1. What The Heck Payton Manning Is Always Yelling About
Everyone has heard of Omaha thanks to Peyton Manning’s famous quarterback call. He says it dozens of times a game and has always been vague about why. But after the city donated a ton of money to Peyton’s charity for children at risk, he says that “Omaha” is here to stay.
2. Nothing Beats A Runza Run
A type of sandwich that comes in a tube-like shape, filled with a ground beef and cabbage mixture, it’s one of the best things to grab on the go in Omaha.
3. Aksarben Isn’t Just Some Weird Word
Its Nebraska spelled backwards. It tends to pop up a lot around these parts, from movie cinemas to festivals, it’s everywhere. Just a unique twist on Nebraskan pride.
4. Rounders Are The Ultimate Late Night Snack
Another food unique to Omaha that’s served up at the Localmotive food truck, rounders are balls of bread stuffed with a variety of ingredients and served up in rounds of three. They simply can’t be beat after the bars close.
5. The College World Series Is A Big Deal Here
They may not be pro players but the College World Series is bigger than professional baseball in Omaha. It attracts tons of visitors to the city and creates a great atmosphere on every block.
6. This Omaha Restaurant Caters To A Very Wild Clientele
Alpine Inn is known for throwing scraps out back door to the large number of raccoons and feral cats that lie in wait outside. Patrons can watch the feeding frenzy from their table inside. If an out-of-towner heads their direction without knowing the many raccoons are normal, they’re in for a shock.
7. Omaha Has A Rockin’ Music Scene
While most out-of-towners wouldn’t assume that a place out in the middle of nowhere in the Midwest would have much new music, they couldn’t be more wrong. Tons of concerts come through the town, including the huge Maha Music Festival, which is one of the biggest and best festivals around, attracting thousands of people annually.
8. Some Lanes Of Traffic In Omaha Will Make Your Heart Stop
Omaha is home to “Suicide Lane,” the infamous and rightfully named Dodge Street. There’s a lane on this busy road that switches directions throughout the day, make sure you don’t turn the wrong way down it at the wrong time, as that will only spell disaster.
9. “That Sh*t Creigh, Ain’t It Jay”
Omaha locals love to cheer on their home team, the Creighton Bluejays. Traditionally, their basketball team gets the most support, with diehards filling the stadium every home game to root for the blue and white.
10. Omaha Has The Best Zoo Around. Period. Point Blank.
It may seem like a random place to have one of the best zoos in the country, but Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo regularly wins awards putting it about other American favorites like it’s competition in San Diego.
11. There’s An Arcade For Grown Folks Here
The Beercade is an awesome bar built around craft brews and arcade games. They host tons of awesome events, making it one of the coolest places to spend a Friday night in town.
12. It’s Possible To Be In Two States At Once Here
Omaha is home to the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge. It crosses the state line into Iowa, making it possible to stand with one foot in Omaha and one foot in the neighboring state.
13. Cinnamon Rolls Go Great With Chili
The combination might sound strange at first, but don’t knock it ‘til you try it. A local tradition, nothing is better on a bitterly cold day than a giant cinnamon roll and a cup of slightly spicy chili.
14. Husker Football Is Basically A Religion
Much like the rest of Nebraska, Omaha has a soft spot for the Cornhuskers. Even though things aren’t as crazy here as they might be in Lincoln, expect the city to shut down for the most part when the big game is on.
15. Everyone In Omaha Can’t Help But Love Warren Buffett
Something must be awesome about Omaha if one of the richest men in the world picks that town to live. People of Omaha love to visit some of Warren Buffett’s local favorites, like Gorat’s Steak House.
16. Omaha Has A Steak Obsession—Not That You Can Blame Them
With Omaha Steaks being frozen and shipped around the entire world, the city gains a ton of notoriety for its awesome meats. However, every local knows that the best cuts are always at the butcher nearby.
17. No One Does A Rueben Better Than Omaha
Invented at the Blackstone Hotel, everywhere local seems to boast that they have the “best Reuben in Omaha.” No matter where in town when you order up this hot sandwich topped with corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing, you can’t go wrong.
18. Omaha Should Be The Capital Of Customer Service
Omaha is home to one of the best telecommunications infrastructures in the country, which resulted in a ton of companies like Marriot, PayPal, Greyhound, and Aflac all sending their customer service calls that direction. There are huge call centers in Omaha and they employee a good portion of the residents.
19. Omaha Isn’t Full Of Farmers
While most of the state seems to be made up of farmland, if someone is from Omaha, they won’t fit that description and the stereotypes that come with everyone else in the Cornhusker State. Omaha is a pretty big city, and the locals love living the lifestyle that comes with that.
20. Only In Omaha Can You Go For Coffee, Donuts, And Cat Photos
Another must visit restaurant for an out-of-towner is the Donut Stop. With walls covered in cat pictures, this places serves up the tastiest donuts around. There’s no better way to start a day.
21. Omaha Is Part Of The Silicon Prairie
Partially due to the awesome telecommunications infrastructure in Omaha and the local education system, the city is home to a tech boom. Tons of local startups are making it big, giving Omaha quite the good reputation in the tech community.
22. No, The Wind Never Stops Blowing Here… Never
If an out-of-towner has never been to Nebraska, they’ll probably be shocked by how cold everything seems to be all of the time. It’s mostly due to the wind that never seems to stop. Nebraska is a very windy place to be, and it’s important to dress warm, otherwise the wind chill will cut straight to the bone.
23. Omaha Is A Real Gem When You’re Shopping For Jewelry
Local jewelry store Borshiem’s is largest jewelry store in the country. It’s so big that it’s a tourist destination, attracting people from around America looking to make a big, fancy purchase.
24. Omaha Laughs At Other Cities’ Snow Days
Omaha is a city that’s used to handling the winter months. Don’t expect a cancellation if there’s a little snow on the ground. Honesty, the extremely low temperatures tend to be the more dangerous aspect of winter storms.
25. Tomato Juice Is Best Served In A Beer
Nebraskans love all things red, including their beer. There are a ton of people in Omaha that will admit to putting tomato juice or V8 in their beer, and even a few that enjoyed it.
26. You’re Going To Need A Car
Omaha isn’t known for its public transportation, and unless you plan on taking expensive taxis everywhere, you’ll probably need a car. Everything is pretty spread out.
27. Construction Has A Huge Impact On Your Travel Times
There are basically two seasons in Omaha: winter and construction. Expect travel times during the summer to be greatly impacted when the orange cones come out.
28. But You Can Probably Get Anywhere In “20 Minutes”
Omaha might seem like a big city, but it’s easy to get around it, as long as construction and the Suicide Lane can be avoided. If you’ve got your own car, expect to get anywhere in less than half an hour.
29. Omaha Has Some Weird Ice Cream Flavors
Ted And Wally’s ice cream shop is home to some of the strangest, most creative ice creams around. A few of the fan favorites are sweet corn, bacon and pancakes, and on modeled after Boo Berry cereal. The flavors change on a regular basis and there’s always something new and delicious to try.
30. Omaha Might Be A Big City, But It Still Has That Beautiful Nebraska Sunset
Nebraska is a beautiful part of the country and Omaha is no exception to that. The people are friendly, the landscape is beautiful, and there’s not another place quite like it in the entire world.
Did we miss anything? Tell us the best thing about dating someone from Omaha in the comments below!
