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The Oven - Downtown, Lincoln, NE

The Oven - Downtown

4.8
4.8
517 Reviews
$30 and under
Indian

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2 people
19:00
Booked 19 times today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Charming
  • Good for groups
The first Oven Restaurant, located in the heart of downtown Lincoln, has been around since 1988 and owned/operated by a dedicated family of chefs who have been creating Indian cuisine for over twenty seven years. The Oven Restaurants specialize in Northern Indian Cuisine which is known for its rich colors, flavor profiles and a unique style of cooking in a clay oven, called the Tandoor. Chicken, shrimp and lamb marinate for several hours in a yogurt and spice mixture and placed on skewers while various breads are being hand made by our chefs fresh each day. The skewers and breads are then placed in the tandoor over an open flame where breads are cooked to perfection and the rich flavors are sealed in to ensure tenderness and quality of the meat. Whether you enjoy the historic Haymarket atmosphere to the relaxed vibe of the Cellar, we have what you want!

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Indian, Wine Bar, Asian
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Mon–Sat 11:30–14:00 Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 17:30–21:30 Fri, Sat 17:30–22:30
  • Phone number
    (402) 475-6118
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Ngawang Rinchen
  • Area
    Lincoln
  • Cross Street
    P Street
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, View, Wine

What 517 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.7Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Nebraska

    Best Value

  • Lincoln

    Best Overall

  • Lincoln

    Best Food

  • Lincoln

    Best Ambience

  • Lincoln

    Best Value

  • Lincoln

    Innovative

  • Lincoln

    Healthy

  • Lincoln

    Hot spot

  • Lincoln

    Great for fine wines

  • Lincoln

    Good for special occasions

  • Lincoln

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Oven - Downtown offers "consistently outstanding food and service," making it a "must visit" in Lincoln. Known for exceptional Indian cuisine and a "fantastic wine list," it excels in creating memorable dining experiences. Despite occasional service hiccups, the ambiance and diverse menu keep patrons returning for more.

517 Reviews
  1. tony

    Detroit

    7 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always amazing service and food at The Oven in Haymarket LNK! Pratik and the entire team make you feel welcome throughout the evening. Spectacular wine list curated by Pratik is worth the visit itself. Must go while in LNK

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  2. Kim

    Kansas City

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent. We ate downstairs which was lovely and quiet. Reminded us why we don’t go more often-we will definitely try to correct that!

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  3. Jim

    Omaha

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 17 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    My wife and I had an outstanding dinner at The Oven (Haymarket). Mulligatawny - excellent. Paneer Kulcha - excellent. Shrimp Pakora - excellent. Lamb Madras - banging. Cassidy was a fantastic server/host. We will be back.

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  4. Abi

    Omaha

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 16 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Sarah was the sweetest server! Great timing and great service! Made sure we got all the food we needed to go and made excellent food suggestions!

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  5. tony

    Detroit

    7 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on 13 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food and amazing service. Must visit place in Lincoln

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  6. Janelle

    Omaha

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 12 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Went to The Oven in the Haymarket because the other one is closed on Mondays. We were celebrating birthdays for my son and daughter. Our waiter Vince was the best! The food was outstanding as always. Love The Oven Haymarket vibes! We all had a great evening.

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  7. Scott

    Omaha

    17 reviews

    5.0

    17 reviews

    Dined on 7 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We went to the Oven for our daughter’s birthday, just as we did last year. It did not disappoint. The place was full but that did not impact service. Food was excellent and filling. And as a cool gesture they gave my daughter a free glass of champagne for her birthday. Would recommend and will plan to go back

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  8. Anne

    Omaha

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 2 November 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Soooo salty. The Oven used to be great. I’m sad the quality has gone downhill. About half the times I’ve eaten there in the past two years my food is ridiculously salty - as like last night with the Thimphu chicken. I tried switching to chicken tikka to avoid the overly salted sauced entrees but last time I got it it was five tiny pieces of super dry, tough chicken. Bummer. Years ago the Oven was so good!

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  9. Judy

    Omaha

    29 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    29 reviews

    Dined on 19 October 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    We truly enjoyed our evening at the Oven! The outdoor dining atmosphere was perfect. My husband ordered the Chicken Vindaloo, and I had the Goa Chicken. While we loved the ambiance, both dishes arrived lukewarm, and my chicken was a bit dry. Despite this, we still highly recommend the Oven, as it seemed they might have been short-staffed, which could explain the oversight. We're looking forward to our next visit and hope for an even better experience!

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  10. Scott

    Chicago

    9 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on 5 October 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    Usually we have a great meal at The Oven. This time was the exception. A rough dinner from start to finish and something was wrong with almost every part of the meal. It's unusual for them so I'll give it a second chance but very disappointed

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FAQs

The Oven - Downtown is rated 4.8 stars by 517 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 19 times today
Google Map for The Oven - Downtown

201 N. 8th St., Lincoln, NE 68508

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    P Street
  • Area
    Lincoln
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Mon–Sat 11:30–14:00 Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 17:30–21:30 Fri, Sat 17:30–22:30
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Indian, Wine Bar, Asian
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Ngawang Rinchen
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, View, Wine
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