JournalStar.com

DAY 4: Eating from A to Z

By JEFF KORBELIK / Lincoln Journal Star
Tuesday, Dec 26, 2006 - 05:26:04 pm CST
With 27th the only north-south street that runs all the way through Lincoln, it’s no wonder restaurants open on or near it.

According to the Nebraska Restaurant Association, there are more than 80 of them.

Instead of naming them all, we decided to give readers our ABCs of eating on the street.

We hope you have as much fun reading the list as we did compiling it, and you may have some even better ideas for the letters.

A is for Applebee’s. With four restaurants in Lincoln, it’s not surprising the popular corporate chain put one at 3951 N. 27th.

B is for Breakfast. From Cracker Barrel at 6900 N. 27th to Village Inn at 2949 N. 27th and 7101 S. 27th, Lincoln residents can satisfy early-morning cravings for bacon and eggs. For pancakes, there’s always the IHOP at 4501 N 27th.

C is for Coffee. Need a caffeine jolt? Try The Coffee Connection, 824 S. 27th St., where you can get espressos, mochas and cappucinos, too. 

D is for Drive-in. The servers at Sonic aren’t on rollerskates, but they still bring the food to your car at 4001 N. 27th St.

E is for Egg Foo Young. The Imperial Palace, 701 N. 27th St., is one of Lincoln’s oldest Chinese restaurants.

F is for Fast Food. Amigos. Burger King. Runza. Popeye’s. McDonald’s. Wendy’s. Taco Inn. Taco Bell. Taco John’s. Taco Del Mar. And more.

G is for Great. Out-of-the-way favorites that rarely disappoint include China Inn, Beacon Hills, Sinbad, El Rancho, Thai House and the best of the bunch, Wilderness Ridge.

H is for Hamburgers. Red Robin serves good gourmet burgers at 27th and Pine lake, diners can find hearty ones at Chili’s, 6730 S. 27th St., and Ruby Tuesday at 27th and Superior and Brewsky’s at 27th and Cornhusker are known for their burgers as well.

I is for Ice Cream. Baskin-Robbins has a shop at 6835 N. 27th for those of you with sweet tooths.

 J is for Jambalaya. This was a tough letter, but after some searching we found out that Popeye’s at 5955 N. 27th has chicken sausage jambalaya.

K is for King Kong. The giant gorilla draws travelers off Interstate 80 for its ½-, 1- and even 2-pound hamburgers.

L is for Late Night. Up late and hungry? Try the burritos at locally owned D’Leon’s at 1221 N. 27th or some hot wings from the Wing Zone at 501 N. 27th.

M is for Middle Eastern. Sinbad’s at 27th and Orchard streets and Holyland Cuisine at 313 N. 27th can meet your need for kabobs, kubbeh, hummus and more. 

N is for Neighborhood. PieZano’s, with its takeout pizza and all-you-can-eat spaghetti feeds, epitomizes the neighborhood restaurant. The owners at the joint at 2740 South St., know their customers by name.

O is for O Street. A handful restaurants are located at or near the city’s focal point, including El Rancho, Tacos El Pueblo, Tam O’Shanter and Cafe de Mai.

P is for Pizza. Plenty of pepperoni to go around: Little Caesar’s at 965 S. 27th, Valentino’s at 27th and Nebraska 2 and near 27th and Superior, PieZano’s, Papa John’s at4411 N. 27th and Old Chicago in SouthPointe Pavilions at 27th and Pine Lake.

Q is for Quizno’s. The chain’s TV commercials are as good as the sandwiches at their SouthPointe shop. 

R is for Ribs. No list is complete without BBQ. Famous Dave’s at 27th and Pine Lake Road is one of Lincoln’s finger-licking favorites.

S is for Sandwiches. Subway, Quizno’s and Mr. Goodcents all have great sandwiches, but the best are at M&N Sandwich Shop, 728 S. 27th.

T is for Tacos. The latest addition to Lincoln’s growing list of Mexican restaurants is Las Magaritas near SouthPointe.  

U is for USA. USA Steak Buffet near 27th and Cornhusker joins Gourmet China Buffet at 5130 N. 27th and Golden Corral at 3940 N. 27th as places for those who like eat all they can.

V is for Vietnamese. Some of the best pho (beef noodle soup) around can be found at Vung Tau, 27th and Y, and Pho Nguyenn at 611 N. 27th.  

W is for Wilderness Ridge.  Yes, we know it’s a ways off 27th, but nearly everybody takes 27th to get to one of Lincoln’s elite steak and seafood restaurants. 

X is for Xtra (full). What you’ll be if you try to eat at 80-plus restaurants on 27th Street.

Y is for Yeast. Which is used in the fresh baked goods at Panera Bread at SouthPointe.

Z is for Zoo. Yes, there’s even a cafe where the peacocks, monkeys and goats live.

Reach Jeff Korbelik at 473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com.