Bob’s Bar & Grill in Martinsburg, Nebraska

Bob’s Bar & Grill

MARTINSBURG, NEBRASKA
VISITED ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2021

On our way to Ponca State Park, Jenny and I stopped for lunch at a bar & grill I have heard about many times, but had not yet been to. The night before we stayed in Wausa, Nebraska to visit Jenny’s family and so she could show me where her parents grew up. While there, we were urged not to miss out again on Bob’s Bar & Grill’s delicious burgers and “huge portions.”

After leaving Wausa, and knowing a large meal awaited us, we decided to skip lunch and drove the 41 miles to eat an early dinner. Great idea, because as you’ll soon see, the portions were enormous!

We pulled into Martinsburg around 3:00 p.m. and found the town to be small and charming. You can’t miss Bob’s, which is just a stone’s throw from Highway 9. The perfect autumn weather and blue skies were a pleasant change from the windy, dreary day before.

When we arrived, we were welcomed by a friendly bartender who was taking care of a small party of diners in the back room. She asked if we had been there before and was pleased (but not surprised) by the great reputation we told her the establishment has earned. She gave us menus and asked us what we would like to have to drink. Because they were coming off a busy weekend, they were out of tonic water, so Jenny had to pass on her gin and tonic, and we opted for a couple of Bud Light beers. We were thrilled to be offered it served in a “frozen mug” …which was actually a perfectly chilled mason jar!

While the cook was delivering a large plate of French fries to the party, we asked if it was a basket or single serving. The large plate is piled with fries, way more than one person could eat. After looking over the menu, we ordered a cheeseburger to share and a half order of fries and half order of fried mushrooms.

It wasn’t but 10 minutes when the sides came out on two separate plates – packed high! The fries are a common crinkle cut fry and flavorful. One of my favorite bar foods are fried mushrooms and Bob’s Bar’s mushrooms are large and DELICIOUS! Because the mushrooms were right out of the fryer, the first bite was surprisingly blazing hot in temperature. But the flavor of the mushroom and the crisp, crunchy breading is perfection. PERFECTION!

Meeting the reputation, Bob’s burgers are very, very large. Jenny and I were glad we only ordered one burger to share. The meat is flavorful and the toppings include fresh lettuce, onion, and canned pickles. I found dipping my half of the burger into ranch dressing makes it a very tasty meal.

We finished our sandwich and about 1/2 the 1/2 orders of fries and mushrooms. We packed up the leftovers and took them with us to the state park, which I reheated in the oven later that evening for a savory snack with drinks on the picnic table by the fire pit.

Quantity & Quality

About 9 miles southwest of Ponca, Nebraska, Bob’s Bar & Grill is focused on MASSIVE quantity and has fine quality for small town bar food. Prices are modest (our bill was under $18 for the meal and two beers). The friendly staff and patrons we chatted with makes this stop one of our new favorites in northeastern Nebraska. I highly recommend visiting there if you find yourself in the area …or want a day trip to explore rural Nebraska.

According to WikiPedia Martinsburg is a village laid out in 1874 in Dixon County with a population of 94. It is named after its founder, Jonathan Martin.

Bob’s Bar & Grill
5205 Main Street
Martinsburg, NE  68770