Tam O’shanter Lounge & Steakhouse

My boyfriend and I went for valentine’s day. We had not been there since last summer, but had been regulars. To our shock and horror, we walked in to find pool tables in the dining roon. The charming booths had been replaced with high top tables. The menu no longer has steak. The entire look and feel, and the experience is gone. Im all for change, but truly all it needed was a little dusting. We will miss the Tam.

First, this place is a dive… absolutely.
Second, this place has amazing burgers! We go regularly to get their burgers and curly fries. I can’t vouch for everything else on the menu, but the burgers are outstanding. The Black and Blue Burger is my personal favorite.
Sometimes they have karaōke, which can be noisy. They have keno. Their long island iced teas are infamous. They have some crappy pool tables that are coin operated. Again, a dive, but worth a trip for the burgers.

This 5 star review should be read with this idea in mind: You’re not going to the Tam for a French cuisine experience, nor a fine chef from Culinary Institute of America. You go here craving a place that Anthony Bourdain would describe as «a place you want to go, not be bothered with dancing idiots all over — get a beer and have a great greasy burger.»
It completely and utterly fulfills my carnal desire for Bob Segar and the silver bullet band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, or Boston to be playing — while I enjoy fatty foods — sitting in chairs /​booths that are way past renovation without being adulterated by 18 – 23 yr olds bumping and grinding all over.
It’s a great bar if you actually want to enjoy what a bar is. Again, my reference is agreement with Bourdain’s 5 rules of a great bar. It’s also great bar food. Take it for what it is, and enjoy it for what it is. Don’t be a hater for what it is NOT!!!

You have to get the philly steak sandwich and a long islanded iced tea. I call this place Lincoln’s Dave & Busters. Not so much because of the games, it’s more I think that Famous Dave and Buster Douglas would enjoy this place. Everytime I’m at this bar, I get that calming feeling that I can only describe as if Alanis Morissette stopped making annoying music and moved back to Canada. Isn’t that ironic?

It’s a nice hole in the wall type place. I have been here multiple times but always had a burger and fries (because they’re pretty good) so I can’t speak to much else on the menu. The place has a lounge character that you either find charming or off-​putting depending on who you are. Nice place to chill out when they aren’t busy. They used to have a lot of red lights hanging over booths and the bar, which added to the character in my opinion, but they have been recently replaced with soft white lights. Bummer.

I’m astounded at the accolades that this dump gets. I’ve been there several times (not by choice) and have never had a meal or that didn’t taste like it was cooked yesterday and reheated. The fried foods taste like last week’s grease. The meats taste like dog food.
The state of the furnishing is a shambles and rundown. The cheap chairs and tables are wobbly. The booths are in disrepair and have ripped upholstery. The atmosphere is creepy as the lighting, music, and décor are catered to the taste of the numerous barflies and unsavory alcoholics that start drinking the moment the place opens.
I hope I never walk into this place again. You should avoid this dive at all costs.

Excellent, high quality burgers. We loved the flavor! We encourage you to give them a try!

Walked in, sat down near the bar, waited 20 minutes without being waited on by the 3 waitresses/​bartender I saw walk by, and left. Need I say more?

I moved form California, where I frequented the Mel-​O-​Dee lounge. It was sad to leave it behind. But right here in Lincoln is a place that could be its long-​lost sister, with an O in the name to prove it! On «O» street!
This place has everything you would ever want. Big, comfy tucked-​leather booths, red shag on the walls, dim lighting and a feeling it has stood sentry there on that corner since quondam days. A solid kitchen cranking out great burgers, steaks, etc.; a truly nice staff, stiff, affordable drinks, and, on Thursday when I was there, a good karaōke setup and a very healthy crowd to support it.
I will be back to the Tam-​O, that is for sure!

When I walk into Tam O’Shanter I feel like I’ve done the time warp and I’m always incredibly happy I did. This place is a pretty great dive. They have reddish shag carpeting lining the walls, and big plush booths to slink into. The drinks are stiff, the beer is cheap and they have Karaōke on Tuesday nights. Shag carpeting and karaōke? What more do you need?
How about burgers? Tam O’shanter is definitely in the running for best burger in town. I think it’s the quality of beef, seasonings and the way it’s pattied. They’re juicy, flavorful, and huge. I love them. They also have very tasty fries, and their homemade cheesecake is fantastic.
The service is sometimes spotty, and on occasion it takes a long time to get that heavenly burger you just ordered. Be patient, it’s well worth the wait.

This was a nice dive right on O Street. I’ll second the previous reviewer’s comment about it being a safe distance from the college bars. We were visiting from out of town and walking west along O from our motel. The further west we got on O, the less enjoyable (with a few exceptions) each bar became.
It happened to be «Crappy Beer Night» so we consumed $ 2 bottles of Miller High Life.
The décor is interesting… I particularly liked the elegant chandelier that seemed so out of place in here.
I didn’t try the food, I was just here for the bar. As dive lounges go, this was pretty good.

This is a great old bar that’s located a safe distance up the street from the college bars which line O Street.
There’s shag carpeting on some of the walls, & big comfy half-​circle booths. There are a couple pool tables, a pinball machine, & a dartboard in the back.
They are generous with the strong drinks here, esp. their Long Island Iced Tea. I’ve also heard great things about their food, but I have never been here for a meal.
I usually go up to the bar to order my drinks instead of waiting for a waitress here. Since there’s usually not a line, it’s not big deal.