In general, when we want something gourmet and expensive to eat, we head to a city. But small-town Nebraska restaurants have a lot to offer, as well. These eateries serve up food that’s as familiar and comforting as anything Mom or Grandma used to make, and they do it in friendly, fuss-free style in their little towns. For this article, we’re looking at some great restaurants in small Nebraska towns that have 1500 or fewer residents.
- Cast Iron Bar and Grille, Stuart
Facebook/Cast Iron Bar & Grille If you’re looking for affordable, casual, ridiculously tasty American food next time you’re in Holt County, the Cast Iron Bar & Grille is your place. 806 US-20, Stuart, NE 68780, USA
- Cunningham’s Feed, Arapahoe
Facebook/Cunningham’s Feed Cunningham’s is all about comfort food done right. From juicy burgers to mouth-watering steaks to filling pasta - oh, and a full bar - Cunningham’s has this small town restaurant thing down perfectly. 603 Nebraska Ave #2840, Arapahoe, NE 68922, USA
- Hunter’s Lounge, Waco
Facebook/Hunters Lounge & Keno Hunter’s Lounge offers a simple menu full of familiar and tasty dishes. But it’s more than a place to grab a bite and a drink; this small-town eatery is also a popular local hangout and gathering place. They have live polka nights which always draw a crowd. 311 Midland St, Waco, NE 68460, USA
- City Cafe, Newman Grove
Facebook/NG City Cafe Stop by the City Cafe for a delicious breakfast or lunch that you won’t soon forget. The menu is on the small side, but so are the prices, which means you’ll have enough cash left over to order some amazing pie for dessert. 511 Hale Ave, Newman Grove, NE 68758, USA
- Nowhere Special, Linwood
Facebook/Nowhere Special Don’t let this restaurant’s self-deprecating name fool you - it IS special. This little place serves up some incredible - and memorable - steaks. Nowhere Special IS special. We repeat: it IS special. 310 2nd St, Linwood, NE 68036, USA
- Ole’s Big Game Steakhouse, Paxton
Facebook/Ole’s Big Game Steakhouse Ole’s Big Game Steakhouse is pretty famous within Nebraska for its great food and funky decor: more than 200 big game trophies adorn the walls. No, they don’t serve elephant or polar bear - just the delicious fare you’d expect from a steakhouse smack in the middle of beef country. 123 N Oak St, Paxton, NE 69155, USA
- Six Mile Cafe, Dawson
Facebook/Six Mile Cafe Located in a converted gas station that looks like a house from the outside, the Six Mile Cafe serves up huge portions of traditional American food that’ll keep you coming back over and over. 71380 US-75, Dawson, NE 68337, USA
- The Range Cafe, Bassett
Facebook/Bassett Lodge and Range Cafe Located in the Bassett Lodge, the Range Cafe is a sweet throwback to the 1950s with its period decor and seriously delicious food. They serve the traditional fare that you’d expect in a cattle town eatery with some more modern touches like flavored espresso drinks and specialty sandwiches. 205 Clark St, Bassett, NE 68714, USA
- The Ritz Cafe, Sargent
Sargent, NE This little place in Sargent has all of the home cooking you crave, plus that sweet small-town atmosphere that makes it extra special. Their homemade hamburgers and delicious ice cream get rave reviews. The Ritz Cafe really is puttin’ on the ritz. 102 W Main St, Sargent, NE 68874, USA
- Tub’s Pub, Sumner
Facebook/Tub’s Pub Tub’s Pub is modest on the outside and packed with great food and a friendly atmosphere inside. They’re known for their delightfully Midwestern fare, including a special night dedicated to Rocky Mountain oysters. 107 W 5th Ave, Sumner, NE 68878, USA
- Val Tavern, Valparaiso
Yelp/Diana S. The family-friendly Val Tavern is known for its homestyle cooking, particularly its signature dish: broasted chicken. 210 W 2nd St, Valparaiso, NE 68065, USA
Obviously, there are tons more small-town Nebraska restaurants that serve amazing food. This is definitely not meant as a definitive list of all the best places to eat – there’s at least one in most little towns and villages. And every time you eat at one, you’re supporting the local economy in that town – something that’s especially important as more and more people move out of these small towns. What are your personal recommendations? Let us know in the comments!
Facebook/Cast Iron Bar & Grille
If you’re looking for affordable, casual, ridiculously tasty American food next time you’re in Holt County, the Cast Iron Bar & Grille is your place.
806 US-20, Stuart, NE 68780, USA
Facebook/Cunningham’s Feed
Cunningham’s is all about comfort food done right. From juicy burgers to mouth-watering steaks to filling pasta - oh, and a full bar - Cunningham’s has this small town restaurant thing down perfectly.
603 Nebraska Ave #2840, Arapahoe, NE 68922, USA
Facebook/Hunters Lounge & Keno
Hunter’s Lounge offers a simple menu full of familiar and tasty dishes. But it’s more than a place to grab a bite and a drink; this small-town eatery is also a popular local hangout and gathering place. They have live polka nights which always draw a crowd.
311 Midland St, Waco, NE 68460, USA
Facebook/NG City Cafe
Stop by the City Cafe for a delicious breakfast or lunch that you won’t soon forget. The menu is on the small side, but so are the prices, which means you’ll have enough cash left over to order some amazing pie for dessert.
511 Hale Ave, Newman Grove, NE 68758, USA
Facebook/Nowhere Special
Don’t let this restaurant’s self-deprecating name fool you - it IS special. This little place serves up some incredible - and memorable - steaks. Nowhere Special IS special. We repeat: it IS special.
310 2nd St, Linwood, NE 68036, USA
Facebook/Ole’s Big Game Steakhouse
Ole’s Big Game Steakhouse is pretty famous within Nebraska for its great food and funky decor: more than 200 big game trophies adorn the walls. No, they don’t serve elephant or polar bear - just the delicious fare you’d expect from a steakhouse smack in the middle of beef country.
123 N Oak St, Paxton, NE 69155, USA
Facebook/Six Mile Cafe
Located in a converted gas station that looks like a house from the outside, the Six Mile Cafe serves up huge portions of traditional American food that’ll keep you coming back over and over.
71380 US-75, Dawson, NE 68337, USA
Facebook/Bassett Lodge and Range Cafe
Located in the Bassett Lodge, the Range Cafe is a sweet throwback to the 1950s with its period decor and seriously delicious food. They serve the traditional fare that you’d expect in a cattle town eatery with some more modern touches like flavored espresso drinks and specialty sandwiches.
205 Clark St, Bassett, NE 68714, USA
Sargent, NE
This little place in Sargent has all of the home cooking you crave, plus that sweet small-town atmosphere that makes it extra special. Their homemade hamburgers and delicious ice cream get rave reviews. The Ritz Cafe really is puttin’ on the ritz.
102 W Main St, Sargent, NE 68874, USA
Facebook/Tub’s Pub
Tub’s Pub is modest on the outside and packed with great food and a friendly atmosphere inside. They’re known for their delightfully Midwestern fare, including a special night dedicated to Rocky Mountain oysters.
107 W 5th Ave, Sumner, NE 68878, USA
Yelp/Diana S.
The family-friendly Val Tavern is known for its homestyle cooking, particularly its signature dish: broasted chicken.
210 W 2nd St, Valparaiso, NE 68065, USA
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The OIYS Visitor Center
Best Small Town Restaurants in Nebraska September 23, 2022 Tori Jane What are some of the best restaurants in Omaha? There are hundreds – if not more – of restaurants in the city of Omaha, and it might be kind of challenging to sort through the chaff and find the real diamonds. At the time of this writing, though, there are a handful of legendary Omaha restaurants worth mentioning. In this case, we’ll define “best” as restaurants with the highest ratings and best reviews (that have been reviewed by the most people), and in that case, the best restaurants in Omaha right now include places like Plank Seafood Provisions, on Howard Street, M’s Pub, on 11th Street, Charleston’s Restaurant, on FNB Parkway, and Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano, on California Street. Which small-town restaurants in Nebraska are worth visiting? We have many favorite small-town restaurants in Nebraska, all of which are definitely worth a visit (or ten). No matter what kind of foods your favorites are, you’re sure to find something amazing in small-town Nebraska. Check out The Danish Bakery, in Dannebrog, for some of the tastiest baked goods you’ll ever find in small-town America. And while we’re at it, let’s take a moment to appreciate some of Nebraska’s best foodie towns, like Fairbury, which is known for its amazing eateries, and Stuart, famous for much of the same. You can’t go wrong with just about anything you’ll find to nom on in these small towns in Nebraska. What are some of the best small-town steakhouses in Nebraska? At the time of this writing, there are just so many amazing small-town steakhouses in Nebraska that we don’t even know where to start. Nebraska and steak seem to go hand-in-hand, and we have a few favorites you’ll never want to pass up. There’s the nothing-short-of-brilliant ‘Round the Bend Steakhouse in Ashland, which might just have the best steaks in the entire world, and in Kearney, you can’t miss a go at Coppermill Steakhouse and Lounge, which is one of the highest-rated and most-beloved steakhouses in Nebraska.
The OIYS Visitor Center
Best Small Town Restaurants in Nebraska
September 23, 2022
Tori Jane
What are some of the best restaurants in Omaha? There are hundreds – if not more – of restaurants in the city of Omaha, and it might be kind of challenging to sort through the chaff and find the real diamonds. At the time of this writing, though, there are a handful of legendary Omaha restaurants worth mentioning. In this case, we’ll define “best” as restaurants with the highest ratings and best reviews (that have been reviewed by the most people), and in that case, the best restaurants in Omaha right now include places like Plank Seafood Provisions, on Howard Street, M’s Pub, on 11th Street, Charleston’s Restaurant, on FNB Parkway, and Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano, on California Street. Which small-town restaurants in Nebraska are worth visiting? We have many favorite small-town restaurants in Nebraska, all of which are definitely worth a visit (or ten). No matter what kind of foods your favorites are, you’re sure to find something amazing in small-town Nebraska. Check out The Danish Bakery, in Dannebrog, for some of the tastiest baked goods you’ll ever find in small-town America. And while we’re at it, let’s take a moment to appreciate some of Nebraska’s best foodie towns, like Fairbury, which is known for its amazing eateries, and Stuart, famous for much of the same. You can’t go wrong with just about anything you’ll find to nom on in these small towns in Nebraska. What are some of the best small-town steakhouses in Nebraska? At the time of this writing, there are just so many amazing small-town steakhouses in Nebraska that we don’t even know where to start. Nebraska and steak seem to go hand-in-hand, and we have a few favorites you’ll never want to pass up. There’s the nothing-short-of-brilliant ‘Round the Bend Steakhouse in Ashland, which might just have the best steaks in the entire world, and in Kearney, you can’t miss a go at Coppermill Steakhouse and Lounge, which is one of the highest-rated and most-beloved steakhouses in Nebraska.
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
There are hundreds – if not more – of restaurants in the city of Omaha, and it might be kind of challenging to sort through the chaff and find the real diamonds. At the time of this writing, though, there are a handful of legendary Omaha restaurants worth mentioning. In this case, we’ll define “best” as restaurants with the highest ratings and best reviews (that have been reviewed by the most people), and in that case, the best restaurants in Omaha right now include places like Plank Seafood Provisions, on Howard Street, M’s Pub, on 11th Street, Charleston’s Restaurant, on FNB Parkway, and Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano, on California Street.
Which small-town restaurants in Nebraska are worth visiting?
We have many favorite small-town restaurants in Nebraska, all of which are definitely worth a visit (or ten). No matter what kind of foods your favorites are, you’re sure to find something amazing in small-town Nebraska. Check out The Danish Bakery, in Dannebrog, for some of the tastiest baked goods you’ll ever find in small-town America. And while we’re at it, let’s take a moment to appreciate some of Nebraska’s best foodie towns, like Fairbury, which is known for its amazing eateries, and Stuart, famous for much of the same. You can’t go wrong with just about anything you’ll find to nom on in these small towns in Nebraska.
What are some of the best small-town steakhouses in Nebraska?
At the time of this writing, there are just so many amazing small-town steakhouses in Nebraska that we don’t even know where to start. Nebraska and steak seem to go hand-in-hand, and we have a few favorites you’ll never want to pass up. There’s the nothing-short-of-brilliant ‘Round the Bend Steakhouse in Ashland, which might just have the best steaks in the entire world, and in Kearney, you can’t miss a go at Coppermill Steakhouse and Lounge, which is one of the highest-rated and most-beloved steakhouses in Nebraska.
