LEADBELLY
Hoppen Hierarchy:★★★
District: Lincoln
Gourmet Burgers & Sandwiches
Perfect For: Lunch; Casual Dining; Drinks
Standout Dishes: California Dreamin’ Burger; Giddy Up and Go Burger; Canadian Poutine
Lincoln and Omaha are both fantastic burger cities with plenty of delicious options. Honest Abe’s, Schillingbridge Cork and Tap House, and Hopcat have Lincoln well served, but Omaha is plenty blessed as well with Block 16, Charred Burger + Bar, and Dinker’s, just to name a few.
But LeadBelly has done something none of those wonderful joints have managed yet–set up locations in both cities, allowing diners to visit without a 45-minute drive to the other city.
And this is a major blessing for the occupants of both places.
What started as a shared vision outlined a cocktail napkin by co-owners Michael Martin and Tony and Wendy Young came to fruition in the Haymarket in Lincoln in 2013. The restaurant was such a hit that a second location opened in the Midtown Crossing Area in Omaha three years later. It’s no secret why diners continue to flood through the doors. The menu boasts a bevy of creative appetizers, including philly egg rolls, chips and queso, poutine, and street tacos. Among the appetizers are salads, sandwiches, wood stone pizza, and chicken fried steak.
But the real draw are the burgers. LeadBelly offers 16 different versions, all of which can be served on a beef patty, chicken breast or portobello mushroom. The toppings range from the mundane to the downright adventurous. The more casual diner can enjoy the Lil’ Mike (special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickle, onion, toasted brioche) or the Cheese Mushroom (tarragon queso, romaine, sautéed mushrooms, red onion) while the more curious can take on the Heuvos Ranchero (chorizo hash, fried egg, romaine, red salsa, sour cream, white cheddar, brioche), VooDoo Lady (jerk ginger peanut butter, pineapple, roasted poblano, red onion, shredded romaine, pepper jack), or the Giddy-up and Go (tequila pork, Big Red BBQ, white cheddar, citrus slaw, fresh jalapeno).
I haven’t tried all the burgers, but here’s a quick breakdown of my favorites I’ve sampled:
California Dreamin‘ (candided bacon, guacamole, fresh jalapeno, pepperjack cheese, red onion jam): This is my personal favorite and is, in my opinion, one of the best options in Nebraska. It’s a great combination of sweet and heat, as the jam and bacon provide a cooling element for the cheese and jalapenos. The creamy guac ties everything together.
Giddy Up and Go (BBQ Pork, creamy slaw, fresh jalapeno, pretzel bun): A beautiful rendition of a barbecue burger. The pork is sweet and tangy, which plays well with the salt from the patty. The slaw and jalapeno provide freshnes, and the pretzel bun is the perfect delivery device.
Blue Bayou (candied bacon, shrimp, pineapple, gorgonzola cheese, red onion): There’s a lot going on here, and it seems like some of the flavors might butt heads a bit. But somehow this crazy combination of flavors just works.
Lil Mike (special sauce, lettuce, pickled onion, toasted Brioche bun): One of Leadbelly’s tamer options, this burger allows the restaurant’s delicious patty to truly be the star. It’s accented by the creamy tang of the special sauce (likely a ketchup/mayo combo of some sort).
If you’re really feeling crazy (or just don’t care about your health), you can go for the over-the-top Full Leaded Jacket, which is an experience unlike any other. This ode to obesity features a burger patty between two cinnamon rolls doused in queso and chili. It’s a train wreck and impossible to eat without utensils, but somehow this monstrosity defies all logic. It’s delicious in all the wrong ways. I can’t in good conscious recommend it, but if you’re in good shape or just ran a marathon, go for it. It’s a badge of honor I now wear proudly.
The fries are, unfortunately, disappointing. Though I appreciate LeadBelly serving a mix of crinkle and waffle fries, there’s nothing about these that really stands out. They’re not very crisp and honestly, if you put them side by side with a bag of frozen fries from the grocery store, I’m not sure the difference would be all that obvious.
Back to the positives, especially the Pulled Pork Sliders. The pork is braised with tequila and served with citrus slaw, and pepperjack cheese. The pork itself is tender, and I have to give credit to LeadBelly for not just drenching it in barbecue sauce. The restaurant allows the pork itself to sing, and sing it does. The slaw provides a bit of sweet and tang, though the pepperjack gets lost and brings nothing to the table.
Also worth considering is the Canadian Poutine, a speciality from our neighbors up North making its way into more and more American restaurants. The dish tops a bed of waffle fries with cheese curds and candied bacon, then drizzles the whole thing with gravy. It’s not a dish for the faint of heart, but your tastebuds will love you for it.
The prices are quite fair, as most appetizers are around $7 and burgers around $10.
If you somehow have room for dessert, there are wonderful delicacies such as a Bacon S’mores Sundae, Irish Stout Cream Pie, and a Cinnamon Roll Ice Cream Sandwich.
There’s very little not to like about Leadbelly. The portions are large and bursting with flavor, the service is speedy, and the atmosphere is laid back and fun. This is one delicacy Lincoln and Omaha get to share, and there’s nothing wrong with that.