Penelope’s Lil Cafe

Good breakfast and good olé coffee. Staff is pleasant and never let my cup get empty.

It was fantastic! I went looking for a great breakfast spot while visiting and this place was perfect. Clean and my bartender was very attentive. Had a lovely breakfast.

Service was slow considering there were only 2 other tables. It was about 1:45 when we were finishing up and the place was pretty much empty the entire time we were there, I feel it was bad business to turn away the three new tables that tried to walk in 15 minutes to close. I mean would it have killed anyone to stay til 2:30 on a Sunday afternoon just to win over some new customers? Food was average, I’ve had better at a chain but wanted to support a local business that I feel kind of didn’t even want to support itself if that makes sense

Well I wanted to love this place but it was just ok. The place is very cute, with an upscale dinner vibe. I had the Biscuit and Gravy combo, the Biscuit was hard and clearly not homemade… party foul. I didn’t eat them but the pies looked great.

My dad and I went to lunch here and we’re amazed at how big/​how much seating they had! Got in right away and the staff were very friendly! Had the smoked cheeseburger and it was phenomenal! Excellent business! Keep up the good work!!! Prices were aslo very reasonable! Glad we decided to try it out!

Does breakfast (pancakes, eggs, various breakfast meats) and lunch. Vegetarian options are marked with an asterisk. Actually a step up from «American (Traditional)»: they fry their own potato chips, make their own salsa and make their own veggie burgers, though the bread was commercial. And they have a liquor license (mimosa? bloody mary? Something to end your night after working the night shift?).
Service was friendly; we shared the cheese dip; had the pulled pork sandwich; chicken fingers/​fries; eggs/​toast; soup of the day; and the veggie burger. The people having the pulled pork and the traditional breakfast weren’t that impressed; the person having soup was thoroughly charmed; and while the veggie burger was flavorless, the salsa was excellent. As a vegetarian looking for brunch options, I’d return; it’s nice to be able to have a wrap OR soup OR something else (or an omelet!) instead of just one option. But I can’t recommend the veggie burger. The mashed potatoes with it were fine (dried chives added; nice); the cheese dip was OK. Couldn’t taste the blue cheese in it, but the homemade chips were nice.

We were very disappointed when we tried Penelope’s for breakfast several months ago. We haven’t been back so maybe the service and cleanliness has been improved.
We had a dead fly in the bowl that held our little half and half cups. The top of the mustard on our table was dirty, covered in dried mustard and there is no way I would have touched it. Despite the dirty conditions we decided to stay since we were already there. Portions are large but food is nothing special. It is extremely cheap but the dirty restaurant turned me off from ever visiting again.
I had pancakes, which were huge and my husband had eggs and hash browns. Nothing we couldn’t have enjoyed at home.

The server got my order wrong, atmosphere wasn’t really that great, pancakes tasted dry, but the bacon was good haha

For Sunday brunch I decided to try Penelope’s. The café had a full house, so me and my boyfriend signed in and had a short wait, which we didn’t mind because I consider it to be a good sign. Once we got seated, I ordered the B & G Combo with a side of bacon and my boyfriend got the Pancake Combo with orange juice for $ 23.50. Best thing about this place is the huge plate of food you get, me and my boyfriend could not even finish our meal because of it. My favorite part was the side of hash-​browns!
The atmosphere of the café was humming with activity; customers and staff bumping into each other to reach their seats, to bus tables, and serve food. Overall, I just felt quite uncomfortable and congested there. I witnessed the staff do some unsanitary and questionable things while I was waiting to be seated. (Wiping the table tops with a rag that was dropped on the floor, etc.) They also messed up on my boyfriend’s order and served another table first that actually came after us.
I’m not sure if I should have ordered something different, but I was disappointed with my visit here. The sausage gravy was warm and made nicely, but the biscuits tasted as if they were just taken out of the fridge and were days old. And the rest of my meal was just alright.
I am a big supporter of local businesses and exploring new places, so I would recommend it as a place to try and to order something different from me, however, I probably won’t be coming back again.
Disclaimer — The photo I posted is slightly edited!

We were treated as ghosts!
We arrived and sat in one of the booths, passed by the two servers. No one acknowledge we were there. We waited about 5 mins plus to get menus… No one stopped by.
Another person arrived, in less of a minute menu and water was served to them. We were still in the Ghost Mode.
Another couple arrived, same story… Menus and water on their table.
We decided to leave, no one asked anything… Only a goodbye to the couple that was behind us leaving the restaurant.
We don’t know if we were invisible or it was the service this day!

This was our first time here and decided to get something quick to eat.
The pancake was pretty good and big ! For like 2.49. Hash browns are always yummy ! However, service was kinda slow

Meh. I didn’t eat anything special here. Nor was there much unique to experience. Except for the left over sculptures on the lawn. Those are pretty cool. The owner of El Sidio originally commissioned them, I heard. So why didn’t that owner take them? And then I started to wonder if the giant insect sculptures were for some reason running with the land as fixtures or as a part of the tenant additions under the terms of a really shitty ground lease. Ouch. That would suck. Now I am thinking of this every time I see a light bulb sculpture in Lincoln. Or the bicycles. Must know…

Tried this place for the first time and the breakfast was excellent. I tried the French Toast combo and it’s definitely some of the best French toast that I have had to date. The place is a little small but that’s okay it only enhances the atmosphere of eating at a local restaurant rather than a chain.
If you’re in the area and want to grab a quick bite this place is perfect. They have a wide variety of other menu options that include lunch & dinner.

Great little diner with fried chicken on Thursday-​Saturday. My cheeseburger was amazing. The freshly made chips were a nice touch. My husband got the fried chicken with mashed potatoes. When he asked our server what kind of gravy he could get, she gave the best answer:
«We’ve got all three.» The chicken came out straight from the pan. It was too hot to hold for a few minutes. The breading on the chicken was less salty than most.

Chicken Fried Steak. Yum.
Over easy eggs, slimey.
I did not know this.
Haiku review.

Once a month a good friend and I try a new or different restaurant in Lincoln, Nebraska. Most of our visits have been for lunch but we visited Penelope’s for breakfast on a Wednesday morning at 9:00 AM. I was anticipating good to great food because of what I had heard through my wife, a teacher who listens well to colleagues restaurant reviews. We were not disappointed. We had basic man sized breakfasts and both were high quality and the freshest I have had for breakfast in Lincoln. They offered daily specials, which I selected and their service was perfect. Friendly, courteous and an endless cup of coffee. The atmosphere is good and I would recommend trying it for lunch or dinner based upon my breakfast experience.
This is a good place to choose for morning group get together’s. Very group friendly, say before or after golf etc.
The parking or entry could be a problem but I recommend parking in the rear to avoid any issues.

Finally a breakfast spot I can come to everywhere. The service is always fast and friendly and the the food is very good. I usually get the number 5 breakfast combo with my eggs over medium. My wife got the french toast this time so I’ll end up trying hers. The hash browns are nicely crisped. The price is very reasonable and modest

A hidden find! From the outside, this place doesn’t look like much, but what a great hole in the wall. A great place for a late brunch. Everything tasted perfect and homemade. The waiter really went out of her way and checked on us often. I will be back for sure! PS, get their hashbrowns, you won’t regret it. I can’t think of words to describe them! All I can summon is a gesture where i stick out my tongue and drool and make funny noises. So good!

This place is my new favorite place for breakfast. Great food, low prices, and if you drink coffee, it is always being topped off without asking. 2 thumbs up.

Home at last! I finally got to stop in and check this place out. The food was great and fresh. I loved that everything seemed homemade. I even topped off my patty melt with a slice of fresh homemade pie! The service was great too. What was even better was that they food was really well priced for the quality. A great deal. I am really on the fence between a 4 – 5 star. I will have to try other dishes to see how things pan out. I would certainly have no qualms with a return trip.
Overall, its worth a trip to stop in and grab a bite or 20.