THE 4TH STATION

Hoppen Hierarchy:★★★⭑

Burgers & Hawaiian-inspired food

Standout Dishes: Big Kahuna Burger; Kalbi Short Ribs; Midnight Fries

The 4th Station showcases everything about what makes pop-ups great.

They allow up-and-coming culinary talents an avenue to bring the food they’re passionate about, not just what’s served in the restaurant they work at, to the public, allowing new diners to become acquainted with their food.
They’re fun events that draw food lovers of all demographics in a relaxed, casual setting.
They (ideally) feature delicious food.

The 4th Station checks all those boxes, and the last in particular. Because while this pop-up is still a relatively young concept, people don’t forget the food once they try it.

Ideally, owner Nick Joubert imagines The 4th Station becoming a “late night, scratch-made, good vibes spot” that serves great food to those out on the town on weekends.

But his food isn’t only available to night owls. Nick has done pop-ups in restaurants, sports bars, and outside the giant barn at Miller Dohrmann farm. But wherever you find The 4th Station, you can be confident you’ll get a meal carefully crafted with close attention to every detail.

“My style cooking is kind of playful, but also kind of simple,” Nick said on the Restaurant Hoppen podcast. “I want to make sure every aspect of what I’m serving is five-star, from how toasty the bun is to, ‘Is my sauce the right consistency?’ All those little factors go into making a dish delicious. I just try to make good food that I would enjoy eating myself.”

That means the menu at The 4th Station won’t typically be more than 4 or 5 items, but all are thoughtfully conceptualized and executed to perfection. While there are several rotating menu items that allow Nick to express his creativity and play around with whatever flavors and techniques currently have his attention, there are two items you’ll find on any 4th Station menu.

The first of those is Nick’s take on one of America’s favorite dishes: the burger. Nick cut his teeth as a line cook at Block 16, known for its legendary burgers, so he knows his way around the griddle. He also spent a year in Hawaii and fell in love with the 1000 Island-type sauce served on most burgers on the islands.

That sauce plays a huge role on the signature Big Kahuna Burger, adding a tangy, zesty sweetness with just a touch of sesame. If you put a trained chef in a lab and had them recreate Big Mac sauce, this would be the result. Each burger comes with two patties, smashed on the grill to create a brilliant crust. The meat to bun ratio is perfection, and the bun is toasted to add texture and char. Crisp shredded lettuce, freshly cut onions, and a thin slice of tomato round out one of Omaha’s best burgers.

Nick’s time in Hawaii also inspired his other signature dish: the Kalbi Ribs. These Korean-style short ribs are cuts of thinly-sliced beef marinated in a soy sauce/brown sugar marinade, injecting every bite with a deep, rich combo of salty, sweet, and umami.

They’re grilled quickly to add a smoky taste and a wonderful caramelization, creating a sticky, flavorful exterior.

“You just see them all over in Hawaii,” Nick said. “I came back to Nebraska and it’s hard to find. I just wanted to provide another option for people to get some Hawaiian-style BBQ. They go on vacation and get that food and say, ‘Man, is there anywhere that serves that in Omaha?’ Well, I will!”

The Kalbi plate comes with the ribs, rice, pancit (a Filipino stir-fried rice noodle), and a creamy mac salad.

Not all of The 4th Station’s menu items need that Hawaiian touch, however. Nick also just serves food he loves to eat, and that’s the origin for the Midnight Fries, a brilliant cross between waffles fries and nachos.

The fries are crispy and seasoned well, delicious enough on their own. But The 4th Station tops a mountain of these cross-hatched spuds with house queso, jalapenos, cilantro, onions, crema, and cotija cheese for an incredible (if messy) experience.

The other menu items rotate in and out. On one visit, you might delight in the smoky shredded meat in the Kahlua Pork Slider or the sweet/heat of the Mango Habanero BBQ Wings.

Or you might find a sandwich with slow-smoked brisket, candied pork belly, and spicy queso. Maybe the spicy chicken sandwich or baby back ribs will make an appearance.

Whatever Nick is serving, you can rest assured that the quality will be top-tier. This isn’t a guy that cuts corners; he truly has a passion for food and honestly wants to make every plate better than the last. Talk about food for two minutes with Nick and you’ll see why people can’t stop raving about his food.

As a pop-up, The 4th Station doesn’t yet have a permanent home, but you can stay up to date with its events by following its Instagram and Facebook pages. And trust me, you’ll want to find Nick. The 4th Station may be a pop-up for now, but it has more permanent lodgings in its future.