WAHOO — Bob Stark knows he’s sitting on a gold mine.

The Press Room is one of just a handful of full-service restaurants in Wahoo, a small town about 30 miles north of Lincoln on Nebraska 77.

That’s where diners can enjoy a variety of menu items, from the Wahooligan, the restaurant’s signature burger, to prime rib on Friday and Saturday nights.

Opened in November 2005, the Press Room is located in downtown Wahoo in a building that used to house the presses of the Wahoo newspaper.

Artist Kim Reeves created giant collages from old Wahoo newspapers that hang above the booths. There’s also several vintage black-and-white photos of town as well as a mural of Zean Carney, the local journalism legend who was the longtime publisher and editor of the Wahoo newspaper.  

Despite its menu and attractive decor, the restaurant has had trouble developing a following.

This is where Stark, a former manager at Lazlo’s in Lincoln, steps in. The owners hired him as the restaurant’s general manager in February.

“I know the community really loves the place, but it was struggling,” Stark said. “The consistency was not there.”

He’s working hard to improve the menu and service in addition to the town’s attitude toward it.

“It’s been five months, and I’ve seen miraculous changes,” he said. “I’ve received tons of compliments about how good it is again.”

My friend and I had an enjoyable experience there last Saturday.

The menu features sandwiches, steaks and homestyle favorites such as chicken fried steak. Entree prices range from $7 to $20.

I had a 10-ounce “Certified Angus Beef” New York Strip ($13) with mashed potatoes and a house salad. One of the first things Stark did was introduce the angus beef to the menu.

My companion had the half-pound Wahooligan ($7) with crinkle cut fries.

  The steak was good. I would tinker with the presentation, such as adding a vegetable (broccoli, green beans, corn, etc.), and charging 50 cents or a $1 more.

I definitely would do something about the salad. There wasn’t much to it —  watery shredded iceberg lettuce with two halved cherry tomatoes.

My friend was quite pleased with his burger. He ordered cheese, bacon and mushrooms on it. Add-ons cost extra. His crinkle cuts were overcooked, but he didn’t seem to mind.

We started our meal with the Warrior Nachos ($7). We didn’t read the menu carefully. We expected nachos, but received chips and cheese instead. The cheese sauce was good. It featured sausage, ground beef and salsa in melted Mexican cheese.

I believe Stark has the restaurant heading in the right direction. He needs to get the menu in line with the restaurant’s great decor. As he said, he also needs consistency.

Reach Jeff Korbelik at 473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com.