A new addition to Lincoln’s Historic Haymarket, Twin Peaks (800 Q Street, Lincoln) offers “eats, drinks and scenic views”. A restaurant bar that’s basically a manly man cave incarnate (wooden everything? check. Antlers and plaid? double check) it’s a great place to watch ball (football, basketball, golf balls) while drinking a “man” beer (everything here is denoted by gender. A girl is the smaller version of anything they offer). Happy Hour is Sunday - Friday from 2p-6p and 10p to close. Specials include $1.99 Busch Light, $2 girl and $3 man sized Dirty Blonde & Knotty Brunette drafts, $3 wells, $3 party shots and $4 select teasers (including mozzarella bites, fried pickles, chips and queso and single soft pretzels).
Twin Peaks doesn’t apologize for what it is. From the language on the website and specials, to the events they throw this place is for the guys. Both times I stopped by I was one of maybe 3 or 4 women in the establishment that wasn’t there for a check. The dress code for bartenders and servers ensure patrons get the scenic view they were promised (some more scenic than others) and the vibe is brief vacay in the cabin in the woods. I get it, I’m not judging and I’d probably go back, but I do wonder about the sustainability of this concept in a place like Lincoln NE. The same place that ran out a Hooters, had questions about The Tilted Kilt and boycotted Twin Peaks moving into the Haymarket in the first place. But Nebraskans and Lincolnites are sportspeople & this being a conveniently located “ultimate sports lodge” maybe, just maybe it has what it takes.
Sadly (and maybe understandably in a universe with no women) it seems that the overt attention from the gentlemen frequenters to Twin Peaks distracts the bartenders from serving the few women who don’t mind boobs and booze adequately. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say my second visit (solo this time, the first was with a guy) my bartender wasn’t totally forthcoming with what the HH specials were (had I not prompted her I would have only know about $1.99 Lites .. then after another prompt the well specials. I had to ask specifically for the girl Knotty Brunette and she didn't know all the teasers that were on special) then forgot to put in my full food order. I’d like to attribute it to the fact that it was a busy MNF evening, or that she requested to be the only bartender that night but the two other women together at the bar, didn’t seem to get checked on as much as the group across the bar (men who obviously just got off work).
The food here is standard bar fare. I started with the mozzarella cheese bites ($4: fried cheese bites with a side of zesty marinara and ranch). A mozzarella bite is a mozzarella stick is a mozzarella bite. Pretty hard to mess up as long as they come out hot (mine were just warm). I liked that you had the option of marinara or ranch since these are one of the few things I actually like with ranch. They were good sized chunks and there were enough to share with a buddy. As this isn’t a “foodie” restaurant I didn’t expect for the breading to be anything but breading.
Next up was the chipotle queso & chips ($4) which I was most hesitant about after my last queso fiasco. Twin Peaks didn’t disappoint on the flavor side which brought me joy. The right amount of spice from the chipotle and the chips being warm and not from a store bag made up for the fact that like the bites, this didn’t come out piping hot. Should I have cause to return this is definitely what I’m ordering.
I decided to try a well whisky and ginger beer, mainly because I was already tipsy from the Jameson ginger beers I had while waiting for HH to start and partly just to see what the wells were. It was Bartons whisky, it was drinkable, I probably will stick to my no non premium wells rule more closely (what’s an extra $3.75 anyway).
This visit my accomplice had the man sized Dirty Blonde. I didn’t care for this beer & there was no way I would drink that much of it. He thought it was ok but ended up regretting the size later.
My second visit I got the “girl” (maybe can we change this to lady .. or woman) sized Knotty Brunette. While I like this much better than the Dirty Blonde I can’t imagine I’ll ever get the man sized. I’ll just chalk this up to my recent affinity for Infusion Brewing Co’s Butcher Block Brown.
I’m giving Twin Peaks 2 smiles. As I’m used to being one of the few girls who are around watching sports the atmosphere doesn’t bother me. I encourage showing off your boobs or flat belly if you have them. And the queso was really good. But I don’t like to think I will always get second rate service during busy times because I will always be outnumbered by the grandpas with nothing to do, the frat boys here to cheer on the Huskers or the suits stopping by before they have to go home & deal with their wives.
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