1. Amarillo Barbecue
City: Bellevue, NE
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (402) 291-7495
Address: 303 Fort Crook Rd. North
Description: Good barbeque happens in Bellevue, and Amarillo is one of the city’s most popular spots. Smoky, spicy sauce and meaty meats are the focus at Amarillo, and sides like jalapeno corn bread and smoky baked beans are also great. Amarillo has been perfecting its smoking technique—and its sauce recipes—for years; it also makes delicious smoked sausage and smoked chickens. Amarillo built its popularity on baby back ribs, and they’re the signature item on the menu: Smoky, saucy, and tender, they will please any BBQ fan. Amarillo is simple in its country style decor; the focus here is on the food.
2. Stella’S Hamburgers
City: Bellevue, NE
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (402) 291-6088
Address: 106 Galvin Rd. South
Description: The slogan at Stella’s is “Food doesn’t have to be fancy to be good,” and that’s the truth at this Bellevue burger joint that has been in business since 1936. The restaurant is a serious neighborhood joint with a surf style interior decor design. The simple menu serves an array of sandwiches and burgers, which are the main event. The burgers come in singles or doubles, and there’s a wide array of burger enhancements: cheese, jalapenos, a fried egg, onion, bacon, ranch, and even peanut butter (locals say it’s rather tasty). Sides include tasty onion rings and authentic diner french fries. Food at Stella’s is served on a napkin, and diners get a toothpick to take a stab at the fries.
3. China Road
City: Bellevue, NE
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (402) 291-8855
Address: 4006 Twin Creek Dr.
Description: China Road is one of the more popular Americanized Chinese restaurants in Omaha. It has a subtly Asian-meets-American-strip-mall decor (and location) and a giant menu, featuring pork, beef, chicken, seafood, vegetarian items, and house specialties. Sizzling pots are served with food simmering in a clay pot, and some more authentic dishes adorn the menu: Jampong is a combination of shrimp, scallop, crab meat, scallions, celery, carrots, napa cabbage, and onion in a spicy noodle soup. The house special sizzling salmon is a baked hunk of fish served with snow peas, water chestnuts, carrots, bamboo shoots, scallions, mushrooms, and pineapple. The traditional Chinese favorites are here: broccoli beef, mu shoo pork, cashew chicken, sweet and sour dishes, and appetizers like crab Rangoon and egg rolls. For a take-out meal or weeknight dinner, China Road is a solid Chinese choice.
4. Zum Biergarten
City: Bellevue, NE
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (402) 733-1900
Address: 513 N. Fort Crook Rd.
Description: Zum Biergarten is the place Omahans go when they’re in the mod for some schnitzel, craving some homemade bratwurst, or really in the mood for sauerkraut. The German-focused menu includes all the ethnic food one could want (and probably more than that). Potato pancakes, roast pork, German potato salad, Bavarian chicken, dumplings: It’s all there. Even the made-from-scratch dessert menu has a Deutsch bent. The name, which means “To the beer garden,” is also apropos: The restaurant serves wine, eight brands of German beer, and German liquor like Jagermeister and Rumple Minze. The restaurant is simply decorated in shades of burgundy and doesn’t have the kitsch factor of some themed restaurants. Though colder weather might seem like the opportune time to visit, the restaurant wants to be all-seasons, and tops meals with lighter sauce and a side of light, pickled vegetables that seem more appropriate for summer than winter. The weekend lunch special is called the Tour of Germany and includes a platter of food: It may include things like a pork cutlet, a breaded schnitzel, a salad, homemade potatoes, and a number of other side dishes.
5. Fontenelle Forest Nature Center
City: Bellevue, NE
Category: Tours & Attractions
Telephone: (402) 731-3140
Address: 1111 Bellevue Blvd.
Description: Miles of dirt trails resting in thousands of acres of Nebraska forest make Fontenelle Forest Nature Center and Neale Woods a major attraction for bird watchers, wildlife enthusiasts, outdoorsmen, and families looking for a big dose of fresh air and nature. Trail maps are available at the visitor’s desk and hikers are encouraged to explore the grounds on self-guided tours or as part of a guided hike experience.Fontenelle Forest and Neale Woods are neighboring nature centers and together have 29 miles of dirt trails and 2,000 acres of preserved forest, prairie, and marshlands. Fontenelle Forest also has a one-mile long boardwalk with a view of the Missouri River, an indoor play area for children, picnic areas, and wheelchairs available free. Both the center and the boardwalk are wheelchair accessible. At Neale Woods, visitors will find the Millard Observatory, which is open seasonally for astronomy nights.The two areas have been protected since 1913, and are a haven for bird and wildlife viewing. Oak savanna, prairie, and wetlands ecosystems all feature a diverse array of plants and animals each season. Activities abound year-round, for both adults and kids, and youngsters will enjoy themed hikes that include a silent night hike, where kids hunt for nocturnal animals; an “insect-a-hike”; and storytelling and nature detective programs. Adults can partake in yoga for hikers, bird-watching classes, and photography groups.The forest is a popular meeting and event space, and a wide array of buildings and outbuildings are available for business meetings, staff retreats, and events like weddings or holiday parties. A full list of rates is available on the Fontenelle Forest website.