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The steak dinner comes with hash browns that become "outlawed" with the addition of cheese, sauteed onions, mushrooms and sour cream.
Editor’s note: Ground Zero annually visits restaurants outside of Lincoln during July.
GARLAND -- As my wife and I dined recently at the Outlaw Steakhouse in Garland, a young woman stopped at our table as she was being led to her seat.
“What did you order?” she asked, looking at the steak and hash browns that filled my plate.
“I’m going to have that, too,” she said.
And for good reason. The Delmonico (boneless) ribeye, available in 12- ($23.99) or 16-ounce ($27.99) cuts, is one of five steaks available daily at the Outlaw. I ordered a 12-ounce medium rare ribeye that came out of the kitchen perfectly prepared. It was thick, juicy and something to behold on the plate.
Side items include crinkle-cut, beer-battered, curly or waffle fries; onion rings; baked potato; cottage cheese; side salad; potato salad; or, the custome- favorite hash browns, available plain, with cheese (70 cents extra) or “outlaw style” with sauteed onions, mushrooms, cheese and sour cream ($2.25 extra).
I was feeling naughty, so I “outlawed” my hash browns. My meal also came with an iceberg lettuce salad and Texas toast.
This was my first visit to the Outlaw since I last reviewed the small-town steakhouse in 2005. Garland is located between Lincoln and Seward, about 4 miles north of U.S. 34 on Spur 80D.
Located on Fourth Street in Garland, the Outlaw Steakhouse is a popular destination.
The biggest change is in ownership: Mark and Lisa Lintt of Seward took over the Outlaw in 2008 and successfully steered it through the pandemic.
The restaurant sits on Fourth Street (Garland’s main drag) in a building constructed in 1889. Inside is a dark and spacious two-tiered dining room filled with tables and chairs. Along the wall is a bar with stools, with the entrance to the kitchen at the end of the bar.
On a Thursday night, the dining room was a third full, but it’s not unusual for the restaurant to fill up on Friday and Saturday nights. That’s when the Outlaw features its weekend specials:
* Fish Fry Fridays of fried cod (after 5 p.m.) with crinkle fries and a roll for $10.99.
* On Friday and Saturdays, prime rib is available in 12- ($23.99) and 16-ounce ($27.99) cuts, as is 14-ounce farm-raised catfish (dressed with bones, $13.49).
The bacon burger with waffle fries is a popular item on the menu.
* Saturday is the “Outlaw Specialty” of smoked prime rib for $24.99 (12-ounce) or $28.99 (16-ounce)
The rest of the menu — available the four days of the week when the Outlaw is open (11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday) — features steaks (ribeye, New York strip, sirloin, T-bone and filet mignon), burgers, baskets (shrimp, chicken, etc.), sandwiches (11 choices), salads and appetizers.
The burgers are as impressive as the steaks. My wife selected a BBQ bacon burger, one of four half-pound gourmet burgers ($10.99/each). The large patty was smothered in barbecue sauce and came with several meaty bacon strips hanging over the sides. She ordered the waffle fries as her side. They were piping hot and crispy right out of the fryer. She loved it and said she wouldn’t hesitate to order it again.
The restaurant features a fully stocked bar.
Other gourmet burger choices are swiss mushroom, patty melt and bleu cheese bacon. The menu also has single- or double-patty plain burgers and cheeseburgers, ranging from $7.49 to $10.29. Sandwich options include prime rib ($10.79), French dip ($9.79), chicken (grilled, crispy or buffalo; $8.99) and pork tenderloin ($8.49).
With two adult beverages ($3.55/each) added on, our bill came to $48.10 – very reasonable for our summer excursion. We enjoyed our trip so much we promised ourselves to return soon. The Outlaw is a little gem.
Lee's Restaurant, shown in 2014 when the mascot Pete was welcomed home after being stolen, is Lincoln's oldest full-service restaurant. It is located at 1940 W. Van Dorn.
Valentino's, the second-oldest restaurant, has multiple locations in Lincoln. The restaurant chain got started on Holdrege in 1957.
Misty's (the sign for the original at 6235 Havelock is shown) is Lincoln's third-oldest restaurant.
Virginia's Travelers Cafe at 3280 Cornhusker Highway is Lincoln's fourth-oldest full-service restaurant. In this picture, Rich "Rob" Robinson eats breakfast at Virginia's in 2008.
Tico's, 317 S. 17th St., is Lincoln's fifth-oldest full-service restaurant.
DaVinci's has multiple Lincoln locations, all serving pizza, pasta and sandwiches. The Knudson family began their restaurant business in Lincoln in 1978 with Pontillo's Pizzeria downtown. The first daVinci's location opened in 1984 on South 48th Street.
Piezano's, 2740 South St., is Lincoln's sixth-oldest restaurant. In this photo, Shawn Watters takes down a ticket at Piezano's on Super Bowl Sunday in 2016.
Isles Pub & Pizza, 6232 Havelock Ave., tied for seventh-oldest full-service restaurant in Lincoln.
Imperial Palace, 701 N. 27th St., tied for seventh-oldest Lincoln restaurant.
Billy's Restaurant, 1301 H St., is Lincoln's ninth-oldest restaurant.
Lincoln's Hi-Way Diner, 2105 Nebraska 2, has plenty of homestyle favorites such as meatloaf on the menu. The restaurant opened in 1988.
Jeff Korbelik is the winery manager at James Arthur Vineyards, former Journal Star features editor and author of “Lost Restaurants of Lincoln, Nebraska.” He’s written restaurant reviews for Ground Zero since 1998.
Payment: Cash, major credit cards
Cost: Dinners, $10.49 to $27.99; prime rib $23.99 to $28.99; burgers, $7.49 to $10.99; sandwiches, $6.49 to $10.79
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, closed Sunday-Tuesday
Notes: On-street parking, alcohol, daily specials, takeout, fish fry Fridays, weekend specials (prime rib and catfish)
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The steak dinner comes with hash browns that become "outlawed" with the addition of cheese, sauteed onions, mushrooms and sour cream.
The bacon burger with waffle fries is a popular item on the menu.
Located on Fourth Street in Garland, the Outlaw Steakhouse is a popular destination.
The restaurant features a fully stocked bar.
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