QS GRILL STEAK

Hoppen Hierarchy:★★★⭑

Nicaraguan & Salvadoran Cuisine

Perfect For: Lunch; Casual Dining; Takeout

Standout Dishes: Pupusas; Grilled Steak; Sweet Plantains

One might not expect to find authentic Salvadoran and Nicaraguan food in Omaha… and if you were to look for it, you almost certainly wouldn’t start your search at a gas station.

But if that were the case, you’d miss out on QS Grill Steak, which sits squarely at the corner of unique, unexpected, and delicious.

Opened by Nicaraguan couple Francisca Sacasa and José Quezada Rivera in 2021, QS Grill Steak has plates that explode with flavor one would never expect seeing the building from the outside. Attached to a Mega Saver off 168th and Harrison, the restaurant doesn’t have much street appeal.

And while the decor inside is vibrant and playful, there’s a similar no frills atmosphere on the inside. Orders are placed at the counter, where diners read from a paper menu with a few entrees, several appetizers, and pupusas.

Everything about the restaurant seems simple and nuanced… until your plate arrives.

Each platter comes with your choice of protein (steak, chicken, or pork), starch (rice & beans or white rice), and plantain (sweet or fried), and every element of the dish has an essential place. Like a band, they all have their chords to play, ping-ponging your tastebuds from sweet to savory to rich and everything in between.

The proteins are cooked brilliantly, starting with the Grilled Steak, which is listed as “Carne Asada” on the menu but is unlike the Mexican version of carne asada most Omahans are familiar with. This skirt steak is juicy and buttery with a touch of sweetness and a kiss of smoke from the grill. It is more flavorful than many steaks I’ve had at steakhouses.

The flavor in the Grilled Chicken isn’t quite as pronounced, but it has plenty of personality. It’s juicy and features standout grill marks that supply great smokiness. And the brine adds a citrus sweetness that blends really well with the mild chicken flavor.

The sides pack nearly as much punch as the proteins. Rice and beans can be a bland, boring dish, but QS Grill Steak’s Gallo Pinto is anything but. These are cooked down in animal fat to achieve a rich flavor and luscious consistency. The rice has little bite, and the beans are creamy and salty. It’s a must order side.

The Sweet Plantains have a nice sweetness to break up all the savory components on the dish, serving almost as a sugary palate cleanser without being cloying. They’re caramelized well to give the creamy centers a textured exterior. They’re much more flavorful than the Sliced Fried Plantains, which have a crispy consistency but lack much flavor. They’re savory and slightly salty but aren’t nearly as fun as their sweet counterparts.

Not to bury the lead, but the best offering at QS Grill Steak might be the Pupusas, a Salvadoran street food consisting of a masa pocket filled with beans, cheese, and meat. Imagine a thick corn pancake with a smooth, chewy consistency that oozes rich cheese, complemented with creamy refried beans and savory proteins.

And while your doctor might not recommend you order the Fried Cheese, your tastebuds demand it. This block of white, salty cheese is incredibly rich, and when you pierce the crispy, caramelized exterior, it’s happy to release a river of cheesy goodness. There’s no breading; it’s just deep fried dairy. It’s delicious, but hard to have more than a few bites.

The prices are incredibly affordable, as the massive platters only cost $12-13, while the pupusas are $2.50 apiece and most of the sides are under $3. You can easily get a really filling meal (and possibly even leftovers) for under $15.

When Francisca and José opened QS Grill Steak, their goal was to introduce Omahan palates to something new, and they’ve well achieved that mission. I’ve not found flavors quite like these anywhere else in Omaha, and I feel my palate discovers something new every time I visit.

Don’t be turned off by the location or exterior of QS Grill Steak. What it lacks in frills and flair, it more than makes up with bold, explosive flavors that take you straight to Central America.