JEFF KORBELIK / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Thursday, July 21, 2005 7:00 pm
NORTH BEND Rick "Little Ricky" Elofson has a way with prime rib.
"Hey, I'm a natural," the owner of Little Ricky's Saloon & Grill said after my companion and I shared one of his half-pound cuts.
His skill is a tad amazing considering he never cared much for the dish.
"I wasn't a big fan," he admitted, "until I started doing it."
Now, he can't get enough of it.
"I like to finish it off on the grill," he said. "That's the way I like to serve it."
Little Ricky's has been a popular spot for prime rib on Friday and Saturday nights since the small-town bar and grill introduced it in November.
That was when Elofson a big bear of a man re-opened his restaurant after a six-month renovation.
He took over the building next door and turned Little Ricky's into an impressive operation with a large non-smoking dining room, a bar area with shuffleboard, foosball table and TVs and a cozy party room with its own bar.
The kitchen, which served only burgers and sandwiches before the renovation, went from 87 to 900 square feet.
Elofson had to get rid of his beer garden to make room for his bigger kitchen, but it was a trade-off he was willing to make. More space allowed the former truck driver an opportunity to expand his menu.
He serves steaks 10-ounce ribeye ($12.50), 8-ounce filet ($17.50), 14-ounce Kansas City strip ($18.50) on Thursdays through Sundays and the half-pound prime rib ($12.95) on Fridays and Saturdays.
On Wednesday, he sells breaded hot wings for 35 cents each and goes through 1,000 of them each week.
"We're doing OK," he said. "We're getting people from Fremont, Columbus, Omaha, Lincoln, West Point from all over in here."
Elofson grew up in Wayne, where he worked as a bouncer and bartender. The experience sparked an interest in owning his own place.
He opened Little Ricky's in 1996 and began serving food two years later.
The drive north on Highway 79 is picturesque, especially north of Valparaiso when the road becomes hilly and curvy.
Little Ricky's is located downtown about one block where Highway 79 crosses Highway 30. It's a great complement to the town's cafe and pizza parlor.
In addition to steaks, the menu boasts a variety of burgers, melts and sandwiches, which cost between $4 and $5.50 each. Fries are $1 extra and "maxi" fries are $1.50.
Elofson said the big draw other than steak on the weekends is the chicken Philly combo ($6), which my companion and I also tried on our visit.
The sandwich features chopped grilled chicken breast served with grilled onions and bell peppers and topped with melted Swiss cheese on a white or wheat hoagie bun. It came with the "maxi" fries.
We also sampled a German melt ($5.50), a burger served with Bavarian-style sauerkraut and melted Swiss cheese, with fries, and an order of hot wings ($4.50).
The wings are similar to those once found at Hooter's in Lincoln.
We enjoyed our trip. The people were friendly and the food was good.
Reach Jeff Korbelik at 473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com.
Dining out
Little Ricky's Saloon & Grill
North Bend
Atmosphere: Casual
Specialty: Bar food, steaks, prime rib
Payment: Cash, checks, major credit cards
Hours: 5 p.m.-1 a.m. daily (kitchen closes at 10 p.m.); closed Tuesdays in the summer and Mondays the rest of the year
Phone: (402) 652-8383
Notes: Alcohol, smoking in bar area, party room, catering, steaks available Thursday through Sunday and prime rib Friday and Saturday
Editor's note: Ground Zero is off on its traditional July road trips to visit restaurants in nearby communities, close enough for an evening meal on a hot summer night.