Starlite Lounge & Banquet Room

The martini menu is fantastic. Starlight can get packed to capacity on the weekends, so arrive early or you might not get in. Chill retro vibe with great service and atmosphere.

This is a must go to place if you are new to or visiting Lincoln! I am a huge fan of martinis and this place has you covered. The drinks are fantastic and I love the vintage feel of the décor. I think this is a great place for a date, go grab drinks before a night out, or a good place to catch up with friends.

BEST HAPPY HOUR, hands down. I usually roll in with a group of ladies after work on a Friday before 7pm, when there’s free appetizers and $ 2 off their already affordably priced martinis list. Crafty, innovative drinks at decent prices, all wrapped up in a retro setting.

I wanted to love this place we were totally not ready! The drinks put hair on your chest! Which is great! However, it was my sisters birthday so by the time we went down the steps into this cute lounge with its little Mad Men theme going on, the strong drinks were a no no for us. Bartender even added some simply syrup, we could not. Now this is not a bad thing! We just were not ready. The stars lost were actually for the service. Waitress was nice but sometimes when you are from out of town, and want a breakdown in the menu, or explain the drinks, one expects the waitress to be knowledgeable about their products. She was not. The prices were pretty great too for that you get. I didn’t expect people to dress like the times, very casual. Just looked wrong with the motif??? Anywho plan on coming back when we are back in Lincoln, ready to try it all.

My absolute favorite Lincoln bar, only it’s way more lounge than bar.
Awesome décor and an even better HH. On Fridays they even have free snacks.
Strong drinks, always try a seasonal cocktail and the Audrey Hepburn.

Adorable place! They are closed on Sunday’s. Extensive list of Martini’s, but they will make whatever you want. They also have great food which most people don’t know about. During the winter I had a great warm mulled wine with seasoned nuts. They also do other 50’s inspired food like deviled eggs and little weenies. Wonderful atomosphere that will transport you to another time, no exaggeration. My favorite martini on the list is the cucumber one. It’s such a cozy spot for a night out with friends. It’s not loud or cheesey. They do theme better then anyone I have ever seen.

Another great nostalgic stop. Reminiscent of lounge in Las Vegas and complete with the TV at the bar playing old reruns in black and white. Music by the rat pack and a wonderful relaxing atmosphere. Would love to go back for longer next time.

Unilocal never fails! Super cute fun place. Absolutely love the oversized vinyl booths in teal green. The waitress was running her ass off the entire time, maybe they need a runner and a waitress.
I had the moon river martini. So delightful and delish. St Germaine, lemon vodka and citrus. Just delish.
I do feel they need a classic cocktails list and a house specialties list. There were so many über sweet drinks that out of the 20 available only 4 or 5 were drinkable.
Also, need to use better ingredients. Something made me very very sick from this booze. All day sick. I suspect congeners from cheap booze. Choose carefully.

i visit lincoln for 10 days or so every year for work, and this was one of the first places i went the first year. i LOVE this place. i can’t wait to go back every year. something about the retro vibe and all the martinis. it’s so fun. i recommend it. :)

I only downgrade for the slow service. Such a unique bar in the heart of the Haymarket. The long list of drinks and unique design make this a great place to go for date night or when you’re entertaining a friend from out of town.

This is a great place to come after work or for pre-​dinner drinks. The atmosphere is fun and the drinks are creative and yummy. Don’t come hungry though, the food options and taste are both disappointing.

Oh Starlite! When you’re not into the packed with rowdy college kids scene or the super casual beers, pool tables and cowboy hats scene and you want to channel a Mad Men, vintage, old school gangsterism vibe, go to Starlite. It’s dark, it’s funky, they have lots of lovely martini choices and free appetizers during happy hour!

Visited here for the first time after attending the NE volleyball game the other night. I’d heard great things and was looking forward to experiencing it myself. I love how the entrance is a little hidden and hard to find — kind of adds to the charm. Coming inside, wow, talk about a blast from the past! I love how they’ve really stuck to the period, from the carpeted walls to the branding and of course the martini-​focused menu. The blue chairs are just awesome! Service was attentive and quick. Drinks, for me, were just ok. My old fashioned tasted a little watered down, but for $ 5, I kind of got over it. To me, the ambiance (and uniqueness) are really what make this place great, not necessarily the quality of the drinks, so I’d definitely return on another visit to Lincoln.

My favorite place in town for drinks or happy hr on Fridays for cheap martinis and free appetizers. They have an entire menu devoted to martinis and have additional seasonal drinks for occasions such as Valentine’s Day. My favorite martinis are the Starry Night and the Audrey Hepburn which both include a splash of champagne. The service can get slow when its busy but that’s my only complaint.

Came with some friends after eating at a Mexican resturant, the place is a little retro but it adds to its charm. Its like a 1960’s type lounge where you can go forget about your day. This place is underground so its a little hard to find

Great atmosphere, great drinks, and low prices. The only improvement I can think of would be to have some music (perhaps the soundtrack of Mad Men?), and maybe more vegetarian/​healthy appetizer options. It was packed on a Saturday night, so get there early or plan to wait for a table to open up!

I have to give this place credit for instilling a deeper interest in ‘50s culture in me. I used to come here to listen to the big-​band and Rat Pack style music and pretend I was actually in the ‘60s. Time has gone by and some of the things that really made the Starlite stand out were removed (it’s hard to keep antique sofas looking good after night after night of drunk people sitting on them), and the retro uniforms aren’t as good as they used to be, but you’ll still never find anyplace in Lincoln to get such good, cheap cocktails in a cool environment. Maybe it’s lost some of its luster, but it’s still nicer than a lot of places. Unique, classy, and affordable.
The Starlite could stand to be a little bigger, but go on a slow night and it’s one of Lincoln’s finest bars.

Starlite is hands-​down my favorite bar in Lincoln. Love the atmosphere and the friendly staff. Friday night happy hours are the best. Huge discounts on martinis and free appetizers! I can drink three martinis and stuff my tummy for around $ 11.00. You can’t beat that! Try the French 75, Ruby Red, or Audrey Hepburn. Yum!

I’ve been here once on a weekday early evening. It was quite at that time, which was good, cause that’s what I was looking for. I remember my drink being normally priced.
The cool thing about this place is the environment/​décor. It’s got a 50’s feeling to it which is obviously unique. I would go back if I was in the area for something.
Good place for a date!!!

I have somehow forgotten to review the Starlite until now. I have no idea how I let it slip between the cracks. This is probably my favorite cocktail place in the whole city.
The Starlite is in the basement of Buzzard Billy’s and located in the Haymarket. You walk in, and you feel transported to another time and place. It has a speakeasy kind of feel, and is chalk full of retro items-​couches, chairs, signs, lights etc.
The drinks here are fantastic. They have a huge list of martinis and cocktails and have lots of specials during the week. I love the Daddy-​O (extra dirty), French 75 and their Moscow Mules. The service I have to say is inconsistent. Sometimes it’s fantastic, but some times when they get really swamped the service slips.
Every week they have «Throwback Thursdays» and starting at 7 they have free appetizers, cheap drink specials and retro trivia. My friends and I are all too young to compete with the older crowd, but we enjoy giving the trivia a try none-​the-​less.
They have a great appetizer menu (dips and chips, candied nuts etc) and my favorite is the Miller High Life Spinach and Artichoke Dip. It’s definitely my favorite s&a dip.
They have revamped the place in the last several months and have brand new, giant booths that can seat up to 6 – 8 people. It’s a fantastic addition.