A co-worker and I were having a conversation about a place he went to over the weekend. He lives in the area, but had never been there before. After hearing about the older lady at the counter and her son behind the counter, I interrupted him (hopefully kindly) and asked if it was Greg’s Drive-In (1202 N Cotner Blvd). We both got a kick out of the fact that we have lived here well over 10 years and never heard anyone talk about the place.
My first experience was a few months ago with my entire family. We had a bad experience with service and another restaurant in the area and just needed a place to get something for the kids. I saw Greg’s Drive-In across the street and we gave it a try. Despite being empty at noon on a Saturday, we had a fantastic hamburger and fries. I have nothing but positive words for the service we received from Greg and his mom. The interior is decorated with model airplanes and interesting aviation pictures.
Can anyone else comment on Greg’s? How long has it been there? Why has it been empty the times we have been by it?
My wife and I made it there for opening day, and then my kids and I made a return trip the next day for a quick dinner.
The Burgers
There are two sizes, the regular (which has two hamburger patties) and the little (which has one). In both cases, I stuck with the little bacon cheeseburger, ketchup and mustard only. It’s good, but not great like I was hoping. PO Pears (R.I.P) and Red Robin still have a better burger in my opinion.
The Fries
The best advice I got from the helpful employee was to share even the regular size of fries. Not only do they fill the container full, they dump an extra helping in your bag for good measure. The fries are fresh cut from potatoes (that are stored in the dining area). Opening day, I got the cajun seasoning, but I actually liked the plain that I had on day two better.
The Hot Dog
My 3 year old isn’t much for burgers, so she got the cheese hot dog. I snuck a bite, and if you want a hidden gem here, get one of these!!! With all the talk about the arena, 5 Guys Hot Dogs should be considered on the vendor list.
My Verdict
I’m very pleased that we have burger and fries option downtown again. As you wait for your food (and over the next few weeks it will be a long one) you can grab a dish of peanuts on the way in. My only real gripe is the price. I’m often criticized for liking Reb Robin which has $10+ hamburgers. But at 5 Guys, the burger is $4.50, the fries are $3.00 and a regular soda is $2. I’m not sure if I’ll be a regular, but I know I’ll be there often.
After my last few complaints about nothing on the north side, I have to take it back. After working out at the Fallbrook YMCA, my kids and I made a stop at a restaurant/bar called Toast (570 Fallbrook Blvd, gettoasty.com).
The inside was nicely decorated and had an upbeat soundtrack playing in the background. The specials board caught my eye right away and it forced me to make a decision, Pastrami or Buffalo chicken sandwich. I chose the pastrami and I was very pleased! I didn’t have a camera with me, but this was really a deli style sandwich, marbled bread and spicy mustard (the only thing I left off were onions).
There wasn’t a kids menu per say, but the person taking my order told me they had a kids PB&J with apple sauce. It was a hit with my two kids. I wouldn’t call it a complaint, but I was confused that a drink came with my sandwich and the kids meal, but not chips. I paid the extra $1 for them, but it just wasn’t clear what did or didn’t come with anything.
We finished the meal with a scope of scarlet and cream ice cream from the UNL dairy store!
To me, this is what a locally owned restaurant should offer. Perfect service, great food and a reason to come back. I will gladly pop over to my personal profile page and give this my best of Lincoln sandwich designation!!!
P.S. – They have an agreement with The Mill for coffee as well! I’ll have to go back and check out this place as a coffee shop. Plus they are a full bar!!! I’m very pleased that they are open here on the north side of town.
We recently visited Red Robin to celebrate my daughter’s birthday, since it is her favorite restaurant, and had a wonderful experience. The restaurant was packed and we waited about 20 minutes, when we sat down we were greeted right away by our server Chad. He asked us how our day was, and when we asked back his response was “Great, we are busy, it is beautiful outside and I have to say it is a pretty good day!” We were really thrown back by this. Usually you get the response of “Okay, we are really busy” and they hate the fact that they are there.
We had two coupons from their birthday club, one for a free shake and one for a free burger. He honored both of them without hesitation. He split the shake up between both of my daughters and brought out fries before our meal as an “appetizer”. Our food came out hot, quickly and was very good. Once we were done eating, he made sure to bring out a sundae, balloons and the crew to sing the birthday song. I know that is seems like this is normal protocol for this restaurant but he really went above and beyond to make sure that everything was perfect. It was one of the best customer service experiences that we have endured in months. Thanks Chad and Red Robin for a fantastic lunch!
A co-worker and I were having a conversation about a place he went to over the weekend. He lives in the area, but had never been there before. After hearing about the older lady at the counter and her son behind the counter, I interrupted him (hopefully kindly) and asked if it was Greg’s Drive-In (1202 N Cotner Blvd). We both got a kick out of the fact that we have lived here well over 10 years and never heard anyone talk about the place.
Can anyone else comment on Greg’s? How long has it been there? Why has it been empty the times we have been by it?
