The Tam Restaurant & Pub

This place was great in all aspects. The attitude and service from the bartender was very helpful and friendly. The food was amazing with a huge selection on the menu and having 5 day boards to choose from for leagues was amazing. I'll definitely be back. Edit: second trip back and it was just as great. The food was amazing again, service was great and the facilities to throw darts is one of the best in town.

Decent place to grab food. Cheese quesadilla was delicious, burger needed way more seasoning, fries were overdone, and a sauce definitely needed. Chocolate cake was a fudge cake and would not recommend. Server was attentive and answered any questions I had. Wait time in food was 20 min, appetizer came out fairly quickly. Overall would come back to the quesadilla, the burger and cake will take a pass on.

The breakfast buffet is very good. They don't have the biggest variety, but that's because the food that they do serve is absolutely delicious! They focus on quality, not quantity. And. It. Shows. I'll be back for sure! They have attentive and friendly wait staff. I really enjoyed my first experience there.

One of the best meals I’ve had in a long time! Perfection!! Their menu is endless with so many mouth watering things to pick from. I had the flatIron steak and it was amazing! Perfectly cooked and perfectly seasoned! Tender, juicy, and absolutely delicious! This was so much better than any of the so called steakhouses across the city and the price is so much more reasonable! Can’t stop thinking about it!!!!

My husband and I are so glad that we saw the outside sign reading "The Best Burgers In Town"... well we took them up on that -- So Incredibly Glad that We Did! Wonderful experience! Pleasant staff, wonderful food, and such a pleasant atmosphere & " The Long Tall Cold Neck Beers did not break my husband's heart" (the beers were plenty COLD). I was gifted with a wonderful Birthday song from all who were enjoying the livations! WE WILL BE BACK!👍😁 Jeff & Lulu Porter

We love the tam! Come here often and they are always so nice and easy to have a conversation with. food is fresh & delish!

I have lived down the street from this place, but am a broke college student so i try not to eat out often. Finally decided to come and I was so impressed with the food and the service. 10/10. forsure would reccomend this place for anyone who wants a good experience aswell as some good food.

Love this spot. Great food at a great price. Specials are awesome. Staff is always friendly!

OK, TBH, I wasn't expecting much walking in. But the food, drinks and service were all outstanding. Stop in for a quick drink or dinner. You won't be sorry.

First, let me say I wanted to eat there because of the name, traditionally this is a Scottish bar/restaurant....the name coming from a distinctive hat worn in Scotland and Ireland. There was another bar/resturant in the city I grew up in and it was known for outstanding food....'Expectations' I didn't actually expect them to have British and Irish beer or food, but I was hopeful. We were there on a slow night. Weekends they are much busier. We had a steak dinner for her and a burger for me. Our agreement was it was 'ok'. We were told about how fresh the ground beef was, but it didn't shine in taste. We actually mentioned it to each other that it 'felt' like a neighborhood bar and we didn't belong in the neighborhood. I think the most telling aspect was driving away on our way home I asked, "Would you want to eat here again?" Her answer was "no". Why? there was nothing to set it aside or better than any other place and ambience was ........searching for wording here, but it would be a set type ad style of customer and the waitress appeared as we were asking too many questions about the food. If I lived close to it an enjoyed the 'bar' scene I would really enjoy it. By the way when going to the RR we walked thru a large and busy darts room. I haven't played but also I in the neighborhood would soon learn. Call it a "C"

I went to The Tam yesterday with my daughter. It's probably been five years or more since I've been, and I was hoping it would live up to my memory. Did it! The inside is nothing like you expect from the outside. It's nice and clean and has a great atmosphere. The waitress was friendly and checked on us just the right amount to make sure we always had what we needed without being a bothersome presence. Perfect service. Then the Burger, one of the places that knows exactly how to execute on a delicious burger. They have a big menu with lots of options that always look tantalizing, but I keep going back to their various burgers because they do them so well I can't imagine straying from what I know would be perfection. I have probably tried most of their burgers over the years but the patty melt and the blue cheeseburger are the standouts in my opinion. They also have really good fries. I'm sure they're just frozen box store fries, but they cook them perfectly and have a great seasoning salt for them. Justin, all around great experience that over the decades of intermittent visits stays consistently wonderful every time. A solid addition to your roster if it's not already on there.

We live right down the street (dangerous!) so this is a regular haunt for us. They do such a great job with their burgers and sandwiches. It's always hard to pick. We love anything with bacon jam, and their pimento cheese burger is amazing. Love their staff and the "cheers" vibe you get when you walk in.

Whether you stop by for take out or stay in for beers with friends, Tams is a great option for getting out without going downtown. It's kind of an all ages bar and restaurant crowd with parents and families and friends reuniting not necessarily packed with college kids. it can be loud and it can be a little busy but if you're looking for that New York pub party, feeling on St. Patrick's Day pull up a stool and order a green beer here. I visit at least once a year and that is to get a Reuben for St. Patty's Day. Is it the great in town? I don't really know but I do know is that every year I know that they will have it. There will be a special. It's gonna be huge and delicious, and it's probably gonna go really fast so I have to get my order in ahead of time. And Tams is pretty easy to get to as it's central. The only pain is parking. There is never enough, especially for holidays and other special events. While I might be complaining just a little bit I also like it because it just shows that this is a Lincoln classic. I follow them on Facebook, where they post specials, including burger nites, steak nights, soups, Sunday breakfast buffet, chicken fried steak, hot beef... all those comfort foods you may not want to make. As you can see I'm all about the food here and it's been years since I've been here for drinks but I do know it's a good spot for that as well. Tam's is a good time.

The hot beef sandwich is one of the best in Lincoln. I have had several lunch specials and they were all very tasty and reasonable prices.

Worst service in town. Blonde bartender seemed more interested in her phone then me waiting for a drink. When i spoke up i was finally approached the Bartender took my order and again forgot about me sitting there despite very few people in the bar. Will not return due to this service EVER

Revisited after 15 years and it was still wonderful! Nice to see the wall to wall on walls shag carpet gone but not alot of other changes. Great service as usual. Burger with baked potato was just amazing! I was hoping to find their old staple Walleye special but it didn't make the new menu sadly. Fond memories of an old school bar and restaurant that looks like business is still hopping!

Asshole owner. Crys about how you can't park in his parking lot when there's 0 signs saying otherwise (as of the date of this post.) We were hungry and considering food options before getting yelled at before we were even in our car. Absolutely terrible service and environment, me and my friends will never be going there ! Ps. You can't tow a vehicle in your parking lot for being there if you don't have signs readily visible stating restrictions/otherwise.

Had the bourbon bacon jam burger for lunch today, and it was pretty darn good. Straightforward service in a down home spot. Excited to come back and try more of the menu.

Excelente food, the staff is phenomenal , friendly and price very reasonable. . We had 4 different types of sandwiches and all were super .

disappointing food. The fish was dry. The cake was dry. the lemonade was gross. and the salad with chicken was blah. great service

Hands down the best Reuben I have ever had . Tyler was our waiter and was fantastic. I also had a bite of my husband's burger and would say it's the best in town. Haven't been here for years and will be back soon!!!

Just no. I've honestly had better food out of a vending machine. Save yourself there are plenty of other good options just down the street.

They need to post the specials on this menu for the day I had a steak ordered delivery and on time all was excellent

Good bar food. I had the grilled Buffalo chicken sandwich..... beware! It's really good but really messy! Probably not the best choice for a business meeting but in the end worth it. Atmosphere is definitely 'upscale' dive bar. Since I don't live in Lincoln not sure I'd go back but I would recommend checking it out if your looking for a cold beer and in this case a grilled chicken sandwich!

Ordered the prime rib sandwich and crinkle fries. Delicious and fast. Service was very friendly

The draft beer was flat and the bartender, Alexxys, was happy to give me a different beer. The burgers were massive, but great! Many different choices of fries and sides. Smaller venue, so don't bring a large posse. Service was great. Happy to come again.

I've been looking for a new mom and pop place to eat and I've found it! The food is AMAZING! Since Covid all places have lacked customer service however my faith has been restored after visiting Tam's. I had the Prime rib and it was by far the best I've had and best since Merle's shut down years ago. I'll be a weekly regular for sure. Price is great, great customer service, food is amazing, and the customers are down to earth genuinely nice people as well!

So many choices of fresh made burgers! And all of the drinks are handmade as well. They have specials each night. Plus the cheesecake really is wonderful, you can get one piece or a whole cheesecake to go even

Get a burger here. No frills, no fuss- it's a true dive bar. We've always had good service.

Awesome little dive bar. Good steak and sandwiches. Owner's is awesome. Servers have a great personality. Fun atmosphere

Thought I would take a chance and eat somewhere new. Turned out to be an excellent choice. The steak was cooked perfect and was tender and delicious. Both the owner the cook made time to come talk to us and made sure we were taken care of. The waitress took care of us. I am not from here and am definitely stopping by next time I am in town. A++++

Enjoyed dining there as it brought up memories of dining there 50 years prior. Not much has changed. Prime Rib was excellent, cooked right and decent portions. Prices were high but inline with other restaurants of this type. Service was ok but not good. Salad plates were not cleared before serving main meal. Never were taken until end of dinner. There was no check by the server after meal was served to make sure everything was ok. Water glasses were never checked or filled. For the most part enjoyed the experience. Too bad the virus restrictions cut into the overall experience. I would recommend the experience of dining in the historic setting.

Under new ownership. Apparently they are trying to squeeze every nickel out of the place. We got there in mid-afternoon, and it was cold in there. We had to keep our jackets on, even the bartender was wearing hers. Asked her if she could turn up the heat, she said the heat was up. She said the owner turns off the heat at night, and it takes forever to warm the place up. Asked for a Jack and coke, they didn't have any Jack Daniels. WTH? Had a beer and left, we were going to eat, but not in a meat locker atmosphere. Honest review.

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 decor 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.

Be warned. This place is under new ownership and based on last night's meal, the quality of food is drastically affected. What used to be the best French Dip in town has now become a shredded, dried out and inedible sandwich - just horrible. Former owners' French Dip was at least two inches thick with medium rare beef. Not any more. The new staff is very friendly but is oblivious to food quality or they would not have served us these plates. I'm sad to share this review.

The Tam is under new management. They are updating the interior (no more shag walls). Kitchen timing was poor (table of 8, food out in spurts), but all temps were correct, meals tasty. Don't expect a wine list. Good for the price, staff members are friendly.

Great service, and so many choices to choose from, loved the seafood. Plus all at a great price. I suggest going and checking it out.

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 Karaoke on Tuesday nights. Shag carpeting and karaoke? 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.

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 decor 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.

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!!!

I have happy adolescent memories of having fantastic fried fish and curly fries at The Tam but my recent visit did not live up to those memories. First off, the seating was terrible my boyfriend and I ended up trying four tables before finding one that wasn't wobbly or awkwardly ghetto rigged. It was a fairly busy night and they were severely understaffed with two people running the kitchen and only one bartender to run drinks and orders. It ended up taking over twenty minutes before the bartender even noticed us and another five for her to make it to our table. She apologized for the timing and explained that they were understaffed because they are having trouble with finding an additional front of the house employee who can pass the background check. I was delighted to see that they still served walleye and curly fries and requested that but they were out of curly fries and I settled on onion rings instead. My date also had the fish but with coleslaw. We decided that the food might take a minute and started a game of pool in the back room. The kitchen made and delivered our orders promptly but forgot to bring us the sauces we requested when we ordered. Despite my high hopes for the food it was sub par and there was not nearly enough of it, especially for the price. The fried walleye came in nugget sized chunks not fillets and tasted like they had spent a good degree of time in the freezer. My portion of onion rings, though tasty, was more of a sample than a side and my companion's coleslaw consisted of cabbage and honey mustard. Even the tartar sauce was strange and left me wondering if they had added cinnamon to it. In the end I have had better food and service at Long John Silver's and McDonald's than The Tam.

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 karaoke setup and a very healthy crowd to support it. I will be back to the Tam-O, that is for sure!

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.

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 karaoke, 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.

Great food and service. Scott the owner is very attentive and makes a lot of the sides himself. Best hamburgers in Lincoln in my opinion. Sides are good. The bar is clean and a gr at place to gather with friends. Thanks Scott we will be back. Thanks again.

Today is St Patrick's Day and the Tam O'Shanter is, at least in name, an Irish bar. I had not been there in 4 or 5 years. The waitress came to take our orders and let us know there would be a bit of a wait as they were quite busy. About 1/2 hour later the couple we were with was served. We were advised that our order would be up shortly. We waited another half hour; the waitress did not make eye contact. Long story short: We were there 1 1/2 hours before being served. Our friends were done, and the crowd had dissipated. When we pressed the waitress on what was taking so long she used the "F" word and told off my friend. I paid the bartender for the beers and was ready to walk. When I got back to the table, the food was finally there. In fairness, there was nothing wrong with the food. When we got the bill, I told the waitress I had already paid for the beers and she should take them off the ticket. This netted me a second "F" word. We will never go back.

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.

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?

Their Prime Rib Melt was hands down AMAZING! And their patty melt is absolutely delicious! The restaurant has a nice and comfortable atmosphere with cozy corner booths.

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.

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

Actually an old school gem. Gone are red shag carpet on the walls but Has been renovated and still has an old school feel . Every time I go here I'm happy i did. Always interesting conversation to be had and the owner is nice and the bartenders are always friendly. Food is really good. We stop often for a cocktail on the way down town to whatever show. Do yourself a favor and stop on in. Reasonably priced. Just do it

I decided that I needed a good burger for lunch and remembered that the Tam was a great Lincoln based local I hadn't tried for a while. I ordered the burger for carry out over the phone and then picked it up. The person who answered the phone and took my order seemed very put out by my clarifications for side preparation and having to take the order. Think this was the same employee/owner/manager? who I paid the tab with that "had" to get up from the bar stool while figuring out the books when I walked in shortly after noon.... The burger was everything I remembered...hand pressed, good quality, grilled bun, etc. and the steak fries were also excellent. However, I am in the service industry and am a serious stickler for friendly service/quality food. With this, I can somewhat comprehend that a slow lunch on a Monday can make a person somewhat drone'ish...but I don't see where the regular patron is going to be as understanding to return for the food with the service being so labor intensive to even drag a smile out of. Service: half of one star...for answering the phone....at all.... No tip (even for a to go order, I will normally leave 20-25%), this was unfortunately very disappointing and really put a dark cloud over my experience. Food: Four stars Atmosphere: Four stars (LOVE the nostalgia of the old time lounge and eatery!)

Bright and cheery vibe. Ask for Christina to serve you. She has a lively spirit...eager to please. A joyful dining experience!!!

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?

Not THE worst dining experience of my life, but I've had better dining experiences at 12th Street Pub on taco Tuesday. With that said, this place definitely had the atmosphere of a dive bar. It appeared to have a pretty well-stocked bar with a decent drink menu; the selection and prices were what you would expect from a dive bar.I was impressed by the size; there were two dining rooms and a game room with Keno and pinball machines. The service I received was adequate for how busy my waitress was. It wasn't prompt , but she was friendly. I ordered the black and bleu burger medium-rare with curly fries, as well as some onion rings. The 25 minutes I waited on my food was not worth I ordered. The burger came out bloody and soppy, and probably would have tasted great if ordered well done.It fell apart on the second bite, and I ended up eating less than half of it. The curly fries were okay; nothing too exciting, just potatoes. Arby's has better curly fries. The saving grace of my "meal" were the onion rings. They were huge, crispy and delicious. The food came out hot and tasted alright overall, despite the burger being undercooked. Portion sizes were pretty large too. If I give this place a second chance, I'll be sure to order my burger any other way except rare. If all you want reasonably priced bar drinks and decent bar food, and don't mind waiting a half hour, I would recommend giving this place a shot. If you're looking for a family-themed atmosphere with high quality meals and service, look elsewhere.

first of all.. you have to consider that the kitchen staff has rolled over several times since the last review. sometimes the burgers are ok. i live here, and try to keep track.... and the food here has gone downhill in the direction of McDonalds. But they do have pool, as long as nobody in the very questionable neighborhood tries to push you off and make an issue of it. all told... go downtown... you're much better off.