The long-awaited restaurant on the ground floor of the Lied Place Residences has opened its doors.
Aragon Tavern opened to diners Friday afternoon for the first time.
The restaurant, described by Director of Operations Jordan Reed as an “upscale burger restaurant,†is part of the Certified Piedmontese brand owned by the Peed family, which also owns Sandhills Global.
The family has raised Piedmontese cattle, an Italian breed known for producing tender beef that’s lower in cholesterol and saturated fat, since the early 2000s and opened a high-end restaurant, Casa Bovina, and retail shop, called the Mercato, at 84th Street and Havelock Avenue in 2020. It has since opened a second Mercato in south Lincoln and another one in the Omaha area.
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Aragon Tavern gives diners the chance to sample Piedmontese beef in a more casual — and less expensive — setting.
“It’s a little more fast-casual than Casa Bovina,†Reed said.
At Casa Bovina, diners can easily pay more than $100 a person. At Aragon, burgers and sandwiches run about $20, while the limited steak entrees on the menu run about $30-$55.
Aragon serves exclusively Piedmontese beef, and most of the dishes include it. However, the restaurant does offer a chicken sandwich, a vegetarian sandwich and a Reuben.
“In Nebraska, you have to have a Reuben,†Reed said, paying homage to the corned beef sandwich that was invented in the state.
Aragon is as much a bar as it is a restaurant, with a wide selection of beer, wine and liquor, and a number of signature cocktails.
Since its menu focus is Italian beef, its wines are Italian as well.
“What grows together goes together,†Reed said.
Aragon has seating for about 50 people inside, and in the spring, it will open an outdoor seating area for about 20 more people.
In keeping with the casual theme, it does not take reservations.
While the restaurant might be new, it has an experienced crew.
Chef George Lambert has been the sous chef at Casa Bovina for the past couple of years and General Manager Mark Johnson used to be the general manager at Vincenzo’s.
Aragon Tavern, which is at the corner of 11th and Q streets, is open Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-2 p.m. for lunch and 4-9 p.m. for dinner, and Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. It’s closed on Sundays.