Sage Student Bistro

Since this is a student-​run restaurant and my son is one of the students, I expected errors and issues and was prepared to share these with my son so he would know what needed to be improved upon. I couldn’t have been more wrong in my expectations. The service was flawless, and the food was equivalent to fine dining. I had the pesto salmon with rice pilaf and zucchini and cherry tomatoes. Certainly nothing needed to be improved. Except the tables. The legs on mine were uneven, and it was distracting to have the table wobbling all the time. As you’re headed north on Hwy 75, take the 3oth street exit, then turn left onto Sorenson Pkwy. Take the first right turn into the campus, and the Culinary Arts building is immediately on your right. The Bistro is on the right on the ground floor. No signage outside to let you know this. I missed the turn onto Sorenson and had to take a later entrance onto the campus. If you do this, you’ll get the scenic view of this historic former army fort with very little directional signage to get you to the right building.

As a business traveler who eats all over the country 3 to 4 times a week I have found a gem in Omaha. My first experience was for dinner where we both had the prix fixe menu. What a steal for $ 30/​pp.
This was a 5 course seafood delight tonight that started with a crab cake bite size starter.
The mussels were perfectly cooked and the broth was delicious with the 3 types of bread served and the sage compound butter was delicious.
The next course of clams was a favorite and again the bread soaked in the creamy sauce was delicious. Our main course of halibut a fish I usually find to be dry but not tonight. The fish was perfect along with the vegetables and the blurred blanc sauce was so tasty I wanted to just eat the rest.
Dessert was included in the set price with 4 choices. My dining partner had the chocolate financier and I had the mint pavlova with grapefruit curd and grapefruit sorbet. Both were delicious.
Please come out an support this well run student learning environment atmosphere at dinner is elegant nice background music and service was fantastic. Great place to take clients as it is intimate and also a great date night with great food. Check on line for current menu selections as the fixed menu changes weekly.

Okay — the first disappointing experience I’ve had at Sage in something like 10 or so visits.
Went with the Smokestack Sandwich. Pulled pork with sides of baked beans and coleslaw. Great price of only $ 5.25.
So the price was really good, but the meal was average/​adequate at best. Meal came out looking pretty good. Plenty of meat on the sandwich and it was already sauced (not my personal preference). Taste was okay, but after eating at places like Swine Dining and Fat Shack, it really doesn’t measure up. Beans were Texas style and came with different legumes. Taste was savory with really no sweetness. Mouth texture was kind of measly which was a turn off for me. Coleslaw was decent, but underdressed.
I left the meal unfinished and went and got something to eat elsewhere.
This is not common and I have since been back and enjoyed the other options I tried, but wanted to drop a note of my least favorite meal to date.

My first visit to the Bistro was on one of my last days in Omaha. I am so sorry that it was my first visit. Everything was wonderful. We all ordered a different item from the menu and we all cleaned our plates to the last morsel. Would love to go again and was disappointed to see they will be closed (because the students’ semester ends) before we move out of town. If you have never been, do yourself a favor and go. The food is delicious, the atmosphere fun and the lunch prices beat fast food and way better for you.

Overall atmosphere was fun. My fiancé, her Mom and I went for a nice experimental dinner with some very attentive waiting staff. They paid a lot more attention than most. We all agreed the ambience was very comforting as well. I would say the food ranked well with upscale selections but you could tell they were still beginners. The desserts were our favorite!

Let me start by saying, if you have a special occasion — or have never experienced fine dining — Sage is the place to go.
I have been here 3 times, which is an utter shame, as I would LOVE to eat here every week that they’re open. The food is out-​of-​this-​world, and the Metro Culinary Arts students do a bang-​up job every single time. That really speaks to the program here, as the students doing the cooking are changing constantly!
My most recent visit was with my wife, son, and parents for my 35^th birthday dinner. We were privy to this year’s Valentine’s Day Prix Fixe menu, as the restaurant itself will not be open on Valentine’s Day.
Tangent time: Why aren’t they open on Valentine’s Day, 2015? Well, V-​Day (maybe even VD-​Day for some of you — sorry, couldn’t resist) is occurring on a Saturday this year, and these are students cooking, as well as serving tables, to learn the ins-​and-​outs of the restaurant biz. It’s a fantastic model, and they get the gosh-​darned weekends off! Of course, in the REAL WORLD, they’ll be losing the rest of their weekends for their foreseeable entire LIFE, so give ‘em this much needed time to themselves! Maybe you aren’t mad about it, but I had to act like you were just in case you were gonna get «tiffy!»
Anyway, back to my review. The Prix Fixe menu (a changing prix fixe menu is available each week), was 6 courses (7 if you include dessert) and $ 40, which I thought was an absolute steal. The prices are low, when compared to other fine dining venues, as you rate the students at the end of the meal based on how your items were prepared, as well as the quality of service received. The typical prix fixe menu here is generally 5 courses and $ 30. Of course, you don’t have to do the fixed price menu. You may order entrees and appetizers separately.
The food was all prepared perfectly. If it was supposed to be medium rare, it was. The rubs were tasty, the flavors on everything were just phenomenal. Every time I have eaten here, I have been served something that I have never had at any other restaurant, anywhere, EVER. That’s a pretty cool feat, as I’ve eaten out anywhere from Italy to Hawaii, to New York City.
Bottom line, eat here soon and then eat here again. Each and every table should be packed every weeknight, so let’s get to work on accomplishing that.

Great example of what student cooking can be about. Students take turns by the week preparing and creating meals served to the public. Depending on their school schedule some students are cooking while others are waiting tables.
Our group opted to bring in wine and go for the pre fixe menu. We were served five various courses, ranging from a small soup to salads, pasta, steaks and desserts. Not all the dishes were the perfect compliment of flavor and balance, however, it was a terrific effort by the young chef. Service was also well executed based on personality, timing and explanation of menu items.
I highly recommend everyone stop by and give the next generation of Omaha culinary professionals a chance to showcase their young talents.

Awesome place! I came across this restaurant after downloading the open table app on my phone. I did not know this place existed and was very glad that I found it. I came with a group and we all enjoyed our meal. All meals are cooked by the culinary students. I opted for the student prix fixe menu which is a 5 course meal (menu changes weekly) for $ 30 — yes, ONLY $ 30! The food was excellent and the service was also great. I wish I came across this place sooner. I highly recommend this place, not only are you helping the students, but it is also inexpensive for a quality fine dining experience.

Had lunch at the Sage Bistro & was quite pleased by the experience. The venue is very nicely done & the staff very pleasant! I had the Reuben sandwich which was one of the only 3 offerings. I was thinking of the gourmet chicken but wasn’t quite that hungry as I was advised it was a rather large portion & only $ 7.00.
Anyway, being from the east where a Reuben sandwich done at a nice Jewish or Arab deli is usually big enough for 3 meals, I was a bit surprised by the size of the Sage offering, [see video]. Not only that but a Reuben on pseudo rye bread just doesn’t cut it even here because there is a grand Lithuanian bakery in Omaha that does authentic sourdough Eastern European rye bread that’s just great!
Another thing is, the sandwich came w frozen fries done in some sort of Sysco Systems, [Sage Benefactor] MaxFry which as I write this review 6 hours later, is causing some serious acid stomach problems & a small dish of, get this, Sweet Pickles! Note; a Reuben Sandwich is NEVER EVER served w Sweet pickle!!! Actually great Reuben spots in Chicago, NYC & even Cleveland have jumbo jars of whole gigantic Dill Pickles right on the table so one can eat all one wants & they don’t count how many are missing from the jar & charge extra for them.
Anyway what more can I say? I think the little video I shot while waiting for my lunch says it better than I.
Oh, here’s a pix of a real Reuben @ a favorite sopt I do i Cleveberg, just for reference.

After a miscommunication with a friend, I ended up having a very nice solo lunch at Sage. Quinoa Pilaf with plenty of vegetables and a nice accompaniment of pine nuts with toasted pita bread topped with a nicely executed filet of salmon. They also can accomidate ‘to go’ orders, which I might partake in given the drive time for workday lunches.
Next up, hands on dinner!

Incredible dinner for our group. The degustation menu samples most of the offerings, and each bite was a pleasure! Prix fixe menu (this week inspired by Thomas Keller) was also great-​we traded tastes and enjoyed a long, well-​paced meal Especially loved the duck breast in corn sauce. I agree with a previous reviewer that it is astonishing that this was cooked by students. Not inexpensive, but a great value nonetheless and lots of fun. Bravo!
Wine list is simple and reasonable. My only negative comment is the oh-​so-​common loud dining room.

Found this place by accident by thumbing through my phone. Can’t believe that students cooked my food. It was amazing! To all men, romantic, holidays, b-​days or just tryn to get out of the doghouse, this is the place. Dinner for two, bottle of wine, and desert $ 80.00. Seared duck was awsome. Menu changes by semester. it is at a college. Can bring in your own wine for $ 10.00 cork fee each bottle.
No beer.