Faced witha variety of flavor combinations, diners at Honest Abe's Burgers are in for some interesting dishes.

Honest Abe’s Burgers – Food With Attitude

We have sampled a variety of burger joints across North America and determined there are only two categories. The first is the old-school type that serves up simple sandwiches that we’ve all come to expect for decades. The second is a newer group that adds unique twists to their handhelds. Honest Abe’s Burgers, in Lincoln, is definitely part of the second category. They bring unusual, and even borderline insane, flavor combinations to their menu. This Nebraska chain only exists in the capital city, for now, but we can see their popularity taking them to new cities in the future.

We want to thank Lincoln CVB and Honest Abe’s for hosting our visit. Rest assured all opinions are our own. 

Honest Abe's Burgers is a local chain in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Cut to the Point

When I was researching Lincoln eateries, this one popped up more than once. Seeing a burger joint getting rave reviews intrigued me. After a little deeper dive, it was decided that Honest Abe’s Burgers needed to be added to our list. After all, it checked all of the boxes that we look for in a meal stop. Their downtown location is near the Nebraska History Museum, so it was easy to fit it into our schedule. After a busy morning at the farmers market and museum, our appetites were revved up and ready to be satisfied.

Diners peruse the menu at Honest Abe's Burgers downtown location.

Bird’s Eye View

Stepping through the front door, we were greeted by a slew of Abe images. This happens to be my all-time favorite president, so I have to admit to being overjoyed. Crystal could see the glee in me but tempered it with a reminder that we needed to eat something. After spending considerable time exploring the menu online, it was time to put our research to work. I had tried to imagine how some of the interesting flavor combinations would taste. As Abe would say, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” Time to get to work and decide which burgers we would order.

The 1809 Burger is a flavorful combination of tart and smoky.

Honest Abe’s Burgers

Since we were in a category two burger joint, we wanted to sample something unique. Our first choice was the 1809. To make this sammie, they load up a traditional burger patty on a bed of pickled apples. Then they top this with loads of bacon, melted gouda cheese, and smoky honey mayo. Served with a heaping mound of Herb Seasoned Freedom Fries, this meal demanded recognition. Biting into this Honest Abe’s Burger brought a mouthful of zest and smoky goodness into play. Crystal and I have an unwritten agreement to share our plates so that we can each sample the flavors. There are times I finish my half and have become addicted to the flavor combination. This was one of those times.

The Hammer of Thor introduces grilled Brussel Sprouts to the burger.

Food with Attitude

For our second choice, we decided to step even farther down the zany flavor path. A burger with a name like Hammer of Thor certainly captures your attention. Read the ingredients and tell us if you’d try it. Start with another one of their delectable beef burger patties. Top it with griddled Brussel Sprouts, chipotle cream cheese, pepper jack cheese, and bacon mayo. It was far from normal and had just enough crazy to make it to our table. A side of some Freedom Tots added a potato variation. After wrapping up my half of the 1809, it was time to test this eccentric combination. The layers of flavors quickly ended my time of mourning, as this burger brings the whole house full of tastes. Well played, Abe.

The authors enjoyed a successful foodie outing in Lincoln, Nebraska.

The Good Life

We’ll be the first to admit that we haven’t spent enough time exploring Nebraska. This was our first time in Lincoln and we were finding it to be a flavorful experience. Honest Abe’s Burgers was a good example of the interesting approach that many of the local restaurants have taken with their menus. With a plethora of dining choices scattered around downtown, we knew that it would take multiple visits to sample even the tip of the iceberg. Fortunately, we were finding that our pre-visit picks were spot-on for great tastes. All of our research was making this another successful excursion. As Old Abe said, “Prepare for the chance that could come someday.”

the authors signatures.

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