I. Love. The. Oven. I get the same order every time, and I might be biased, but I think it's the best order out there. I always get the spinach bread, which is naan-stuffed with paneer and spinach, and is so soft and melt in your mouth delicious. I dream about the naan. Then for my main, I get the lamb bhuna with the soup on the side. I've tried a few other main courses and I honestly think the Lamb bhuna is the most flavorful thing on the menu, and a spiced so well. The mint chutney that they have to dip with the naan is also so good. I could probably drink it. I crave the oven so often. It's definitely a very busy restaurant so I would recommend making a reservation beforehand, otherwise you'll probably be waiting a pretty long time! The patio Haymarket location is super nice when the weather is good. read more

The Oven - Indian Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

I will come back and try some more dishes. For starters the stuffed naan was excellent. I asked if they could mix the tikka and spinach and artichoke combined to one stuffed naan. Everybody at the table loved it. The soup starter wasn't my favorite it didn't have much flavor to it but if you squeeze the lemon in it gets tolerable. Too much soup though. The chicken bunha was probably the best dish forgot to take a photo. Pretty strong onion flavor. The chicken tikka Marsala although good with the right amount of spice was a little different than I was used to. Overall will be back to try again. read more

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The first thing I'd recommend about this restaurant is to make a reservation! The process to call and make one is smooth. They originally told me that a 5:15 reservation for a party of 4 on Wednesday (granted, it was Nate Bargatze night so Haymarket was flooded with show-goers) would be difficult. They said we might have to wait a few minutes but would be able to get us in. When we showed up, we were seated almost right away even before 5:15. The inside is decorated very nicely, somewhat upscale feel but still approachable. The waiter was patient with us when we had him come back twice because we couldn't settle on our drink or food orders. A couple friends got cocktails which they enjoyed but I got a coffee and my husband had water. The coffee was strong but okay. We ordered the mixed appetizer platter for 4 and it was alright, the tandoori chicken was good and the samosas were too. Some of it was really breaded and kind of tasteless, as was the mint chutney. The chicken naan was also just okay, but our friends enjoyed it. I got a half tandoori chicken which came with a hefty portion of rice for 2 that was for my husband's lamb dish as well. The chicken was spiced very well, somewhat spicy but so good. The rice was well cooked too. Since the restaurant was so busy, it took a while to get our food. We were sat at 5:13 and didn't get our food until 6:20 or so. We weren't super hungry after the appetizers and salad, but it was a bummer having to eat so quickly so we could get to our 7 pm show in time. Our friends ordered a second round of drinks and it took so long to get them that they ended up having to cancel them because we had to leave. I would come back here since the food is good, but beware to give plenty of time if there are any after dinner plans. read more

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Pretty good experience at the oven. We had a spinach dip appetizer. It had good flavor with just a hint of spice at the back end. The only complaint I would have is that there was not enough bread served with the large portion of dip. Luckily we had ordered a side of naan with our meal so we were able to fully enjoy the dip. I had the shrimp madras. Very good flavor with a lot of spice. Service was good. Ambiance was a little loud but it was a Saturday night so it was to be expected. We would go back. read more

Highly suggest making a reservation if you're coming for dinner. We had one and initially the place was dead. All of a sudden, it was packed and people were being told it would be an hour+ wait. With that being said, I very much enjoyed the food but the missing fifth star is due to the service. I'm not sure if they're just short staffed or if we had a newer guy, but it was pretty slow. Our friends ordered drinks and were told the bar is backed up, but this was when the place wasn't very full. They ordered a second round about 30 minutes before we had to get going (we had an event at PBA) and the drinks still weren't there so they didn't pay for them, thankfully. Everyone was able to get what they ordered even though I initially thought I had received something else since the server just kinda handed everything and didn't repeat the order back. I really liked the soup, which was surprising because I'm typically not a fan of lentils. I LOVED the lamb though. It was cooked perfectly and wasn't something I had ever had before. I specifically got the one that didn't have jalapeños in it because I wasn't wanting something "too" spicy, but this still had a kick even with the green chilis. I don't think we would order the appetizers again mainly because the soup and main dish were sooooo filling! I thought the place was very nice looking, no weird smells, and seemed clean. A warning flag usually comes up when a place has newspaper clippings, framed, that are 10+ years old without really anything new. Makes me worried that they're still doing "the old stuff" but this was all still fresh and applicable to newer restaurants. read more

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I know same picture, different angles BUT it was so good @theoven_ne I love Indian flavors and the Thali didn't disappoint. We shared the portion with 2 people and it was a perfect amount of food. We did get the garlic naan too because it is garlic naan!! Flavors were great. The favorites were the Rogan Josh, the curries and maah dal. I would eat all of it again and again. read more

The Oven - Indian Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

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We went here yesterday, food was overall very good, the service was pretty efficient. Chicken Tikka Masala was very good, may be spicy for some Chicken Tikka Makhani was good, mild spice, good flavour. The lamb in the Kadai Gosht was very tender I wasn't really a fan of the Mulligatawny Soup, I found it quite lemony despite not adding the additional lemon slice. By far the best meal we had in Lincoln. I'd highly recommend trying if you are in the area. read more

The Oven - Chicken Tikka Makhani (top left) Chicken Tikka Masala (top right) garlic naan (centre) kadai gosht (bottom right) basmati rice - Indian Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

An upscale Indian restaurant, this was a great stop on our cross-country trip. Great food! We were very happy with the quality of everything, partially the vegetable dishes. No overuse of ghee, the food was highly spiced and flavorful with without being too oily Excellent service too. A full bar with relatively inexpensive cocktails if you're coming from one of the coasts. Great find! read more

The Oven! -Chicken Tikka Korma (Boneless pieces of chicken tikka simmered in a creamy curry and tomato sauce.) -Garlic Naan (Naan seasoned with garlic.) -Mulligatawny Soup (A traditional Indian soup of pureed lentils flavored with spices and garnished with rice and fresh cilantro.) I prefer eating in person, but I was dying to try The Oven and ordered takeout (sorry for the low-quality photo). The food was beyond AMAZING. The sauce for the Chicken Tikka Korma was delicious, and the naan was good. I am not sure what the greenish-white sauce was, but I dipped the naan in it, and it was such a unique, flavorful sauce; I loved it! The soup was pretty good, but my favorite was the main dish! The food was ready in 10 minutes, which was super fast! The employees were super sweet and wanted to make sure I loved it, which I thought was so sweet! The inside looked super nice, and I cannot wait to eat in person! 10/10 for sure read more

The Oven - Chicken Tikka Korma - Indian Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

Nice interior, a little on the loud side. Server was friendly and attentive. Food was good, well seasoned with many options. Vegetarian friendly too. Glad we came in - definitely something we would recommend and visit again. read more

We were in Lincoln for a weekend, and decided to try this restaurant for lunch based on a friend's referral. I had made a reservation, which was not necessary, and seemed ignored. It's a very casual environment. The food however, was delicious, and came out quickly and very warm. We enjoyed spicy samosas, creamy Riata and a lamb dish -- and all were very tasty. read more

The Oven - Lamb Madras Biryani & side of Riata - Indian Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

Solid Indian food for lunch. We stopped by here after we realized a nearby restaurant was closed for lunch, and it was a good place to sit and enjoy some warm paneer and garlic naan. It's a nice lunch spot in Lincoln, next time I might try it for dinner. read more

The Oven - Mulligatawny Soup - Indian Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

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All of the above still holds true. The Oven is perhaps the best Indian food I've ever had and by far one of the best places of all food types to eat at in Lincoln. Quality of the food and service has not diminished and I come here often. It's more upscale and fancy for a date-night atmosphere. They have kept prices relatively stable throughout a pandemic and give you tons of food. Solid choices to get include chicken tikka madras, chicken bhuna, mahkani or lamb vindaloo if you can handle the heat. I enjoy jalfrezie every few years because it is different but not a curry, more of an Indian stir fry. All of the breads as an appetizer before your meal are just so good. Favorites include chicken tikka, paneer, spinach and stuffed paratha. They also have a special one not on the menu we have asked for with a spicy ground beef. As always, never get salad. The mulligatawny soup is a masterpiece and complement to any meal. read more

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Grabbed dinner at the Oven during my stay in Lincoln. We didn't have a reservation, but got there around 5:00 and got a spot on the patio with no problems. However, it was PACKED when we left. We shared the thali, with extra naan and it was perfect! We got to try many dishes and the right amount of food for two. If you aren't sure what you like, it is a great way to try new things, without committing to an entire dish of something. Our service was VERY slow, especially after it got busy. read more

The Oven - Thali - Indian Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

I would have never thought I would get decent Indian Food in Lincoln NE but I did. Visited the oven during the week and it was surprisingly busy sat at the bar and looked at the menu. The bar tender was prompt and helpful. Having eaten a lot of Indian food I knew my way around the menu. Started with the meat samosa's, then mulligatawny soup and lamb vindaloo. All tasty and appreciated not being asked how hot I wanted the vindaloo, vindaloo is supposed to be hot. The only knocks would be the raw onion it should have been sliced not in chunks and the lamb was a bit dry and not stewed in the vindaloo sauce. All in all not bad and would go back when in the area. read more

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Party of nine for five o'clock on a Sunday night. Our drinks and food orders came out in decent time. BUT we waited over 45 minutes for our checks which were then incorrect. Never had this much of a wait before but needed to comment on this poor service. read more

Has apparently been...8?? years. Maybe so. Lunch here today for updates. Having a variety of curry options. Veg/Chicken. Spinach naan bread. Some of my favorites. Haymarket area not as busy today. Naan is wonderful. A side cup of celery-like dip. Very good also. And all was really good and we want to get back again. read more

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Came here for lunch on a weekday. The restaurant had a good amount of customers for lunch. I ordered the chicken curry lunch special with a salad. The salad was mixed greens, some cucumbers and a very sour dressing. The chicken curry came with three pieces of chicken breast, half a plate of rice, and a very tomatoey curry. The spices in the curry were good, but I did not expect it to have such strong tomato flavor and texture. Basically tomato sauce. Would get something else next time. My coworker got the lamb biryani lunch special and his plate appeared to have way more food than mine. read more

The Oven - Salad - Indian Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

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Food was amazing, service was perfect. A bit of a wait, but it was very busy. Our sommelier was incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about their various wines read more

Went here on a weekend night and it was fairly busy! The ambiance of it is quaint and so unique!!! The food is fairly priced for being at the location! The garlic naan is our favorite with their yogurt dipping sauce it has a nice amount of heat which was unique! we absolutely love the portion size here, if you get a dish or two you can share it as family style! I got two chicken dishes and it was so flavorful, chicken tikka and chicken tikka masala! When we arrived it seems like you need a reservations but they took us in no problem! read more

I was really looking towards this Indian place. I do not know how this is the #1 restaurant in Lincoln. Not good at all. Naan had zero flavor. Soup was very bland. Chicken Tikki Korma was way overly tomato sauce. No deep Indian flavor. Definitely will not be back at all. read more

The Oven - Bland Naan - Indian Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

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The Oven is a fantastic spot for authentic Indian cuisine. Tandoori Chicken and Butter Chicken are definitely worth ordering. Large chicken portions with a side of jasmine rice really filled us up. Service was very attentive. Our order was taken quickly and the food came out shortly after. The lighting is rather bright for dinner. Feels like it's lit up for food service companies to pick up carryout orders. Not really a relaxed or romantic mood. The food makes up for this tho. 5stars for the food. read more

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My Husker's favorite restaurant in Lincoln! So whenever we are in town, we have to eat here. Food is always good. (get the garlic naan and thank me later). The service is always on point. They also have a nice selection of wines, in the event that you want to step it up a notch. We enjoy it and highly recommend it! read more

It's been a while since my fiance and I have had a good Indian food so we were really looking forward to this dinner. Reserved the table ahead of time and really love the vibe of the place. I had requested a corner table and that's what we got! My fiancee ordered the Dirty Chai cocktail; I recommended it because the ingredients sounded amazing! Vanilla Vodka, Bailey's, espresso liqeur, allspice drum. It was really big flavor but we had to stop having it at one point because it didn't go too well with the food. That creamy coffee flavor with spicy food was not the best. I got the Reshmi Kebab (chicken pieces marinated in ginger garlic paste and cooked in Tandoor). It looked good, but I was not a fan. The ginger garlic flavor was really too overpowering. It fell too sharp at the one point and I needed some plain food to balance out that taste. It was also not spicy enough so I had to ask her some chili powder to add some spice. I think the chicken was also quite overcooked. My fiancee got the Chicken Tikka Makhani ( which would I guess be equivalent to a butter chicken?) And he loved it! I really really loved that as well. The chicken was cooked perfectly - soft and tender. And even that gravy was amazing! Proper spicy. Just what you would want. He got a naan to go with, and really devoured that. I was hoping for something more of a soft thick naan, but this was more on the thinner crispier side. Basically the verdict is get that Chicken Tikka Makhani! read more

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EVERYTHING and everyone is amazing. The food is second to none in Lincoln. An absolute MUST if you're passing through.

elegant dining, great food, wonderful flavors, perfect location, best restaurant in LNK

The beautiful weather calls for a patio meal! I was expecting some flavor considering it's an Indian spot.. the spinach naan I ordered came out flavorless, SO glad it came with a sauce to dip in to break that bland flavor.. I wish they would add some salt or feta or something to that particular naan. The soup came out and it was also needing salt & pepper .. by the time I got salt and pepper the soup was SO cold.. The server completely forgot I asked for those two basics that should be on every table. The location is great but the food could honestly be better. Rice and stew came out looking HORRID. read more

Very nice date night spot in downtown Lincoln! Our servers (waitress+trainee) did a great job of giving us menu suggestions. We got the non-veg Thali which was a great option to try multiple menu items and could serve 2-3 people easy. I will say I've had better Indian food from more authentic restaurants, but this is a great choice for a birthday or anniversary. read more

The Oven - Non-vegetarian Thali - Indian Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

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Ok let's start with the obvious. The Oven has been a Lincoln staple that gave area diners an explosion of flavor when they needed it most. In a college town over run by sandwich / pizza shops, and all the chain restaurants with all the flair you can imagine, The Oven was a welcome beacon of fine dining - but still they kept the food simplistic & authentic. It was all the usual suspects you would find on almost every Indian food lineup, but The Oven took those familiar flavor profiles and elevated everything just enough so that the food matched the ambiance. High end, classy, and yet somehow familiar & cozy. The service has always been world class and not once have I had an issue with the helpful staff during any visit or pick up experience. They have always ran a tight ship and that is why I am always confident I'm going to be getting a delicious meal, and oftentimes two since I'll have leftovers. When in their dining room, don't even think of boxing your own leftovers because they probably have already grabbed your plate and started the to-go boxing, Alright this sounds like a glowing 5 star review, so what gives with the 4 stars instead of 5? Well as mentioned above, I said I was ALWAYS confident I would be getting a delicious meal that is spot on. Well this fateful night, the mulligatawny was dreadfully off. So much so it rocked my confidence to the core. I am aware that certain regions of India whip up different versions of this soup, but this version was burnt and not to their lofty standards. I know my experience was towards the end of their night, but there were plenty of people still in the dining room, so I felt I had 20-30 mins left and I was in & out within moments. So in closing... this place is a LNK gem. Had one sour soup in over a decade but I just couldn't get past it. However, this place is so good that I would go back right now and not even think twice about that obvious oversight. HIGHLY RECOMMEND read more

Amazing service for dinner!!!! Our waiter was quick, attentive, and everything you want for a night out. He didn't check on us too much and our waters were always filled. My only complaint about the food was how dry the chicken was in both of our dishes. You would think it would be moist sitting in these sauces, unfortunately I didn't want to take my leftovers home because of the dryness. The house soup was a lentil-lemon flavor which was really good and put me in the mood for Fall. Overall good experience and I would come back. The naan was incredible read more

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A friend took me to a birthday lunch yesterday at The Oven's south location. We were both disappointed in our meal and have never experienced that at The Oven before! Our favorite Mulligatawny soup was "off," tasting more like a flour gravy than the usual delicious soup that we're used to. We both ordered a lamb dish; the lamb was so tough! And to top it off, our plates were cold when they were delivered to our table. Our server was good, efficient and friendly. She took the plates back to warm them in the kitchen for us. I hope this was just an off day in the kitchen because I don't know that I care to go back to the south location again. I felt especially bad for my friend who was treating me to this expensive lunch. We both expected better. Our families have been customers of The Oven for many, many years and refer to it as our favorite restaurant in Lincoln. This was the first disappointing meal we have experienced there. We hope the downtown location, our usual choice, will continue to provide excellent meals as we have come to expect. read more

The service was fine and the restaurant was decorated beautifully. The food was unlike any other Indian food we had eaten, and not in a positive way. Even the Naan had a strange flavor. I would go somewhere else. The lentil soup was pretty good, but the salad was spring mix with a dressing that mostly tasted of vinegar. The paneer had a good texture, but the saag flavor was not something I would eat again. read more

We've been going to The Oven for many years. It has always been 5 Stars and we are tough graders. We just finished an excellent dinner at The Oven again and loved it. So did our guests. Rogan Josh, the curries and maah dal were top notch as always. The Tandoori mixed grill was outstanding with the garlic roti. Service has always been excellent. Ambience is nice and the noise level is good for conversations. If we lived in Lincoln, we'd eat there once a week. read more

Party of 5; reservation made ahead; 11/1/24 Positives: - Our server was nice and attentive even though VERY busy. - We have been coming to The Oven for 20 years. - The Mulligatawny soup, paneer kulcha and mint chutney were very good as usual. Negatives: - The restaurant was definitely understaffed so we waited about 10 minutes for our server and about 15 minutes for our drink order. - Both chicken dishes we ordered VERY dry and there was almost no edible meat on the "whole tandoori chicken." - We told our server about the chicken and he said "Ok, I will talk to the manager," and just returned with our check and a 20% gratuity added. - The dinner took 2 hours overall. We will most likely return again but not sure what we will order next time, in fear of getting poor quality dishes and management not caring enough to address the issue. read more

Love sitting outside this time of year. Prefer the downtown Oven over the Pioneers place read more

Tasty! I've had multiple meals here, and each time I've been satisfied. The cuisine is wonderful, the service is timely, the water glasses never empty. I'll be back! read more

Decent Indian food. The design of the restaurant is upscale, and the prices are reasonable. I ordered the vegetable curry with the soup and split an order of garlic naan. Unlike some Indian restaurants, they don't request a preferred spice level from the customers. The garlic naan was average. The soup was delicious and had the perfect amount of spice for me. The vegetable curry had a decent flavor, but it was only slightly spicy. Overall, I had a reasonably pleasant experience at The Oven, but I definitely have had better Indian food. read more

Service was great. Beer was great. Food was delicious. A bit spicy but that's the way I wanted it. So great. I would definitely recommend. Make sure to order naan with the butter chicken. It makes a great dipper. read more

Have been to the Oven many times across the last 30 years and tonight was a significant disappointment. Not sure I can go back. Food: Good but my Lamb Bhuna was not shredded at all. It was chunky and resembled Lamb Madras. Tasted okay but the consistency and texture were both way off. Service: They are way understaffed and it took forever. 15+ minutes to get a simple pour of wine which makes no sense. They seem to have 1 bartender for both levels and he appeared to be overwhelmed. What should have been a meal that lasted an hour, took over 2 hours from start to finish. Ambiance: Very nice as always. No comments read more

The food here is delicious. The servers were very kind and polite. I think they must be grossly understaffed- like most restaurants are these days! That being said, it did take an entire hour for our server to take our order. It took quite a while for the entire, drinks-appetizer-dinner orders altogether. We were a party of 6, out for a birthday celebration. We had to ask for our drinks- wine-water- and soda several times. They have an AMAZING wine selection. It was 100 degrees outside and VERY humid, the restaurant temp was set at 75 degrees- it was just too warm. We were literally fanning ourselves at the table. we were seated in the downstairs area. Anyway- if you could watch the indoor temp (ambiance) and better attention to something as simple a drink refill (service) it would be much appreciated. Once we did place our order, it was brought out rather quickly. read more