I’m a big fan of Omaha restaurants, but did you know Guy Fieri is, as well? The host of “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives” has been to Omaha more than once to feature restaurants in area. And he’s not the only one! Thanks to several national television shows, a selection of Omaha’s restaurants have found themselves basking in the national spotlight with foodies eager to taste the now-famous dishes for themselves.
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There’s no doubt that in recent years, food shows have grown in popularity. Whenever a restaurant is featured, a bump in traffic follows. Everyone wants to try the specialties that were featured. Omaha restaurants have experienced this phenomenon. Television series highlighted in this post include the popular “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” and its very recognizable host, Guy Fieri; “Man vs. Food Nation” and host Adam Richman; “Cheap Eats”; “Cupcake Wars”; “Chopped”; “Spring Baking Championship”; and “Eat Play Stay.”
Here’s your exclusive guide to the eateries that have captured the hearts (and stomachs!) of viewers nationwide.
Omaha restaurants in the TV spotlight
The following restaurants, food trucks and eateries have been featured on television shows.
- Alpine Inn was featured on “Eat Stay Play” in 2022. The travel show highlighted the eatery’s fried chicken and potato wedges, and obviously, the raccoons were mentioned. Yes, the raccoons. These critters gather in front of large picture windows to dine on discarded chicken bones while diners watch from inside the restaurant. 10405 Calhoun Road, Omaha
- Bailey’s Breakfast & Lunch is a pretty standard brunch spot with delicious food served in pretty typical portions. Except for one item on their menu: The Porkasaurus. And it’s that dish that drew the Travel Channel’s show, “Man vs. Food” to the restaurant. The episode featuring the dish aired in August 2019. And if you’re curious, the Porkasaurus consists of all sorts of pool products (bacon, sausage patty, sausage link, ham steak, Canadian bacon, and Andouille sausage) served on a base of red potatoes and cheese, plus three eggs, a biscuit and toast. And a side of gravy. 1259 S. 120th St., Omaha
- Big Mama’s Kitchen and its ultimate comfort food have been featured more than once on television shows. Most recently, they were highlighted on the travel show “Eat Stay Play” in 2022. This was filmed at their new location inside the Highlander Accelerator. The Cooking Channel’s “Man v. Food” also featured the restaurants on an August 2019. “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” highlighted the restaurant at their former location. That DDD episode aired in October 2008. 2112 N. 30th St., Suite 201, Omaha
- Blackstone Meatball had only been open for about a year when it was featured on the Cooking Channel’s “Cheap Eats” in February 2017. The featured meatball was the veggie meatballs with spicy pork ragu. 3910 Harney St., Omaha (original location) and 18101 Chicago St., Omaha
- California Tacos & More served up their signature deep fried taco to Fieri on an episode of “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” that aired on March 23, 2009. He had carne asada in his puffy shell taco. 3235 California St., Omaha
- Like Blackstone Meatball, Coneflower Creamery hadn’t been open for too long before they were featured on the same episode of “Cheap Eats” in February 2017. In fact, they had only been open for less than six months. The ice cream shop’s signature flavor, Blackstone Butter Brickle on a waffle cone, was featured. 3921 Farnam St., Omaha (original location) and 1241 Millwork Ave., Omaha
- Crescent Moon Ale House has been featured on TV a few times. When “Man vs. Food” filmed at the bar and grill, the host enjoyed the famed reuben sandwich. The episode aired in August 2019. Crescent Moon and its reuben were also featured on “Cheap Eats” (as a part of that February 2017 Omaha episode). Why is the reuben repeatedly featured? Read all about the reuben sandwich’s connection to Omaha. 3578 Farnam St., Omaha
- Dirty Birds got their moment on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” in an episode airing in 2023. A lot of their Southern-influenced foods are featured, including their popular spicy chicken sandwich. The episode also mentioned the chicken tenders with blackberry brie pancakes, biscuits & gravy, deviled eggs, blue corn hush puppies, catfish tacos, and fried pickles. You can watch a clip of the episode here. 1722 St. Mary Ave., Omaha
- Host Adam Richman visited The Drover and tried its popular 16-ounce bone-in ribeye whiskey steak on an episode of “Man vs. Food Nation” that aired in October 2011. 2121S. 73rd St., Omaha
- The ever-changing theme cafe Edge of the Universe was featured in an episode “Eat Stay Play” in 2022. It’s a fun hang-out in the daytime (for those coffee drinkers) and nighttime, when you may want something a little more boozy. 6070 Maple St., Omaha
- Fizzy’s Fountain and Liquor was also featured on the 2022 episode of “Eat Stay Play.” The 21-and-older restaurant serves up amazing boozy shakes, cocktails, and retro late night food. I asked the owners, Katie and Noah Mock, what they thought of the experience and they said: “It was certainly an honor to be included on ‘Eat Play Stay.’ The actual filming of the segment was a fun experience and we loved the production team!” 1408 S. 13th St., Omaha
- Gorat’s Steakhouse was featured on CNBC in May 2019, in a story that compared the steakhouse to the billionaire Warren Buffett. Little tidbit in the story included: “More ambitious diners can opt for the 22-ounce Omaha T-bone steak, Buffett’s personal favorite.” Gorat’s was also featured on “Steak Out With Kix Brooks.” In addition to being frequented by Buffett, Gorat’s is also one of Omaha’s longest-running restaurants. 4917 Center St., Omaha
- Izzy’s Pizza Bus was featured on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” in September 2023. On the episode, featured pizzas included Miss Mona Pizza and Red Harvest Pizza. “It was an amazing experience!,” said Cherish Geiger, who owns Izzy’s with her husband, Brett. “We are so grateful to our customers for recommending us to the show. Guy and his crew were amazing and fun to work with.” Fun side note: I went to high school with Cherish. It’s been exciting to watch the business grow such a huge fan base! Found at Trucks & Taps, 5402 S. 108th St., Omaha
- Guy Fieri’s visit to Kitchen Table for “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” aired in October 2023. The eatery serves up scratch-made food for breakfast and lunch. Some of the favorites mentioned were their Whole Bird Sandwich, french toast, meatloaf sandwich, PB&J brioche, and the quinoa bowl. 1415 Farnam St., Omaha
- Starsky’s Bar & Grill threw down a challenge for the “Man vs. Food Nation” host in an Oct. 26, 2011 episode. He had to tackle the 5-pound pig wing challenge. The challenge isn’t just to eat the wings; there is also 3 pounds of corn nuggets to eat. Watch the video. 7812 F St., Omaha
- WD Cravings was featured on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” in Oct. 13, 2023. The episode’s theme was “From chicken to noodles.” The restaurant started out as a pastry stand at the Omaha Farmer’s Market and then chefs Wendy Delgado (WD) and Piero Cotrina opened up the eatery in 2020. Entrees mentioned include beef bolognese, cheese wheel pasta, cold brew with hazelnut, pesto chicken, fried chicken sandwich, chicken breakfast sandwiches, and the brisket bowl. Sweet stuff mentioned included the chocolate-dipped banana bread and caramel muffins. 7110 N. 102nd Circle, Omaha
Sometimes it’s not the restaurant that’s in the spotlight, it’s the chef or owner of one. A couple Omaha bakeries fit this category. When Bill Jones won “Cupcake Wars,” the eatery Jones Bros. Cupcakes was catapulted to an Omaha destination. They’d come so close the first time they competed, and were victorious on the second attempt. The winning episode of “Cupcake Wars” aired in April 2012. 2121 S. 67th St., Omaha (original location) and a second location in Westroads Mall, 10000 California St., Omaha
Michelle Kaiser, former owner of The Omaha Bakery, competed on the fourth season of Food Network’s “Spring Baking Championship” in March 2018. She was a finalist on the show. 10503 S. 15th St., Suite 109, Bellevue, Neb. and 725 N. 210th St., Elkhorn, Neb.