Grand Island's Top 10 Restaurants, The Best Nebraska Eats

Part of Grand Island’s culinary scene for over 80 years, Coney Island Lunch Room is an iconic diner located on the east side of downtown. A family-owned venue, this cozy joint serves American dishes within a charming interior, complete with the original menu from 1933 still hanging on the wall plus counter and booth seating. The menu is small but features tasty items from burgers to sandwiches to sweet edibles and of course, the infamous and eponymous Coney Island hot dog, topped with mustard, onions and a meaty chili. A budget-friendly place, this is a fun diner to take the entire family.

The Chocolate Bar is a hip venue offering guests a wide range of culinary delights, both sweet and savory and drinks. Open Monday through Saturday from morning to night, this cafe presents a modern, sleek interior in which to savor an assortment of baked goods, sandwiches, wraps, or salads alongside a great selection of espresso drinks, including the Cuban latte, and other beverages. At night the bar is a great place to unwind and try seasonal, dessert, and classic drinks (the white chocolate truffle with white crème de cacao, Disaronno, white chocolate sauce and milk is one highlight) and alcoholic coffee drinks plus a decadent selection of chocolate desserts.

Tucked inside a brick building, Farmer’s Daughter Cafe is a friendly, quaint cafe serving American cuisine. A welcoming environment makes it a perfect gathering place to enjoy good company and tasty home-style dishes. Popular with the breakfast crowd, some of the items guests rave about are biscuits and gravy and the chicken fried steak smothered with gravy and served with eggs and hash browns. They also serve lunch items plus a selection of pies that are sure to make mouths water and satisfy any sweet tooth.

While not a restaurant as it does not serve food, Moonlight Ridge Vineyard is a picturesque winery providing a relaxing venue where wine lovers can enjoy a glass of delicious vino. Closed during the winter months, this seasonal operation is a family affair (owned and operated by Darin and Karen Placke and their children) and is open Fridays and Saturdays only from 1pm to 6pm. The tasting room, which opened in 2008, is a peaceful environment with a fireplace where guests can sample the vineyard’s various wines. A patio, which affords lovely views of the vine-lined 6-acres, is also available.

Napoli’s is a warm, inviting haunt featuring authentic Italian cuisine. Open for lunch and dinner daily, this family-owned and operated establishment seeks out the freshest ingredients available for its delicious, made-from-scratch cuisine. From pasta to specialties to entrées and more, the menu is large ensuring that many tastes from meat lovers to vegetarians will be pleased. Enticing options include the steak pizzola, which is a rib eye served with sautéed mushrooms, onions, green peppers plus marinara and side of spaghetti; tortellini alla panna or cheese tortellini in a cream sauce with a touch of marinara; and fettuccini with clams in a white wine sauce. A great wine list plus tantalizing desserts are also available.

Wasabi Bistro is a modern restaurant serving Asian cuisine imbued with flavors from Japan, China, and Thailand. Creating top quality dishes, the culinary team seeks out the freshest products available, which include having fresh fish flown in every day, plus they make all of the sauces from scratch. The menu is varied with everything from sushi to house specialties to vegetarian and gluten-free dishes ensuring that many tastes will be satisfied. The crispy sesame chicken, which is deep-fried chicken sautéed in a house-made sesame seed sauce, and the Nebraska roll with tenderloin, snow crab, avocado, tempura flakes and soy paper are two wonderful options. This bistro also features a full bar.