Unearth The Voyage
Since 1933, this western Nebraska steakhouse has been turning a roadside stop into a destination. Visitors come for the prime rib and classic Midwestern cooking, but the first thing they notice is the collection of more than 200 taxidermy mounts covering nearly every available wall and ceiling space.
The restaurant’s history is just as memorable as its décor. Its founder spent years traveling the world on hunting expeditions, and the stories behind the collection have become part of the dining experience.
Even the bar has its own tale, having reportedly been won in a baseball game decades ago.
What keeps people coming back, however, is the food. Generous portions, longtime recipes, and a reputation built over generations have made this one of Nebraska’s most unusual and enduring restaurant landmarks.
A Legendary Address Just Off Interstate 80
Most people blow past Paxton, Nebraska without a second thought, but those who take the exit off Interstate 80 and follow the signs to 123 N Oak St, Paxton, NE 69155, discover something completely unexpected.
The town itself is tiny, the kind of place where everyone knows your name, but this steakhouse has been pulling strangers off the highway for nearly a century. It sits right along Highway 30, making it an easy detour whether you are heading east toward Omaha or west toward Denver.
The building carries the quiet confidence of a place that has never needed much advertising. Word of mouth, highway billboards, and decades of loyal travelers have kept the parking lot full, and the lot out back is large enough to handle trucks, trailers, and everything in between.
You can reach the restaurant at 308-239-4500 or browse the menu ahead of time at olesbiggame.com before you arrive.
How It All Started in 1933
The origin story here is almost too good to be true. Ole’s opened its doors at exactly 12:01 AM on August 9, 1933, the precise moment Prohibition ended in Nebraska.
Founder Rosser O. “Ole” Herstedt wasted no time, and the establishment has been running continuously ever since, making it one of the longest-operating restaurants in the entire state. That kind of staying power does not happen by accident; it is built on consistency, personality, and a genuine connection to the community.
The original walnut bar still stands inside the restaurant today, and it carries its own remarkable backstory: Ole won it in a baseball game. Current owner Tim Holzfaster purchased the establishment in 1988 and has worked hard to preserve everything that made it special in the first place.
Knowing that nearly a century of stories happened in these rooms makes every meal feel like a small piece of living history.
The Man Behind the Mounts
Ole Herstedt was not content running a bar in a small Nebraska town. Starting in 1938 with a single elk head, he began what would become one of the most remarkable private taxidermy collections in the American Midwest.
Over the next three decades, Ole traveled the globe on big game safaris, visiting Africa, North America, and beyond, bringing back trophies from every continent he explored. Each mount came home with a story, and many of them are accompanied by plaques that note the animal’s origin and the date it was acquired.
Photographs of celebrity visitors and personal mementos from his worldwide adventures fill the gaps between the animal displays, turning the dining room into something closer to a personal museum than a restaurant. Ole’s passion for adventure was so consuming and so genuine that it transformed an ordinary roadside bar into a destination that people drive hundreds of miles to visit on purpose.
Over 200 Animals Watching You Eat
No photograph fully prepares you for what you see when you step inside. Every wall, every corner, and nearly every flat surface is occupied by a taxidermy mount of some kind, and the variety is genuinely staggering.
Moose, elk, black bears, a red fox, a python, elephants, and a full-sized giraffe are among the creatures that share the dining room with you. Some tables offer a direct sightline up to a towering giraffe neck, which makes for a dining experience that is hard to forget and even harder to explain to people who have not seen it.
The collection spans multiple continents and represents decades of international travel, all concentrated into the walls of a restaurant in a town of roughly 500 people. Children press their noses against display cases, adults crane their necks toward the ceiling, and even the most seasoned travelers tend to stop mid-sentence just to take it all in.
The animals alone are worth the detour.
The Polar Bear That Rules the Room
Among all 200-plus mounts, one animal stands above the rest, literally and figuratively. The full-sized polar bear has become the unofficial mascot of Ole’s, and it is the first thing most visitors photograph when they arrive.
Enclosed and displayed with obvious care, the bear is estimated to weigh somewhere between 600 and 800 pounds, and its sheer scale stops people mid-stride. Standing near it gives you a new appreciation for just how large these animals actually are in real life, compared to what you see in books or on screens.
Ole acquired the bear during his international hunting travels, and it has been a fixture of the restaurant for decades. First-time visitors almost always make a beeline for it before they even look at the menu.
The polar bear is the kind of centerpiece that turns a meal into a memory, and it is one of the main reasons families with kids make Ole’s a planned stop rather than a spontaneous one.
The Walnut Bar With a Story Worth Telling
Not every piece of furniture has a good story behind it, but the walnut bar at Ole’s is a genuine conversation starter. Ole Herstedt did not buy it, inherit it, or build it; he won it in a baseball game, and it has been the centerpiece of the lounge ever since.
The bar carries that satisfying weight of old craftsmanship, the kind of solid, well-worn surface that has absorbed decades of conversation, laughter, and the occasional tall tale. Current owner Tim Holzfaster made the deliberate choice to keep it exactly as it was when he purchased the place in 1988, understanding that some things are worth preserving precisely because they cannot be replicated.
The lounge area around the bar has a relaxed, unpretentious energy that pairs well with the wild game décor surrounding it. Whether you settle in for a full meal or just want to sit at the bar and take in the atmosphere, the space has an authenticity that modern restaurant design simply cannot manufacture from scratch.
The Steaks That Keep People Coming Back
The décor gets all the headlines, but the food is what earns the repeat visits. Ole’s serves beef sourced from a local third-generation butcher, and that commitment to quality shows up clearly on the plate.
The prime rib is available after 5 PM and has developed a devoted following among regulars and road-trippers alike. The ribeye and filet mignon round out the steak selection, and the kitchen handles them with the kind of quiet confidence that comes from decades of practice.
A New York strip cooked to a perfect medium rare is the sort of thing that makes you slow down and pay attention to your food.
Side dishes hold their own here too. Chunky mashed potatoes with thick white or brown gravy, cowboy beans, fresh corn on the cob, and sweet potato fries are among the options that turn a good steak into a genuinely satisfying meal.
The beef at Ole’s is not trying to impress anyone; it simply delivers, every single time.
Chicken Fried Steak and Comfort Food Classics
Not everyone at the table orders a traditional steak, and Ole’s has plenty of options for those who prefer something different. The chicken fried steak is cut and prepared entirely in-house, and it has earned a loyal following among regulars who make a point of ordering it every time they stop in.
The pan-fried preparation gives it a texture and flavor that sets it apart from the pre-made versions common at chain restaurants. A house salad often comes alongside, and the mashed potatoes served with it are made fresh multiple times a day from actual potatoes, not a powder or a package.
Other comfort food staples on the menu include the Reuben sandwich, which gets consistently strong praise, as well as burgers, soups, and a dedicated kids menu called the Cub’s Menu. The Cajun chicken and buffalo wings have also developed their own fans among regulars.
Ole’s range of options means the whole group can find something satisfying without any negotiation.
Rocky Mountain Oysters and the Adventurous Side of the Menu
For those who want to lean into the full Western experience, Ole’s serves Rocky Mountain Oysters, and they are taken seriously here. Tender, well-seasoned, and prepared with obvious care, they have a loyal following among both first-timers working up the nerve and regulars who order a second round without hesitation.
The cowboy baked beans deserve their own mention as well. Rich, hearty, and full of flavor, they are the kind of side dish that makes you wonder why beans are not the centerpiece of more menus.
The sweet potato casserole and fresh corn on the cob round out the more distinctive offerings on the plate.
Ole’s also lists fried pickle spears as an appetizer, and they arrive crispy and well-seasoned, a solid way to start the meal while you are still deciding what the table wants to share. The menu at Ole’s rewards curiosity, and the more adventurous your order, the more the kitchen tends to shine.
Breakfast and the Full Day Menu
One detail that surprises a lot of travelers is that Ole’s serves breakfast. The restaurant opens at 9 AM every day of the week, making it a practical and memorable option for an early start on the road.
The breakfast sandwich earns consistent praise, and the biscuits and gravy are the kind of thick, filling comfort food that sets you up properly for a long drive. Hash browns come out crispy, omelets are made to order, and the service during breakfast tends to be friendly and quick, which matters when you have miles to cover before noon.
The full menu runs from 9 AM through 10 PM all seven days, covering breakfast, lunch, and dinner without any gaps. That kind of consistent availability is genuinely useful for road-trippers whose schedules do not always align with standard restaurant hours.
Whether you arrive hungry at 9 in the morning or pull off the interstate at 9 at night, Ole’s has the kitchen running and the lights on.
The Service and the People Who Make It Work
A restaurant with this much history could easily coast on its reputation, but the staff at Ole’s consistently earns praise that rivals the food itself. Servers are attentive without being overbearing, and there is a genuine warmth to the service that feels rooted in small-town hospitality rather than rehearsed professionalism.
Owner Tim Holzfaster is clearly hands-on. His personal responses to online reviews, often including his direct cell phone number and a sincere apology when something falls short, say a great deal about how seriously he takes the experience of every guest.
That level of accountability is rare in the restaurant industry at any price point.
Young staff members who grew up in Paxton bring a hometown pride to their work that is refreshing to encounter. They know the history of the place, they can tell you about the animals on the walls, and they genuinely seem to enjoy working in a restaurant that has meant something to their community for generations.
That pride is contagious in the best possible way.
Why This Place Deserves a Planned Stop, Not Just a Passing Glance
Some roadside restaurants reward impulse stops, but Ole’s is the kind of place that rewards a little planning. Families who call ahead for a reservation, especially for larger groups, tend to have a smoother experience and more time to actually explore the animal exhibits rather than waiting at the door.
The restaurant holds a 4.5-star rating across nearly 2,500 reviews, a number that reflects decades of genuine satisfaction from travelers with very different expectations and tastes. The price point is listed as moderate, which feels fair given the quality of the beef, the freshness of the sides, and the sheer entertainment value of the surroundings.
Ole’s Big Game Steakhouse and Lounge is the rare combination of museum, community gathering spot, and legitimately good restaurant all under one roof. Generations of families have made it a tradition, and new visitors discover it every summer from both coasts.
The animals on the walls will outlast all of us, and somehow, that feels exactly right for a place like this.
