The Most Unusual Restaurant In Nebraska Needs To Be Experienced To Be Believed
By Catherine Armstrong|Published August 27, 2018
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Catherine Armstrong
Author
Writer, editor and researcher with a passion for exploring new places. Catherine loves local bookstores, independent films, and spending time with her family, including Gus the golden retriever, who is a very good boy.
If you’re a steak-loving carnivore, then Nebraska is your culinary dream come true. You’ll find dozens of mouth-watering steakhouses here, but there’s one, in particular, that’s especially unique. This place not only serves up a juicy steak – the decor is definitely distinctive, too.
Ole's Big Game Steakhouse & Lounge got its start the day after Prohibition ended, in 1933. It's located at 123 N. Oak St., Paxton, NE 69155.
The owner of the steakhouse, Rosser "Ole" Herstedt was quite an outdoorsman and hunter. In 1938, he shot a trophy whitetail buck and hung the mounted head in his bar. That was just the beginning.
Today, when you walk into Ole's Big Game Steakhouse, you'll see typical mounts on the wall, like moose, deer, and bison. But you'll find many more exotic animals as well.
The restaurant/bar has over 200 taxidermied animals on display. One thing's for sure: Ole's Big Game Steakhouse is definitely the most unique restaurant you'll find in all of Nebraska.
Once you've seen all the animals, you'll want to settle down at your table and dig in. The steaks here are absolutely delicious and are locally sourced from a butcher down the street.
Ole ran his restaurant and bar for 53 years and retired at age 87. It's now owned by Tim Holzfaster, who grew up in Paxton and was determined to preserve the iconic steakhouse. You can stop by for a delicious meal and see the unique decor seven days a week, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (closed at 9 p.m. on Sundays).