Great food! Breakfast was delicious! The staff was friendly and even though it was super busy the morning we were there we were seated in a reasonable amount of time. read more

Grate food and serve cool fire house it was clean and all 3 serving were grate there was this kid about 13 that was there helping his grandma grate helper and was helping us with a smile on his face read more

I ordered the blueberry pancakes with a side of fried eggs and hash browns. The size of the pancakes was ideal in my opinion they were on the larger side but not so much so that they sacrificed any flavor. I enjoyed the number of blueberries that were in the pancakes. It was the perfect amount! I wish there was an option for some sort of flavored syrup but overall they were great. read more

Food was awesome! Service was very average. Nice place overall.

Still the best cafe in Lincoln! Used to come here every week with my classmates while in college. Was back in town for a wedding and took my family for brunch today. There was a line out the door when we arrived with our party of 10. The staff was amazing and had us a table arranged in just 10 minutes. They even provided fresh hot coffee while we waited. I had the ribeye steak sandwich with a side of Au Ju. It was fantastic just as I remembered! My wife got the special(Bacon avocado eggs benedict) there was not a scrap left on the plates. They should be added to the regular menu. The kids loved their Mickey Mouse pancakes and bacon. Overall an great experience and most definitely worth the wait. My wife even scolded me for not bringing her sooner. We will be back for sure! read more

Nice place very good food. My biscuits and gravy was great. My wife had the loaded hashbrowns and loved them. STAFF was very friendly. The decor really stood out. read more

The eggs Benedict here is freaking fabulous! My husband got their chicken fried steak and it was so good he barely said a word until it was gone Though it was busy, as expected for Sunday brunch, we were seated and served pretty quickly and the service was friendly. Definitely going on the recommend list. read more

Engine House Cafe - Eggs Benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

Saw this place driving by a couple times, people waiting outside. Great breakfast food. Didn't try their lunch. Waitresses are fantastic and such an authentic place. Gotta go to if you are in Lincoln. read more

After seeing others' reviews and pictures on Yelp, I must admit, I was sold on trying this loved, hidden gem of Lincoln's Historic Havelock area. Upon entering the cafe, I there was an obvious warmness to the space. It wasn't a glaringly, fluorescent lit room; there wasn't any trendy furniture anywhere. Just tables, each with their own diner-esque caddy of jelly, salt & pepper, sugar, creamer, etc. Our server wasn't too chatty, which I sometimes prefer. Let's be honest, some days, I just want coffee, food and solitude. She was off with our order. I figured now would be a good time to use the restroom. It is located down a long hallway, then turn right, and a little more hallway. Let me also include, you will pass the kitchen, the backdoor to the outside, and when you are in fact, finally seated in the restroom, you will feel like you are RIGHT next to the kitchen/dish staff. Then the dishwasher started. Yikes! Yes, the bathroom was clean, no, it was definetely not fancy or cute. Just as I got back to the table, our waitress arrived with our food. My guest had the Engine House Special and I had the Breakfast Sandwich combo. Both meals were served on plates with what I would describe as "character." You won't find prestigious china here. Probably not even new Corelle. But the plates have been served up to 1,000's, I'm sure. Good for them. The food was good. The portions weren't craaazy generous, but we both left full and I had to leave about a 1/4 of my sandwich behind. My hashbrowns weren't as crispy as I was hoping, but in all fairness, I did not request them so, for fear of getting them overly done. My breakfast sandwich was good, but I do feel like the sausage patty on it, was a close releative of something resembling the patties of McDonald's and such. Quite thin, pre-pressed, sad piece of meat. My guest's meat was quite thin, also. All in all, I would return again, if I was in the neighborhood. For our two meals, one fountain drink & one water, with tax., I paid a little over $16.00 before the tip. Seriously? A warm, filling breakfast, fast service, and a piece of history. What more can I say. Give this place a try. read more

Engine House Cafe - Sausage, egg & cheese breakfast sandwich with hashbrowns - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

See all

All around great breakfast place. Food- 4.5 stars. Great omelet with chili and jalapeños. Very good hash browns and toast on the side. Awesome sausage gravy and biscuits as well. Wifey got eggs benedict which she said were good, and she is a benedict snob. Atmosphere- 5 stars. It's in and old firehouse... What more can you want. They even have fire hoses and other firehouse-esque stuff laying around. Service- 5 stars. Super nice and perfectly timed. Value- 4.5 stars. Good deal not great. read more

Was in town visiting friends and they raced about this place. Typical diner fare. Food was tasty. I loved my cappuccino. I truly enjoyed my Benny but it wasn't out of this universe or even the best I'd ever had. I'd go back but my biggest complaint would be the cleanliness and I didn't even see the kitchen. Food was all over the floors and hallway and the bathrooms looked like they hadn't been cleaned in a month. Very unappealing. I'm glad I didn't notice this until our way out. read more

Came across this wonderful place during our cross-country trip. Located in a historic firehouse, it is tastefully decorated with cool memorabilia, that gives a glimpse at life of the town throughout decades. Service was great, hostess and waitresses were kind and accommodating. The place was full, which is always a good sign! We were in for a treat - had avocado eggs Benedict (delicious!) with best hash browns we ever had. Another meal featured 8oz steak, which was perfectly grilled and very tender. Definitely a must-visit when you're in the area! read more

NEW POLICY..... if your whole party isn't there they won't seat you. They leave you standing there with open tables looking like a fool. I recommend telling them your party consist of how ever many people are currently there at the time, even if it's just you, say party of 1 and then say your friends showed up. I was on a tight schedule as I had to catch a plane out of Omaha a few hours later. I didn't care if my friends didn't make it in time. I wanted to eat and get on the road. I couldn't do that here at this restaurant so I left. read more

This place is absolutely adorable! Best ambiance of any restaurant in Lincoln. Love the decorations on the wall--so much history and character. If only the food was as good! All our food came out lukewarm, the vegetables in my husband's vegetable eggs benedict were nearly raw, my pancakes were undercooked (raw batter visible), and the pancakes came not with butter but some kind of spread that was "48 percent vegetable oil"...not the best taste for spreading on a pancake. But, it's nice they have lots of combo options, and service was friendly. read more

We've taken visitors a couple of times since we moved to Lincoln. The breakfast is simple and relatively inexpensive by brunch standards. It is also very popular so you will wait in line and there's not a lot of room inside to wait so bundle up or go early. Make sure everyone you want to eat with shows up at the same time. This isn't the kind of place that wants you to lounge about - eat and move on to a coffee house if you want to catch up for hours. I heard Engine House is known for benedict. My FIL usually eats poached eggs because of dietary restrictions so I figured this would be a good spot, but EHC doesn't do poached eggs, they do only basted eggs. Basted eggs make tasty benedict though and for my most recent visit last week I enjoyed a special version with avocado and bacon with the bacon cooked well done enough that it was crispy (yay!). The hash browns taste buttery and delightful - not super crispy, but cooked well. Tabasco hot sauce is the only available, no other that I could find - not that important to me. It's the Midwest, not New Mexico. The server kept our coffee and water full. My friend wanted tea and honey - that took a little longer - tea isn't a cafe staple. I appreciated our server's friendly but efficient ways - get us served but get the table turned. When you're the one waiting to eat, you'll appreciate it too. read more

This is our go-to for breakfasts when we are in Lincoln; great food, generous portions and a friendly staff. The wait can be long, but well worth it! read more

We wanted to find a neat location for a Sunday Brunch. Was dropping children off at UNL for summer camp. The venue is small and they have limited seating for groups larger than four. There are two tables that can handle 6. The service was quick and the wait staff attentive to our needs. The food came out fast and was wonderful. A must visit. read more

We are classmates that came to enjoy breakfast before we go help teach at NorthStar! Hannah said "this is the best restaurant breakfast I have had". And we agree. So yummy. I was here Sunday for the first time. Came here again and got the same thing (biscuits and gravy) because it was so good the first time! You should 100% come eat here :) read more

I went here with a couple of friends on a Sunday morning to try their notorious brunch. I had no idea it would be so busy! It's a small shop, so you are going to have to wait a bit, but it's definitely worth it. I got the chili cheese burrito with a side of hash browns. The half order was still huge! It was very delicious and very reasonably priced. Overall, great place for brunch in the historic havelock area of Lincoln! read more

Engine House Cafe - The chili cheese burrito with hash browns - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

See all

Food gets 5 stars. Service gets 1 star. Got seated right away but took forever for someone to come to our table and bring us coffee. Saw our waitress only when she took our food order and when she brought us our check. Last filling coffee cane to our table and said "you good here?". How about "would you like more coffee?". When paying the lady gave me two slips of paper and walked away. Not friendly at all. read more

Good food but need more help! Walked out without eating after 5 tables that came in behind us ate and left and still no food. Waitress said several orders came in at once rather than taking accountability and just telling us our order was misplaced. Guess they are so busy that they don't care about repeat customers. read more

Absolute gem. This place is always packed and is such great breakfast. I always get avocado eggs Benedict and think "I'm not going to eat all of it" but then it tastes so good, I eat all of it. The other standard breakfast items are divine. Down to their toast! read more

Excellent every time we go! First time for French toast, simple and delicious! The large OJ is large, they don't skimp! Go early to avoid waiting, 8:30 no problem! read more

Hubby & I ate breakfast here this morning. We came in just 30 minutes before close, but they were real nice. Not a big place, but big enough to have a group. The food is down home cooking and wasn't greasy. I got the Eggs Benedict with bacon, and it was quite a mound of food. Came with two eggs, cooked perfectly, with crisp bacon, and hash browns. Hubby got 2 eggs, toast & hash browns. He also like the coffee too. Nice place, I would recommend it! Small update...they close at 2, so be sure to get there in time. read more

Horrible service. The lady didn't give me 2 minutes to order. Then she came back 90 seconds later. I had half my order ready and basically went with her preferences. Mind you my mom was waiting to order as well read more

On a road trip, and wanted to have a nice breakfast. Found this place on Yelp. The cafe itself is small and has lots of firehouse memorabilia on the walls. It was busy for a Thursday morning and with only two servers we waited for a short time before we were seated. First the coffee was great and the servers kept my cup full. We ordered one Chocolate Chip Pancake (it was huge) with a side of sausage and a South of the Border Potato Platter with toast. Perfect portions and very tasty. Would stop again. read more

One of the Best Breakfast spots in Lincoln !!! Great selections and service Go early to avoid the wait Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!# read more

Would give a five, but could not get past the old oil frying smell.... If restaurants would ditch the carpet, sorry it's gross. As far as service and food, it was great. I will definitely try it again. Just hope owners read this comment. read more

Good breakfast Place was pretty full Wait was a bit long. I'd go again. It's a bit loud in the main dining room. Place seems to be a real part of the community and neighborhood. Coffee passable. read more

So glad I found this place on Yelp! Was visiting from Chicago to see my kid at UNL. First, I love this little town. Yes, I get that its now part of Lincoln, but it still retains its own identity. The town is so cute with quaint buildings and interesting facades. Love that this place was an old firehouse. The brick walls and unique, original firehouse bits are warm, welcoming and instill a cozy feel that you don't want to miss. Folks are super nice and genuine. The coffee is good, the refills keep coming with a smile, and the food is solid. Get in here and put your money into a local, family-friendly restaurant. It's a special place and visitors and locals should do what they can to help keep it in business! read more

Food was decent but the service was not the best. Waitress was not very friendly at all. Just threw our silverware on the table. Not very attentive. Wouldn't recommend read more

This place is just a really good, classic diner food kind of place that hits the spot when you need a big 'ol breakfast!

My first time here and you would think it's been around for 80-100 years, but Engine House Cafe opened up I believe in 1995. The place if full of authentic items such as fire house photos and such. I ordered the eggs benedict with steak and it was great! My coffee mug was kept filled by attentive wait staff. read more

The reviews for this place are spot on. A few things to address: the place is a small town spot and all the locals know it because it's that great. It's a converted fire house. Parking is Street parking with the first 2 hours free. No waiting area inside, just the doorway, so when the line is long, you could be standing outside. The service is fast and they're quick to assist you. Make sure you get there early because the line starts at 10am it not earlier. I was there at 10:15Am and the line formed quickly after that. The food is a classic old town taste, really delicious. The only criticism I had was that the hash browns were a little undercooked, so that was disappointing. This place makes a great cup of coffee as well. There is a counter for those who don't want a full service table. You pay at the register yourself once done eating. The place is always packed, I recommend going. You don't want to miss this place! read more

See all

So worth the wait! This place was great! The three of us all ordered different breakfast items and we were all happy. The only suggestion I would have is that the portions could be bigger. But the prices are decent and the food tastes great! I highly recommend this location for a delicious breakfast. Perfect little whole in the wall! Trust me, it's worth the wait when you arrive! You'll soon know what I mean :) read more

The food is good but a person can go anyplace for good breakfast food. The food came out like warm and I did not feel good while I tried to eat it. read more

My favorite breakfast place in Lincoln. Such a wonderful atmosphere. Gives very homey breakfast vibes and the food is absolutely the best. Took my dad who is a retired firefighter and he loved looking at all the memorabilia. read more

Everything I've had from the breakfast menu has been good and reasonably priced. Love the building and staff is friendly.

I finally got around to trying out Engine House and I'm glad I did! This place has good food, excellent service, and wonderful charm. I went on a Sunday morning with my boyfriend, and when we got there the place was packed. We ended up having to wait for a while, and then volunteered to sit at the bar so we could eat a bit faster. Sitting at the bar ended up being fine, and it certainly made our hungry tummies happier! I ordered an eggs benedict, and it was pretty damn good. The eggs ARE NOT poached (which would be my major complaint), but the english muffin was huge, the bacon was crisp, and the hollandaise sauce was good and the dish wasn't drowning in it. Even without the poached eggs this benny is pretty amazing. I got hash browns with it, and they were extremely undercooked and I lean the other way-I like them nice and crispy. If you're like me and you like them crispy, I'd make sure to put in a special request with your server. My boyfriend got one of their potato platters, and the bite I had was sinfully good. These dishes are heart attacks on a plate. Country style potatoes smothered in cheese, meat, sauces, eggs....oh wow. The decor in this place is awesome. There's exposed brick everywhere and memorabilia from its days as an actual fire station. There's lots of history in this space and you can tell they take pride in it. Last but not least, this place had wonderful service. I didn't once complain about my hash browns (I had plenty to eat and I didn't consider it that big of a deal) but the manager noticed that I hadn't eaten them. He asked if I had ordered them undercooked and I said no. He apologized and said he'd talk to the kitchen. What attentive service! I'll definitely be back to try this place again. read more

I've always loved this place... Not that Lincoln is a that big of a city or anything, but this place perfectly captures small town dining in a way few other places in Lincoln can anymore. I always go for the potato platters, a good hearty breakfast without being overly greasy. Reasonable prices, friendly service, neat-o torpedo building, great food, what's not to like? Really, the fact that it is always packed for breakfast tells you as much as you need to know. read more

Engine House Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska