The big map of Lincoln’s best restaurants

The (402) Creamery has two locations in Lincoln, one in the Haymarket and one in South East Lincoln. Both provide amazing & fun homemade ice cream creations that rotate through regularly. I once thought Ivanna Cone would provide all of my Lincoln ice cream needs and we didn’t need anything else. I was wrong, the … Continue reading "(402) Creamery"

The Aragon Tavern is the younger, more casual, more downtown, more burger-focused sibling to Casa Bovina. While more casual than Casa Bovina, it is more upscale than your typical burger joint. I love the combination. It has the atmosphere and vibe of a nice business lunch or a hip spot before enjoying a show. Being … Continue reading "Aragon Tavern"

Ah, Banhwich, I love you. You have amazing sandwiches and a great selection of bubble tea. Every time I’m in, I smell those strange looking green waffles and they also smell fantastic. It makes me want to get one, and I almost do. But then I’m distracted by what I came in for: a pork … Continue reading "Banhwich Cafe"

Bierhaus Maisschäler is a very well done old world inspired pub. They have German-style Lagers, sausages & Bavarian pretzels. They did this concept right and it is simply a fun night out.

I love this place, and I visit often. They have Thai that is as good as anywhere in town + a really cool building. Some adjectives that come to mind when thinking about the Blue Orchid are cool, hip, interesting, spicy, curry, yum. What you’re ordering: The Green Curry with pork. Add a Thai iced … Continue reading "Blue Orchid Thai Restaurant"

Boiler is the experimental mad scientist brewery for Lincoln. They have a boatload of different beers on tap which explore every taste you’ve ever wanted to try in a beer. There are traditional beers, and try them if you want. But my opinion is that you should go to Boiler just have fun trying different … Continue reading "Boiler Brewing"

Lincoln has another candidate for best BBQ in town. I’ve had Canyon Joe’s when they were a food truck and loved. They have successfully carried what they do best to their brick and mortar location. Owner Joe Hager may have honed his skills in Texas and may label his BBQ as Texas style. But you … Continue reading "Canyon Joe’s Barbecue"

Copal is an awesome place to visit if you want an “authentic” Mexican experience … and I don’t mean authentic in the way you think I do. To me authentic is something that is completely unique, created by the chef at that restaurant and an experience that you’re not going to find anywhere else, even … Continue reading "Copal Progressive Mexican Cuisine"

Sitting directly across from the Mill, Crescent Moon is a little harder to find underneath the Apothecary. I’d call both very good spots, but I would describe the Mill as Lincoln’s go-to & Crescent Moon as the Lincoln’s best (coffee) hidden gem because you almost need to know it exists to find it. If this … Continue reading "Crescent Moon Coffee"

If you go into Daffodil (and you should), you’ll meet the nicest lady ever (I believe her name is Narges) who will treat you like family. Sample everything before you order (because she’ll probably insist on it) and then make the hardest choice ever on what to order because it’s all so good. I’ve never had … Continue reading "Daffodil Mediterranean Cuisine"

Goldenrod is a really fun, and really good bakery … especially if you can snag a few of their stroopwafels.

The Green Gateau has been a favorite of mine for quite some time. The start the day with one of my go-to spots for breakfast. Have a really nice lunch vibe, but manage to wrap it all together and are one of the better dinner spots in town. The interior vibe is reminds me of … Continue reading "Green Gateau"

Heoya is one of those places I could eat every single day. They’re seriously good. I don’t know what they do to their pork, but it is fantastic. They have two locations and a food truck that will show up in various locations. So you don’t have an excuse if you can’t get there. What … Continue reading "Heoya"

I’m pretty sure Honest Abe’s is Lincoln’s favorite burger place. When Alton Brown was in town in 2015, he asked Lincoln where to eat. According to him, they overwhelmingly said Honest Abe’s. The atmosphere is hard to beat and they do a great job with creativity. You can visit once a week and there’s always … Continue reading "Honest Abe’s Burgers & Freedom"

Farm-to-table is the theme for the Hub Cafe. It was started as a way to market “Branched Oak Farm’s dairy products, meat and vegetable crops while serving the community of Lincoln.” It’s not your normal “cafe” food so don’t expect anything boring. If you are they type of person who likes fresh, chef-inspired food, it’s … Continue reading "Hub Cafe"

Itsumo picks up where AmuManu left off in the same location. Not just a great place to get some Ramen for lunch when you are downtown, but worth a trip downtown specifically for Itsumo.

JTK has the best steak in town, a Nebraska Wagyu Filet that is just wonderful. JTK itself has one of the most upscale vibes in town and is pretty darn good even without the steak. Bonus JTK probably might just have the best overall whiskey selection in Lincoln. So if you want steak and whiskey, JTK should … Continue reading "JTK"

L’s takes over where the Normandy left off, and I’m pretty happy about it. L’s offers what I look for, chef inspired, creative and most importantly really good food. They describe themselves as “Unpretentious, cozy & Sophisticated,” and I would agree with that. L’s is an all-around nice place for an evening out.

Lazlo’s is a Lincoln institution, and for good reason. Everything they do is solid and it is probably my most frequented restaurant in Lincoln. I’m not going to send you to Lazlo’s for a crazy new experience you’ve never had because it’s concept is similar to many brewery/bars around the US. I’m going to send … Continue reading "Lazlo’s Brewery & Grill"

MoMo calls itself a pizzeria, but it’s so much more than a pizza joint. If I am looking for a nice night out, MoMo always comes up in the discussion. When going for dinner, I’ll snag a spot at their bar if I’m lucky enough to find one. In my humble opinion, the bar is … Continue reading "MoMo Pizzeria & Ristorante"

I went into Mulberry one day and watched them carving a glorious brisket behind the counter. It looked so amazing, I told the cashier I was having it. To this day, that is the best brisket I’ve had anywhere. On a separate visit, the guy at the table next to me was gushing to his … Continue reading "Mulberry BBQ"

I have been really impressed with Pepe’s and it just happens to be Vegan. The things that get me excited about any restaurant is 1) a creative menu which changes often & 2) these specials come from the creative mind of an on-site chef. Of course neither of those two matter if 3) the resulting … Continue reading "Pepe’s Bistro"

Piedmont Bistro is owned by the Venue, and that gives them a very good start. It is the Venu’s take on a bit of a different vibe, i.e., a bistro. I think they’ve nailed it. Breakfast When thinking about breakfast or brunch, the Piedmont Bistro is at the top of the list. Go early or … Continue reading "Piedmont Bistro"

There are a lot of coffee shops in Lincoln I love & Reactor is toward the very top of my list. It has everything I want in a coffee shop: a really cool and unique space to have coffee and do a little work that is also quiet. It’s also out of the way and … Continue reading "Reactor Coffee"

Shokunin occupies the former Bread and Cup space. I have many happy food memories in that space, so they have a good start there. There are other Sushi restaurants in town, other Ramen restaurants in town and other Japanese restaurants in town. But Shokunin is just different enough from all of them to stand out. … Continue reading "Shokunin sushi & ramen"

When thinking steak and whiskey, it’s hard to not think of the Single Barrel. They’re a steak joint named after a whiskey process. I don’t know if I need to say anything else. Need more? The whiskey they specialize in is Bourbon and the Bourbon selection is excellent. The Bourbon review named them one of … Continue reading "Single Barrel"

The Coffee House was my go-to coffee shop when I was in college. Part of the reason is it is only a short walk from UNL’s campus. But the actual reason I kept going back is because I really liked the atmosphere. It always felt like a nice place to just exist for a while. … Continue reading "The Coffee House"

I would call the Mill Lincoln’s favorite coffee shop. There is a reason for this, they have really cool locations, highlighted by one of the best spots in the Haymarket to sit on the patio and enjoy the atmosphere of the Haymarket. Their other locations around town are pretty darn good too and they also … Continue reading "The Mill"

The Oven serves traditional Indian comfort food, and they do it very well. But to me, the Oven stands out by combining some very solid Indian food with a great wine list and really nice atmosphere. You can get a good Chicken Tikka Masala in a lot of places, but you can’t get it in … Continue reading "The Oven"

The Venue is one of the more upscale restaurants in Lincoln and with that, they have one of the better menus. I enjoy their creativity and specials. On a selection & price perspective, the Venue might be the best place in Lincoln to get a good Whiskey. They are also no slouch with their wine … Continue reading "Venue Restaurant & Lounge"

Located on Innovation Campus, or the old State Fair Park, in the Scarlet Hotel, Well and Good is in a perfect spot to bring a Nebraska-themed restaurant to Lincoln. They bring things like Dorothy Lynch incorporated in a chef-inspired salad, a chef’s take on Runzas for an appetizer and calling dinner “supper” on the menu. … Continue reading "Well and Good"

White Elm is part of my go-to section of Lincoln breweries. I would put my most-drank beers to be Zipline, Cosmic Eye, Empyrean & White Elm. I think this is because I know I can try anything from any of these breweries and, in general, expect that it will be good. White Elm has two … Continue reading "White Elm Brewing"

As long as Wilderness Ridge keeps their restaurant open to the public, it is somewhere you should visit. Their deck is quite simply the best in Lincoln, and the lodge itself is worth the visit. Their food has always been more upscale & creative, which fits the atmosphere. Over the years, the food hasn’t consistently … Continue reading "Wilderness Ridge"