Road trip: 10 outstanding places outside Lincoln you can get to for a night out

I see one of the main demographics I write this blog for is the external person who is visiting Lincoln and wants to do some research on where to eat. But how about an article that applies more to the people who live in Lincoln rather than those who don’t? Restaurants you can get to for a night out if you live in Lincoln, what does that mean? Well, I intend it to mean anywhere I can leave after work at 5, eat at a normal pace and then return to my house in Lincoln by a reasonable time that evening. To me, that’s about an hour away. Since Omaha is about an hour away, for this post, the reviews are going to mostly be from Omaha. This can’t be a comprehensive list of the best places in Omaha since I don’t live there and can’t explore as much as I do here in Lincoln, but rather a list of some extremely good restaurants I’ve had the fortune of visiting when I do go out for a good dinner in Omaha.

I also feel like Omaha needs be a part of any Lincoln food blog since they have some really good food and have been getting some recognition for being a great foodie city (1 2 3). So it’s absolutely a place Lincolnites should take advantage of every once in a while. At the same time, while Omaha dominates the post, this isn’t only about Omaha restaurants. There are some really good places you can visit in the 1 hour radius that aren’t in Omaha too.

1. The Grey Plume, Omaha

So I like the Grey Plume so much that it’s hard to go anywhere else when we decide to venture outside of Lincoln for dinner. In fact, they’re in the conversation of my favorite restaurants anywhere in the world that I’ve been to. I love that they do a good job of combining fancy without being stuffy, prime example: the servers all wear blue jeans. I also love that they try to be as local as possible and their purveyors come from different farms all across the state. But the local vibe doesn’t just apply to the food, a lot of their food is served on pottery from local artists. They make their own cured meats so make sure you get a charcuterie platter, and then stop by Provisions after dinner to purchase some of their meats & cheeses to take home. They may be the most relevant Omaha Restaurant to Lincolnites too: since they make their own charcuterie meats I’ve see their stuff pop up on the menus of a few places around Lincoln. If you are looking for something fun to do during the day, make sure you check out one of their cooking classes, which are a lot of fun. All this and I haven’t even got to the food yet. Well I could talk in detail about all of my experiences with the food there, but lets just say this: it’s all been absolutely fantastic. I’ve never walked out of the Grey Plume saying anything but “that was awesome.” Their food always has a ton of complexity & creativity, which is usually what I’m looking for when going out to eat. On top of that, I’ve always got some really good cocktails by simply telling the server to ask the bartender to make me something creative and fun. As you’re leaving, make sure you hang around the host stand long enough to get a cookie (they hand them out as you’re leaving), it’s the perfect little snack to break out on your drive back to Lincoln to remind you of the awesome dinner you just had.
What you’re ordering: since their menu is always changing, I can’t speak to anything specifically (except maybe the duck fat donut), but you should do this: order as much off the menu as you can,it’s all good.
http://thegreyplume.com/home/

2. Dario’s Brasserie, Omaha

Dario’s probably falls pretty high on this list because of the nostalgia factor for me. It reminds me of the short trip I had in Brussels, Belgium. So I’m trying to leave my bias out of the ranking and I’m happy to see that it gets some love on the two Omaha foodie articles I shared above (1 2) plus some very high user ratings. So I know I’m not just making it’s worthiness up in my head. They have a fantastic Belgian beer selection, a cool atmosphere and good food. But the thing that makes me want to visit often (besides the beer) are the mussels. I haven’t found anywhere else in our area that serves them like they did in Brussels. Though I do have to say that I’m a little disappointed that their fries aren’t quite like I remember. They are quite a bit thinner and more American than the thick steak fries I had in Brussels. But my Brussels fry experience is only a small sample set and not something that should be taken as how it should be. Plus even if they are a bit thinner than typical Belgian “frites,” that’s only a tiny critique for what is a fantastic restaurant.
What you’re ordering: Anything from the “Les Moules” section, but start with Moules A La Bruxeles & a Belgian beer of your choice.
http://www.dariosbrasserie.com/

3. The Boiler Room, Omaha

The Boiler Room is in an old boiler room in the basement of a building, imagine that. The room itself adds a lot of character and it really has a very cool vibe. It’s probably has the most upscale feel of anywhere in this post so if that is what you are looking for, if it’s a date, special occasion etc, this should be high on your list. The food is your chef-inspired fair that you’ll find on a lot of my favorite places and I think they do a really good job with it. I found it fun to sit on the upper level near the railing and watch all the activity happening in the bar area/kitchen down below. The food alone puts it on my radar for where to eat every time I’m in Omaha, but the atmosphere really puts it toward the top.
What you’re ordering: As with chef-inspired places, their menu changes often so go with the special of the night.
http://boilerroomomaha.com/

4. Le Bouillon, Omaha

Le Bouillon is probably a good example of where not living in Omaha and not having the opportunity to visit them multiple times before making a rating judgement is hard. I’ve only been to Le Bouillon once, but that one time was really, really good. Good enough to be rated in front of the establishments below that I’ve been to multiple times (and also love). Between the service, recommendations, wine pairings, atmosphere and food, it was a big hit. When you’re finished there, if you’re not ready for your evening to be over when you’re done, head around the corner to La Buvette and have a night cap.
What you’re having: I could tell you to get one of their awesome entrées, but the thing that I keep dreaming about from my visit is the cheese plate we had for dessert and the wine pairing they brought with it. Get that, it’s good.
http://www.lebouillonomaha.com/

5. Lo Sole Mio, Omaha

I’m sitting here thinking through what makes Lo Sole Mio such a fun place and I’m not doing a good job of putting it into words. Of course their food is really good. It’s probably some of the best Italian food I’ve had outside of Little Italy in New York City. But I don’t think that’s what makes it so cool. I think it’s the energetic atmosphere that puts it over the top. Every time I’ve been there, it’s been packed and just gives me a “this is the place to be” feel. It’s location in a small, charming neighborhood also adds to it’s character. Like I said, it’s a fun place. I also can’t find any pictures I’ve taken there in my library, so I’m apparently due a return visit. Darn.
What you’re ordering: The pasta, duh! But the thing that really sticks out to me though is something I believe you get with everything for free, the roasted garlic. Spread it on bread or eat it by itself, it’s fantastic.
http://losolemio.com/

 

6. Pitch Pizzeria, Omaha

I don’t necessarily love that Pitch is called a pizzeria. Not that they don’t have some really good pizza, but they have so much more on their menu that really pushes them up this list. The atmosphere has a lot of group seating, where you share larger tables with other patrons, which I love. But they also have individual seating if that’s your thing. Their drink menu is great along with what any great “pizzeria” needs: a great beer list, but don’t skip past the cocktails section since they have some really fun creations. While the pizza I’ve had from their kitchen is definitely creative, really good and nothing I’m going to stay away from, I would recommend getting a regular entrée, they are what will bring you back.
What you’re ordering: The plum creek farm half chicken.
http://www.pitchpizzeria.com/

7. A local winery

It’s probably not fair that I’m grouping a lot of different establishments all into one ranking but one could also argue that none of them belong on this list at all since they don’t really even provide their own food and my recommendation to visit for dinner only applies to select times when they have an event that brings food trucks to them. But they are load of fun and are definitely trips you should be making for a night out if you live in Lincoln. I’ll expand on the category and each winery in a more detailed blog post sometime in the future. But here’s the gist, when it’s nice outside, check the local wineries sites to see when they do a special night with music outside (usually Fridays). Pack your blankets, lawn chairs and bug spray, then go there and hang out for the night. Some places even let you bring your own food in if you don’t want to take advantage of whatever food truck they have that night. It’s a load of fun and is extremely relaxing. I haven’t had the opportunity to visit all of them in the 1 hour radius, but for the ones I have visited, I would recommend them in this order: Glacial Till (fantastic cider & really nice facilities), Soaring wings, Deer Springs & James Arthur Vineyards. However there is one winery that I’ll fudge my one hour radius (they’re at 2 hours) to give a high recommendation for a few reasons: As opposed to the other wineries in the area, they serve fantastic food from an in-house chef with an impressive resume, they’re located in my hometown & I just happen to know them personally: Miletta Vista Winery. If you have an extra hour or two to burn, make the trip.

8. V.Mertz, Omaha

Another location that I’ve only had the pleasure of visiting once, so it’s hard to make a real good judgement. But even if the food was just OK, I’d probably really like this place anyway. It’s setting doesn’t seem like somewhere you’d expect to find in Nebraska: it’s in a small covered walkway between two buildings (the Old Market Passageway) that has a few shops, restaurants and lots of greenery. It seems to me like they took a slice out of an old thin street somewhere in Europe and put it in the middle of the Old Market in Omaha. The restaurant itself follows that theme: it’s small, somewhere I wouldn’t necessarily expect to find in Omaha either and full of character. Lucky for you, the food is pretty darn good too.
What you’re ordering: Assuming you’ve made the trip from Lincoln so it’s a special night out, so go all in with the tasting menu and splurge for the wine pairings.
http://www.vmertz.com/

9. Prairie Plate Restaurant, rural farm

Alright, I’m cheating a bit since I included Prairie Plate in my list of hard to find places in Lincoln. But it’s out in the country and not really in any city. It is close enough to be considered a part of Lincoln when I need it to be, but also far enough out that it’s also outside of Lincoln. Plus this is my blog, so I get to make the rules however I want. I think its location sort of makes my point for its inclusion, how often are you going to find a relatively upscale restaurant on a farm in the middle out in the country? I’m sure places like this exist elsewhere, but when on vacation to a different city, you’re probably not going to make a trek out into the country to visit one so this type of experience is, in my opinion, pretty unique and one you should probably take advantage of at least once. I do have to say that some of their food can, in my opinion, be a little too simple and lack complexity which has left me a little disappointed a time or two. But in general, I’ve had some really fantastic food, especially when it comes to the homemade pasta & desert. But the drive out, the setting and most of the time, the food make the entire experience really fun & one of a kind.
What you’re ordering: An app, whatever pasta is on the menu, dessert and a glass of local Nebraska wine.
http://prairieplaterestaurant.com/

10. The Black Crow, Beatrice

A quick trip south to Beatrice will get you to the Black Crow, which isn’t the type of restaurant you would expect to find in a small(er) town. It’s quite a bit more upscale and it’s menu is a lot more international than your typical small town diner. I love the lighting and character of the building, their wine list is really good and their location in a small(er) town downtown is also fun. My only criticism is that their menu is fairly traditional and lacks a little of the creativity I usually look for. Which probably keeps me from going back more than I do, but that said, I still visit plenty when heading outside of Lincoln & it is definitely worth your time.
What you’re ordering: The Louisiana Bake, it’s wonderful.
http://www.blackcrowrestaurant.com/

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The rest

People who know me will ask why isn’t the 801 Chophouse (Omaha) on my list? Well, I loooove the 801 Chophouse but two things keep it off the list: it’s sort of a chain and is very upscale/expensive. Which aren’t bad things, but also just enough to miss the rankings.

I’ve been to quite a few other establishments that I have enjoyed in the one hour from Lincoln radius, but didn’t make this list for one reason or another. The biggest examples are local bars, diners and Mexican restaurants that serve really good food, but are really nothing drastically different than the type of food you can already get here in Lincoln from similar restaurants, so it’s hard to send you out of town to visit one. It’s almost like those places need their own list (future blog post research idea!). But that doesn’t mean they aren’t great places within the hour radius that aren’t on this list. In fact, like I said from the beginning, this is just a list of places I’ve been able to visit and have really liked and I’m sure there are some out there that I still need to try. So let me know if you have one … and I’ve already heard from a couple of you, Nate’s on the Nine (Seward) and J. coco (Omaha) are both on my to-explore list 😉

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Tags: Beatrice, Dario's Brasserie, Deer Springs, Glacial Till, James Arthur Vineyards, Le Bouillon, Lo Sole Mio, Miletta Vista Winery, Omaha, Pitch Pizzaria, Prairie Plate Restaurant, Soaring Wings, The Black Crow, The Boiler Room, The Grey Plume, V Mertz