The Congress Inn Restaurant is open again, with new management and a new name - Woodees.

Even better news: The food is very good and may remind diners of the former Kuhl's Restaurant, with outstanding breakfasts and some of the best burgers in town.

Woodees opened as a restaurant and lounge the first week in May and operates next to the adjoining Days Inn & Suites at 2001 West O Street. Lincoln-based Lambert Investments owns the entire complex.

Woodees is run by Kansan Andy Hubka, who operated restaurants in Aurora and Beatrice before opening his new place in Lincoln. He manages Woodees with Debbie Girard, who works as one of the servers.

Hubka decided to open the restaurant after two people - a Capitol Beach resident and a food salesman - told him about it.

The Congress Inn Restaurant, believed to be the first Lincoln eatery to serve Chinese food, closed in December 2007. Its history dates back to 1959.

"When I talk to people from Omaha or anywhere else, they say, 'I know that place,'" Hubka said. "It's been a lot of fun bringing an old landmark back to life."

Woodees specializes in a homestyle menu, with breakfast available all day. It's a diner, so hamburgers and sandwiches are par for the course. The restaurant also serves handmade pizzas.

The only entree that could be considered "gourmet" would be the Woodees Omelet - a three-egger stuffed with hash browns, sausage, onions, mushrooms, Swiss cheese and served with toast ($6.95).

I enjoyed the omelet. It's not fluffy like those at most restaurants, but more crepelike. Woodees is generous with its ingredients, which are sauteed before being stuffed into the omelet.

I was more impressed with Woodees' burgers. They are available as quarter- or half-pounders. There is the "Big Wood" for the insanely hungry. It features two half-pound burgers with grilled ham and American cheese.

I ordered the half-pound bacon burger ($5.50). Burgers are deluxe (lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles) on a sourdough bun and served with potato chips. I opted for fries for $1.95 extra.

The burger was flavorful, and not greasy or charred. It just was a good piece of meat.

My companion on the lunch trip tried the grilled chicken salad ($5.75). He enjoyed his meal as well. The dish featured romaine lettuce with grilled chicken breast and cheddar jack cheese. It came with a roll and 4 ounces of dressing on the side.

Woodees offers daily lunch specials, including the always popular hot beef sandwiches on Sundays and Mondays. They come in two sizes: small ($4.50) and large ($5.75).

The pizza ranges from $5.50 for a single topping small to $13.50 for a supreme (hamburger, pepperoni, Canadian bacon, green peppers, onions, black olives and mushrooms).

Service was good. Servers wear Woodees polo shirts - a nice touch. They are quick with water, tea and coffee refills.

The interior is a tad stark, even cafeterialike. There is table, booth and counter seating. The color scheme is blue and white. The white walls seem to make the place feel bigger than it is.

Of course, I don't usually go to diners for the ambience. It's about the food. Woodees has some good fare to enjoy.

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