That Place

I should have went with dessert first. It was a showstopper! Four layers of chocolate ganache cake big enough to satisfy the sweet teeth (? hmmm) of four ladies. It even came powdered with sugar and topped with a sparkler! I loved it. The cake was a little dry, but it was rich and sweet and large. If cake would have been the only thing I ordered, this review would probably be better.
However, I was very disappointed in my meal. I ordered the buttermilk fried chicken. It probably was made with fresh boneless chicken, pounded out into a fritter and dipped in eggs/​flour. However, it really lacked in seasoning. It needed salt at the very least and the flavor was a little bitter/​burnt. The meal comes with two large pieces of chicken, though, so I can’t complain about quantity. The entrée also includes two sides and the options (aside from cottage cheese, which they were out of) were potatoes, potatoes, more potatoes, potatoes, oh, and creamed corn. I’m ok with one side of potatoes, so I opted for the garlic, horseradish mashed potatoes. Got anything green, I asked? I was told no so I asked for another minute to find another option. I just don’t want to do two sides of starch with breaded/​fried chicken. Well, turns out after she took my friends order, we discovered there is a side salad. So I settled on that and the waitress agreed to waive the extra $ 4.99 for a salad given the lack of sides. The salad was good. It wasn’t just iceberg lettuce, so that was nice, and the dressing was homemade ranch. If i had to pay $ 4.99 for this salad I would not be happy. It’s a pile of lettuce, with a couple tomatoes and onions. Come on, you’re in Ceresco for crying out loud! Most clientele have to drive from Lincoln! Make it worth it! The potatoes were awful. I’m not even going to sugar coat it. I ate most of them (I was hungry!) but I would not recommend them. They are very lumpy and they are real. That’s HUGE to me because I do not and will not eat fake potatoes. The flavor was very inconsistent throughout, so my first bite was very strong horseradish. The potatoes were also topped with a very thick, very very salty brown gravy. I had no idea it would come with gravy. I think that should be either included on the menu or the waitress should say something.
My couple of my friends, on the other hand, were pretty pleased with their meals. One friend is vegetarian and the menu is very lacking in vegetarian options, which she expected. So she ordered the Garden Wrap (fresh roasted vegetables with herbed cream cheese, smoked cheddar wrapped in a herb garlic tortilla) and said it was delicious. The gouda and avocado were unexpected, tasty additions and it paired well with the yellow peppers. The wrap was also loaded with veggies, including fresh mushrooms, which she felt were cleaned well/​properly. She ordered fries with her side and said they were good, she could tell they were cut from a potato.
Another friend ordered the Prime Rib Big Boss (house smoked shaved prime rib, smoked cheddar, caramelized onions, horseradish sauce on a toasted French roll) and said it’s «freaking delicious»! She said the sandwich was very juicy, she didn’t even need to use the au jus. She especially like the haystack onions on it.
The last order at our table was the Omaha Pork Sandwich (pork cutlet, peppered bacon, greens, grilled onions, tomatoes, chipotle ranch). She was disappointed that the bacon was not very crisp and overall, it wasn’t something she’d order again. She said it was very greasy and tastes like the oil. She also had the sweet potato fries and said they were ok.
All three girls ordered a round of drinks and with the happy hour special, they were only $ 1. I had the iced tea and I swear it tasted salty, or maybe it was that awful gravy.
In addition to not having many of the menu items in stock (cottage cheese, onion rings, jalapeño poppers), they didn’t have many of the items listed on the online menu. Lobster Mac. Didn’t see it. Which I’m glad because I don’t know if I would have wanted to pay $ 22 for it. Overall, I was disappointed. I know Ceresco is a ‘small town’ but if you’re going bring up that your chef is all the way from Seattle, I think you might want to bring some flare, some culture and beef things up (er, green up) on the menu.
As far as service, it was quick. Which was to be expected given that it was a Wednesday night with very few customers. Our drinks were constantly filled. Our waitress was very polite. The manager also came out to see how we were doing. I would have been ok with fewer terms of endearment «hey sweeties, babes, etc.» Sadly, outstanding service didn’t make up for anything.
Maybe with more experience and more feedback the food will improve because I could tell that the owner/​chef has heart. The décor was nice, keep up the good service, and keep trying to wow us so it’s worth the trip from Lincoln.

Great small town restaurant. Portions are HUGE. Food is awesome. Will definitely come back.