Bison Witches: Bring Your Appetite, Bring Your Friends.

All throughout college, you could regularly find my roommates and I dining at Bison Witches, one of our favorite neighborhood hangouts in Lincoln. When we all reunited this past week, we absolutely had to eat there.

On Friday, we overslept and missed breakfast. Famished and in the mood for a relaxing, chill atmosphere with excellent food to match, Bison Witches was just the solution for our appetites.

As usual, Bison Witches had a packed house– the first sign of a great restaurant. However, they always do a great job of seating and serving their customers fast. Besides that, it is well worth the wait. Bison Witches’ assortment of hearty deli sandwiches as well as soups, salads, nachos and drinks is unlike any other restaurant around. For the sandwiches, they offer a spin on many of the classics as well as a handful of their own unique creations. They have certainly mastered the flavors and architecture of their sandwiches, as well as their soups, salads, appetizers and great selection of beers.

The gourmet deli sandwiches tower with fresh meat and ingredients between two, thick bread slices of your choice (white, wheat or dark rye). These mega-sandwiches are also served with your choice of chips. I recommend the tortilla chips and CCQ. That’s short for Chili Con Queso– their homemade cheese dip with tomatoes, onions and jalapenos. If you are hankering for more CCQ, try the Chili Cheese Nachos, or even the Chicken Cheese Nachos! They will complete your fiesta this Cinco de Mayo.

My favorite sandwich is the C.A.B.- two 4 oz. oven baked chicken breasts topped with avocado slices, bacon, alfalfa sprouts, and their honey based spicy Russian mustard. This combo is savory and sweet with delightful textures from the tender chicken, crunchy bacon and smooth avocado. If you want to go sweeter, try the Hawaiian- two 4 oz. baked chicken breasts topped with pineapple slices, melted provolone cheese, shredded lettuce and a side of BBQ sauce. It is marvelous.

However, a staple of mine is the Smoked Turkey- thinly slicked smoked turkey combined with sliced tomatoes, lettuce and house honey mustard. I also add on onions and peppers! This sandwich is simple, tasty and consistently satisfying.

What I love most about Bison Witches is their ½ sandwich and soup special. You can choose any one of the soups and combine it with any fresh deli sandwich and chips. The wonderful soup choices, besides the soup of the day are: Cream of Potato and Bacon, Wisconsin Cheese, Chili and …drum roll please… Portabella Harvest Grain. I have thoroughly enjoyed them all, especially the thick, hearty Chili to warm me up on a cold day. However, the Portabella Harvest Grain is phenomenal.

Served in a bread bowl, it is a thick, creamy blend of red and green peppers, corn, carrots, wild rice, barley, red wheat and portabella mushrooms. Packed with veggies and flavor, this wholesome soup gets better with each bite. As the bread bowl of soup begins to empty, tear off the pieces of soft bread and dunk them right in. When you get to the bottom and edges, scrape the soupy-soaked bread into each bite for a real indulgence.

The food is served on cafeteria-style trays- casual, fun and laid-back to match its hoppin atmosphere. I love that their drinks come in huge cups, sufficient enough to wash down such generous portions of food. Just like the food, the drinks are big enough to share...but only if you want to!

No matter how hungry I come, I most always leave in a food coma. Satisfied and pleased nonetheless. You must head out to Bison Witches for a serious sandwich that is seriously delicious. Located on 1320 P Street in downtown Lincoln, NE, Bison Witches is open 7 days a week. The kitchen opens at 11 am- 10 pm, and the bar stays open until 1am.