Just Named Nebraska’s Best Small Town Breakfast, This Cafe Fills Every Booth By Seven

The pizza at this roadhouse can arrive on a tire. Not a tire-shaped plate, either, but a playful nod to the car parts bolted across the walls and ceiling.

Hotrod decor fills nearly every corner of the dining room. The kitchen keeps pace with broasted chicken, prime rib, and wood-fired pizzas topped with things like mac and cheese.

I like how a Nebraska restaurant can look so plain from the parking lot. Then the door swings open, and the whole place seems to rev its engine before your coffee even cools.

Sunday is the one day the doors open in the morning, and that short window feels like a reward for early risers. Breakfast inside a garage-themed roadhouse sounds a little wild, and I mean that as high praise.

So what makes this spot worth the drive?

A Roadhouse With Gasoline In Its Personality

Kitty’s Roadhouse sits on the east side of Hastings, Nebraska, and it wears its name proudly. The place runs as a casual grill and bar, built around big plates and a car-loving theme.

Hastings itself has a fun claim to fame. Kool-Aid was invented here in 1927, so this town clearly knows a thing or two about crowd-pleasers.

Kitty’s fits right into that tradition of easy, unfussy fun. The menu stretches from wood-fired pizza to broasted chicken to prime rib, with plenty of stops in between.

That range matters in a town like Hastings. One table might want comfort food, while the next wants a burger stacked so high it needs a fork.

The roadhouse handles both without blinking. It feels like a place designed for real appetites and real conversations, not fancy plating.

Plenty of parking surrounds the building, which helps when a group rolls in together. Big families, road-trippers, and neighbors meeting for lunch all have room to land.

So think of Kitty’s as a pit stop that turned into a destination. The name promises a roadhouse, and the place absolutely delivers one.

Car Parts Overhead And Plenty To Stare At

Don’t judge this building by its outside. The exterior looks a little rough, but the inside tells a completely different story.

Car parts cover the walls and stretch across the ceiling. The whole dining room leans into a hotrod theme, and it commits to the bit.

That decor does something useful, too. It gives every table a built-in conversation starter, so phones tend to stay in pockets a bit longer.

Kids especially get a kick out of spotting pieces of old cars overhead. Grown-ups who spent weekends under a hood may find themselves pointing at parts and naming them.

Even the restrooms join the fun. A few funny signs hang in the men’s room, adding one more reason to grin before heading back to your seat.

Some restaurants hang one vintage sign and call it a theme. Kitty’s Roadhouse went all in, turning the entire room into a garage with a menu.

It’s loud in personality without feeling cramped or chaotic. You can still hear the people across the table, which is a small miracle in a place this lively.

Pizza That Rolls Up On A Tire

Yes, the pizza really can show up on a tire. It’s one of the most talked-about touches at Kitty’s, and it fits the garage theme perfectly.

Pizza is easily the biggest star on the menu. The kitchen fires its pies in a wood-fired oven, giving the crust a risen, crispy edge.

The topping options lean playful. A mac and cheese pizza stands out as one of the more unusual choices, and it sounds exactly as cozy as you’d expect.

Chicken Alfredo pizza offers another creamy twist. For something more classic, a sausage and red pepper version keeps things simple and hearty.

These pizzas run large, so sharing is smart. A couple of pies can easily anchor a family meal, especially when the kids want something familiar.

I love that a Nebraska roadhouse turned a pizza into a piece of the decor. It’s silly in the best way, and it photographs like a dream.

Order one for the table and watch heads turn. That tire-mounted pizza tends to steal the spotlight from everything else nearby.

Broasted Chicken And The Daily Special Ritual

Broasted chicken might be the quiet hero at Kitty’s Roadhouse. It shows up on sandwiches, as tenders, and as the centerpiece of a comforting plate.

The daily specials deserve real attention here. One Tuesday special pairs broasted chicken with mashed potatoes, corn, and a dinner roll.

That lineup sounds like Sunday dinner at grandma’s, only you didn’t have to wash a single pot. The mashed potatoes come with gravy, which feels like the only correct choice.

Hometown diners know the specials well. Ordering one feels a bit like joining a local tradition, especially when nearby tables are doing the same thing.

The broasted chicken sandwich gives you a handheld version of that same crispy goodness. Chicken tenders with fries round out the options for lighter appetites or younger eaters.

Wings come bone-in for anyone who likes getting a little messy. Shrimp jammers also sit on the appetizer side if you want something to share first.

Comfort food rarely tries to impress, yet this lineup manages it anyway. Good luck walking past that chicken without changing your order.

Prime Rib Worth Clearing Your Evening For

Prime rib ranks among the most-mentioned dishes at Kitty’s Roadhouse. For a casual spot with car parts on the ceiling, that’s a serious steakhouse move.

Beef runs deep in Nebraska, so expectations climb high. A roadhouse earning attention for prime rib in this state is no small feat.

The beef love doesn’t stop there. Sirloin appears on the menu, and steak bites offer a smaller, snackable way to get your fix.

A French dip sandwich brings that roast beef comfort into handheld form. Dunking it feels like the right way to end a long workday.

Sweet potato fries make a fun side if regular fries feel too ordinary. They add a little sweetness next to all that savory beef.

Portions here lean generous, which matters when you’re feeding hungry people. Leftovers are a real possibility, and nobody complains about that.

Some people visit for the pizza and never look further. Still, the prime rib crowd seems perfectly happy keeping their order a little secret.

Bring a steak lover along and let them pick. You’ll probably be stealing a bite before long.

Burgers You Build Like A Custom Hotrod

Building a burger at Kitty’s feels a lot like customizing a car. You start with the base, then pile on the extras until it’s uniquely yours.

The burger menu works mostly as build-your-own. A handful of specialty burgers exist too, for anyone who’d rather let the kitchen drive.

Go wild with toppings and you might need a fork. That’s not a complaint, just a fair warning for anyone wearing a white shirt.

Onion rings make a classic partner for a loaded burger. Grilled sandwiches also get the custom treatment, so you can tailor them to your taste.

Here’s a fun Nebraska twist. The menu includes a Reuben, a sandwich widely credited to an Omaha hotel kitchen.

Ordering a Reuben in Nebraska feels like a small act of state pride. You’re eating a piece of local food history on rye.

A grilled cheese with ham offers a cozy, simpler option. A smothered burrito brings some extra heft for big appetites.

The variety means nobody in a group gets stuck. Picky eaters and adventurous ones can both find their lane.

Sunday Mornings Get Their Own Lane

Most days, Kitty’s Roadhouse doesn’t open until lunch. Sunday breaks the pattern, with doors opening in the morning and closing by early afternoon.

That makes Sunday the only shot at an early visit. If a slow weekend morning is your favorite part of the week, plan around it.

A short window adds a little urgency. Showing up early gives you more time to enjoy the room before the afternoon wraps things up.

Sunday mornings also feel like a natural fit for this place. The car decor, the relaxed pace, and big plates suit a lazy weekend perfectly.

I can’t imagine a better excuse to roll out of bed on a Sunday. Coffee under a ceiling of car parts beats coffee at the kitchen counter.

Families coming from church or a weekend errand can slide right in. Plenty of parking makes the arrival easy, even with a full car.

Since the Sunday schedule runs shorter, timing matters. Treat it like a car show that only runs a few hours, and don’t arrive as the doors are closing.

Big Groups, Small Kids, And Everyone Between

A group of fifteen can fit at Kitty’s without turning dinner into chaos. Servers here have a reputation for handling crowds and charming kids along the way.

That makes the roadhouse a natural pick for family gatherings. Birthday lunches, reunion meals, and team outings all fit the vibe.

Kids get plenty to look at overhead. The car parts and quirky signs keep little eyes busy while the food cooks.

Dessert lovers should know about the funnel cake fries. They bring a county fair treat to the table, minus the long line at the stand.

The staff tends to move fast, even when the room fills up. Service often runs quick and friendly, which keeps hungry groups happy.

Out-of-town visitors may notice a neighborly feel right away. It seems like half the room knows the other half, in the most Nebraska way possible.

Retirees, road-trippers, and young families all mix comfortably here. Nobody needs to dress up, and nobody feels out of place.

That easy mix is part of the charm. It’s a room where a whole town seems to fit.

Before You Fire Up The Car

Getting there is simple. Kitty’s Roadhouse sits at 1400 E South St, Hastings, NE 68901, with a roomy parking lot out front.

Plan around Mondays, because the roadhouse stays closed that day. Tuesday through Saturday, it opens at lunch and stays open into the evening.

Sunday brings the morning schedule and an early afternoon close. That’s the day to circle if breakfast hours matter to you.

Prices land a bit higher than a basic diner. Still, portions run generous, and the specials make a solid value play.

Hastings works well as a day trip from Grand Island or Kearney. Pair your meal with a stop celebrating the town’s Kool-Aid roots for a full Nebraska afternoon.

So is Kitty’s worth the drive? I believe it is, especially if you love food with a sense of humor.

Where else does pizza arrive on a tire beneath a ceiling of car parts? Few places in Nebraska can claim that combination.

Bring friends, bring kids, and bring an appetite for something fun. This roadhouse has the horsepower to make an ordinary meal memorable.