; Skip to Content

Off the Beaten Path – Ahmad’s Persian Cuisine

We’re starting one other new series at Oh My! Omaha called “Off the Beaten Path.” I asked friends, and fellow writers and bloggers to share some of their lesser known haunts, be it a park, shop or attraction.

Hope you read last week’s “My Ideal Day in Omaha” written by Tiffany. We’ll have a new “Ideal Day” next Friday.

To kick off this series, I thought I’d share one of my Off the Beaten Path favorites in Omaha: Ahmad’s Persian Cuisine. (Urbanspoon listing, Yelp listing).

The Old Market restaurant, Ahmad's Persian Cuisine, is worth a visit.

The Old Market restaurant, Ahmad’s Persian Cuisine, is worth a visit.

Located in the Old Market, it’s not hidden from the masses, but somehow, this place is never busy. It’s a shame.

The food is good, seasoned with a variety of spices but not spicy. Start the meal off with hummus, and choose from the many meat or vegetarian options. I recommend the Chicken Kabob (Jujeh Kabob) for the omnivores. Vegetarians, you have a lot of choices, none have disappointed me.

The atmosphere is calming, and Ahmad greets you with a friendly welcome. If the weather allows, there’s a small patio in front. It’s a date-night favorite of mine and Mr. Wonderful’s even if we only make it there once a year.

The pace here is slow, so please don’t go expecting your meal to fly by as it might at other restaurants. The menu prices are pretty typical for the Old Market, so yes, things are going to be more expensive. If that’s an issue, go over lunch where the prices are significantly lower (and skip alcoholic drinks). But, if you’re strapped for time, visit Ahmad’s another day.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

John

Monday 17th of November 2014

Ahmad's is great. I actually met Ahmad the week he purchased his location. At the time it was a specialty hotdog store front and went in and met Ahmad. He told me of his restaurant plans and when he opened I went to have dinner. Ahmad remembered me and greeted me as a long lost relative. He never fails to have a smile on his face and always a great meal. El Basha is very good but not the atmosphere or ambiance of Ahmad's. Very nice people and you will have a great meal. Super place for lunch.

Kim

Monday 17th of November 2014

You describe Ahmad perfectly. He is always smiling and when he greets a person - be it a customer, friend or relative - he makes the person feel so special. It's been a long time since I've been to El Basha. Thanks for the reminder of that restaurant - I should pay them a visit sometime soon!

Kim

Friday 19th of July 2013

It has been a few years since we last went to El Basha. I think we're due to visit again!

We have brought our son to Ahmad's once, and I've seen young kids hanging out there, perhaps relatives of Ahmad. If they're adventurous eaters, I think they will do fine. But having said that, most people there are adults.

Trisha

Friday 19th of July 2013

This sounds AWESOME! Have you been to El Basha? It's my FAV Med style restaurant we've found so far. We love ethnic foods so I can't wait to try this place out. Would you say it's good for kids or more for adults? I'm never totally sure at some Old Market restaurants.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.