Youngest Omaha Granddaughter (YOG) is the only one of my grandkids who is a committed carnivore. She wanted steak for dinner tonight. We tried to get last-minute reservations (nobody even answering the phone at the Drover - boo) so we turned to a new choice flor us: Johnny's Cafe, a 100 year Omaha institution. Nice to be old; we were able to score an early--bird reservation. Where YOG ordered... ...Mac n' Cheese. (She said restaurant steaks aren't as good as PopPop makes at home, bless her heart). While waiting, we enjoyed nice fresh rolls (yay!) with a chives and cottage cheese ball (not my taste but it's a signature item). Daughter ordered the Petit Filet; it was a bit overcooked but she ate it (bless her heart). I ordered the Prime Rib. It was tasty - perfectly cooked but less tender than what I normally experience. It had no real seasoning crust, but it did have a lot of external silver skin/gristle that should have been trimmed off before cooking. But the meat was tasty, and the price/value was very good. We ended the meal on a high note, sharing Caramel Chocolate Decadence. It was outstanding, marred only by YOG's efforts to shield it from the rest of our forks. Service was exceptional: friendly but not familiar, attentive but not cloying, informative and professional. Kudos to management. So: overall not the best steakhouse I've ever eaten at, but far, far from the worst. (Oh, and YOG tasted all of our steaks. She said they were good but PopPop's are better. Bless her heart !) read more

Old school steakhouse. Loved the ambiance and decor. Food was really good. Experience was awesome!

This place reminds me of the supper clubs of my childhood, and I hope they never modernize the decor! Johnny's was running a dinner for 2 anniversary special which included soup or salad, appetizer, entree and side, and dessert for $90. I ordered a salad with bleu cheese dressing and strip steak with mashed potatoes, and then we split the shrimp cocktail appetizer and chocolate caramel decadence for dessert. Complimentary bread and cheese spread were amazing! The side salad was very small, very boring, and very watery, but the shrimp cocktail was exactly as expected. Then the steak I'm a little conflicted on... it was cooked and seasoned perfectly but had a lot more fat than I'm accustomed to - and not just on the edges. The dessert though... the only "conflict" there was that I felt like I needed to go to confession after eating it. Decadent indeed. Service was fantastic! read more

Johnny's Cafe - Strip Steak with Loaded Mashed Potatoes - Steakhouses Near Me - Omaha, Nebraska

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Wow, what a Time Machine! First impression when I walked in was that the place smells like a bowling alley. Not a bad thing, just reminiscent of a time where people smoked indoors and decorated with carpet and dark wood. The entryway is a small museum of newspapers and menus and photographs of the restaurant through the ages, starting in the 1920s. Really interesting and fun to check out. The place itself is like stepping back in time. The decor feels like being in a steak house from a movie in the 60s. Huge faux windows with a forest scene, dark wood and leather give it a smoking lounge vibe. Really fun ambiance. We did the meal for two with the shrimp cocktail, house salad, strip steak, and chocolate caramel decadence. The salad was lackluster and was basically lettuce with a cherry tomato and whatever dressing you choose. Would be nice to have a little onion or croutons. The shrimp cocktail was fine. Nothing unique. The strip steak was cooked well but had a ton of marbling that made it tough to eat. We saved a hefty amount of fat to feed my friend's dogs later. The waitress was great and attentive and brought us over a member of the staff who helped us choose our wine and she nailed it. Super good. But the dessert is really what made this a worthwhile trip. The caramel chocolate decadence was out of this world. I don't have a photo because we were too busy dying over it. Not sure this will be a place I come often, it was pretty pricey even with the deal. But it's certainly good if you're looking for atmosphere. read more

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Food was very good, especially enjoyed the cottage cheese and roles. Service was solid but not exceptional. This place is very retro, so if you are nostalgic for 70s, this is the place for you! read more

Johnny's Cafe - Ginger Chicken - Steakhouses Near Me - Omaha, Nebraska

First time coming here for our wedding anniversary and it was extremely disappointing! We were seated right away and our waitress came over to get our drinks order. She was friendly but service was a bit slow as it took awhile to get things we requested (spoon & steak sauce). We got bread and the cottage cheese spread which was pretty good. Next we each got a house salad. The salad was delicious but the one tomato in my salad had mold on it. I brought it up to the attention of the waitress and felt dismissed because she just said, "okay do you want a manager?". I said no because her tone felt condescending. There was no apology, & didn't ask if I wanted another salad after she took mine. Steaks came out soon after, I had ordered the Omaha Steak Strip, medium well. Center was pink but it was charred and the taste of charred meat over powered the entire thing even with steak sauce. Husband ordered the T-bone steak and he was content with his. read more

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The food was absolutely delicious! But that is not what I'm here to review about. Ken deserves a raise! What a funny guy! He really made us enjoy our time here. We will definitely back - and requesting Ken!!! read more

Recently went to Johnny's for our anniversary dinner and it was delicious as always, the prime rib was amazing.

It's been so long since I came to this place, which is a shame because I live so close. I absolutely love being taken back in time when I walk through the doors. Our service was amazing. I wish now that I would've tried the fillet. I went with the prime rib because I was really hungry for it. Unfortunately, it fell short. There was not much of a cap on it, which is usually the most tender part but even that part was a bit chewy. As soon as I got into the main area of the prime rib, it was so chewy had I not been with others I would've spit out my bites on a napkin. I tried just a couple bites and could not do it. The waitress was kind enough to take it off the bill without argument, which was really nice. I really want this place to succeed. It's part of the history Of Omaha! I will indeed give them another try! On a sidenote, my baked potato was good and my drink delicious. I just love the ambience there. read more

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The cottage cheese spread with the bread was great. So were the onion rings with the homemade ranch. My salad with hour dressing was good. Nothing fancy and it didn't need to be. My friend said that the onion soup was very good. The only disappointment were the steaks. I ordered my fuel medium rare and it was gray and well done. The replaced it and gave me a discount. The new steak was more rare than medium rare, but fine. My friend's prime rib was ordered medium rare and came out really rare. He asked them to cook it a bit further and it came out back well done. The meat didn't seem to be great cuts anyway. Ambiance was old school and great. The service was good. The only issues were the quality and cook of the steaks. read more

Johnny's is a great restaurant with great food and great service. They work hard to meet the needs of each customer.

What a great experience we had. Our bartender was spot on with our drinks and even suggested a twist to our Moscow Mules that didn't disappoint. We were then seating in the "Wine Cellar" room which was a perfect setting for our small group of three. We started dinner with trying their cottage cheese spread on the warm rolls, delicious, followed by stuffed mushrooms which were off the hook good. I had prime rib, Cowboy Cut, and it was cooked to perfection. We honestly hadn't been to Johnny's in quite sometime, but it is now on our places to go. read more

What can I say about Johnny's that hasn't been said before? Nothing. This place is an Omaha staple, has been featured in major motion pictures, and has the reputation as one of the premier restaurants in South Omaha still going strong after 101 years. I had the daily special today - Turkey and dressing with mashed potato's. Had a side salad with house dressing. Service was fast and friendly, food was great. Why don't I come here more often?? Do yourself a favor if you're reading this and are looking for a place to eat. Eat here. Once. It won't disappoint. read more

Johnny's Cafe - Steakhouses Near Me - Omaha, Nebraska

Today was the second time I've been to this restaurant and the experience was awesome just like it was last week. Waitresses were friendly, efficient and always smiled. We were treated with respect, dignity and felt really welcomed which is something too many places don't hold to a high enough standard. The atmosphere and decor was stunning - like the places I used to go to when I was a child. Classic, nothing modern, very atmospheric, lots of personality. It wasn't modern or sterile like so many other restaurants. It brought me back to when I was a kid and more places were like this. Comforting, I believe, is probably the best word for this. Last week my uncle took me here. I had meatloaf and mashed potatoes (stunning, amazing, but I love meatloaf so I'm biased, but definitely one of the best I've had), French onion soup (The awesome waitress even warned me how hot the bowl was, and yet I still managed to burn myself.). Today when my uncle took me we had the ox tail, and once again I had the French onion soup. The ox tail, something that is incredibly uncommon anymore as far as I've seen (or haven't seen to be more precise), was cooked to perfection in an amaaaazing gravy. 10/10 for that one, and it had been so long since I'd had ox tail that it took me way back. The French onion soup was also beautiful. From the taste of the broth to the astounding amount of onions in the soup itself (you wouldn't believe how skimpy some places are with the onion) and particularly the satisfyingly soft cheese pull, it will definitely be something I will get regularly. Don't know who will remember us there if this review is seen, but all the same, if you're reading this then thank you for the double serving of memories to childhood, great food and amazing staff! Downside: They really should make an entrance that isn't in the middle of the freeway onramp. Small inconvenience, definitely does NOT overshadow the experience. THANKSGIVING EDIT: My uncle and I once again went here, this time on Thanksgiving - wildly busy to an impressive level. Had a veggie appetizer with a liver spread and prime rib. All of it was great. The waitress was amazing, unsurprisingly, and when I asked for a soda refill, she brought a carafe of my soda out as well as the glass. Very cool, very good - a third amazing experience. read more

Ambiance takes you back back back in time to an old era of Italian steak houses in Omaha. The setting is simply awesome with rafters shaped like T bones, Food is good not great. But worth it for the experience. A good value though!!! read more

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Excellent food overall. Friendly and efficient service. Ambiance is right out of the 1970's which is really cool. We love to stop in for a martini in the bar then wander into the dining room for food. Highly recommend the Chateaubriand for two. read more

Food 3.5/5.0 Service 3.5/5.0 Value 3.0/5.0 Decor 3.0/5.0 Overall 3.5/5.0 Decent steakhouse. They could use a renovation if the numbers ever worked. That said, I wouldn't mind coming back. read more

Johnny's Cafe is an old fashioned South O steakhouse that hasn't made it out of the late 70s and early 80s. It's a perfectly fine restaurant that serves a-ok food from an unimaginative menu. It's also a perfect place to meet up with old friends, tell some stories and relive better times. read more

Johnny's Cafe - Steakhouses Near Me - Omaha, Nebraska

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We had a dinner for about 25 people following our wedding. Setting up an event is so easy. They are very easy to communicate with. Service was excellent and everyone loved the food! I had the ribeye which was perfectly cooked and those who had the salmon raved about it. The staff were accommodating and cooked some steaks to people's temperature preferences, even though for an event they say all steaks will be cooked the same. Our guests were very happy. read more

Came to Jonny's again for lunch . Had the catfish. Was delicious! And once again the blue cheese dressing on my salad was by the best in Omaha. read more

Johnny's Cafe - Fried whole Mississippi Delta Catfish! - Steakhouses Near Me - Omaha, Nebraska

Disappointed in the way Johnny's has declined over the years. I have frequented there on and off for over 50 years. My last visit I ordered ribeye medium rare. Portion was smaller than expected and overcooked to almost well-done. Do not intend on returning on fear it will continue its decline. Sad to see the demise of a South Omaha icon. read more

I am honored to give Johnny's a 5 star, Johnny's is a privilege to visit a historical hollow ground. When you there you have to enjoy and wonder of all the cattle business that took place there. The idea of some Feedlots that operate today were manifested here over a delicious steak dinner. The Ambiance isn't an owed to the past, you are really in a time capsule. Service is perfect and truly makes you feel good to tip your server big. Enjoy read more

Went to Johnny's on Saturday and I was hoping to love it more than I did. After seeing the news article about the property taxes increasing I wanted to take the opportunity to support a local business, especially one that has been in our community for such a long time. Our waiter was an absolute delight of a man and worked hard to keep up with the busier than normal evening, due to the news article and it being Berkshire weekend. It seemed that the restaurant was not at all prepared for a busy weekend, the bartender had said that this was their first busy night since December. I do understand how overwhelming it can be to have this sort of influx of customers but Berkshire weekend dates are announced well in advance so one would hope that there would be preparations made to accommodate the influx of customers. The onion ring appetizer came out room temperature and soggy. The steak my partner ordered was over cooked. My "grilled" shrimp had absolutely none of the markers of a truly grilled shrimp, no grill marks, no signature smokey flavor, instead it tasted sautéed with very little flavor. The real kicker for my shrimp dish was that the shrimp wasn't properly deveined, two pieces still had the poop sack. I am a shrimp lover and it tasted like I was being served Walmart frozen shrimp. The mashed potatoes were dry and flavorless, the biscuits tasted bland, come room temperature and with just your average store bought pre packaged butter. Nothing about this meal felt made to order, everything tasted as if it came from a conveyer belt waiting for an order. I don't know if the chefs here don't care about the meals they are putting out or if they have just lost their spark and their passion for cooking but this meal was lackluster at best. The restaurant market all over the country is tough, and Omaha has become quite a food hub so it's hard to want to spend money at Johnny's with so many other better tasting options available. I hope that Johnny's Cafe isn't entirely relying on nostalgia to keep their doors open. While they do have lots of room for improvement I hope to see Johnny's Cafe flourish in the future after some needed updates to their menu and food preparation processes. read more

It had been a minute since I'd been to Johnny's and recently I had a day off and Mom and I went there for lunch and it was lovely. Back in the day, my grandmother, mom and I would go there for lunch nearly every Saturday and it was wonderful. We even had my grandmother's 80th birthday party there many years ago and it was a very, very nice event. This recent visit was very nice. Our waiter was attentive, friendly and just an all around pleasant person. Gracious and kind. Mom and I each had the Reuben sandwich with fries and a salad -- my goodness the portions were so good and plentiful, we each needed a box to take half of our respective meals home. The meat was tender and just cooked to perfection and there was just enough of the dressing and sauerkraut to add a punch of flavor. The French fries were also plentiful and crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and seasoned just right. The restaurant still looked the same as it did when I was a child. Just and "old world" charm to it and I hope that doesn't change as I very much appreciated seeing it again. I walked down the hallway to the banquet rooms and they looked just as nice as they did back in the day. I was not only nice to have lunch there but it was also a lovely experience to take a "walk back in time" and revisit parts of my childhood I had forgotten. Admittedly, it was a bit of a 'nostalgia trip' as well. I know it's very, very hard to run a business and these folks work very hard, do a good job and I sincerely hope they will stay in business for a long, long time to come. I will definitely be bac. Hearing about the recent story about the property tax in the local news really made my heart hurt as it will harm a LOT of small, independent, mom and pop places. Be sure to patron them all you can. read more

Service is fantastic and front end greeting you is all so great. Food wine Recommend by waitress was spot on . Driving from West omaha we'll worth it. read more

The food was good the service was great our waitress was Elisabeth . She was very friendly and attentive. We really enjoyed it.The only complaint I have is that we ordered 2 extra dinner rolls not realizing that they each cost.75. Didn't know that until we saw the bill . read more

It's not the same quality it once was when my uncle took me there numerous times.....it looks the same, it just doesn't taste the same...disappointing. read more

An Omaha classic, so we had to try it while we were in town. The evening began auspiciously but quickly petered out once the main courses arrived. We kind of loved the kitschy decor and ambience--it definitely feels like you are stepping into a different world. Cocktails came out in super short mini-glasses, so that wasn't great. But the cottage cheese herb spread that they start you out with definitely feeds into the old world mystique, and we really enjoyed it because who ever serves cottage cheese?! All our apps (except for the beef and barley soup) were incredible: a tangy house dressing on a basic salad, a very nice caesar, and an absolutely incredible French onion soup. We thought we were off to the steak house races! ...And then the meat and sides arrived. We ordered our daughter the Omaha strip steak medium, but when we cut into it, it came out *barely* medium rare. They decided "to throw it back on the grill," but you could tell that it was on a super high heat that got it cooked quickly, but then the steak was tough. Huge disappointment. We went with the prime rib, natch, and while the slice was ginormous and correctly cooked at medium rare, the meat was cold, which was unappetizing. Our waitress, bless her heart, asked if we also wanted that "thrown back on the grill," but we said no after seeing our daughter's fiasco. Seriously cannot believe that they managed to screw up BOTH meats, which were supposed to be what they do best. Hardly! Sides here were meh: the scalloped potatoes were greasy, and the steamed veggies did not have the cauliflower we were promised. Fries were OK, and we do admire how much horseradish they will give you with the prime rib. We opted for two desserts to lift our spirits: the ice cream pie and the chocolate salted caramel decadence, both of which were just OK. The ice cream pie was supposed to have chocolate ice cream but didn't and you could tell that they used Hershey's syrup on top. The decadence felt like it just came out of a freezer and, while not bad, not necessarily great. We do want to say that we had excellent service. Our waitress was very attentive and the manager on duty was clearly invested in her guests' evening. While we wish that we would be able to land on four stars, the fact that the kitchen screwed up two pieces of steak really rankled us, so three it is. We wish this business well, however, and hope that others will have a better experience than we did, and we're still glad we visited. read more

Horrible! Hash browns were floating in grease. Chicken fried steak looked and tasted like it was pre made and then microwaved, salmon was over cooked and dry. Very different than several years ago. Won't ever go back. read more

An iconic steak house- the interior is unique and has a great rustic vibe. Service is great with a knowledgeable staff. Food is great although they a limited on vegetarian options - they did serve a number of vegetarian sides. read more

We had such a nice time here. Our service was great. Ken had us laughing each time he checked on us. The place is beautiful. It is so nice to still have this piece of Omaha history still up and running wonderfully!!!!! Our prime rib was cooked perfectly. Every single dish and drink we ordered was delicious. Can't wait to come here again!!! read more

The good...Excellent service, and everything up until the entree and dessert. We both got the Cowboy cut prime rib and it was very thin, not what I remember from years past. Also the baked potato could have been cooked longer and wasn't very hot. They no longer put them in foil and the skin was dry and hard. read more

The restaurant is near by itself and has a lot of history. The wait staff were very friendly and tried to show us things about the restaurant that we would not have figured out on our own (like the echo spot in the front lobby). The issue was, the management who were hanging about were clearly not thrilled with this and almost appeared annoyed by it. The food lacked seasoning. French fries didnt even have basic salt on them. Prime rib was sub par on every level. Tough and, again, no seasoning. Even with the end piece one at our table received there was a complete lack of seasoning. Chain steakhouses with prime rib deliver a better product for much less $$$. The saving grace for the food was the onion rings, A+. read more

Homestyle, midwestern food just like grandma makes! I've been here a couple times. The entryway is pretty niche: good photo op if you like cowboy stuff. Service is always great and very courteous. People don't really dress up to go here but you could. read more

After returning to town being gone for 40 years we went to Johnny's Cafe back in December. That time the food was awful and we wrote a review about our experience. Well after reading all the glowing reviews we decided to give it another try last night. And again, it was awful. How can people like this place? The filet seemed like it was cooked in a microwave, the prime rib had no flavor, the small baked potato was served on a tiny plate that you couldn't use, just one roll per person, salad uninspiring and apple crisp was soggy with tiny scoop of ice cream. Our server did a very nice job. Two strikes and you're out Johnny's. We won't be back. read more

The Original Johnny's Cafe in Omaha has made several changes in the 102 years since their opening. Guns are no longer allowed and they have added electricity after the original Johnny broke a few laws during prohibition and his time was served he expanded his sandwich counter while serving good food with good service. Today the third generation granddaughters Kari and Sally run the business while keeping quality food and excellent service. I was there along with my son on July 6th 2024 we enjoyed a very good meal with fine service . I had a quality Pinot noir with dinner I throughly enjoyed my T Bone steak and my son says his Porterhouse was a quality steak. Both steaks were cooked right on the money . All in all it is a fine restaurant with good quality food and served. I highly recommend this establishment. read more

We met my cousin here for dinner, and she was anxious for us to try Johnny's. I see why she chose this restaurant, as the interior decor is really interesting and fun. We had fried chicken and it was delicious. Lacy, our server was very sweet and accommodating. The only thing I didn't care for was the parking- a little awkward to get back on the freeway ( at least it was on this dark rainy night). read more

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Beautiful and delicious beef & barley soup and I'm not a fan of soup! Good lord this place is incredible, I got the ribeye and the old lady got the prime rib, both were cooked to perfection. If you want a great steak go where everyone's been going for 101 years! read more

Johnny's Cafe - Chef 's Salad - Steakhouses Near Me - Omaha, Nebraska

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I've driven by Johnny's Cafe so many times after having worked in South Omaha that I finally found out how to get here (since it's kind of in its own little street) and experience what's inside. You know you're walking into a steakhouse when you see bull horn decor as the door handles. My coworker who grew up coming here since he was young showed me a wall that had the history of Johnny's Cafe and other cool wall decor and memorabilia. As we walked in to get seated, the hostess walks us into this giant room and takes us to our seats. There was a beautiful art work in the back and the space looked amazing. I never knew how big this restaurant was. Our waitress was super nice and bubbly and provided great recommendations on items. We first started with the complimentary cottage cheese spread with and saltines and a bread roll. I wasn't sure how the cottage cheese spread was going to taste but it was pretty good. I liked how it tasted with the bread roll. Next we went with onion rings and as we ordered our main course it came with soup or salad. I ordered their salad with their house Italian dressing. As I ordered my main meal I wasn't sure what to get for the side. The waitress shared what the options were. I never knew there were so many variations of potato sides, then again I don't go out for steak often. I tried the top sirloin steak with a side of hash browns. She also brought this mushroom sauce that complimented both dishes well. Overall, my experience at Johnny's was pretty comforting in my opinion. Usually at steakhouses I feel like I have to dress super fancy, but I felt pretty comfortable and the ambiance was nice. I like how historic this restaurant is and it gives you a glimpse into the history of Omaha. read more

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Not the Johnny's I remember from years ago. Staff was attentive and the decor was as beautiful as I remembered. The food was sub par. Luncheon steaks were not flavorful nor were they tender. The special of braised ox tails was disappointing. Very fatty and a boiled potato for the side. The salads were only arugula. Not a fan of these greens. The waitress said they couldn't get iceberg lettuce?? Overall, not great. Don't think we will be going back. Almost $95.00 for lunch and only water to drink for the 5 of us read more