Daffodil Mediterranean Cuisine and Catering

We found this on Unilocal when driving through Lincoln and although it was a ways off the highway it was SOOO worth the stop.
Absolutely amazing food, which she let us sample before we chose our meal. We then ordered angel and rose baklava.
I haven’t had food that good since Turkey & it was actually better than anything I had there.
Stop by and have the best meal of your life!

Not just a meal but an adventure! We came in and the owner insisted on giving us each a taste of each dish before we chose our meals. We ended up each getting the five flavor combination because everything was so delicious. We also had a dessert that was yummy (don’t ask me what it was called but it was light as a feather). We took home several beautiful baclava pastries in the shape of a rose. And when we left, we each got a hug from the owner. Just a delight.

Absolutely the best!!! She allows you to sample the fresh daily selections so you can pick exactly what you want for lunch and is happy to explain how much love and culture goes into each dish. The portions are hearty and the food is delectable! A true gem and a rare find for this area.

My wife and I found this place online through Trip Advisor as we were passing through town and thought we would give it a try. What a find! The owners are incredibly warm and welcoming, and bend over backwards to make you feel like family. The prices, as mentioned in other reviews, are higher than other places, but there is a reason for that — it’s noticeably higher quality food, and it’s preparation is spot on. There is criticism and lower scores on here for the décor and such — who cares when the food is this good, and the owners are so nice? Simply put, a visit to this little gem is worth the time.

I came here for the first time a few weeks ago for lunch by myself. This is smal hole in the wall place. I give it 4 stars because when you walk in you feel like you are more in mom’s kitchen rather than a restaurant. This is not a criticism but you instantly feel like it is much more of a small room set up with a steam table and a very casual atmoshere with grandma serving you food in the same room. There is certain charm to that. The owner was there and serving up food that is to die for! She was so poilite and pleasant. She began by giving me a disposable plate and then proceeded to show me each item and explain what it is and what is in it while she placed a bite of every single dish on my plate while I ate like a king. I could not believe this show. It was both comical and fantastic. Nothing like I have ever experienced in a restatrant but for sure in moms kitchen!
And I have to tell you that every dish was exceleant and made it hard to choose because I wanted it all. I ate like I was going to the electric chair! I could not get enough. I also took out a gourmet gyros and it was like none other I have ever had.
This food and this business is done from the heart and with much love by someone who really cares. Do yourself a favor and get some of this. I will certainly be back the next time I am in town.

So delicious! A lovely family restaurant. We were able to try everything before deciding what we would order. The owner called it a «live menu». I chose the Asiago chicken and it was full of wonderful flavor. My husband sampled everything. We had the best baklava I have ever eaten for dessert. What a fun experience for my first time eating Persian food!

Like many other reviewers have noted, the food is good and it is very consistent. When you walk in, you’ll see all the dishes she has made on a table in front of you (except the gyros which are made fresh). The experience of being able to try out a few dishes before ordering is neat, and the woman is very friendly. There isn’t much in the way of atmosphere and the place is fairly small so it a not a good option for a party over 4 unless you are okay sitting at different tables. The drinks are single serving in the refrigerator, and she does have a pitcher of filtered water if that is your preference.
The thing that brings down stars on my review is the price– very high on most of the dishes ($ 12 – 15) and you probably won’t know how much it will cost until after you are finished. There are some dishes that are worth a higher price tag (e.g., salmon, lamb) and some that aren’t. I wish that everything here was a few dollars cheaper, and then I’d come in more frequently. Anywhere else I go and spend $ 12 – 15 on lunch, I will certainly get another meal out of it. Here, it does seem that she portions how much she thinks you will eat, and I’ve never had enough to take home afterwards. In sum, the food is good and I like the concept, but the high prices keep me from coming in too often.

In from Houston and tried this gem. Tiki masala was awesome. Owner was super friendly. Lincoln doesn’t disappoint on food

I’d heard rave reviews about this place, and decided to stop there for lunch. The owner was very friendly, explaining the lunch offerings and explaining that it was best to ignore the menus on the wall, as she only had a selected lunch offering… As other Unilocal-​ers have stated, the samples were great, but there was some confusion about prices which wasn’t clarified until after I’d eaten.
The Asiago chicken and saffron rice were delicious, but my serving was not big, and I actually saw her sizing the entrée portions to her patrons — so the 40 year old man at the table next to me got a much bigger serving of the same entrée than I did and he paid the same price, which was really frustrating. Also, $ 15 for a smallish lunch entrée (while delicious and authentic) was ridiculous, and I would have felt better about paying that much if I’d been served the same amount of food that the men were served…
Lastly, I tried to pay with cash ($ 15 tip included) and they wouldn’t let me pay in cash because they didnt have change? And when I tried to say that tip was included it became a huge hassle so I ended up paying with a card. Not that big of a deal, but when it is all taken into consideration it was a really disappointing meal.
Good, delicious, but I won’t eat there again.

Mediterranean is
a word so long it takes up
most of this Haiku.
You can sample all
the food before committing
to a certain dish.
However, fret not.
For it is all delicious.
Also: Baklava.
Haiku Review

Wow. Just wow.
This is the place to go for delicious Persian food. The owner (whose name I believe is Daffodil) is exceptionally friendly and goes to great lengths to make sure her customers are happy. I think she had us sample every dish she had before she would let us order — and it was all delicious. The restaurant itself is small and doesn’t have restrooms, but the food more than makes up for it. Definitely a place to go!

Be prepared for some fantastic Persian food served by a friendly and helpful owner. A small place with big flavors — I get the braised lamb shank with saffron rice (when available), or any of the eggplant dishes. The chicken tikka is super, and she usually has a variety of meatballs, often made by adding different beans to the meat. And save room for wonderful desserts — all homemade and wonderful to look at. Be sure to have them with saffron tea.

Third time here and always good. Love the ability to taste all the dishes. Amazing leek and beef dish!

Love it so much!
A Lincoln gem; we are so lucky to have this place here!
The owners serve you the food from a buffet style line. Free samples, in depth explanations, vegetarian options, occasional hugs and proclamations of adoration.
Oh, and it seems most of the meat is organic.

I’ve only eaten in the restaurant once and had their food twice from the Old Cheney farmers market. It’s been good either way.
Firstly I love the fact that they are at the old Cheney farmers market. It’s my favorite place to stop for a snack while doing my weekend shopping. The restaurant itself is small but cozy. We stopped in as a group one night and had their buffet. There were lots of options to choose from and most are naturally gluten free.
It is family owned and the husband and wife do all the cooking. I used to date a Persian guy so eating here made me feel like I was sitting in his moms kitchen again enjoying a home cooked meal. Both husband snd wife are incredibly friendly and accommodating.
I haven’t gotten in there too much for dinner but I need to. I definitely recommend this place and hope to get in there a bit more myself

I wouldn’t have known about this place except for Unilocal.It’s a find! The owners are super friendly and offered multiple samples! It is like eating in someone’s home. They do not serve alcohol! I did think it was a little pricey. For the two of us, it was over $ 35 without alcohol. Baklava was delicious, but $ 5 each. Wonderful food.
It would be ideal for carry-​out!

Good food. Owner was really nice and gave us lot of dishes to try out.

This restaurant deserves its reputation. It is truly a unique experience. When you walk in, it’s like you’ve entered your grandmother’s house. The lovely owner insists that you try everything she has made for the day before making your selection. Everything is absolutely yummy and you can’t decide what to order.
We ordered a lot… dolmathes, spicy chicken, rice, chicken salad, hummus, baklava, saffron tea. The owner gave us complimentary macaroons and homemade yogurt. There was a Persian gentleman who drove 100 miles just to go to the Daffodil. There was a table of ladies, one of whom had lived in Iran for a number of years, who were also enjoying their meals and raving about the food. It’s a super small restaurant, so we all had a great time chatting.
Do not go to The Daffodil if you are in the mood to just order your food and keep to yourself. If the other patrons aren’t talking to you, you can be guaranteed that the owner will. Also, given the appearance of the restaurant, you might expect it to be really cheap; this is not necessarily the case.
Oh, by the way, Unilocal says they do not take credit cards, but they do!

All right. I’m just going to say it. $ 40 for lunch? Yes, the food is delicious. Yes, the owner is a nice and knowledgable lady and a great cook. But I think she’d easily get twice the business if she charged about half what she does. And move more product. And make more money. But the first thing she needs to do is make prices more clear BEFORE you’ve ordered.
As she added up the bill, asking my date if each price was ok, (I was paying, so of course he thought it was reasonable) I wondered if perhaps we were expected to haggle like in the old country. Soup, for example, was as much as an entrée: $ 10.95. For that kind of money, I could go to the most expensive place in Nebraska for lunch, and some high end places in New York. It’s good, but is it THAT good? And our neighbor paid $ 65!
Very good, very authentic, but I won’t go again.

Best gyro ever — ridiculously fresh pita, tender meat, baby greens, feta, fresh veggies, green olives, pickles and a tangy house-​made sauce. Sampled chicken korma and berry meatballs, both delicious. Finished with a pistachio-​topped fresh-​baked baklava rose. So good!