Discover the Best Restaurants in Kearney, NE

Courtesy of the Cellar

If you are new to Kearney or just visiting, you’ve probably discovered that the dining scene is worth exploring. The city has a little bit of everything, from barbecue and brewpubs to Indian and Italian, but many establishments have also become places residents associate with fun, relaxation and memories. Ahead, get to know two of the best restaurants in Kearney, NE – The Alley Rose and The Cellar Sports Bar & Grill. 

Customer Favorites 

Shawn Engberg was only 19 when he opened the first iteration of his fine-dining restaurant in Battle Creek, Nebraska, a tiny town around 150 miles from Kearney. 

“The population was 1,005,” Engberg says. “And I think my family made up five of them.” 

Cooking came naturally to him. “My grandmother was a chef,” Engberg says. “While my brother was out on the farm, I was inside cooking. My mom worked at a small-town restaurant, and I started collecting menus when I was 13.” 

Engberg moved The Alley Rose to Kearney in 1991, and the restaurant has been going strong ever since. Located inside an early 1900s-era building, diners find a rustic lounge accented with recycled barn siding and antiques, while the dining room leans more formal, with oak tables, leather booths, and plenty of brass. 

The Alley Rose also features a full soup and salad bar and daily lunch buffet, which includes sandwiches, hot entrees, vegetables, and a dessert bar. Thanks to the full bar, which includes a selection of local craft beers, diners can pair their food with just the right beverage. 

Engberg is proud of happy hour, where everything is half-price from 4 to 6 p.m., plus, there is a nice assortment of $5 offerings, including fried pickles and pot stickers. Prime rib is a customer favorite, as is the pork osso buco, almond-crusted salmon, and black and blue mussels with bacon, garlic, Roma tomatoes and Gorgonzola. 

“Order extra bread with that right away,” Engberg says. “Everybody wants to soak up all the goodies.” 

In addition to great food, Engberg credits his team – some of whom have been with him for more than 30 years – for The Alley Rose’s continued success. 

Courtesy of the Cellar

Beloved Classics 

The Cellar Lounge first began drawing a crowd in 1978, especially for its hot roast beef sandwiches served with mashed potatoes, brown gravy and hand-sliced “secret spice” onion rings accompanied by a delicious house-made tangy ranch. 

Awards came in: In 2011, it was named the Consumer’s Choice for the Best Restaurant in Nebraska, while its Western Burger won the Nebraska Beef Council’s Best Burger Contest. 

Much to the dismay of Kearney’s onion ring-loving residents, the doors of the popular restaurant abruptly closed in 2020. Fortunately, four local couples worked together to bring The Cellar – now The Cellar Sports Bar & Grill – back to life in 2023. 

Today’s restaurant offers a much different vibe. The old-style steakhouse booths and carpeting were replaced with an airy space, complete with large TVs, a spacious outdoor patio and a firepit, and decor that focuses on local sports, paying homage to kids playing for local high schools, the University of Nebraska at Kearney and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “This place meant so much to the community,” says Matt Mortensen, one of the new owners. “My wife and I had our first date here, and people were really sad when it closed. There’s just a lot of history here.” 

The onion rings are back, of course, while the hot roast beef sandwich returns each week as a nostalgic Friday special. 

“People love that,” he says. “It’s delicious, but trust me, it’s a big, big portion.” 

Also, make sure to check out the live music every Thursday evening.