Ten tastes loved by Lincoln Locals

Pizza from Stuffed-Aria

Over the last 13 years, Stuffed-Aria has become one of Lincoln’s favorite places to grab a pizza. Located at 102 Fifth Street, Stuffed is open seven days a week serving handmade pizzas, sandwiches, and sides. Specialty pizzas include the Super Combo (sausage, ham, mushrooms, onions, pepperoni, green pepper, black olives, green olives, bacon and banana peppers), the Taco Pizza (seasoned taco meat, lettuce, tomato and crumbled tortilla chips served with taco sauce), and the Philly Steak Pizza. Orders are available by pick-up, drive-thru, and delivery Monday-Thursday 4-11:45 p.m., Friday-Saturday from 4 p.m.- 2:45 a.m. and Sunday from 4-11:45 p.m. day-Saturday from 4:30-10:30 p.m.

Breakfast at Mama’s Arcade

If you’re looking to get breakfast in downtown Lincoln on a Saturday morning, you’ll most certainly walk into a packed house at Mama’s Arcade Café. Located at 513 Pulaski Street, just across from the Logan County Courthouse, this small café offers a variety of traditional American breakfast and lunch options in a quaint and quiet atmosphere that is always full of familiar faces.

Prime Rib at Guzzardo’s

For the last 58 years, the Guzzardo Family has been sharing their signature recipes with Lincoln at their Italian Villa restaurant downtown. John, Frankie, Nick, Shelly and their crew have greeted generations of Lincolnites as they have celebrated life’s milestones and enjoyed a night on the town. Perhaps the most talked about among the many menu items at the Italian Villa are the charbroiled steaks. Diners can chose from the New York strip steak, rib eye, filet mignon, or chop steak. The menu also includes a variety of pasta, chicken, and seafood options, as well as a large salad bar and made-to-order homemade pizzas. Guzzardo’s is located in the Arcade building at 509 Pulaski Street. They serve dinner Tuesday-Thursday from 4:30-9 p.m. and Friday-Saturday from 4:30-10:30 p.m.

Mel-O-Cream Donuts

Located at 704 Keokuk Street, this Springfield favorite has been fully adopted by Lincolnites as their favorite place to grab a fresh cup of coffee and one of the gooey glazed donuts that has made this breakfast chain a central Illinois staple for 80 years. The shop maintains the classic donut shop vibe of the 50s and 60s and offers a variety of made-from-scratch varieties. Lincoln’s Mel-o-Cream is open Tuesday –Friday from 5 a.m.–4 p.m., Saturday from 5 a.m.- 12 p.m. and Sunday from 5-11 a.m.

Idle Hour gyros

The Idle Hour Inn is, hands down, Lincoln’s favorite (if not only) place to get a gyro fresh off the grill. While the menu has a wide range of char-broiled and grilled options, the House Special Gyros are, by far, the most commonly ordered item at the Idle Hour.  The meat is grilled until the ends have just the right amount of crispiness before its served-up on a warm pita with onions, tomato and tzatziki sauce. As a result, the gyros have become a staple in the diets of a great many Lincoln locals over the years. Located at 404 Broadway Street, the bar/restaurant is open from 10:45 a.m. to 10:15 p.m. (with the kitchen open late) six days a week.

Hallie’s schnitzel

Those looking for a taste of Route 66 often turn to the deep-fried pork tenderloin schnitzel at Hallie’s On The Square. The restaurant reported uses the same recipe for the sandwich that was used for decades at The Mill on 66. The schnitzel at Hallie’s far exceeds the size of its bun and is, itself, almost as big as the plate it’s served on with lettuce and union buried underneath. Hallie’s is located at 111 S. Kickapoo, right across from the Logan County Courthouse.

Chicken salad at Flossie & Delzena’s

Since opening on the square in December, Flossie & Delzena’s has quickly built a faithful lunchtime following around their family-recipe chicken salad sandwich. Described as a “no nonsense southern chicken salad on a croissant,” the sandwich is, by far, the most popular item on the café’s extensive lunch menu which also includes salads, wraps, paninis, soups and a variety of other sandwiches. FloDel’s is the only place to get lunch and a latte in one stop in downtown Lincoln and it’s also one of only a handful of places in town offering such a wide variety of light lunch options, as well as dinner specials on Thursdays and Fridays. 

The Horseshoe at Blue Dog Inn

While the sandwich menu at the Blue Dog Inn could leave virtually anyone blissfully indecisive, their traditional horseshoe is a popular go-to for people looking for that quintessential taste of central Illinois. The sandwich consists of your choice of meat (hamburger, turkey, corned beef, ham, roast beef, breaded or unbreaded shrimp, chicken, or bacon) served on white bread, covered in French fries and drenched in a homemade cheese sauce. It’s also available in the downsized “ponyshoe” for those looking for a smaller portion of this big flavor combination. Located at 111 S. Sangamon Street, the restaurant is open for lunch and dinner and offers an ever-changing and incredibly popular assortment of baked goods from the “biscuit tin.” 

Alley Bi hamburgers

One of Lincoln’s favorite bars by night is also one of the top places to grab a burger, a beer, a cup of chili, and chips at lunchtime. Every afternoon, locals grab a seat at the bar or fill up one of the dining area’s large round tables to indulge in these Lincoln-famous griddle-grilled burgers topped with American cheese, optional onions and a tomato. Each one is wrapped in paper and delivered to diners with no frills overshadowing its flavor. The Alley-Bi Saloon opens at 11 a.m. each day at 415 Pulaski Street, just off of the downtown square.

Crab rangoon from CHI Family Restaurant

The Chi Family restaurant, at 819 Woodlawn Road, opened in March of this year as an independent endeavor of the Chi family, who had been an integral part of Lincoln’s legendary First Wok restaurant for approximately 20 years. While they offer a full range of chicken, pork, seafood and beef dishes, as well as vegetarian options, the crab rangoon is considered a much-try fixture on the menu by a long list of regulars. The restaurant is currently the only place in town to get the consistently raved-about crab rangoon that Lincolnites crave.