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The Oven - Downtown, Lincoln, NE

The Oven - Downtown

4.8
4.8
534 Reviews
$30 and under
Indian

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 6 times today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Vegetarian-friendly
  • Charming
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: Monday - Saturday: 11:30am - 2:00pm Dinner: Sunday - Thursday: 5:30pm - 9:30pm, Friday & Saturday: 5:30pm - 10:30pm
  • 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 534 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
  • 4.9Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.8Ambience
  • 4.7Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Nebraska

    Best Food

  • Nebraska

    Best Value

  • Nebraska

    Healthy

  • Lincoln

    Best Overall

  • Lincoln

    Best Food

  • Lincoln

    Best Service

  • Lincoln

    Best Ambience

  • Lincoln

    Best Value

  • Lincoln

    Innovative

  • Lincoln

    Good for groups

  • Lincoln

    Healthy

  • Lincoln

    Hot spot

  • Lincoln

    Great for fine wines

  • Lincoln

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Oven in Downtown Lincoln consistently impresses with its "outstanding food and service." Known for being the "best Indian restaurant," it offers a rich menu with favorites like spinach bread and chicken tikka. Despite occasional service hiccups, the "lovely atmosphere" and "extensive wine list" make it a must-visit.

534 Reviews
  1. OpenTable Diner

    Miami1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 1 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Outstanding service, food and atmosphere. Highly recommend!!!

    Is this helpful?

  2. Thomas VIP

    Columbus6 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on 22 February 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food and service. No rush to your dining experience.

    Is this helpful?

  3. Kendal

    Omaha3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 15 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our server was wonderful and the food was delicious.

    Is this helpful?

  4. William

    Omaha1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 15 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Such an amazing restaurant, one of my favorite places to eat

    Is this helpful?

  5. Mikil

    Omaha1 review

    4.0

    Dined on 15 February 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    Everything was great, but our reservation was on Valentine’s Day and we had to wait 20 minutes to be seated. After we were seated, the service was a little spotty, but our waiter was nice and the food was incredible.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Kathy

    Omaha2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 14 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I love the oven whenever there’s a special occasion we always come 

    Is this helpful?

  7. Lenora

    Omaha1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 8 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food is always good. Service was great last night. One of our favorite places to eat.

    Is this helpful?

  8. Gary

    Omaha1 review

    1.0

    Dined on 1 February 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 5
    We made a reservation; we were sat 25 min after our reservation time. Usually service here is very good. Not this time. Food was excellent.

    Is this helpful?

  9. Heather

    Las Vegas5 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on 12 January 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Reservation via open table for 7:00 for our group of 3. Arrived at 7:00 and were told it would be 20-30 min wait. So we went to the bar downstairs, ordered a bottle of wine, he gives us our empty glasses and then disappeared for 30 minutes. I asked a girl where he went and she gave a snooty response “well he probably has to open 6 other bottles for the other tables”. Hmm ok. 30 min later at 8:00 we were finally sat at our table upstairs. “Anyone can take a reservation but it’s the holding of the reservation that’s important”. Lol…. Besides all of that bs, the food was very good. Spinach naan, soup and lamb vindaloo. Our waitress was great, but you could tell she was overwhelmed. Just be prepared to wait on weekends even while having a reservation…

    Is this helpful?

  10. Kathy

    Omaha2 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on 1 January 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    It’s a wonderful restaurant great Indian food, fabulous atmosphere

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

The Oven - Downtown is rated 4.8 stars by 534 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 6 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: Monday - Saturday: 11:30am - 2:00pm Dinner: Sunday - Thursday: 5:30pm - 9:30pm, Friday & Saturday: 5:30pm - 10:30pm
  • 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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