Years ago, I used to call on a dealer who was in an upscale strip mall on Lincoln's southeast side. However, they have since closed that location and I no longer get over that way. And that's a shame because one of my favorite brewpubs in the Midwest - Lazlo's Brewery and Grill - was located walking distance from my dealer. (If you want to read one of the earliest Road Tips entries - this one back over 12 years ago when there wasn't a theme or focus to this blog site - click here to read about one of my visits to Lazlo's in Lincoln. I think I can even say my writing has gotten better since then, but not by much.) But I was staying out on the west side of Omaha on a recent trip out there and I found that there was a Lazlo's Brewery and Grill not too far from the hotel where I was staying. Having fond memories of the food and beer at the Lazlo's I used to go to in Lincoln, I took off to go have dinner at the one in Omaha.
The original Lazlo's was started in Lincoln's Haymarket District in 1991 by Scott and Brian Boles, Dr. Rodney Basler, and Jay Jarvis. Along with brewmaster Rich Chapin, they had already been brewing beer under the Empyrean label for a year before they opened their brewpub in downtown Lincoln. The group spun off Empyrean Brewing Company as a separate entity in 1997, and opened a second Lazlo's location in the former Stackwoods location off of Old Cheney Rd. (Stackwoods was also one of my favorite places to eat in Lincoln prior to it closing.) The west Omaha location on S. 192nd St. opened in 2006. (see map) Today, only one of the original owners - Jay Jarvis - is associated with Lazlo's, but he has been joined in the business by Alex Dunn.
The dining room at the Omaha Lazlo's is a wide open space with high ceilings with metal supports. It kind of had a contemporary industrial look to the place. It had a number of booths giving diners an intimate atmosphere.
I ended up sitting at the bar and got a food menu from the bartender. The bar was also open and airy with a couple of flat screens behind the bar. They had a number of Empyrean beers on tap as well as a number of liquors on the shelves on the back bar. I got a Watch Man IPA while I looked through the menu.
The Lazlo's in Lincoln that I frequented a number of years ago always had very good food and it appeared that this Lazlo's location was no exception. Their chicken marinated in a seasoned buttermilk, fried and topped with a country-style gravy sounded very good. They had a number of burgers and sandwiches, as well as a number of steak and seafood entrees. Appetizers, salads and soups rounded out the menu at Lazlo's.
This evening, I went with the prime rib enchiladas - two braised prime rib enchiladas filled with black beans and corn in a flour shell topped with pork green chili, cheddar and Monterey jack cheese, sour cream, scallions and chopped tomatoes. It came with a side of refried beans topped with shredded cheddar and Mexican rice.
The enchiladas were simply outstanding. The braised prime rib was moist, juicy, tender and very flavorful. Everything that went along with it - the cheese, sour cream, the pork green chili sauce - everything was a great taste combination. The Empyrean pale ale was a wonderful tasting beer with a good hoppy flavor, but not too forward that it overpowered the taste of the food. Along with the prime rib enchiladas, the beer was a great accompaniment.
It was great to reconnect with Lazlo's after years of not eating at the one I liked so well on the southeast side of Lincoln. The food at the Omaha location was just as good as what I remembered it to be in Lincoln. The braised prime rib enchilada was outstanding - one of the better Mexican-Style foods I've had at a restaurant. The Watch Man IPA was a great compliment to the meal and the atmosphere at the Omaha Lazlo's was open, friendly and comfortable. They have a great food menu at Lazlo's and a very good selection of Empyrean beers to go along with it. I think it probably doesn't matter if you're at the two Lincoln locations or the one in Omaha, it's probably going to be a good experience.
Is there any chance that you would do organic options for instance for your southwest salad? Even if there’s an up charge that would be amazing.
Posted by: Jan | August 15, 2023 at 01:13 AM