We came for a birthday dinner. Service is phenomenal. Ambiance is laidback Reminds me of when i was a child. Enjoyed the live music. There is an organ and an organist playing familiar oldies. Food was phenomenal. The hand battered chicken and gizzards were delicious so were the shoe string onion rings. Coleslaw fresh and delicious. And our server was fantastic. One of the best meals ive had in a while. Delicious!!!! read more

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Always amazing food here. The staff is always very friendly. A little hidden gem in lincoln read more

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Super excited to go to a fried chicken restaurant!! I ordered what I thought would be a good sized meal. 3 pieces of chicken, fries and salad. My 3 pieces seemed small , then I found out 2 of them were a breast cut in half. Really? My fries were warm. My dinner mates were cold. I love fried chicken but felt like I didn't get what I paid for . read more

No food!! Left hungry for the first time ever! Went for a good filling Sunday supper and was stiffed! only had salad on the buffet, what a bad representation of this restaurant! No onion rings! No French fries, no fish! Are they getting ready to close? read more

A blast from the past! The best fried chicken in Lincoln. The ambiance hasn't changed much since my parents had their first date here in the 1970's, but that's part of the magic! read more

In a word: awful. I appreciate the nostalgia the place exudes, but food was not this bad back in the 70s. The value was horrible. The best thing was the onion rings, which were not onion rings but more a mash of onion strands sprinkled with cornmeal and then deep fried. The salad was in a bowl that you could mostly cover with an open hand. The soup was in a bowl about the size of those bowls Chinese restaurants use for sauces. We could not describe what parts of the chicken were served. We guessed breast because the meat was white. The drumstick was small and overcooked, almost black. The grilled chicken breast was, at most, a thin, flattened four-inch-wide patty, tough and dry. The theme carried through to the restrooms: like the inside of a chicken coop. But here is the best thing: Dinner for two including tip was $52.00. read more

Ever had that hankering for some good old crispy chicken like grandma used to cook? Here's the place to get good golden brown not oily chicken at a place you have to drive a little ways out as a key destination. The wait staff is super friendly adding down-home hospitality to keep you coming back. The environment is full of a well seasoned neighborhood crowd who enjoy the ambiance of the 40's music selections, and the classic decor. read more

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They don't make restaurants like this anymore. I stopped in while visiting family in the area. The vibe is relaxed and I thought it was great that they have a guy playing the organ while you eat. The chicken is good and they offer one beer on tap, Busch Light. This isn't a fancy spot but it's awesome. Just a relaxed place to eat chicken and drink cheap beer. read more

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Fourth time to visit there. First off the sign said they were open, doors locked. Had to call to open the door. When you walk in there is always a smell of a gas leak. Ordered our meal. The dinner rolls were like hockey pucks. Chicken was ok, as well as service. Probably won't go back. read more

The classic and still outstanding. Got it to go in the back of the restaurant- helpful staff, filling, fresh, fried to perfection chicken tenders. So glad Lees lives on! read more

First, walking into the place is a sort of small town, generational family building, and local icon for those who enjoy it. The restaurant is large, but the table settings are cozy and small. They had a live pianist when I went there with my kids, which was entertaining. A reason for the docket star is that the place has a musty smell and takes some time before you become accustomed to it. Just know that the interaction and food will be worth going in. This is an ode to how long the establishment has been around (Generations!) The food here is delicious and can be unique. The fried onion straws are mainly a favorite of mine, although be aware of the grease they'll have at the bottom. I imagine anything chicken and fried to their specialty will be incredible. I was a bit disappointed with my burger, though. There was a mistake in the order for added cheese, and it was a bit charred. Grievances aside, this place gets four stars instead of less because there was something magical about the place. My kids complained while we were there, but it must have left a profound impression on them. To this day, I hear them requesting to go back nearly every week. Ultimately, it isn't about being perfect, but being personal, approachable, and charming goes a long way. read more

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food was good and service was great. I have only one thing I didn't care for the chicken was only seasoned on the skin. I guess I thought it was marinated. Just my thoughts overall good food and great service. read more

Affordable, country cookin' and great fried chicken. I haven't found a really great spot for fried chicken in town, and Lee's is definitely a contender. Mac-n-cheese was yummy. Would get more stars if potatoes were real! read more

Lee's Chicken Restaurant - American Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

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Even though I've only been to Lee's chicken a few times, I can say that the first time might not have been the best experience because of staffing shortages, but the my other two times visiting they were fully staffed and had live music, and retro atmosphere. So ever since they got more employees, every time I've been there I've gotten my food sooner and it was made to perfection. I would say if you were to look and the old pictures and then look at the rooms and decor in the place, you could see in as a glimpse but in time. The live music, I'm not sure what the schedules are but it will probably be on a piano, and they do have specials some days. read more

one of the worst restaurants in lincoln. i went there and i found a bone in my chicken sandwich, along with a hair in it...

Gizzards are overdone you can only eat the coating not the gizzard. The tasty sandwich is sucked. It is not Lee's chicken anymore. It all was terrible. I will not recommend anybody to go there anymore. They're terrible. I give him a zero apps that they couldn't take my card didn't take my address. Couldn't hear what they were saying. Totally terrible. Never again. I've been going there for 40 some years. I will never go there again terrible. read more

My family ate there for Easter we all got sick.Everthing was in cheap foil pans. It didn't even have rolls.

I saw this place on a Food of the Big 10 program. Dined about 3PM on a Saturday. The fried chicken was good, five stars. I didn't care for the onion rings - thin onions so the ratio of fried batter to onion was too much for my taste. As it was between lunch and dinner staffing was low, but it was fine. The order came out correct and hot. Yeah , it's an old restaurant but Lee's wears that as a badge of honor, not shame. The bar scene was active, the restaurant had about 4 tables going. read more

My grandma, who is 88 years old, refers to Lee's chicken as the place that has better chicken than KFC. It is her favorite spot in town. The chicken is always moist and delicious yet the breading is always crisp. A delightful paradox. You can order online through their website and drive up to the backside and pick it up. They've been doing takeout from the back since before the pandemic but the online ordering has been a nice addition. You can't go wrong with the mac & cheese and fries as sides. read more

It was my mother-in-law's birthday and this was her pick after recently moving back to Lincoln. My husband remembered coming to Lee's 40 years ago as a young child. We walked through the front doors and nothing had changed in 40+ years (they are celebrating 75 years this year). Frankly I was a little apprehensive. This restaurant knows it is in a time warp - they even say so on their menu - and they don't care. They remain focused on doing what they do well. And that is fried chicken -really, really good fried chicken. And the homemade desserts were the icing on the cake. The Oatmeal pie sounds odd, and is definitely unique, but is worth a try. But the Sour Cream Apple is amazing. So if you're in the mood for good, old-fashioned dessert and some of the best fried chicken you'll ever have, it's worth a trek out to Lee's. read more

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I don't know what the hype was all about? I tried their "famous homemade ranch" and it was all watery and gross. The food was worse than school cafeteria food. Some hospital cafeterias are like amazing.... NEVER AGAIN. I got two dishes for pick up and the inside of the place was old and nasty. Smells of old people and cigarettes. Again NEVER AGAIN!!! read more

Me and my family stopped by here while visiting in Nebraska. The server was very nice and got our stuff out to us quickly while being sociable and funny. There was a live piano playing which set the mood for a relaxing get together. The food was good, but it was a little cold when it got out to us, although when we mentioned it the waiter got us out completely new Tastees without complaining! A great place for the family. read more

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My wife ordered a three piece all white and it came with a thigh and a leg. Thought they just messed up on the all-white but they said a chicken thigh and leg could be either or white. read more

Lee's Chicken Restaurant - My wife ordered a three-piece all white came with a drumstick and a thigh and one piece of white meat - American Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

this is the chicken standard to which all others pale in comparison. it is juicy not greasy. the right amount of breading and we get it at least once a week. by carry out. the to go gal even knows our dogs and has treats. this is the way restaurants used to be, and i'm glad still is! read more

Just had Lee's Chicken for the very first time. Being the oldest restaurant in all Lincoln, Nebraska, I love the positive atmosphere it has. Need a good place for chicken, hamburgers, and seafood? Lee's Chicken is the place! I give this restaurant an A+ read more

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Ordered 8 piece all dark and onion rings. Not much flavor in chicken breading and not juicy. Onion rings breading not crispy. Staff were friendly. read more

Firstly, I am a big fan and supporter of locally owned places. At home or traveling will always look for a local place first. Same goes for both of us a big fans of fried Chicken So when I saw that there was a place in Lincoln that not just served it, but specialized I was anxious to go. We did have some trouble finding it, the first attempt was using the address, but the app took us someplace as it turned out wasn't even close. A few days ago we drove to Lincoln for the purpose of a dinner out, only the second it the past several months. It's an old building located what used to have been in it's 'heyday' outside of the city but on a road well used into Lincoln. We thought we pulled to the backdoor but realized the entry sign was in front of us. The inside is 'old' be decor, but it could also be seen as traditional...BESIDES they make fried chicken. It was a Friday evening, early for dinner...but we wondered if they were even open as there was only 3 cars in the parking lot. Ordered the Onion rings. We were warned that they were the string kind not the large ones which are more common. We were OK with this, especially me, as where I grew up, many places had them this way. They tasted pretty good, although could have been drained of much of the oil. I had salad and she the potato soup. Salad was OK, nothing special. But, her soup was just plain bad. We both tasted and tried to make out what was wrong. I voted for no seasoning, she said it tasted as though they used potato water and added a thick cream. Main dish! The chicken arrived. First impression was the helpings were of an 'average' size, not as large as expected from a chicken place. We each started eating and after about both of us ate about half of the breast we looked at each other for the other's opinion. Consensus?? Dry and bland I grew up where there were several chicken restaurants, each had there 'own' way of cooking it, each was different but for my tastes all were good....THIS WASN'T. If this was a place with a wide menu I would call it a 2 out of 5, but it is place with a specialty and it was very good. 1 out 0f 5, sorry but what was supposed to be the best was the bad. My thoughts and recommendations are this is a classic example of a place who was good to great, had large following. There are photos going back, my guess is to the 50's or 60's of a crowded very popular place. Someplace along the line they started making 'small' changes to the recipes. Then more changes. It's easy to convince yourself 'people won't notice', but they do. I can count and am sure anyone of even middle age can think of places they used to frequent that they don't any longer or don't even exist...because management FORGOT what made them popular, The Village Inn franchises come to mind as only one example. If they want to hold and possibly salvage their business and reputations...go to the archives and FIND those old ways of doing things and cooking. Otherwise accept it and close up.....By the way... I don't think there was ever more than 8 tables filled out of probably 50 or 60 and a entire room was empty.. People have already voted... (by the way the hashbrowns were bland also, cutting up potatoes and frying them with no seasoning isn't really very good) read more

The atmosphere is strange. I felt as if I'm visiting a 1940s church that served beer. I'd advise stop playing the live piano. This just does not flow well with the atmosphere it should be. The pianist played music very depressing which made me want to leave while waiting for my food. Overall just a strange place. read more

Honestly gotta say this place has some pretty good food. I'm not from Lincoln so decided to try it out. I got the two piece combo#4, and it was great. Mac and cheese was good, even tho I didn't put any salt and pepper on it( I normally do). Chicken was not as bland as one of the people posted on the review. And the fries were perfectly seasoned. Didn't eat it all because it fills you up quick. Would recommend to others to try if you go to Lincoln. read more

Lee's Chicken is for the old fashioned lovers. Shoe string onion rings are the best one could hope for. We visit Lee's when we need a fried food fix...our staple order always consists of gizzards, onion rings, and of course, their fried chicken. I walk Pioneers Park often, but their water system isn't always available during summer months. Lee's Chicken welcomed a straggler with no money on hand when in need of a drink. Good ownership, good staff. Will always support. read more

68 year old Lincoln resident, been here many times over the years, all the way back to the 1960's. Sorry to say, the place has gotten worse with the passing of time. First off, we showed up at opening time, actually a few minutes after, and the door was locked. We knocked and somebody finally came to open the door. Seated by that person (only customers at that time) and had to wait 10 minutes for a server to show up. Ordered drinks and waited 10 minutes for the server to return (I reiterate we were the only people in there). Ordered our meal and it showed up after 45 minutes. Basic chicken dinner, their specialty, and we sat that long. Not good. Nor was the chicken. It's not BAD, but bland and flavorless. We'll get our chicken from Russ's instead, it has flavor. Just like Lee's had years ago. The last few times we had ordered carry out, thought maybe eating in might help. Wrong. read more

I got a three piece with fries and slaw. The chicken was probably some of the best I've had. The service was great and the food came out hot and fairly quick. I don't know how you couldn't love this place. I'd rather eat here than some soulless National chain any day. read more

Very slow service. Onion rings served cold, as were the chicken sandwich, chicken tenders and fries. Let the server know who brought hot fries but left the other cold food. Asked for the check when we checked on the ETA of the meal due to the excessive wait but it wasn't brought as requested. Had to follow up again (further delays). Haven't rated here in years. I remember why now. read more

We have lived in Lincoln for quite sometime and had never been to Lee's so it has been on our list for a while. We stopped in for lunch on a Sunday. There atmosphere is old school and you could just feel the history as you walked in. There was a gentleman playing piano and singing. He walked around to the tables during his breaks and greeted people taking requests. The waitress was super friendly and very attentive. In general you felt like you were family by just being there. The food came out quickly and it was everything we expected. We had the famous onion rings, I had the chicken fried chicken and my date had the chicken fried steak. The onion rings were out of this world! We could put them down. The chicken friend chicken was awesome too. The chicken meat was very juicy and the breading light and crispy not like anything I have tasted before. I know we will be back when we are in the mood for some good old fashion comfort food, friendly people and a good song or two. read more

Lee's Chicken Restaurant - Chicken fried chick and onion rings. - American Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

Not much has changed over the years at Lee's. The food is still delicious. I had the chicken and baked potato. The special sour cream and homemade salad dressings are fabulous. Always a great stop when visiting Lincoln. Emaud was a delightful server and took great care of us. read more

Lee's is right out of "Diners, Dives and Drive-Ins". The atmosphere is the 50s and I've been eating here for years. The staff is friendly, the place is clean. The fried chicken is just heavenly. They cut their own chicken and it is extremely tender, juicy and flavorful. The fries are good and the onion rings are a legend. They're more like onion strips, but, Ooo. Lee's is one of only a very few restaurants that have been in business since the Capitol building was new and is uniquely Lincoln, Nebraska. If you like great fried chicken, try this place. read more

I have some pretty cool friends who decided to do their wedding reception here. I kept hearing about this giant chicken statue outside and I had to admit, pretty epic. The atmosphere of this joint is super casual. Several roomed restaurant and we kinda just took over one big one for the party. My friend had asked ahead for gf options for me and they were great about accommodating my allergy. One of the servers took me around the buffet and let me know I could have most of the sides and they brought me out my own plate of baked chicken. Everything was very tasty, totally down home cooking style. Chicken was well seasoned and moist. The servers were super friendly and helpful with my allergy. I'm definitely curious as to what this place would be like for a regular dining experience rather than the reception.. I'll be back for more chicken read more

Are used to go to this place when I was a tadpole with my grandparents. I recently took Miss Piggy there on a bit of a nostalgia tour. Wow certainly not health food, you can do a heck of a lot worse when it comes to this homestyle cooking. The police doesn't look like much but what they do make certainly hits the spot. This is one of those places that cooks food like your grandparents cooked. Take the kids, get the food to go, and move right along (footloose and fancy free) to Pioneers Park for an amazing picnic experience. read more

Let's just say you don't come here for the decor of plywood walls and appearance like you traveled back in time or the old time songs played live on an old school piano. you come here for the food!!!! The gravy is a food group on its own and when combined with the chicken is out of this world. Mashed potatoes are a favorite!! The pot pie is the best thing on the menu puff pastry on top of their famous chicken and gravy!!! Everyone was jealous if my dish. Also onion rings are a must with a side of Prilosec! Only complaint is our take out orders have been messed up before resulting in a 30 min drive back. And wait staff could be friendlier!! But it's a staple in Lincoln that has been around forever. read more

Lee's Chicken Restaurant - Chickens everywhere!!! - American Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

Lee's used to be my favorite restaurant in Lincoln, but the last several times i ordered their shrimp (that is what i always order because it used to be the best shrimp in Lincoln) the shrimp was so tough i could barely chew it. it appears to be the same shrimp that they have always served, but just tough as nails. being quite expensive, it's not worth taking the chance that the shrimp will be in-edible, so we've stopped going to Lee's. on the up-side, their world-famous onion rings are still very good and their baked potato with famous Lee's home-made sour cream, is just as good as it has always been. EDIT: i would be remiss not to mention the entertainment. it's something that was part of my childhood, and i'll be 60 years old this year, and the piano is still a special part of Lee's Chicken. read more