We were seated the moment we were received. Our server was Raj. He was very professional throughout the visit and kept checking on us. I ordered a rose lassi. Subtly flavured lightly sweetened rose lassi. I would have preferred a stronger rose favour but i did like this as well. We ordered chana masala fr appetisers- which came with bread. It was soft and fluffy. Not as expected as i was expecting curried chana masala with curry gravy. This was like a warm chickpea salad. It was delicious though. Hubby ordered mixed tandoori and I ordered madras lamb biriyani. Loved my biriyani. Lamb was delicious - tender and flavourful. The rice was very nicely spiced- had cashews and raisins and some dried chillis. Very comforting flavours for me. They had sitting internally and on the patio. Internally, it was quiet and elegant - tastefully designed. Also quick google check revealed that they are dog friendly on the patio. We will be back with our dog in tow! Love it!!! read more

See all

My wife talked me into having Indian for lunch. And it was wonderful. Walking up we noticed a very nice patio area (for our next visit) and were greeted as we entered. Our table was ready for us and Raj our waiter greeted us right away with some chilled water. We ordered a light drink and chana masala with bread. I had the mixed tandoori grill with rice. We enjsosued the masala and chatted about how nice it was there. The decoration are interesting and really caught the eye. Our main dishes arrived and we both loved them. Mine was full of flavor and the rice was nicely seasoned and cooked well. Overall it was great and we will have to come back to try more. read more

See all

We had dinner at The Oven East in Lincoln and absolutely loved it! We sat outside, and the patio had such a nice, relaxing atmosphere perfect for a quiet evening. The service was excellent ,friendly, attentive, and timed just right. Everything came out fresh and beautifully presented. We ordered the Chicken Tikka Madras, garlic naan bread, and lentil soup, and everything was full of flavor. The tikka masala had just the right amount of spice, the chicken was tender, and the sauce was rich and delicious. The naan was soft, warm, and perfect for dipping. The lentil soup was comforting and perfectly seasoned, a great start to the meal. read more

See all

Had the best time. My favorite restaurant of all time. The staff made me feel so special for my birthday. Food is AMAZING! The environment is always so calming. Bhutanese specialty is to die for. read more

The Oven - Bhutanese special with veggies - Indian Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

Y'all weren't playing about the cheese naan!! It's incredible omg. This place has some top tier Indian food. The portions are very hefty too, so we were able to enjoy our food for a second time the next day. Very friendly and attentive staff. The place looks very upscale and I guess you're able to make reservations there as well!! We beat the crowd and got lucky enough to get a table without having to wait. This is one of Lincoln's best restaurants. read more

The Oven - Chicken Tikka Masala, Fish Tikka - Indian Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

We came for our anniversary and shared the non vegetarian Thali. Home run! And insane value for money! The waiter was on-point with his input. We asked if it was enough food to share. He said it would feed 2 1/2 people. Sure enough, we were full, took home leftovers and my 4-year-old son had it for lunch the next day. Great variety on the Thali plate, flavorful but not overwhelming. Highly recommend! And the dining area is chill, a bit more casual than I anticipated but not in a bad way. Comfortable, organized and the staff seemed well trained. read more

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

What has happened... The oven use to be an amazing Indian restaurant. Good food, great flavor etc. it has gone down hill fast Naan bread was either over seasoned or under seasoned ( one extreme to the next). Salad dressing was uneatable. Way too bitter and super runny. Chicken was overcooked, dry and hard. Sauce was runny, lacked seasonings and spicy. I enjoy spice but some people at our table do not. You should be able to give a spice level for dishes. Extremely underwhelming and disappointing. No desire to eat any of the leftovers. Will not be coming back. read more

Clean, well lit space, with lots of healthy plants, which I take as a good sign. Outdoor seating options, friendly/knowledgeable server. Delicious mulligatawny soup--spicy, extra nice with the lemon. Dense, crispy, satisfying samosas. I would've preferred tamarind on the side rather than the yogurt/mint sauce, but it was ok. More yogurty than minty. The rice is delicious but there's too much served with tandoori shrimp. As to the shrimp, meh. Not bad but not enough tandoori hit for me to order it again. The side of saag was generous. It tasted green and clean but didn't have much spice or character. I'm usually gf but I did order a piece of plain naan, which was nice with the saag and rice, but a tad sweet on its own. And yes, this was way too much food for one person. Lol All in all, recommended. read more

Had the lamb korma, the flavor was ok but very very mild with a thin korma. Low quality lamb, but it was very tender. I liked the naan, but that was not garlic naan. I didn't take my left overs home. Ambiance was very cute and service was ok. read more

Food has gone down hill a ton, would not recommend. Ordered take out and both dishes were just gross.

We have been to both restaurants many times and really enjoy them. I wouldn't hesitate bringing friends there as they hit home runs on ambiance, decor, service, and quality food. The downtown place is much larger than the one in south Lincoln but they are both really good. Nice to have some variety in our city. read more

I'll give three stars only because my expectations of restaurants has dropped in recent years. The food is usually pretty good although has been off recently from time to time. Really snobby about wanting you to have reservations even when they're empty. They won't answer their phone, so how is that supposed to happen?? Service is slow and sometimes poor in general. This could be a great place to eat with a little management attention. read more

The Oven has been a staple of our family for years. The ambiance is spot on for a quiet date night or a meal with friend's. Their food hits a perfect middle ground between upscale and filling. Whenever we have friends visit the Haymarket, The Oven is near the top of our recommendations! Service has always been quick - even when they are packed. They have great take-out too! read more

Our family has been eating at both locations since the early 1990s and always enjoy our meals. The food is always delicious and the service is great. Chad at the East Oven always greets us warmly. read more

Excellent Indian cuisine. Unfortunately, a recent (mid June 2022) kitchen fire has made them temporarily close for 3-4 months..... Will anxiously await their reopening! read more

One of my favorite places to eat! I always order the Thimphu chicken, with mulligatawny soup, and an order of garlic naan. So so so good! read more

The Oven - a bowl of soup with bread in the background - Indian Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

My wife and I were both very excited to try this Indian restaurant based on reviews on many sites. We arrived around 7 45pm on a Wednesday and were led to our reserved table, there were only 4 other tables being served in the whole restaurant at this time. After a few minutes perusing the menu, we decided that we were going to order all of our food in one visit by the waiter. We both asked for a cocktail and it took 10 minutes to arrive and throughout the entire experience that lasted around an hour, we were never asked if we would like another drink. Instead, at the end of the meal, even though our glasses were clearly empty for around 40 minutes, another waiter just took them away. So, that was the drinks part of it all. When it comes to the food, he brought out our naan bread order a full 20 minutes before our meal came out, so it was by then, cold. When the mixed grill came out, the Chicken and Shrimp were dry and the Lamb korma had clearly been sitting out for some time after it was made and did not taste like a korma. Usuallly too with dishes such as korma, you are asked about the spice level you would like, not this guy, he couldn't even be bothered to ask how our meal was which is a common courtesy. To top it all off, having not checked on our table to see if we required something, he forgot the Poppadum order but was quite happy to try to charge us for it on the bill. At no time were there more than 5 tables occupied during our visit and there were at least 3 wait staff there. Being busy would be one thing but this was a total lack of care for the customer and we will never be back. He's lucky he got the 10% tip at all. We are very polite and civil people and this terrible service has made us simply never wish to go back. read more

Indian food can be a bit questionable for some people because it is a different cuisine, but it's delicious and worth trying. And if you need someone to get over their Indian food phobias, you take them to The Oven. While I wouldn't go as far as to call The Oven upscale, it is a step above casual. It can be a bit dark, especially in the evening, but it's a fun atmosphere. There are creative masks on the wall and fun statues placed throughout the restaurant, making it feel comfortable yet different from the normal Lincoln dining experience. The flavors are very approachable. The menu is divided up into different proteins (chicken, seafood, lamb, and vegetarian), and each dish is described in great detail so diners know exactly what they're getting. If you need more information, the friendly waitstaff is more than willing to help. Whatever entree you order, you HAVE to start with an order of naan bread. Cooked in the tandoor oven, it's a bit chewy and has a nice, singed texture that creates bubbles and provides a bit of pleasant bitterness. It's delicious on its own, but it maxes out when paired with the restaurant's creamy mint chutney sauce. It can also be order stuffed with chicken, cheese, and/or vegetables. The portion sizes are huge, and I've never been disappointed. I'm a big fan of the lamb vindaloo, a spicy dish, but this time tried the Kadai Gosht. The lamb was succulent and perfectly tender, easily pulled apart with a fork. The tomato sauce was slightly sweet and, while I didn't catch much heat from the jalapeños, the dish was a true pleasure when served on a bed of rice. My wife's order of Shrimp Jalfrazie was even better. This dish combines jumbo shrimp with mild spices and is sautéed with fresh tomatoes. The shrimp were downright brilliant. They were enormous and delicate and brought just the right combo of sweet and savory. The onions, peppers and tomatoes soaked up the broth, which is buttery and delicious. I know it can be difficult for some diners to step out of their culinary comfort zones, but some restaurants are worth the effort. The Oven is one of those, and it's an absolute must-visit. read more

See all

Best Indian food in Lincoln! Love their mulligatawny soup. Have never had an entree I didn't enjoy; especially like the Chicken Bhuna (great spice) and more mild Chicken & cauliflower Thimphu. read more

Lost track of time. Stayed 5 minutes after close. To go items were piled on top of our food and we were hurried out the door. We don't get much family time anymore and our dinner was ruined by constant interruption. Just go to the downtown location this place is not special in any way. Food was decent. Service was atrocious. Do better. read more

I really love the food I get at The Oven! I'm not a vegetarian, but I always get vegetarian dishes here--they're amazing! The ambiance is very nice. I've always had great service at both locations, too. My one minor issue is that The Oven on the south side of town is always crazy busy, so it's either hard to get in, or I feel completely rushed through my entire meal. They're that good! read more

Not an authentic Indian cuisine. Vegetarian is little better than non-vegetarian........

We had a large party for dinner. The food and staff were amazing. The wine guy was fantastic. He really knows his wines! This is the best place in town. Highly recommend you go! read more

I've eaten here about a hundred times - one of Lincoln's top restaurants. Best Indian food in Lincoln! Their Mullagitawny? soup is the best!! read more

The Oven is a semi-schwanky Indian restaurant that caters to the local tastebuds. It's a nice place for a date night with a few things to keep in mind: it's super loud inside, it's one huge room, and the tables are close together. If you're looking for a quiet, romantic dinner with your love, this location is probably not the place you want to go. We ordered the sampler platter for 2, which had 1 veg samosa, 2 chicken pakoras, a smattering of veg pakoras, and 1 papad. The papad was awesome, as they usually are, and the samosa was not bad. The chicken pakoras were pretty dry...they seemed like they were pre-cooked and then battered and fried, so they were doubly chewy. The veg pakoras were like Indian tempura, with one piece of vegetable per pakora. The mint chutney is not what you would normally get at an Indian restaurant...it's really thin like pani puri water, and diluted with yogurt. The Goan Curry was okay (Tandoor's is way better), and the Bhutanese Specialty was tasty. It was not what my husband was expecting...from the description (veggies with American and Swiss cheeses), he was picturing a dish his mom used to make that was more thick like a stir fry. This dish has a watery cheese-flavored gravy, more like a stew. I liked it better than my Goan curry, which was bland. We ordered the garlic naan, despite someone's review saying they used garlic powder instead of fresh garlic to season it, just to make sure it was an anomaly. Oh man...it wasn't just a one-time thing...they actually sprinkle the top of the naan with garlic powder. It's not even brushed with ghee or oil, so it's just a dry piece of flatbread with dry garlic powder on top. Not great. Each entree comes with soup or salad, and we took a cue from the girls at the table 3" away from us...the girl with the soup had practically licked her bowl clean, and the girl with the salad had hardly touched it. The Mulligatawny soup was G-R-E-A-T!! I was much better than the soup at Tandoor. The lassi were expensive for the size, and the rose was too strong for my taste, so next time I will ask for less drops of syrup. Overall, it's a nice place if you're looking for a fancy meal with lots of options. For an authentic Indian food experience, travel elsewhere. read more

I ate here a week or so ago with a friend. It was bad. Previous experiences had been just fine but this was awful. Service was very slow. I had to flag down a staff member more than once to get service. Food was awful. Chicken was dry, dry, dry and significantly under seasoned. Rice was oily and bland. I alerted the server regarding the dryness of the meat. She did offer to replace it or offered that she could bring me some of one of their sauces to provide some moisture to the chicken. I should have known better and just returned the dish but instead I chose the additional sauce to make it edible. The sauce improved the dish enough that I was willing to eat some of it. However when the bill came not only had they charged me for the full amount of my dish, they also charged full extra for the sauce as if it was a full serving. I complained that I shouldn't have to pay extra in order to get a final dish that was edible and they removed the price of the sauce but I'll not go back. There are better restaurants in this genre in Lincoln and I will not risk dealing with a situation like this again. It's not worth it. They do have pretty plants in the dinning area. read more

average food. nothing exciting. However, the manager gave excellent customer service when there was an error in my order. nice ambiance.

Firstly this is not Indian-Indian food. It's more of American-American-Indian food. Nice décor and ambience. Place was decently crowded We had chicken tikka masala and Goa shrimp I requested spicy chicken tikka masala which was tasty cannot say I was disappointed. The naan soup and the Goa shrimp were not bad either. Go here expecting good food not necessarily authentic Indian food read more

The Oven - Indian Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

Good Indian food for Lincoln. I ordered the Lamb Madras. The lamb pieces were tender and the sauce was flavorful. I would likely order it again upon my return. read more

Ate Dinner on June 14th food was not bad and as ordered. The server was off putting and despite my attempts at humor or light connection remained aloof throughout the meal. In closing handed us a bill with a mandatory tip of twenty percent and of course the resulting gratuity tax . No posting in restaurant or notice that we saw or could find while leaving. Despite I typically if not always tip twenty percent the practice without notice is a poor one. I will not return. read more

I wont be returning to this place, despite the food being decent, at times Do they ever have a manager or host? Do I care that they are "short-staffed and things may take awhile"? The owner of this disaster must be pretty damn happy and successful, having 2 locations and staffing around 4 waitstaff per location, as they crank out orders and accommodate lines of customers rivaling McDonalds. Did they staff down post-COVID, yet ramp the business up? Dont waste your time here. Sprinkle curry powder on some rice and frozen peas and microwave, for an experience far more swift and satisfying. read more

When it comes to picking out dinner, there is one thing my husband and I can agree on...indian food! Mmm, naan naan naan. I've heard The Oven (the downtown location) is expensive and the service rude and since we already liked two other indian restaurants, I never made it a point to go here. But, they now have this location and it's much closer than any of the other places so we thought we'd give it a shot. We went late (8 p.m.) on a Friday. There were very few people there, which my husband really prefers. The decor was classy, we were seated quickly, and from the maitre de to the waiter, the service was fantastic! My husband ordered the tandoori chicken, his usual. And I had a mixed tandoori entree. We both had the soup, which is spicier than I expected but equally delicious, and of course, naan with mint chutney. It came out scorching hot and melted in our mouths. I love this stuff! It lacked seasoning, and I've had some that is, at the very least, salted, but it was still delicious. Our meals came quickly and the food was great. We will get the tandoori chicken again. I think it was a little bit dry and well (almost too much so) seasoned, but it was very satisfactory and we will be back. Prices were also comparable to other locations around town. read more

Declining service and consistency in the food downtown. Rude, inappropriate employees and sauces that taste rushed are not the standard I'm used to at the Oven. The soup is still always good but many of the chicken, lamb and veggie dishes are lacking. Chicken portions seem smaller than ever, shrimp count is ridiculously low, the spice combos are not as complex as before. The stuffed breads have even changed, not as stuffed and under cooked in the center. It's not what it used to be. Not sure what's going on but it's a huge bummer. The restaurant is always clean and the ambiance is good in spite of the other issues. For service I'd give 2 stars depending on the night. read more

I chose this location because I knew parking would be quick on a Saturday night. The place is swanky with Buddhist iconography on the walls. I don't know if this is decor or the spiritual beliefs of the owner. Part of me felt like I was in a corporate pan-Asian chain. I ordered the "chicken tikka kaldi" it came with a soup or salad. I chose the mulligatawny soup which was good but oddly topped with cheese. Is this a Nebraska thing? The chicken Kaldi is a favorite of mine in most Indian restaurants but this place turbo charges it with a mega load of salt. It was inedible. It literally tasted like salt with the texture of indian food. But I was so hungry that I soldiered my way though nearly half of it. I stopped when my inside of my mouth started to feel like a cured piece of meat. I was thankful for the soup beforehand otherwise I would have been livid with myself for wasting my time here. I gratefully ate the entire bowl of rice, drank a ton of water and paid my nice waiter. He had only been there 3 months and I figured he was powerless to make suggestions to an entrenched kitchen staff, especially on a busy Saturday night read more

The Oven - The salt level in the Chicken Tikka Kaldi is turbo charged. - Indian Near Me - Lincoln, Nebraska

First time here at the Oven. I contemplated going to the downtown location because it had better reviews. In the end chose to come to the Pioneer location instead because it's Saint Patrick's Day Weekend and parking and traffic would have been horrendous. I made reservations for 2 at 630pm on Open Table. We arrived a little after the time but were seated promptly. It was my first time really having Indian Food and it wasn't half bad. Everything had a bit of spice to it but not too much. We shared an order of the Chicken Naan Bread, Vegetable and the Meat Samosas as a appetizer. I didn't care for Vegetable one, it tasted just like mush on the inside. The Meat Samosas were Excellent. We ordered some to go. I could have done without the Naan bread. It was just ok and did nothing but made me full. We had a couple of drinks. They were ok, not that big of a cocktail selection. They had more of a collection of wine instead. I ordered the Tandoori Mixed Grill and my girlfriend had the Chicken Tikka Kolha ( however you spell it). It came with a side salad or soup. We got one of each. The side salad was poor. A lot of mixed greens and 2 cucumbers. I ate the cucumbers and pushed the lettuce to the side. The soup was a bit bitter and a little spicy. The chicken and the mixed meat skewers were a bit dry but the shrimp was juicy. I ordered vegetables on the side and they weren't sauteed like the waitress said. They were boiled too death. My girlfriends food was tasty. It was a good night of dinner. Some things were Hit or Miss though. I received a email on my Open Table shortly after I left, that my reservation was canceled. So I never received my points. Will have to call them when they open today to get that changed. read more

I was very excited to try the oven because I have heard such good things. My chicken tikka masala was extremely watery. The consistency was so runny. The chicken was also extremely dry. Additionally, the naan was very hard to pull apart and was stretchy. I am very disappointed. read more

Never a bad meal. The spinach bread was a perfect blend of flavors, and the chicken biryani was a good sized portion that left plenty for the next day. A great date night destination. read more

Delicious, authentic Indian food with great service. A large menu to please everyone. Full wine list and bar. My chicken Vindaloo was generous chunks of delicious white meat in a fabulous sauce. They graciously allowed me to substitute a fabulous crock of deliciously cooked vegetables for the rice. The Multagawny soup was blended and a bit insipid but still good. My husband's lamb was delicious. Nice atmosphere. We will be back! read more

I have never had a bad experience here! The food is always fantastic and the service is great. I prefer this one over the one in the Haymarket because it's less crowded and parking is a breeze. Prices are very reasonable. 2 entrees and 2 types of Naan can easily be done for $35 which makes it a treat we can have more often. I loved trying the sampler which had lots of different types of veggie curries. Great place and great for date night. Highly recommend the chicken tikka korma, soup and spinach Naan. read more

See all

The Oven doesn't have the best Indian food in town (if you want REAL Indian cuisine, check out Kurry Xpress). Their mulligatawny soup, though, is the bomb! It is so delicious, I'm actually drooling while writing this review-- it is that good!!!! Highly, highly recommend the mulligatawny! Their garlic naan is a bit disappointing however. They only use garlic powder, not actual pieces of garlic. And their entrees are subpar, nothing to rave about, not horrible either. Just meh. read more