Whiskey Creek® Wood Fire Grill

This is tough to rate. What do you expect? It isn’t Morton’s or Ruth’s Chris. It is a peanuts in a bucket, cowboy theme steakhouse. But they are very good at being a peanuts in a bucket, cowboy theme steakhouse. The food was better than expected, the service was over and above. If you appreciate this type of place, this is the one you should go to.

Get the wood fired Prime Rib, no words for it! Sorry I didn’t get a picture. Looked to good to wait!

So, this is a meat house. The meat is good, the atmosphere relaxed, the prices reasonable, and attention to details hit or miss. As long as you know what you are getting into, it’s fine. First, the meat. Slow roasted chicken, pulled pork, and burned ends were all really good. My husband actually said the chicken on his avocado chopped chicken salad was the best he ever had. Very moist and flavorful. Atmosphere — yes, some peanut shells on the floor, but it’s not like they were inches deep. My kids actually had a ball shelling peanuts. Lots of families and ski groups on our visit. Pretty relaxed vibe was great after long day of driving. Prices were fair, with options around $ 10 up to steak prices. Good kids meal options too. Attention to details were hit or miss. Forgot the dressing for husband’s salad, missed one of two sides, late bringing BBQ sauce bottles to the table. But prompt on water refills, plenty of napkins when asked, and very friendly service and quick fixes on the missing items. Would definitely stop here if dinner time and in Kearney.

I would pick Whiskey Creek over Skeeter Barnes all day everyday. Food and service is good. Other options in town are better, but if you don’t want to travel far off the interstate, this is a good stop.

Should have $$$ on price. Steaks are cooked to perfection:) Costumer service was really good. Waitress was hot. That is rare for Kearney. Lol

Just passing through Nebraska, fueled up in Kearney and couldn’t resist grabbing a brisket sandwich for the road. The waitress at the bar was nice, and the ambiance was, too. The brisket, however, was the driest I’ve ever had. I was already down the road before I found out, or I would have asked for a pulled pork instead. The fries were good :|

I came here for dinner for two on Labor Day. We were able to get a sit right away. Each entrée came with 2 sides. I got half a rack of baby back ribs with caesar salad and baked beans. The beans were a little sweet.
Our other order was the whiskey creek steak with mash potatoes and broccoli. Note that there is complementary peanuts and bread when you order.
The best ribs and steak around!

We walked in and promptly walked out because: PEANUTS. Just a note of warning to anyone with food allergies, avoid.

We were travelling, and the new manager went way out of his way to make sure we were served well! We stop here every time we cross the country and the food is always great. Staff was friendly and talkative, we have some new friends in another state! Thumbs up, waaay up!

Service is very bad. My Suburban almost got lost in a pothole in the parking lot. My glass of wine may have been a little bigger than a thimble.

We don’t understand why — so many negative reviews ?!? The negative « Unilocals” — Almost kept us from coming, but this grill’s proximity to our hotel,
persuaded us to «try for ourselves».
We were warmly greeted and offered a table, the place was really «hopping», waitstaff literally jogging, and this was a Monday night at 8pm in the Midwest .
The bar area had a more laid back vibe and no kids & so drew us. So glad we ended up with MICHELLE as our server/​bartender ! She was GREAT ! The fact that she was churning out cocktails for the whole place, did not stop her from giving us lots of attention. She distracted us with peanuts, ICE COLD BREWS & nice conversation, as we waited for our meal .
This is a grill, not fast food .
We ordered a 20oz. PORTERHOUSE. To share & also, mac&cheese & baked beans. Everything was perfectly cooked, seldom the case with a 20oz bone in steak. «Grill Man» knows his stuff ! The Mac was the best I’ve had in some time, even had bits of pulled pork .The beans are sweet yet savory.
So scrumptious we even ordered a «second round of side dishes», to avoid a territory dispute.
For dessert we tried the peach cobbler .
Michelle assured us it was big enough to share, and she was right ! A heaping bowl
arrived a La Mode ! The crust was like a shortbread, unusual but perfect ! The peaches were obviously «fresh «
Not canned .
We loved everything, and would come
Again GLADLY ! We recommend coming here when traveling thru, or staying in Kearny.

Travelers, there’s a reason all license plates in the lot are from out of state. Local citizen here who used to love this place. We’ve tried several times over the past couple years hoping for a better experience than the last, but it’s continued to maintain poor service, long wait times for food, and then being disappointed in what’s brought. Drive further up the road to Flippin Sweet or Alley Rose for better, non-​chain food.

Not much was open on the 4^th of July so Whiskey Creek was packed. Our server was friendly and did a good job.
The French Dip was good but a little dry.
A pulled pork plate was okay but had lots of crispy, chewy, dry ends.
Possum Pie for dessert: Graham Cracker and Pecan crust, layered with sweet cream cheese, rich chocolate and heavy cream topped with chopped pecans and whipped cream. It was good but the crust had a strange aftertaste.
Really about 2 ½ stars.

Very slow service, rum and diet coke is ok, my friend had a Mojito… not good at all. French onion soup was clearly microwaved not baked. Provolone cheese (really, on French onion soup?), cold. My friend’s chicken avocado salad was warmer. The avocados were brown. We had been traveling all day so were hungry, but the food was inedible. Go to Arbys or Perkins.
Fortunately the manager removed our food from the bill and gave us $ 30 worth of gift certificates.

After a 10 hour drive, maybe we were just hungry but had some of the best ribs ever. Baked beans were fantastic too. A bit noisy but would recommend.

Visiting Kearney and decided to try a local spot.
Our waiter-​in-​training did a good job. He checked back often.
I ordered the fire grilled prime rib. All I can say is «fabulous!» It is only guard tees at medium due to the two methods of cooking. The grilled flavor in the tender prime rib was a great combination.

Food was okay. Our server was wide-​eyed and eager to help, but it felt like being served by a confused puppy. As far as Right-​Off-​The-​Highway road trip stops go, you could do worse.

I have not had the best luck at this Whiskey Creek. I have been there several times by myself and they just don’t know how to handle single dinners. They must be so used to date night or groups that when arrived they did not even offer me a table to sit at. They were fairly busy but they sat me at the bar instead of asking if I wanted a table. Ok, whatever.
I ordered a whiskey & coke. After the bartender took my order, he rang in some things, and then made 5 or 6 other drinks, probably for some other table, then got distracted by another server. Granted she was cute, and needed something made. Then, finally he remembered I needed a drink and made mine. Ok, Whatever #2.
Then I ordered a steak and shrimp combo, medium rare. First it took much to long to get my food. Again, they were busy but I figured one person ordering a steak and shrimp should get their food a little faster then a group of 5. Nope, a group of five who arrived right after me was served first. Ok, whatever #3.
My steak arrived and was cold, flat, and resembled a grey hockey puck. It was NOT medium rare, or even Medium well, but well done. It was so thin there is no way they could cook it as a proper medium rare anyway. Granted it was only an 8oz steak but I expect a thick cut not a half inch cut. Shrimp was just ok. Whatever #4.
I asked my bartender for the check, and waited as he again had other things to do, finally getting me my check about 10 min later. ok, whatever #5
If your looking for a sub-​par, Whatever kind of night, then this place is for you.
They do have some good items on the menu, but I just never got the sense anyone there gave a darn about a solo customer at the bar. Maybe if you go in a group of 4 or so you get better service.
Its really to bad, because Kearney lacks many choices of decent restaurants to choose from that are not fast food.

When you enter a restaurant, the host or hostess is the first line of defense, and sets the tone for the restaurant experience. Most of the time. Here, the young woman was so sour-​faced and unfriendly we actually considered leaving. She was the poster child for «Hates Her Job.» Not a good start.
But since it’s slim pickin’s in Kearney, NE late at night, we were here to stay. And our server made up for the sorry intro. He was better than terrific.
I’m never impressed by peanuts in shells; I don’t like to work for my food, and would much prefer bread. Bread was served with the meal, though, an individual loaf that was pretty tasty.
We both ordered flatiron steaks, the small one for me and the medium for my husband. Mine, ordered medium rare, was delivered well-​done. The manager said he’d replace it in just a couple of minutes, but that dragged on well beyond that. But to make up for that, he comped it. Nice business practice. The second version of the steak was cooked correctly, and it was decent. Not top of the line, but it’s a cheap cut.
Aside from me freezing my tush off because the air conditioner was blasting though it had gotten very chilly outside, the seating was comfortable and, as I said before, the service was excellent.
No fireworks here, but not a bad choice, especially after a very long day of driving.

After seeing other reviews of this place, I was surprised I enjoyed it so much. Went there with a friend, greeted and seated immediately. It’s a little different to have peanut shells all over the floor, but by the end of meal, it was fun to be in the layer-​back environment.
My steak was excellent, cooked to near perfection. My friends salmon was surprisingly good as well. Our server was attentive and knowledgable without being overbearing.
Overall, it was a great experience from a place I had low expectations for.
Great place for a good steak and a cold beer right off the interstate.