Five Great Omaha Restaurants That Are Unlike Any in Des Moines

Head to this epically re-envisioned city to enjoy its natural and civic pleasures as well as the kinds of restaurants we just don't have around here.

Interior of Au Courant, plus their weekly egg appetizer.

I’ve always enjoyed Omaha—enough to visit it at least a dozen times in the last two decades. But to be honest, I never thought of it much more than a simply a bigger Des Moines. That view changed on a recent five-day getaway there. In the past year and a half, Omaha’s public spaces have been reshaped in ways that are truly astonishing, making me love all that’s new, but also making me see what endures in a whole new light.

While nearly every city these days has an entertainment-warehouse district, Omaha’s Old Market was one of the first, and remains the coolest I know of within a day’s drive of Des Moines. But there’s also an unmistakable “elsewhere-ness” to the city. When we cross the Missouri River, the heart of the Midwest disappears in the rear-view mirror—Omaha is our gateway to the Great Plains, and the minute you land in the Old Market, with its unmistakably Western low-lying, spread-out brick warehouse buildings, it feels that way.

Since my last visit (pre-pandemic), I’ve found even more to love. The entire riverfront area, adjacent to the Old Market, has been imaginatively re-built and entirely beautified. At last, the city has embraced the Missouri River, with views of the city to the West and the bluffs across the river to the East, for a truly remarkable sense of place.

Better yet, there are many wonderful restaurants in Omaha. I focus here on the kinds of places you can’t find in Des Moines. Not to dis our city—certainly, there are things Des Moines has that Omaha does not. (E.g., Harbinger. Plus not one Irish or Anglo pub I’ve been in Omaha to comes close to the appeal of Royal Mile, nor did I find any corn-centric modern-Mexican restaurants quite like Bar Nico. The list goes on.)

The point is not to compare/contrast the two cities, but to help you find places that are unlike what you have in your own backyard. Isn’t that one of the many reasons we all travel?

Here, then, is my list of five great places to dine, followed by how best to enjoy the natural and civic beauty the area has to offer. There are certainly other unique-to-Omaha venues, but I focused only on places I visited recently.

But first, a word to my subscribers: This Substack has over 1,500 subscribers, and continues to grow thanks to your likes, comments, and shares. Please continue! And to my paid subscribers: Thank you. Providing service journalism takes time and money — your support makes it possible for me to dig deeply to find food stories everyone can enjoy.

Oh—and by the way, this trip was entirely sponsor-free. I paid my own way everywhere. No freebies. My loyalty is to you, dear reader.

Plank

1205 Howard St.; 402-507-4480.

Oysters and escabeche at Plank. All photos by me, unless otherwise indicated.

Specializing in fresh seafood in a buzzy, modern-nautical atmosphere, Plank is casual enough for a just-got-into-town meal, but special enough to make you feel you’re on vacation. The fresh oysters were grand, and I’ll probably always order the Mussels Escabeche, with its lively relish of olives, fennel, pickled vegetables, and spiced-up tomatoes. We also enjoyed a very satisfying cod special, with fingerling potatoes and haricot verts, as well as a blackened catfish—in this case, a nice, meaty cut with dirty rice, crawfish, and a lovely creole beurre blanc.

Why it’s unlike any place in Des Moines: Plank is less formal than Splash, but more stylish than Waterfront—plus it’s in the Old Market, a great place to walk around before and after dinner.

Au Courant Regional Kitchen

6064 Maple St.; 402-505-9917.

Au Courant: A thoroughly modern restaurant in an cool old building in an old neighborhood. Every tasting menu starts with an new-that-week take on a jammy-yolked egg. (You can also order one à la carte). Photos via Au Courant.

What a great name for a restaurant! Au courant means well informed and up to date, and by extension, decidedly modern and very much in style. But it also connoted (to me, anyway) a sense of what’s current in terms of seasonality, fresh produce, and fresh techniques, and approaches.

Located in northwest Omaha in the Benson neighborhood, (which has been revitalized in a party-townish kind of way), Au Courant is definitely worth the 15-minute drive from the Old Market. Specializing in “Modern European Cuisine,” you’ll find playful appetizers, handmade pastas, and refined entrees that are thoroughly seasonal in both ingredients and appeal. I will never not get pasta here. We adored the tender butter-glazed papardelle, with its mushrooms and sweet caramelized onions and bits of fried basil (which went against everything most of us assume about basil, but proved intense and irresistible). We also loved the swordfish, with its golden-cherry-tomato Béarnaise. Fig ice cream sent us swooning, too.

The menu changes all the time, of course. Next time I’m going for the tasting menu, especially since the server explained—in so many words—that this would not entail getting a small bite of precious tweezer-food every 10 or 15 minutes (I’m over that kind of dining), but rather, five courses portioned to be a complete dining experience in a more traditional way.

Why It’s Unlike Any Restaurant in Des Moines: Whatever happened to all of our small and cozy, European-influenced, chef-driven, corner-bistro kinds of spots (Sage, Montage, Bistro 43)? Au Courant has that kind of vibe, but just as Sage et. al were au courant for their times, this place firmly steers the concept into the 2020s.

Block 16

1611 Farnam St.; 402-342-1220.

The Sloppy Nick (left) and the Pulled Pork Bun (right), at Block 16.

Chefs/owners Paul and Jessica Urban have an immense amount of bonafides and accolades (read their inspiring story), and also live on a sustainable farm—their main source for produce—in the Loess Hills. They say they love mixing the high-brow with the low-brow, which results in thoughtfully crafted sandwiches, burgers, fried chicken, and poutine—and a line out the door come lunchtime.

It’s worth the wait. Although some of the sandwich descriptions sounded like “extreme eating,” I felt thoroughly happy (but not thoroughly done-in) after enjoying the Sloppy Nick, a sloppy Joe style sandwich on a Texas-toast-like cornbread. We were infinitely fortunate to have snagged the last Pulled Pork Roll (served on a sourdough hoagie with Swiss, caramelized onions, and bright “pickles of the day”). How can you not love a sandwich-anchored spot that has “pickles of the day”?

Why It’s Unlike Any Des Moines Restaurant: I doubt any city has a place quite like this, with its super-casual, farm-dwelling-chef-driven, locally sourced, sustainably-focused menu of sandwiches, poutine, burgers, and fried chicken. However, I will say that Little Brother’s ethos (and amazing sandwiches) does Des Moines proud and offers much of the same appeal. More on Little Brother in an upcoming post.

M’s Pub

422 S 11th St.; 402-342-2550.

M's Pub: "Old Faithful" in the Old Market.

When I asked my Facebook page community to recommend restaurants in Omaha, M’s Pub, in the heart of the Old Market, was cited more than any other place. The appeal starts with the ambiance: With brick walls, wooden floors, and giant windows of an old warehouse, it has amazing sense of place, and it’s shot through with all the warmth and coziness (not to mention trustworthiness) of a place that’s endured since the 1970s.

The extensive and eclectic menu includes pizza-like flatbreads made with lavosh (highly recommended!), sandwiches, and salads. The latter go well beyond the usual, with options such as warm duck and grilled lamb. Entrees include a few comfort-food items (a bratwurst plate as well as satays). Mr. Sportcoat was absolutely thrilled with his tender pot roast with mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables and demi-glace (especially after having endured a vegan fettucine alfredo that didn’t exactly send him over the moon—see the next venue).

Why It’s Unlike Any Des Moines Restaurant: If you know of any other decidedly cozy restaurant in a groovy warehouse building that’s been here since the 1970s and serves lavosh pizzas and pot roast and a heck of a lot in between, please let me know!

Modern Love

3157 Farnam St.. Suite 7113; 402-614-6481.

Shishito appetizer and winter squash entree at Modern Love.

Most of the (admittedly very few) 100%-vegan restaurants I’ve been to in the country are super-casual, order-at-the-counter kind of spots. What makes the all-vegan Modern Love especially appealing is that it’s a full-service restaurant, complete with a bar, table service, and a stylish-casual dining room with immense windows looking out on the Midtown neighborhood in one direction and skyline of downtown in another. They even take reservations.

The menu goes beyond salads, meatless burgers, and grain bowls you often find at casual vegan spots, and includes quite a few vegan makeovers of classic dishes—fettuccine Alfredo, Buffalo wings, macaroni and cheese. I enjoyed the grilled shishito peppers appetizer and the squash bowl (with brown rice, pickled onions, and spinach). Alas, there was a heavy-handedness to the Fettucine Alfredo that made it more goopy than we’d wish for. Nevertheless, if you’re vegan or vegan-curious, this place is worth checking out.

Why It’s Unlike Any Other Des Moines Restaurant: One word. Vegan.

What to Do Between Meals in Omaha

I went to Omaha at the end of September, when the colors of the countryside were in their first autumn yellows. The weather was beautiful, so I spent most of my non-eating time outdoors. I suggest you do the same, as long as the weather holds.

My favorite outdoor things to do:

1. Be a Flâneur around Gene Leahy Mall and the Omaha Riverfront

Start at around 13th and Farnam, and walk towards the river. Tip: If you Google this, be sure you’re looking at photos from this year. The area has been utterly transformed from the somewhat drab place it once was.

Along the Gene Leahy Mall, plus a view of the Missouri River from the adjacent Heartland of America Park.

If you haven’t been to Omaha since 2022, by all means, take plenty of time to stroll around the completely redesigned Gene Leahy Mall. Running perpendicular to the river, this walkway and canal, offers views of downtown from three sides, plus 40,000 square feet of lawn space, a sculpture garden, a modern playground, picnic tables, and metal chairs reminiscent of those found in the Jardins du Luxembourg, France. The Leahy Mall is the perfect spot to tap into your inner flâneur—one who casually strolls about the city not just to appreciate the sights but also to indulge in some quality people-watching.

More outdoor joys await as you walk in the direction of Missouri River towards the Heartland of America Park, which offers a roller-skating/ice-skating park, sweeping views of the river, and one of the most inventive playgrounds I’ve ever seen.

2. Hike the Loess Hills at the Hitchcock Nature Center

27792 Ski Hill Loop, Honey Creek, IA; pottconservation.com

The lush Loess Hills from the Hitchcock Nature Center.

I’ve always found the lush, gently sloping Loess Hills compelling, but trying to figure out where to go/what to see can be daunting. They stretch 200 miles long and up to 15 miles wide. Where to start?

I asked the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative’s nature columnist Larry Stone to give me a lead. He suggested the Hitchcock Nature Center, which is about a 25-minute drive from Omaha’s Old Market.

Larry steered me right, for sure! Once at the Center, we found that the Fox Run Ridge Trail (about .75 miles each way) offered a great overview of what the Hills are all about: The sloping prairies, the amazing diversity of plant life, the rising hills, the high overlooks onto the Missouri River and Great Plains beyond—you’ll see it all on this trail.

P.S.: For more great insights into the great Iowa outdoors, follow Larry Stone.

3. Take A Walk in the Fontenelle Forest

1111 Bellevue Blvd. N., Bellevue NE; 402-731-3140; fontenelleforest.org

The Fontenelle Forest. And it will only get better as the leaves change color.

About 15 minutes from downtown Omaha, this 1,500-acre forest offers meticulously maintained trails (including an extensive boardwalk) through the forest, with great overlooks on the Missouri River. My favorite hike is the Riverview Boardwalk (1 mile), but ambling along other spurs is great, too. Don’t miss the Raptor Woodland Refuge, where rescued birds of prey live in exhibits designed according to their natural habitats. If you’ve never seen a bald eagle up close, prepare to be awed (same with the owls, hawks, and vultures).

If you enjoyed this post, please like, comment, or share — it will help this Substack grow. Thank you.

The Iowa Writers’ Collaborative

I’m proud to be part of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative, a curated group of independent writers across the state. Click here to find more writers you’ll enjoy!