UPDATE: Check out our new 2023 Best Cities to Live in the U.S. list.
#9. Omaha
Omaha, NB is one the best food cities in America. Think you’ve been to a steakhouse? One visit to The Drover in Omaha will have you thinking again. This culinary landmark in the Midwest doesn’t mess around with meat. A warm, rustic atmosphere enhances the experience customers get from sinking their teeth into thick cuts of beef that have been soaked in a whiskey-based marinade. Many guests come out claiming to have just tasted the best steak they’ve ever had. And while The Drover is a true Epicurean delight, it’s not the only delicious experience in Omaha.
Innovative chefs throughout the city are creating sensational menus that surprise many visitors. From high-end dishes that satisfy the most discerning palates to more comforting meals, restaurants in Omaha are worth standing in line for. Clayton Chapman, chef at The Grey Plume, and Jon Seymour at V. Mertz were both semi-finalists for the James Beard Award of “Best Chef: Midwest” in 2013, while Paul Kulik, chef at The Boiler Room, picked up the same honor in 2012. Considered one of the nation’s most sustainable restaurants, The Grey Plume’s menu is seasonally driven, utilizing locally grown produce and livestock to make dishes such as roasted trout, chicken roulade and rabbit. V. Mertz, located in the historic Old Market Passageway, provides elegant meals and an abundance of wine. Dinner items include grass-fed lamb shank, braised wagyu beef duet and pepper steak. Set up in what used to be the actual boiler room for a 120-year-old building, The Boiler Room’s menu showcases the work of local growers with items like crispy pork belly, Atlantic king salmon and stuffed lamb loin. Great farmers markets equip stay-at-home chefs with all the necessary provisions. Residents here don’t mind spending a bit above the national average when dining out and do so quite often. Though it’s only been held once before, anticipation is building for what could become Omaha’s best annual food event, August’s Beer and Bacon Festival.
Other places to sniff out: Dario’s Brasserie, Taita, Lisa’s Radial Cafe, Wilson & Washburn
Don’t miss: Brunch at Lot 2.