs BBQ – Across the street from the West River Community Center complex, very close to DSU, is JDs BBQ restaurant, which is a medium sized restaurant, with fairly good food, and it is safe for families with children.
  • Liquid Assets – Across the street from the West River Community Center complex, very close to DSU, is Liquid Assets, which is a fairly large sports bar.
  • The Spur – On the west end of Villard Street near DSU and downtown Dickinson, is The Spur bar, which is as medium sized bar.
  • The Paragon Bowling Alley, Diner, and Bar – Near the west end of Villard Street, DSU, and downtown Dickinson, is the Paragon Bowling Alley, Diner, and Bar.  During the day, the diner and bowling alley are fairly safe for women and children.  Once it gets past about 8:00 p.m., the Paragon begins to fill with more adults and college students who are interested in drinking, and it becomes less suitable for families and children.
  • Blue 42 – In the heart of downtown Dickinson, on Villard Street, is a new sports bar owned by Mike Lefor, called Blue 42.  It is a medium sized sports bar, which is currently fairly popular.
  • The Rock Bar – In the heart of downtown Dickinson, on First Street, is a small bar owned by the Kathy Fisher family, called the Rock Bar.  This is a fairly calm and mellow community bar, which has outdoor sidewalk seating during the Spring, Summer, and Fall.  The Rock Bar is usually the sponsor for the downtown Thursday Summer concerts which sometimes bring thousands of people to downtown Dickinson.
  • Odd Fellows Lodge – In the heart of downtown Dickinson, on First Avenue, is the Odd Fellows Lodge.  Though the Odd Fellows Lodge is active throughout the year, their main effort is organizing and operating the downtown Thursday Summer concerts in Dickinson, which host well known bands and music performers.
  • Bernie’s Esquire Club – In the center of downtown Dickinson, on First Street across from the Post Office, is Bernie’s Esquire Club, owned by the Bernie Marsh family.  This is a medium sized bar, which is a little like a biker bar, but also like a community bar.  In the Spring, Summer, and Fall there is outside sidewalk seating.  Bernie, his wife, his sons, and his daughters operate the bar, and if you are very lucky, you might even get to see Marinna Marsh.
  • Brickhouse Grille – In the center of downtown Dickinson, on Villard Street, across from the old train depot is the Brickhouse Grille and Lounge, which is owned by Mike Riesinger.  The restaurant is located inside a restored historic building, with one bar located downstairs, and a larger bar located in the lounge upstairs.  This is Dickinson’s nicest fine dining restaurant, and there is a dress code requirement.
  • Eagles Lodge – In the heart of downtown Dickinson, situated between the Post Office and Villard Street, is the Eagles Lodge.  In Dickinson, the Eagles Lodge is open to the public.  There are lunch specials for dining in the afternoon, but in the evening the Eagles Lodge is primarily a community type bar.
  • Southside Bar – Located on Broadway Street, on the south side of Dickinson, is the Southside Bar, which is a fairly large bar, frequented mostly by local working class people.  I advise non-local people to not come into conflict with local people in this bar.
  • Upin Thai – Located on the south side of Dickinson, on Main Avenue, is the very small Thai restaurant, which is used mostly for take out, called Upin Thai, which has very good and unique Thai food.