You can blame stagflation, supply-chain breakage, the pandemic,
worker uprising or burnout, but the simple fact is that the closure of
some of Omaha’s most beloved restaurants in 2022 was a complex
matter. In many cases, a powder keg of inconvenient issues went up
against the flame of razor-thin margins, while others simply took this
time to retire after long and successful careers.
Which Omaha establishments will you miss most? Drop us a comment
or email Sara@TheReader.Com.
We fudged the numbers just a bit on our first two entries, both of which
closed in December of 2021.
J Coco
5203 Leavenworth
After a decade of elevating the Omaha culinary culture with creative
twists on classic American dishes, Jennifer Coco closed her doors on
New Year’s Eve. The First Lady of Omaha Dining hasn’t officially hung
up her apron just yet as she continues to collaborate and pop up in the
most unexpected places. While J. Coco is gone and missed, its
namesake continues to deliver delicious dishes. Follow J. Coco on
Facebook for dates and updates.
FauxMaha
1319 S 50th St.
The grand opening of the vegan hotdog’s brick and mortar at 1319 S
50th St. took place in August 2019, but as 2021 came to a close, so did
the beloved establishment’s doors.
801 Grill
10387 Pacific
Sister establishment to 801 Chophouse, 801 Grill called it quits in April
after four years at One Pacific Place.
Anthony’s and Ozone
7220 F St.
After more than 50 years in business, Anthony’s Steakhouse gradually
closed earlier this year when owner Tony Fucinaro retired. The
announcement was made well in advance to give diners and staff the
opportunity to say goodbye, cash in gift cards, and to find a home for
the massive bovine statue, which now resides outside of T-Bone Truck
Stop in Columbus, Nebraska.
Craft Sliders + Beer
1213 Harney
Opened in April 2018, Craft Sliders + Beer announced its closure via
social media in February 2022.
Lansky’s
3909 Twin Creek Drive, Bellevue
The closure of the Bellevue location wasn’t a harbinger of the end for
the pizza parlor, whose 4601 S 50th St. location is still going strong.
Lighthouse Pizza at Capitol District
1170 Capitol Ave.
Opened in September 2018, Lighthouse closed its Capitol District
location in 2022.
Tired Texan and Poppin’ Smoke
4702 S 108th St.
230 W Lincoln St.
Chip and Christine Holland handled an endless string of bad luck,
contractor conundrums, a pandemic pounding, and a kitchen fire before
finally waving the white flag on Tired Texan in the summer of 2022.
They weren’t down for long, meeting the public demand for more of
what the tired twosome was slinging by opening Poppin’ Smoke
Southern Grill in October. They announced their intention to steer
Poppin’ Smoke to the end of the year in November and have been
cooking up a storm to make supply issues support customer demands.
Piccolo Pete’s
115 N Washington and mobile venue
Pete’s.
Opened in 1933, Piccolo Pete’s was a family outfit from the start to the
ultimate end. Piccolo Pete’s and Anthony Piccolo’s mobile venue closed
on March 17, 2022. The establishments never failed to draw a crowd,
but that many loyal and hungry patrons became too much in the face of
staff shortages and food supply-chain issues.
Garden Café
11040 Oak St.
The Garden Café announced via social media that the doors of the
chain’s final location would be closing. The Rockbrook establishment
ended service in June.
eCreamery and Carson’s Cookie Fix
763 N 114th St.
The original eCreamery is still churning up your favorite frozen dish at
the Dundee location, but the Miracle Hills collaboration with Carson’s
Cookie Fix closed earlier this year.
Paradise Bakery and Café
120 Regency Parkway
Paradise got a little harder to reach this year with the closure of the
Regency location. Paradise Bakery at Village Pointe is still serving at
17305 Davenport.
The Switch
3618 Farnam
Launched just as Covid sunk its teeth into Omaha’s economy, The
Switch underwent a makeover in April through the inventive eye of local
entrepreneur Nick Bartholomew. Resident restaurants were granted
short, 25-day leases on bays, to allow for experimentation with little risk.
The food hall closed again in June and is undergoing an overhaul. Kamp Food Hall has recently opened in its place, with the first of four food concepts available at launch.
Hunger Block
11036 Elm St.
With little fanfare, and almost no notice, The Hunger Block ended
service on Saturday, May 28. While the establishment was much lauded
for its over-the-top milkshakes, it was the delicately spiced and reverent
small plates that set THB apart from what little competition it had in
Omaha.
Joe Tess
5424 S 24th St.
Named for its original owner after it was bought by William Fault in the
’60s, Joe Tess Place served its famous carp sandwich from the 1930s
until this year, when pandemic repercussions, staffing, and inflation
played a part in the decision to close the establishment.
Lo Sole Mio
3001 S 32nd Ave.
After more than 30 years serving Omahans, the LoSoles made the
difficult decision to step away from the family business. A new Italian
dining establishment in the same location called The Mio will open in its
place, backed by former Husker Lance Brown.
Fuzzy’s Taco Shop
17305 Davenport St.
The franchise dealt with a great deal of hardship over the last two years,
including bankruptcy and the closure of several of the chain’s locations
across the country. The Village Pointe location was not immune to the
company’s troubles and closed after just over a year.
Ethnic Sandwich Shop
1438 S 13
th St.
July 29 was the final day of business for the popular Ethnic Sandwich
Shop. In a post on Facebook, owners said: “Thank you for supporting
our family business, for your patience while we learned to pivot through
many challenges and for the kind words of encouragement along the
way.”
Homestyle Café
2822 N 88th St.
This summer marked the unceremonious closure of Homestyle Café
without notice or much in the way of explanation.
Pipeline Tavern
1300 S 72nd St.
After nearly 33 years, Pipeline Tavern shut down for good in June of this
year. The establishment known for its festive and friendly atmosphere,
comfort foods, and drink specials was instantly missed.
Rivera’s Mexican Food
12051 Blondo
It wasn’t a trick, and it certainly wasn’t a treat when Rivera’s said its final
goodbyes on Halloween this year. After 18 years, the family owned
establishment had amassed a vast and loyal following, and wait times
stretched for hours in the restaurant’s final weeks.
Culprit Café
3 locations
A staff walkout this summer resulted in the closure of all three Culprit
Café locations. For more details, see The Reader’s recent feature,
Compassion and Closure for Culprit.
Dario’s
4920 Underwood Ave.
After a successful 16-year run in Dundee, Dario Schicke announced
that he would be closing his French Brasserie to focus on the nearby
Avoli Osteria, his Italian establishment. Dario’s closed on Oct. 1.
Oasis Falafel
1620 Harney
The Mediterranean restaurant initially planned to take off from May 11
until June to give staff a break and time to regroup, while addressing
repairs the establishment. This temporary pause turned into a
permanent closure announced in August. The establishment’s signature
hummus can still be found at a number of local grocers, including Hy-
Vee, Fareway, Natural Grocers and Costco.
Rebel Monkey Pizza
16919 Audrey St.
Just shy of its first birthday, Rebel Monkey Pizza announced via social
media its immediate and permanent closure in November.
Stokes Old Market
1122 Howard
In October of this year, the Old Market location of Stokes Grill and Bar
ended operations. A location at 13615 California is still serving the Tex
Mex dishes Omaha continues to love.