Black Oak Grill Happy Hour Review ....the REMMIXXX

 This is another REMMIIXXXXXXX (again in my Diddy Voice!) I had the pleasure of reviewing Black Oak Grill in Omaha, NE. Black Oak is located in Midtown at 220 S 31st Ave next to Crave. Happy Hour is Monday-Friday from 3-6pm and Saturday 11-6pm. Happy Hour is Bar only but don’t worry there is plenty of seating. Black Oak offers half-price draft beers, wine, and appetizers. Also five dollar fresh cocktails, house cocktails, and bar sliders. 

The last time I was here, I had the Flip and Sip Martini. This time I had the Frozen Jack N Coke ($5). To spruce it up a bit I asked for Cherry Grenadine and it was simply sweet and delicious. I perfect way to end a hot and humid summer day. I love that they added a generous amount of Jack and was able to make my drink perfect. I actually ordered two within my stay. 

For food, I started off with the Meatloaf Sliders with Fries. The French fries came out crisp and fresh and tasted like they been tossed with rosemary oil at the end. The slider was okay. The meat itself could use some seasoning. Alone it tasted a bit bland. On top of the slider is mashed potatoes and tomato sauce. Overall the fresh was the bomb but the slider really needed more flavor. 

I couldn’t leave Black Oak Grill without having their Chicken BBQ Nachos. Since my last visit, I noticed that they upgraded some of the ingredients. Added grilled tomatoes and more fresh veggies. You can’t really go wrong with it comes to their nachos. Cheesy, bbq, and chicken goodness on a plate. Can easily share with your partner or girlfriends. 

Overall, I give this Review Remix 4 Smiles! Black Oak Grills customer service is phenomenal and the drinks are always on point. The perfect place to come out and relax after a long day at work, or just a place to get together with your girlfriends. 

Old Chicago

With various locations around the US and in Omaha, Old Chicago offers assorted bar food, pastas and pizza alongside an extensive beer list. Happy Hour is Monday - Friday from 3pm-6pm, with daily late night specials from 10pm to close. Specials include crispy tavern bites, assorted appetizers like mozzarella cheese sticks or nachos grande and $1 off pints, $3 well cocktails, $4 OC iced teas or house wines and $5 U.S. or daily special tall drafts.

The interior is pretty standard no matter which location you visit. I stopped at one while I was in Aurora, Colorado and it was almost identical to the one up the street from my apartment. Lots of seating around the bar area, separate dining room that’s quiet and lots of sports memorabilia. Like I’ve said before, everything you expect from a “chain” brewery.

I tried one of this location’s specialty ½ and ½ beers. The Beachhouse IPA had both Dry Dock Apricot Blonde and Firestone Union Jack IPA. I really enjoyed this combo, the apricot blonde offset the IPA nicely and made it tolerable (not a fan normally).Great summer beer and I’m going to have to have my dad ship me some Dry Dock Apricot Blonde at some point.

I then tried the crispy jalapeno cheese ravioli ($3: creamy jalapeno cheese stuffed fried ravioli, sprinkled with parmesan and romano cheese and served with zesty pizza sauce). I really like fried ravioli and was excited to try this twist. The raviolis weren’t greasy and the sprinkled cheese gave it a nice crunch. The filling wasn’t very spicy which was quite disappointing and the flavor profile was weird after you dipped it in the pizza sauce. Worth an experimental try but probably wouldn’t get it again.

Next I had the pretzel bites ($3: freshly baked jalapeno pretzel bites served with beer cheese sauce) which were a huge disappointment. Despite being jalapeno pretzel bites they weren’t spicy at all. I could see little pieces of jalapeno but no spice transferred apparently. The beer cheese sauce was mediocre, more velveeta than any beer cheese I’ve ever had. The pretzels did come out warm and weren’t too hard. The “beer cheese” on the other hand was cold upon arrival.

I give Old Chicago 1.5 smiles. I’m game to try more of their beer selection and they had other food items I thought were intriguing. Would never get the pretzels or ravioli again however.

Jax Fish House (Denver)

Located in LODO, Jax Fish House and Oyster Bar (1539 17th Street, Denver, CO) has served fresh and sustainable seafood since 1996. They cater to the ‘Coast-less Communities’ with an impressive raw bar and hand crafted cocktails and beer. Happy Hour is 4pm to 6pm daily and all night long Mondays. Specials include $1.50 oysters, steamed mussels and a sea dog as well as discounted craft cocktails, seasonal tap sangrias, $1 off drafts, select wines for $6 and more.

My first impression of Jax was great. I was visiting family and brought them along so our party was rather large (six). Instead of forcing us to sit outside or wait and make a reservation the manager quickly put together a table for us. Not exactly the easiest task as this place really is a counter bar with table seating. Our server was super attentive and helpful and every table was covered in white craft paper. I’m sure it’s meant for easy cleanup but they leave crayons so I had to leave behind a masterpiece.

My first drink was the strawberry lemonade ($5: house infused strawberry vodka, lemonade) and while I’m not big on vodka I enjoyed this refreshing take on a summer staple. The lemonade wasn’t too tart and the infused vodka had a good strawberry flavor.

Next was the gumbo fries ($5: aged white cheddar, andouille) which is Jax’s version of poutine. I would have liked the fries to be a bit more crispy, but the gumbo was a nice twist. The andouille gave this dish a more hearty base than their regular cup of gumbo, but the flavor was lacking real depth. I understand if some take that with a grain of salt as not everyone grew up eating authentic Louisiana gumbo as our server alluded to. Worth a try and extra points for creativity.

I also ordered a seafood dynamite slider ($2: pea shoots, pickled red onion) which was delicious. The remoulade wasn’t exactly spicy, but still worked. The actual slider consisted of a seafood mix which was fresh and not fishy or rubbery. Overall a good size for the price.

My second sip was their seasonal paloma ($5: seasonal infused tequila, grapefruit, grapefruit soda). I learned with this drink that I must stop forcing myself to try grapefruit. I wanted to like this drink just as much as I want to enjoy grapefruit in general, but it just isn’t going to ever happen. For that reason I can’t say don’t get this drink even though I didn’t love it.

To round out my visit I tried the bacon fat chicken wings ($9: guajillo chili sauce, cilantro crème fraîche) which sadly was the most disappointing dish of the night. I had very high hopes for these wings because bacon = greatness. The wings didn’t inherently have a bacon flavor nor did they evoke any bite from the chili sauce. The crème fraîche seemed out of place on the actual wing adding nothing of note.

I give Jax 4.5 smiles. The service is great and I love that their HH is daily. Everything I tried was fresh which is maybe the most important thing a fish house can offer but the chicken wings missed their mark and some of the risks they take (like the gumbo fries) could be executed a bit more deftly.

Plank Happy Hour Review Remiiixxxxxxx

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This is the REEEEMMMIIIXXXXX *in my best Diddy Voice! For the month of June I'll be reviewing a few Happy Hour's that I've done in the past! First up is Plank Seafood and Provisons. Located in the heart of Old Market Omaha 1205 Howard St. Happy Hour is DAILY, Monday-Saturday 3pm-6;30pm. Sunday Noon- 8pm. Plank offers discounted appetizers and cocktails.

First on the list is the Redbeard's Rita ( Cabrito Silver Tequila, housemade Limoncello, fresh lime, simple syrup, and pomegranate. Besides squeezing the orange slice I couldn't taste much of anything. I was expecting a punch that pomegranate has and I didn't get that. Just reminded me of a old fashion margarita.

You can't come to Plank without having a few oysters! For $1.25 a piece during Happy Hour you can't go wrong. I loved the seasonal horseradish and ginger mignonette to pair! Absolutely great combination!

Next, Poutine Fries! For $5 you get natural cut fries, Wisconsin white cheddar cheese, and braised bacon gravy! I love their version of this Canada dish! The fries were nice and hot. Gravy had tons of flavor, and loved the freshness from the green onions! Great with your favorite cocktail. Just makes you feel warm and soft inside.


Last thing I had was the Petite Po' Boy Fish Sandwich (tomatoes, pickle, lettuce, and creole mustard). Two things that was unfortunate about this dish. 1. I forgot to take a picture. 2nd. I originally ordered the Shrimp Po' Boy but they gave me fish. I'm the type of person that doesn't complain much so I didn't mind. The waitress was kind enough to give me the Shrimp Po'Boy to go for free.

What I wish this Po' Boy had was texture and flavor! The fish itself was very bland. Tasted like they just rolled the fish in corn meal and flour with no seasoning. The bread was soggy from toasting with butter, the creole mustard tasted like the standard aoili. Quite disappointed in this dish ;-(

Overall I give Plank Seafood and Provisions 3 smiles! The prices are great, but from the dishes I tried flavor is much needed!