Saints Pub + Patio Midtown (Omaha)

Located in Midtown Crossing with a West Omaha location opening mid-January, Saints Pub + Patio (120 South 31st Ave, Omaha) is an upscale sports bar offering a full menu, over twenty flat screens and a large outdoor patio. Their daily Happy Hour runs Monday through Friday 2p-6p with a reverse drink special only Happy Hour Monday - Saturday from 10p to close. Specials include $6 appetizers (excluding the sampler), $1 off premium pints, $2 domestic drafts & wells, $3 Long Islands and $4 house wines. Sunday is all day Happy Hour along with $4 Bloody Mary's and Mimosas.

I decided to do my review on a Sunday so the space was pretty packed. There was still seating at the bar and at a few tables so it seemed less crowded than it really was. The decor was nicer than most sports bars which I enjoyed. I'd like to come back and check out the patio more when the weather gets nicer. All of the tvs could be a bit overwhelming for someone who may just want to see a particular game. I enjoyed it as I could watch other games while the Broncos game was on a commercial break. I sat at the bar & was immediately asked for my drink order which was nice. I went with a mimosa as they were on special and Sunday's without mimosas are sad. It was a pretty standard bar/restaurant mimosa. Would have liked less juice more alcohol. Also made a note to ask for a pineapple juice substitution next time.

I ordered the Pepper Jack Bites ($6: hand cut, battered pepper jack cheese, chipotle ranch) first. Really liked the bit of kick from the cheese in combination with the chipotle ranch. It was a nice size to share with my friend who was along for the ride. I noticed that the smaller bites seemed to be just breading, as if the cheese sort of melted since it wasn't the same consistency as mozzarella. But the larger bites as they cooled a bit were more like traditional mozz bites. These bites also get snaps for the breading not being too thick.

I also got an order of the Saints Loaded Fries ($6: waffle fries, queso, tomatoes, olives, jalapeños, shredded cheese, green onions and sour cream with your choice of beef or chicken) choosing the chicken option. My only real complaint with these were the actual fries. I wish they had some sort of spicy seasoning on them. Most of the flavor came from the toppings and queso. My friend said he really enjoyed the queso while I was expecting it to be a bit spicier. Again it was the perfect size to share with someone and the chicken was good, not dry at all. Also reheated well the next day.

I give Saints Pub + Patio 4.5 smiles. Even with the unseasoned fries and some of the bites lacking on the cheese side I would order both apps again. They have a variety of drink specials which is a plus. Saints is a great place to spend a few hours on a lazy Sunday watching all the sports action or a Friday after work when you don't feel like cooking and want some good snack food and drinks to wind down.