BEST OF OMAHA RESTAURANTS: 2023 EDITION

I’ve had some amazing food experiences in Omaha over the years, but 2023 might’ve been the best one yet. There were so many meals, dishes, and experiences that were truly special, and I want to share them with you to inspire you as you plan your eating in 2024.

This is my fourth annual “Best of Omaha” blog; the 2020, 2021, and 2022 versions make for fun re-reads. My goal is to highlight the best Omaha restaurant experiences I had to give you a plan of attack for 2024.

Best Meal: The Portico

Choosing one meal was painful, as any of my runner-ups easily could’ve taken this category. But The Portico not only delivered a fantastic meal, but an overall experience unlike any I’ve had before.

This is a private dinner for 4-8 people hosted inside the cozy screened-in patio of Kevin Shinn, the former chef of bread & cup in Lincoln. Over the course of 4-5 hours, Kevin serves a bevy of courses (our meal included 12) that vary meal to meal, all depending on what Kevin’s inspired by and what produce is in season.

The food is rustic, yet refined and elegant. For example, Kevin served us a loaf of maybe the best sourdough I’ve ever had, but didn’t give us knives; we had to rip it apart with our hands while he made a homemade pesto tableside. His version of elote is one of the best corn dishes I’ve ever tasted, and the peach cobbler was so fantastic even grandma would have to admit it’s better than hers.

The meal is just so relaxing that time feels like it moves at a different speed in Kevin’s backyard. You only move to the next course when you’re ready, and Kevin is happy to converse throughout the night. To call this a meal is selling it short; The Portico is an event.

Honorable mention: Restaurant Hoppen dinner at Semo Pasta + Wine; tasting menu at The Boiler Room; Chef’s Home Table at Kinaara; tasting menu at Casa Bovina

Best Dish: Rib Cap (Casa Bovina)

This was the best steak I’ve ever had. I mean, just look at that photo. That should be hanging in an art gallery somewhere. It was so beautiful I almost felt bad eating it.

It should come as no surprise that Casa Bovina nails its proteins every time, as it’s the crown jewel of Certified Piedmontese’s campus. This Rib Cap was buttery tender and seasoned to perfection. It was accented by a creamy savory financier, firm yet supple asparagus, and a delightful borscht jus that added a sweet, tangy punch to each bite.

Honorable mention: Caribe Mixto Mofongo (Elie’s Chinchorro); Poutine Burrito (Block 16); Brisket (Mission Ave BBQ); Thali (Kinaara); Beef Rib (Porky Butts BBQ)

Best New Restaurant: Semo Pasta + Wine

Few Omaha chefs have a love for pasta like chef Drew Statz, and that comes through in his dishes at Semo Pasta +Wine. Every noodle is crafted to perfection, cooked to a perfect al dente, and paired with smart sauces, cheeses, and seasonal vegetables to create a cohesive dish.

The pasta is the star, but Semo also excels at proteins such as steaks, seafood, and blood sausage (don’t knock it until you’ve tried it here!). Semo’s intense focus on seasonal, hyperlocal ingredients and caring hospitality, along with its delicious food, make it well worth making the drive to Fremont for.

Honorable mention: Mission Ave BBQ; Salted Edge; Mootz; Lemon Tree Cafe; Lyle’s Pizzeria; Gyro Kings

Best Burger: Nomadic Jack Burger (Nomadic Jack's)

Nomadic Jack‘s signature smash burger may seem simple, but its balance is genius. It starts with two patties that are hard-pressed onto the flattop, creating additional surface area for crispy texture and a toasted caramelization. The patties are adorned with slices of melted American cheese and loaded into a brioche bun with thick slabs of bacon.

But just when this meat mountain threatens to be too salty and rich, grilled onions, house pickles, and Jack’s signature mustard (which is good enough to drink by the gallon) arrive to provide tang and sweetness and give the burger balance. It’s absolutely no surprise this masterpiece won the 2023 Omaha Burger Battle.

Honorable mention: Dry-Aged Prime Edge Burger (Salted Edge); SD Burger (Kamp); Bacon Cheeseburger (Dinker’s Bar & Grill); Bacon Cheeseburger (Stella’s)

Related: Best Burgers in Omaha

Best Sandwich: Cubano (Aviles Latin Market)

The Cubano is, in my opinion, the ultimate sandwich, and in late 2023 I set out to find the best one in Omaha. I several standout versions, but none quite matched the majesty of the offering at Aviles Latin Market.

The juicy, rich carnitas are some of the best I’ve ever tasted, and Aviles finishes them on the flattop to give them a nice crispy texture. The telera roll is pressed perfectly to give the sandwich a crusty shell. The Swiss cheese is melted perfectly, and the mustard aioli brings both creaminess and tang.

Honorable mention: The Jimbo (Virtuoso Pizzeria); BLT (Kitchen Table); Lobster Roll (Block 16); Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich (Sauced by Alfaro); Porchetta Sandwich (Rotisserie Urban Bistro); Gyro (Zaytuna)

Related: Best Sandwiches in Omaha

Best Pizza: Honeypeno (Izzy's Pizza Bus)

Any pizza from Izzy’s Pizza Bus could make this list because they all start with the same brilliant base: a chewy, airy, focaccia-like dough topped with a boatload of brick cheese blend that caramelizes along the edge of the pizza to create a cheese crown. The outer bites, with their added texture and sweetness from the almost-fried cheese, are heaven.

This offering in particular stands out for how it balances salt, sweetness, and heat. Pepperoni cups curl into delicious mini grease bowls, jalapenos add a touch of spice, and a liberal slathering of Mike’s Hot Honey brings just the right amount of sugar.

Honorable mention: Margherita Pizza (Dante); Margherita Pizza (Mootz); Sausage & Burrata (Salted Edge); Pepperoni Pizza (Lyle’s Pizzeria); Umami Bomb (The Pie Fairy)

Related: Best Pizzas in Omaha

Best Pasta Dish: Polenta-Stuffed Casoncelli (The Boiler Room)

The menu at The Boiler Room changes frequently, so the odds that you’ll find this exact dish on your visit are slim. But given this restaurant’s overall excellence and dedication to handmade pasta, you can be assured any noodle dish you get here will be tremendous.

But this one, part of a tasting menu, stands out in particular. The casoncelli were bite-sized pasta presents, perfectly tender and stuffed with polenta that erupted forth its creamy, cheesy goodness with each bite. The rich, deep broth was accented with just a hit of Nashville hot sauce, giving it a pleasant kick.

Honorable mention: Braised Oxtail & Potato Gnocchi (Dante); Agnolotti (Stirnella); Fusilli + Bison Ragu (Semo Pasta + Wine); Bolo (Koji); Bison Bolognese (Salted Edge)

Best Breakfast: Cali Club (Saddle Creek Breakfast Club)

Breakfast sandwiches are one of my love languages. And no matter how many great Omaha breakfast sandwiches I try, every time I have the Cali Club at Saddle Creek Breakfast Club, I’m reminded this sandwich is just on a higher plane.

It all starts with the flaky croissant that practically oozes butter. Throw in some crispy bacon, creamy avocado, smoked American cheese, chipotle cream cheese, and a beautifully cooked over easy egg that lovingly shares its creamy yolk with every ounce of the sandwich and you have one heck of a meal.

It’s rich. It’s decadent. It’s brilliant.

Honorable mention: Churro French Toast (Good Lookin’); Chili Crisp Egg Biscuit Sandwich (Kitchen Table); Bacon, Egg & Cheese (Fig.); Bacon, Ham, & Cheddar Pancakes (Lemon Tree Cafe)

Best Appetizer: Mozzarella Pesto Roll (Lyle's Pizzeria)

Lyle’s Pizzeria is best known for its pizza, and for good reason. But if you visit this wonderful Dundee newcomer and don’t share a Mozzarella Pesto Roll with the table, you’ve done something seriously wrong.

This might sound weird, but it’s like a savory cinnamon roll. The dough is soft and flaky, and rather than pack each layer with sugar and cinnamon, Lyle’s laces them with a truckload of nutty, delicious parmesan cheese. The exterior is glazed with herb butter, slathered in a tremendous pesto, and covered with a blizzard’s worth of shaved parmesan.

Honorable mention: Bread Board (Salted Edge); Blue Crab Poppers (Dundee Dell); Crispy Cauliflower (Sauced by Alfaro); Crab Rangoon Nachos (Nice Rollz); Birria Poblanita Fries (La Poblanita); Smoked Peach Baked Beans (Willie Dogs)

Best Dessert: Sarah's Chocolate Dream Cake (Buttered Marshmallow)

Full disclosure: this cake was created for and named after my wife, so color me biased if you like. But I believe one bite of this Buttered Marshmallow masterpiece will convince you it’s well worth this accolade.

The crumb itself is perfect, moist and tender with just the right amount of crumble. It’s rich and has both bitter and sweet notes from the dark chocolate, and it’s studded with whole chocolate chips that add great texture. There’s a creamy Ghirardelli chocolate ganache resting between each layer, and the entire cake is cover in a silky smooth chocolate buttercream that’s so light it threatens to float off the cake.

Honorable mention: Creme Brulee Cake (crumb coat & chill); Chocolate Ganache Fried Donut (Salted Edge); Milk & Cookies Pie Pie (The Pie Fairy); Butterscotch Budino (Dante); Blackstone Butterbrickle Ice Cream (Coneflower Creamery)

Best Food Discovery: NY-Style Gyros (Gyro Kings)

To most Omahans, a gyro brings to mind the traditional Greek version: a pita stuffed with beef/lamb meat, tzatziki sauce, onions, and tomatoes. But in the 1990s, a new style of gyro emerged in New York, and Gyro Kings has brought those incredible flavors to Omaha.

Though Gyro Kings serves sandwiches in a pita, its preferred offering is a platter that starts with tender, turmeric-accented rice. Out goes the tzatziki; in comes a very generous drizzle of the restaurant’s two creamy house sauces: a garlic-forward white and a spicy sauce that has just a touch of heat. The gyro meat is finished on the flattop to add a nice crisp, and the chicken is very juicy and flavorful. I adore a traditional gyro, but this new take is something special.

Honorable mention: Flocktarts (The Baking Flamingos); OCookieOs; Korean Corn Dogs (Nice Rollz)

Greatest Loss: Stirnella

My wife and I have had so many memorable meals at Stirnella that, when it announced it was closing, I literally gasped. The Blackstone District has grown so much in the last decade, but Stirnella was one of the OGs that help establish it. Imagining the area without it just isn’t right.

Matt Moser is an incredibly talented chef, and I’ll never forget this restaurant’s wonderful pastas, sandwiches, and the simple but stupidly delicious Gooey Butter Bar. This was a fun, lively restaurant that helped establish Blackstone as a hip locale. I know I’ll remember it as long as I live.

Honorable mention: Phyl’s Deli; Rougamo & Boba; Over Easy; Cupcake Island