Mark your calendars — the East Campus Dining Center is inviting the University of Nebraska–Lincoln community to its Road Trip Across America summertime grill outs.
The 2025 grill outs will highlight different barbecue styles from around the country each week, taking visitors on a culinary road trip through the United States. Aside from the delectable proteins visitors can choose from, dining staff also create sauces, sides and desserts from the week's featured region.
The grill outs are a tradition for the center and are offered most Thursdays and Fridays throughout the summer term. Weather permitting, the meals are served outside between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., with service moving inside until 2 p.m.
Dawn de Groot, manager of the East Campus Dining Center, said the grill outs are something the dining staff look forward to creating.
“We’re not as busy and summer is a little more laid back for everyone, so they can come spend their lunch hour with us,” de Groot said. “We love having everybody come out. We cook with love out here, and we really strive to do the best we can.
“We want everyone to come and have a great experience with the best food possible.”
The first grill outs will be May 29 and 30, featuring Oklahoma barbecue recipes with local sauce company Grandma Fosters, which is manufactured in Omaha. On May 29, a representative from Grandma Fosters will be doing tastings and giveaways also.
“We feature Grandma Fosters through our good, fresh, local (initiative), which is something we started doing last year, where we’re using more locally produced foods,” de Groot said. “All of our brats are produced by the Meat Lab here on campus, and we’ll have featured flavors of those, too.”
Complete menus and nutritional information for all meals served in university dining centers are available online.
The schedule and featured flavors are as follows:
- May 29 — Oklahoma BBQ featuring Grandma Fosters with barbecue chicken quarters or smoked baby back ribs
- May 30 — Burgers and brats, with special barbecue bacon cheeseburger featuring Grandma Fosters
- June 19 — Tennessee BBQ with Nashville hot pulled chicken sandwich or pork ribs
- June 20 — Burgers and brats with Southern pimento cheese topping
- June 26 — Kansas City BBQ with brisket or pork ribs
- June 27 — Burgers and brats with KC barbecue sauce and creamy coleslaw topping
- July 10 — Alabama BBQ with smoky dry rubbed grilled chicken or Alabama pulled pork with Alabama white barbecue sauce
- July 11 — Burgers and brats with pulled pork and Alabama white barbecue sauce
- July 17 — Carolina BBQ with brisket or Carolina pulled pork featuring Carolina mustard barbecue sauce
- July 18 — Burgers and brats, with special Carolina cheeseburger or brat with mustard barbecue sauce and fried pickle topping
- July 24 — Texas BBQ with pulled pork taco carnitas or Texas-style smoked brisket
- July 25 — Burgers and brats with Mexican spice seasoning, queso fresco and Mexican Crema with toppings including avocado, red onion and cilantro
- July 31: Grandma Fosters at home with smoked beef brisket or pork loin crusted, smothered Grandma Fosters sauce
- Aug. 1: Burgers and brats with smoked brisket barbecue topping
