Feb. 15, 2024

This paid piece is sponsored by Vanguard Hospitality.

The menu at Grille 26 is bigger and tastier than ever.

After months in development for the menu, the team at Vanguard Hospitality has launched the largest update since becoming owners of Grille 26 in Sioux Falls in 2016.

“Grille 26 is our neighborhood restaurant, so we know there’s a lot of loyalty, and we want it to be more things to more people, while making sure what we put on the menu is really good,” CEO Ken Bashore said.

“During the pandemic, we reduced the size of the menu by about 50 percent, so it was time to take off some things that had run their course and weren’t as popular, while introducing many new items.”

First, don’t worry: The brick-oven salmon and blackened salmon salad didn’t go anywhere.

“It’s funny how many people go to our restaurants and don’t even look at the menu because they’re there for a specific dish,” Bashore said. “But in this case, we really encourage you to spend a little time with the new Grille 26 menu and go out of your comfort zone just a little because there are many new dishes that have been worked on by our team meticulously, and we’re really proud of them.”

Chefs bring new dishes to the Vanguard tasting team only when they’re “80 percent confident these items belong on the menu,” he continued. “From there, we refine them and make a decision what lands on the final menu.”

Executive chef Jorge Garcia now leads the culinary team at Grille 26. Originally from Uruguay, the family is from Italy, and he grew up in Chicago. Garcia most recently led a large Italian restaurant in Austin, Texas.

“I can’t say enough good things about him,” Bashore said. “He cares a lot about the guest experience and has put a lot of energy into this new menu.”

Here’s a glimpse inside Garcia’s kitchen at some of the new menu items:

Taste of New Orleans – all year, plus other highlights

As for the rest of the menu, there’s a lot to unpack. This time of year typically would bring the featured Taste of New Orleans menu at Grille 26, but instead you’ll find several of those favorite dishes on the permanent menu.

“We added the jambalaya and the gumbo, which is one of my personal favorites, so you can order those all year,” Bashore said. “Same with the muffaletta sandwich, which features an olive salad from Central Grocery & Deli in New Orleans. It’s one of the best sandwiches you’ll ever have – bring a friend or a to-go box when you order it.”

And, you can still get your favorite bananas Foster this time of year – it’s currently a winter feature item.

“Our winter features will be on the menu for several more weeks until they’re replaced by spring features,” Bashore said.

“On the feature menu, don’t miss the empanadas – they’re amazing – and try the carbonara bucatini, which has incredible flavor.”

Other new permanent menu items have been popular features in the past, including the tandoori melt and steak nachos.

Several dishes such as the teriyaki stir-fry and multiple pastas allow guests to customize with proteins such as chicken, shrimp, salmon and steak.

“We know that Sioux Falls is growing and increasingly diverse, and this new menu is a great opportunity to highlight more items we really like,” Bashore said. “We’ve been encouraged as guests have started to try it out and encourage everyone to come in and taste something new.”

Stay tuned for more up-close looks at the new Grille 26 menu in the weeks ahead!