Restaurant Hoppen

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Passionate food lover Dan Hoppen looks for and shares the best restaurants and dishes around Omaha through the Restaurant Hoppen podcast, RestaurantHoppen.com, and social media profiles.

Every year I wait for this sandwich. I don’t know exactly when it’s going to arrive on the menu, nor when it will disapp...
08/22/2026

Every year I wait for this sandwich. I don’t know exactly when it’s going to arrive on the menu, nor when it will disappear again. I just know when it does, I will be at Kitchen Table.

That’s because Kitchen Table’s BLT, fleeting as it is, is a sandwich worth chasing. The restaurant (1415 Farnam St) refuses to serve this sandwich but for a few weeks each summer when the tomatoes from a specific farm are at peak freshness. That might seem over the top… until you try this BLT.

The plump heirloom tomatoes are the star, as the juices practically leap into your mouth as you dig in. They’re seasoned well to draw out their natural sweetness, and are accented beautifully by the thick-cut, salty bacon. The greens add a nice freshness and the aioli brings a creaminess to round it all out.

There are two reasons why this sandwich defines what makes Kitchen Table great:

1. They make everything themselves or source it from a local farm. They bake the levain bread. They make the aioli. They cure the bacon for 14 days and develop relationships with great local farms for the lettuce and tomatoes. It’s all in-house.

2. It showcases the commitment to quality. KT could sell this sandwich all year with tomatoes similar to what you’d find at the grocery store. It would be a very good sandwich and they’d make a lot of money off of it. But they will ONLY serve it now at the peak of tomato season because they want to give you the best of the best, and nothing less.

So yeah, I wish I could get KT’s BLT all the time. But this is one of my favorite sandwiches in Omaha, and it’s worth waiting for.

Now go get one before tomato season is over!

I have to give Ted and Wally's Ultra-Premium Homemade Ice Cream credit: when this Omaha ice cream shop names its flavors...
08/21/2026

I have to give Ted and Wally's Ultra-Premium Homemade Ice Cream credit: when this Omaha ice cream shop names its flavors, it takes the job very seriously.

Case in point: Quit Your Job & Eat Chocolate, which was a special flavor at the Benson location (6023 Maple St) last week. With a name like that, I wanted my tastebuds to be absolutely pummeled by chocolate.

Mission accomplished.

Ted & Wally’s ice cream, which has a very high butterfat percentage, is already very creamy and rich, but this chocolate mousse ice cream amped the lusciousness up another several notches. And flowing throughout were chunks of Oreo, gooey brownie batter, and crunchy chocolate chips.

Look, it was A LOT of chocolate. But for a flavor that could have easily been too intense, it had great balance, and the varied textures made every bite a choose-your-own-adventure mission.

Bottom line: I respect Ted & Wally’s for always having the gall to GO FOR IT. When they promise a flavor, they’re going to give it to you 100%.

And if this flavor returns soon, I might just have to come back and follow the directions in its name.

What’s your favorite Ted & Wally’s flavor? Let me know!

When Porky Butts BBQ announces its daily special is going to be pastrami, it’s like the Bat Signal lights up the Omaha s...
08/20/2026

When Porky Butts BBQ announces its daily special is going to be pastrami, it’s like the Bat Signal lights up the Omaha sky. But instead of attracting Batman, every meat-loving carnivore descends upon this Omaha restaurant.

That was indeed the case Thursday, as there was a line to the door the entire time we were at Porky Butts (15475 Ruggles St). And for good reason; this pastrami is MONEY.

It might be best in Burnt End form, which combines the fatty, marbled point of the beef brisket with the spiced, saltiness of pastrami. These cubes are so rich, savory, and tender that they practically melt on the tongue, and the aromatic spice bark on the exterior is wonderful.

Porky Butts also crafts a Reuben out of the pastrami, and the thick cut brisket, with its smokiness and peppery kick, is the star. The sauerkraut and Swiss accent the protein wonderfully, and I appreciated the sweetness in the BBQ sauce as opposed to the traditional 1000 Island. One small improvement: if the rye bread were toasted and had a little crunch, it would really set this sandwich off.

These items are daily specials, so you can’t get them every day. But 1) you can come to Porky Butts any day and get some great smoked meats from the everyday menu, and 2) this special comes back every month or so, so it’ll be around again.

And when that Bat Signal goes up, don’t hesitate. Just get in the car, start driving, and prepare for the upcoming flavor bomb.

Most restaurants are successes if they last five years, much less multiple generations. But some of Omaha’s most beloved...
08/20/2026

Most restaurants are successes if they last five years, much less multiple generations. But some of Omaha’s most beloved restaurants have thrived for decades and continue to do so. What’s allowed them to have such sustained success?

We go right to the source by hosting Tony Vacanti (La Casa Pizzaria on Leavenworth), Blake Barnes (Bronco's Hamburgers Omaha), and Jack Jeffrey Barrett (Barrett's Barleycorn Pub and Grill) on the latest Restaurant Hoppen panel. This trio expounds on how Omaha and its diners have evolved through the generations and how their businesses have chosen to adapt or stay the same. They also discussed the importance of carrying on the legacy of the family business and how important that passing of the torch is to them.

You can’t miss this episode! It’s available on YouTube and all major podcast providers. And I owe much love to my great sponsors, Certified Piedmontese and Arbor Day Farms.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6M6cM3ZLEs

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-secrets-behind-omahas-longest-standing/id1484101742?i=1000784499673

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4bZKcKBZ4R37BCG8NkY6qu

This week, I saw what I hope is the future of Omaha’s restaurant scene.Anthony Jones, a nationally-acclaimed chef from W...
08/19/2026

This week, I saw what I hope is the future of Omaha’s restaurant scene.

Anthony Jones, a nationally-acclaimed chef from Washington DC and a contestant on the most recent season of Top Chef, came to Omaha to collab with Chef Tim Nicholson at The Boiler Room Restaurant for a one-time dinner like few Omaha has seen.

Usually, Omaha’s star chefs have to travel elsewhere for special event dinners. To have a chef of Anthony’s caliber recognize Omaha and choose to come here is massive.

The meal was fantastic. In particular, the Agnolotti Crown and its sweet corn cream ate like a buttered ear of corn on the cob, but with black pepper and in pasta form. And the Pan Roasted Colorado Lamb Saddle sat upon the most delicious harissa negra that mimicked a mole in the best way.

And it was amazing to see Tim and Anthony work the pass together. They moved so effortlessly, almost without words, it looked like they’d worked 1000 services together, not one.

But the ultimate takeaway from this meal was the thrill that a national chef flew halfway across the country to cook here. Omaha’s culinary scene has been on the rise for some time now, and the rest of the country is finally taking notice. And maybe more big-time chefs will follow in Anthony’s shoes.

Speaking of which, Josh Foo deserves credit for connecting Tim and Anthony, starting the conversation that made this night possible. Josh is the MAN.

Dinners like this just serve as more proof as a message for the rest of the country: Omaha’s restaurant community is incredible, and it just continues to rise.

08/19/2026

I want to compile a list of restaurants that are open on Labor Day. If you're a chef or restaurateur who'll be open or you know of a restaurant planning to be open on Labor Day, please comment below to be included in the list.

We all have dishes that are more meaningful than the food itself. For me, the Bolognese Bianco at Avoli Osteria will alw...
08/18/2026

We all have dishes that are more meaningful than the food itself. For me, the Bolognese Bianco at Avoli Osteria will always be one of those.

My first visit to Avoli (5013 Underwood Ave) was a takeout order during the pandemic. We were having my father-in-law over for dinner, and it was the first time I’d seen him in months. The world still felt so upside down and confusing, and there didn’t appear to be an end in sight.

But somehow that dish, though it was my first time eating it, was so familiar and comforting. For those 30 minutes at our kitchen table eating pasta, all the sickness and worry and unknown just kind of melted away. We were lost in the pasta in the best possible way.

I returned to this dish the other night (this time at Avoli, as it should be enjoyed) and was delighted to find it still gives me those warm, comforting feelings. The al dente rigatoni become perfectly-sized vessels for the rich, meaty pork/veal mixture. The sauce isn’t a classic tomato-based bolognese. It’s built with white wine and cream, giving it a velvety texture and bright notes to cut through the richness and fat. And the toasted hazelnuts added the perfect crunch.

The Carbonara was, as always, excellent as well. Avoli’s version is thicker and creamier than most others I’ve tasted around Omaha, and that’s not a bad thing. It’s a stick to your ribs dish with about a block’s worth of shaved parmesan cheese.

I think any diner would enjoy these dishes, or any of the pastas, at Avoli. But when they’re tied to core memories like I have with the bolognese, the thrill of wonderful pasta extends even deeper.

The warm vibes at Lola's Cafe are so strong that if you have a bad time here, it’s just your fault. The cafe is so brigh...
08/16/2026

The warm vibes at Lola's Cafe are so strong that if you have a bad time here, it’s just your fault. The cafe is so bright and inviting, I can’t imagine feeling anything other than happiness here.

The food’s great too, and Lola’s just dropped a new menu. Seems like a good reason to visit.

Lola’s (4952 Dodge St) bakes all its pastries and breads in house, so it’s no surprise that their sandwiches are a highlight. And the Roast Beef Sandwich might just be my new favorite offering at Lola’s.

The sesame semolina baguette serves as a brilliant base for the sandwich. The bread is firm and chewy, giving vibes of that feeling you get when you sink your teeth into a fresh baguette. The horseradish cream adds creaminess and a little bite, but it’s balanced by the acidity and bitterness in pickled onions and arugula, respectively.

But it’s the beef, fresh from Morgan Ranch in Nebraska, that is the Eddie Vedder of this ensemble. It’s rich and robust, yet sliced so thin you can tear it apart with just a slight tug on the fingertips. My only complaint is I wish the sandwich were a little bigger, but that’s just because it’s so delicious and I wanted more.

The Spinach Feta Frittata is delicious too, with a creamy, almost custard-like eggy filling that’s seriously amped up by the saltiness in the feta.

I want to get back and check out Lola’s dinner menu soon, because there are some exciting new dishes there (hanger steak? Fresh made pasta? Let’s go!). But I’m happy to confirm some of the new additions to the daytime menu match Lola’s vibe: they just make you happy.

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17870 Oakmont Drive Suite 106
Omaha, NE
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