Julio's

With two Metro locations (123rd & West Center and 510 S. 13th Street) Julio’s offers Tex-Mex cuisine with homemade touches. Happy Hour is Monday through Friday from 3 pm - 6 pm with a Reverse 9 pm to 12 midnight option on Friday and Saturday. Specials include $2 soft tacos, $3 house margaritas, $6 nachos and more. The interior of Julio’s West Omaha location is welcoming with a large bar area and Tex-Mex decor. They have a small patio area, service is prompt and the wait staff is helpful.

I started with the peach margarita ($4) which was very refreshing. It came in a nice glass but was a bit smaller than I expected. Wasn’t super strong but the waitress only charged me $3 for it.

I ordered the queso dipsters ($3: house queso dip and chips) which I really enjoyed. Finally a queso that doesn’t taste like Velveeta and doesn’t turn into a rubbery blob when cold. I love Julio’s homemade tortilla chips, but this visit half the plate had regular store-bought type chips.

My soft taco ($2: ground beef, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce and guacamole) was a nice size and had lots of filling. I was surprised they included guacamole inside but it was a good choice for me as I love guac. You may want to ask for it to be left off if you feel differently, they don’t ask if you want it beforehand.

Finally I had a small order of the Works nachos ($8: ground beef, refried beans, homemade chips, jalapenos, cheddar cheese, sour cream, tomatoes, guacamole and black olives). This thing was not small, but literally a mound of gooey cheese and chips. It’s almost impossible to tear apart by hand as the cheese causes everything to stick together. It . Is . DELICIOUS. The chips are just the right thickness to support everything on the plate. For $8 you can even split this between a meal and snack for later. And they don’t skimp on the other ingredients in favor of lots of chips and cheese.

I give Julio’s 4.5 smiles. All of the food was delicious but I was a little disappointed with the margarita. Great HH prices for the amount of food you get.

Leadbelly (Lincoln)

Leadbelly, located in Lincoln’s Haymarket (301 N. 8th Street), offers Contemporary American Cuisine. Happy Hour is Monday - Friday from 3p-6p, Friday and Saturday 10p-close and Sunday until 5p. Theirs is a drinks only HH with $1 off tap beer, $3 Rumplemintz and Fireball shots, $1 off wells and $4 Jameson.

The interior of Leadbelly is nice. A lot of wood and a large bar with open seating. Although it has a “hipster” reputation because of their food offerings and the wait staff, every time I visit the place is filled with older couples/friends and families. It’s a little dark in here which seems to be a restaurant trend currently. The patio is nice and wraps around two sides of the restaurant.

I tried both my usual Jameson and Ginger here as well as a Jameson Pineapple. Both great drinks for $4 and they didn’t skimp on the booze so you don’t have to order more than two or three if you’re looking for a buzz.

Even though it wasn’t on special I also got an order of guacamole and chips ($5.49: includes housemade salsa and white cheddar; choice of crisp corn or flour tortillas). The chips had a nice crunch to them and tasted homemade. The white cheddar was an interesting addition, didn’t think I’d care for it at first (I’m a bit of a guacamole purist) but it was a nice, mellow addition to the flavor profile. Their appetizers are reasonably priced so I recommend trying them out, even without any discount.

I give Leadbelly 5 smiles. I’m a bit biased since I love Jameson, but their other specials cater to most bar-goers as well. Their HH is straight to the point, perfect for those days where you just need a drink or two.

Fleming's Steakhouse

Flemings Steakhouse Happy Hour Review

Fleming's Steakhouse is located at 140 Regency Pkwy in Omaha, NE. Happy Hour is every day! Yes, happy people every day from 5 to 7pm and 8 to 10pm (Monday thru Saturday). From 5 to 7pm (aka 5 $5 till 7,) offers 5 selections of wine, cocktails, bar plates and desserts. From 8 to 10pm (aka 8 $8 till 10) offers 8 selections of wine, cocktails, and bar plates. Happy Hour is located at the bar only.

Fleming's Steakhouse is a fine dining restaurant in the Regency Omaha area. Upon entering the establishment, I was taken aback of how dark the dining area is. Each table had candlelight, and a dim spotlight for you to see your meal. Perfect for the “romantic date night” or simple solo meal to refresh your mind with a glass of wine. I so happen to do the solo meal. It was my favorite one to date.

I attended the 8 for $8 till 10 Happy Hour. I loved how they have Happy Hour every day and offers it twice a day. To start, I had the Peach Harvest Mule (Svedka peach vodka, Fever Tree ginger beer, lush tropical aromas balanced with bright stone fruit, and ginger spice). I loved how the drink came in an actual mule cup and the taste…. amazing. First you get a splash of peach then boom the ginger! The ginger did not empower the drink.

For food, I started with the Ahi Tuna Tacos (3 pieces). Absolutely delicious. Every single bite you get tons of flavor. My favorite was the shell. It reminded me of a cantina shell and it had lime and other citrus flavors baked in. The tuna was fresh and the daikon root vegetable was the perfect topping. What I didn’t like was the fact that the lime they left for garnish was stone dry. Took tons of pressure to release the juice.

Secondly, was the Short Rib Empanadas paired with poblano cream sauce. Unfortunately, it reminded me of a southwestern egg roll.  Also, the outer crust was a little hard for my liking.

Last but not least, Warm Cinamon-Dusted Donuts paired with homemade lemon curd and blueberries. A great way to end my experience at Flemings. The donuts were hot and fresh. I do wish it had a little bit more cinnamon. The donuts with the fruit curds were divine. I actually ate the blueberry one by itself.

Overall, I give Flemings SteakHouse 4 Smiles. Great food and awesome selections!