Heron Bay — Restaurant in Nebraska

Established in 2002, this hideaway is hidden a few miles south of Springfield and about a mile north of Louisville along Highway 50. While many bars pride themselves on their vast entertainment options of TVs, pool tables, and other bar games, Heron Bay is different in that it encourages its customers to relax and take in the scenery. As one dines outside, soft country music plays over the speakers (or a band entertains on stage), and they can enjoy the sunshine, a cold brew, and be captivated by the activity of the river.

Heron Bay is about as laid back as it gets. My girlfriend and I visited in the waning hours of a Sunday night and relaxed at a riverside table as we listened to the chatter of families enjoying the river, admired a couple of cuddly house cats, and took in the beautiful sights of the Platte River. Ordering our meal was interesting as menus are not handed out. Instead, we referred to a chalk board near the entrance that gave us the daily options of a burger, pork tenderloin, Philly, of chili dog with tots or fries. The prices are a bit higher than what a typical bar would charge, but it can easy be argued that part of the atmosphere, experience, and view was priced in!

The food was superb. The Philly was different in that it wasn’t shredded beef, but instead strips (almost brisket-like). Philly sandwiches are typically one of my go-to menu items when visiting these small bars, and it was a treat to try one that had a bit of a twist to it. Heaping amounts of gooey cheese and some peppers were added on top, which only added to my experience. I was very happy with my meal! My girlfriend opted for a juicy cheeseburger (notice the golden-brown toasted bun which looks dang-near perfect), and she too thoroughly enjoyed it all!

We stopped to chat with the owner Shirley before we left. She told us all about the great floods of 2019 and how the waves would crash against the building’s patio doors, and about the heaping piles of sand that completely covered many of the tables and chairs showcased in the photos. She and her crew have been consistently pushing through struggle after struggle (the floods, COVID, etc.) to bring some top-notch service to their customers.

Dining at Heron Bay is reminiscent of dining in your backyard. Firepits, laughter, housecats – it truly feels as if you’re right at home. This is absolutely a bar in which I could see people enjoying drinks with their friends on the weekends on a regular basis as they enjoy the ambiance. It’s a place to relax and unwind, and a small hidden gem for those not wanting to travel too far from the big city of Omaha. Thank you, Heron Bay, for your wonderful service and for treating my girlfriend and I to a fun...

Stopped here after a day's worth of tubing on the river and it was a HUGE mistake - don't do it! The views are great, but definitely not worth the service and food you'll receive. We waited an hour without a check-in from our waitress, having to go to the bar for refills. We ordered appetizers, which took an hour and a half to get dropped off - again, with very little follow through by our server. The nachos came out with shredded cheese (not melted at all), some lettuce, a scoop of refried beans, and some burnt hamburger. The mozzarella sticks were lacking mozzarella almost entirely. When brought up to the server, she simply said "I'll cancel your order" with no apologies or anything. The staff never offered a resolution, apology, or understanding that everything about our first visit to their establishment was absolutely terrible. There were multiple parties as well experiencing similar issues. The service and treatment after bringing our issues to the staff was far from how you run a service industry and for a first experience, we for sure will never be back and I would recommend the same for...

Tried this place before and swore I wouldn't go back. My friends talked me into this weekend and I won't ever go back. The river view is pretty. That is the 3 stars for Atmosphere, and the patrons were friendly. The staff not so much, took 30 minutes to get a server. WOW their prices for Beer are expensive, as well as mixed drinks or shots. My hamburger was not cooked correctly and didn't finish it food is very expensive as well. I looked up their inspections on the state site after. Yep won't be back! Flies in Alcohol bottles, no hand washing station. (Employees don't follow the guidelines) Maggots on food in the kitchen. Feral cats in the bar? As well as rodents. When I was there before you could smell the raw sewage right by the entrance. Maybe they should close for a week and clean the entire place including the outside patio and chairs, and clean the tables off. Check out their inspections on Nebraska Department of Agriculture. Think twice before consuming anything there. I would say Bar Rescue but I don't think he could fix...