On the second floor of a historic building on Underwood Avenue in Omaha’s beloved Dundee neighborhood, Ooh De Lally is the kind of restaurant that earns a permanent place in your heart before your entrée even arrives.
Named for the rallying cry of Robin Hood’s Merry Men, this hidden gem comfort food restaurant in Omaha serves elevated New American cuisine with a mission so powerful and so genuine that even the most jaded diner leaves feeling like they’ve been part of something bigger than a great meal. 🍃
This is food with a soul — and Omaha has never tasted anything quite like it. ❤️
How Ooh De Lally Won Omaha’s Hearts
Ooh De Lally opened in March 2024 in the storied space formerly occupied by Marks Bistro — one of Omaha’s most beloved neighborhood restaurants — and rather than simply filling those shoes, it stepped into them with a sense of purpose that the city immediately recognized and embraced. 🏡
Executive Director Tim Steinbach and Executive Chef Doug Case built the restaurant around a mission as audacious as it is beautiful: to fully partner with the Metropolitan Community College Re-Entry Assistance Program (RAP 180) — the first restaurant in Omaha to do so — providing formerly incarcerated individuals with real culinary training, real employment, and a genuine second chance at a full life.
“We’re providing them with employment and education and hopefully a jumpstart on their life on the other side of the bars,” Steinbach has said, and the results speak with extraordinary eloquence on every single plate that leaves the kitchen.
Chef Doug Case — a self-described “true Nebraska chef” with 30 years of restaurant experience — orchestrates this kitchen with calm, patient mastery, producing “craveable neighborhood comfort food” that takes everything familiar and beloved and elevates it with modern, ingredient-driven precision. 👨🍳
The ingredients tell their own story of community commitment too: greens sourced from Long Walk Farms in Iowa, mushrooms from Flavor Country Farms, coffee from nearby Myrtle & Cypress, and Snake River Farms beef in the ODL Burger — all chosen with the same intentionality that defines everything else about this remarkable place.
“The culture here is one of caring,” Steinbach says, and you feel it — in every warm greeting, every perfectly executed plate, and every bite of the best New American comfort food in Nebraska you’ve ever tasted. 🍽️
Food Highlights
- Chicken Sando: Your choice of a fried thigh or pan-seared breast topped with a creamy, sweet white Alabama BBQ sauce, crisp butter lettuce, and tangy onion slaw — “a fried chicken sandwich with a creamy, sweet Alabama BBQ sauce.”
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Marks Signature Mac & Cheese: Spiral cavatappi in a rich, flowing four-cheese blend topped with golden toasted breadcrumbs. 🧀
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ODL Burger: A 100% Wagyu beef patty from Snake River Farms with thick-cut bacon from Jon’s Naturals, sweet grilled onions, and gooey white cheddar. 🍔
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Connecticut-Style Lobster Roll: Four ounces of cold-water Maine lobster poached in butter, dressed with Old Bay and Worcestershire, served on a New England sweet dough bun with a drizzle of nutty brown butter. 🦞
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Seared Faroe Island King Salmon: A delicate, richly flavored salmon fillet with a beautiful golden sear, served over creamy lemon-punched risotto. 🐟
- Crab & Sweet Corn Croquettes: A modern take on the crab cake featuring natural crab sweetness, pops of fresh sweet corn, and a crispy golden exterior, served with a creamy remoulade. 🦀
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Smoked Chicken Lasagna: Al dente noodles layered with tender smoked chicken, a vibrant red sauce, and an oregano cream with a touch of funky bleu cheese.
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Brussels Sprouts: Lightly fried for a crispy exterior with creamy, almost buttery insides, then finished with a lemon-garlic sauce and a generous dusting of sharp pecorino cheese. 🌿
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Ooh De Lally Green Salad: Locally grown greens from Long Walk Farms in Iowa, shaved seasonal vegetables, ricotta salata cheese, and dry cherries in a citrus honey vinaigrette spiced with turmeric. 🥗
- Short Rib Fries: Hand-cut, well-salted fries piled with shredded braised short rib, a salty-tangy beer cheese, and an earthy paprika mayo. 🍟
Atmosphere
Ooh De Lally occupies the second floor of a historic Dundee building, and the moment you step inside, you feel the intimate, cozy warmth of a room that somehow manages to feel simultaneously like a neighborhood bistro, a speakeasy, and your favorite aunt’s dinner table. 🕯️
Giant plate-glass windows frame views of the heart of Dundee, low lighting warms the room, and an open bar area hums with a creative cocktail program built on house-made syrups, infusions, and foams — with the Poire Sour (a New York Sour riff with house pear reduction and a Malbec float) becoming a signature order all its own.
A spacious outdoor patio adorned with a mural by local artist Eduardo Gardea invites lingering on warm Nebraska evenings, while the Fox Den bar directly below — open Tuesday through Saturday — extends the experience with pintxos, wine, and cocktails for those not ready to let the night end. 🎨
Bottom Line
Ooh De Lally is Omaha dining at its most meaningful and most delicious: a life-changing mission powering a kitchen that serves the city’s best mac & cheese, a Wagyu burger worth obsessing over, a Connecticut-style lobster roll made with Maine butter-poached lobster, and a Dundee neighborhood atmosphere that makes every visit feel genuinely special. 🍽️❤️
Address:
4916 Underwood Ave, Omaha, NE 68132
🕔 Mon–Thu 11:00 AM–2:00 PM & 4:00 PM–9:00 PM | Fri–Sat 11:00 AM–2:00 PM & 4:00 PM–10:00 PM | Sun 10:00 AM–2:00 PM & 4:00 PM–9:00 PM