Nebraska: Harvesting the Best Dairy-Free Food & Drink Options

Last Update in August 2023! We’ve created this ever-growing guide to restaurants, bakeries, cafes, ice cream shops, and stores in Nebraska that are friendly to dairy-free diners. It’s a collection based on research and reader recommendations (send yours!) that’s divided into restaurants & shops by city (first) and major chains found throughout the state (second). And we’ve started a section for specialty dairy-free foods produced in this state.

We Update Continuously! You can ignore the original date on this post going forward. We update the information below whenever we’re alerted to a new recommendation, change, or closure.

Dairy-Free Nebraska: Recommended Restaurants & Shops

We’ve listed these recommendations alphabetically by city and then by the restaurant or shop name. For large chains with locations throughout the state, see the Major Restaurant & Grocery Chains section below. We have dedicated posts with dairy-free details for many of the big guys.

⭐️ = Restaurant is either dairy-free, has a dairy-free menu, has dairy-free labels on their menu(s), or lists top allergens with menu items. (At the time of our last review.)

Aurora

• JoJo’s Gelato & Grill – Stop in at this convenient spot for a dairy-free Italian ice or a scoop (or two) of sorbetto (most flavors are dairy-free – inquire).

Bellevue

• Chick-fil-A – See our Chick-fil-A Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
• Chipotle Mexican Grill – See our Chipotle Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.

Chadron

• Natural Food Co-Op – This is a great place to find dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan, raw, natural, and organic foods, as well as some regional items.

Elkhorn

• Pickleman’s Gourmet Cafe ⭐️ – They are very friendly toward special diet guests. They offer vegan lentil chili, and all of their sandwiches and salads can be ordered dairy-free with the exclusion of cheese, ranch-based sauces, and Caesar dressing (other dressings are available). They even offer a whole selection of vegan vinaigrettes.

Grand Island

• Qdoba Mexican Eats – See our Qdoba Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
• Salted Chef ⭐️ – Pamper yourself with an affordable in-home chef service. They offer various special diet menus, and the dairy-free one is extensive – complete with lasagna, alfredo, and much more.
• Wasabi Bistro – As a sushi and Chinese food spot, much of their menu is naturally dairy-free – including the tempura. But it’s also a popular spot, and reportedly friendly to special diet guests.
• Wave Pizza Co. – They offer dairy-free cheese alternative for their build-your-own pizzas and a plethora of meaty and veg toppings. They also offer a few surprising vegan appetizers / sides.

Gretna

• Purple Açaí Bowls ⭐️ – A lot of acai spots in Nebraska use dairy, but Purple makes their own acai soft serve that’s completely vegan and dairy-free. They offer a range of acai bowls, smoothies, oatmeal bowls, and even vegan cookie dough.
• Voodoo Taco – They offer a fried avocado vegan taco, and most of their other tacos are dairy-free when ordered without cheese. They also have gluten-free corn tortillas available.

Kearney

• Full Circle Bakery – They offer a couple flavors of gluten-free and dairy-free donuts daily. They often have another dairy-free item or two, and custom breakfast burritos are a savory option.
• Qdoba Mexican Eats – See our Qdoba Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.

Lincoln

• (402) Creamery – Two of their signature flavors are vegan, peanut butter chocolate chip and chocolate, and they often have a rotating vegan ice cream or sorbet flavor.
• Banhwich Cafe – If you’re a banh mi and bubble tea fan, then this is a must stop. They have a whole range of banh mi sandwiches and lettuce wraps, in addition to iced bubble tea and dairy-free milk tea options.
• Biji’s Best ⭐️ – This is a grab and go spot inside a gas station, but the food is reportedly quite delicious. It’s authentic, from-scratch Indian food that’s labeled dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan options. Each day they serve lentil soups with white Basmati rice, but Fridays are the “big food day” when they come up with three meal specials. They’re open for lunch and dinner.
• Blaze Pizza – See our Blaze Pizza Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
• Blue Sushi & Sake Grill – This sustainable Japanese restaurant makes innovative maki and nigiri. They have a full vegan menu, complete with tempura maki, and of course most of their menu is naturally dairy free.
• Charred Burger + Bar – Thank you to Jordan for this recommendations, “Charred is so good. Burgers can be made dairy-free if you choose their gluten-free bun and no cheese.” They serve a selection of wagyu burgers.
• Chick-fil-A – See our Chick-fil-A Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
• Chipotle Mexican Grill – See our Chipotle Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
• Clean Juice – They make their own cold-pressed cashew milks and offer dairy-free acai bowls, smoothie bowls, smoothies, toasts, and some other eats. Please note that their flatbread wraps (the bread itself) contain dairy, but all other menu items can be ordered dairy-free by omitting the cheese or substituting vegan protein for the whey protein (in the proteins smoothies).
• Goldenrod Pastries – They bake “traditional,” dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan pastries daily. They also bake custom order cakes. Reader Trudy raved about this place, “I mean…. Wow. They had a mix of DF/GF/VG and so freaking good. Like even if you weren’t DF you would inhale. Omaha has nothing compared to this. Nothing.”
• Juju’s Vegan Cajun and Creole Cuisine ⭐️ – Their all-vegan menu includes jambalaya, “ribs,” sandwiches, salads, and many Southern-style sides.
• Lazlo’s Brewery & Grill – It’s not often that you see a local restaurant with an allergen menu, but this eatery has a full chart for their three Nebraska restaurants (two in Lincoln). The milk-free options aren’t extensive, but do include some surprising options, like Brewery Battered Fish, Casablanca Chicken, and their Burger, to name a few. Their house Beer Bread, Onion Rings, Chicken Fingers, and several other sides were also dairy-free at last check.
• Mellow Mushroom – See our Mellow Mushroom Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
• Mill Coffee & Tea – Thanks to Trudy for sharing her favorite dairy-free coffee spot. They offer oat and almond milk, and a range of syrup flavor options. Their pastries do contain dairy, but Goldenrod Pastries is close by for dairy-free options.
• Noodles & Company – See our Noodles & Company Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
• Open Harvest Co-op Grocery – They offer a good selection of dairy alternatives and other specialty dairy-free items, and in their deli they have a daily soup that’s usually dairy-free and vegan. They also make breakfast burritos that can be ordered dairy-free or vegan, and have some lunch options.
• Pepe’s Bistro ⭐️ – This all-vegan Mexican restaurant serves a rotating menu of entrees and cheesecakes for dessert,
• Pickleman’s Gourmet Cafe ⭐️ – They are very friendly toward special diet guests. They offer vegan lentil chili, and all of their sandwiches and salads can be ordered dairy-free with the exclusion of cheese, ranch-based sauces, and Caesar dressing (other dressings are available). They even offer a whole selection of vegan vinaigrettes.
• Qdoba Mexican Eats – See our Qdoba Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
• Ruby Tuesday – See our Ruby Tuesday Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
• Rutabagas Comfort Food ⭐️ – This vegan restaurant transforms several lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch favorites into plant-based dishes. They serve sandwiches, burgers, waffles, and more, and also offer some sweet treats, line cinnamon rolls and cookies. Ample gluten-free options are available and labeled on the menu.
• Slim Chickens – They make dairy-free custom orders easy, and are trained to be friendly to allergen requests. Their grilled chicken tenders are made without dairy, and can be subbed on meals, wraps, or salads. They also have a good allergen menu, with a nice selection of dairy-free sauces and sides. Just use caution when ordering sandwiches. At last check, their brioche sandwich buns were dairy-free, but they are brushed with butter.
• Tandoor Indian Cuisine ⭐️ – They clearly label dairy-free and vegan menu items. At last check, all of their appetizers were dairy-free, and a good majority of their entrees were dairy-free. They also have ample vegan options.
• The Rabbit Hole Bakery – This is a traditional bakery, but they offer vegan and gluten-free items daily. The options typically rotate, but they often have goodies like cake by the slice or cookies, They also bake custom order cakes.
• Toppers Pizza – They have three signature vegan pizzas on their menu (two with plant-based chicken), and you can sub their dairy-free mozzarella to make most other pizzas dairy-free. They also offer vegan cheese sticks and have several dairy-free sauces.
• Yogurtini – They swirl a variety of dairy-free sorbets along with Silk plant-based chocolate and vanilla frozen yogurts. And Tyler let us know they also swirl dairy-free Dole Whip! Keep in mind that available flavors can rotate often.

McCook

• TCBY – See our TCBY Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.

North Platte

• Happy Heart Specialty Foods – This local natural food store carries a great selection of dairy-free alternatives and other special diet foods.
• Qdoba Mexican Eats – See our Qdoba Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
• Ruby Tuesday – See our Ruby Tuesday Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.

Omaha

• Amateur Coffee ⭐️ – This is a vegan cafe that offers local vegan pastries and gluten-free, vegan waffles. They also make wellness lattes with your choice of oat or almond milk.
• Bärchen Beer Garden – They offer a vegan burger on the menu, and some other handhelds can be ordered dairy-free with a vegan cheese and bun swap.
• Blatt Beer & Table – This social house offers a vegan root burger, but they also have several other dairy-free options on the menu. They include (subject to change) snacks (chicharronnes, fries, sriracha garlic shrimp – no cheese), salads with dairy-free dressing (there are a few), fish and chips, and several burgers and sandwiches when ordered without cheese and specifically on their oat-topped wheat bun. They also offer a couple dairy-free sides, but be sure to inquire on those specifially.
• Blue Sushi & Sake Grill – This sustainable Japanese restaurant makes innovative maki and nigiri. They have a full vegan menu, complete with tempura maki, and of course most of their menu is naturally dairy free.
• Brick Oven Pizzeria – It’s easy to order a dairy-free pizza at this restaurant. They offer soy-free, dairy-free cheese alternative, all of their crusts are vegan (including the gluten-free option), and they have dairy-free tomato, garlic, and pesto sauces. They even offer a variety of vegan “meats” and are working on a vegan menu.
• Charred Burger + Bar – Thank you to Jordan for this recommendations, “Charred is so good. Burgers can be made dairy-free if you choose their gluten-free bun and no cheese.” They serve a selection of wagyu burgers.
• Chick-fil-A – See our Chick-fil-A Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
• Chipotle Mexican Grill – See our Chipotle Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
• Clean Juice – They make their own cold-pressed cashew milks and offer dairy-free acai bowls, smoothie bowls, smoothies, toasts, and some other eats. Please note that their flatbread wraps (the bread itself) contain dairy, but all other menu items can be ordered dairy-free by omitting the cheese or substituting vegan protein for the whey protein.
• Conscious Comforts ⭐️ – Thanks to Bobbie for letting us know about this pop-up vegan eatery that also takes online orders. They offer a range of meals and baked goods, including a whole selection of pastries.
• Coneflower Creamery – This fun shop scoops house-made ice cream and offers local root beer on tap. They typically have a couple vegan flavors, like golden mylk and chocolate, and offer vegan coconut whipped cream for sundaes.
• Coolgreens – This healthy chain makes salads, wraps, sandwiches, and grain bowls. They have at least one dairy-free option in each category, and most items can be custom ordered dairy-free. At last check, all of their proteins, all of their greens and grains, most of their dressings (just skip the ranches), and most of their toppings (just skip the cheeses) were made without dairy. Even their croutons and spiced pecans are listed as dairy-free.
• Crisp & Green – You can enjoy their full menu of smoothies and acai bowls, and they offer a great allergen menu to help you custom order their savory bowls. They also cater to vegan and gluten-free guests, and even have some dairy-free grab ‘n go dessert treats.
• Eat Fit Go – Thanks to Liesel H. for sharing this find. “They clearly identify which meals are dairy free. While the quality isn’t awesome and it’s expensive for what it is, I appreciate not having to think about it or ask.” The meals are premade, so you can’t custom order, but they always have dairy-free options available, as well as paleo, gluten-free, and plant-based choices.
• Eat to Evolve – They offer meal plans and meal delivery, but also have some brick and mortar locations where you can pick up. Everything they make is gluten-free, and they focus on paleo and primal diets. Most of their meals are dairy-free, but not all. You can pick a dairy-free meal plan or order by the entrée.
• El Basha Mediterranean Grill – This popular Lebanese restaurant was recommended by Jordan. They have a good handful of vegan items on the menu, and several more that are, or can be made, dairy-free – just ask the staff.
• Fauxmaha – Vegan burgers, sandwiches, hot dogs, burritos, and loaded tots are on their completely “plant-based” menu.
• Flagship Commons – This is actually a unique food court that has dairy-free and vegan options at every restaurant. They have Vegan Thursdays, where each spot has a special discount on one or more vegan menu items.
• Greenbelly – Their dietary labels aren’t very helpful for dairy-free guests, but they do have many good build-your-own and custom order options. They offer a huge menu of salads, sandwiches, wraps, and lettuce wraps with gluten-free options. A couple vegan options are available, but they are limited.
• Hook & Lime – They have vegan tacos, tortas, empanadas, tamales, and even cheesecake right on their menu. And of course, there are some additional dairy-free taco and torta options, too.
• JINYA Ramen Bar – Believe it or not, many ramen bases contain milk. But JINYA offers a couple vegan ramen options and most of their ramen dishes, soups, and expansive small plates are dairy-free. They have a great comprehensive allergen chart.
• Jones Bros Cupcakes – Liesel H. emailed to let us know they offer a vegan cupcake flavor daily. They also have a full cafe menu with vegan flautas, sandwiches, and burgers available, and some additional items can be ordered without dairy.
• Kitchen Table – Their casual, yet eclectic, from-scratch menu includes vegan salad and sandwich options, and a couple additional options that can be ordered dairy-free.
• Lazlo’s Brewery & Grill – As mentioned above, this local chain has a full allergen chart, complete with several dairy-free entrees and sides. They can also make several more entrees dairy-free, like their salads, simply by omitting the cheese. Reader Destini visited this location and said they were extremely helpful and patient – she was ordering dairy-free and gluten-free.
• MealBox – This is a meal delivery service for Omaha by Chef Will Birge. Their meals are labeled for dairy-free, gluten-free, and a couple other dietary needs, and typically include at least a few dairy-free options.
• Modern Love ⭐️ – Vegan icon Isa Chandra Moskowitz founded this plant-based restaurant in midtown. They serve a dinner menu that’s focuses both on comfort food and fresh, locally grown cuisine. And the dessert menu is not to be missed. It includes cheesecakes, milkshakes, fun pastries, and more.
• Mouth of the South – Jordan let us know about the amazing service at this Southern-style restaurant. “I told the server I had a dairy allergy. The server and chef came back to the table to let me know what all had dairy in it. At the end of the meal, the server came back with a take home menu and told me how I could customize each dish to be dairy-free. It was the most amazing thing.”
• Naughty Buddha Burger Bar ⭐️ – We might argue that this is actually a pretty nice establishment. Their simple menu is all vegan, and includes about a half dozen piled high burgers and sides.
• Noodles & Company – See our Noodles & Company Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
• Pacific Eating House ⭐️ – Margaret emailed this recommendation! This full-service, upscale restaurant focuses on natural, wild, and thoughtfully-sourced foods. They offer lunch, dinner, and drinks, and labeled dairy-free, gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan items clearly on their menus. They had quite a few menu items, but Rhonda let us know they no longer include the labels and she only found one dairy-free option. We’re following up with them, as they do change their menu often. But check in advance on dairy-free options before visiting.
• P.F. Chang’s – See our P.F. Chang’s Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
• Pickleman’s Gourmet Cafe ⭐️ – They are very friendly toward special diet guests. They offer vegan lentil chili, and all of their sandwiches and salads can be ordered dairy-free with the exclusion of cheese, ranch-based sauces, and Caesar dressing (other dressings are available). They even offer a whole selection of vegan vinaigrettes.
• Pita Pit – See our Pita Pit Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
• Pitch Pizzeria – At the time of writing, they didn’t offer dairy-free cheese. But you can order a cheeseless pizza, and they have a gluten-free, vegan cauliflower crust. They also offer dairy-free salads (side or meal) and have some dairy-free sides.
• Pokeworks – All of their signature poke bowls, and pretty much all of their menu is dairy-free, including the Dole Whip for dessert! They offer raw, cooked, and vegan proteins.
• Qdoba Mexican Eats – See our Qdoba Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
• Railcar Modern American Kitchen – Thank you to Liesel H. for sharing this recommendation. “Railcar was really awesome. We had brunch there. I let the server know that I have a dairy allergy and she was really kind. She helped me choose some things from the menu and then sent her manager over to chat with me as well. The manager stated that they would be sure to use all clean utensils and surfaces so that no dairy would come in contact and asked if butter was ok in the hollandaise (no). Easy enough to leave off. They were really amazing.”
• Smokin’ Oak – This wood-fired pizzeria and taproom chain offers vegan cheese and an eclectic selection of toppings.
• Spin Pizza – Their allergen menu is a bit cryptic, but we did some digging. Their original and gluten-free crusts (not the cauliflower crust) are dairy-free (and vegan), and they offer Daiya dairy-free cheese, along with red and white dairy-free sauces. So most of their pizzas can be ordered dairy-free. Their rosemary flatbread (without cheese) and custom order salads and sandwiches are also good options. All of their sandwich breads are dairy-free and many of their dressings are dairy-free.
• Square Donut – Thanks to Maggie for recommending this shop, “Square donuts make the best vegan donuts – all dairy free!!” They offer both cake and raised vegan varieties.
• Sweet Magnolias Bake Shop – This is a traditional bakery, but they offer vegan donuts, vegan gluten-free brownies, and custom order vegan cakes in several flavors.
• TCBY – See our TCBY Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
• Ted & Wally’s Ultra-Premium Ice Cream – They offer a couple vegan ice cream flavors daily, usually with some unique options, like root beer, cookie monster, singing Buddha, or ginger pear sake sorbet.
• The Benson Brewery – They have some fun vegan items on their menu like wings and gyros. A couple additional menu items can be ordered dairy free.
• The Cheesecake Factory – See our Cheesecake Factory Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
• The Grove Juicery & Wellness Cafe – They bottle their house-made nut mylks, and also use them to make classic smoothies, superfood smoothies, acai bowls, and wellness lattes. They also offer toasts. At last check, their menu was dairy-free and mostly vegan (aside from bee products).
• The Tea Smith – They have vegan pastries from Sweet Magnolia. They rotate, but can include scones, brownies, or cake. They also use coconut milk to make dairy-free boba and milk teas.
• Toppers Pizza – They have three signature vegan pizzas on their menu (two with plant-based chicken), and you can sub their dairy-free mozzarella to make most other pizzas dairy-free. They also offer vegan cheese sticks and have several dairy-free sauces.
• Veg.edible ⭐️ – This is a 100% vegan, gluten-free, nut-free (they do use coconut) eatery with soy-free options. They serve burgers, shakes, Asian food, and have their own bakery with treats and custom order cakes.
• Voodoo Taco – They offer a fried avocado vegan taco, and most of their other tacos are dairy-free when ordered without cheese. They also have gluten-free corn tortillas available.
• Wilson & Washburn – This local brewpub serves a popular vegan beet burger, but they have some additional dairy-free snacks on the menu, and sandwiches that can be ordered dairy free.
• Zio’s Pizzeria – You can custom order a dairy-free pizza with Daiya cheese alternative at this local chain. I contacted the restaurant to find out more, and they were very helpful, but do seem to lump dairy-free in with gluten-free and vegan. “We have a dairy-free Gluten Free Crust and several non-meat and non-dairy toppings.  We have plenty of salads that would be dairy free.  We also have Cinnamon Knots.” As a heads up, their Cauliflower Crust does contain milk, and they seemed a little confused when I asked if their “regular” crust and meats were dairy-free. Be sure to inquire before ordering!
• Zoup! – See our Zoup Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.

Pappilion

• Chick-fil-A – See our Chick-fil-A Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
• Chipotle Mexican Grill – See our Chipotle Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
• Qdoba Mexican Eats – See our Qdoba Dairy-Free Menu Guide for full details.
• Spin Pizza – Their allergen menu is a bit cryptic, but we did some digging. Their original and gluten-free crusts (not the cauliflower crust) are dairy-free (and vegan), and they offer Daiya dairy-free cheese, along with red and white dairy-free sauces. So most of their pizzas can be ordered dairy-free. Their rosemary flatbread (without cheese) and custom order salads and sandwiches are also good options. All of their sandwich breads are dairy-free and many of their dressings are dairy-free.
• The Smoothie Truck – This mobile shop blends a dairy-free selection of smoothies and acai bowls.

Restaurant & Grocery Chains found throughout Nebraska

Some recommended restaurant and store chains are getting too big for our city listing britches. They have many locations, or are rapidly growing, and you might stumble across them in a number of towns in this state. Click on them for more dairy-free details.

• Runza – This is a growing chain that offers a decent allergen chart, and has dozens of locations throughout Nebraska. At last check, they had burgers, popcorn chicken, wraps, chili, and custom salads for dairy-free guests.

Local Dairy-Free Food & Drink Producers in Nebraska

These dairy-free friendly companies don’t have their own retail location, but are in Nebraska. So you have a good chance of finding their products at grocery stores, restaurants, and/or other shops in this state. Keep an eye out!

• WayFare Health Foods – Their popular line of dairy alternatives can be hard to find in stores, but you’re bound to find them in their home state of Nebraska. They make cheeses, sour cream, puddings, and more.

This Guide is Continuously Updated with Recommendations

We welcome you to recommend other dairy-free friendly restaurants. Leave a comment or contact us and tell us why you like a certain restaurant. Restaurant owners and employees are also invited to reach out and let us know how you welcome dairy-free customers.

Please kindly let us know in the comments if any of these restaurants close. We want to keep this list current for you, but aren’t always notified when a restaurant closes. Let us know and we will quickly update!

This Guide is for Informational Purposes Only

Menus, ingredients, kitchen procedures, management, and restaurants are subject to change at any time. Always read the menu and discuss your dietary needs with the staff before ordering. Make sure that they can accommodate your situation.

There is always a risk for potential cross-contamination of allergens in any commercial kitchen. If cross-contamination is an issue for you, always speak with the manager to ensure that your meal can be safely prepared. Listings here do not guarantee that a restaurant is safe enough for your individual needs. Only you can make that decision.

For More Dairy-Free Guidance, Get Go Dairy Free!