This is the cutest breakfast nook with its Art Deco decor, plus the breakfast is outstanding! You can choose between 10 toppings on your waffles, but I was feeling strawberries today. Don't miss the cinnamon coffee. Service was excellent. read more

Cook's Cafe - Eggs, ham, waffle with strawberries - Diners Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

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Absolutely delicious. I'm a Biscuits & Gravy connoisseur, & this was delicious. I ordered it with sausage, with the biscuits. The sausage was crispy and awesome. Waitresses were always near & ready for a coffee refill. Place opened at 6am, and had a line at the door by 7am. You want great food, incredible atmosphere, and the sweetest waitresses in town, eat here! read more

Met friends for breakfast. Service was very good. Food arrived hot and very tasteful. I had a pancake ILO toast. The pancake was the size of the dinner plate and was very fluffy and delicious. The restaurant was clean. read more

So yummy it's really tasty! Service was great and the food didn't take long to get to use and this is my 3rd time here! read more

Cook's Cafe - The HOT mess breakfast with sunny side up eggs so yummy - Diners Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

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Hit this up on a Sunday for lunch/brunch and was highly impressed. Packed and a full house but still received amazing service and food. Prices are EXTREMELY reasonable for the amount of food you get. As a newbie to the establishment, I of course had to get my measuring stick meal--chicken fried steak and eggs. It was delicious and the gravy was really good, everything else was also cooked to perfection (eggs, hash browns, toast). You won't leave hungry! I will be back because there are other things I want to try on the menu. read more

Simply put, amazing experience! Food was fantastic. Both my wife and I ordered the sweet combo and a half order of biscuits and gravy. Best breakfast I have had in Lincoln. We are here for a few weeks and will definitely be coming back. read more

This restaurant is a hidden gem. The restaurant itself is in an older building but is well kept and clean. The old school decor adds the the fun. We gladly waited 40 minutes for a table. Our waitress was right at the table, checked on us regularly and always kept our drinks full. The food was delicious. My husband order French toast with home fries, eggs and bacon. I ordered a blueberry pancake (it was huge), an egg and bacon. All of the portions were large and everything was hot and freshly made. One other plus were the prices, very inexpensive. read more

This one of my favorite places to eat breakfast. The atmosphere is also awesome. Easy to get to and a lot of parking.

Good breakfast at a good price with exceptional service. It's simple, clean, and no frills. As I normally do when I'm visiting another city, I went all out. My order consisted of a half order of biscuits & gravy, sausage links, hash browns, bacon/egg/cheese omelette, and 2x blueberry pancakes. The biscuits and gravy were good (and oddly enough had enough pepper...most places never use enough pepper). The sausage links worked well with syrup. The hash browns reminded me very much of waffle house hash browns, which are also good. The omelette was fine, but didn't really stand out. The best part of the mean was definitely the blueberry pancakes. Those monsters were terrific. Even though I gorged, my bill was still under $25. And my coffee cup never got below half full despite my beat efforts and probably drinking a pot and a half's worth. Not sure if this joint is worth going way out of the way for, but if it's close by and you're wanting a nice down home breakfast; this is a great option. read more

Friendly staff, but a former shadow of what once was. Food is just ok. A great place to meet with friends and hang out for a bit.

Inexpensive but yet well-prepared breakfast entrees. Especially good are the home fries. But the wait on a Sunday morning is currently 45 mins to 2 hours! read more

A terrific find ! Tucked away in an interesting location, we stumbled upon Cook's by chance and are so happy we did! The food was well prepared, the coffee was better than any I've had in a diner, and the veggie Benedict was to die for (for you vegetarians!) Chicken fried steak was tender and crispy, gravy was excellent (and if you know diner breakfasts, you know that the gravy is tough to get right), eggs well prepared, and the hash browns were top drawer. Wait staff was friendly and efficient, and prices are fair. We will definitely return if we are ever in Lincoln again. Highly recommend read more

Great food, great prices, great service! We stopped in on our way to Kansas City. We were originally planning on going to a different place, but it was over an hour wait so this was actually our 2nd choice. I'm so glad we came here instead! Everything was delicious and the staff was friendly, even though they were super busy. We still had to wait to be seated, but it didn't take long. Going again today b/c I promised my son. read more

Great place for a down home breakfast. The food was excellent - country fried steak and eggs were awesome! Wonderful cinnamon roll. Service was slow but it was a football Saturday. Server was a very nice person. Family atmosphere. read more

Have tried most of their food. It is great. Wish they didn't close at 2pm. I love breakfast for dinner

The last time we visited this restaurant the service was great!!! The server was really friendly and she gave us tips and pointers about what that popular items were o. The menu.. This time it was the total opposite with the server Kelsey (spell check o. The name). The server had a bad attitude and when I told her I didn't enjoy my Tommystacker pancake that were filled with bacon because they had burnt bacon pieces in them she nonchalantly said "Well try something else next time" and grabbed the plate off the table and walked off. This server acted like she was annoyed with us and huffed when asked questions. The server seemed like she wanted to avoid us as much as she could. The country ham was brought to the table cold and apparently the server didn't care if we enjoyed our meal or not. She acted as if she didn't wanna be bothered with us as customers. We also had to get another server to find her so we could pay for our food. To close out the meal my girlfriend left a tip after the poor service because she worked as a server in her past career for 15 years. I did ask if I could remove the pancakes off the ticket since I barely ate them and she said they couldn't do that without attempting to ask her supervisor. read more

True diner in northeast Lincoln, in the plaza south of the Topper Popper. They stayed busy the entire time we were there, although we did not have to wait for a table at 10am on a Saturday. Tried the peanut butter and banana pancakes, and while they were tasty (add syrup, peanut butter has a drying effect) we now know we should have started with plain pancakes because they are likely amazing!! Chicken fried steak was quite nice, and accompanied with what are perhaps Lincoln's best has browns, plus eggs and choice of bread item - in this case a homemade biscuit baked in a muffin tin ??!! The coffee is quality diner style coffee and refilled with passion and frequency. All customers looked quite pleased with the choices - as were we. We will be back! read more

Cook's Cafe - Peanut butter and banana pancakes - Diners Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

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It's definitely worth the detour to get off of I-80 and drive into Lincoln away from snacks and fast food. It was a typical small diner with a small town atmosphere. It was busy at lunchtime, but they were handling the business just fine, as construction workers and locals dined there. The menu is quite varied with a lot of sandwiches. The choice was difficult, but I had the turkey melt. It came out hot and flavorful. My associate had a cheeseburger, and he liked it. I would get something else next time just to try another part of the menu. And I wish I would had room for the pie. I bet it's mighty tasty. Bridget, our waitress, was a highlight. She kept my ice tea glass full. As we paid the bill on the way out the door I thanked her. She smiled and replied, "Well, don't tell anybody. They'll all want that." read more

Cook's Cafe - A busy Lincoln diner at lunch time with good food. - Diners Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

Terrible food and even worse service. I have no idea why this place is ever busy. Ordered cinnamon roll and it was dry and burnt. When I told staff, they asked "do you want me to do something about it?". Then came back to table and said she turned over to waitress to handle. Waitress then came over to table and left receipt and change with no comment and no adjustment to bill. Will never come back and will discourage others from wasting $ at this hell hole. read more

Pancakes were not fresh. Old and reheated. Could not even cut them with a fork. Sausage was not fully cooked on the inside. Server was very nice. Booth was nasty and had stains all over it. read more

I usually order a menu item that includes Hollandaise Sauce. But if you think you'd want it included with your meal,ask for it. Get the Hollandaise sauce! It is delicious! Really everything g is good there. read more

This is a small little diner, the kind you'd expect in the middle of a small town. Instead it's at the end of a strip mall. It was packed and had people waiting in the doorway when we walked in. Although, we did not wait long. We were seated in ten minutes or less. There was a lot to choose from between breakfast and dinner. We all opted for breakfast food. I shared the peanut butter pancakes and the ham and cheese omelet. The PB sauce on the pancakes was yummy but of course made them dry. I suggest adding some maple syrup. The omelet was decent, the ham chunks were big, and the cheese was kind of the velveeta type. It was good just not the best omelet I've ever had- although I still ate my half. It came with a coffee or tea and choice of toast. There are a lot of eclectic signs all over the wall. Prices were definitely reasonable. read more

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Best breakfast in town! This long time neighborhood restaurant is a draw from all over town because of its consistently wonderful meals. Highly recommend. read more

Exactly what you're looking for in a cafe. Give this place a try. Reasonable prices and good service.

I was in Lincoln for a short trip and this restaurant was recommended to me so I stopped in and had breakfast. I am glad I did. Cook's Cafe was terrific! The prices are great also. I had the sweet combo, 4 slices of french toast, with the peanut butter and banana topping, two eggs, hash browns all for $7.50. One dollar for a cup of bottomless coffee. The service was fantastic. Friendly, attentive service. The next time I'm in Lincoln, I will be stopping here for breakfast. It's great. read more

Thoroughly impressed with the traditional French toast. The cook handled the eggs with aplomb, and amazingly, so, too, my bacon. I always ask for triply crispy and the temptation is to burn it. It's a good value, nice staff and clean. I felt that they should go slightly more upscale, and offer real maple syrup as an option, and allow us to pay a little extra for such. I felt that the orange juice needs to be better. I would gladly pay a premium for fresh squeezed. Outstanding food and value regardless, overall. read more

We had a great experience & a crazy waitress who was enthusiastic & efficient. We waited outside for at least 15 minutes (on a Sunday morning). Breakfast crowds don't linger too long, so it was worth the wait. I loved the waffle: crispy, hot and great. Hubby had the peanut butter/banana waffle: he loved it. Lots of great hot coffee, variety of hot tea. One size of OJ. Basic breakfast food with some original delicious twists. read more

Sunny Day Breakfast sandwich is new on the menu, and a new favorite. Ham and bacon, soft cooked egg on toasted sourdough with dill mayo and tomato is a delicious start. The really nice touch is the side of Hollandaise for dipping or drizzling. Pair with the never-empty cup of Cook's Cafe coffee and you have a winning combo. read more

Everything about this breakfast place is perfect--the food, the kitschy feel, the service. I had a mushroom and cheese omelette. I ended up taking half home because it was a generous size and so good! This may be a weird thing to like, but I was really impressed with the fruit cup. Instead of the usual cantaloupe/honeydew mix, this had blueberries, bananas, grapes, and watermelons. Combined with the coffee, it was an excellent breakfast! read more

Cook's Cafe - Cheese omelette with hash browns - Diners Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

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The wait was a little long for a party of one, but the 15 min wait wasn't too bad for how packed the place was. Unfortunately, there wasn't anything too spectacular about this place. I had a Western Omelette with salsa on top of it. I did like the huge chunks of ham, bell peppers, and jalapeños. The flavor was great, but it could've been better with a tad bit more spice in the salsa. The style of the food is just a tad bit better than a Denny's so I wasn't too impressed with the amount of food I received. However, the waitresses were great, very friendly and made sure my coffee and water were always full. I would definitely come back again just because of the service and the quick turn around of my order. read more

Cook's Cafe - The Western Omelette with a side of house salsa. - Diners Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

Had the cheese steak couple of weeks ago. It was better than any I had in philly. And I've had quite a few as my cousins drug me over to philly . That being said Philly would have to take second place and the servers were very nice. Been waiting for Jess to open and am totally satisfied . I agree with what Kris posted read more

I'm updating with one more star. Since Mr. Cook left things got a lot better from a customer service perspective. And, their eggs Benedict (a weekend special) is a lot better than "nicer" restaurants. Bridget is the best server! We love her!! read more

Cook's Cafe - Diners Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

Cook's Cafe is a super cute restaurant. The food and service are amazing. The workers are super sweet and make you feel right at home. The workers always attempt to make a personal connection with every customer. This is by far my favorite breakfast/brunch place in Lincoln. I would definitely suggest it to anyone who wants to have a calm morning. read more

What a delicious surprise! A little gem right here in Lincoln. Generous portions of real food (not food science ;). Prices on spot. Rarely do we leave a restaurant with the thoughts we would return with loved ones. Thank you!! read more

Favorite breakfast place, the prices cannot be beat and such quality food! Love the environment as well! No complaints.

Always packed, but worth the wait! Great food and friendly staff! Been here several times and each time we try something new. Never a disappointment. Homemade food at a great value! read more

Cooks is definitely a dive, and I'm usually all about the dives. This place is a little greasy spoon, and when I first entered I was giddy to try it. What happened next was a below average cafe meal and terrible service. Our waitress made no eye contact, and pretty much asked us what we wanted to order and just slammed it on the table along with the check. That's all we got. No check back. No coffee or water refills. Nothing. The food? Not great. Like I said before, I love a good greasy, small town kind of cafe. This isn't a good one at all. The omelet I had was pretty tasteless and the 'cheese' on it consisted of a slice of American cheese placed on top (not melted mind you). The coffee was hot, brown water. Blech. If you want a good greasy spoon try The Hi-Way Diner or Virginia's or if you're in this neighborhood go to The Bethany Cafe instead. read more

Awesome breakfast. Teenage kids loved the chicken fried steak sandwich. I had the turkey breakfast sandwich and it was great. Breakfast menu is huge. Great service. We'll be back. read more

Classic place for breakfast They have one of the best chicken fried steak breakfast I've ever had. A definite must check out read more

Based upon Yelp reviews, we selected Cook's Cafe for breakfast one morning. This is a popular place with the locals, and if it's 10AM or later on a Sunday you will likely encounter a wait due to high popularity. The place is relatively small and cozy, with a casual atmosphere. We were a bit overwhelmed by the heat and humidity in Lincoln and while I personally would have wished for more powerful air conditioning in the cafe, I think the temperature in the restaurant was likely just right for the locals. (I'm menopausal so I'm always hot!) Cook's Cafe serves more traditional comfort food, so if you are a foodie expecting artisinal ingredients this won't be your cup of tea. But if you are a tired traveller looking for traditional and filling breakfast fare that won't break your wallet, look no further! We were in a bit of a rush, and I let our waitress know this. She seated us and immediately took our orders to help us on our way, which I deeply appreciated. I ordered eggs benedict with hashbrowns, one of our girls ordered a swiss cheese omelette with hashbrowns, and another had peanut butter banana pancakes, and the last had a waffle. My eggs benedict was good, as were the hashbrowns. The girl who had the swiss cheese omellete reported that it wasn't swiss cheese as we are used to in the Pacific Northwest, it was processed swiss cheese and so gooey it stuck to her teeth. Sometimes we're caught off guard with little regional differences like that--she loved her hashbrowns, so all was forgiven! The girls who had waffles and pancakes reported they were good and filling. Special kudos to the wait staff who worked at a steady, efficient, and friendly pace on a busy Sunday morning--they didn't even break a sweat! If I were to travel to Lincoln again, I would definitely come back for more breakfast comfort food. read more