If I could do a negative 10 I would've, Two different times we did curbside and were treated terrible and in fact the man I gave a five dollar tip too for bringing out our food told us he did not need our business when I ordered a 3rd order. Jan the owner didn't even make him apologize to me. I've been eating here over 60 years. My grandparents knew Jan and Ozzie and my sister in law worked there for years. It has sure changed since Ozzie passed away. Muncie and Dennis are running away many many customers due to the terrible way they treat people. It's a shame because the chicken is really good but I won't give my business and hard earned money to someone who treats me that bad read more

Visited for the first time and was totally disappointed. We were told they were short handed for help,and agreed to go ahead and give it a try anyway. I ordered the 3 piece fried chicken and my friend had a cheeseburger. It took about an hour to get the food. The chicken was mediocre, and mashed potatoes and gravy were cold- The cheeseburger was over cooked, dried out and cold. When we went to pay, I was overcharged and was not Thanked. I will not return, nor will I encourage anyone to visit Lee's "not so famous' Fried Chicken. read more

I'm really surprised to see all the fair to poor reviews here. Lee's is fantastic. I was just here last night with my mother and two of my siblings and we all enjoyed our meals. The chicken was as delicious as ever -- perfectly breaded and juicy. My mother commented on how delicious the coleslaw was. She said it was much creamier and less vinegary than most coleslaws. And the onion rings! As the menu says, they're ugly but great. They're not really rings so much as little onion shrivels. But boy are they good. Beyond the food, there is the wonderful atmosphere, including a live piano player whose music we all enjoyed (and we're an opinionated family when it comes to music). Add to that the knowledge that the place hasn't changed much in 50 or more years, and a very friendly staff. It all adds up to a perfect unpretentious evening out, and one I plan on having again many times. read more

Lee's -- a staple, an institution, a fried chicken paradise. It's true, some of the best Fried Chicken in the Nebraska I had here, but it doesn't compare to Harold's or about a dozen other places in Chicago. Since it's been around so long, it has a huge fan base and the place is packed on Sundays with the after-church crowd and hungover college kids. The sides are not that good, and to be honest nothing is worth getting here except for the chicken. But, to be honest, if you're not a sentimentalist, you might be better off hitting up the KFC or Popeye's and calling it a day. At least you'd get some good biscuits? read more

Have been coming here for years and will no longer be a patron. Thursday night and the place was pretty much dead. Waited 10 minutes for a hello after getting seated and nothing. Can't comment on food, but based on customer service I won't be dining again. After I left this review the general manager sent me a personal message. Offered his condolence for the experience and gifted us a voucher for a meal on the house. I can pleasantly report the meal went off without a hitch and the food and service were great. It reinstated my faith in this long time legacy and staple of the Lincoln community. Now I will for sure be coming back!! Updated my star rating from 1 to 4 read more

We have lived in Lincoln for about 3 years and this was our first time to Lee's. I read the other reviews and we decided we would try for ourselves. We were excited to try this Lincoln legend. First of all our waitress was great, but the food was not that good sorry to say. My husband had the fried chicken and it wasn't seasoned at all. He said it was like eating fried flour , the sides were just okay. I had the all you can eat fish and chips special, I am sorry to say it was the worst fish I have ever eaten. It was rubbery. I tried to eat it not wanting to waste the money we were spending and just couldn't do it. I had a few bites and that was all I could do. You might want to try for yourself like we did. But the food is very bland and don't get the fish. read more

First of all, Lee's does not claim to cook Southern food, and it does not,though some reviews claim it is. Clearly those people have never had southern food. The chicken was ok, very greasy and bland. It taste like something bought from a gas station. Onion rings were no better. The potatoes and gravy had a bad yet familiar taste,but after about 5 min i realized it tasted like they poured a bottle of listerene mouthwash in it (the brown one). My tounge was actually tingling. Waitress really didnt seem like she wanted to be there, not friendly yet not rude. As i stepped in the front door a wave of nursing home stink hit my nose like a brick, and did not get any better through the meal. I paid $14 for 2 pieces of chicken, side, and onion rings, and a water. Way too much! I would rather eat at a local establishment than a chain any day, but I would not eat here again. I have my childhood places where i go, that sells awful food, and i am guessing that is where these positive reviews are from, because anyone with a nose and tastebuds will not enjoy this experience. read more

2.4 stars- I had to round down. 1) chicken is great. 2)Onion rings are a staple worth ordering 3) the rest of the other food is pretty good. 4) doesn't bother me that the dining room looks like it did 30 years ago. I kinda like that. Hey- they could add a little house music to liven up the atmosphere. I think that'd help a lot in the style category. 5) our service was SLOW and UNFRIENDLY. If we had a friendly server who set our expectations- the slow part wouldn't bother me as much. I know- we had a large group of 12. But I felt like even though we had a reservation- it didn't affect how they prepared for our arrival. Put the menus out! Fill up some water pitchers! Have bread on the table! Have water glasses out! It took 35 minutes from the time we sat down to when we put our order in. 1hr 5min until we received our food. read more

The only thing worth getting here is the chicken. The place was last remodeled in the 60's. The salads are uninspiring iceberg lettuce with a few tomato wedges, and grated carrots. The chicken was good. I think the best way to enjoy this place is to just order the chicken to go and make your own side dishes. The pianist playing the Wurlitzer added that indescribable ambiance of the 60's that you just don't see anymore (maybe that's a good thing.) Lee's has been in business since 1949 at this location. I ordered the fried chicken salad which ran about $8. It consisted of 4 chicken tenders on a bed of iceberg lettuce, with tomato wedges. The chicken was good, but the price seemed a little high for the food that was provided. They did have several items for children and seniors, with smaller portions. Get the chicken to go and pass on the dine-in experience on this one. read more

Waited for the hostess for 10 minutes. She begrudgingly showed us to a booth where we again waited for service and never received it. After 10 minutes and no water or any service we left. read more

Wow is about all I can say for this place. I try to believe some places have an off night so I will give them another shot but was I ever wrong. Showed up Friday evening and place was busy but not to busy. We were seated and the first thing as we sat down was the wife had chicken pieces left under her side of the table and the floor was sticky, not impressed at all and even our server told us if she drops things on the floor she pushes them under the tables. Sides came and then our chicken and again I was totally disappointed in all that I had been given with my order. Chicken dry and very greasy and the mashed potatoes and gravy well all I can say is that my 10 year old could make them better in her easy bake oven. We take numerous road trips through the summer and fall and we have eaten at some of the best places in the Midwest for chicken and sides and all I can say about Lee's is I will never be back and they do not compare to even the worst place we have eaten at. Lees needs to be gutted and revamped and cleaned up and the service to be better before I will ever come through the doors again. So if you are having a fried chicken craving in this town hit up your local Popeyes and enjoy the real thing or if you do not mind a drive hit up Big Momma's in Omaha and truly have the real meal deal and enjoy every bite you take. Strouds here we come for another round of chicken goodness and gravy you will drink with a straw. BIG LOVE read more

My favorite restaurant. I eat here at least once a week when I am in town and the food is fantastic and reasonably priced. Can't recommend highly enough. read more

Lee's Chicken hasn't changed for over 40 years I've been going there and that is a good thing. If you are looking for fancy food, you won't find it. Just good old fashioned chicken. The batter is like a light tempura batter that let's the flavor of the chicken come through. My favorite are the onion rings. The are cut thin, battered, little greasy and delicious. I stop here every time I go through Lincoln. read more

We went out for dinner after a very long day of work. I am still new to the area, but my wife is born and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska. She remembered goid memories of coming here as a child. When we arrived we were seated by a young lady, which was her first day. Once she sat us, she never came back. We finally got the attention of either the manager and/or owner. We placed our order excited to try the "famous" fried chicken. I am saddened to say it ROYALLY sucked. The chicken literally had no flavor. The bake potato, which I have no idea how you can screw it up, SUCKED. When we ordered a Coke, there was only 1 can left, which we shared. All in all I am really sorry what once was a great place has so sadly declined. Sorry we will not be coming back or recommending. Your better off going to Raising Cane or Slims Chicken read more

Lee's has been a prominent restaurant in the Lincoln community for a long time. If you love southern-style comfort food (fried chicken, mashed potatoes, rolls, etc.) this is the place to go in Lincoln. The fried chicken in particular is the best in Lincoln. read more

Oh no. Don't bother to come out here; I wish we hadn't wasted even the 15 minutes it took to get here and then spend 5 minutes waiting and waiting for someone to show up at the "please wait to be seated" sign. It was just after noon on a Wednesday, and there were a few customers eating at tables, so where the heck were the staff? After a few minutes' wait, the dank and musty smell of the place got to us and took away our appetites, so we just left. read more

I really wanted to enjoy this food but I just couldn't. The fried chicken was all around bland and nothing amazing. The coleslaw tasted old like it had been sitting around all day and the fries tasted bland and didn't have any seasoning. The Mac and cheese was okay but was scalding hot like it had been microwaved. The gizzards were okay. For the prices they are asking for the quality they're serving forget about it. The only reason I gave it 2 stars was the fact that the service was nice and the food was quick. read more

No issues for the few times I've been here. The food is good and the staff is upbeat.

This is one unique restaurant! My mother goes here at least once a month so when I visited, she just had to take me to Lee's! The menu is pretty small but the fried chicken is a-ok! If you're hoping for the hyper seasoned, KFC style of fried chicken, you'll more than likely be disappointed. Lee's uses very little (if any) seasoning on the chicken and as a result, the natural flavor of the chicken really shines through. My favorite part of Lee's is not the food though, it's the atmosphere. The decor of this place has literally not changed in half a century! It's time capsule-riffic! And the organist!...heh what more do u need?!? FYI, the organ music usually starts at 6:30pm so make sure you go after that if you want the full Lee's effect. Have fun and enjoy your trip to the past! ;). read more

Lee's Chicken Restaurant - Can you say time capsule?!? - American Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

Lee's is a funny little local place with solid fried chicken. It's not fancy, but the beer is cold and the fried chicken is crispy, not at all greasy, and really tasty. If you are looking for rosemary-brined gourmet chicken with grey sea salt, go somewhere else. If you want perfectly prepared, old-fashioned fried chicken in a quirky atmosphere where the history is part of the experience, go to Lee's! (Note: this Lee's is not affiliated with the chain of fried chicken joints of the same name). read more

Beyond the shadow of a doubt, Lee's is the most overrated restaurant in Lincoln. The food is overpriced and comes in small portions. The fried chicken that so many people rave about is good, but there's a Popeye's a few miles away that serves tastier fried chicken in bigger portions for less money. The dining area looks like a 1960s diner that hasn't been renovated since that decade. As one reviewer noted, the dinner crowd here is mostly older people so I assume some customers have a nostalgic attachment to the place. Lee's, Misty's, and Valentino's are the restaurants usually mentioned when Nebraskans discuss the subject of the best place to eat in Lincoln. Misty's actually lives up to the hype, Valentino's is okay, but Lee's is simply not worth the trip. I live less than a mile from the place and I'd still rather eat dinner just about anywhere else in Lincoln. read more

Not worth your trip! Arrived at 6:20 food arrived at 8:00 no appetizers before. Manager swearing, terrible experience!

awesome home cooked food! I would highly recommend Lee's to anyone looking for good food and a great atmosphere. The homemade onion rings are a must also! read more

A family tradition of almost 60 years going to this restaurant. Today to celebrate the close of 2022 we ended it in disappointment. Two meals, one meal a two piece all dark chicken meal and the other a one piece white chicken meal. Total with gratuity over $60. Ridiculous. Every add on Lee's can conjure up was on our bill. Meals came with two sides but now if you want a salad as a side Lee's adds on $1.50 per meal. The complimentary roll's and butter are gone or at least never served to our table, After spending the extra $1.50 for a salad, it was very small not worth a extra charge, chicken pieces cut small, especially the dark meat, plus the one piece dinner, the chicken was served bloody inside. No comp given for serving under cooked chicken. The small side of onion rings ordered vastly smaller in size than previous visits. Add a couple of beers, ridiculous cost, want to make it a red beer add $1.50 to beer cost making one red beer $7.50. All dark was extra cost $1.50 for two pieces. One white piece meal was added over $2.25 to make sure you get a white piece for your one piece. Ozzie and Jan would be mortified at this. No wonder the place was almost empty for business. Obviously they have lost our business. Let's see how long they'll stay in business with every added cost they can think of. I can see our cost if having a higher end entree but for two small chicken dinners. Let's get real. Very, very disappointed. read more

We went to Lee's on a Friday night to try their fish fry. One of us got the fish fry and one of us got the chicken dinner, with onion rings. Onion rings/chips are really really good. It's obvious they are hand done there. The fish was light and not too greasy. The atmosphere is a little unusual; With the organ player and such. Lots of chicken decorations, dining room is 1950s decor and surrounds the bar. The rating of four stars is definitely for the food. The food is hand breaded, and clearly not premade and sent to them. That's a big deal in this restaurant age. read more

Delicious takeout! Family loved it!! Big pieces! We will be back!! Got both white and dark meat! It was all great!! Thank you!

I realize that Lee's Chicken maybe a Lincoln institution, but after today we will not be back and will not recommend it to anyone. The waitstaff all seemed to have a problem with one another. Our waitress brought out our food, one had the wrong fries, which I told her I would take, but she said it was for another table. 5 minutes she came with mashed potatoes for me, I said I had ordered French fries. She left with the mashed potatoes, another 5 minutes passed, all the while the rest of the table had their food and I told them to eat so theirs didn't get cold. She brought my chicken and told me they just dropped my fries in. She could keep anybody's order correct on any of her tables, all the while blaming the kitchen. I did she her carry several orders of fries in and out of the kitchen, but never brought them to me. The chicken was so so, not any seasoning in the coating, and no salt on the fries. I wouldn't even give this a star, but couldn't post without one, read more

Some of the best fried chicken that I have had in a long time. A little pricey, but I think worth it.

I remembered them to be the best chicken restaurant growing up; so when I went back to visit family it was on my bucket list of places to eat. What a disappointment. The place has not changed, and by that I mean it appeared that no repairs have been made in the last 20 years. The bathrooms were filthy, the eating area was in disrepair, the table cloth seemed to be thick vinyl like upholstery. I had great memories that have now been dispelled. I'll do my best to keep the memories by never going there again.1 read more

Its not health food ... but its good food! Must try the onion rings and the onion ring dip. This place has been around forever.

Took my family to eat we literally sat and waited for over an hour for a total of 7 pieces of chicken a shrimp basket and Mac & Cheese let's just say the service was horrible the food when it got to us was cold and they forgot to bring our sides. And let's just say others were waiting as long as us a few people got up and walked out. Lee's isn't what it use to be unfortunately! read more

Lee's chicken is a family staple!! We LOVE their fried chicken either on the bone or as chicken tenders. I don't live in Lincoln anymore but I make a point to stop by Lee's when I'm visiting. read more

Horrible, will never go back. I got wings, onion rings and other food item. The wings were raw in the center and super soggy on the outside. The onion rings was just shredded onion and some breading pulled apart and super oily and put into a bag. Super disappointed. read more

Lees is a Lincoln tradition! It is a bit of a dive, but the fried chicken and onion chips are out of this world. Don't go here if you want health food, but if you want a solid, tasty meal made from scratch, I highly recommend Lees. read more

Fun old style family restaurant. The fried chicken was good and the live piano player created a fun atmosphere.

I have been reading the other reviews and I have visted Lee's recently. In fact, my family has been going there since the fifties. At least 4 generations of my family have walked through those doors. And I can attest to a few things. 1. the decor didn't change in the 60's. Its the same as it was in the 50's when I celebrated by 5th birthday there. If there were any splinters in the benches, they are gone by now. 2. Lee's is as much a part of Lincoln's southside as Misty's is part of Havelock. If you want to take your granddaughter to Popeyes and say I ate here once, well good luck. It will probably be a Taco Bell next week. Lee's is here because of their chicken (and their out of the world onion rings. Not their jello, their salads, etc) 3. The music. I miss Margaret, the blind organ player. It was hokey. It was weird at times. But Margaret put her heart into it. She is missed. It will be always the same for me. A #3 and PBR. Not flashy. Not gourmet. Just the best chicken dinner in Lancaster County. Bruce T. Schwenke Grand Junction, Co read more

I know this place has been around a long time and people say its the best fried chicken anywhere. I just don't see it. I've tried it maybe 5-6 times over the last 25 years. The the fried chicken is bland, and nothing stands out. I want to like it, but it always disappoints. I will try it again soon to see if I can change my review. read more

Oh Lee's! It's a Lincoln legend. I remember coming here on childhood trips to the capitol city and having to drive over this creepy old crickety-rickety bridge. The bridge is long gone, but Lee's is still there, same as when I was a kid. go for the chicken and an order of onion rings. YUM. call ahead to see if they organ player is there. sweet!! and check out that decor! awesome wood paneling, the same as when we came in the 70's. read more

I was visiting from Texas for work.. And this place had good reviews... Mind you this state has nothing to offer so of course the locals would think it was good... I had Mac and cheese that was the best part of the meal... Now the mashed potatoes were instant not real ... instant.. The chicken was very bland and they called it southern friend chicken . It tasted like they only put batter on with no seasoning it was horrible and the hot wings tasted bland as well tasted like fried chicken wings with hot sauce.. I'd rather go to Popeyes or churches and I hate churches read more

Yes, it is 'famous' for chicken, and the chicken was good. Crisp crust, juicy inside. It is good chicken. Everything else was just OK. The hash browns were over done (while I had requested crispy). The mashed potatoes my wife got were clearly out of a box. The service started out enthusiastic and drifted off to indifferent, even on a slow night. I may go back. I won't make a point of it. read more