Looking for Suggestions on Restaurants in Valentine and Downtown Omaha (Alliance: appointed, homes)

[geog-fanatic]

Hello - I would appreciate any info I could get regarding good places to eat in the downtown Omaha area and also in Valentine. I will be traveling through Nebraska for a couple days on the way to the Black Hills in mid-September, and I'm very excited about seeing Omaha and the Sandhills. However, I have no idea where to eat!!! I'm not a real steak fan, but that may be due to the quality of steaks in GA. Any suggestions on good local food, including homestyle (nothing way too pricey, though, and no typical chains)?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions...

[yman97]

There's a lot of excellent places to eat in downtown Omaha but my favorite is a little southwest of there. You may try Lo Sole Mio's on 3001 S. 32nd Ave. Here's a link to their site:

Lo Sole Mio Italian Restaurant Located in Omaha NE

If you like Italian food, you will not be disappointed.

If you want to stay in the Old Market, you can try Vivace (contemporary Italian), Michael's or Trini's (in the passagewat) for Mexican, Old Chicago or Famous Dave's if you prefer a chain restaraunt. Another fav is Spaghetti Works (not the greatest but good for the prices). There's also a number of steak places in the area such as Angie's. Honestly, you can't really go wrong with any of them. Hope you enjoy your time here.

[itsMeFred]

I don't know much about Omaha (and you don't know there's about 350 miles between Omaha and Valentine, right?)

But in Valentine you have to try the Peppermill.

[geog-fanatic]

Thanks to both yman97 and ItsMeFred for the suggestions. I researched some of the menus for the restaurants you named, and they look to be very promising and include great variety.

Oh, and I'm fully aware of the distance between Valentine and Omaha, but it should be a piece of cake compared to the 1-day drive from Atlanta to Omaha. Unfortunately, I only have 8 days for my full trip, which also includes stopping at Carhenge, Wind Cave, Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, and Devil's Tower before returning home. However, I'm used to long car trips, as I have learned that they are the best way to truly see America. Are the Sandhills as beautiful as they appear in pictures? I have waited many years to view them.

[DTO Luv]

I live Downtown and would recommend the following.


All of these places (except for Sullivan's and the Chophouse) are in the Old Market which is around 11th and Howard.

-Vivace's (my favorite place to eat now)
-V. Mertz
-M's Pubs
-The Flatiron
-The Indian Oven
-Vincenzo's (Try the stuffed mushroom)
-Passport
-Upstream
-The French Cafe
-Micheals
-Trini's


If you're into steak there are Omaha Prime, The Chophouse at the Paxton, and Sullivan's.

Most of these places are above average as far as price and some are just flat out expensive but totally worth it.

[itsMeFred]

oops, that was supposed to say, "and you do know..."

Originally Posted by geog-fanatic

Are the Sandhills as beautiful as they appear in pictures? I have waited many years to view them.

Yes.


Though they're prettiest in late spring when they're still most green. Kind of what my Nebraska mind has always pictured Ireland should look like.

Where you'll be going across the top along Hwy20, you'll miss out on seeing "the big hills" though, as my husband has always put it.
South of Gordon, down to around Lakeside and east to about Hyannis or so, the hills are considerably rougher (and higher) than they are further east.

But if you're swinging down to Carhenge, does that mean you're taking Hwy2 back east?
In which case, you'll see "the big hills" from just a little ways out of Alliance, on east to around Hyannis or Mullen, or so when they start getting softer and more rolling.
If you pay attention, you can also see the shift from short grass prairie to tall grass around Valentine on 20 and somewhere around Thedford, on 2... But where we're toward the end of the grazing season, you might not really be able to see it. Something to watch for, though...

Enjoy your trip. The Black Hills should be pleasant by then, too, since most of the tourists will have cleared out.

[MTSunshine]

Hello ... I'm a Nebraska native, of both Omaha and Valentine, and as far as places to eat, you HAVE to go to the PepperMill in Valentine. They can be a bit pricey, but not too bad considering the quality of the food. And as far as steak, you have not eated a steak until you eat one from the PepperMill. I am now residing in Montana, for the past 10 years, and I still have not found a steak as good as PepperMill. We frequented the PepperMill regularly for 13 years, and never once had a bad experience. LOL... and anytime we travel to Nebraska, we head straight back to the PEPPERMILL. Check it out at: Peppermill Steakhouse - Valentine, Nebraska

As far as Omaha, one really neat place is the Spaghetti Works, which is located in the OLD downtown, (buildings from the origins of Omaha: wonderful) and has just wonderful food, and at very low prices. This is a link to more info about their address: Spaghetti Works Restaurant, Omaha, NE : Reviews of Spaghetti Works Restaurant - Yahoo! Travel Try it... you'll love it !!!

[yman97]

I've actually been to all of the sights that you mentioned except Devil's Tower. I actually just returned from Northwest Nebraska and strongly recommend Toadstool Geological Park. It's basically the Badlands but on the Nebraska side of the border. It's near Crawford, NE. Fort Robinson is also pretty cool. Both are fairly close to the Black Hills. They have a 1 mile tour that's really worth the effort though some of the climbing is a little challenging. The Sandhills are beautiful.

[nemar]

I am planning a quick trip to the Sandhills within the next couple of months. Are there poisonous snakes in the Sandhills?

[yman97]

There are rattlesnakes in certain area's but we never came across any. We did see a few places that had signs posted stating that they were common. Just be sure where you walk and stay on the trails if there are any.