Dakota is a steakhouse in Latham Farms shopping center on Troy Schenectady Road. The building itself really sets the tone for what to expect inside. From the outside, you see what resembles a log cabin set for a hunting. When we got to Dakota, we were seated promptly. There were a few other parties dining but I would say they were far from busy. Soon after we were seated, our drink orders were taken and we started perusing the menu. Now, we were there on a weekday night, so don’t expect that if you show up on Saturday night seating and service will be instantaneous. As always, plan accordingly.

Upon entering Dakota, you will see that the log cabin motif is in full effect. Everywhere you look, there are wooden walls, tables, flooring; just about everything. Also when exploring the restaurant a little further, you will see some interesting additions, like a deer head on a wall and the display of stuffed bears climbing trees. If you pay a little more attention, you may notice that in certain areas you will see Native American clothing and other artifacts on display, perhaps giving you insight into where the name of the restaurant comes from. Overall, there is a lot to take in, but it is not at all overwhelming and works really well.

I’m going to warn you now, Dakota is a bit pricier than the average college student may be willing to spend on a single meal. Appetizers were a bit higher than normal prices, $7-$10, and entrees got rather pricey. I would have to say that the range was basically anywhere from $18-$27.

While snacking on the homemade bread that Dakota serves to all guests, which by the way is delicious, my friend and I finally made our entrée selections. Unfortunately, I was then informed that they were out of the steak I ordered. So I had to make a new selection. I decided to get the “Steak and Cake.” This is a 10 oz. sirloin and a crab cake. Now, one may think that the meal is small when it’s brought out just by looking at it but at Dakota it’s all about taking advantage of the sides. With each meal, you can order two sides like mashed potatoes, wild rice, or baked potato, or you can use one side to be the salad bar. You can make as many trips to the salad bar as you’d like so it really turns out to be a big meal. The salad bar alone costs $10.50, so it’s a nice thing to get for free. Everything was prepared wonderfully. The sirloin was delicious. I am a fan of steak sauce and I must say, there was no need with this steak. It actually may take away from the meal if you added some. The mashed potatoes and crab cake were also very good.

My friend went with the Porterhouse. This is a 20 oz. combination of filet mignon and New York Strip. Saying this is a large steak may be an understatement. I do believe there was barely room left on the plate to fit the mashed potatoes. My friend thoroughly enjoyed the meal, since he practically picked the bone clean. You’d swear he was a hound or something.

I’d say Dakota was very good, overall. It has a very interesting atmosphere, and great food. Even though the price range is a bit higher than most students may be comfortable with, I think it could be a great place to go on special occasions or the place to go to when your parents are in town.