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OT: Firehouse subs

huskerbux

Recruiting Coordinator
Aug 24, 2006
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Omaha
I'm sure most have had it, but they just opened a new one at 132nd and Center in Omaha and I got my first taste today. Wow, that's a damn good sub!

Nice to see this there too!

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Firehouse subs are amazing. First time I ever saw one was in Mobile, AL. The only problem is the meat is so moist I feel like it's extremely greasy to me.
 
Firehouse Subs are damn good... makes you wonder how Subway is even still in business because there food just plain sucks.

I can say the same about 99% of the places to eat in nebraska -- the state specializes in bland, fast, or tasteless food. If it's not the worst state to eat out in the country it's trying REALLY hard. Subway is a joke.
 
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I can say the same about 99% of the places to eat in nebraska -- the state specializes in bland, fast, or tasteless food. If it's not the worst state to eat out in the country it's trying REALLY hard. Subway is a joke.

What are your favorite fast food places to eat then?
 
What are your favorite fast food places to eat then?

I don't have any. Fast food is horrible. And Nebraska doesn't have virtually anything else. If you insist on a sandwich, Firehouse isn't the worst. Cousins up in Wisconsin is fairly good too.

And for future reference, there are a few decent eateries scattered around Nebraska. They're just so rare in comparison to other states that it's almost surreal. Especially when Nebraskans get on their high horse and say people are picky. The reaction is... almost unreal in the amount of willful blindness.

Anywho, good food examples :

Dippy Donuts in West Point -- best Donuts I've ever had. Simple stuff but seriously unreal donuts. Just opened a year or two ago. No idea how donuts this good ended up in a random small town. It's just flat out good stuff, even the next day -- and that should say everything you need to know.

Plainsmen Steakhouse in Juniata -- Prime Rib buffet on Friday and Saturday nights. The salad bar/buffet really isn't that great but oh my lord is the prime rib amazing. You get a huge cut of meat and all-you-can-eat buffet for something like 25 bucks.

Nick's Italian in Blair -- We've (my long-term gf and I) gone in here probably fifteen times and ordered their special of the day (which changes often) virtually every time and it's been way, way above average -- every time. They've got a thin-crust personal pizza we use as an appetizer and their spinach artichoke is excellent. For the quality of food this place is CHEAP. We usually get out for around $40 with tip. They've got take-out options.

Flippin' Sweet Burger Joint in Kearney -- not the best hamburgers I've ever had but for the price this is very good. Lots of different tastes/flavors and given the quality that's all you can really ask.

Sakura in Norfolk -- Decent hibachi grill and sushi spot. Not cheap. I've had better (I used to live outside Seattle) but it's decent.

There's also a gyro place down by the college in Lincoln that I can never remember the name. I can drive to it, but it's got these great steak-fries that they cook with the gyro meat. It's reasonable and tastes amazing.

Point with this? I've been around. I've lived in 7 states and been to 35. Trust me when I say that Nebraska is beyond awful for options to eat out.
 
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I don't have any. Fast food is horrible. And Nebraska doesn't have virtually anything else. If you insist on a sandwich, Firehouse isn't the worst. Cousins up in Wisconsin is fairly good too.

And for future reference, there are a few decent eateries scattered around Nebraska. They're just so rare in comparison to other states that it's almost surreal. Especially when Nebraskans get on their high horse and say people are picky. The reaction is... almost unreal in the amount of willful blindness.

Anywho, good food examples :

Dippy Donuts in West Point -- best Donuts I've ever had. Simple stuff but seriously unreal donuts. Just opened a year or two ago. No idea how donuts this good ended up in a random small town. It's just flat out good stuff, even the next day -- and that should say everything you need to know.

Plainsmen Steakhouse in Juniata -- Prime Rib buffet on Friday and Saturday nights. The salad bar/buffet really isn't that great but oh my lord is the prime rib amazing. You get a huge cut of meat and all-you-can-eat buffet for something like 25 bucks.

Nick's Italian in Blair -- We've (my long-term gf and I) gone in here probably fifteen times and ordered their special of the day (which changes often) virtually every time and it's been way, way above average -- every time. They've got a thin-crust personal pizza we use as an appetizer and their spinach artichoke is excellent. For the quality of food this place is CHEAP. We usually get out for around $40 with tip. They've got take-out options.

Flippin' Sweet Burger Joint in Kearney -- not the best hamburgers I've ever had but for the price this is very good. Lots of different tastes/flavors and given the quality that's all you can really ask.

Sakura in Norfolk -- Decent hibachi grill and sushi spot. Not cheap. I've had better (I used to live outside Seattle) but it's decent.

There's also a gyro place down by the college in Lincoln that I can never remember the name. I can drive to it, but it's got these great steak-fries that they cook with the gyro meat. It's reasonable and tastes amazing.

Point with this? I've been around. I've lived in 7 states and been to 35. Trust me when I say that Nebraska is beyond awful for options to eat out.
I'll give you this, we have a lot of chain restaurants. I prefer locally owned, but it is what it is. If we're talking about Lincoln, I think Venue is damn good. I also like the Blue Orchid and Issara.
 
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I don't have any. Fast food is horrible. And Nebraska doesn't have virtually anything else. If you insist on a sandwich, Firehouse isn't the worst. Cousins up in Wisconsin is fairly good too.

And for future reference, there are a few decent eateries scattered around Nebraska. They're just so rare in comparison to other states that it's almost surreal. Especially when Nebraskans get on their high horse and say people are picky. The reaction is... almost unreal in the amount of willful blindness.

Anywho, good food examples :

Dippy Donuts in West Point -- best Donuts I've ever had. Simple stuff but seriously unreal donuts. Just opened a year or two ago. No idea how donuts this good ended up in a random small town. It's just flat out good stuff, even the next day -- and that should say everything you need to know.

Plainsmen Steakhouse in Juniata -- Prime Rib buffet on Friday and Saturday nights. The salad bar/buffet really isn't that great but oh my lord is the prime rib amazing. You get a huge cut of meat and all-you-can-eat buffet for something like 25 bucks.

Nick's Italian in Blair -- We've (my long-term gf and I) gone in here probably fifteen times and ordered their special of the day (which changes often) virtually every time and it's been way, way above average -- every time. They've got a thin-crust personal pizza we use as an appetizer and their spinach artichoke is excellent. For the quality of food this place is CHEAP. We usually get out for around $40 with tip. They've got take-out options.

Flippin' Sweet Burger Joint in Kearney -- not the best hamburgers I've ever had but for the price this is very good. Lots of different tastes/flavors and given the quality that's all you can really ask.

Sakura in Norfolk -- Decent hibachi grill and sushi spot. Not cheap. I've had better (I used to live outside Seattle) but it's decent.

There's also a gyro place down by the college in Lincoln that I can never remember the name. I can drive to it, but it's got these great steak-fries that they cook with the gyro meat. It's reasonable and tastes amazing.

Point with this? I've been around. I've lived in 7 states and been to 35. Trust me when I say that Nebraska is beyond awful for options to eat out.

Says the guy that rips on Nebraska for not having good dining options, and then gives a review on a donut shop and burger joint. Omaha has some very good dining options, and you didn't mention any of them.
 
I'll give you this, we have a lot of chain restaurants. I prefer locally owned, but it is what it is. If we're talking about Lincoln, I think Venue is damn good. I also like the Blue Orchid and Issara.

I'll have to try those one of these days. Not sure when I'll be to Lincoln next.

As you can probably tell I've had this discussion before. I'll give you an example of somewhere else I've been recently -- we've been going back and forth to Northwest Indiana a lot recently due to my gf being a maid of honor in a wedding. We stopped at a Cali-Mex place in Laporte called Mucho Mas!. Now, keep in mind that Laporte is roughly the same size as about 10 Nebraska towns such as Columbus, Norfolk, Hastings, etc.

Their selling point is that they do both vegan and non-vegan food. We ordered their nachos and a pair of burritos. All of the ingredients were fresh. The nacho chips were made every day in the back of the restaurant.

For less than $12 including tax, you get somewhere between 3-4 POUNDS of nachos. The amount of food is unreal. The burritos were about 8 bucks apiece an were roughly twice the size of qdobas.

Needless to say, we got like 8 meals for 30 bucks. When I compare that to the stuff here in Nebraska it just makes me want to cry. There is simply no comparison.
 
Needless to say, we got like 8 meals for 30 bucks. When I compare that to the stuff here in Nebraska it just makes me want to cry. There is simply no comparison.

2014 Best Restaurants in America
As voted by OpenTable Diners
It’s been said that success is the sum of small efforts repeated every day. The Top 100 Restaurants in America represent the establishments where creativity, consistency, and hospitality meet at every meal, every day. The list of honorees is based on an analysis of more than five million reviews of more than 20,000 restaurants across the country — all submitted by verified diners.

Flatiron - Omaha, NE
Modern Love - Omaha, NE
V.Mertz - Omaha, NE
 
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Says the guy that rips on Nebraska for not having good dining options, and then gives a review on a donut shop and burger joint. Omaha has some very good dining options, and you didn't mention any of them.

I've been to Anthony's although it's been 20 years. The food is decent, but too expensive. I know Omaha finally got Toppers although it isn't as good as it is in Wisconsin (they don't use as much cheese). Clancy's was decent back in the day, but I haven't been there for 20 years either even though I know some people involved. The Old Market area is ok, but I've had much better in most cases (I'm generalizing because I have zero desire to keep going on Omaha... it's average at best generally speaking. Yes it has some places but other cities of similar sizehave much more). The point is relatively speaking virtually every part of nebraska is awful in comparison to places of similar size. Nebraska as a general rule specializes in fast, bland, and tasteless food. And horrible, HORRIBLE pizza.

I will say this -- Voodoo Taco isn't bad and that's fairly new.

2014 Best Restaurants in America
As voted by OpenTable Diners
It’s been said that success is the sum of small efforts repeated every day. The Top 100 Restaurants in America represent the establishments where creativity, consistency, and hospitality meet at every meal, every day. The list of honorees is based on an analysis of more than five million reviews of more than 20,000 restaurants across the country — all submitted by verified diners.

Flatiron - Omaha, NE
Modern Love - Omaha, NE
V.Mertz - Omaha, NE

VERY cool... I'm going to have to try those when I get a chance. Don't get me wrong, I know there's good spots. There just aren't as many as other cities. The variety is awful as well.
 
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Kleitus, you are 20 years out of touch on the Omaha scene. Omaha has lots of great, independent places to eat and well, made this list as #2 foodie city in the US.
Toppers? okay. :rolleyes:

On the sub front, Planet Sub (Yello Sub) just opened a location at 90th & Center. Always liked the Beefeater.
 
I've been to Anthony's although it's been 20 years. The food is decent, but too expensive. I know Omaha finally got Toppers although it isn't as good as it is in Wisconsin (they don't use as much cheese). Clancy's was decent back in the day, but I haven't been there for 20 years either even though I know some people involved. The Old Market area is ok, but I've had much better in most cases (I'm generalizing because I have zero desire to keep going on Omaha... it's average at best generally speaking. Yes it has some places but other cities of similar sizehave much more). The point is relatively speaking virtually every part of nebraska is awful in comparison to places of similar size. Nebraska as a general rule specializes in fast, bland, and tasteless food. And horrible, HORRIBLE pizza.

I will say this -- Voodoo Taco isn't bad and that's fairly new.



VERY cool... I'm going to have to try those when I get a chance. Don't get me wrong, I know there's good spots. There just aren't as many as other cities. The variety is awful as well.

Toppers. You can't be serious. I order toppers at 2:00 in the morning after a night of drinking. It's not the worst pizza out there, but it's certainly not great.

After even mentioning Toppers I don't know if you are serious or not.

Btw just because portions are giant doesn't mean the food is good.
 
Kleitus, you are 20 years out of touch on the Omaha scene. Omaha has lots of great, independent places to eat and well, made this list as #2 foodie city in the US.
Toppers? okay. :rolleyes:

On the sub front, Planet Sub (Yello Sub) just opened a location at 90th & Center. Always liked the Beefeater.

Exactly. He lost all credibility when he throws in Anthony's. It's good but Omaha has soooo much more to offer than Anthony's. Please.


All this because I was excited to try a new sandwich and saw Sparky's sauce!

Is it fall yet?
 
Omaha has a number of great restaurants at a number of price points:

The Grey Plume, the 801, Avoli, V Mertz, Plank, Taita, Saigon, Salween Thai, Noli's, Mula, Block 16, Lot 2, Kitchen Table, Culprit Cafe, Amsterdam, Modern Love (if you can do vegan), Rivera's, Espana, La Buvette, Dario's, Mark's, Dante, there are a number of better than passable sushi places, Canton House, Spencer's, The Drover, La Ebeala (sp?), Mahogany Prime, The Boiler Room, J Coco, before they blew up M's Pub and the Market House) and I'm just scratching the surface. There are a number of good Latin American places in South O. I have traveled quite a bit and I can say with confidence that Omaha stacks up quite well with metro areas three times its size in terms of culinary variety and quality.
 
You can complain about bland, boring food everywhere and be correct, because restaurants crank out tons of it every day. I love living in Denver, but I can name 20 crappy restaurants in the Denver metro for every one that I consider really good.

I've always considered Omaha an above-average restaurant city. Lincoln was below average when I lived there, but it seems to have made some strides in the past 10 years. Of course that was before I found out that someplace in Indiana serves a mountain of nachos for $12. Now I'll have to completely reassess all the meals I've eaten in Nebraska, aka the Great Food Wasteland.
 
Toppers. You can't be serious. I order toppers at 2:00 in the morning after a night of drinking. It's not the worst pizza out there, but it's certainly not great.

After even mentioning Toppers I don't know if you are serious or not.

Btw just because portions are giant doesn't mean the food is good.

I agree on the portions -- it just happens that that food was excellent AND huge. Toppers isn't great pizza, it's just infinitely better than virtually anything else i've had in nebraska -- and it's not even close. it's also significantly better in wisconsin. I can name about 5 places in the seattle area off the top of my head that's better pizza than toppers which should tell you how awful pizza in nebraska has been historically because seattle isn't even on the map compared to chicago or new york. Go to albano's in northwest indiana for some really good stuff. any place that spawns valentino's needs an enema in food production by default.

Exactly. He lost all credibility when he throws in Anthony's. It's good but Omaha has soooo much more to offer than Anthony's. Please.


All this because I was excited to try a new sandwich and saw Sparky's sauce!

Is it fall yet?

Except my point was that i hadn't been to Omaha as much since I graduated high school -- and yes, i graduated in the omaha area. I come back occasionally but nothing's been great that I've tried. Feel free to show me differently. I'm always open to trying -- just been burned way too much by half-ass Nebraska salad bars being "good" and places like hu-hots being special (it isn't).

All I'll say about that foodie list is I lived right outside bellevue for almost a decade (#7 on that foodie list) and on average it's night and day better than anything i've ever been to in omaha. omaha isn't even in the conversation. I've found more places with good food randomly in MONTANA of all places than I ever found in Omaha. It isn't even close. best sauerkraut i ever had was in kalispell, MT of all places. Some of the stuff in wisconsin was close but that was the best.
 
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You can complain about bland, boring food everywhere and be correct, because restaurants crank out tons of it every day. I love living in Denver, but I can name 20 crappy restaurants in the Denver metro for every one that I consider really good.

I've always considered Omaha an above-average restaurant city. Lincoln was below average when I lived there, but it seems to have made some strides in the past 10 years. Of course that was before I found out that someplace in Indiana serves a mountain of nachos for $12. Now I'll have to completely reassess all the meals I've eaten in Nebraska, aka the Great Food Wasteland.

*shrugs* different experiences. I do agree that 20 to 1 is about normal for most places. Nebraska as a whole is infinitely worse. omaha isn't all of nebraska even if it has improved immeasurably (i have my doubts for obvious reasons) over the last 20 years.
 
I agree on the portions -- it just happens that that food was excellent AND huge. Toppers isn't great pizza, it's just infinitely better than virtually anything else i've had in nebraska -- and it's not even close. it's also significantly better in wisconsin. I can name about 5 places in the seattle area off the top of my head that's better pizza than toppers which should tell you how awful pizza in nebraska has been historically because seattle isn't even on the map compared to chicago or new york. Go to albano's in northwest indiana for some really good stuff. any place that spawns valentino's needs an enema in food production by default.



Except my point was that i hadn't been to Omaha as much since I graduated high school -- and yes, i graduated in the omaha area. I come back occasionally but nothing's been great that I've tried. Feel free to show me differently. I'm always open to trying -- just been burned way too much by half-ass Nebraska salad bars being "good" and places like hu-hots being special (it isn't).

All I'll say about that foodie list is I lived right outside bellevue for almost a decade (#7 on that foodie list) and on average it's night and day better than anything i've ever been to in omaha. omaha isn't even in the conversation. I've found more places with good food randomly in MONTANA of all places than I ever found in Omaha. It isn't even close. best sauerkraut i ever had was in kalispell, MT of all places. Some of the stuff in wisconsin was close but that was the best.
Good to know your opinion is based on garbage pizza and salad bars.
 
Good to know your opinion is based on garbage pizza and salad bars.

Because Nebraska has an overly obscene amount of those. And chains. And bland food. Hell Hy-vee opened a restaurant in Kearney recently because there really isn't a real alternative -- and it's working. They're re-overcharging for the same crap that was overpriced supermarket junk to begin with and calling it restaurant food. And you wonder why people say the food sucks.
 
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My point is, if you keep trying crappy restaurants, you'll keep trying crappy food. Try one of the restaurants listed above by mothmonsterman and give us your review. There are good restaurants in Lincoln and Omaha, but if you drive around and look for the closest restaurant, you probably won't be terribly impressed.

I like Valentinos, btw. And I've lived in 5 states and been to 43.
 
Except my point was that i hadn't been to Omaha as much since I graduated high school -- and yes, i graduated in the omaha area. I come back occasionally but nothing's been great that I've tried. Feel free to show me differently. I'm always open to trying -- just been burned way too much by half-ass Nebraska salad bars being "good" and places like hu-hots being special (it isn't).

All I'll say about that foodie list is I lived right outside bellevue for almost a decade (#7 on that foodie list) and on average it's night and day better than anything i've ever been to in omaha. omaha isn't even in the conversation. I've found more places with good food randomly in MONTANA of all places than I ever found in Omaha. It isn't even close. best sauerkraut i ever had was in kalispell, MT of all places. Some of the stuff in wisconsin was close but that was the best.


I'd say by your responses that you are not open to trying. You've got a picture in your head that the food scene in Omaha hasn't changed in 20 years.

If you are listening to people that refer to Hu-Hots and salad bars as good places to eat, then I'd say you need to find a better source.....nobody on here has ever said they were.

Not sure how long you've lurked on this board but I mainly posted the above as a way to show support for our buddy Sparky and his sauce. But I'm sure you probably think that's bland too since its not from Wisconsin or Sauerkraut Montana.
 
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