Burgers are golden

Goldberg’s Grill & Bar is the place to get a good burger in Omaha. With two locations, Dundee and 132nd and West Center Road, it is a family-friendly restaurant with great service. Inside is a little dark but adds to the pub atmosphere.

 

            A hamburger is definitely the thing to get here with many varieties to choose from. You can order a cheeseburger ($6.25) or bleu burger ($7), a burger topped with mushrooms, grilled onions and a side of bleu cheese dressing. My favorite is the black & bleu burger ($6.25), burger seasoned with Cajun spices and topped with bleu cheese dressing. Each “goldburger,” as they are called, are served with potato chips or you can substitute with curly fries, potato salad, cole slaw or cottage cheese. I prefer the fries, especially when I get the really curly ones. The menu also includes salads, sandwiches, and entrées. The Reuben sandwich ($6.75) is delicious as well. The bloody Mary’s ($5) are made from scratch and tasty.

 

            Goldberg’s is a great, family restaurant for lunch or for a quick dinner before a sporting event. Do not pass this by!

Definitely worth the wait

            Lo Solo Mio provides a nice atmosphere with Italian décor and paintings. The entrées are bountiful. I can never finish my meal. The tables are a little close and can feel cramped when the seating is full. You may have to wait a while as well, especially on the weekend nights, since the restaurant does not take reservations.

 

            To start, there is a bread basket with roasted garlic, tomato basil, and olive oil. The baked lasagna ($11.95) is a large slice of lasagna with many layers of noodles and a delicious red sauce. The carne impanata ($15.95) is breaded steak thinly sliced with sweet roasted peppers and oven roasted potatoes. The steak took up half my plate and the breading wasn’t soggy from the peppers.

 

Don’t be hindered by the crowd; it is definitely worth the wait.The food is a great Italian food. Lo Solo Mio is a great place to bring your family or a date.

A must for seafood lovers

        By the looks of it, Shucks Fish House and Oyster Bar is not trying to you, but the food leaves a delicious mark that makes you going back. The restaurant is connected to Absolutely Fresh, which provides various kinds of saltwater fish. Shucks is small hole-in-the-wall with limited seating and the tables covered with brown paper.

 

            Shucks is well known for their oysters on a half shell (Blue Points $.95 each, Apalachicola $.85 each, others at market price) with a wide and ever-changing selection that you can choose from one or mix several types together. The Shucks Sampler ($16.95) isn’t for people on a diet but so worth it. The appetizer includes clam strips, oysters, calamari and shrimp with everything fried, and according to the menu, it is the thinnest breading in town. The entrées are served on Styrofoam plates, and there is a paper towel dispenser on the tables. The fish and chips ($7.95) are delicious with the large pieces of white fish lightly battered and side of baby cakes. The side of baby cakes looks like smashed tater tots but are delicious that you keep popping them in your mouth.

 

            Being in the middle of America, Omaha is known for beef not seafood. Shucks offers the freshest fish from both sides of the country. This is definitely not the place to go if you don’t like seafood since there are not many other options. For the seafood lovers in Omaha, you must go to Shucks!

Mouth-watering meal

            Omaha is not well-known for barbeque with Kansas City no far away, but when you are craving a slab of ribs, Billy Mac’s is the place to go. The food is slow-cooked barbeque with a spicy Southern BBQ sauce to go with it. The restaurant has a small dining area but also offer take-out and catering.

 

            The BBQ smoked pork baby back ribs ($12.99 half slab) are delicious with the smoky meat that falls off the bones. The Hawaiian pork baby back ribs ($13.99 half slab) are teriyaki marinated and served with a homemade plum sauce. They are different take on ribs but very tasty. I also like the pulled pollo, pulled chicken smother in the BBQ sauce. The side dishes are also noteworthy. The red cabbage slaw is amazing. Shredded red cabbage in a light sauce is delicious.

 

            Billy Mac’s has only been open for a few years now, but the owner has been in the BBQ business for over 15 years. The BBQ knowledge is definitely shown and has mouth-watering results.

Delivers great food and prices

Jade Garden may not bring your food to your house, but it delivers on great food and prices. You can either dine-in or carryout. The service is quick and very observant when needing a drink refill. The restaurant is in the middle of a strip mall off 120th and Blondo Street. Definitely, do not pass this by!

 

 

The egg rolls ($1) are crispy, not greasy like some restaurants, and are stuffed with cabbage. The pork low mein is stir-fried noodles loaded with strips of pork, broccoli, carrots, onions, and mushrooms. My favorite entrée is the fantail shrimp ($9.25 family portion). Marinated jumbo shrimp that is deep-fried and served with the chef’s special garlic sauce. The shrimp tastes delicious on top of the fried rice. Jade Garden also has the best peanut butter chicken ($7.50 family portion) that I have ever had. Single entrées are served with fried rice and a Crab Rangoon. Family entrées include fried rice and fortune cookies.

 

The portions are also plenty that you can leftovers. (Personally, I love cold low mein for breakfast).

Craving Runza

I am going to be honest. I constantly crave Runza cheeseburgers. I am not completely sure why but the hamburger has spices and the sesame seed bun creates a perfect hamburger for me.

 

Runza opened in 1949 with the Original Runza Sandwich, homemade dough stuffed with ground beef, onions, cabbage, and secret spices. Runza is not a locally own restaurant but is associated with Nebraska. Currently, there are over 70 restaurants mostly in Nebraska but a few also in Iowa, Kansas, and Colorado.

 

Also on the menu are grilled chicken sandwiches, double-battered onion rings, crinkle fries, a combination of both with frings, and soups. The crinkle fries are thickly cut and crispy that makes it equally delicious with the hamburger for a value meal.

Half off Happy Hour

If you want large portions with little cost, California Tacos and More, 3235 California Street, is the place to go. Inside Cali Taco are booths and a few tables in an adjacent room. There is exposed brick and vibrantly-colored Mexican artwork.

 

A large plate of nachos ($1.99) gives you an option of flour or corn tortillas chips comes with a side of cheese. My personal favorite is the flour tortilla chips. There are five types of tacos to choose from: refried bean ($2.59), chicken ($2.99), steak ($2.99), beef ($2.59), and fish ($3.19). The slightly battered fish tacos are delicious. Make sure you order the cinnamon flour chips ($1.99) to finish the meal. Cinnamon and sugar coated flour tortillas are a sweet treat.

 

I would suggest going during happy hour from 4 pm to 5 pm when all tacos, margaritas, and pitchers of beer are half off. It is not the most authentic Mexican food, but for this college student, I enjoy the food and the price.

Always good at Sgt. Peffers

Sgt. Peffer’s Café Italian is a Beatles-themed restaurant has an extensive menu from pasta and sandwiches to pizzas and salads. The menu offers several vegetarian dishes. The drive-up window makes takeout very convenient since it does not delivery to places very far.

 

Grilled Chicken Salad (full $5.95) consists of thinly sliced grilled chicken with marinated mushrooms, artichoke hearts, and black olives served on spinach and lettuce greens with Dijon vinaigrette. The salad’s ingredients blend well together to make it delicious. A medium pepperoni pizza ($10.75 plus adds $1.25) is made with Sgt. Peffer’s authentic Italian crust coupled with a homemade tomato sauce, whole mozzarella cheese and a touch of romano. The pepperoni is a tad greasy but tasty nonetheless. The Five Cheese White (large 8 pieces $14.95) is creamy alfredo sauce topped with provolone, parmesan, cheddar, mozzarella, and romano cheese. The sauce and cheeses make the pizza rich but is so good you can still eat two of the large slices. When ordering a specialty pizza, they ask for no substitutions, just to “let it be.”

 

I would suggest calling ahead and take out the pizza. The restaurant is a bit cramped and offers limited delivery. The drive is definitely worth it and will be difficult not to sneak a piece while bring the pizzas back home.

Southwest meets Midwest

The Southwest meets the Midwest at Stokes Grill & Bar. Stokes opened its first location in the spring of 1997. Now, there are three locations including in the Old Market and 175th and West Center Road. The Old Market location offers a vibrant atmosphere. The bar is in the middle of the restaurant with tables in the back and overlooking the streets.

The menu offers a variety of choices for customers. There are numerous appetizers that could be large enough for a meal. The nachos ($5.95) are blue and corn tortilla chips topped with melted Monterey jack and cheddar cheeses and pico de gallo. The blend of cheeses was delicious, and the large platter was plenty for my table. The entrees are a mix of pastas, seafood, and steak. The Salmon Chopped Salad ($12.55) included grilled salmon, pico de gallo, oven roasted corn, baby spinach, toasted pumpkin seeds, and sundried tomato quinoa with a pesto-buttermilk dressing. It is a bit pricey for a salad but all the ingredients mixed well together and I left the plate clean. The World Famous (Almost) Sharon’s Chicken Enchiladas ( 12.95) offers a lot of chicken and cheese with white sauce, poblano sauce and a side of red rice and black beans. The entrée includes two enchiladas and is very filling. Along with the great food, Stokes also features a nationally recognized, award winning wine list with over 200 selections. On Tuesday nights, the locations offer half-price bottles.

Stokes can be pricey but is a great place to get your southwest kick or to enjoy a drink and appetizers.

Going to Upstream

Good food, beer, and company makes for a great experience at Upstream Brewing Company. Upstream opened its first location in the Old Market in 1996. Currently, there are two Omaha locations, downtown and in West Omaha off 168th and West Center Road.

 

The atmosphere is fun with playing cards stuck on the ceiling and a look at the brewing room. The dining area is wide open with lots of tables. The upstairs offers additional seating and pool tables. Also, a deck area and outside seating are great hangouts on warm nights.

 

 

Much of the menu is pub food with large salads, fish and chips, burgers, and sandwiches. The artichoke dip ($8.95) is delicious. The dip has slices of artichoke hearts, asiago cheese and Upstream’s toasted garlic beer bread. The pizzas are also amazing. The White Shrimp Pizza ($10.75) is mini shrimp, garlic alfredo cream, fresh basil, red onion, and mozzarella cheese. (Just don’t eat this on a date.) Award-winning, Handcrafted beers are brewed on site. My favorite is Honey Raspberry, which is a bit sweet but smooth.

 

Upstream is a great place to bring your family or friends. It can be a bit pricey with some of the entrees, but I have always had a great experience each time.