BEST SANDWICHES IN OMAHA
My Personal Mount Rushmore
There are many reasons the sandwich has been a staple of American dining for hundreds of years. It’s highly versatile. It can be eaten on the go. Everyone has made a sandwich (likely hundreds) in their life, so it’s approachable.
And bread and carbs are just a great combo.
But my favorite thing about sandwiches is how many varieties you can find them in. Given the number of breads, meats, condiments, and vegetables available, there are literally billions of sandwich combinations possible. And because every lifestyle and nationality has its own special sandwich, this meal can be a way to experience new cultures.
Omaha has a litany of fantastic sandwiches, but I wanted to whittle my list down to four (with some honorable mentions, of course). If Omaha commissioned a Mount Rushmore of sandwiches and hired me as the architect, here are the four “faces” you’d find towering over our fine city.
***A few disclaimers: this list doesn’t include burgers, gyros, and definitely not hot dogs. Also, just one sandwich was allowed per restaurant.***
Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich (Sauced by Alfaro)
Anyone who’s eaten at Sauced by Alfaro knows that chef/owner Michelle Alfaro is a master at two things: scratch making just about everything that comes out of the kitchen, and layering flavors to achieve a perfect balance. Both of those skills are showcased in this gem of a sandwich.
The hand breaded chicken tenders gain a crunchy shell during their deep fry, and when they’re dunked into hot chili oil the liquid adheres to the breading. The oil has some serious kick, and the heat builds the further you get into the sandwich.
But the flames are balanced by brown sugar in oil as well as bread and butter pickles and a house made hot honey aioli. A buttered, toasted brioche bun somehow holds this massive sandwich together while sopping up more of that delicious sweet/heat of the oil.
Grilled Cheese (All In Thyme)
Every great sandwich starts with the bread, and that’s certainly the case with All In Thyme’s Grilled Cheese. The shokupan—a sweet Japanese milk bread, made in house—is buttered and griddled to produce crispy edges and a buttery bite. The smoked gouda and cheddar combine to create a gooey, rich blanket. Chef Andrew Novak recommends adding the braised beef ($6), and it’s a genius move. The beef is juicy, rich, and savory, and it’s tender enough to pull apart with chopsticks.
What really takes the sandwich to the next level is the sweet pepper jam, which adds just the right amount of sugar to cut through all the rich, fatty elements of the sandwich.
Blackstone Reuben (Orleans Room)
As the hometown of the Reuben sandwich, Omaha needs to have an epic version, right? And the offering at the Orleans Room, located inside the Kimpton Cottonwood Hotel (formerly the Blackstone Hotel, the birthplace of the Reuben) is the best of the best.
It all starts with the brisket, which is cooked sous vide to achieve maximum tenderness and a spectacular beefy, salty flavor. The toasted rye practically oozes butter with each bite, and the gooey gruyere adds a nutty creaminess. The housemade 1000 Island and sauerkraut are mixed together to form one tangy, acidic condiment that just takes the sandwich over the top.
Omaha has a lot of great Reubens, but this offering stands alone.
Cubano (Aviles Latin Market)
The Cubano is one of America’s best known and most beloved sandwiches, and no one in Omaha does it better than Aviles Latin Market.
It’s not the most traditional take on the sandwich, but Aviles’ substitutions are definite upgrades. This version employs succulent, juicy carnitas that are crisped up on the flattop. It also swaps out Cuban bread for a telera roll, but still presses it to get that proper crusty shell.
The pickles are crunchy, the Swiss melts everywhere, and the mustard aioli adds a smooth creamy element with just the right amount of tang.
Honorable Mention Omaha Sandwiches
Ham & Egg Panuozzo
Let’s start with the fact that this sandwich is crafted with Dolomiti‘s brilliant pizza dough, which is folded over and stuffed with ingredients. The sourdough is tangy and salty with wonderful chew, and the dough has a nice amount of charred spots and bubbly consistency.
That wondrous dough is stuffed with rich, salty and delicately sweet prosciutto and a perfectly fried egg that spills its rich, creamy yolk into each bite. And just when the sandwich threatens to run a bit dry, garlic aioli arrives to add moisture and an herb-y essence.
Jibarito w/ Ribeye
This Puerto Rican delicacy is as inventive as it is delicious. The “bread” of the sandwich are plantains that are fried, smashed, and fried again, creating a crunchy base for the sandwich. The veggies are fresh, white American cheese lends its milky gooeyness everywhere, and ketchup mayo adds a touch of sweetness.
But the MVP is the ribeye, a rich, fatty 10 oz. monster of meat that’s juicy, buttery, and better than you’ll find in most Omaha steakhouses.
BLT
This sandwich is summer between bread.
Kitchen Table only serves this beauty of a sandwich for about 8 weeks every year because that’s when heirloom tomatoes are at their peak. The fresh, fleshy tomato is the star of the sandwich, infusing every bite with bold, warm brightness. Those hefty slices are balanced by salty, smoky thick-cut bacon (cured in house for 14 days) and crisp lettuce. A slather of mayo adds fat and creaminess, and Kitchen Table’s homemade levain bread brings the whole package together.
Lobster Roll
The lobster in this sandwich alone is incredible. It tastes so fresh that it could’ve come out of the water yesterday, as the succulent meat has a wonderful rich, buttery taste. A large portion is stuffed into a toasted roll, slathered in a creamy “lobster sauce” that adds a mild sweetness.
The kicker is the drizzle of brown butter, which adds a nuttiness to complement the sweet meat and hearty roll. You won’t find a better version of this sandwich in Omaha.
Sloppy Nick
The Sloppy Nick starts with rich Jon’s Naturals ground beef that’s seasoned with Block 16’s secret seasoning and cooked in a sweet, slightly spicy sauce. Two slices of jalapeno cornbread serve as the bun, adding not only great texture, but also a squeeze of butter upon each bite. Pickles bring tang and Swiss provides a mild nuttiness.
Don’t even think of picking these monster up—it’s a fork-and-knife sandwich if there ever was one. But the flavor is worth defying sandwich laws for.
The Jimbo
Italian beef—elevated with garlic and the restaurant’s house rub—is sliced thin, soaked in a delightful au jus, and piled high on an Italian bread loaf. An in-house giardiniera—a combination of vegetables and jalapeños pickled in vinegar and oil—adds texture and just a bit of heat.
In order to get the most out of this sandwich, however, you have to get it “baptized”, as owner David Losole refers to the dipping process. The constructed sandwich is dunked into the jus, then served hot and wet. The bread soaks up all of the salty, delicious flavor of the jus without taking in liquid, allowing it to maintain a crispy exterior. And to complete The Jimbo, a housemade sausage link is added to bring more fat, spice, and texture.
Birria Torta
The sandwich starts with a rich, tender birria meat stewed for several hours to achieve a deep, complex flavor. It’s joined by a river of gooey, salty mozzarella cheese that gives the sandwich an excellent melty quality.
The bread is dunked in the consomme (the leftover meat juices) and fried on the flattop, giving it a nice crust and reinforcing the beefy flavor in every bite.
OmaHawt Chicken Sandwich
It all starts with the chicken, and Dirty Birds doesn’t skimp on the protein—each sandwich contains close to a pound of perfectly fried poultry. The chicken’s exterior has a wonderful crunch while the inside flesh remains moist and juicy. A delicious sweet, spicy sauce is balanced by a cooling, creamy mayo and crunchy house pickles.
The only problem with this sandwich is the intimidation factor you have to overcome when this mound of chicken is placed in front of you. Just smash it down as much as you can, unhinge your jaw like an anaconda, and prepare for a wave of flavor you’ve not encountered before.
Chicken Philly
Barrett’s Barleycorn Pub & Grill
Your traditional philly cheesesteak this is not, but Barrett’s moderations make a brilliant sandwich. The tender, shredded chicken carries a sweet saltiness from a teriyaki/Szechuan marinade, but the cheese is the real kicker. Barrett’s mixes cream cheese with the traditional Swiss to add a rich fattiness to this sandwich. It’s over the top and sloppy, yet still artfully constructed and absolutely delicious. Maybe just don’t order it on a first date.
Of course, this list is but a taste of the great sandwiches Omaha has to offer. I could go on and on about more of my favorites, but I want to hear from you. What are your favorite sandwiches in the city? Comment below, tweet at me @danhoppen, or message me on Instagram @dan_hoppen.