For many years, The Eatery has been a fixture in east-central Lincoln. I'd heard plenty of positive comments about the restaurant over the years, so I finally decided to stop in for lunch and see what it was all about. Unfortunately, the first impression could use some improvement. Upon entering, guests step into a small lobby with two interior doors--one designated as the entrance and the other as the exit. Once inside, a host greets you, hands you a menu, and escorts you to your table. Along the way, you pass the restaurant's salad bar, which should serve as an inviting showcase of the food offered inside. Instead, the salad bar was the low point of my visit. On the day I was there, it appeared messy and poorly maintained. A salad bar requires constant attention to keep it looking fresh, attractive, and clean, and that simply wasn't the case during my visit. Given its prominent location, it creates an impression that management should work harder to improve. The Eatery's menu, however, is extensive and impressive. There's truly something for everyone. The unlimited salad bar is priced at $14.99, or $7.99 when added to an entrée. Based on what I observed, that seemed a bit steep, so I decided to pass. Instead, I ordered the Smokey Chicken Stacker with fries on the recommendation of my server. It turned out to be an excellent choice. The sandwich was flavorful, the fries were perfectly prepared, and the meal arrived at my table less than ten minutes after ordering--a testament to an efficient kitchen. Overall, I came away believing that The Eatery serves solid food, but the décor, atmosphere, and overall layout feel somewhat dated and uninspiring. The appearance of the salad bar was the biggest negative of the experience for me. Would I return? If I lived or worked in the neighborhood, probably yes. However, since I don't, it's unlikely that I would make a special trip back. read more

The Eatery - Smokey Chicken Stacker - American Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

Had a quick lunch with a friend. Joined him in a both and the waitress came right by to ask what I would like to drink. When she brought that over we were ready to order. I just had a basic cheese burger and onion rings. It all looked and tasted great. Really hit the spot. Thanks. read more

The Eatery - American Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

There is parking available. We were seated promptly by our hostess and served by a very bubbly server. She was very bright and sunny. Love her. We ordered drinks to start. Hubby getting a beer and me cocktail - orange melon sour. Drinks arrived promptly. Old school style restaurant. It has a salad bar. Hubby ordered a serving of the salad bar. Hubby says it's above average very fresh. He then ordered pizza and for me- the stuffed portobello mushroom Everything was fantastic. I annihilated my plate. Salad was fresh, paired w balsamic vinegar and some mandarins. The mushroom was as huge as a burger and it was sauteed with garlic and there was some sort of pesto applied on it before being stuffed with grilled chicken. It was topped with a slice of tomato and had cheese sprinkled on top of it. Every bite was succulent. Delicious!!! We will be back too. Also the apple pie has no sugar added. Definitely will be back. Good job!!! read more

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Love their pizza. Course I never met a pizza I didn't like!! Lots more great choices, on their menu.

The service was friendly and fast. The lighting was a bit dark for me and it the layout was crowded. Food seemed expensive for the amount you got. For 3 people it cost $50 with tip. The taste of the food was good. Menu needs to be more simple. read more

Everything is good. Burgers are thick and delicious. Breakfast is a must! They have a salad bar with alot of choices. And the staff are always friendly and they fo rhe extra mile to see your meal is good. read more

A very typical place... nothing special, but serviceable food. I ordered the 3 cheese omelette and a Latté. The omelette was kind of dry and the cheese not all melted... flavor wise, not bad. The hash browns were crispy and toast was fine. The latte was pretty weak - definitely not worth the price. My companions had the Ruben and patty melt with fries, which they enjoyed. The fries came prey heavily peppered, which I didn't care for. read more

The Eatery - 3 cheese omelette - American Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

food is overpriced and okay. service is typically quick and enjoyable. server did call my male friend a woman but like it's lincoln ne. everytime i have gone it was filled with older white people and their families. kind of cold inside read more

This used to be one of my absolute favorite places for years and then they changed their menu and got rid of some of their best items such as the turkey burger. It's extremely disappointing. read more

9h my gosh!!! This restaurant is so good. We accidently found it after visiting someone in a near by hospital. We liked it so much that we went there three times in two weeks. Our 1st visit was for breakfast. There are so many wonde4ful things to choose from. That meal was as good as we expected. So, we decided we had to try a lunch and then a dinner. They were equally good. The esthetics are very comfortable and the service staff is very friendly and accommodating. Please give The Eatery a try. I suggest the sirloin tips and mashed potatoes.....it's Yuuummy!​ read more

Very generous sizes! Our table had the appetizer sampler, the Rueben, and the Cuban. The sampler was solid, but was mostly fried items that tended to blend together. The ranch really held the plate together. The sandwiches were delicious, though! Healthy portion of meat and the corned beef was top notch. Our service was the star of the show, constantly stopping by (even though she was busy) and made us feel like we mattered. Even brought a refill for our sodas unasked (which was free), which made us feel all the more welcomed. The atmosphere was like a classic Midwest dinner, nothing crazy but still lovely nonetheless. read more

The food at the Eatery is wonderful, however, I tried to reserve a party room and was not given any confirmation or any response.

Such a great menu and lots of choices! We have been here twice and everything has been hit and delicious! read more

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The food was delicious. I ate it all. They are also very sanitary and careful. The wait was a bit long but not terrible. It's very loud inside but obviously that isn't their fault. The prices are very cheap and amazing for the quality of the food! They also have a variety of foods for anyone. read more

The Eatery - I ate all my food! - American Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

The has so many great foods. I love the service there. The vibes in there are super chill I love the cinnamon rolls they are to die for!!! read more

All looks and sounds great for quite a large variety of choices. I'm doing rack of ribs, and sides. B doing salad bar and soup of some variation. App of hummus and flatbread is really good. Club soda, no ice for me. B having coffee and water. Excellent service from happy staff. Salad bar is way better than average finds. Food quality here is excellent and we agree as a place for return and further evaluation!! read more

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I was already impressed with The Eatery's GF options, but a dedicated GF fryer!?! Y'all are killing' it! Other Lincoln establishments could really take a lesson from what The Eatery does so well. Had to come and update my review today because I came for lunch in between two appointments. The place is packed, but the service is amazing as always and my food came so fast. Got an omelet and swapped out the bread for GF, which they purposely gave butter on the side to avoid cross contamination. Appreciate your concern and attention to detail so much! read more

The Eatery - Chicken Supreme Omelet, GF bread, butter on the side - American Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

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The food was awful. My husband ate the salad bar and ended up with food poisoning. We will not be back.

We stopped in on our way out of Lincoln, and let me tell you it exceeded expectations. I thought we would get a typical diner menu, but no; they had benedicts! I got a veggie benedict, served with hashbrowns, and it was delightful. The only thing that would make this place better would be a full coffee bar / menu (they only have black). Altogether though, loved the food and would go back for sure. read more

The Eatery - Veggie Medley Benedict - American Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

Salad bar has so many options to build a wonderful and fresh salad. Server was attentive to our needs.

Nice restaurant with great staff. Really good food at a good price. We always enjoy our visit here

Food is tasty, seasoning inconsistent. The Angus bowl is excellent. Beef nice and tender, peppers/gravy potatoes complimented the dish. Service was very courteous and friendly. Food came out quickly. However, I gave this restaurant a 3 star because all of the food we ordered...had an after taste of a dirty grill. read more

I was very impressed tonight while eating at the Eatery. I ordered chicken salad, and the manager came out and told me that they only had enough for a half a sandwich. He offered me many suggestions on things I could add to my dinner so that I could still have the chicken salad that I ordered but was gracious in offering other things as well. It would've been very easy for the waitress to come back and just tell me that they completely out of chicken salad. The manager, Nate, was very professional and accommodating. As a past chef, I appreciate this type of accommodations in any restaurant. Kudos to you Nate and the rest of the Eatery staff. Thank you!! read more

Menu has a wide variety. Added plus breakfast is served all day. Nice staff food is good and they are fully staffed with good friendly people. Tables are clean and floors are swept on a regular basis. read more

Manager was very unprofessional and got rude over critiquing of the food! Told us to leave and don't come back!! The Manager harassed us when we were leaving! The wait staff was amazing and treated us very respectful and sweet!! read more

Visited this place second time. Onion soup is really good, fettuccini with shrimps is delicious! read more

The Eatery - Onion soup, fettuccini - American Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

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My family of retired siblings and our Mom (91), had a wonderful lunch at the Eatery. Our service person (Louisa was her middle name) was exceptional! I love the community feel and the love that comes with every meal in your place. Thank you for doing the hard work to keep your place open and providing the quality you have over the years!!! Your food is always a comfort! read more

Nice quite place. Friendly staff. Good food. Will be back when I'm in the area again. Salmon Cake Benedict (loaded) was delicious. read more

The Eatery - Salmon Benedict - American Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

Service is adequate as is the food. A decent quick stop for food. I think perhaps the wait staff should have a change of clothes (everyone had debris on their shirts) read more

If looking for a "Diner, Drive-in and Dive", this would qualify as a Diner. We got there a few days ago as friends took us there. An old building, but recently remodeled. Looks nice. Was coming from the west and because I hadn't been there was in the right lane, because of traffic couldn't change lanes. Hey, a quick turnaround in Wendy's lot. Figured I would turn left and then right into their parking lot. Discovered there was no entry. All this would have been easier if it hadn't been dark. Advice, be in the left lane and pay attention as there is only one entrance and it appears to be going into the businesses next door. The ambiance isn't something we really noticed. It was clean and newish looking. There isn't anything really special about it. Food, was good. As it turns out we ordered the same thing, the Chicken Fried Chicken, she was looking at the Chicken Fried Steak, but was told this something they don't prepare for themselves. Size was down the middle average. Taste was good and the breading added to it. Mashed potatoes and gravy was OK, not really noticeable. Also ordered an appetizer of Onion rings. Now, these stood out as being very good. We both especially liked the 'honey-mustard' dip. Would we go again? Yes, definitely. Would try something different, we liked the looks of the pancakes. Rated it as a 4, because we felt the place did a good job of being a family-style restaurant. Easy to sit in and enjoy the meal. There were 3/4 TV's on the wall all showing sports. They were nonintrusive but if you want to watch a game I would recommend this place they were high and small for the room. read more

Great place to eat! Been there mostly for lunch, but the food is great. Love their pies, salad bar, And their deserts. Options for everyone- even picky e a ters !! read more

Best bloody Mary's in town! Service is always great food is super. Kelly Jen and Jessica are always welcoming love going to see these girls great servers. Special thanks to Doug for saving the day we really look forward to our weekly Bloody Mary you saved the day. read more

I have always loved this restaurant. It's close to my house and has decent food that is fresh and some of it is even healthy. There's nothing that is a solid standout dish, but I've always liked it. Yesterday, our good friends house flooded. We took them a pizza last night, and tonight I thought it would be nice to take them out for dinner and a couple of drinks. My husband chose The Eatery. None of us had any drinks prior to coming to the restaurant. Our friends arrived before us, and she ordered herself a cocktail. We arrived soon after, and I ordered a drink as well, and having been a restaurant manager for about ten years, I was joking with our server that we might need lots of drinks. After we got our food, my friend ordered another drink which never came. She had been working on getting their house cleaned up and dried out all day, and she was tired. She has an involuntary tremor that causes her head to shake a bit sometimes. (As do I.) I went to our server and asked about the drink. She in turn stated that the manager told her that she could not serve our guest another drink?? None of us were drunk, out of control, weird, loud, rude, mean, etc... I have no idea what could have triggered this. She also told me "My manager did a table check and said I couldn't serve her. Would you like to speak to the manager?" I said "Sure." He proceeded to come over and ask what he could do for us, as if nothing had happened. We asked him what we did to cause this- He said "look, I'm just trying to make everybody happy here. I will ALWAYS stand behind my servers." That's admirable because most places fall all over themselves to make a customer happy, but he stood behind his server. Who told us that HE was the one who said not to serve us. What a humiliating experience for all people involved. This restaurant manager/owner should be ashamed. As we age, things change with us physically. Car accidents, life in general can cause a physical issue that could be perceived as different. How dare anyone make me or her or anyone else feel "less than" for this. I'm still uncertain as to what happened but this is the only thing that I can think of. The Eatery is now a huge ZERO in my book. This makes me sad. We are owed a huge apology from someone who is adult enough to communicate rather than using awkward avoidance techniques. read more

These are the reviews I struggle with, the food was good but it seemed sort of bland. I had the chicken fried steak and the gravy was bland the breading was bland. It seemed to have no flavor, smallest eggs I've ever seen. The service was great we had a large party and the server was there when needed. I didn't hate it but I've had better, and when it seems that a chain like IHOP does a better job I think that is troubling. read more

Decent diner-like restaurant. The menu is huge and they serve breakfast all day. They also have an all you can eat salad bar that has over 50 ingredients...but only bacon or ham as meat toss-ins. The staff is friendly, however, I was dining in the private room and they forgot to come take our order. Overall it's a good place with lots to choose from - vegetarian options, comfort food, salads, sandwiches, seafood, etc. read more

Great place great service great food just a all around good place to eat with family and friends

Too expensive for what you get. Mediocre coffee over $3.50/cup? Croissant was extra $1.99 and at least 2 days old. Sausage undercooked and had to send back. Plus, who wants to hear LOUD semi-rap music at 8:30 am? We were the youngest patrons there and we're in our late 60's! Definitely won't be back. read more

delicious place to eat! love their breakfast and great service. I always get their big benedict's or biscuits and gravy!

A family friendly place and there's something for everyone on the menu! I usually order one of the pizza flat breads, this time it came slightly burned but usually it does not. If wanting an appetizer, the whipped hummus with feta is a must! Best hummus I've ever had. There is breakfast items as well if you are into that type of cuisine. read more

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I finally tried this Lincoln staple (formerly known as the Pantry) and I will be back. I was craving a home cooked breakfast and they did not disappoint. Their popularity was apparent upon walking in-at 1pm it was still a 15 minute wait. I was torn between steak and eggs or chicken fried, but opted for the latter. The country gravy was awesome and contained actual chunks of sausage, yum! Secondly, the pancakes were amazing and probably my favorite part of the meal. You can tell they do something special to them and the syrup. Our waiter definitely raved about them. read more

The Eatery - Bloody Mary, ask for it spicy! - American Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska