Dempsey's Chance for Redemption

Dempsey’s made the cut to have a second chance!  Here’s what we thought about our meal.

Food

Sarah's House Burger with Truffle Fries

Sarah - 5

I have been to Dempsey’s a few times now, and I have never been impressed by their burgers.  This time I played it safe and just got a plain cheeseburger and asked for it well done.  It was NOT well done.  It wasn’t far off, but it still was a little unsettling.  I was in a hurry and didn’t have time to send the burger back and wait for a new one.  I ordered a side of truffle fries, and the portion was definitely not the greatest for the price.  It came with two sauces, one that tasted like a homemade ketchup and one that they called a truffle sauce.  The burger was very underwhelming and the fries were tasty, just expensive!

Anna's Fish & Chips

Anna - 8

Real talk:  I’ve also never been a fan of Dempsey’s burgers.  It’s not that they’re bad, but compared to some of the other burger places in Lincoln it’s super overrated.  So I didn’t get a burger.  I opted for their fish and chips, which I definitely liked more than their burgers.  It’s served on an entire BASKET of fries.  I probably took 90 percent of them home.  The fish was really great, but I would’ve like it more if it was served in smaller pieces.  I would cut one bite and try to dip it in the tartar sauce, but because it was so light and the sauce was so thick, the fish would break off in the sauce.  This left me trying to fish out my fish (wow such humor) from the little sauce dish.  If the fish had been served in smaller pieces, I could have just dunked them using my hands.

Price

Sarah - 5

One of my biggest complaints about this restaurant is just how pricey it is.  I paid 14 dollars, after tipping the waitress, for a plain hamburger and truffle fries.  Definitely, definitely not worth it.  As I said above, the portion of the fries was not worthy of being charged $2.50.  There was nothing extraordinary about the hamburger to be worthy of them charging $9.

Anna - 7

The fish and chips is definitely a bargain.  A regular basket of fries is $4, and the fish and chips is $11.  I paid less than Sarah, and I took most of mine home.  Once you have to pay extra for a tiny little side of fries, the burgers are really not that great of a deal.  

Service

Sarah - 5

Mediocre is definitely the perfect way to describe our restaurant experience.  I walked in a minute or two before Anna and Peter and a sat at a large booth, and the waitress came over and brought me one menu.  I definitely was a little offended.  When Anna and Peter arrived, she brought over two more menus, took our drink orders, and then left again.  I was going to the Husker volleyball game right after dinner, and our waitress took her sweet time bringing our checks and took even longer to ring them through.  Definitely kind of frustrating.

Anna - 5

We waited close to thirty minutes for our food. It was ridiculous.  Our food was hot when we got it, so I assume the delay was in the kitchen, but it was so frustrating to wait that long.  We were all so hungry when we got there, so waiting that long was not at all appreciated.  As Sarah said, she had to leave right away, and it’s never fun to be waiting on the restaurant.  She was definitely in a rush to get to the volleyball game.

Atmosphere

Sarah - 7

This is an older building, but it was actually fairly clean.  We did have a fly buzzing around our table the majority of the time we were eating, which is never very welcomed.  The music wasn’t too loud, the temperature was comfortable, and there was enough space in between each table to not feel overly crowded.  For a Wednesday night, the restaurant was decently busy, which may have contributed to our slow waitress, though there were three that were working.

Anna - 8

I do really enjoy the atmosphere of Dempsey’s.  I love all the old posters, the metal bar stools, and the pool tables in the back.  If anything, their big old mirror is a little trippy.  I always think there’s another room or something when I look at it.  The one thing that set’s Dempsey’s apart from other Lincoln burger joints is that it also has a bar, so the vibe is definitely really laid back.

Convenience of Location

Sarah - 9

I was very excited to see that Dempsey’s had won for only one reason--I could walk to dinner from my apartment.  Because Dempsey’s is one block off from campus, across the street from the Lied Center, it was super convenient for me to get to dinner.  No complaints on the location aside from the fact that there is construction going on next door, so there are only three or four meters out in front.  The Que Place parking garage is across the street, which makes things convenient, and the first hour in that garage is free.

Anna - 9

Hallelujah, I didn’t have to drive for 20 minutes to get to dinner.  This was the most convenient location we’ve been to in awhile, and I was so appreciative.  I also had to attend The 20th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, a UNL show, and Dempsey’s was literally two blocks away.  I also got parking just a few blocks away.  I can’t ask for anything much more convenient than that.

Peter's Bleu Burger with Sweet Potato Fries

Peter:

Food - 8

Price - 7

Service - 6

Atmosphere - 9

Convenience of Location - 9