DUNDEE DELL
Hoppen Hierarchy:★★★⭑
District: Dundee
Bar w/ British pub fare, burgers, & seafood
Perfect For: Casual Dining; Drinks; Lunch; Takeout
Standout Dishes: Reuben; Fish & Chips; Blue Crab Poppers; House Made Pretzels
Sometimes even the most beloved restaurants need a refresh.
For more than 100 years, Dundee Dell has been a staple of the Omaha restaurant community. After opening as a Jewish deli in 1915, the Dell evolved into a bar specializing in British pub food, especially fish and chips, in the 1970s.
But Dundee Dell started to lose its mojo and changed ownership a few times. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and forced Dundee Dell to close, there were questions about whether it would open again.
New co-owners Ryan Miller (who also owns Barchen Beer Garden) and Drew Wilson swooped in and breathed fresh life into the Dell, giving both its interior and menu a vibrancy that had been missing. The result is a restaurant that longtime regulars will recognize and enjoy, but the next generation is also excited to visit.
The interior has completely transformed. Old wooden walls, deteriorating carpet, and upholstered chairs have been replaced by bright, fresh elements that give the Dell the feel of a modern gastropub combined with a classic British bar.
The selection of whiskeys and scotches is impressive, but it’s the menu revamp that makes Dundee Dell feel like a new restaurant. You’ll find the familiar pub classics like bangers & mash, cottage pie, and chicken tikka masala, but they’re now joined by a creative line of burgers, sandwiches, and seafood dishes.
It all starts with the dish no self-respecting pub can miss out on: the classic Fish & Chips. And you won’t find a better version of this dish in Omaha.
But the true star of the menu might be its Reuben, and it all starts with the meat. The brisket is braised and shredded, resulting in salty, spiced hunks of tender yet firm meat with a solid bark. The mountain of meat is joined by a tangy Dell sauce, crunchy sauerkraut, and stringy Swiss cheese. Even though the Tribeca rye bread lacks a little bit of the nutty, malt flavor of a traditional rye, this is one of the best Reubens in Omaha.
Another pub delicacy, the House Made Pretzels, are also a hit. These braided knots are tender and chewy, with a buttery sheen that helps flecks of sea salt adhere to them.
The pretzels come with hearty, creamy beer cheese sauce, intense stone ground mustard, and tangy dijon. The dipping sauces are all pleasant, but the pretzels are plenty delicious to be enjoyed on their own.
The menu contains plenty of classic bar sandwiches, including a double burger, chicken sandwich, Reuben, and pastrami. There are also several salad options and a vegan burger.
Where Dundee Dell gets really exciting is with its expanded line of seafood dishes, all with fresh seafood from the renowned Absolutely Fresh Fish. The menu now has shrimp cocktail, fried calamari, a few salmon dishes and salads, and a few crab dishes that alone are worth a visit.
The Jumbo Lump Crab Cake is a massive meteor, probably clocking in at over six ounces, and it’s almost entirely crab. There is very little filler here, as the sweet, delicate flavor of the blue crab is front and center. Some crackers are mixed in but don’t interrupt the wonderful flavor. Rather, they just provide a nice texture contrast.
And the Blue Crab Poppers are a stellar appetizer. That same briny, sweet blue grab again plays the starring role, only now with a crispy, fried panko shell. The crispiness is a great complement to the tender crab, and the creamy, tangy remoulade is downright addicting.
Even the Crispy Brussels Sprouts, a typically boring mainstay on just about any restaurant menu these days, are different at the Dell. A quick deep fry creates a nice outer crust while maintaining the meaty interior, and the honey and balsamic give them an interesting but not overpowering sweetness.
And when the Dell offers its English Breakfast as a special, rearrange your plans for the day. This massive platter of back bacon, over easy eggs, butter-fried toast, hash brown cube, bangers (sausage), baked beans, black pudding, sauteed mushrooms, and grilled tomatoes, is not to be missed.
It’s really impressive to see how Dundee Dell has reinvented itself. These restaurant refreshes rarely work. They typically either alienate the established customer base that loved the restaurant originally, or they stick too close to the original and aren’t inventive enough to draw in a new generation.
The upgraded Dell does both, delighting regulars and enticing newcomers. It’s impossible to say if this Dundee institution will be around for another 100 years, but its refresh has given it a fighting chance.