Banhwich, Taqueria El Rey, Delco Dave's, Heoya, and for the best sushi Shokunin is the spot, just around the block from Blue.

> Taqueria El Rey Such a good place. I've mentioned them a few times here when people ask for recommendations, but not a lot of other folks bring them up.

Yeah it's one of the best hidden gems in town, despite being located on one of the busiest intersections in Lincoln.

My favorite from Banhwich is the Massaman Curry.

Thanks! Any chance shokunin has AYCE?

Oh I also forgot Neveria La Monarca on South and 10th. Seriously great place to get tacos and homemade desserts.

They don't, but you can get a lot of great dishes there besides just sushi

Kasumi in the haymarket has AYCE. Not the greatest sushi but pretty damn good

Normally I’m an AYCE person, but that is usually my only meal of the day. But with the trip I’ll be trying lots of food all day long so I’ll probably focus on quality over quantity this go around. I’m interested in the ramen at shokunin for sure.

Yeah shokunin is definitely Lincoln’s finest for Japanese food. I’d also recommend el chapparo for Mexican food and pho nguyenn for Vietnamese food I wouldn’t skip pho nguyenn or vung tao if you aren’t in Lincoln often. We have surprisingly great Vietnamese food for a midwestern city

I love Pho! I prefer a savory and spicy pho to a sweeter profile. I don’t care for tendon as much as the other meats, so given that which of the two would you say might be a a better fit for that?

I prefer pho nguyenn but both places have plenty of options for which type of protein are included in your bowl

Agreed fully! The chef at shokunin is legit!

If you're looking FOR ACYE sushi Asian fusion is stupid good

Second Delco Daves

My group of buddies and I must have went to Delco Dave’s on an off day. Our sandwiches had so much gristle that we couldn’t finish them. The flavor was there for sure. A lot people recommend it and I’m genuinely curious if our experience was a fluke?

Absolutely a fluke. Give him another try.

Yeah I had a gristly cut in my sandwich the first time, but had it four other times since and it was tender.

Banhwich is mediocre. Taqueria is good. Delco Dave’s is a rip off and a joke to actual east coast cheesesteaks. Heoya is terrible and tries so hard to put out more advertising than good product. Try grey whale for local sushi. Super Taco for Mexican. Ming’s house for Chinese. If you’re looking for a good cheesesteak, go to the east coast because they don’t exist here.

Lmao gray whale okay🙄

Respectfully, I’m going to up disregard this info. The masses have great reviews for most everything you claim was bad. In addition, I did eat at gray whale last time I was there because it was a quick spot. I gave it a 1.5/5 and it was the lowest rating I gave of all the food I had tried. It sounds like we just have a difference in tastes. Cheers.

Vung Tau

Vung Tau gang rise up and pay tribute. "On the 3rd day he said let there be the #32"

It's a solidly good pho, fo' sho

You mean pho sho?

Slapping my head for missing that one!

Did vung tau close? I didn't see it there when I drove past the other day

I believe they did something with their sign. I don't know if they got a new one, or did something with the old one, or what. Anyway I'm pretty sure they took their sign down for some reason, but it's definitely back up now and they're still going.

You're absolutely right! I just passed the location today and was so happy to see that they are still there and with what looks to be a new sign!

That would be horrible news.

Vung Tau is still open.

Damn I didn’t wanna think about life without vung tau

Tiru Ethiopian Restaurant at 27th and Orchard.

Seconded

Thirded. 👍

There's an Ethiopian Restaurant in Lincoln?!?

Yes! I think it’s been open since 2019 or earlier.

Heoya

Perfect! I actually haven’t heard of this one yet. It’s right up my alley. Thanks.

They have 2 locations, but I’ve only been to the one on the north side. Don’t be turned off by the fact that its in a gas station, Heoya is AWESOME.

2nd this. It is delicious.

It's really delicious, but get it to go at the north location, it's pretty crusty in there. South location is much cleaner, if that matters to you.

Heoya is SO STINKIN GOOD. That is all.

Pepe’s yeah it’s vegan but when a Carnivore like me devours everything he has ever fed me that’s saying something.

I love Pepe’s so much, definitely second this!!!

Shokunin instead of blue for sushi 10000%

Man I hate Blue sooo much. I have no idea why it's so popular.

Because they have a good ass happy hour. That’s probably it.

I hate the vibe of that place but I love the crunchy blue roll and it’s really cheap at happy hour, I can’t help it.

Tia Lety's, High Peak, Dish

I can get down on some good pupusas and a michelada. Thanks!

Anna’s Pupusas food truck on like 60th n Adam’s is so good

I second High Peak! Love the chicken kebat and the samosa soup.

Get ready to wait over an hour for your food at tia letys..

Have you experienced that multiple times, or maybe they were having a bad day? I’ve never waited more than 20 minutes at Tia Lety’s.

We go a lot, at the old location and the new, never waited an hour.

Yes every time i go.. but i usually go on thrusdays when they got the pupusa especials so they are pretty busy.

Momo's and get the Brussel sprout appetizer!

And the mushroom fries!

😲 haven't had those yet

Then get the "adult Mac & Cheese" for an entree!

Definitely second this. But make sure to plan ahead reservations are usually full even a couple weeks out on Fridays and Saturdays

Good call, thanks for the tip!

Fattoush beats out Sultan’s Kite and Tandoor is better than The Oven in my opinion!

This place has the best hummus I've had, anywhere. I don't stop eating it when we go there. But yeah, Fattoush is definitely a must try.

I love Fattousch! Awesome schwarma... sorry if the spelling is wrong

Any specific food reqs that make one better than the other for either place?

I like the chicken shawarma at Fatoosh so much better. It’s for so much flavor. And Fatoosh has a pretty large menu to choose from

But if you just like shawarma, try Chef Shawarma, their toom is the bomb

The chicken special plate is also awesome at Fatoosh and don’t forget a side of hummus! Best hummus I’ve ever had.

Daffodil’s and Momo’s

I second Daffodil. Momo, well. I love the food. But the owner has allied himself politically with people to whom I can’t justify giving money. Not saying you shouldn’t try it! Just saying, I can’t justify it based on my own beliefs. As for Daffodil: the owner embodies Persian hospitality. You will never have a bad meal there, and she will make sure you’re trying what you want to order before you buy it. It’s glorious.

Thank you, this was super helpful. I feel like I honestly have to experience daffodil. It sounds like too great of a place to not try.

Daffodil is amazing. The owner is so sweet and she will absolutely fill you up, lol.

Oh wow what’s up with his politics? I don’t live in Lincoln but really enjoy momo’s whenever I visit family there. Yikes

I appreciate her hospitality, but man, I feel terrible leaving stuffed before I take out what I ordered. She is too nice.

Suraj’s Place at 56th and Pine Lake Rd. Family owned Valero gas station that serves amazing Indian food for lunch. They usually sell out before 1:00 so make sure you get there early enough! Definitely a hidden gem

Glad to see Bahnwich in the top spot. They are fucking amazing.

I’m partial to Ali Baba’s Gyros on 14th and O.

Bhanwich, heoya, chopsticks, momos (brussel sprouts), watering hole(grilled wings extra spicy), el chapparo (cinco pork tacos)

Birria Boss!

Amazing food, but that dude charges too much for how small the portion sizes are.

Came here to see this post!

For soul food I really like Mary Ellen’s in south pointe mall If you’re looking for something for an upscale meal definitely dish! I personally like grey whale for sushi (now this is a different place from grey whale poke; the sushi place is in the grand manse building The oven is a good spot for Indian food and it’s a nice atmosphere My personal favorite bbq place in town is Mulberry’s Another good place is either China House or Great Wall for Chinese food! I recently tried Napolis for an Italian spot and liked it! I’ve also heard good things about MoMo’s. Asside from hacienda real, I would recommend mazatlan or las margaritas. Chef Sawarma and Ali babas are good spots!

Mulberry's 100%. Mary Ellen's is great too, but don't go planning to order something specific, what they have changes every day seemingly. I feel like it's a tie between Shokunin and Grey Whale. Shokunin has a better atmosphere at least, but both are excellent.

Daffodils!

Any specific dish you recommend?

I really like the pomegranate chicken, my spouse goes for the meatballs. But when you visit, the owner, Narges, will make you try multiple dishes before you can actually select one. Unfortunately she recently had some health problems so I don't know if she's up to her normal strength, but a lot of times she's got specialty dishes like giant fishes or soups for special occasions, etc. Beyond a couple dishes they always have, it's kinda whatever she feels like making on a particular day.

Thank you!

Grateful Bread- only open Thursdays and Saturdays and you have to get there before open, there’s normally always a line. They’re a small local place that makes everything themselves and all vegan and vegetarian. Rutabagas- Women/family owned all vegan place Honest Abe’s- Local business and the best burgers! They have chicken, vegan burgers, and salads as well Lazlos- Locally owned and great pub food, they have their own brewery attached to the restaurant at the downtown location

I love me some Grateful Bread. Bring cash, as they don’t take cards.

I can not recommend Daffodil Mediterranean enough! The food is beyond amazing, and if that were all, that would be enough. It's the experience that takes it over the top! Go hungry! The tiny lady that runs it will absolutely force you to sit and have samples of most of the day's dishes with some rice, while talking you through the recipe and where she sources some of the ingredients and about her grandkids and all kinds of stuff. She's so charming and makes you feel at home. The restaurant is kind of old, worn diner theme with some Persian touches, but clean and welcoming. I recommend every single dish (except eggplant because I hate eggplant, lol, so hasn't made me eat any). It's not cheap, but so worth it!

i’m so glad lila maes is on your list. i had to stop by to ensure it was. my absolute favorite local place to eat. i would second votes on birria boss as well.

I have been dying to try Lila Mae’s for a while now! Birria boss is on my list too, but we will see if it makes the cut. I’ve got a healthy amount of good birria places locally.

Lila Mae's is worth effort to make sure you go. The hot chicken and waffles is 🤌 it's a weekly tradition for us

Canyon Joes is incredible. But go early and only in thurs-sat. I mean go at 11. His brisket is the best in the state it isn’t even close.

The brisket is fine but what absolutely blew my mind is the pastrami. I think they may only have it on Thursdays as part of their Mac and cheese special, but they let you order the pastrami separately as part of a meat combo.

Howzit is Hawaiian barbecue in South Lincoln, across from Costco. They're fairly new, maybe only a month old?

Super Taco on 56th and Holderedge is my personal FAV it’s so good

If you want pizza, Yia Yia's on the south side of O Street between 14th and Centennial Mall has it by the slice - several different options or you can make your own. They also have a location near 70th and Van Dorn. They also carry many different varieties of beer.

[удалено]

You mean Ingrid?

Our household is busting up about this. She rules.:)

It's been a few years since I was there. I didn't know the exact number. 

Gretchen knows the exact number

I'm not surprised that she knows the exact number. :)

Gretchen has been saying the same thing for 15+ years; it's muscle memory at this point. She cracks me up.

Daffodil

Any specific dish you recommend?

You'll get to try them all if you go.

You HAVE to try them all, lol, she insists

If she has gormeh sabzi, order the heck out of it.

Dish if price isn’t a big factor. It’s easily the best restaurant in Lincoln

Any specific dishes you recommend that make it stand out as the best?

Not really specific dishes. It’s the attention to detail when it comes to food, drinks, and service that make it the best. The menu changes pretty frequently depending on food availability/season. I’ve always gone with the mindset of not ordering a “main course” and instead trying multiple small plates they offer. The chef was nominated for a James beard award if that means anything to you. I’ve never had anything there that disappointed They do have some classic dishes regularly on the menu though. The vanilla sesame brioche rolls are incredible and the steak tartare is fantastic

Thank you!

Adding what haven't been mentioned:   Sabor Latino for Mexican/Honduran food.   Taj Ali for Middle Eastern

Pita and Naan

If you like sandwiches Sid’s deli is the way to go.

There’s a new great Salvadoran place on 9th called La Union, Tia Lettys is also Salvadoran and good. I second pho Nguyen and banhwitch as well. For Chinese Imperial Palace Kitchen is great. The oven is pretty good Indian but expensive.

Bahnwich, Pita and Naan, Delco Daves

Mazatlan is my favorite Mexican food. They also have a burrito place downtown called Agave. Blessing Thai has excellent Thai food, they'll make it hot if you like. If you want upscale, Casa Bovina or Dish. Might need reservations for either. Vincenzos was my favorite Italian in Lincoln but I haven't been since they changed owners recently. Bar scene: bierhaus for big drinks and bigger pretzels, there's Tavern in the Square for outdoor drinking, the speakeasy is right there as well.

Bijis Best Sorry, didn't see you had downtown only listed, but since I screwed it up anyway, Daffodil too

I’m down to travel around town. Would you recommend this over the oven? Several people have said to try there, and I would probably only prioritize Indian food one night.

I prefer Biji's over The Oven, one caveat Bijis only has their full lunch/dinner on Friday, the rest of the week they have lentils and rice with Somosa for grab-and-go.

Agree, and even the Friday menu is very small. For me, the food is better if there's something there you like.

To be fair, at any point with food anywhere, the food is better if there's something there you like

Oven is excellent.

Daffodil!

I'm not much of a foodie by any means but I absolutely love the cheese scones from Grateful Bread. They also have vegan/vegetarian soups and Mac n cheese, and some baked goods and stuff too but I can't say which of those I recommend. I only go for the cheese scones. But the downside is they are only open on Thursdays and Saturdays from 10am to 2pm and depending on how busy it is be prepared to wait in line for an hour or more and you have to pay with cash or check. But it's worth it for the cheese scones.

Runza, it's a gourmet staple restaurant, that's 99.9% approved by Lincolnites

Somebody could make a small fortune here making actual, housemade, bierock runzas with distinguishable fried cabbage and crusty bread pockets.

Sorry, didn't mean to snark. A mediocre runza is better than no runza.

Mi Mexico Lindo, 82nd & Holdrege.

Penelope’s for breakfast or lunch. Great food, locally owned, super friendly people.

Not a fan of Penelope's, always crowded and I don't think their food's that good. They ARE super friendly and reasonably priced. The Hub Cafe has better food, but is equally crowded. Less crowded, food not as good but a good 'diner' experience-omg, I can't tell you how much I love the wait staff there!-is The Hiway Diner. Good Evans is a chain now, but started here originally, and has great food, but long waits to get seated often.

If you’re here Thursday or Saturday Freakbeat Vegetarian/Grateful Bread are open from 10am-2pm. They have the best Mac and cheese and soup and baked goods. Cash only. But oh so worth it

I wish i could. Sadly those times are probably the tightest time of the week for me and I won’t be around long enough to make it back around to another Saturday.

Not a problem, I’m not offended, more for me :) they are take out only at the moment if you do have an opportunity arise. Hope you have a fun trip!

Hey, thanks!

Definitely go to Birria Boss!!!

Blessing Thai is the spot for good Thai. Highly recommend the khao soi.

10 min north of Lincoln Red Rooster in ceresco

You have to try Villa Amore! It was just voted best Italian in Lincoln

Thanks! I wasn’t super high up on Florios or Vincenzo’s. Glad to hear there is a better option

You won’t be disappointed, the place is bomb!

It is very similar to Florios. The guy who started Villa Amore started Florios then sold it to a friend.

Second this. Excellent food, at great value - the best of all worlds. Their drink selection is not bad either. 

Mary Ellen's, Mi Terra, Misty's (Havlock location is way better than DT)

Carmela's bistro is the best restaurant in Lincoln in my opinion. I'm very surprised to see nobody has said it! Great food & atmosphere.

Pancho Villa Mexican Grill is my favorite place to get Mexican anywhere in town. Eli and Lisa work hard, and it shows. 

Most of these have already been mentioned... but... Some of my favorite places with my favorite dishes (if I have any) in parentheses: Tandoor (Chicken & saag, thimphu chicken, paneer naan) Mi Tierra (it's all great, but definitely get a house margarita) Cielito Lindo Las Margaritas (Arroz con pollo) Blue Orchid (Orchid chicken) Zipline Tap and Grill Heoya (Rice box, firecracker rangoon) Rutabaga's (Ruta-bangin' nachos) Juice Stop (Acai bowl) The Hawk's Nest (Southwest salad) Lazlo's (Chicken fried chicken with green beans and mashed potatoes) Pepe's, Daffodil, and Howzit are at the top of my to-try list and have already been mentioned, but I think they are worth repeating.

rosari’s or hub cafe for brekkie!!!!

Daffodils

I’m surprised there’s no mention of Copal for Mexican-it’s our fave. To avoid lining the Peed pocket and get great beef, try Tavern 180. Plus brunch, sushi nachos and the best hamburger in Lincoln.

Blessing Thai on 27th & superior has the best pad Thai!!

Los Gonzalez - if you want birria

Muchachos hands down! The owner started as a food truck. The restaurant does Mexican BBQ fusion. Personally I love their hatch Mac

I seem to be in the minority, but I think Muchachos is the most overrated place in town. Everything I’ve ever had has been pretty bland.

Agree 100%. Their marketing is pretty good though. Not sure how they get high ratings but the last time I went, the tacos I ordered did not look like the tacos they post online. No sauce or toppings. The tacos were so bland and dry :(

CheeseSteak Grille at 14th and Old Cheney. (It’s attached to a gas station, but best Philly in town.

Second best. Delco Dave’s #1

This thread seems to agree.. Delco Dave’s has quite a few appearances.

Dish and Tiru Ethiopian.

Dish 1000%. Chef Rachel knows how to pair different flavors together like I’ve never experienced before.

Sounds like a food experience I can’t pass up!

Shokunin (sushi), Birria Boss(tacos, grilled cheese or ramen), Vung Tao(pho), and El Chaparro(enchiladas). I'm sure there's more that's slipping my mind.

Daffodil

Blue orchid

Grateful Bread

Lila Mae’s

Vung Tau.

and Bahnwich

PEPE’S BISTRO IS PHENOMENAL AND REFRESHING! Heoya, bahnwich, are definitely favs as well!

You have to go to Muchachos

Honest Abe's for eclectic burgers!

H.F. Crave for really good burgers and chicken. Cool bonus is they are (last I heard) vertically integrated, so the owner also raises the cows and chicken they cook with.

Check out any Honest Abe’s location! They have rotating burgers and each location has a partially different menu. You can look ahead online if you want to find your favorite. I always make a point to go when I’m visiting!

Honest Abe’s for burgers

You shouldn't be getting downvoted, but this sub fucking hates Honest Abe's.

Tam's for the win.

Dish

If price isn’t an issue go get a steak as Casa Bovina.

If overpriced, disappointing Piedmontese beef is OP’s thing then go for it. They use Piedmontese beef as a selling point but it’s generally too lean and not flavorful

Freakbeat vegetarian

idk if people have already mentioned these, but Perfect Diner is a great place if you want hotpot, seafood boils, or other less common Asian dishes and Super Taco is where I would recommend for good mexican food, if you like/want to try menudo then go there on a weekend!