A recently revitalized neighborhood in the heart of Omaha, the Blackstone District lives between downtown and west Omaha. It’s a fresh new neighborhood that has brought incredible dining experiences and fun bars to an otherwise quiet and rundown part of town. Quiet during the day and lively at night, Blackstone is a place that young professionals have sought out and flock to after work hours. Offering a diverse amount of new restaurants, bars, and even private karaoke rooms, the Blackstone District in Omaha shouldn’t be missed.
Located between 36th Street and 42nd Street along Farnam, Blackstone is becoming one of the hippest neighborhoods in Omaha, Nebraska. With fresh ideas being brought to town, there are many things found in Blackstone that you can’t find anywhere else in Omaha. For instance, a food hall has recently opened up, and soon tuk-tuk rides will be available to take you up and down the street.
The Ultimate Guide to Exploring the Blackstone District in Omaha
For more information on Omaha, check out:
A Local’s Guide to Visiting Omaha, Nebraska
The Best Restaurants in the Blackstone District
Early Bird
Coneflower Creamery – Ice Cream
Go For: Dessert
Hours: Sunday 11 am-8 pm; Tuesday-Saturday 12 pm-10 pm
Arguably the best ice cream in the city of Omaha, located right down in the Blackstone neighborhood. This ice cream is made in-house using local ingredients. While Coneflower serves the basic flavors using common ingredients, they also serve unique flavors using uncommon ingredients such as corn. They experiment with different flavors and rotate their scoop of the day so there’s always something new to try on the menu.
Early Bird – Brunch
Go For: Breakfast
Hours: Sunday-Saturday 6:30 am – 2:30 pm
A great addition to Omaha, Early Bird is a lively and fun brunch spot. Serving anything you could want at breakfast time from savory foods such as breakfast nachos or sweet foods such as french toast sticks. The perfect hangover cure or a great place to catch up with friends. No matter what your reason for going make sure to call ahead for a reservation.
Mula – Mexican Kitchen & Tequileria
Go For: Happy hour or dinner
Hours: Monday 11 am-10 pm; Tuesday-Saturday 4 pm-10 pm
As a certified tequileria, Mula isn’t only about tequila. It’s also one of the most innovative and tasty Mexican restaurants you can find in Omaha. Always crowded, Mula is a vibrant restaurant to get your night started.
Nite Owl – American
Go For: Late night food
Hours: Sunday 5 pm-10 pm; Wednesday-Thursday 5 pm-10 pm; Friday-Saturday 5 pm-12 am
Nite Owl is the perfect late-night food stop for when you need greasy food to soak up the alcohol from your night out. But don’t expect your typical run-of-the-mill bar food. Nite Owl serves bar food with a twist! Think loaded tot-chos and stuffed crab rangoons. Complete with an outdoor patio and a retro-themed inside playing old movies on projectors, Nite Owl is a lively way to end your night out.
Stirnella Bar & Kitchen – Elevated American
Go For: Brunch or Dinner
Hours: Sunday 10 am-2 pm; Wednesday-Thursday 11 am-9 pm; Friday-Saturday 11 am-10 pm
Stirnella serves some of the best food in Omaha and meets the city’s needs for a ‘shareable plates’ style restaurant. They do it all serving elevated American cuisine in a cozy atmosphere and screened-in front patio.
The Best Bars in the Blackstone District
Archetype Coffee – Coffee
Hours: Monday-Friday 7 am-5:30 pm; Saturday-Sunday 8 am-3 pm
Archetype is a simple, bare, no-fuss place to get your caffeine fix. While the space it occupies may be bare with essentials only, the coffee is also simple but far from flavor-less.
Blackstone Social – Bar
Hours: Monday-Thursday 4 pm-2 am; Friday 2 pm-2 am; Saturday-Sunday 12 pm-2 am
Blackstone Social is the typical “let’s go out for a night” bar. The bartenders specialize in specialty cocktails and whiskey. If you’re not looking for a night out in the town, I’d recommend going early for happy hour. This small bar is full of character and also offers a bottomless mimosa package on Sundays.
Corkscrew Wine and Cheese – Wine Bar
Hours: Sunday 12 pm-8 pm; Monday-Thursday 3 pm-10 pm; Friday 2 pm-12 am; Saturday 11 am-12 am
With a limited selection of wine bars throughout the city, Corkscrew Wine and Cheese is one of the best Omaha offers. With two locations, the one in the Blackstone District draws a fun, wine-loving crowd most nights of the week. While you can pair your wine with bites from the menu, I prefer Corkscrew strictly for wine.
Little Ricky’s Rooftop Bar – Bar
Omaha doesn’t have many rooftop bars throughout the city, that’s why when Little Ricky’s opened people immediately flocked. With a small indoor space and a small rooftop patio overlooking Blackstone, Little Ricky’s tends to get crowded. They also allow delivery of two different restaurants in the neighborhood, The Blackstone Meatball, and Cheeseburgers.
Red Lion Lounge – Lounge
Hours: Monday-Thursday 6 pm-12 am; Friday-Saturday 6 pm-2 am
While Blackstone Social is a place to stay out late and party, Red Lion Lounge feels more like a space to grab a table and catch up with friends. It has an intimate and laid-back atmosphere, affordable drinks, and small bites to snack on.
Scriptown Brewing Company – Brewery
Hours: Sunday 2 pm-10 pm; Tuesday-Thursday 4 pm-10 pm; Friday 2 pm-12 am; Saturday 12 pm-12 am
Brewing local beer, Scriptown was founded by a man who previously resided in Portland, OR, and missed the craft beer scene. Scriptown specializes in “session” beers – beer with a lower alcohol content so that you can enjoy a variety of kinds!
While Omaha continues to expand and grow with new ideas and innovative experiences, it’s neighborhoods like the Blackstone District that keep Omaha rejuvenated and thriving. As Blackstone continues to grow and expand, I only see it becoming more trendy in the near future, offering more unique experiences and places that aren’t found around the rest of Omaha.
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Kylee is a Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU) nurse passionate about making travel affordable and accessible to nurses. Inspiring nurses to travel both near and far, Kylee began Passports and Preemies in 2017 while volunteering in Skopje, North Macedonia as a way to reach nurses and advocate for the prevention of nurse burnout by traveling. Kylee is the original creator of the “8 Day Vacay” – a vacation geared towards nurses who aim to take advantage of the potentially 8 days off between work weeks with no need to use PTO.
