Omaha Restaurants
By: Ryan Renner, Realtor
I have helped many families moving to Omaha. Contact me if you have any questions about the Omaha area or need help buying a home.
Omaha has a very active (and respected) food scene. You may get overwhelmed with all the options if you’ve never been here.
Everyone’s taste buds are different. This list isn’t meant to be a comprehensive list of the “best” restaurants in Omaha. Look at it more as a “beginner’s guide” to eating in Omaha.
I’ve eaten at all these restaurants unless noted.
Where are the best restaurants?
This might get me in a little bit of trouble.
If you are looking for a local restaurant with a unique dining experience and good food, you should probably look for something east of 72nd Street. Don’t get me wrong. There are great, local restaurants west of 72nd but not as many. There are a lot more chain restaurants in west Omaha.
I wanted to test my theory a bit so I looked at TripAdvisors top 10 restaurants in Omaha (a list I don’t agree with) and 9 out of 10 restaurants were east of 72nd Street.
Downtown, Dundee, Benson, and Blackstone are all vibrant neighborhoods with great local restaurants. If you are visiting and don’t know what to eat, just pick one of those neighborhoods, walk around, and stop into a place that sounds good to you.
And new restaurants are popping up all the time.
Now that I’ve offended everyone west of 72nd Street, let’s take a look at some specific categories of restaurants.
Steakhouse
New York City is known for pizza. Texas has barbecue. Omaha is known for steak. Ask ten people where the best steakhouse is and you will probably get 5 different answers.
I created a page dedicated to the best steakhouses in Omaha.
Below, is a quick summary.
The Drover – This is my favorite steakhouse. It’s known for its whiskey filet. I won’t say it’s the BEST steak in town, but when you add in the atmosphere and iceberg lettuce salad bar, it takes the top spot.
Other popular steakhouses include Brother Sebastian’s (rated the best steakhouse by our local newspaper – I don’t agree), Omaha Prime (for more of a fine-dining steakhouse experience),
If you are interested in an “old-school” steakhouse experience, you may want to make a trip to Gorat’s (famous for being Warren Buffet’s favorite place), Cascio’s, or Johnny’s Cafe.
If you love prime rib, give The Pink Poodle in Crescent, IA a chance.
Mahogany, Flemings, and 801 Chophouse are very good chain restaurants worth a try (but after you visit a locally owned steakhouse)
If you ask some people about their favorite steak in Omaha, they will say the one that comes off the grill in their backyard. You can buy a great cut of meat at most grocery stores in Omaha. After you’ve moved here and settled in, give it a shot (and if you start with a great cut of meat, the only seasoning you need is salt and pepper).
If you want to hear some other opinions, check out some Reddit posts about Omaha steakhouses.
Fast Food
Omaha has almost all the major fast-food chains.
Below are a few of the local fast-food chains you may have never heard of.
Runza – Known for the “Runza” sandwich. A “Runza® Sandwich features fresh-baked bread stuffed with ground beef, onions, our secret blend of spices, and yes, cabbage.” I really like Runza and the fries are really good as well.
Another thing Runza is known for is its “Temperature Tuesday” promotion. Every Tuesday in January and February, the temperature at 6 a.m. is the price you’ll pay for an Original Runza® Sandwich when you buy medium fries and a drink.
Don & Millies – If you are looking for a greasy (in a good way) fast-food burger, then check out Don & Millies.
My go-to meal is the Double Don (#3). If you want to try something different, order a Cheese Frenchee. It’s basically a grilled cheese sandwich that has been coated in batter and deep-fried. It’s delicious.
My wife says they have the best fast-food ranch in town. I should mention that ranch dressing is a thing in Nebraska. It’s a whole separate food group. People dip everything in ranch dressing.
Pepperjax Grill – This place specializes in Philly Cheesesteaks.
Romantic / Fine Dining
If you are looking for a romantic night out, here are a few of my favorites.
- Le Bouillon (Downtown)
- Boiler Room (Downtown)
- Au Courant (Benson)
- Avoli Osteria (Dundee)
- Le Voltaire (West Omaha)
If you are looking for fine dining options, any of the places above could qualify. I would call the list above more upscale than fine dining.
If you are looking for a true fine dining experience, Omaha doesn’t have a ton of options. The one place that stands out is in the Old Market in the Passageway.
- V. Mertz (Downtown)
Seafood
Unfortunately, Omaha doesn’t have many great seafood restaurants but here are two that stand out.
Shucks Fish House & Oyster Bar (3 Locations)
The Shucks location near 120th and Pacific has a seafood market attached so if you are looking for really fresh to cook yourself, it’s a great option.
Plank Seafood & Provisions (Downtown – Old Market)
Sushi
It might sound crazy, but Omaha has some amazing sushi restaurants. Here are two of the best.
Yoshitomo (Benson) and Koji (Westside) are two amazing restaurants created by James Beard-nominated chef David Utterback. The Washington Post called Koji one of the best sushi restaurants in America.
If you are feeling adventurous (and want to spend some money), check out another restaurant by Chef Utterback. It’s called Ota. Tickets open each month and sell quickly. The price is $265 per ticket. There is no menu. You are at the mercy of the chef, and you get to experience a 2.5 to 3-hour culinary adventure (or so I’ve heard because I haven’t been yet).
Umami (Bellevue) – My wife loves sushi and loves this place. It’s laid back and unpretentious – partly because it’s located in an old Godfather’s Pizza.
But, don’t let that fool you. The food is amazing. The chef spent 13 years learning from New York City’s greatest sushi chefs including working at one of only 10 Michelin-starred sushi restaurants in the United States.
The menu is filled with a variety of enticing roll options, making it a bit of a challenge to choose just one
Blue Sushi – You don’t go here because it has the best sushi. You go here because it’s a great dining experience. There are two locations in the Omaha area. But try the Old Market location. If you go with a group, consider dining upstairs. Blue Sushi is also really popular for happy hour.
Decent Food / Good Atmosphere
M’s Pub is an institution downtown. It suffered a devastating fire back in 2016. It has reopened and is a very popular spot with good food.
Jams (they have two locations), Pitch (Dundee & West Omaha)
El Basha (Midtown) – Mediterranean
Thai – Salween Thai (a little bit of a dive)
Kinarra – Indian restaurant with lots of vegan options.
Jaipur – Really good Indian food. And don’t forget to try the jalapeno beer.
Porky Butts BBQ (West Omaha) – BBQ is one of my favorite foods. Unfortunately, I’ve never been that impressed with BBQ in Omaha. This place opened a couple of years ago and is the best BBQ I’ve had in Omaha. And the fries are delicious too.
A Few More Options
Oscar’s Pizza & Sports Grille (West Omaha)
If you are in the mood for chicken wings, try this place. Since I’m not a wing guy, I’m recommending it based on people I know who love it.
I compiled a list of posts on Reddit about Omaha restaurants.
If you are dining out with your family, here is a list of restaurants in Omaha where kids eat free.