Top 6 Cities with the Best Restaurants in Nebraska

Nebraska was the 37th state to join the union in 1867. It is composed of two major regions: the Great Plains and the Dissected Till Plains. The largest growth in population, which today stands close to 2 million, happened during the 1870s and 1880s.

More recent history of the state is characterized by frequent Native American protest, the people who were the original residents of the area hundreds of years ago, hoping to achieve a better political presence on regional issues.

Besides an interesting history, Nebraska is famous for inventing Kool-Aid, Reuben sandwich, and 911 emergency communication system. It is also the only state with a one-house legislature in the nation, has more river miles than any other state, and hosted the first-ever governorship race that had both female candidates in 1986.

Nebraska’s Best Food

As with many other states, the so-called Cornhusker State offers some very unique food choices for its residents and visitors. The spectrum ranges with numerous, diversified types of food originating domestically or internationally.

Those who are newcomers to the state are lucky to enjoy cities such as Kearney, Grand Island, and Lincoln, where one can find dozens of food options the likes of which are rarely seen elsewhere. No matter which culinary town you choose, make sure you are covered with our free quote tool above! 

#6 – Gering

Cuisine: Traditional American Flavors
Must-Eat: Sandwiches, Steaks, and Nachos

With a population of merely 8,360, Gering is one of the smaller towns that offers rich restaurants. Popular places include The Mixing Bowl, Steel Grill, and Emporium Coffeehouse & Cafe.

Paying a visit to the Steel Grill enables travelers to enjoy cooked-to-desire steaks or steak nachos mixed with traditional American vibe that the restaurant breathes. Also, people who are driving through this small city can drop by The Mixing Bowl for one of the signature sandwiches.

Although this restaurant specializes in breakfast options, one can custom-make their entire sandwich to fit their needs.

Ultimately, visiting such a small city does not come naturally unless there is something worthwhile, and these restaurants have been customer-reviewed as some of the best in the state.

#5 – Kearney

Cuisine: Italian and Thai Flavors
Must-Eat: Pizzas and Mango Chicken

After leaving Gering, one might stumble upon Kearney with more than four times the amount of people. Here, the food choices are very different than those mentioned previously, as the main restaurants in the city echo with international diversity.

Popular places include an authentic Italian place called The Flipping Sweet, Thailand kitchen offered atSuwannee Thai Cuisine, and even Tex-Mex combinations like El Limon.

To try meals such as Royale Cheese Calzone, The Mookie, and dozens of signature pizzas that carry Italian customs, people can head over The Flipping Sweet where many customers come to relive their experience.

Those interested in flavors of Thailand can satisfy their yearning by tasting Mango Chicken, Drunken Pork Noodles, or Tom Yum Soup offered at Suwannee Thai Cuisine.

#4 – Bellevue

Cuisine: Oriental and Domestic Flavors
Must-Eat: Sweet Potato Waffle Fries

People particularly interested in oriental flavors may want to hold off their visit to Kearney and go straight to Bellevue. This southern suburb of Omaha is an urbanized area with over 50,000 people.

There, Thai cuisine is further expanded with Japanese, Chinese, and Korean Grills such as Umami.

People can enjoy sushi rolls that are made by cooks with decades of experience or taste chicken curry that is unique to the area. As the city is quite large, everybody wanting some typical American food can certainly satisfy their needs with restaurants like Stella’s Bar & Grill.

With hundreds of positive reviews, one of the major specialties are the sweet potato waffle fries that the restaurant offers. Other notable locations are Korean Grill and Rome Italian Restaurant, thus drivers can eat an Asian breakfast, European lunch, and American dinner all in one day!

#3 – Grand Island

Cuisine: Traditional Deserts and Mexican Flavors
Must-Eat: Chocolate Cakes and Shrimp Fajitas

Continuing the upward trend in population count, Grand Island is another city with population tipping over 50,000. The city offers beautiful trails and gardens that many tourists tend to go to, although their skillset in cuisine is spectacular.

This city has many state-of-the-art locations such as The Chocolate Bar, Tacos Las Palmas, Wasabi Bistro, and Napoli’s. Customers recommend rich chocolate cakes that come in various sizes and shapes, as well as traditional Mexican meals such as tacos, fajitas, enchiladas, and burritos.

These can all be found at The Chocolate Bar and Tacos las Palmas, although one may not want to visit those two in this particular order!

#2 – Omaha

Cuisine: American and Vegetarian Flavors
Must-Eat: Steaks and Sandwiches

Naturally, the largest city in the state had to take place on this list. Omaha, that has almost anything a tourist needs, offers so many different types of cuisine that it seems impossible to pick top two or three choices.

Regardless, the restaurants thriving in the area are The Grey Plume, Kitchen Table, Drover, and Louie M’s Burger Lust.

The experience is based on meat-oriented meals such as juicy stakes that are grilled to perfection, but vegetarians are welcome to try out the food as there are sweet potato sandwich options offered.

#1 – Lincoln

Cuisine: Korean and Vietnamese Cuisine
Must-Eat: Korean BBQ and Tofu Meals

Lincoln is the capital of Nebraska that used to be known as Lancaster before the President Abraham Lincoln got assassinated, upon which the city got renamed to honor him.

Since it is the most visited place in the state, local businesses are well aware of the fierce competition which ultimately drives up the quality of service offered.

Lincoln is known for many things among which is the oriental cuisine that is offered at places such as the Banhwich Cafe and Blue Sushi Sake Grill.

It also has many vegan options that include high-quality tofu with variations of vegetable mixes offered at MaGGie’s Vegetarian Wraps & More and The Green Gateau. The restaurants in Nebraska have price ranges that can fit most people’s pocket.

Places such as steakhouses and sushi bars will be skewed to the higher end of the spectrum, while some basic sandwich and fried food options will be a little cheaper.

To properly estimate how much a meal might cost, one can utilize Zagat, Michelin Travel, and even Bon Appetit City Guides. Ultimately, the exact cost is nearly impossible to predict but people can generally get very close to it.

Driving Safely in Nebraska

Nebraska is located almost in the center of the United States. Driving time from either coast is almost the same, thus many people visit via car. To practice driver’s responsibility and safety, one has to get informed on road conditions, insurance laws, driving requirements, and more.

For example, Nebraska is an at-fault state, which means that those guilty of collisions will be responsible for damages. Also, state minimums for liability insurance are as follows:

• • • $25,000 for bodily injury to one person in a crash
    • $50,000 for bodily injury in a crash if more than one person is hurt, and
    • $25,000 in property damage coverage.

In order to ensure one meets Nebraska’s insurance laws and maintains a safe environment, insurance policies can be compared online to get a good overview of quotes from multiple companies. This way, people can review competitors’ prices and offerings so that the best alternative is selected.

– Renting a Vehicle

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Whether one takes advantage of their personal vehicle or rents a car is a decision that depends on how many miles they are willing to put on their car, how reliable the vehicle is, rental prices, and any additional insurance fees.

A benefit of personal vehicles is the freedom to drive as much as one wants while some rental companies will charge fees per additional miles over a certain threshold.

Also, rental cars tend to have different insurance requirements that companies will offer various deals to help get covered, such as:

• • • Collision damage waivers
    • Supplemental liability protection
    • Personal accident insurance
    • Personal effects coverage

Therefore, renting a vehicle might be more advantageous for those unwilling to undergo the toll this ride will take on their personal car. However, additional fees and mileage limits might be a shortcoming to this option.

– Ridesharing

If neither of these two options sounds appealing, there are always companies like Lyft and Uber that work like a personal taxi service. Obvious benefits are the lack of worry about driving and vehicle safety, while shortcomings can be occasional delays and some additional fees.

People can join and share rides which will drive down the cost per mile, and this way one will save money as opposed to renting a vehicle or using their own.

At the end of the day, the way one gets to Nebraska and commutes while there is their personal choice. Regardless, they will be able to enjoy a welcoming state with hundreds of attractions! Don’t miss out on our free quote tool below! Just enter your zip code and compare rates now!