Ryan’s Bistro

OK, not 5 stars but damn close. Stephanie was a great waitperson. Attentive, polite, and knowledgable.
The run down:
Grey Goose Martini w/​blue cheese stuffed olives — cold, big blue cheese oozing out of the olives — perfect!
Bacon wrapped dates — wife and I fought over the fifth — wonderful.
Nebraska filet medium with mashed and asparagus — perfect, melt in your mouth perfect!
The cedar plank salmon with parmesan risotto — also outstanding.
Cream brûlée — just the right size — not to share apparently — i did get a bite.
Do not be put off by the location — strip mall between dentist and some other medical business. Small bar — maybe seats 10, great fireplace and art work TV!
Not in Omaha often but when I am I’ll eat at Ryan’s

Been here many times and even at Valentines Day and had excellent service and Meals but tonight they just didn’t meet with our previous visits.
We are not sure if our waitress was new. We showed our Unilocal special for the Bruschetta. We waited but never received our appetizer. We also did not see our waitress again until our entrees were delivered. When our entrees were delivered we mentioned our bruschetta and she couldn’t have been more surprised. I guess she didn’t write it down. She offered to have one made but we had already received our entrees, she finally refilled our water also.
The short ribs were very good, but the potatoes filled half of the plate. The food was not very warm though.
As for the lamb burger. Fell apart, a little crispy on the edges and had a little burnt taste. Needs more flavor. Had the smoked beef chili also. Very spicy, lots of tomatoes couldn’t taste the meat.
Would I return again? Not sure. With these service issues plus no lighter food choices? We will see

The only things I will give five stars were the bacon covered dates and the free brushetta. I also had the baked brie chicken and crème brulé. The two were just okay.

We went for Happy Hour and it couldn’t have been better. It was a Friday night at 6pm and we got right in. The appetizers came out quickly. We had spinach-​artichoke dip and tenderloin beef steak bites. I loved them both. For dinner we had a bbq chicken flatbread. It was $ 5 for each dish, and $ 3 for each mixed drink. Great prices and great food for happy hour. I saw a lot of the dinner dishes other people ordered and I will defiantly be going back.

Very nice evening. Food very good. You could tell the waitress was new because she did not know how to open or when to bring the bottle of wine. All in all she was not that bad. She took good care of our kids.

This is a really nice little bistro. I had their baked brie chicken and it was amazing. Good wait staff too. I would definitely recommend checking them out.

Very nice atmosphere… casual meets classy romantic. They even had a great live vocalist singing with some background music which added to the vibe.

The food was great. We started off with the Bruchetta which was the way to go. My ordered the scallops and I had the Braised Beef Short Ribs. Both were cooked to perfection. We finished off with the Apple Pear Crisp with Ice Cream. Excellent once again. Ryan’s has an extensive wine list as well, which made my wife happy. The only downside I would have to say is the place is small and tends to get noisy.

I wish there was half star’s because this is a solid 4 ½ star place. I was expecting it to be a lot more expensive then what it was, but I believe the quality of food they serve is a great deal at their prices.
My group walked in on Friday night at 8pm and were seated right away. The waitress was very enthusiastic, and couldn’t wait to share the specials. We ended up getting two appetizers (baked brie and bacon wrapped dates) and then for entrees the lamb cassoulet special, tenderloin medallions, swordfish and the short ribs. The appetizers came very promptly, and we loved the dates (the balsmaic reduction served on top really made the dish) and enjoyed the brie but thought the amount of honey on it was a little overkill, and would have preferred some more savory notes in the dish. The entrees were wonderful, with the lamb cassoulet as the clear winner. It had a lamb shank balanced in a plate full of the most tender and savory white bean stew, with a few brussel sprouts thrown in. The swordfish had a nice risotto, but the fish itself was overwhelmed with lemon. The medallions and short ribs were perfectly prepared, and were very quickly consumed.
For wine we had a wonderful Seabiscuit Ranch Meritage with the appetizers and entrees and I would highly recommend with any of their meat selections (or the dates!)
For dessert we had to try the bananas foster and the crème brûlée. The bananas foster was very nicely prepared, with a little bit of flair sprinkling the cinnamon on while it was flamed so the dish sparked. I think this is the best prepared bananas foster in Omaha, they really know how to do the dish well. Now if they would only also add cherries jubilee to the menu, a girl can dream. The crème brûlée was a little scorched, and wasn’t the best, but perfectly edible.
I really enjoyed my experience and would love to check it out again for lunch or dinner.

Let me start by saying the food was awesome! I was there for lunch yesterday with 6 other associates and it took 45 minutes to get our food. They said they were a bit understaffed in the kitchen. We only had lunch for an hour so we had to stuff our food down our throats in fifteen minutes. No talking, just stuffing. I really wish I could have enjoyed my meal more. The manager came by and asked us if there was anything she could get for us. We just asked for time. Here’s the part I loved. After we said we only had a few minutes to eat and she knew how long it took to bring our our food, she asked us if there was anything we liked for desert. It would have taken another 30 minutes! Lunch time?! This type of service?! It’s too bad too. I would go there again for the food but I will go somewhere else because of the bad service.

We came with the party from hell — 15 pax with 14 checks, indecisiveness, and parts of our party staggering in later than others. While I’m not sure this would normally warrant a 5 star rating from me, the service alone pushes it to this end. As someone who was a waiter and bartender in a former life, I can honestly tell you I might’ve gone ape-s**t with a party like us but our waiter was courteous and professional. He was patient and dinner service went by smoothly more or less.
The bacon covered dates were to die for. The cioppino was a little thicker than i’m used to… and there were bits of shell strewn about but the taste was fantastic. The seafood was cooked perfectly. It did come out a little tepid but that’s excusable when the kitchen is trying to get out 15 entrée’s out at the same time.
A few things to note… corkage is $ 10/​bottle, very reasonable. Our party was auto-​grat-​ed 20%…I tipped on top of it but for those of you who don’t like that sort of thing, it’s something to take note of. If you come in for a birthday, they comp a dessert. We got the bananas foster… for the table side prep alone, it’s worth ordering.
Prices are very reasonable and it looks like a great place to have some happy hour drinks. Too bad it’s so far out west. For students, and I understand that we may not be the demographic this restaurant targets, it’s quite difficult to get out here and then avoid drinking and driving.

Ryan’s is one of those places that I think could scale back their menu a bit and work at being better at a couple things, rather than trying to tackle many.
Everything from bacon wrapped dates and baked brie en croute (which I nearly ordered as a meal) to chicken enchiladas, ribs, cioppino, burgers and panini sandwiches is at your disposal. And that’s just the lunch menu. Call me simple, but I prefer a small menu. Or at least one with a theme… this isn’t Cheesecake Factory, right?
Service was the low point of our meal… not the actual server, of course, she was quite nice. But the pace was too slow. Again, not the server’s fault since she seemed to be the only person working at lunchtime on a Friday. Maybe someone called in sick?
I settled on the chicken enchiladas for no other reason than they were in a box on the menu (which signified them as a signature item) and they were recommended by our server. And, since it was Friday and I had a cardio workout to look forward to later, I picked macaroni and cheese for my side. (Just thinking back on it now makes me shake my head at myself.)
The food I would say, is comparable to what you might find at that other restaurant I mentioned earlier. Or even some other local Omaha restaurants (re: Sharon’s enchilada’s).
Even if it weren’t so very, very, far away from my normal roamings, it didn’t do anything to lure me back. Possibly because I didn’t lower myself to eat a pile of melting brie for lunch… but what are you gonna do?

What a great happy hour place. I cannot believe it took me this long to try it. I love their patio. I would go back just to eat the bruschetta. It is everything you’d expect out of good bruschetta: fresh tomatoes, basil, olive oil, balsamic vinaigrette, etc; but the french bread is what sets this often found appetizer apart from the crowd. It is thicker and softer than most, just lightly and perfectly toasted. I think their secret is a lot of olive oil, but I’ll have to go back and order it a few dozen more times just to be sure. I can’t wait to go back to try the rest of the regular menu.
Other reasons you need to go to Ryan’s for happy hour:
$ 2 domestics
$ 3 imports
$ 4 select wines (a lot better selection than you’ll find at most HH places)
$ 5 small, $ 10 large pizzas
$ 4.95 bruschetta (yes, it’s worth mentioning again)
I would highly recommend the bruschetta pizza or the bbq chicken pizza, but ask for light cheese. They over do it a little. I would avoid the spinach artichoke pizza unless you like a ton of cream cheese.
I would be remiss if I forgot to mention happy is from 3 — 7pm and ALL DAY SUNDAY!
Correction: I’ve been told happy hour has gone to 3 — 6pm. Also, the menu has changed, so the above may not be 100% accurate now. I’ll check it out soon and correct my review.

Outstanding service and dinner. Granted it was a Sunday early evening, but very attentive, knowledgeable of the menu, and provided some great recommendations.
Appetizers. Steak bites, quite a large portion, great rub, subtle dipping sauce. Bacon and peanut butter toast, menu says surprisingly good, and I’d agree. Definitely a palate changer with the peanut butter and honey sauce, but a nice little appetizer.
Enjoyed a salmon entrée. Very nice cut of salmon. Great tequila sauce with it. Had the risotto, very very good.
Enjoyed bananas foster tableside. Great way to end a meal.
Their menu runs from $ 10 ish sandwich panninis to higher end entrees.
Sundays they run a happy hour menu, so $ 4 house wine and appetizer specials.
Would highly recommend and can’t wait to go back.

If it were not for the great ambiance and entertainment this place would have long ago gone out of business in my opinion. My husband and I very much want to like this place but the food is just HORRIBLE. After about two bites my husband says «I never have to come back to this place again» «This filet has to be a rump roast» In addition to this the main course is served with frozen vegetables and instant mash potatoes. Not what you would expect from a Bistro with a mid range price point.
My advice enjoy the ambiance and entertainment have some drinks on the patio and then head out to enjoy dinner elsewhere.
They may want to consider changing their name to Ryan’s Café and maybe expectations would go down with the name change

Upon entering Ryan’s Bistro, the hostess asked if we had reservations. After telling her no, she said that the wait to sit inside was 45 minutes. I thought that was odd especially since half the tables were empty. We decided to sit outside rather than wait or go elsewhere.
The patio area is very nice. It was shaded from the sun and offered live music in the form of two aging singers. They rotated every few songs and sang a duet. The music was enjoyable but not great.
We ordered a large pepperoni pizza and two side salads. The salads had green leafy lettuce which I like. Combined with the tomatoes, red onions and red wine vinegarette, the saled was tasty. The pizza was served less than five minutes after we received our salads. I was barely done so our pizza sat on the table until we finished. The best part of the pizza was the sauce. It had a different semi sweet taste. The cheese and crust didn’t offer a whole lot of taste. In fact, the pizza had a little too much cheese and wasn’t cooked quite long enough. It would have been much better had then given the crust a chance to crisp.
All-​in-​all, it was a decent experience. The food was solid but far from great. It seemed a little overpriced. The interior was very nice as was the patio. Our waitress was very attentive and friendly. I may go back and try the steak taco’s but it’s not at the top of my list.

Bacon wrapped dates stuffed with blue cheese and drizzled with balsamic reduction — they should rename that appetizer «crack dates» because you’ll eat up those rich, creamy, fatty morsels like it’s a drug.
Ryan’s is the farthest you can get from a drug den, however. A mid size eatery with great ambience, it’s perfect for catching up with friends, celebrating with family or Saturday night date night. Service was spot on with water glasses always filled, new frosty glass with every round of beer and an extra loaf of bread served warm without additional charge. Salads average $ 10, but are large enough to share between two people as entrees, four as starters. Entrees are about $ 15, give or take depending on what you’re ordering.
Oh, and they have a daily happy hour, but crack dates aren’t on that particular discount menu.

I joined some friends for Easter Brunch today at Ryan’s. My first time, they are repeat fans.
They offered a pre-​meal «salad plus» min-​buffet. VERY nice. The space is not large, but not noisy either. Clean and minimal. The food was VERY tasty, fresh and hot. Assorted breads were a nice touch. Service was VERY impressive! I think each server only had 2 – 3 tables, which allowed for VERY personalized service, good refills and prebussing.
Although it took me 2 Wendy’s, 1 Taco Bell and a KFC to get there (ok maybe that is a bit much) (it was only one Wendy’s) it is worth the trip for good food, clean restaurant and WOW service.
Great job!

We’ve eaten at Ryan’s Bistro a handful of times, but are always impressed with the quality of the food and service. The menu’s constant changes keep the dining experience fresh, and the small but busy space ensures that each patron is given enough attention and is not overlooked by the wait staff.
I’d go back if only to get more risotto! But be rest assured I’ll be dining here again and I’ll be branching out to try more entrees.

This place reminds me of my favorite spots back in Seattle. The dishes have a nice, rich flavor that you enjoy thoroughly until you wonder where all your food disappeared to.
I ordered the blue cheese + mushroom chicken, which was an interesting choice considering that I tend to dislike blue cheese. But this dish was rich, creamy, and oh so delicious.
I also got a side of the smoked gouda mac & cheese (sensing a trend? Just wait, it gets better). More cheesy goodness. If, like me, you tend to salt your food, resist the urge with this dish! The flavor starts subtle, but has a nice aftertaste. Don’t dilute it with salt!
The side of zucchini on the side was bland by comparison, but I appreciated it toward the end of the meal when I had a lot of leftover cheese sauce that needed cleaning up. A better choice than bread — at least this way I get a veggie serving!
And for dessert? The Bailey’s Cheesecake. :) Although I preferred my parents’ bananas foster, both in terms of taste and preparation (see my photos:
). But maybe I’d just had too much cheese by that point.
Ryan’s is one of my new Omaha favorites! I’ll be back next time I’m in town.