Omaha's Oldest Restaurants You Need To Try Today

Located in Little Italy, Orsi's Italian Bakery & Pizzeria is Omaha’s oldest restaurant, opening its doors as a bakery in 1919. Adding Sicilian-style pizza to the menu in the 1950s, Orsi’s became known for its rectangular pies. The deli, bakery, and pizzeria at 621 Pacific St. was a four-generation family restaurant before family friend Jim Hall took over in 2010.

While they bake amazing bread and rolls, the pizza and its special sauce are popular with Omahans. With limited seating, plan to order your pizza to go. It can be ordered in quarter (six slices), half (12 slices) and full size (24 slices). You may want to try the goudarooni, a double-crusted pizza.

Orsi’s is open 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays (closed Monday and certain holidays) and 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Steakhouses in Omaha were once commonplace. Many places bought their beef straight from the Omaha Stockyards, which was once the world’s largest. Practically located next door, Johnny’s Café started as a bar in 1922 before Prohibition outlawed alcohol consumption around the country.

As the stockyards continued to grow, Johnny’s Café sought to be the place where business people met during the day and evening for deals and farmers enjoyed breakfast after delivering their cattle and hogs to market.

Today, Johnny’s Café is operated by Frank Kawa’s granddaughters. The South Omaha restaurant, 4702 S. 27th St., is known as much for its décor as its culinary history. With a unique design, such as a steer head design in the carpet bordered by the letter J, Johnny’s Café invites you to explore its décor.

With a menu featuring fresh steaks, chicken and fish, Johnny’s Café is open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday and 5 to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday (closed Sunday).

Louis and Nettie Gorat opened a steakhouse in 1944 in a then-rural part of Omaha. Today, Gorat’s is best known as the favorite dining spot for billionaire Warren Buffett. He even has his own room to entertain celebrity guests.

The Gorat family owned the restaurant at 4917 Center St. until 2012 when restaurateur Gene Dunn bought it. Sticking with the classic Italian-style steakhouse philosophy, diners enjoy a side of pasta with their steak dinners.

Gorat’s is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday.

Open since 1942, NiteHawkes Café features breakfast and lunch. A fourth-generation-owned restaurant, NiteHawkes’ menu isn’t for the meek. With large portions, such as the Scrambler, just try to go home hungry. The gravy really makes the dish at NiteHawkes.

Located at 4825 N. 16th St., NiteHawkes Café is family-friendly, with basic décor. The exterior isn’t much to write home about, either It is more spacious than you’d think, though.

The restaurant is open 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. There's a kid's menu and the prices are incredibly low.

Who hasn’t enjoyed a Bronco Burger at Omaha’s original drive-in? Bill Barnes opened the first restaurant near 30th and Fort in 1959. With two locations - at 4510 Leavenworth and west Omaha at 1123 S. 120th St. - Bronco’s continues to offer a similar menu today as it did in the early days.

With Bill’s son Steve and grandson Blake managing the chain, Bronco’s entertains diners with a western décor and still plays early Rock-and-Roll music as longtime patrons enjoy classic burgers and hand-cut French fries.

Bronco’s is open 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

Photo credit: Odyssey Through Nebraska

Don’t let the bar part of Dinker’s discourage you from visiting. Home to one of the best spots in Omaha to enjoy a burger, Dinker’s Bar & Grill opened as a bar in 1965.

In the heart of Sheelytown, a melting pot of South Omaha eastern European immigrants, founder Frank Synowiecki, aka Dinker, added a hot plate to cook breakfast for patrons hungry after their overnight shifts at local factories. After adding a kitchen, a local newspaper columnist wrote that Dinker’s had the best “bar burgers” in town. Dinker added “Omaha’s Best Burgers” to the outdoor sign and a tradition was born. Dinker’s annually ranks among the best burgers in Omaha during citywide competitions.

Located at 2368 S. 29th St., Dinker’s is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday.