General Manager Darci Redmann is the genius behind the expansive Hondo's Hideaway menu, which rotates with the seasons and features fun drinks, like the Rowdy Rhonda. Photo by NDAREC/Liza Kessel
Whether two legs or four, the big kids and the little ones, everyone is welcome at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. The same can be said for Hondo’s Hideaway restaurant on the Jamestown Reservoir.
“I wanted to keep (the ambiance) more of what you’re maybe used to if you visited Grandma and Grandpa’s house, a little bit of a homey feel,” says Lucas Dockter, Hondo’s Hideaway owner and chief grunt worker. “It pairs well with the food we serve. It’s stuff you would find at Grandma’s house or what you grew up with.”
The vibe is fun and homey, and the nostalgia “hits.” The lone TV plays “Price is Right” reruns from a time before Bob Barker turned gray and the décor includes treasures one would find at an auction sale – literally.
The menu covers are old schoolbook covers, complete with a library checkout card on the inside front cover, which guests are encouraged to sign. While the rotating menu now appears inside, Dockter repurposed the pages of the books as ceiling décor above the bar.
“The books are actually from the school that I went to in the first and second grade (in Streeter). I read all those books, and then when the school closed, I bought them at the auction and held onto them,” Dockter says.
Restaurant Manager Darci Redmann also read those books in Streeter, where she grew up and met Dockter. She is the genius behind the expansive Hondo’s Hideaway menu, which rotates with the seasons and pleases all customer palates, even the furry ones.
A pup menu is available, and the patio is dog friendly.
“I did very extensive research on items that we can have here, that we can prepare for dogs,” Redmann says.
But it’s the human menu the locals love. There are signature cocktails with playful names, like the Rowdy Rhonda and Fun Aunt Barbara (can’t wait to meet her!). The breakfast menu brings a crowd on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Try the customer-favorite (including North Dakota Living Editor Cally Peterson’s favorite) Spicy Hondo Hash, a breakfast scramble with buffalo-dusted potatoes, eggs, veggies, jalapeños, your choice of meat (pro tip: try a combo) and drizzled with a divine seasoned sour cream. The food menu offers appetizers (try the poutine: shoestring fries and fried cheese curds smothered in brown gravy), wings, salads, wraps, sandwiches, burgers and classic diner dinners, including a hot beef, hot hamburger and chicken fried steak.
And if it’s no longer on the menu, Redmann has your back.
“A lot of places have a secret menu. We kind of still have that, because if it’s something we’ve had on a past menu, just because it’s not on there, typically, we can still make those things,” Redmann says.
SUMMER HOTSPOT
The restaurant overlooks the Jamestown Reservoir on the north side of Jamestown, where Western novelist Louis L’Amour was born, raised and developed his love of books at the local public library, the Alfred E. Dickey Free Library. Dockter honored the local history in choosing the restaurant name: “Hondo” is the title of a L’Amour novel published in 1953.
“I wanted a name that was personable, but not tied to me, and also something tied to the local area,” Dockter says.
Hondo’s Hideaway, which is served by Northern Plains Electric Cooperative, is a Jamestown summer hotspot. Customers come to enjoy a cool drink with a great view of the water, order food to take on the boat or swing in during a walk with the dog. The establishment also sells bait, off-sale and ice.
There is a public boat launch at the water’s edge below Hondo’s Hideaway and nearby public beach, campground, walking path and hiking trails. Local events also bring visitors to town. Last year, Dockter brought in a water ski team for a free family fun day.
“We didn’t really advertise and there was well over 1,000 people out here,” Dockter says.
The Hondo’s Hideaway water show returns for a second year June 29, coinciding with the Stutsman County Fair June 25-28. The Aberdeen Aqua Addicts will perform their water ski stunts, and Dockter hopes to add more community participation into this year’s event through games, competitions and involvement from other local businesses.
BEST OF JAMESTOWN
Since opening in 2022, Hondo’s Hideaway has become a local favorite. It took home 10 awards last year in the 16th annual Best of the Jamestown Area awards, including best restaurant and best wait staff.
The restaurant’s welcoming atmosphere is a testament to Dockter and Redmann, who go above and beyond for their customers and treat their regulars like family.
“One lady went on vacation, and Darci volunteered me to mow her grass,” Dockter says.
“She was going to be gone for three weeks. And she’s like, ‘I don’t know what I’m going to do about my yard.’ I was like, ‘Lucas will come do it.’ And sure enough, it was taken care of,” Redmann says with a smile.
“The local support is huge,” says Dockter, who also owns local watering hole Fred’s Den. “It’s our regulars that come in here consistently that make it fun, too. You know, the banter back and forth with people that are in here all the time.”
But in just three years, Hondo’s Hideaway has made a name for itself beyond Jamestown. It’s highly rated on Google, with more than 150 online reviews. Redmann believes those ratings have helped increase foot traffic and entice travelers off Interstate 94.
“There was one day where this bar top was full, and I could tell there were different accents at the bar top. And I’m like, ‘OK, where are you guys from?’ One was Missouri, one was South Africa, one was Arkansas. Every seat at this bar top had people from different places at it,” Redmann says.
Dockter hopes Hondo’s Hideaway will attract more visitors in the future, which not only helps the restaurant, but the local community, too, he says.
“I want it to be one of those places where you think, ‘Man, if I’m going to Jamestown, I have to go there.’ And you drag your friends to check it out,” Dockter says. “I think that’s a good thing for Jamestown. We’re on the other side of Jamestown, so you’re going to drag all that traffic right through the center of town, and (visitors) might catch on to another business or something else they like in town as well.”
This summer, drag your friends to Jamestown. Check out Hondo’s Hideaway. And say hello to Fun Aunt Barbara for us, will ya?
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Cally Peterson is editor of North Dakota Living. She can be reached at cpeterson@ndarec.com.
KNOW IF YOU GO
Hondo’s Hideaway operating hours, like its menu, change with the seasons. From May through September, its hours are:
• Monday through Thursday: 4 to 10 p.m.
• Friday: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Saturday and Sunday: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Visit Hondo’s Hideaway on Facebook for current menus, updates, specials, hours and events. Place to-go orders by calling 701-952-4433.
PATIO SZN
Whether for a cold beverage or to enjoy a North Dakota sunset, check out these other lakeside spots:
• A Frame Bar and Grill and Sundowners, Lake Metigoshe, served by North Central Electric Cooperative
• Proz Lakeside at the Cove, Devils Lake, served by Nodak Electric Cooperative
• The Rooster at Skunk Bay and Tobacco Gardens Resort & Marina, Lake Sakakawea, served by McKenzie Electric Cooperative
