50 Best American Restaurants near Waterloo

“Thanks for a great lunch!! I look forward to seeing y’all again.“

“My husband was skeptical when I said I wanted to go into a car dealership for lunch after doing my research- Truly a hidden gem! These guys were so friendly and accommodating, and it was obvious without saying that they love what they do. The food was fantastic (especially the traditional enchiladas with chili con queso added). The kids love cars so this was such a cool treat for them to gawk at all the indoor vehicles while we were waiting. 10/10 recommend!“

“The best food, cocktails, and staff 🤩“

“Everything was delicious from our drinks to our steaks! Great service too!“

“always skim your milk when you're having a latte“

“I am very familiar with Culver's and have eaten there in a few states. The food was consistent with what you'd expect at any Culvers. My only issue was, it did take quite a bit of time to get the food. I almost thought they forgot about me.

Also the ketchup dispensers were not really working all that well. It took a look of action to get some ketchup.“

“always skim your milk when you're having a latte“

“Street tacos were amazing!! Onion rings…. Amazing! Everything gf! I had not had onion rings in 2years. Our waitress was a total delight and very helpful. I can’t wait to go back.“

“We stop as often as we can when we’re driving from Kansas City to northern Nebraska. From our first visit, we’ve been impressed with everything from the pleasant service to the creative menu and dishes. My husband’s favorite is the VooDoo Chicken, but warns that it’s not for the ‘faint of mouth’. It’s delightfully spicy and goes beautifully with the accompanying cooked apples and al dente green beans.“

“Our party of six had great service and everyone enjoyed their food: beef tips, ribs, Monte Christo sandwich, baked potato soup, wrap, and Grilled Chicken pecan salad. Would definitely eat here again! The complimentary croissants with honey butter were great, too!“

“Fast, friendly, clean, and GOOD!! 10/10!“

“Wow! This is the first time we have ever been to this Culver’s location. The staff were exceptional- especially Mr Les. We left feeling totally loved and blessed. It was a blessing to go to Culver’s today. While I don’t live close to this location, I’ll be sure to return whenever I’m in the area!“

“Always awesome. Coffee always filled!“

“We just ate there for our 6th wedding anniversary last night and it was an amazing experience!! Ally and the staff went above and beyond and made our night so wonderful and memorable 🥰 The food was outstanding and the Billionaire cocktail she recommended was delish! She made the dessert special and everyone even signed a card. She was so personable and genuinely nice, I can't sing Ally's praises enough, thank you again!!!“

“James looked after us and was very courteous, professional and a delight to deal with. Excellent venue with a good mix of clientele, without having to go into city centre. Good background music. Food was served very quickly and was absolutely delicious. Great portion sizes. Can't recommend enough.“

“45 minutes in the drive thru. Your food is good but really? Staff is short everywhere but never this bad.“

“My singular experience was pleasant. I sat at the bar, and even though there were many small groups around it me, it was still a quiet environment. The music volume was very low, I can't tell you how much I loved that aspect. The bartender was a total pro. My food was delivered quickly and was excellent. I had the goat cheese balls. They were so amazing I pretty much inhaled them. Then I ordered the grilled salmon salad and oh my stars and garters, it was exquisite. I have attached a photo of said salad.“

“Delicious food from a local bar. Didn’t have the best staffing, only 1 waitress servicing the entire spot, but she was working hard and the food was worth the wait. The cauliflower and wings were our favorites. The chicken strips were huge! The chicken sandwich was also huge!“

“Great food and service. Very clean atmosphere. Love the tap handles displayed around the room up by the ceiling. Notice next you’re there for dinner or a drink.“

“Excellent service, great food! Would 100% recommend.“

“I love first watch! They have so many options for my GF diet and everything is so healthy, delicious, and fresh! Rest assured, they also have the indulgent options for those with a sweet tooth and kids (choc chip pancakes!). My only regret is that I haven’t tried one of their fresh juiced concoctions during one of my visits. Definitely going to make that a priority next time. 😊“

“Always prompt and friendly service. Nice menu variety. Good food! Comfortable and enjoyable atmosphere. Nightly specials are great. A++++“

“I like First Watch bc I can enjoy many things and still stay on track with my eating plan. I would’ve appreciated the option of whole wheat English muffins, but that issue is the same across the entire chain. The server was very solicitous of my daughter’s specific requests for my grandkids’ menu choices (extra plate to share one adult meal, subbing fruit for their potatoes, extra straws and napkins, etc.).“

“Hosted a bridal shower there. Natalie was wonderful to work with. The food was very good, and the event room was the perfect size. An overall great experience!“

“Great place to eat! Great prices!!“

“If I can describe the atmosphere I would say very positive, family oriented and fun. Shevys is an awesome bar that I get to DJ at and I enjoy the crowd getting down. It’s one of the best bars I’ve played so far and the owner Shevy is awesome I’m glad I was able to meet her, very humble, great owner she takes care of her clients. I look forward doing more business here. Thank you and God bless.“

“First time trying Jukes and we will be back! We started with the Brewpub Pretzel, warm crispy exterior, soft insides. Our main dishes were Bacon Jam Melt (they need to jar and sell the jam), and Fish and Chips, it came with three large pieces of fish. I believe the best part were the tatortots. I could not get enough of them. I'll probably be back tomorrow and you should too.“

“The Q is the best bar in town! Great bartenders! Awesome people! So much fun!����“

“Thr service was so amazing, I loved our bartender so much! Although they were down a cook, she still did a great job making sure our food was out in a timely manner, refilling our drinks, and having good conversation. She deserves to get paid double! Nothing better than comfort bar food and a warm smile in a small town!“

“Wonderful prime rib special on Thursday night. Very delicious; melt in your mouth. The desserts are also amazing.“

“Friendly staff, fun environment.“

“We reserved Jack’s party room for an after-work office social. Great room, food selections were wonderful and server was GREAT!! (Paige). Would absolutely recommend for any party/social for a group!!“

“Hosted a surprise birthday party for my parents here and couldn’t have asked for a better experience! The atmosphere was great, there was plenty of parking, and the food was good. But the real stars were the staff—so friendly, attentive, and truly went above and beyond. The bartenders and waitstaff made everything run smoothly and made us feel completely taken care of. Highly recommend for any event!“

“Lighthouse has some of the best food I've ever had at a bar & grill. The El Diablo pizza is by far my favorite item on the menu although over the numerous times me and my friends have come here we have yet to find anything that wasn't positively delicious. The servers are all friendly and care about making sure you have a good time and experience while you're here and the atmosphere, at least around dinner and lunch time is always lively and great. I can't recommend them enough!“

“Friendly staff, fun environment.“

“If you’re looking for a family friendly Sunday brunch spot in West Omaha this is it! There’s a wide variety of yummy menu items or you can pick from a variety of fresh and flavorful dishes on the brunch buffet. The omelet station is where it’s at! Their chorizo will not disappoint. Most importantly the experience from the moment you step in the door is unlike most restaurants. The staff treats you like family and goes above and beyond! They even have a magician/balloon artist that stops by to entertain. To top it all off having an arcade and movie theatre all in one. For those on a budget it’s very inexpensive for what you get and they have a Loyalty program to save on your next visit. My girls and I look forward to our Sunday funday coming to this magical gem after church!“

“First time attending. Cassie was great! Ordered drinks, and they were perfect! Exactly what we ordered. They tasted fantastic! Mandy is a great bartender! The food was almost exactly what we ordered and served very efficiently. The burger was a little overcooked. Great music, and not too loud. The atmosphere was great! The chairs were comfortable as well. Highly recommend. We will definitely be back!“

“It was our first time visiting this restaurant and we had the best experience! All of the staff was very friendly, very helpful and very prompt. The food was excellent! The manager even came over to talk to us after our meal. It's really hard to find this quality of food and service anymore. We highly recommend this place!“

“The food was delicious and ready in no time at all. Server Ryan was awesome. He came back and checked on us several times, although it was a busy Saturday. Thanks, Texas Roadhouse. We’ll be back!!“

“I don't write reviews but I am super compelled to do so for this Penn Station Subs location. It is by far my favorite sandwich shop (and admittedly, I don't even like sandwiches all that much but CRAVE their subs). I regularly get the Founder's Special, which is incredibly savory and like a flavor bomb. The food is always great (get the fries, get a cookie, it's all so good). Additionally, the employees have always been AMAZING and so incredibly friendly. I don't go in nearly as much as I want to, but just in the extra handful of times I have been in there, they recognize me, know me by name, and talk to me as if I am a weekly regular. The atmosphere is what you would expect from a clean, inviting chain sandwich shop, BUT it's these phenomenal employees that make the atmosphere five stars. Five stars all around!“

“Stopped in after a long day of shopping so that we could catch the last half of the Chiefs game and grab some grub. We were (surprisingly) able to find a table pretty quickly. We were so indecisive while ordering, which is weird because it's one of our favorite places, but our server, Collin, was super patient and gave an excellent recommendation of the garlic buffalo sauce for my wife's chicken sandwich.
Our food was excellent, as always. There was a slight goof on the number of wings I ordered/received, not a big deal at all. Collin and the staff handled it like pros and went above and beyond to make it right. We were so excited to eat we forgot to get pics of our food and cold leftovers in a styrofoam box won't do it justice 😆
We love this place and will continue to come back.“

“the staff is always friendly. you have to sign up for the rewards. great happy hour deals...and the food is killer!“

“Server: Izzy
went here with my date and I was very pleased with the service. Kudos to Izzy for the incredible service. Definitely will come back again.
Definitely recommend the French silk pie for dessert.
Score: 15.5/10“

“I gotta share about the best service we got at Freddy's tonight on 3465 N. 168th Ct. We stopped in there to eat dinner and was greeted by a kid name Chard, he had a the biggest smile on his face, so polite, and honestly seemed happy he work's there. He never stopped working while we were there eating, he was cleaning tables sweeping, and greeted everyone that came in with a smile and was just happy to see us. The place was spotless, who ever was cooking did a great job, and the kitchen was spotless. I highly recommend this place not just for the food, but the customer service was excellent. Looking for a place for a quick meal go check them out. My cheeseburger and onion rings were delicious, fresh and hot. Thanks to the staff at Freddy's especially Chard!! We definitely will be back 😊“

“We’ve been coming here for years and always return for the food because it truly is amazing. Unfortunately, this particular location is in serious need of an update.

Food: 5 out of 5. Everything on the menu is top-notch, and they have some of the best wings in town.

Building: The space is extremely dirty, and there’s no proper kitchen exhaust, so you’ll leave smelling like you just finished working a grill.

Bathroom: Easily one of the dirtiest restrooms among Omaha dive bars. The floor is usually wet, and it’s filthy throughout, not just the toilets but also the walls, trim, and sink.

If you visit one of their other locations, you’ll get the same great food in a much cleaner environment. This location, however, is in desperate need of a deep cleaning and refurbishment“

“Super experience this weekend. We sat at the bar- great service.Delicious recommendation from the bartender and great ambiance. We had an excellent experience from the moment we were greeted until we left.. The menu was tempting to try everything but I settled for the short rib buritto breakfast, artichoke and bacon soup. next time I will try the stuffed popadews.“

“Yum! Great food, love the bread!“

“Good food, good atmosphere“

“We love Tanners!!! It's always a go-to for good food. The portions are good sized, the servers are always attentive. They can handle big groups with no problems. I recommend this if your looking for good bar food. They have lots of tvs and will show all of the nfl games during the season.“