Omaha Driver Entertainment Guide

Located at 7902 Towne Center Parkway (Shadowlake) in Papillion, is Fatburger.  The first Fatburger opened in 1952 in Los Angeles. Now the restaurant has franchises in 13 states. However, the Shadowlake location is the only one in Nebraska. As shown on their menu, Fatburger serves burgers as small (2.5 oz) or as large (24 oz) as you want. A photo collage of those patrons that have consumed a “Triple King”, Fatburger’s largest burger, covers the restaurant’s walls. The Fatburger menu is not complex; burgers (including veggie, chicken and turkey), hot dogs, fries, chili, onion rings, and drinks including shakes. Keeping it simple allows Fatburger to focus on speed and freshness. My wife and I enjoyed our meals at Fatburger and will return again. Open Sunday through Thursday from 11am to 9pm, and Friday and Saturday from 11am to 10pm. Give it a try and Happy Motoring!

Founded in 1962 by Lithuanian immigrants, the Lithuanian Bakery  and the Lithuanian Bakery and Cafe prepares some of the best fresh-baked sourdough, rye and pumpernickel breads in Omaha.  They also prepare tortes, kolaches and other delightful pastries. The main bakery is located at 5217 S. 33rd Street in Omaha, while their bakery and cafe (pictured at left) is located at 7427 Pacific Street. The cafe is a great place to stop for lunch or dinner, and to enjoy authentic Lithuanian fare.  The cafe also sells an assortment of imported jams, marzipan’s, and chocolates, as well as other foods and products from the Baltic region. Enjoy a knackwurst, bratwurst, or kielbasa sausage plate with potato salad and sauerkraut. I recommend the homemade lentil soup and the grilled tuna melt on sourdough rye bread. It’s excellent. Omaha has a rich cultural heritage, and its fun to experience “old country” treatment in our own back yard. Open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Give it a try and Happy Motoring!

Located at 17010 Wright Plaza (just off 168th and West Center) is Roja Mexican Grill. Voted “Best of Omaha” in 2007 and 2008 by Omaha Magazine, Roja’s has a prompt, courteous wait staff and some of the finest Tex-Mex food in Omaha. The inside of the restaurant is spacious, with high ceilings and artfully crafted metal chairs.  Small fountains of water flow through a trough that extends the length of the dining area.  Roja’s has a sizable bar stocked with over 80 different Tequila’s; and, they boast that they to have the largest Tequila selection in Nebraska.  The strawberry margarita’s are flavorful.  The meals begin with freshly heated corn chips and Roja’s house salsa. The salsa is mildly spicy hot and delicious. The menu at Roja’s has a decent selection of appetizers, soups & salads, specialties, combo platters and desserts, as well as traditional Mexican fare such as enchiladas, tacos and fajitas.  I recommend the Roja Caesar Salad and Tortilla Soup. However, be prepared to take some food home because the salad portions are enormous. Dine in or carry out.  Roja’s is open daily at 11:00 a.m. Happy Motoring!

Located at 2121 S. 73rd Street, one block north of Mercy Road on 73rd Street, is one our family’s favorite Omaha steak houses, the Drover. The Drover is well known for its famous “Whiskey Steaks”, that use the Drover’s original and secret whiskey marinade. The inside of the restaurant is dimly lit with rustic dark wood decor. The Drover has several small alcoves with tables and seating, providing privacy for small groups. The Drover has a small cocktail lounge, as well as a small buffet salad bar with traditional, but somewhat limited, salad selections. The salad plates are “chilled.”  The Drover has several seafood menu items on their menu, and they are open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch, and nightly for dinner after 5 p.m. This Spring after the potholes are filled, have your mechanic check your vehicle’s front-end alignment and wheel balance, it’s been a hard Winter. Happy Motoring!

Located at 1017 Howard Street, in the Old Market, is the French Cafe’. The French Cafe’ is well known in the Omaha metropolitan area for elegant, fine dining and was voted by Omaha Magazine as Omaha’s best formal dining restaurant in 2009. Start your traditional French meal with a bowl of Classic French Onion Soup. It is excellent. Here is a link to the full dinner menu. The French Cafe’ is open on Sundays for Brunch, served for 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. And, it is open 7 nights per week for Bistro or Dinner service. The French Cafe’ can also host your special events or meetings, with private (for fee) rooms available. Reservations may be submitted online using their convenient web reservation form. Happy Motoring!

HuHot Mongolian Grill is a restaurant chain with franchises in 12 states, including 4 Nebraska locations. HuHot’s has a restaurant in Lincoln, and 3 in Omaha. One is located at 990 S. 72nd Street, another at 710 N. 114th Street, and another at 17660 Wright Street (177th & Center). HuHot is a fun eating experience for the entire family. Guests get to choose their own meats, noodles, vegetables and sauces for grilling by HuHot’s professional cooks. The sauces include mild traditional Mongolian flavors such as Teriyaki, garlic oil, sesame oil, and sweet and sour. Bold Asian and hot flavors are also available, including Thai peanut, ginger, curry, chili oil, kung pao and Szechuan. HuHot is open for lunch and dinner, and their hours of operation may be found on HuHot’s website. My wife and I love this place. Give it a try and Happy Motoring!

Located at 2505 S. 90th Street, just North of 90th and Center, is Senor Matias Mexican Restaurant. Senor Matias has been at this location for over 30 years. The restaurant serves “Tex Mex” like food; tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and of course terrific margaritas. My wife enjoys Senor Matias’ super tostadas. The super tostada choices include beef, bean or chicken. It is a plate-full piled high with lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, olives and sour cream. I recommend the chicken enchiladas. Senior Matias is also well known for their terrific fried soft shell tacos. They serve an enormous ”super taco” that is the size of a football!  You’ll never walk out of Senor Matias hungry. The portions are generous and the service is friendly and prompt.  Open daily till midnight (bar until 1:00 a.m.). Sunday hours 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Give it a try and Happy Motoring!

Located at 817 N. 40th Street, just north of St. Cecilia’s Cathedral, is Lisa’s Radial Cafe.  A family owned business, the Radial Cafe, touts itself as “Omaha’s Oldest Cafe.” My friends and I visited for breakfast. We were initially ushered to a small waiting room, but were seated within 5 minutes. The inside of the diner is small and cozy, with an interesting assortment of Omaha photographs and artwork adorning the walls. The diner was packed, but the customers were diverse and friendly, making the experience enjoyable.  I had ”The Works” breakfast that included scrambled eggs, hash browns, toast and bacon. The portion sizes were large and tasty. I had a minor spill, but the wait staff was on-the-spot to clean things up. The Radial Cafe is on the “Omaha’s Best” list, and it easy to understand why. It is an Omaha “must try”. Happy Motoring!

La Mesa Mexican Restaurant is a popular Omaha chain with 5 metro locations. Our family has typically eaten at the 84th and Tara Plaza location in Papillion. La Mesa’s food is good, but not memorable. La Mesa provides free corn chips and salsa appetizers, but the salsa is very mild. I prefer salsa with a little more kick to it. Their menu includes traditional Mexican dishes. The Nacho Fajitas is a popular entree choice. They also provide dine-in and take-out options, as well as catering services. La Mesa offers a large selection of Tequilas and Margaritas from which to choose. Give it a try and Happy Motoring!

Lansky’s has three Omaha locations. One at 50th and L Streets in Omaha, another at 1131 N. Broadway in Council Bluffs, and a third location at 3909 Twin Creek Drive in Bellevue (at 36th Street and Highway 370). Lansky’s is well known for its Philly steak sandwiches and for its pizzas. I think Lansky’s pizza sauce has a sweet tangy taste to it.  Overall, the food is very reasonably priced. We had a group of 30 at Lansky’s and were very satisfied with the service. They provided a dining room for our group free of charge, saving us a lot of added expense. Lansky’s has an extensive menu that also includes pasta, calzones, soups, salads and desserts. I really like their newest location in Bellevue. Give it a try and Happy Motoring!