The Eatery Restaurant — Restaurant in Lincoln

If I could provide a rating of zero, I would. The food was average at best. Overall, the servers were good/friendly. But, an individual from the kitchen, who claimed to be the general manager, was extremely rude, inappropriate, and confrontational. He engaged in an argument with a table of three (two older gentlemen and a woman) that was very clearly escalated by him, and that became disruptive for the entire restaurant. His actions were extremely unprofessional. Our entire table was shocked and appalled by his behavior. We will never eat here again.

EDIT: After reading the response from the owner, I am even more dissatisfied with the restaurant and the owner because of the mischaracterization of the situation in the response. It is quite possible the kitchen employee/GM provided false information to the owner to cover his own backside, but the following is what we observed and what we were appalled by:

We were seated a few tables away from the group confronted by the kitchen employee/GM, and the conversation was somewhat loud, so we could hear most of what was said. One of the men at the table had made a complaint about safe access to the front door of the restaurant in relation to the ADA. We could not tell if any of the three were disabled, but the kitchen employee/GM had inappropriate and negative things to say about the ADA and the man's complaint. He then began disparaging the man based on his age. He made inappropriate comments about the elderly nature of the man, with veiled threats regarding how young and strong he was. This is what appalled us, as we, along with many of the other patrons in the restaurant at the time, are a little bit older (some retired), and what he said was completely inappropriate and offensive.

There was no mention of any threats made by the man, or of any physical altercation involving the man. If either had happened, it surely would have been brought up at the time. Instead, the kitchen help/GM was getting into the face of the man and puffing out his chest. It was, from our perspective, very confrontational by the kitchen help/GM. This was all happening when the party was getting up to leave the restaurant. They had only been in the restaurant for a few minutes. Then, after the party had exited, and were getting into their car, the kitchen help/GM went outside to confront them again. He took pictures of their car and of them and got into their faces in a threatening manner again. It was clear he was trying to instigate a physical altercation. We were not interested in his apology and the reason we were "missed" by him is that he knew we heard what he said and saw how he acted.

As to why we were there, we decided to have our meal at this establishment based on the overall star rating and high reviews here on Google. Unfortunately, it is now clear to us that this establishment is using a system to populate positive reviews. When you compare the number of reviews this place has "received" with the number received by other, more popular, restaurants, you'll see an unusually high number of reviews. Please don't be fooled. Look at the one star ratings. You'll see a very clear pattern of bad tasting food and rude behavior from those actual reviews. We wished we had looked at those before we went.

Again, nobody from our party will ever eat there again. And, I'm hopeful this review will help others make a...

....went to the establishment on easter with daughter and dad..... I had to take some time to calm down before writing this, because my initial reaction was pure frustration. I’ve been coming to this place for years, and it used to hold such good memories, especially the times I spent here with my dad. But after my most recent visit, I honestly don’t know if I’ll ever come back. The experience was incredibly disappointing and not at all what I’ve come to expect from a place I once loved.

To start, the food was barely warm when I got it. The portions were noticeably smaller, and everything lacked flavor. The pancakes were cold and soggy, and the blueberries in them tasted off—like they were spoiled. I couldn’t believe how underwhelming the entire meal was. It’s clear the quality has gone way down, but the prices have gone way up.

What really got to me was the price versus the value. I paid nearly $50 for what felt like a sad, overpriced takeout order. The potatoes came in such a small serving, I thought it was a joke—especially when they cost as much as a large fry at a fast food restaurant. It’s insulting, really. The meal felt more like a rip-off than a dining experience.

The worst part is how this place now has the audacity to expect tips just for walking food out to your car. If I’m paying that much for a meal, the least I expect is hot, flavorful food and a decent portion size. Instead, I got something that could be blown away in the wind. There was no effort, no care, just a clear attempt to make a quick buck.

It honestly hurts to write this, because this place used to mean something to me. But they’ve clearly lost their way, prioritizing profit over quality and customer satisfaction. It’s not just disappointing—it feels like a betrayal. I hope they realize how far they’ve fallen before they lose even more...

Food was decent. Service was great. Ordered chicken fried steak based upon other reviews. The chicken fried steak was good but not great, it is a pre-made frozen standard food distributor item so it really wasn't special. Food came out very quickly and was hot. The server was very sweet and attentive and great job. I of course wanted mashed potatoes and gravy as one side but was shocked my other side couldn't be a side salad even if wanted to charge a small amount more - only option was order 2 sides and add a one time trip to the salad bar. Most of the side choices are some form of potato and I believe was green beans (I don't like) or a veggie mix (again I don't like) so I got mashed then ordered a baked potato with idea to take home for later and added one trip to salad bar. I think the owner should consider making a small little salad (a basic side salad) as a $1 or $2 upcharge. To pay $3.99 when meals have 2 sides is a bit much. I will say the salad bar had good variety and everything seemed fresh and looked good. Because I did pay $4 I loaded the plate and added all kinds of toppings when truly just wanted a basic side salad. Also the booths are kind of low, the seat part is so soft you sink into them which makes the table at an odd height to eat from. I am not extremely short, I am average height so this wasn't me. If wasn't for the salad and booth I could overlook the premade frozen chicken fried steak and would have given 4 stars. I would next time avoid supper and stick to breakfast or a sandwich/burger due to the side choices and lack of changing to salad since I am not a green bean or veggie...