Eating Out is huge in Omaha. The conventional wisdom is that we have more restaurants per capita than just about anywhere else. Omahans love their steak restaurants, but there is a whole lot more. We have quite a diversity. This page is devoted to LOCAL restaurants that you will not find anywhere else.
Dining Out
Steak Houses
Paxton Chop House
14th & Harney. If money is no object, dine here at this local establishment for one of the best meals you will ever have. Perfect portions, excellent service. Menu available online. http://www.paxtonchop.com
Lucky's
10th & Pacific. The owners took over an old & traditional Omaha-style steak house & turned it into a more appealing steak house. Conveniently located ear Flixx for an after-dinner drink. http://www.luckys1001.com
Venice Inn
71st & Pacific. A very well established steak house in Omaha that has survived the times with great meals.
Anthony's
72nd & F. This is a very long-established steak house in Omaha. Feels a little formal, but don't think you have to dress formal. Very good food. Closed Sundays. Reservations: 331-7575.
Gorats
49th & Center. Another long-established steak house. Check out the deep-fried parsley! Check out the picture of Ronald Reagan dining here before a movie premiere some 50 years ago! Older crowd tends to dine here. It's Warren Buffett's favorite. 551-3733
Ted's Nebraska Grill
136th & Dodge (across from Boys Town). Owned by Ted Turner, Ted's Montana Grill celebrates "comfort food" -- MEAT -- and we're not just talking beef. The big push here is bison. You know, buffalo!
www.tedsmontanagrill.com
Brother Sebastians
One block south of 119th & Pacific. Reservations suggested. This restaurant has the most romantic setting I've seen in a steak house. Very good food. 330-0300
Piccolo Pete's
2202 South 20 Street (20th & Martha). There's something great about getting a side dish of pasta with your steak. Very good. Very traditional steak house in Omaha. 342-9038
Cascio's
1620 S. 10th. This restaurant has a long tradition in Omaha. My first visit was a disaster. The second was much better. Reservations accepted. 345-8313
Pink Poodle
Crescent, Iowa. Definitely worth the drive if you prefer good food over atmosphere. The setting is very small-town. Watch out for the waitress with the bucket of soup! Take I-29 north to the first I-680 interchange (north of downtown Omaha). Exit east & keep going until the road ends. Turn left on Old Lincoln Highway. Pink Poodle will be on your right shortly.
Mineola Steakhouse
Mineola, Iowa. If you're looking for a long drive for good food, why not go here? This is also small-town America. Hop on I-29 and head south about 14 miles from downtown Omaha. Take exit 42, Highway 370. Turn left on 370 until you get to 275. Then turn south (right) until you get to H-12. Follow the signs to Mineola. The steak house is on Main Street. Closed Monday & Tuesday. Cash only.
Pizza
Zio's Pizza
79th & Dodge, 132nd & West Center, 12th & Howard (Old Market). Certainly my favorite pizza in town. Zio's has an incredible selection of toppings to choose from. Zio's also sells individual slices. Try the Thai pizza!
Don Carmelo's
120th between Maple & Blondo (Near Sherwin Williams), 160th & West Center Road, Rockbrook Village, and 36th & Farnam. My second favorite. They also sell individual slices. New York-style pizza. Great pasta too.
Godfather's Pizza
This is a regional chain that began in Omaha. The city has numerous locations. My favorite is "Hot Stuff" pizza.
La Casa Pizzaria
4432 Leavenworth 556-6464. After 14 years living in Omaha, I finally went to La Casa. It was great! The crust was very thin & pastry. The special salad dressing was wonderful. Very homestyle. The pastas served at surrounding tables looked inviting.
Valentino's
102nd & Maple, 132nd & Center, 108th & Q (about 2 blocks north), 1301 Fort Crook Rd. S. in Bellevue. They also have take-out & buffet.
Mama's Pizza
715 N. Saddle Creek Rd. and 156th & Pacific. They have more than pizza here. Everything from Italian sandwiches to roast beef sandwiches (the type that's covered with gravy & mashed potatoes). Really good house dressing. Newly renovated inside & out. They got rid of the red shag carpeting on the walls! 553-9270.
Variety
Prima 140
140th & West Center (next to Ace Hardware). "European & American Dishes". Presentation is so fantastic, you don't want to eat it! You might feel that you'll leave hungry because of small portions, but you won't. Reservations suggested. 697-7840.
Rick's Boatyard Cafe
Downtown directly between the Qwest Center & the Missouri River. 345-4545. The restaurant offers a very large variety. Except for the signature entrees, we found Rick's Boatyard surprisingly affordable and very good. I must be honest, however. The service has not been Rick's strength from my experience & from what I frequently hear. The only other location of this restaurant is Indiana, so we'll keep it in the local section.
Dixie Quicks
1915 Leavenworth. VERY fun! Dinner is Thursday-Saturday, 6pm-10pm. Seating is limited. Call 346-3549 for reservations. www.dixiequicks.com
McFoster's Natural Kind Cafe
302 S. 38th St. 345-7477. Not strictly vegetarian, but that's the general theme. Great presentation of food... excellent selection. Something for everyone. Very gay friendly too.
Farmhouse Cafe
3461 S. 84th Street (Between I-80 & Center, next to Mangelsen's). This was founded by the original founder of the Garden Cafe. It's what "The Garden" used to be. Great selection of scrumptious desserts!
M's Pub
Old Market, 422 S. 11th St. I don't know why I haven't been here more often. The food is good. Kind of a preppy place.
Waterfront
Ameristar Casino (Council Bluffs). This is promoted as one of the metro's "Top 10 Restaurants". I wouldn't go that far, but it's better than good. Beef & seafood make up most of the menu. The restaurant has a nice fireplace as the centerpiece. Reservations strongly suggested. 712-328-8888.
Beyond Bar Food
7 Monkeys
156th & West Maple. If you're in Northwest Omaha, it's definitely worth checking out. Great bar & great food. High-def TV's usually feature concert videos or sporting events. Patio for warm months. No smoking. The menu is better than your typical bar food.
http://www.7monkeysomaha.com
Upstream Brewery
Old Market 11th & Jackson and 170th & West Center. This is "the place" to be in the Old Market. As the name implies, they brew their own beer here. http://www.upstreambrewing.com/
Lazlo's
192nd & West Center Road. In 2006, Lazlo's finally brought its popular Lincoln brewery & restaurant to Omaha. Great beer & fabulous food. http://www.telesis-inc.com/lazlo/
Nebraska Brewing Company
South 72nd Street & Highway 370 Papillion, Nebraska -- Shadow Lake Towne Center. A unique one-of-a-kind brewery/restaurant with some of the best beers I've tasted at a brewery. Excellent array of selections on the menu. Not much of an atmosphere, but very good food. www.nebraskabrewingco.com.
Mexican
&
Southwestern
Stokes
114th & West Dodge Road (near Blockbuster Video) and The Old Market. This has a jazzy feel to it. The food is very unique, fresh, and fantastic. Great selection of wines too.
Netties
7110 Railroad Ave., Bellevue. Not the easiest restaurant to find. Look out for the green chili! You'll pay for it later, if you get my drift. It's good. It's Netties, not Nellies. 733-3359
Rivera's
12047 Blondo Street. Absolutely wonderful Mexican food, everything made fresh, in a setting you wouldn't expect: A suburban West Omaha strip mall. www.riverasmf.com
Los
Portales
2614 S. 13th St. (13th & Bancroft). Great for dinner, perfect for after the bar closes on a Saturday night. Authentic Mexican food that's pretty cheap ($1.50 tacos & much more). I leave feeling very satisfied. Complimentary small bowl of refried beans, cheese & chips served before the food. 714-6998
Roja Mexican Grill
170th & Wright Plaza (West Center Road). 333-7652. New in the fall of 2004. I'd say slightly above average. Not traditional Mexican food, but a twist. A good twist. Excellent table salsa. Excellent margaritas. Nice interior
.
Romeo's
96th & L, 2228 N. 90 Plaza, 29th & Farnam, 146th & Center, 405 Galvin Rd. N. Bellevue. Pizza too. Advertised as "Nacho Typical Restaurant. Cute. Satisfying, not the best. Cheap. I hear the pizza is very good.
Julio's
130th & Arbor, 5402 N. 90th, Old Market Similar to Romeo's.
Howard's
4443 South 13th. 731-3776. Cheap good food. Consistently rated a favorite for locals.
Italian
Nicola's
13th & Jackson (Old Market). Pronounced nih-COLA'S. To put it simply, the food here is just awesome. Excellent. Go! What are you waiting for? Quite small, reservations suggested on busy nights. 345-8466
Spaghetti Works
In the heart of the Old Market and at 8531 Park Dr., Ralston. Great menu variety (mostly spaghetti, of course), great salad bar. Cheap prices.
Sgt. Peffer
1501 N. Saddle Creek 558-7717. Great food, small establishment, and very hard to find. From Dodge & Saddle Creek, go approx. 1 mile north on Saddle Creek (which becomes NW Radial HWY after 8/10 mile). Turn left on Hamilton (at QuikTrip). Turn right on Saddle Creek Road (wasn't I just on this road?). The restaurant will eventually be on the left. Another new location: 13760 Millard Avenue 932-6211
Malara's
2123 Pierce Street. Set in the middle of a neighborhood. Traditional Italian cooking at a decent price.
Lo Sole Mio
3001 S. 32 Ave. This gets all the rave reviews. Complimentary Italian bread, baked garlic, and chopped tomatoes get you started. Go hungry and you'll still go home with plenty of leftovers.
La Casa
(See Pizza)
Indian
Jaipur
10922 Elm Street (Somewhere among all the businesses at Rockbrook Village). They brew their own beer here! Excellent food.
Indian Oven
Old Market 10th & Howard. Some consider this the cream of the Indian food crop in Omaha.
The Taj
114th & Dodge (Northwest corner, near Bag N Save). Affordable, no-frills Indian cuisine. A little skimpy on the meat, but otherwise very good.
Thai
Thai Pepper
127th & Q and 114th & Dodge (1 block north of McDonald's. This is my favorite. 895-7788
Thai Spice
156th & Dodge -- and 108th & Maple (next to Bag & Save). This is my second favorite.
www.thaispiceomaha.com
Taste of Thailand
156th & West Center. Very good -- and they sell Thai purses too! --
www.totomaha.com
Sunday Brunch
Dixie Quicks
1915 Leavenworth. Sunday 9am-2pm. Seating is limited. Call 346-3549 for reservations. VERY friendly! http://www.dixiequicks.com
Radial Cafe
817 N. 40th. Cheap.
Farm House
3461 S. 84th Street.
Coffee/Cafe
Delice European Bakery
Old Market. 1206 Howard. I have enjoyed some of the wonderful desserts & coffee, but not the sandwiches yet. It should be called Delicious European Bakery. Click here.
Caffeine Dreams
Just west of Saddle Creek & Farnam.
More Ethnic
Blue Sushi Sake Grill
144th & Maple (one block south of Lowe's). This has become an extremely popular place to eat, see and be seen. Yes there is attitude, but live with it and enjoy the extremely wonderful selections of sushi & other items. (Chicken satay was not the best, however). Check out the menu: http://www.bluesushisakegrill.com/index2.cfm
LeVoltaire French
156th & Dodge. Near Hollywood Video. This French restaurant has a more country feel to it. Excellent French onion soup. Limited menu. You'll enjoy what you order. 934-9374 for reservations.
Greek Islands
38th & Center. Greek food -- duh. 346-1528. Also, Greek Islands Cafe at 175th & Center
Katie's Greek Restaurant
119 S. 40th Street. Greek food. 558-5623.
King Kong - Fast Food Greek
44th & Dodge, 13th & I-80 (near Rosenblatt Stadium) and 72nd & Q. I'd consider this fast food Greek. Cheap. Burgers too. Warning: Don't dare call it "jie-row"!
French Cafe
Old Market 1017 Howard. Excellent and very expensive. Only been here once. Loved the French onion soup. Reservations: 341-3547. www.frenchcafe.com
Kobe Japanese Steakhouse
120 Regency Parkway (Regency Square. Japanese steakhouse. They prepare the food right before your eyes. Watch out for the flames & flying shrimp! 391-1755 for reservations.
Mount Fuji Inn
72nd 7 Blondo. This has been around for years. Very authentic Japanese cuisine. Reservations: 397-5049.
Ahmad's Persian Cuisine
1006 1/2 Howard Street. Very small restaurant. Reservations highly suggested on busy nights. 341-9616
Gerda's Bakery
5180 Leavenworth. I recently re-discovered this quaint German restaurant run by a sweet motherly woman named... Gerda. Lunch is good but limited to sandwiches or one of two entrees (it was fish or beef tip ghoulash when we went on a Friday).
Bohemian Cafe - Czech
1406 South 13th Street. There's something corny about this place, but it's great! They call it Czech food. I call it German. 342-9838
Jazz Kitchen - Cajun
15th & Farnam. Technically a chain, but small enough I'll keep it on this page. ABSOLUTELY Fantastic and Festive. http://www.jazzkitchen.com
BBQ
Amarillo Texas Style BBQ
1 Mile south of Southroads Mall, Old Hwy 75 in Bellevue. By far, the best BBQ I've had in the Omaha area. Sauce & beef brisket are outstanding!
Jim's Rib Haven
38th & Ames. They have only one or two tables here. It's your clue to order take-out. Good food.
Red Zone BBQ
120th & Blondo. The draw (beef brisket, sausage, etc.) is great. Good selection of side dishes that you load up yourself. The two selections of BBQ sauces are pretty good.
Mongolian BBQ
Hu Hot
114th & Dodge (near the grocery store), 72nd & Pacific (One block north), 177th & Center, and Council Bluffs (by Menard's). By far the best selection of spices for Mongolian BBQ in Omaha. www.huhot.com
China Buffet
114th & Dodge and 144th & Maple (next to Lowe's), and Bellevue at Highway 370 & 30th Street. Chinese buffet or Mongolian BBQ.
Fast Food
Don & Millie's
Good quality hamburgers, hot dogs, and other sandwiches. Good food. 4430 Farnam , 8405 Q, 10727 West Center, 2208 Pratt Avenue in Bellevue.
Runza
A Runza is a self-contained sandwich stuffed with a hamburger/onion/spice concoction. German dish. Hamburgers & stuff too. Excellent fries. Oak View Mall, Westroads Mall, 5051 Center, 108th & Maple, 168th & Dodge, 8920 Fort, 13435 Q, 1357 NW Radial Highway, 4713 South 77 Ave., 2146 West Broadway in Council Bluffs, 132nd & Center.
Bronco's
Greasy hamburgers & fries. 4540 Leavenworth and 120th & Pacific.
King Kong
(See "More Ethnic")
