The Best Cocktail Bars in Omaha

Herbe Sainte

★★★★☆ 4.4 (431) • $$

"Great small spot to grab a bite of flavorful southern cuisine. Cute cocktails, smaller sized menu to match the restaurant size--probably seats about 50-60 in a large room with very high ceilings.Great service--we got a party of 20 across a few couches which was perfect. Server did a great job splitting things and food came out hot and quickly! I would definitely come back!"

Dolce

★★★★☆ 4.3 (224) • $$$

"The food is amazing! We had the 5 course meal and we just have the chef surprise us on what was coming out. The chef and his staff are so friendly. The ambiance is great!"

Greek Islands

★★★★☆ 3.9 (264) • $$

"If you want some great greek food, this is your spot. Service was great during lunch even when busy. My gyro was very big and good. This restaurant has been around for a long time and continues to be a destination worth going to. The decor makes you feel like you took a flight to Paros."

Mercury

★★★★☆ 4.4 (199) • $$

"We stopped in for drinks and dinner before seeing the musical "Tina" at the Orpheum.We did not have reservations and were seated no problem! It is a very cool setting and we had a group of 4 so sat at the couches. Staff were very nice and welcoming since it was our first time.The drinks were themed from the zoo. Fun to read and were excellent! The food was well prepared and very good! We had deviled eggs, Brussels sprouts and cheese fondue. All were great to share and tasted great!The cubano was very good as well as the Bolognese. We will definitely be back!"

The Stokin' Goat

★★★★☆ 4 (234) • $$

"Love the menu - salads are terrific! Enjoy sitting on the patio in nice weather Great customer service"

Early Bird

★★★★☆ 4.2 (206) • $$

"Great hot spot for breakfast and lunch! Waitlist highly recommended as it is typically busy. Seating can be either at the bar, high chairs, booths, and or outside seating as well. Many good choices to choose from. This time around got the Crab Rangoon Omelette that was wonderfully fluffy, stuffed with imitation crab along with a savory sweet sauce."

Ponzu Sushi and Grill

★★★★☆ 3.7 (256) • $$

"I've eaten here a couple times when I was in town. I really enjoyed the atmosphere and food. Daniel, back in the bar area, is an incredible server and bar tender. He made great suggestions as to what I should order. All the rolls I tried were incredible. My favorites we the firecracker, Godzilla, Esmeralda, and for something very different try the Aksarben roll."

Kobe

★★★★☆ 4 (218) • $$$

"You could just eat here, but for the prices it's more like a special night out. Enjoy the show and plan a party of people. You can have 10 at a station or reserve two connected stations. Whatever you do, don't be a bozo; make a reservation! And if you get in their email list they'll send you coupons every now and again. The food is good but what you're paying for is the show. This is a large, flat hibachi cook top. The cook will make jokes, entertain you with skills, and flip shrimp into your mouth. You will have a separate server to bring you drinks, your traditional Japanese starter soup and salad, and coordinate the "Banzai" birthday (for an extra $6 included the gong ringing, photo, and cheesecake dessert (yes this use to be free, but not any more)). Note: This isn't a place you sit and talk with your loved ones. This is a place for showmanship. Kobe is loud as all the chefs are doing their own thing and families who are in their "down time" - between the show and paying the bill - are yelling across the hibachi to be heard, plus the special occasion gong (which happens at least once at each time). Other than that, the food is good and we go annually for my younger son's birthday. "Banzai!""

Beacon Hills in Aksarben Village

★★★★☆ 3.6 (260) • $$

"A wonderful brunch experience! We were able to make a reservation and seated immediately. The restaurant is located in Aksarben so there is plenty of complimentary parking in the area. The restaurant has indoor, outdoor, and bar seating. This location also has a large private room for meeting and/or party events. We were comfortable my seated in the main dining area. The restaurant is modern and exceptionally clean. Our server was very attentive and helpful. We were informed that the brunch menu is honored until 3 PM on Sundays and the full menu all day long. We had appeziters for the table and everyone enjoyed brunch menu items. The food items were excellent and cooked to perfection. We enjoyed all the items which were served with fresh fruit sides. The value for our meal was great and we will be returning again."

Roja Mexican Grill

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (256) • $$

"Another Omaha staple restaurant when I come to visit from California. For a Tuesday, this place was super busy. Shared parking lot with many establishments in the shopping area. It was also happy hour 3-6 Monday through Thursday. Chips and salsa are standard. Beef burrito, taco plate and chicken taquitos were ordered, along with margaritas but no photos of that because we were hangry!! Guacamole and flour tortillas were ordered for the baby. We shall return!!Ok, bye."

Lula B's Breakfast Brunch and Bar

★★★★☆ 3.7 (190) • $$

"Super yummy and not badly priced! Visiting from Iowa and wish it was closer to home. Really want to come back before leaving to try the shrimp tacos."

Get Real Sandwiches

★★★★★ 4.6 (120) • $$

"Luckily when I first moved to Omaha this place showed up on door dash and it was our move in delivery lunch. I remember thinking whoa...I wonder if all the food in Omaha is this good. The turkey sandwich is INSANE. I'm not usually a fan of ciabatta because I always think it's going to be hard and scratch the roof of my mouth but Get Real toasts the bun like a magician and the bread is soft while perfectly crispy. The pecorino fries also slap. Have never had a meal here I didn't enjoy and the staff are always so kind. We walk with our dogs every now and then and eat on the patio with them. They provide a water bowl for the pups too."

Early Bird

★★★★☆ 4 (144) • $$

"Leslie: "Why would anyone eat anything other than breakfast foods?" Ron: "People are idiots, Leslie."Early Bird is a great stop for either the savory or sweet style breakfast lover. Even greater to us with the newer location on Pacific...much closer. Breakfast Sammies. Benedicts. Bacon. All good, fresh and unique. Waffles: Belgian AND Churro Waffle options! Service is always quick and attentive. They keep my coffee filled up; helping me prepare to Carpe that Diem. Lots of seating, Including a multi season patio. You never really wait long; if at all."

Monarch Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.8 (155) • $$$

"We took our young boys here while in town and I'm so glad we chose The Monarch! What a gem of a restaurant!!! The decor is absolutely beautiful. Dark sultry walls with beautiful warm lit sconces and chandeliers. The array of live plants scattered about makes you feel like you are dining in an atrium set back in the 1920's. The wall murals completed the vibe. Seriously a very intimate space. We ordered Shirley temples and mock-tails to start and ordered the calamari and balsamic brussel sprouts for our appetizers and all were delicious. Our boys each ordered the steak and pommes frites and I ordered the Cowboy ribeye and my husband ordered the dry aged ribeye special with the garlic jalapeño compote. My husband and I enjoyed our steaks but we were both shocked at how amazing our boys sirloins were. Like..... ahhhhh is that even possible? As steak lovers, we've had them all but these sirloins were, chefs kiss!!!! I cannot recommend the sirloin enough. Don't sleep on this one!!! Our server was very attentive and personable and the chef came out to ask how everything was tasting. This to me shows he prides himself on his work and added to the evening. The details will ALWAYS make good impressions. It was fun to show our boys what mom and dad do on date nights and they were excited to be a part of it. We traveled to Omaha from Milwaukee WI area and I'm really happy we stumbled upon this absolute gem. Thank you for a wonderful evening for my family."

Backlot Pizza + Kitchen

★★★★☆ 4.2 (111) • $$

"Detroit transplant in Omaha who was very happy to find Detroit style pizza. I recommend the Detroit Classic (pepperoni) and finish with a hot fudge cream puff, that's Detroit through and through. They just need Vernors and it would be complete."

Burrito Envy & Tequila Bar

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (166) • $$

"Burrito Envy became a favorite takeout spot for us during the pandemic. We have yet to dine in house, but the burritos and margaritas we have carried back home with us or enjoyed in a park have all been very good. I particularly enjoy the passion fruit margarita, and being an herbivore, I tend to get the mixed veggies burrito unless the current special is veggie friendly. I guess one drawback wpuld be that they have lots of options on the menu, but not a ton for vegetarians. Good thing I enjoy the one main offering. Definitely check out BE if you're in the neighborhood."

The Committee Chophouse

★★★★☆ 4.4 (99) • $$$$

"My husband wanted to take me to a nice date night so we picked this restaurant because it isn't a chain. I have been to so many restaurants with $$$$ next to the name and this is the first restaurant that matched its claim. The Committee Chophouse did NOT disappoint!! Everything we ordered was incredibly delicious and the service was spectacular. We started with their Oysters on the Half Shell, which was incredibly fresh, and Smoked Pork Belly, which tasted amazing and paired well with the salad that came with it. For our main, we split the 56oz Tomahawk Ribeye and the Black Tiger Prawn. The Tomahawk was so tender and absolutely the best steak I have ever had. The Tiger Prawns were cooked perfectly, very plump and juicy. All in all, an amazing dinner that we both enjoyed!"

Lyle's Pizzeria

★★★★★ 4.6 (89) • $$

"Always a favorite! Their service is good and food is worth it. Sad for me but, great for them, it is getting harder to just walk in and get a table or a seat at the bar! I need to remember to continue to make reservations. This trip I had a pesto roll which was 10/10 as always. I also tried the chorizo and potato pizza. The flavors were so good! A bit of spice from the sauce and chorizo and the potato cut it nicely. I do wish it was a bit more "stiff" because it was it was hard to eat this without a fork. But that was my only suggestion!"

JTK Cuisine & Cocktails

★★★★☆ 3.9 (118) • $$$

"Quite simply a marvelous experience in fine dining. The atmosphere is quiet and cozy whileThe service impeccable. The dinner for two date night bundle is a flat out bargain. The salmon with risotto is delicious. And the crème brûlée is addictive. I'mGlad I rediscovered this gem of a restaurant."

Starlite Lounge & Banquet Room

★★★★☆ 4.2 (101) • $$

"Love. Incredible. This place is all I could ever want. Fun drinks, incredible vibes, great servers. Love that you can get food from Buzzard Billy's. I could live there. It is so cozy I feel like I'm in my grandma's basement (in a good way if that makes sense). Such a special place I want to live there. I FORGOT TO MENTION THE Espresso Martinis!!! They are too good. Idk how they do it. Love."

Red Lion Lounge

★★★★☆ 4.3 (78) • $$

"I planned on eating at Stirnella next door for dinner, but they were releasing a new fall menu and wouldn't open until later than usual. Fortunately Red Lion Lounge was right around the corner, so I settled into one of the comfy stools at the bar and ordered a Black Manhattan. The bartender seemed a little standoffish until he saw my tattoos, which we got into a conversation about. That's usually a good icebreaker at bars.The cocktail was fantastic, and I love that every bartender here has some sort of seasonal special that they cross-promote for each other. There seemed to be an equal amount of locals and first timers. Great spot for groups. Would love to come back and try more of the drinks. Oh and there seems to be happy hour! Overall cool loungey spot with fascinating artwork and old-timey movies on the screen."

El Muchacho Alegre

★★★★☆ 4.3 (63) • $$

"We were looking for a place to grab a quick bite when we were visiting. This place had great reviews and a tasty menu. It was a Friday night and we were sat immediately. I had the skinny margarita and my husband has the blood orange margarita. Both were huge and delicious. The chips and salse came right away. Chips were thin and crispy and salsa was great. We shared the street corn, which was listed a desert, but was a good sized portion and delicious. I had the carnitas tacos and my husband had the cartinas. The portions were huge and meals were super flavorful. The restaurant was located in the strip mall, but had a great cozy feel. There were list of tables and booths. The bar has some seating too. Service was fast and efficient. Despite a full restaurant our food came in 5-10 minutes."

Black Label

★★★★★ 4.5 (41)

"Looove this new addition to Fremont, NE! Black Label is located owned and operated and while we were there we spoke with the owners daughter. Everyone was super friendly and the food was super tasty. Inside is clean and has tons of seating. Menu consists of unique burgers, wood fire pizzas, other sandwiches, starters and amazing looking shakes. Oh and they have a full bar too! We ordered 2 Black Label Burgers $10.95 which had shoulder bacon, smoked cheddar, whiskey glaze, garlic aioli, caramelized onions, mushrooms on a house roll. The meat was delicious, with the crispy bits on the patty and well seasoned. Bun was super soft and all the toppings paired well with it. Next time we would go with a double patty $1.25 extra, since we didn't read the menu well enough that the patties were smashed, which we love, but we prefer a meatier taste. We also ordered a side of sweet potato fries $4.45 with the marshmallow maple drizzle on the side. We ended up loving the marshmallow glaze! Also ordered a side of the homemade spicy ranch and it was tasty as well. Can't wait to go back and try their shakes next time were in Nebraska."

The Crafty Dog Sports Bar

★★★★☆ 4.3 (38)

"They have some of the best Gluten Free dishes that I've ever eaten. Service is top notch and prices are reasonable. It's one of my favorite spots in Kearney."

Mas Chingon Shadowlake

★★★★☆ 3.5 (56) • $$

"This was my second visitQueso Fundido had way too much cinnamon. I couldn't eat it. The quesadilla was a little light on the filling. The server stated she didn't normally work at this restaurant, and was just filling in. Couldn't answer a single question.The restaurant was empty, yet everything took a really long time to come out.Overall, I wouldn't go back."

Alchemy

★★★★★ 4.5 (31) • $$

"What a fantastic place! Conveniently located in the original downtown Haymarket in the old pharmacy building. I love the interior decorations which really remind me of Harry Potter mixed with Game of Thrones. The drinks are kind of pricey but worth it! Great service and swanky place. Fun to go to when you're celebrating something or want to dress up. I went with coworkers after work and we thoroughly enjoyed their hospitality. Definitely a cool place that I enjoyed enough to recommend as I do plan to go back again soon! :D"

Early Bird

★★★★☆ 4.4 (31)

"Went to the soft opening of this Early Bird location today, and it was fantastic. Been to a couple soft openings of other establishments and this was one set a bar that will be extremely difficult to beat.The staff and restaurant were running this restaurant as if it had been opened for years already.The atmosphere is absolutely awesome, you walk in and the smell alone drives your hunger up. The dining room is well thought out. They have a mural on the left hand side that captures the location well, with a little zorinsky lake mention in it. The bar area is awesome as well, plenty of space for drinks and food. They have a dual use outdoor seating option with garage doors that can close on colder days. We loved sitting there today with the beautiful weather.Up next, the service. The staff was so nice and so well organized. We were regularly getting checked on. Any questions we had about the menu, they had answers for, and gave great recommendations. They were also very attentive, refills right before we ran out on cue, and timed everything extremely well with us.Now onto the food.Appetizers: Hash Holes, Cinny Bobs, and Cinnamon rolls.The cinnamon rolls are the perfect combination of flaky, doughy, gooey, and the icing was just different but in a good way. Their icing is a vanilla buttercream icing that just hits different. I'm a fan.My new favorite sweet, the Cinny bobs, fried cinnamon roll dough bites on skewers that come with caramel and icing dips on the side. These are the very definition of getting the perfect cinnamon roll bite every time. I shamelessly ate these quickly without regard for sharing with the wife and kids.Hash holes, our new favorite savory. Hash croquettes stuffed with cheese and bacon, and queso to dip in. Need I say more? Just get them, trust me.Entrees:Avocado's jam- nice breakfast sammie on rye with ricotta, eggs, bacon, and bacon jam. Wife loved it, I didn't get to try it, but photo posted below.Chicken and Waffle:Plenty of Waffle with two chicken strips, eggs, and pork sausage gravy. Awesome balance of flavor and daughter claimed "now this is how you make chicken tenders". She ordered the adult portion because she's got a bottomless pit and enjoyed every bit of it.Pancakes and Waffles:Cinnamon roll pancakes, they are a fan favorite here for a reason. They are extremely rich in flavor and have the perfect density. Two pancakes portioned into four "rolls" and an awesome balance of flavors. It's also great because we got to share it four ways with our family of four. This is usually my go to, and I combo it with eggs, links, and add their hash browns.Bonus points here: The hash browns are seasoned and you can order them crispy. Love that they always ask.The game winner today, the Churro Waffle.Fried, cinnamon sugar galore, caramel and vanilla buttercream, whipped cream, so much goodness. Was curious when we ordered to see how "heavy" this might be, and it wasn't, at all. It went down dangerously easy, and was dangerously light. And now we're all full and happy.Would highly recommend it, they open up officially on October 7th. High quality food, service, in a fun atmosphere. Can't wait to go back and try some other options.One last thing, they have an awesome drinks menu. We were lame today and just went with iced lattes and chocolate milk for the kids. But one of the best drinks menus I have seen at a brunch location."

Saro Cider

★★★★★ 4.7 (25)

"My first visit to Nebraska was a win! We visited several establishments, but this spot was one of my favorites. Honestly, I'd never tried ciders before I guess I went out craving a beer so never thought to add ciders to my list of things to try. How wrong I was. Upon entering Saro Cider, I knew it would be great. First, the interior is spotless with decorations with clean lines and an airy feel. It was a place I instantly felt at home. There was mellow jazz playing on the speakers and the ambiance was calm and relaxing. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't quiet. The place was alive with people chatting. I perused the offerings and had my mind set on a flight. My friend showed me a flyer stating that if you were a mom, all you had to do was show a photo of the "Apple of Your Eye" and you got a free cider. That sealed the deal; I went with a class of cider. I had the Ardennes. Here is the description from their website: "Ardennes 5.0% abv.Inspired by the Wit style of Belgian beverage, this offers the subtle complexities of coriander, lemon, ginger..." Wow, was it ever good. It was light and palate pleasing. I am SOLD on ciders and I think I need to be on the hunt for one as good as this. I sampled a few others from my friend's flight and loved the Zamora. It had some zip with just a hint of the jalapenos coming through. The only sad part? They closed at 5 p.m. on a Sunday. I'm sure we could have hung out there a couple of hours. I think this place is great and I think they should expand to my area. Come to Phoenix Saro Cider!"

Big Kel's Pizza & Wings

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (49)

"Family friendly, reasonable and services groups!For the kids they have games and adults a brewery as a neighbor;)"

Aragon Tavern

★★★★★ 4.5 (24)

"So glad to see Lincoln is expanding their food spots. We went during our lunch because the last two times on the weekend they had a two hour wait!The ambiance was quiet during lunch Incredible burgers, somewhat limited but delicious.We tried the Aragon burger and a steal scallion wrap w truffle fries. We cant wait to try more options next time!"

The Cottonwood Room

★★★★☆ 3.8 (31)

"Sophisticated | Date-Spot | MocktailsSophisticated - Probably the best vibe in Omaha. It truly is an NYC or Chicago cocktail bar transported to Omaha. The table finishes, the mixologist, the menu, and the awesome tree in the middle of the bar give you an upscale, unmatched vibe in Omaha. Date Spot - This is an ideal date spot. It is a great place to start your night, end your night, or impress someone with an upscale first date with drinks. Mocktails - The menu has two mocktails - both are really good. Their additive flavor ranges, including blackberry, blueberry, and pineapple, make them special. Pro tip - They definitely screen the clientele. I've been three times, and the service was dependent on the fashion/dress of the group. WE GOT GREAT SERVICE when I was with a group dressed to impress. When I came over after a round of golf with a group in shorts and polos, we got above-average service. When I went with my in-laws, and we were all in t-shirts, shorts, and hoodies, we were ignored. Therefore, make sure you look the part if you get drinks there."

Early Bird - Blackstone

★★★★☆ 4.2 • $$

"Every time I have been to Early Bird it has been good. They do get busy on the weekends so definitely check or join the waitlist before going!I've had a few of their egg benedict's and definitely like the crab cake one better than the salmon one. The breakfast pot pie was also delish!! My sister got one of the burrito bowls and it was good, but a bit spicy for our taste.It's a great and reliable brunch spot, just be sure to prepare for it to be busy if you go on a weekend!"