Lakeside restaurant to reopen next week with new name, look, menu

April 17, 2025

A lakeside restaurant on the west side of Sioux Falls is set to reopen next week with a new name and several changes.

The former Session Ale Works, which closed in late January, will reopen as Hook & Ladder Kitchen & Bar. It’s located at 323 S. Whitewood Circle in the Firehouse 42 development near 12th Street and Ellis Road.

The new name “is a play off of the water we’re near, with the ‘hook,’ and the ‘ladder’ as an homage to the station next to us,” co-owner Eric Schofield said. “It’s also an old-school term for firefighters, so we thought it was a good fit.

“We definitely wanted it to have a personality where everyone feels comfortable coming in,” he added.

In keeping with the name, the design is “a homage to anyone who has served,” Schofield said. “You’re going to see an awesome U.S. flag in there made out of fire hose.”

The restaurant features refinished tables and chairs, and a 1,200-square-foot addition that houses 20 video lottery machines.

A vestibule has been added to the entry, and the kitchen has been completely remodeled.

“We redid the menu, so you’ll see us offering prime rib, some special burgers, and we’ve done some special things with bacon people will really like,” Schofield said. He described the menu as “upscale bar casual,” with offerings including appetizers, brick-oven pizzas, burgers, sandwiches, salads and tacos.

The Steakhouse Burger, for instance, is a grilled beef patty topped with shaved prime rib, a horseradish blue cheese mix, bacon and sauteed onion on a toasted brioche bun.

The 12-ounce prime rib is available after 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and with a 24-hour notice, the menu offers a 40-ounce porterhouse steak.

“It’s a place people can come get really good food and a really good experience — like going downtown. It’s not just another bar serving food,” he said.

Schofield and business partner Eric Ward developed the Firehouse 42 area, which includes multiple commercial buildings. The two, along with Tim Stupka and Rick McKinney, are also partners in Railbirds, which brought off-track betting to the former SandBar & Grill at Lake Lorraine. That rebranded and renovated restaurant opened last month.

“That’s going really well,” Schofield said. “We’re just making sure we get a feel for the menu and upgrading service, but we’re getting lots of good feedback on what we’re trying to do.”

The goal is for Hook & Ladder to be more than just a neighborhood spot — it’s intended to be a destination, especially with the new patio.

“The patio is going to be absolutely phenomenal,” Schofield said. “We’ve got lighting all the way around it now.”

A firepit with seating for 20 around it and full food and drink service will be available outdoors.

“We’ve got patio furniture ready, and we’re decorating it (the patio) — it’ll be a neat little place and feel like its own thing,” he said.

The patio is expected to open shortly after the restaurant, which will begin operations through a soft open next week. The development also plans to add a 2,000-square-foot enclosed glass venue on the water for events.

However, that project is waiting on material costs to stabilize as some supplies are coming from overseas, Schofield said.

Hook & Ladder’s hours will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.

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