I am at a conundrum. I love this place and was yearning to do a review, but its damn near impossible to get a good picture in there! The signature of Nite Owl is its dim/nonexistent lighting which is great for a chill night but awful for my picture quality. So, trust my words over my pics in this case.
We went to Nite Owl for my lovely friend Kelsey’s 21st birthday and came here to hang out before meeting the rest of her friends to celebrate. The ambiance is really chill, really dark lighting, stained glass decor, wooden booths lining the walls. The bar is actually a level lower than the floor, basically a subset of the floor. Instead of barstools, they have comfy low chairs, which is a really interesting concept. They have a movie playing on the big screen, the first time I went it was The Big Lebowski, so that tells ya something. Most people come here for the cool vibes, its not loud, no sticky floors, with a fancy velvet chair in the bathroom. That’s how you know its cool!
On to the real important part, the food and drink! We had just gotten out of our three-and-a-half hour night class, so we were tired, parched, and incredibly hungry. We each had a round of drinks and ordered food.
My first drink was the Lotus Eater, described as a daquiri with green tea, coconut, and chai spice. I ordered it because I thought the latter flavors would balance and enhance the alcohol, but it didn’t. All I tasted was rum with a little lime and the added flavors were lost on me. It tasted fine, but I was not impressed.
My friends also had the Gin and Tonic on tap, which was a mango flavor that day. Everyone seemed to like the flavor, though they felt it was a little too much ice in the ice-to-drink ratio.
Next came our food, our glorious food. Our glorious, glorious food. First, we got the tot-chos, which among my friend group, Nite Owl is famous for. What are tot-chos you ask? They are tater tot nachos! It is a beg of crispy hot tater tots, topped with queso sauce, crumbled queso fresco, crema, red onion, cilantro, and a beautifully fanned avocado half. Y’all. These are so freaking good. I would come here, drink tap water, and just eat these tot-chos for days if I could. The tots are warm and crispy, the cheese sauce is gooey (but not fake) and it balances out with the cool elements of the crema, queso fresco, and avocado, with the red onion and cilantro providing the necessary kick. These are amazing, we finished them so fast. I even ate the soggy tots at the end after everyone had had their share, and even those were good.
Slightly disappointed with my first drink, I decided to try another. I went with “The Time Lord,” with pimm’s smash and cucumber, pineapple, and mint. This cocktail was so good! It tasted like a slightly fruity cucumber rickey, really refreshing and easy to drink. This is the kind of cocktail they’re great at.
Kelsey had an “adult slushy,” which they rotate flavors for daily. Thursday was Mai Tai, a rum drink with pineapple and orange juice. Kelsey was gushing, Nite Owl had the “The best adult slushy I have ever had. The perfect slush to sweet to alcohol ratio.”
Lastly, we had the wings. We had them bon chon / Korean style, with hoisin, sriracha, and lime, topped with kimchi. This was a pretty big portion, definitely enough for two people. They were crispy, coated with a wonderful sweet and sticky sauce, and really satisfied our hunger. I could have used a little more kimchi, it was a nice cool and crunchy balance to the crispy wings, but they were great as is!
Overall, I love love love this place. It’s a great vibe that really lends itself to good conversation with friends. The drinks are creative (did I mention they have sangria and gin+tonics on tap??) and well priced, most are in the 7-8$ range. They have a unique atmosphere that tends to keep out the loud and rowdy. Not to mention, the food is awesome. Fried and unhealthy but flavorful and delicious. I would highly recommend this place to anyone and everyone (as long as you’re over 21)!
The Bottom Line
Awesome food, chill vibes, great conversation! Go all the time!!
Cone Rating: 4.5 Cones!!! 
Price Range: $$ (10-20 for food and a drink)
Location: Blackstone District, Omaha, NE
Online: Nite Owl Website, Yelp page
aditi eats 