BBQ in Nebraska City Nebraska!

Since I knew that we were staying overnight in Nebraska City, I’d done a little research to see what dining options we’d have for dinner.  Considering that we’d skipped BBQ in Kansas City for another option, we were ready for “BBQ with Soul”!

This is Parker’s Smokehouse in downtown Nebraska City Nebraska.  A little research revealed a bit of a surprise for me… This ‘local small town’ BBQ joint has 3 other locations in Nebraska and they’re not all in small towns!  Besides this restaurant, Parker’s Smokehouse has outlets in Ashland and Lincoln as well as its most recent location in Omaha. 

Nebraska City is the County Seat for Otoe County.  As per the most recent population estimate, the city’s population was 7,255.  Nebraska City is the oldest incorporated city in the state.  It was the first approved by a special act of the Nebraska Territorial Legislature in 1855.

The interior of Parker’s Smokehouse is expansive…with lots of tables and a shiny tin ceiling.  The website refers only to beer and wine but it appears that some hard liquor is on the shelf in that big refrigerated case in the second photo. 

  

There were a number of BBQ sauces readily available on our table but after tasting them, none were spicy/hot enough to satisfy our taste buds.  So I ordered a side of their special “Firestarter” BBQ sauce to accommodate our preference for heat. (50 cents) 

We decided to skip any “Starters”/Appetizers.  These include a Fried Onion Flower, Rib Tips, Smokehouse Wings, Sweet Potato Fries, Chicken Tenders, Cajun Catfish Strips and Bacon Cheese Fries.  Salads and Soups are also available.

I sure would like to know who in the heck invented the term ‘chicken tenders’!  I like chicken but the term chicken tenders is definitely unappetizing to me…

For her dinner Laurie ordered the slow hickory-smoked St. Louis-Style BBQ Spare Ribs. (4 Bones - $12.59; 6 Bones - $15.79; 12 Bones - $19.99) Entrees are served with a corn bread muffin and your choice of 2 side dishes.  For her sides, she chose the cheesy Romano Potatoes and the Cinnamon Apples.  The ribs were nice and ‘meaty’, the muffin was very good, she loves cinnamon apples and she liked her potatoes as well!

Sides can be purchased separately.  The standard sides that come with the entrees include: Mashed Potatoes with Country or Brown Gravy; Romano Potatoes; Steak Fries; Baked Beans; Potato Salad; Cinnamon Apples; Cole Slaw; Steamed Veggies, or; a Baked Potato.  Sides cost $1.99 if purchased separately.  The baked potato can be ‘loaded’ for another 50 cents.  If you wanted Onion Rings, Sweet Potato Fries or a Side Salad with your entrée, you would be charge an extra dollar.  These 3 sides cost $2.99 when purchased separately. 

I ordered The Pit Master with 2 St. Louis Ribs added to my platter. ($9.99 plus $2.99) The Pit Master included 1/4 lb. each of Georgia Chopped Pork and Texas Beef Brisket, served side-by-side and topped with chunks of Hot Link Sausage on a fresh Rotella hoagie bun.  Since my meal was a sandwich, it only came with 1 side so I chose the cinnamon apples.

I really liked the sandwich…layered as it was with brisket, shredded pork and sausage slices.  I loaded it up with that Firestarter BBQ sauce and I was a happy camper.  The ribs were very nice too.  The only negative is that I’ve had Hot Link Sausage in Oklahoma and Texas…and they really are HOT links in that neck of the woods.  They didn’t have much pop at Parker’s…

If BBQ isn’t your ‘thing’ Parker’s also offers a number of other menu items.  Options include a number of sandwiches including 3 or 4 chicken options, a prime rib Reuben, prime rib melt and a French dip as well as a number of burgers.  You can also get a half roasted chicken, salmon, catfish or a choice of chicken fried chicken or chicken fried steak.

What the heck!  We were on vacation and we didn’t have any doctor’s appointments for a couple of months yet… We decided to split a Caramel Apple Cobbler which is served hot and crispy with Vanilla Ice Cream. ($3.99)  It was excellent! 

We did consider one of option from the 5 dessert choices on the menu.  That was Parker's Mug Cake…Hershey’s chocolate cobbler layered with Vanilla Ice cream, whipped topping and chocolate syrup. ($4.99) I’m not sure that it was actually any more decadent than our cobbler…but it sounded like it might be. 

The sun was setting when we left Parker’s Smokehouse…and for just a moment, we thought that we’d been transported back in time.  That police car is almost old enough to have been featured in “The Blues Brothers” movie!  Talk about low cost…there isn’t even any visible signing letting us know what jurisdiction it’s from… Maybe that was deliberate.

We liked Parker’s Smokehouse and we wish we had BBQ that was this good here in East Tennessee.  Now that we know that they have a location in Omaha, we’ll pay that location a visit with our family on our next trip to Nebraska. 

The Parker’s Smokehouse in Nebraska City Nebraska is at 715 1st Corso.  Phone: 402-873-0557.  Website: http://www.parkerssmokehouse.com/.  Note that in Italian the word ‘corso’ when referring to a street can mean avenue…

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a bit of BBQ!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave