Searching for the top restaurants in Lincoln, Nebraska? You’ve arrived to the correct location!
As someone who truly appreciates traveling, international food, & eating my way throughout the worldI definitely liked my stay in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Its world-famous historic Haymarket alone has over 100 food establishments serving foreign cuisine, Asian fusion, farm-to-table options, and exceptional hospitality.
Lincoln, Nebraska is unusual in its presentation of cuisine and in ensuring that the environment is appropriate for the mood. The city’s eateries are full with aesthetic charm.
- The ambiance was perfect, almost soothing.
- Outside patios were delightful & warm.
- The infrastructure, lighting, and cozy interior will invite you for a hearty lunch or dinner.
Lincoln restaurants have been practicing and employing farm-to-table foods in order to keep it fresh, offering hot, tasty, and fresh meals at every call. When it comes to cuisine diversity, the city has practically all of the foreign variations you’re seeking for in the most realistic taste characteristics.
I went to many eateries in the city, both day and night, and discovered some of my favorites. These nine exceptional Lincoln, NE restaurants will wow you with its ambience, gourmet, flavor, genuine meals, and city specialities.
Visiting other places in Nebraska? Look at my other guide:
- 10 must-try restaurants in Omaha
Contents
Lincoln, Nebraska is a city in Nebraska. Overview of the City
Lincoln, Nebraska’s capital city, is quickly becoming a prominent cuisine centre in the state. Lincoln, formerly known exclusively for football and steak, now boasts a slew of artsy eateries that draw foodies from all over the globe.
Not only that, but the city is known for its historical attractions such as the Haymarket District, the Nebraska History Museum, the Nebraska State Capitol (the only state legislature in the United States), sunken gardens, and much more! People are drawn to the city because of its peaceful atmosphere, spectacular architecture, and unique history.
Visit Lincoln, Nebraska, while enjoying amazing steak specialities, corn goodness (shout out to Hispanic & Central American Cuisine), tin roof sundae, ribeye, pork, and more!
The Historic Haymarket neighborhood will welcome you to some magnificent, extravagant, jazz-inspired dining establishments with a throwback flair! These are the nine most popular, flavor-packed eateries I discovered in the city! Enjoy your meal.
Cabaret & Screamer Eating
+15313352129803 Q Street, Ste 150
Screamer Dinner & Cabaret is an experience in and of itself. The peaceful live jazz music will fascinate you, and the great food will revitalize your taste buds. Screamer Eating & Cabaret, located in the historic Haymarket District, will welcome you to a classic diner and a massive feast.
This restaurant specializes on classic American cuisine and offers a variety of delights to offer upon your arrival. Order their specialities, which include seafood, steaks, Lincoln-style spaghetti, and big burgers.
Cabaret Show
On display on the wall. The restaurant’s name is memorable and simple to locate on the streets of HHD, Nebraska. This restaurant has unique auraretro-style lighting, a snug seating space, and a large cabaret stage that draws everyone’s attention. The whole façade and interior are centered on music, melody, fine cuisine, and good people. The outside of Screamer Dining & Cabaret is elegantly decorated with a piano, dancers, musicians, and musical symbols.
Kevin Witcher, the proprietor of this bar, came up with the idea of reliving music via cuisine following a successful career in the music business. Kevin was an important member of Nebraska University’s performance choir, Scarlet & Cream Singer.
Subsequently, he devoted the restaurant’s name, concept, and interior design to that sensation.
Every other day, a reserved show is offered in the dining area, and you can always buy tickets for their legendary shows. It’s a well-known street in town, and there’s a reason why everyone speaks about it. There will be a mini-concert.
Menu for Screamer Dining & Cabaret
Its menu isn’t large, but it’s filled with true specialties; you’ll find a wonderful assortment of meals, appetizers, burgers, and desserts here. The restaurant also offers a vegan menu for your vegetarian guests to enjoy a nice dining experience.
Of all the dishes I tried, my favorites were the half-roasted chicken with screamer curly fries and roasted Brussels sprouts, Frutti di mare, and vegetables lasagna. If you like chocolate, I suggest the chocolate layer cake. Dessert options include Italian crème and root beer float, both of which are equally fantastic.
Screamer Dining & Cabaret is without a doubt one of my favorite restaurants in the world! That’s a big deal coming from me!
Lincoln’s Best Restaurants
The Gateau Vert
+14024770330330 S 10th St
The Green Gateau is my second favorite restaurant in town. The Green Gateau seemed to be a fairytale-style boulevard in Downtown Lincoln, Nebraska, with climbing vines covering the lengths of the structure, artistic street lighting, and fairy lights.
At night, I like eating in historic establishments. Brunch and lunch at this restaurant, on the other hand, were equally lovely. The interior, like the outside, will captivate you.
The natural light brightens the whole interior of this French-style café. The lovely golden color will brighten your day, and their European-style cuisine will transport you to France. I strongly suggest reserving a seat near the window to enjoy the warmth of the day with your sweetheart while having breakfast.
The Green Gateau specializes on French cuisine, but the menu does not stop there; there are also magnificent American-style treats.
The modest eatery has a large lunch and breakfast menu. If you go for supper, get the creamy Artichoke chicken, which is a fantastic blend of grilled chicken breasts, artichoke, spinach drizzled with gorgonzola (blue cheese), and cream. That was really saucy and scrumptious.
Try their fettuccine Au Poivrea dish, which has an incredible taste profile. The perfect combination of seared steak tips, mushrooms, dijon (traditional French mustard), and cream will leave you wanting more!
Billys
+140247400841301 H St
Do you want to dine at a restaurant that is creative, rustic, and vintage? Billys might be the finest option for you. If I had to choose, Billys would be my favorite street in town.
Situated in a historic barn, the café will meet you with unusual colors, wooden furniture, a covered entry, old antiques, and a warm ambience.
It is unlike any other opulent restaurant you will visit. The inside was similarly impressive, with a dimly lighted arena, tiny chairs embracing memorable moments, and antique antics complementing its wooden walls.
The barn (known as the Noble-Dawes House) was erected in 1887; image the history this site has! Throughout the site, there are hints of its antiquity.
If your date appreciates art and royal history, Billy’s restaurant may be a great place to go on a date. Morning sunlight and a tasty breakfast will be provided by the double-hung rustic windows. If you’re in town, I strongly suggest stopping by this place.
If the menu has you perplexed, start with their mussels on Dawesa, a unique beginning prepared with mussels steamed in white wine and lemon broth. If mussels aren’t your thing, there’s always coconut chickensmoky and coconutty.
I definitely suggest the blackberry duck and lemony veal piccata for the main course. There is still so much to taste and discover at the restaurant that I want to return in the near future.
Where Should You Dine in Lincoln, Nebraska?
Sushi Blue Sake Grill
+14028054232808 R St
Blue Sushi Sake Grill was a long-standing local favorite. A cultural evening is guaranteed with a distinctive Japanese interior.
There are digital and virtual representations of Japanese film and heritage, Japanese scribbles on the wall, traditional lamps and lanterns, and bright colors of colorful lights around the restaurant. The restaurant offers a traditional ambience that you won’t find in a regular American restaurant.
Blue Sushi Sake Grill is happy to provide some of the greatest sushi platters in town. Try their freshly prepared sashimi, maki, and nigiri. The restaurant is well-known for its vegan maki and gluten-free menu options!
Even if you don’t like sushi, I recommend you go inside to see the old architecture.
If you don’t like raw meat, check their prepared or vegan maki options. They will surprise you with a new flavor.
Their crispy red maki (made with crab mix, cilantro, toasted panko, and eel sauce) and Spicy Tako were both delicious (if you are a fan of spicy octopus). Their vegan dishes are made with nutritious and fresh ingredients. Cucumber, avocado, brown rice, tofu, eggplant, mushrooms, and other vegetables.
Blue Sushi Sake Grill, unlike any other restaurant, obtains its seafood from Indonesia, Alaska, China, Spain, Maine, Japan, and Canada to provide the most diversified and genuine quality.
Every day, a fresh chef’s special knocks on Blue Sushi Sake Grill’s door. While the dessert selection is limited, the chocolate is outstanding; try the chocolate spring rolls and chocolate torte.
The Blue Sushi Sake Grills chocolate roll is a golden-brown crispy wrapper loaded with an abundance of chocolate syrup, roasted almonds, and raspberry puree. It had a bittersweet, nutty, and somewhat acidic flavor. I’m not a big fan of sweets, but those rolls were pure sweet nirvana!
The Piedmont Bistro
S Cotner Blvd Ste 38
Want to go to a lovely locally-owned restaurant for a luxurious lunch or a fancy romantic night? Piedmont Bistro is one of the top options.
Piedmont Bistro is a healthy avenue to treat yourself to a sumptuous diner, with a brick facade outside, attractive street lighting, a warm white view, amazing food presentation, tasty cuisine, and the citys local character.
Request a table on their nicely built and covered patio, lounge inside their pleasant environment, or drink the night away at their bar. Piedmont has three distinct settings for various emotions.
This hidden treasure has a private dining area for private meetings, business lunches, or family meals.
Piedmont excels on pasta, burgers, steaks, and fillets, but its seafood is just as good in terms of flavor, texture, and portion size. I had the pleasure of tasting their Dijon Chicken Breast, which was delicious. The sauce was very delicious. Serve with salt and pepper fries and blue cheese.
Piedmont Cafe also has a terrific happy hour variety of beer, cocktails, wine, and spirits.
Restaurant Dish
+140247594751100 E O St
The Dish Restaurant serves meals that you won’t find at other restaurants. Their food was a breath of new air among the usual suspects. First and foremost, they have vanilla-sesame brioche served with the main dish. Second, they specialized in duck dishes.
DISH makes seasonal meals to provide different options. It’s a risky game to test new dishes since they may turn off new consumers, but DISH understands how to amaze foodies like us. The somewhat tangy sauces and sweet tastes set their meals apart from the other eateries in town.
DISH restaurant is most known for its breakfast items such as Egg Benedict, sausages, salmon benedict, egg sliders, and so on. I had their Pork Loin with cornbread and pistachio cream and jalapeño sauce. Get their corn+berries and poutine if you like sweet and crunchy pairings.
gin with rosemary and lemon), Chai got this (espresso-style liquor), and Cherry darling were among my favorites. Try their original drink options and combos at the bar. Cocktails that taste like a prayer (vodka)
DISH Restaurant is ideal for those who are tired of ordering the same cuisine over and again! Someone who takes great satisfaction in trying various meals and dishes would want to visit the avenue for its ever-changing dynamics.
DISH is a large restaurant with a dimly lighted environment, a heated outside terrace, and modest décor.
Restaurant With Fireworks
+140243456445750 S 86th St #6053
wood siding Fresh air, bright sunshine, a pleasant supper, and delectable food are all guaranteed at Fireworks Restaurant. Eco-friendly surroundings, a garden with 3200 native species, and historic brick
I had to go to the restaurant everyone spoke about since I love wood-fired meals. Needless to say, it had a lovely terrace, a lush Greenland garden outside, a historic interior, and a traditional bar. The delicate contrast of circular tables, gentle lighting, and wooden furniture provides an ideal chance for a pleasant breakfast in the neighborhood.
Prepare to find a large selection of wood-fired meals from their very own traditional wood-fired rotisserie, wood-fired oven, and grill on the avenue.
Wood-firing cooking methods can undoubtedly enhance the tastes of your prepared dishes, making them smokey and unusual.
From Korean lettuce wraps to Italian beef burgers, I discovered a broad menu with unique and delectable flavors. I stopped by the avenue for a brief breakfast break and got their legendary Philadelphia cheesesteak. The burger was a hearty blend of shaved filet, sautéed onion, and homemade condiments wrapped in a crispy but soft hoagie.
I returned to the restaurant with my pals for supper and had their wonderful wood-fired rotisserie chicken and chicken Milan. The chicken Milan was amazing, served with sautéed mushrooms, red pepper, basil, and provolone (Italian cheese) with burred blanc sauce.
I usually like to finish dinner with a light dessert, and the house cheesecake was precisely what I needed. My companions chose the wood-fired, slow-roasted BBQ pizza. Everything was wonderfully prepared and cooked to perfection.
The restaurant’s chefs vary their recipes and ingredients with the seasons. As a result, you will always get something original and novel.
Don’t forget to drink their home-brewed ales from Empyrean brewery while you’re there. The brewery is well-known across the city and area.
The Normandy region
+140247606062785 S 17th St
I recall visiting The Normandy one lovely morning and being impressed by its mood and interior design. Normandy quickly became my favorite French cuisine avenue, with great breakfast and treats on their menu.
You will like visiting the restaurant in the morning because of the soft tone furnishings and light ambience. It’s relaxed and peaceful. Please keep in mind that Normandy is only open Thursday through Saturday till 9 p.m. Make a reservation before heading down the Boulevard.
Normandy’s menu is relatively limited; they only provide a few appetizers, entrees, and desserts.
Also, the menu varies daily, so you’re sure to try something new and unusual at the restaurant. Chicken a la crème and palette de lentils are two of my favorite dishes in Normandy. Normandy is ideal for a light meal or a late-night brunch.
Vincenzo’s Restaurant
+14024353889808 P St
Do you want anything Italian? From 2006 until 2017, Lincoln’s Vincenzos Restaurant was selected the Best of Omaha on a consistent basis. In addition, the Lincoln Journal Star believes Vincenzos to be Lincoln’s best Italian restaurant.
Being a lover of Italian food, I went to Vincenzos with a huge appetite, and to say the least, I wasn’t disappointed. Vincenzos serves every Italian delicacy imaginable, from antipasti to pasta, Italian dinners, pizzas, Insalata, and so much more!
Marsala with veal. Finally, try their Italian-style cannolia delicious wrap of bliss with wine whiffs. chicken Begin your meal with their robust appetizers, melanzane and garlic cheese bread. Choose baked roman twins and steak as your Italian entrée.
Vincenzos is a fine dining establishment in Downtown Lincoln. It features a warm atmosphere with a wooden interior. This restaurant also serves pizza and other Italian specialties.
Valentinos
+140242068002820 Pine Lake Rd, Lincoln, Nebraska
Valentinos offers a variety of tasty pizza alternatives that will keep you satisfied throughout your dinner.
If your family need a specific diet, don’t be afraid to bring it up. Of course, the pizza will still be delicious. Believe me!
Deep-dish pizza and Italian food are available at Valentinos Pizza. Their brick oven pizzas are prepared in the traditional manner.
When you purchase a combination, you get a pizza and two beverages. Your taste buds will be piqued, and you will want more. Calzones and garlic bread are also available. They’re delectable!
LeadBelly
Lincoln, +14022618849301 N 8th St
Those searching for a different experience are drawn in by the wonderful meals. LeadBelly’s outstanding workforce is innovative, which is why the company is so wonderful. Moreover, customers constantly compliment the restaurant’s exceptional service. Furthermore, the prices are really affordable.
Its lovely atmosphere and magnificent design will undoubtedly wow you.
This restaurant serves delicious waffles, cinnamon buns, and brioches. There are also wonderful salads, lemonade, and ice tea.
LeadBelly also offers delicious vanilla ice cream, draft beer, and Moscow mules.
The Potrero
N 8th St #120, Lincoln, +14024774551247
A wonderful Mexican restaurant, El Potrero, is not far from the city center. El Potrero is mostly a Mexican restaurant, although it also serves food and drinks to visitors.
The Potrero Mexican Restaurant is built in a historic structure that was originally a cigarette bar. The decor of the restaurant is typical Mexican, providing a warm and friendly ambiance.
El Potrero Mexican Restaurant has a diverse selection of authentic Mexican food created from scratch using only the best and freshest ingredients.
Salsa & Chips, Homemade Tamales, Fajitas, Tacos Mexicana, Burrito Fajita Grande, Mucho Mucho Nachos, Chili Colorado Plate, and many more wonderful foods are available.
The Margaritas
+140242126622700 Jamie Lane in Lincoln
Las Margaritas Restaurant is the place to go if you’re hungry and seeking for real Mexican food.
The restaurant serves a broad selection of Mexican-style dishes and provides outstanding service. Don’t forget to end the night with a tequila or margarita!
Delicious veal ribs, flan, nachos, and chicken sausage are available here. This pub also serves tasty tamales, steaks, and seafood at reasonable costs. You will also appreciate the great beer and superb margaritas.
Even on Saturday, it is easy to secure a seat at Las Margaritas Mexican Restaurant, so don’t pass up this chance to sample freshly cooked oysters and chicken pastries.
Restaurant DISH
Lincoln, +140247594751100 E O St
The DISH Restaurant has a fantastic meal for any occasion, whether you’re grabbing a fast snack before a play or throwing an anniversary celebration.
The restaurant serves a variety of dishes and beverages made from high-quality ingredients, as well as a huge selection of wines.
Delicious delicacies on the menu include braised short ribs with maple-tamari, beef tartare, and smoked beets.
Also, if you want to cap your evening with something sweet, the restaurant serves handcrafted sweets such as cream scones and sticky banana buns.
Mexican Restaurant El Toro
Lincoln, +140248839392600 S 48th St
El Toro Mexican Restaurant is a lovely spot to spend an evening with family and friends. The Mexican vibe pervades the restaurant from the minute you walk in.
The ambience and design of this Mexican restaurant and bar add to a relaxed dining experience for customers.
Despite the fact that the American cuisine selection is rather short, all items are fresh, hot, and, most importantly, wonderful. Also, their waiters deliver attentive service, which is appreciated.
Fajitas, wings, and salads are among the excellent foods available at the restaurant. Don’t forget to taste their margaritas!
Conclusion
Lincoln, Nebraska, was a breath of fresh air and a lovely journey. I had no idea Lincoln had so many fantastic eateries. These nine stood out in terms of hospitality, atmosphere, interior design, and, of course, taste. If you ever visit Lincoln, don’t pass up the chance to sample their products and services.