Omaha Driver Entertainment Guide

Located at 1200 Mike Fahey Street in Downtown Omaha, adjacent to the Qwest Center is TD Ameritrade Park.  Opened in 2011, the stadium is the new home of the NCAA Men’s College World Series and provides seating for 24,000 fans.  Within walking distance of numerous downtown hotels, the Missouri riverfront, Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge,  and the Old Market shopping and entertainment district, the new stadium is both scenic and convenient to access.  Other venues planned for the facility include outdoor concerts and  Creighton University men’s baseball and Omaha Nighthawks UFL football team home games.  With a huge electronic scoreboard, abundent parking and concessions, as well as wide walkways, the new park is engineered for spectator enjoyment.  The Omaha community looks forward to the new sports records and memories that will be established here. Visit the park soon and Happy Motoring!

Located at 120 Regency Parkway inside Regency Court, next to Borsheim’s Jewelry, is Bonefish Grill.  Serving fresh seafood from around world, prepared wood grilled, Bonefish is a delightful upscale dining experience.  The first Bonefish Grill opened in St. Petersburg, Florida in 2000, and they now have locations in 28 states.  In 2010 Bonefish was rated #1 by Zagat in its survey of full-service chains.  When our family visited Bonefish, we had the Wild Alaskan Salmon with Mango Rum sauce. The service was excellent and the drink and wine selection strong. In addition to seafood, Bonefish has marvelous grilled steaks, chops and chicken entrees on their menu.  Bonefish is open daily at 4:00 p.m., and reservations are strongly suggested because it is always busy. Happy Motoring!

With 4 Omaha locations at 17304 Davenport Street, 8714 Pacific Street, 2055 N. 120th Street and 3320 Farnam Street, Cold Stone Creamery is well positioned to sell a lot of ice cream, cakes, smoothies and shakes to satisfy Omaha’s sweet tooth. An international franchise, Cold Stone has store is 17 countries in addition to its U.S. locations. I and my team from work visited the Midtown Crossing location of Cold Stone Creamery. The workers there were friendly and engaging. They even sang songs in appreciation of the tips guests left for them. The store was meticulously clean and spacious which we greatly appreciated.  And, the cake and Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory candy displays were arranged to tempt customers to buy, buy, buy. If you want to cool off on a hot Omaha afternoon try Cold Stone.  Happy Motoring!

Located at 6405 Center Street is Amato’s Cafe and Catering. Owned and operated by 70 years young, Sammy Amato, Amato’s may be THE best place in the midwest to dine for breakfast. Featured on the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives show, Amato’s continues to get accolades from the television shows host, Guy Fieri, as one of his personal favorites. Here is a link to a short clip from the show.  The business at Amato’s is always bustling, and it no wonder.  Sammy makes his sausage fresh daily and it is delicious. But it is more than the menu that makes Amato’s a fun dining experience.  It is the friendly and gregarious owner and his wait staff.  You are made to feel like family. Stop at Amato’s when you are in the midtown area. Tell Sammy that Omaha Driver sent you. Happy Motoring!

Located at 120 S. 31st Ave. in Omaha’s Midtown Crossing neighborhood is Cantina Laredo, a gourmet Mexican restaurant that overlooks the Omaha downtown area skyline and fabulous Turner Park. Cantina Laredo is an international chain with locations in 13 states, the United Arab Emirates and the U.K. Without a doubt, Cantina Laredo is Omaha’s premier fine dining experience for Mexican food. My wife and I think the food is among the most spicy hot; and we love it. The wait staff is attentive, and the chips, salsa and refreshments are never allowed to run out.  We like the Enchilada Veracruz entree from their dinner menu. On our very first visit to Cantina Lerado, our waiter recommended a flavored margarita to a member of our group.  When they didn’t care for the taste, the waiter replaced it free of charge.  It is clear that Cantina Laredo is interested in a great dining experience for each customer and they’ve won our family’s business. Give it a try and Happy Motoring!

Located at 2121 S. 67th Street, in the heart of Aksarben Village, is Jones Bros. Cupcakes. Jones’s is an interesting cafe in one of Omaha’s newest markets. We visited Jones Bros. in the midst of a weekend farmer’s market event. The restaurant menu had a large assortment of salads, sandwiches, soups and of course – flavored coffees and specialty cupcakes. The restaurant was very spacious inside with plenty of open seating inside and outside. However, the processes from ordering to seating were not clear and the customer experience somewhat chaotic.  I had a breakfast wrap with processed eggs that were rubbery and tasteless.  I also had a red velvet cupcake for dessert; it was a little on the dry side. I’ll probably visit Jones Bros. again, in spite of this first unfavorable experience because, as you know, Omaha needs more cupcake stores! Happy Motoring!

Located at 32nd and Farnam Street in Omaha, at Midtown Crossing, is Delice European Bakery and Cafe.  Delice serves an assortment of pastries, as well as brunch, lunch and dinner menu items. The cafe is a casual and fun place to relax with friends, and possesses extensive outdoor seating.  Read the newspaper and sample their large assortment of flavored coffees. Or, enjoy a cookie, croissant, or torte cake.  The mocha torte and the opera desserts are very good; but, the almond croissant really releases the food enjoyment endorphins IMO. The coffee is also noteworthy – always fresh-brewed to my liking.  We sampled the quiche selection for breakfast one morning and found them to be excellent.  Give Delice a try and enjoy a stroll through the midtown redevelopment.  You will be very impressed by the entertainment options available in the rapidly growing community. Happy Motoring!

Located at 120 S. 31st Street, at Midtown Crossing, is Parliament Pub. An English inspired bar with a rock-n-roll theme, Parliament Pub is spacious and relaxed place to lounge and kick-back after a long day or week. Parliament has a large selection of specialty cocktails, beers and wines. It also has an outdoor patio with one of the best views of Turner Park and the downtown Omaha skyline. Sheltered from the Dodge Street and Farnam Street traffic by the Midtown Crossing building designs, Parliament has a casual, enjoyable pace that is hard to find in the heart of the city. Sit on the patio in the evening and watch children play in Turner Park as the sun slips behind the buildings to the West and the beautiful midtown lights flicker on; it’s enchanting. Happy Motoring!

Located at 3223 N. 45th Street, on the Turning Point campus at Building A, is Big Mama’s Kitchen & Catering. Owned and operated by Patricia “Big Mama” Barron, the restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner for dining-in or carry-out. Featured on the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives” show with Guy Fieri, Big Mama’s has a strong reputation and a strong menu to back it up. My buddy Chuol Tuach and I had breakfast at Big Mama’s. I had the “Big Mama’s Omelet” and he had the “Lake Street Special.”  Chuol loved the french toast, and my bacon omelet with fresh tomatoes, green peppers and American cheese was oh-so-tasty. After breakfast we wandered through the spacious dining area and admired the many family pictures and patron photos on the restaurant walls. Big Mama Patricia has been active helping others in the Omaha community; receiving many recognitions for her charity work.  I love this quote from her business website, “Peace begins when the hungry are fed.” Indeed. The next time we visit, we’re going to have some Big Mama’s original Sweet Potato Pie Ice Cream. I’m guessing that’s a flavor we’ll not experience anywhere else. Give Big Mama’s a try. They’re open daily (closed Mondays) and their hours are listed on their website. Happy Motoring!

Located at 114th and West Center Road is the Ozark Smoked Meat Company. Ozark is a delightful little barbecue restaurant in West Omaha that serves delicious hickory smoked meats from their own smoker.  Choose a sandwich, dinner plate, or by-the-pound from their menu.  Our family enjoys the pulled pork BBQ sandwiches with the Ozark spicy potato wedges. Ozark also specializes in beef jerky. During our last visit, a customer stopped in to buy $40 worth of the jerky. Dine-in or use their catering service. It’s a nice, quick luncheon stop. Prices are available on their website. Happy Motoring!