For Dream Dining, Hit the Sac (City, that is)

February 4, 2026

By April Pearson

From Far and Wide

Offering a selection of steaks, fish, seafood and small plates, Cattlemen’s Steakhouse is a high-end dining destination in Sac City. “We’re not far from Carroll, Storm Lake, Fort Dodge or Rockwell City, but people will spend their entire evening driving just to come to us,” says Chelsea Funk, the restaurant’s general manager. “I remember one night specifically, there was a man at the bar who had driven six hours to eat here.” 
 
Cattlemen’s Steakhouse is owned by Chef Michael Hirst, the culinary arts program coordinator at Iowa Central Community College, and Nick Carlson, a firefighter in Fort Dodge. “Our owners really love quality Iowa ingredients, and I think we Iowans take that quality for granted sometimes,” says Funk. “I’ve gotten so spoiled that I don't like to have steak outside of Iowa, because I know it’s not going to be as good as the beef I can get here.”
 
The restaurant uses as many ingredients as possible from Iowa, including beef, pork and microgreens. But that’s not all they source locally. “We also love to use all of the businesses around us,” says Funk. There’s a flower shop across the street that provides decorations, and a soap shop nearby for extra-special suds for the bathrooms. Funk personally frequents the coffee shop next door (“It’s worth a visit, if you’re ever in town!”), and buys restaurant supplies from the local hardware store. “I would much rather pay a few extra dollars to support our local businesses than go to some big box store,” she says. “They're going to have that sense of pride that you don't typically get when you're working with a huge corporation.” 

From Pasture to Plate 

“Sac City has about 2,000 people, and it's one of those towns you pass through when you need to gas up or something like that,” says Funk. “But when you step into the restaurant, it feels like you’re stepping into Des Moines or Chicago.” 
 
The ambiance is impressive, but the food is even better. 
 
For starters, guests can enjoy a fresh baguette with salted butter, warm marinated olives, or a charcuterie board featuring meats, cheeses, relish and nuts. 
 
Salad options include the Scotch egg salad with arugula and bourbon mustard; the warm Caesar salad with charred romaine, eggs, bacon and parmesan; and the beet salad with citrus, goat cheese, fennel and pistachio. 
 
Then it’s on to the main event. Though grilled chicken, pork chops and lobster tail are available, beef is the hero here. There’s buttery prime rib, tender and lean beef filet, classic New York strip, juicy ribeye and tasty burgers — all prime or choice grade black angus, and all sourced from Iowa farms. “You can tell the quality is higher, because you look at the marbling, and it’s just a good-looking steak,” says Funk. “You can taste the quality when it’s so fresh.”
 
Savory sides like garlic-rosemary mashed potatoes and glazed baby carrots perfectly complement impeccably cooked steak.
 
And then, of course, there’s dessert: Creme brûlée cheesecake with fresh berries, popcorn praline and mint. Carrot cake made with purple, yellow and orange carrots, served with homemade spiced ice cream. And a warm apple cronut with caramel apples and an oat crumble. 
 
Cattleman’s Steakhouse also offers a wide selection of wine, beer, spirits, cocktails and alcohol-free drinks. 
 
The restaurant is offering special Valentine’s Day dishes, or diners can choose from the main menu. “If you want a nice date night or some good champagne, or if it's as simple as two burgers for your Valentine's dinner, we would absolutely love for you to pay us a visit,” says Funk. But you’ll have to act fast — guests have been calling to make Valentine's Day reservations since December. 

From Rawhands to Regulars 

Cattlemen’s Steakhouse delivers fresh flavors, big-city atmosphere and small-town hospitality. “You really don't have to spend a lot of money to enjoy incredible food, which I think is a big selling point and the reason why guests keep coming back,” Funk says. She sees some customers weekly for date nights, and others once a year for birthdays, anniversaries, graduations or promotions. “And I love them all equally,” she says. “My favorite thing is when someone comes for the first time, and they have absolutely no idea what they want to order. So they'll ask my opinion, and it’s so much fun showing off our dishes. They always walk out feeling like they made a great decision, and that makes me happy to see.”