5 places to get chili and a cinnamon roll

Yes, non-Nebraskans, serving chili with a cinnamon roll is a thing. In fact, it’s a very good thing. Where did this come from? I’ve done quite a bit of internet sleuthing and no one seems to have the exact answer to that question. I have seen people from many states in the region claim they grew up with the combo, mostly through elementary school lunch, but there are two states, Nebraska and Kansas, that seem to claim the strongest tie. The former Miller & Paine Department store here in Lincoln is sometimes given credit for bringing it to the public with their famous cinnamon rolls. As a result of that, it’s not a stretch to say chili and cinnamon rolls (C&CR) are as much, if not more of a Lincoln thing than anywhere else in the United States.

Even outside of Miller & Paine, we (Nebraskans) grew up with the combo being served in our school lunch and to be honest, it’s just as strange for me to find out you didn’t grow up with it as me loving the combination probably is to you. So here’s the deal, chili & cinnamon rolls is a completely unique and really good thing that Lincoln arguably does better than anywhere. Therefore, if you’re visiting Lincoln, you should probably seek out some C&CR and these are five fantastic places to find it.

1. Runza

Runza is first on the list for a couple reasons, but the biggest one is that they purchased the original Miller & Paine cinnamon roll recipe, and man, those rolls are good. With that recipe, aside from walking into a local elementary school at lunchtime, you’ll be about as close to the some of the origins of C&CR by getting it from Runza as you can get. Runza is also a fast food chain that originated here in Lincoln (and is probably better than your favorite fast food chain). They have around 80 stores in the region and are one that any self-respecting Lincolnite visits often. Combine our frequent visits with their heavy marketing of the combo, Runza keeps the chili and cinnamon rolls on top of our minds throughout the winter. So if we’re trying to determine which city gets to claim C&CRs as theirs, I would point to Runza as another reason this is a Nebraska, and more specifically, a Lincoln thing. We’re exposed to it more. We eat it more. We brought it to the public. The evidence is adding up, and as far as I’m concerned, Lincoln is the C&CR capital of the world. Thank you, Runza. Because of that, your first stop on the chili and cinnamon roll journey should be at any Runza restaurant around town.
https://www.runza.com/

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2. Leadbelly

Leadbelly’s version of chili & cinnamon roll, the fully leaded jacket, isn’t your traditional combo. It’s a “burger” that has cinnamon roll buns and chili all over the top with chips and jalapenos. If you’d like (and I do), add a fried egg and some chorizo to make it a breakfast leaded jacket. I know it all sounds like a terribly rich combination, and it sort of is … but it’s sort of supposed to be, I mean aren’t chili and cinnamon rolls enough of an odd couple anyway? Why stop there? Don’t let the over-the-top factor keep you from trying the greatness of Leadbelly’s take on a Nebraska classic because it’s just wonderful. Don’t just take my word for it, Andy Staples from Sports Illustrated named it number two on the best college town meals in America.
https://www.getleaded.com/

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3. Tina’s Cafe

With chili and cinnamon rolls, the cinnamon roll is the star. I love a good bowl of bold, thick spicy chili, but with the C&CR combo, in my opinion, the chili is there to compliment the roll. Who has the best cinnamon rolls in town? Tina’s. The rolls are huge (you will be taking some home, the picture above doesn’t give it justice), made from scratch and have got some national recognition by being featured on BTN’s Campus Eats. Tina’s also has a 90s-early 2000s NASCAR theme going on, which I dig. But they do lose a couple points for the lack Davey Allison swag, who was obviously the best driver from the 90s and (by pure coincidence) my childhood favorite.
https://tinascafelincoln.com/

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4. Stauffer’s Cafe

The chili and cinnamon roll combo isn’t a specific item on Stauffer’s menu. But they have the two most important components: Really good homemade cinnamon rolls and really good chili. You can either get a pecan or cinnamon roll, but I say go in twice to get both and then compare. The Stauffers C&CR combo is probably my favorite on the list for taste alone. Their combo just complements each other perfectly.
http://www.staufferscafe.com/

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5. Cook’s Cafe

Cook’s is worth a visit if you are a fan of a good solid old-school cafe. But as C&CR goes, Cook’s has a great great take on the combo. They make their own cinnamon rolls, which are really good and quite different from the rest. If my tasters served me right, I think they have a bit of an orange roll twist. A definite must stop on the C&CR tour. A bonus for anyone who misses the Sunday buffet at the North Pantry from back in the day, it’s across the street from the old building so you can reminisce about a green river while having a pretty darn good bowl of chili and a cinnamon roll.

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Tags: Cook's Cafe, Leadbelly, Runza, Stauffer's Cafe, Tina's Cafe