Local’s Guide To The 15 Best Restaurants In Omaha

Omaha is a food-centric city. There are a lot of great, locally-owned restaurants producing creative dishes. And lucky for me, I was born and raised in Omaha, and now I’m raising my family here. And lucky for me, I’ve had plenty of chances to try the city’s best restaurants. 

I get asked a lot about restaurants and which ones I’d recommend, ranging from Facebook commenters planning a trip to Omaha or out-of-town relatives passing through. So, I’ve compiled my answers, just in case you were wondering the same thing.

2025 UPDATES: This post was first published in January 2018 and has been updated in February 2025 following the announcements of restaurant closures. If you see an error, please comment or email me.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking the link, I receive a small referral stipend.

My Top 15 Omaha restaurants

Picking favorite restaurants is a lot like picking a favorite movie. You can’t because it really depends on what you’re in the mood for. But, if you’re going to ask me to narrow down my list of 50 great restaurants, I’ll give it a shot.

Fun fact: Many of the restaurants below were started by graduates of the Metropolitan Community College’s Culinary program. We’re lucky they choose to stay in Omaha!

Block 16

Where: 1611 Farnam St., Omaha, Neb. (Downtown)

Best for: Lunch

Cost: $$

Block 16 is arguably the most popular casual restaurant in Omaha. There’s a reason why there’s nearly always a line at Block 16. It’s that good. I’m partial to the Croque Carcon burger, and not just because Alton Brown deemed it one of the best in the world (though, I do feel like his opinion means something). It’s messy, so grab extra napkins.

Tip: Block 16 offers online ordering, so if you’re short on time, order your meal online to go and skip the line!

Au Courant Regional Kitchen

Where: 6064 Maple St., Omaha, Neb. (Bensoin)

Best for: Dinner, Date Night

Cost: $$$$

If it’s Date Night in Benson, it probably involves Au Courant. The food is seasonal and packed with flavor in each bite. For a real splurge, order the chef’s tasting menu. It’s inventive, unexpected, and always good.

Make a reservation. There is limited seating at the bar that’s first come, first served.

The Boiler Room

Where: 1110 Jones St., Omaha, Neb. (Old Market)

Best for: Dinner, Date Night

Cost: $$$$

If you want a meal that will impress your guests, The Boiler Room is the place. I’ve been there once — to celebrate publishing my first book — just so you have an idea of the kind of occasion this place calls for. 

Chef Tim Nicholson is one of two Omaha chefs to be named 2024 James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurant (see details about the chef at Yoshitomo below). To say the dishes here are exquisitely crafted would be an understatement. And of course, the wine list is incredible. 

Saddle Creek Breakfast Club

Where: 8734 Pacific St. (Midtown)

Best for: Breakfast, Brunch

Cost: $$-$$$

SCBC is the little hip diner that could. Right out of the gate, they had a legion of fans who lined up outside their original location for brunch. After some struggles, though, and a relocation, the restaurant rebounded, and is now thriving. 

Porky Butts BBQ

Where: 15475 Ruggles St., Omaha, Neb. (West Omaha)

Good for: Dinner, groups

Cost: $$-$$$

I’d make the drive over and over again to get some barbecue from Porky Butts. They have a devoted fan base, and the reason? Award-winning barbecue. Porky Butts has been in 22 Grand Championships in nine different states, enjoy 85 Top 10 finishes, and have received multiple Kansas City Barbeque Society “Perfect – Perfect” scores in chicken, ribs, brisket and pork.

Best of all? They have great kid’s meals for a low price, as well as a pretty reasonably-priced family meal.

Finicky Frank’s

Where: 9520 Calhoun Road, Omaha, Neb. (North Omaha)

Good for: Lunch, Dinner

Cost: $$-$$$

The thing about Fincky Frank’s is that they are so sincere about sourcing local ingredients that they can go as far as tell you who the farmer is that delivered the eggs and when he collected them. It’s that local.

The burgers, incidentally, are pretty darn good though they are surprisingly left off a lot of best of lists.

Dante Pizzeria Napoletana

Where: 16901 Wright Plaza, Suite 173, Omaha, Neb. (West Omaha)

Good for: Dinner, Date Night

Cost: $$-$$$

Dante is my go-to recommendation for great Italian in West Omaha. Ingredients are as local as possible and seasonal, and portions are just right. The menu changes with the season, and my recommendation is to go with whatever the special is, if you’re adventurous. Otherwise, the pizza is always a good bet.

Dante is nice enough for a date but won’t drain your checking account.

Ahmad’s Persian Cuisine

Where: 4646 Dodge St., Omaha, Neb. (Dundee)

Good for: Dinner

Cost: $$-$$$

Ahmad is a legend in Omaha, and if you dine in-house at his Persian/Iranian restaurant, you’ll likely meet him. He’s the friendliest guy you’ll ever meet. And his food is delicious.

He’ll likely give you recommendations on what to order, and he won’t steer you wrong. I highly recommend the Jujeh Khoresht (chicken kebab).

Twisted Cork Bistro

Where: 10730 Pacific St., Suite 110, Omaha, Neb. (Regency)

Good for: Lunch, Date Night

Cost: $$-$$$

Twisted Cork is one of those not-so-showy places that quietly blows you away with its entrees. The owners are from Seattle and they bring an appreciation for Pacific Northwest dining and wines to Omaha. It’s a low-key bistro that’s perfect for a low-key date night.

Their menu has one of the best desserts I’ve tried in years: San Francisco Ghirardelli chocolate truffle cookie with ice cream. It sounds simple enough, but don’t be fooled. It’s divine. Our server brought one out for my husband’s birthday and I had to restrain myself from stealing the last bite.

Note: They own another favorite of mine, Pacific Eating House.

Yoshitomo

Where: 6011 Maple St., Omaha, Neb. (Dundee)

Good for: Dinner

Cost: $$$-$$$$

If you’re in the mood for sushi, there’s a city-wide debate on who does it best. Yoshitomo in the Benson neighborhood is one of the best, though. Chef David Utterback is a 2024 James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurant.

The upscale Japanese restaurant gets creative with its dishes, so if you don’t know what to order, go with the tasting menu. For the ultimate experience, the restaurant also houses Ota, described on their website as “a private counter serving omakase-style sushi. A multi-course experience meticulously curated and previously only available in the great sushi cities of the world.”

Note: The owner of Yoshitomo opened another sushi restaurant, Koji, in 2022 in Countryside Village. 

M’s Pub

Where: 422 S. 11th St., Omaha, Neb. (Old Market)

Good for: Lunch, Date Night

Cost: $$$-$$$$

M’s Pub is an Old Market establishment that’s been around for decades. It came close to closing for good following a devastating fire in 2016, but it returned and is as good as ever.

M’s is fine casual dining for lunch and a charming date night spot without being too stuffy. You don’t have to have a reservation, but I’d recommend it.

Tip: Get the lavash if you can’t decide on what to order.

Salween Thai Restaurant

Where: 1102 NW Radial Highway, Omaha, Neb. (OG location); 7425 Pacific St., Omaha, Neb.; 14450 Eagle Run Drive, Omaha, Neb.; 6553 Ames Ave., Omaha, Neb.; 9939 Redick Circle, Omaha, Neb.

Good for: Lunch, Dinner

Cost: $-$$

Now with four locations, it’s easier than ever to get the best Thai food in Omaha. My notoriously picky kids will not complain here. Try not to overstate your spice level tolerance because they do go big here. They use a 1-10 spice level guide.

The popular noodle dish Pad Thai is always a great choice if you’re new to trying Thai food. I get chicken with it when I order from Salween.

Umami

Where: 1504 Galvin Road S, Bellevue, Neb. (Bellevue)

Good for: Lunch, Dinner

Cost: $$-$$$

The Omaha metro lucked out when Chef Keen Zheng relocated to Nebraska. He’s worked with renowned chefs in two separate Michelin-starred sushi restaurants. And once he moved to the state, Zheng created Umami, an unpretentious sushi spot that serves incredibly special rolls.

The non-descript location is a bit out of the way compared to other restaurants on this list, but trust me on the food is worth the trip.

Stella’s Bar & Grill

Where: 106 Galvin Road S, Bellevue, Neb. (Bellevue)

Good for: Lunch, Dinner

Cost: $-$$

In the battle of best burgers, I’d be remiss not to mention Stella’s, a Bellevue favorite for many years. Stella’s has been serving up a hamburger for every appetite since 1936. They’ve garnered awards locally and state-wide, including Nebraska’s Best Burger by the Nebraska Beef Council. The restaurant is known for their legendary Stellanator, consisting of six patties and a heap of other toppings.

Tip: The restaurant is on the small side, so you may have a bit of a wait for a table. You’ll be glad you waited, though. 

Pitch

Where: 5021 Underwood Ave., Omaha, Neb. (Dundee) and 17808 Burke St., Omaha, Neb. (West Omaha)

Good for: Dinner, Brunch

Cost: $$-$$$

It’s funny that Pitch is known for its pizzas and homemade pastas, and for me, the most memorable dishes have been brunch and a superb brussel sprouts appetizer. Let’s just say Pitch does a lot well, even brunch.

How others rank Omaha restaurants

Food is subjective, and my favorite restaurants may not be on the radar of others. And vice versa. So, it’s understandable if you want others’ takes on the best Omaha restaurants. So, here are some other “best of” lists for you, each based on online reviews or online voting:

Open Table

1. Fleming’s Steakhouse
2. Sullivan’s Steakhouse
3. Blue Sushi Sake Grill – Old Market
4. Memoir
5. Clio

Trip Advisor

1. Kobe Steakhouse of Japan
2. P.F. Chang’s
3. Block 16
4. M’s Pub
5. Plank Provisions

Yelp

1. Clio
2. Memoir
3. Ooh De Lally
4. Kitchen Table
5. Everett’s

Omaha Magazine – Best of Omaha 2024

There are a lot of categories in the Best of Omaha awards, so here are just a sampling of the winners:

• American Dining: Jams
• Barbecue: Porky Butts
• Brick Oven Pizza: Dante
• Chinese Dining: Dragon Wok / Dragon Wok Express
• Italian Dining: Spezia
• Locally Sourced Dining: Gather
• Romantic Restaurant: V. Mertz
• Sunday Brunch: Le Peep
• Wait Staff & Service: Mahogany Prime Steakhouse

Omaha Metropolitan Area Tourism Awards 2024

• Runners-up (Pottawattamie County): The Buck Snort Neola and Minden Bowl Cafe
• Best Restaurant (Douglas County): Greek Islands Restaurant
• Best Restaurant (Sarpy County): Sweet Rice Thai Food Express
• Best Restaurant (Pottawattamie County): Pizza King
• Runners-up (Douglas County): Yoshitomo and V. Mertz
• Runners-up (Sarpy County): Good Life Sports Bar & Grill-Gretna and Luigi’s Italian Restaurant

The dishes that makes Omaha great

Sometimes you crave something and it doesn’t matter which side of Omaha the restaurant is located. For those craving something specific, here are my suggestions for the best of the best:

UPDATED: This post was first published in January 2018 and was updated February 2025 to reflect closings and address changes.