BEST OF OMAHA RESTAURANTS: 2024 EDITION
The end of the year is a great time to look back and be thankful for everything you experienced in the previous 12 months. And when it comes to my experiences at Omaha restaurants in 2024, there’s a lot to be grateful for. I wanted to share the best of the best with you to inspire your 2025 Omaha restaurant road map.
Previous “Best of Omaha” lists: 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023. I hope these lists help you plan the awesome restaurants you’ll visit in Omaha in 2025!
Best Meal: Omakase (Ota; Yoshitomo)
18-20 courses of sushi served over a 2.5-hour meal, all crafted by a James Beard finalist chef right in front of you. If that doesn’t sound like nirvana, I don’t know what to tell you.
Any meal at Yoshitomo is spectacular, showcasing some of the best sushi you’ll find in America (I firmly believe that). But getting a reservation to Ota, Yoshitomo’s omakase table, will change the way you see food. You can read my full thoughts here, but I’ll sum it up like this: this wasn’t just the best meal of 2024 for me; it was one of the best meals of my life.
Honorable mention: Tacomakase at Block 16; Redemption Dinner (Ooh De Lally); Steak Flight (The Committee Chophouse)
Best Dish: Ricotta Agnolloti (The Boiler Room)
The Boiler Room isn’t specifically a pasta restaurant, but few in Omaha do it better, as this dish perfectly exemplified. These supple pasta pockets erupted with creamy ricotta, and the roasted tomato sauce added a creamy, tangy companion. You’d better believe I sopped up every last drop of the sauce with the house sourdough.
The Boiler Room’s menu rotates frequently, so you might not be able to get this exact dish when you visit. But there will always be some version of pasta on the menu, and I can guarantee it’s worth ordering.
Honorable mention: Aburi Wagyu (Yoshitomo); Nashville Hot Chicken Waffle Sandwich (Sauced by Alfaro); Reuben (Orleans Room); Gyro Platter (Gyro Kings); Chicken Kebab (Clio); Chicken Roulade (Cattle Call)
Best New Restaurant: Ooh De Lally
A lot of restaurants try to elevate comfort food, but none in Omaha do it like Ooh De Lally. From the creamy, luscious Mark’s Signature Mac & Cheeese with its signature 4-cheese blend to the hearty Smoked Chicken Lasagna and irresistible Short Rib Fries, everything on the menu takes a familiar item and makes a few twists to take it to the next level. And don’t get me started on the Lobster Roll, with its tender, sweet meat and nutty brown butter finish; it’s one of the best sandwiches in Omaha (in my book).
Plus, Ooh De Lally partners with Metro CC’s 180 Re-Entry Assistance Program to help formerly incarcerated individuals get the jobs and training to successfully reenter society, giving his restaurant a noble mission alongside its fantastic food.
Honorable mention: Clio; Memoir; Cattle Call; Boho Supper Club
Best Burger: Spicy Bulgogi Burger (Nice Rollz)
For all the great burgers Omaha has to offer, none have anywhere near the unique profile of the elusive Spicy Bulgogi Burger from Nice Rollz, the Korean/Chinese restaurant inside the Kamp Food Hall. The burger is only available one or two nights a month, but it’s worth following Kamp on IG to stay up to date its availability and rearrange your calendar for when it becomes available.
Honorable mention: Double Smash Burger (J’s Smokehouse); Aksarben (Sully’s GastroBurgers & Fries); The Lancer (Hyde’s Slydes Burgers & Fries); Good Groceries (Nocturnal Eats)
Related: Best Burgers in Omaha
Best Sandwich: Blackstone Reuben (The Cottonwood Hotel)
When I embarked on my mission to find Omaha’s best Reuben this year, the Blackstone Reuben at Orleans Room (inside The Cottonwood Hotel, where the Reuben originated) was the runaway winner. This isn’t to say anything bad about the other Reubens around town; this sandwich is just special.
The corned beef, cooked sous wide, is so tender you could cut it with a plastic spoon, and it’s spiced wonderfully. The 1000 Island is tangy as it is creamy, the gruyere cheese is gooey and nutty, and the bread is buttered and toasted to perfection. Secret MVP: the stone ground mustard, which adds just the right amount of tang.
Honorable mention: Lobster Roll (Ooh De Lally); Chicago Italian Beef (Virtuoso Pizzeria); Ham & Egg Panino (Dolomiti); Cubano (Ybor); McJ Rib Sandwich (J’s Smokehouse)
Related: Best Sandwiches in Omaha
Best Pizza: Honeypeno (Izzy's Pizza Bus)
No one does Detroit-style Pizza like Izzy’s Pizza, which employs a dough that’s oily, chewy, and perfectly bouncy, almost like constructing a pizza on top of a loaf of fresh focaccia bread. That dough is topped with a truckload of melty cheese, and the cheese caramelizes along the edge of the pan to create a crispy, nutty cheese crown. Any pizza on this base is fantastic.
But the Honeypeno, with salty, fatty pepperoni cups, acidic pickled jalapenos, and a healthy drizzle of Mike’s Hot Honey hits the sweet/heat combo directly on the head. It’s a pizza absolutely worth wrecking your diet for.
Honorable mention: Margherita Pizza (Dante); Margherita Pizza (Dolomiti); Pepperoni Pizza (Terrible Gerald’s); Nana’s Slice (Virtuoso Pizzeria); Autumno (Via Farina); Hot Girl (Tiny’s Pizza Joint)
Related: Best Pizzas in Omaha
Best Pasta Dish: Basil Spagehettini + Shrimp (Semo)
It’s hard to make a wrong choice on the ever-rotating, seasonal menu at Semo Pasta + Wine, but this dish in particular sticks in my memory. It combined tender ribbons of gorgeous, herbaceous pasta with olive oil, tossing in succulent shrimp and juicy, fresh grilled vegetables. The beautifully toasted bread crumbs on top added a nice textural contrast.
Honorable mention: Radiatori (Avola Osteria); Chili Oil Noodle (Dumpling Empire); Radiatori (Via Farina)
Best Breakfast: Fluffy Cakes (Harold's Koffee House)
I’m a pancake fanatic, and it’s tough to find better than these manhole-sized options at Harold’s Koffee House. Airy and fluffy, they have the perfect consistency and enough sweetness that you don’t need to add syrup to enjoy them. But if you do, these pancakes feature plenty of pores to soak in all the sticky, syrupy goodness. Pair them with some perfectly cooked eggs and a couple of strips of crispy bacon and you’ll leave this classic diner stuffed and satisfied.
Honorable mention: Breakfast Burrito (For the Love of Food Cafe); Banana Pancakes (Saddle Creek Breakfast Club); Eggs Benedict (Good Lookin); Liege Waffle (Herbe Sainte); Full English Breakfast (Dundee Dell)
Related: Best Breakfast Dishes in Omaha
Best BBQ Dish: Brisket Taco (J's Smokehouse)
J’s Smokehouse might just be Omaha’s best BBQ restaurant, and these tacos are a prime example why. The Brisket Taco is one of the best tacos, period, I’ve eaten. The shell, chewy and smothered with melted cheese, somehow stays together despite the massive about of brisket loaded inside it. The savory, beefy meat is complemented by creamy guacamole, a vibrant red salsa, and acidic pickled onions.
J’s also offers the Jefe Brisket Taco, with sweet kernels of corn complementing the richness of the brisket. Chipotle lime ranch rounds it out with a refreshing, cooling factor.
I come to J’s for awesome smoked meats, wings, and burgers, but it’s these stuffed tacos that most stand out at this great restaurant.
Honorable mention: Reuben (Smokin’ Barrel BBQ); Ribs (Lazy Buffalo BBQ); Spare Ribs (Romance Barbecue)
Related: Best BBQ Dishes in Omaha
Best Appetizer: Masala Fries (Kinaara)
Loaded fries aren’t a new invention by any means, but Kinaara‘s sinful take on crispy spuds is unlike any other you’ll find in Omaha. The bed of sweet potato waffles fries combines the spud’s natural sweetness with a savory batter and seasoning. The cheddar/monterey jack cheese adds a pleasant melty binder to pull everything together, the chicken is tender and well-spiced, and the mint chutney and tamarind chutney add herbaceous flavor and sweet/sour tang, respectively.
Honorable mention: Merguez Sausage Stuffed Dates (Clio); Reuben Egg Rolls (Paddy McGowns); Brussels Sprouts (Ooh De Lally); Potato Puffs (Memoir)
Best Dessert: S'mores (Boho Supper Club)
The Boho Supper Club, a four-course tasting menu that changes every week inside the Bohemian Gardens, is a unique, engaging experience. And while every dish I’ve experienced here has been very good, this one combines technique and nostalgia in a way that just made it stand out.
This fudgy brownie was studded with chocolate chips and topped with a bruleed marshmallow, invoking intense memories to the campfire dessert. The base of the brownie was graham cracker, giving each bite a nice cinnamon hit, and Teddy Grahams added a playful nod.
Honorable mention: S’mores Storm (Dairy Chef); Christmas in July ice cream (Coneflower Creamery); Whiskey Bread Pudding (Ooh De Lally); S’mores Crepe (Centi)
Best Food Discovery: Grandma-Style Pizza (Virtuoso Pizzeria)
Grandma-style pizza isn’t a new food item by any means; in fact, its origins can be traced back to the early 20th century. But it is relatively new to Omaha, as Virtuoso Pizzeria and Izzy’s Pizza put it on the menu this year. These pizzas are cooked in rectangular pans coated in olive oil, which almost fries the bottom and outsides to give them a crunchy texture to go along with a fluffy interior.
Virtuoso’s Nana Losole slice, in particular, highlights just how brilliant this style of pizza can be. The base is topped with a smooth, creamy vodka sauce, a bright, sweet lemon agave pesto, and a swarm of crispy pepperonis. This slice wonderfully ties sweet, spicy, and salty into one cohesive bite.
Honorable mention: Dosa (Kinaara); Soup Buns (Dumpling Empire); Reuben Egg Rolls (Paddy McGown’s); Mexican Hot Dog (La Sierra); Bingsu (Snowy Sundaes)
Greatest Loss: Mission Ave BBQ
Pitmaster Scott Fogle brought a taste of Texas BBQ to Omaha when he opened this joint in Bellevue, and for its short existence, it was arguably the area’s best BBQ restaurant. With a simple salt and pepper rub, Mission BBQ’s brisket was divine, juicy and with a brilliant bark. The ribs were a meaty and ridiculously tender, the turkey was better than anything you’ve had at Thanksgiving, and the tacos were a true standout.
Business proved to be tough at Mission BBQ’s small location, and the restaurant closed its doors in November. But I’ll never forget the wonderful meals I had here, and I’ll be forever grateful to Scott for bringing his Texas expertise up north to Omaha.
Honorable mention: Nomadic Jack’s; Sunnyside on Center; Modern Love; Untamed Kitchen