There’s an outdated statistic that bounces round in Nebraska: Omaha has probably the most eating places per capita of any metropolis of comparable dimension (round 1 million individuals within the metro space). The factoid is repeated again and again, and its accuracy has ceased to matter. It persists as a degree of delight, a rallying name for the state’s largest metropolis, the place locals love consuming out.
Above all, Omahans love steak, medium uncommon, few exceptions. The town’s aged purveyor, Johnny’s Café, is a century-old south Omaha staple, although it gracefully shares the limelight with a few of the metropolis’s newer hotspots, like Committee Chophouse, the place classics just like the Delmonico and the chateaubriand have discovered new traction. However Omaha isn’t all about meat. In 2023, town celebrated its first James Beard Award finalist, David Utterback, who’s making a few of the most notable sushi within the Midwest at Yoshitomo and Ota, in addition to yakitori at Koji.
Like many cities, Omaha misplaced eating places through the pandemic, and restaurateurs nonetheless face a whole lot of challenges, particularly staffing. Costs are larger too. However house owners and cooks have endured, and eating stays a central focus within the metropolis, the place you will discover blue crab maltagliati, Burmese ramen, quick food-style seitan burgers, farm-to-cone ice cream, and naturally, loads of beef.
Sarah Baker Hansen is an award-winning author who covers the meals scene in Omaha, Nebraska.
