Lasunya and Charles Phillips prepare a pair of meals in 2017 inside their food truck, Mary Ellen's Food for the Soul. The pair opened a brick-and-mortar location at 2801 Pine Lake Road in 2020.
In a year that saw many diners, bars and restaurants shut down for a stretch because of the pandemic, there were a few new eateries that opened their doors in 2020.
Here's a list compiled with help from Robin Eschliman:
Boom Box Social, 1630 P St. -- The downtown bar prides itself on offering pizza and other late-night eats, as well as a fully stocked bar.
Rusty Taco, 2600 Pine Lake Road -- The move from downtown to south Lincoln exposed more people to what could be Lincoln's best tacos.
El Mejor Restaurant, 3111 N.W. 12th St. -- The restaurant has been serving authentic Mexican cuisine since 1995 in Florida. Now, its food is available in Lincoln.
TiNi Cafe, Coffee & Yogurt, 2365 O St. -- The cafe began selling Vietnamese sandwiches in February.
Mary Ellen's Soul Food, 2801 Pine Lake Road -- Charles and Lasunya Phillips -- husband and wife -- started with a food truck before opening their restaurant.
Phinway Cafe, 6891 A St. -- The sandwiches and bubble tea are worth the drive to the Clock Tower Shopping Center.
Muchachos, 416 S. 11th St. -- Another restaurant making the transition from a food truck. The New Mexican BBQ fusion is uniquely delicious.
Habibi Kabob & Shawarma, 8222 Holdrege St. -- An extensive menu of Mediterranean food. Everything at Habibi is prepared from scratch.
A Taste of Louisiana, 2310 N. First St. -- Authentic Cajun food comes at a reasonable price and in huge portions, according to the reviews. Try the shrimp po'boy.
Cocky's Chicken & Beer, 5012 N. 27th St. -- You can have your chicken fried or roasted. And a variety of sauces will keep things interesting.
Casa Bovina, 4841 N. 84th St. -- New steakhouse features prized Piedmontese beef raised and perfected in Nebraska.
Lumpia Express, 5955 N. 27th St. -- A family-owned business with a full selection of chicken, shrimp, pork and vegetarian meals.
Mi Mexico Lindo, 8222 Holdrege St. -- Julio Ramirez has a way with carne asada, but you might find something else to your liking.
El Potrero, 3930 Village Drive -- Just like its restaurant in the Historic Haymarket, the new location offers an expansive menu of Mexican food.
Agave Mexican Grill, 1631 P St. -- The food is prepared in front of the customer and is made with fresh ingredients. The burritos are huge.
Tipsy Tina's Cantina, 800 Q St. -- The fiesta salads are made with fresh ingredients, including shrimp, and pair nicely with an extensive selection of beer and spirits.
Napoli's Italian Restaurant, 800 Q St. -- This restaurant features a full selection of pastas and pizzas and something sweet, like a limoncello mascarpone cake.
Sturfast Caribbean & African Grill, 1320 O St. --The owner of Stur 22 Lounge in Rathbone Village opened this grill, where the top-selling menu item is a jerked chicken bowl.
High Peak Asian, 7042 Van Dorn St. -- Formerly located in Omaha, this family-owned restaurant relocated to east Lincoln.
D.P. Dough, 1451 O St. -- Lincoln's new king of calzones, the chain has opened in a number of college towns in the region and business has been strong.
Kasumi Sushi, 151 N. Eighth St. -- The all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant features a wide assortment of sushi, tempura and a seafood boil that has drawn rave reviews.
Mi Tierra Express, 6100 O St. -- Located in the food court of the Gateway Mall, the restaurant features an assortment of nachos, burritos, tacos and tortas.
Buffalo Wings & Rings, 3845 Village Lane -- The move from the Railyard to south Lincoln didn't change the selection of chicken wings -- and other fare.
Ollie and Hobbs Craft Kitchen, 2940 Pine Lake Road -- Casual restaurant that serves amazing food -- from burgers and sandwiches to soups and salads -- took over the former Panera Bread space at SouthPointe Pavilions.
Lost restaurants of Lincoln
King’s Food Host
Diners placed orders by phone from their tables at King’s Food Host, 1315 N St. This file photo is from 1958. The restaurant, which began as a State Fair booth and grew to 140 locations in the U.S. and Canada, closed its last location in Lincoln, at 923 South St., in 2001.
The Knolls County Club
The Knolls County Club opened its golf course in 1963 and the restaurant three years later. The club was private, but the restaurant was open to the public. It closed in 2015.
Tony and Luigi’s
Chef Dennis Barratt (from left), assistant Lewis Prue and manager Dave Harrison at Tony and Luigi’s in a 1982 photo. The restaurant was founded in 1945 and grossed $6.50 on its first day. It closed in 1993.
P.O. Pears
Scott Mercer (left) was helped by Bob Scura and Kurt Cameron of Grand American Fare chain in assembling décor for P.O. Pears, popular with college students in the 1980s and '90s. It closed in 2008.
Crane River Brewpub and Café
Clint and Shelly Burge hang a 26½-foot-long quilt on the north wall of Crane River Brewpub and Café in downtown Lincoln in December 1992. Shelly Burge worked on the quilt for 319 hours. It depicts sandhill cranes on the banks of the Platte River. The restaurant closed in 2003.
Acme Chili Grill
Acme Chili Grill at 14th and O streets, shown the year it closed in 1963, served enough chili during its 54 years “to float the state Capitol,” according to the Lincoln Star.
K’s Restaurant
Paul Bruner entertains in 1979 in the Simba Room during dinner hour at K’s Restaurant, which was in the Piedmont Shopping Center on South Cotner Boulevard. Lions were a part of the restaurant’s décor. It closed in the early 2000s.
Tony Domino’s Italian Village
This 1960 file photo of Tony Domino’s Italian Village restaurant at 5730 O St. was taken when the Legionnaire Club announced it was buying the building. The Italian Village, founded in 1936 at the same location, was rebuilt in late 1951 after a May fire destroyed everything but the building’s brick walls. Smoke from that early morning fire killed the restaurant’s custodian as he slept in the boiler room.
Arturo’s
In 1979, the Taco Hut, 233 N. 11th St., officially changed its name to Arturo’s. The Mexican restaurant was forced to move in 1987 when the city condemned it with other businesses to make way for development that didn’t happen.
Bishop Buffet
Bishop Cafeteria, which opened in Lincoln in 1956 at 1325 P St., moved into Gateway Shopping Center in 1972 and was renamed Bishop Buffet, shown here in 1985. It closed in 1996.
Tastee Inn and Out
Tastee Inn and Out, 1530 N. 48th St., opened in 1949 and was known for its loose-meat sandwiches and onion chips. Shown here in 1982, the drive-in restaurant closed in 2014.
Pat Sangimino
Night editor
Pat Sangimino is a San Francisco native who has been the Journal Star’s night news editor since April 2018.
