Fleetwood Haymarket, its name inspired by the legendary rock band, Cadillac and all things “classic,†opened in mid-November under the bridge at 801 O St.
It’s owned by Anthony Young and Mike Martin of Red Herring Concepts and specializes in what Martin calls a “modern American grill†menu with dishes featuring locally sourced foods.
Diners will find traditional favorites such as steak, salmon, chicken and pork, but “with our own modern twist or modern elegance,†Martin said.
Take, for example, one of the restaurant’s signature dishes, the beef short ribs ($28.18). “Decadent†is how Martin described it, and he’s right on point. The tender, large rib is smothered in a beet and port reduction and served with balsamic finger potatoes and fennel greens. Quite delicious.
Young and Martin also own and operate two other successful restaurants in Lincoln: Toast in Fallbrook and Leadbelly in the Haymarket. With Fleetwood, Young said they wanted to address some food niches that are underserved in Lincoln’s market.
People are also reading…
“We’re looking to provide a more elevated type of food, with an emphasis on local sourcing,†he said.
They are teaming with such local producers as Lone Tree Foods, a farmer-owned distributor headquartered in Lincoln, and Pane Fresco, the bakery based out of the Mercato butcher shop in north Lincoln. Fleetwood’s steaks come from Nebraska-raised beef and the Wagyu burgers from a farm in Manhattan, Kansas.
Fleetwood’s other selling point is its Saturday and Sunday brunch (8 a.m. to 2 p.m.). Given its location near several downtown hotels, the restaurant’s brunch menu not only makes sense, but is a necessity. The weekend brunch menu features nearly a dozen entrees, including a pork belly benedict and a spinach and cheddar frittata, as well as several crafted morning cocktails.
Food
My wife, Rebecca, and I started our meal with smoked gouda dip ($12.38) served with fresh sourdough bread pieces from Pane Fresco. We discovered later it’s an oft-ordered appetizer. It reminded us of a fondu-type dish, perfect for sharing and enjoying.
For entrees, we ordered the beef short ribs and the pan-seared sockeye salmon ($24.03), which was served with cream-roasted fennel and dressed mustard greens, offering a flavorful complement to the fish.
The entree sides are all rather interesting and unique. They include kohlrabi au gratin, charred broccolini and black rice.
We finished by sharing a slice of sticky fig cake ($7.01), one of seven made-in-house dessert options that pairs nicely with a cup of coffee or an after-dinner drink.
Fleetwood’s menu is a mix of entrees (chicken, pork, seafood), steaks (filet, ribeye, marinated skirt steak, etc.), sandwiches and burgers. Prices range from $12 to $37.
Of the sandwiches, the top seller has been The Fleetwood ($15.73), featuring skirt steak on a toasted hoagie and topped with a charred shishito gremolata and served with house fries. Grade: A
Atmosphere
Young and Martin bought into a pretty good situation — the site was being built to house a Korean steakhouse that never came to be, so the design was already tailored for a restaurant.
Comfy, padded booths make up most of the seating. The color scheme is black, gray and brown. Carpeted floors and low ceilings help immensely with noise. Check out the “fire†feature (lighted water vapors) lining the top of the booths in the main dining room. It’s a conversation starter.
The restaurant has two party rooms, including “The Vault,†a small special-occasion room that seats two to six patrons. It’s filled with photos of musicians/bands that were influential to Young and Martin while growing up. Grade: A
Service
Fleetwood takes reservations, but so far, they only can be done by phone. We dined on a not-too-busy Wednesday evening and got in without a reservation, but I would recommend securing one for Friday or Saturday night dining and the weekend brunches. Once seated, you’ll notice the servers’ attire. They wear rock band T-shirts as part of the restaurant’s “classic†theme.
Our server, Jackson, was exceptional. He offered, when asked, menu recommendations and was attentive to us throughout the meal. He steered us toward the beef shorts ribs as one of our selections.
Turnaround time also was exceptional. We received our appetizer shortly after placing the order and our entrees arrived just as we were finishing our appetizer. Granted, it was a Wednesday instead of a hopping Friday or Saturday evening, which may affect speeds.
The only thing that raised an eyebrow was when we were ready to close out. Jackson told us the amount from his handheld device rather than give us a printed receipt to peruse to make sure everything was OK. I’m sure if I asked I would have received a printed one, but I shouldn’t have had to ask. Grade: A-
Specialty diets
Fleetwood’s menu notes which selections contain gluten-free (GF), vegetarian (V) or plant-based (PB) ingredients. Several of the entrees, including the short ribs, are gluten-free. Vegetarian selections include a charred cauliflower steak ($17.02) served with blistered tomatoes, radish greens, carrot syrup and kohlrabi au gratin. Soups are butternut squash or white bean. Grade: A