Happy Hour Crawl

I’ve noticed throughout my time as a high school student that I spend a lot of my paycheck on food. My friends and I love eating out—whether we go to cool restaurants, pick up fast food, or get a caffeine fix at the local Starbucks. However, this habit of mine can get really pricey at times. I make minimum wage as a barista, and I can only assume most other teenagers are in the same situation. Even though I should be saving for college next year, I love exploring Omaha’s dining options and cuisine.

Omaha is a hub for delicious but sometimes expensive restaurants. Luckily, a lot of eateries in town have great happy hour deals that allow you to have a nice dinner without burning a hole in your pocket. Craze is here to show you  some of the best options Omaha has to offer.

CRAVE Restaurant

Omaha Location: 200 S 31 Ave

Happy hours: Monday-Saturday 3p.m.-6p.m.

Friday-Saturday 9p.m.-11p.m.

Sunday 11a.m.-8p.m.

We’ve all been in the car on the way to dinner, arguing about what restaurant to go to. Someone wants Mexican, someone else is craving burger, and someone is just dying for some sushi. Well, at CRAVE Restaurant located in Midtown Omaha, you can get all of these things. CRAVE offers something for everyone, whether they have a favorite food or a dietary need. The restaurant also provides a relaxing atmosphere with live music and entertainment every Friday night.

“What makes us unique is that we’re a made-from-scratch kitchen. All of our produce is fresh and all of our products are made fresh daily,” CRAVE Restaurant manager Bria Beninato said. “If people have allergies or any special needs when they eat, we can eliminate or add in anything you want.”

CRAVE promises freshness for their extremely diverse menu. This melting pot of a menu includes everything from sushi to burgers and fries. They also have an awesome happy hour menu that includes the restaurant’s famous lemon garlic wings for only $7, a large $5 serving of chips and guacamole, and a wide variety of sushi rolls ranging from $4 to $7. The happy hour menu also includes delicious items like truffle parmesan fries, mini flatbread pizzas, and edamame.  

“You can come here if you’re a steak-and-potatoes kind of person. If you’re a burger person, we have really good burgers. If you want to try something totally unique, we have poke bowls, and some awesome sushi rolls that I haven’t really seen anywhere else in Omaha,” Beninato said. “We have the classics, but we also have things on our menu that add a surprising element or twist.”

Blue Sushi and Sake Bombers Lounge

Omaha Locations: 416 S 12 St

14450 Eagle Run Dr. STE 210

16939 Wright Plaza

Happy hours: Monday-Saturday 3p.m.-6:30p.m.

Friday-Saturday 10:30p.m.-12a.m.

Sunday 12p.m.-8p.m.

Blue Sushi and Sake Bombers Lounge is known for being Omaha’s epicenter of sushi. All types of people flock to the restaurant for their tasty Japanese cuisine. Sushi can become an expensive meal, even at gas stations and grocery store. But Blue is different. The quality of sushi and other Japanese foods at Blue is the best in Omaha, and the restaurant offers great deals several times a week. For only $5.50 for a roll, you can get options like the Crunchy Blue, the Crunchy L.A., the South Pacific, or everyone’s favorite: the California roll. The buoyant atmosphere, and intricate yet sometimes humorous decorations at Blue tie everything in for a fun dining experience.

“Blue has an upbeat vibe. The Blue part downstairs has a different feel than the Sake Bombers Lounge upstairs,” Blue Sushi assistant manager Ruben Valdez said. “The lighting and design gives off a different feel in the different parts of the restaurant.”

Besides Blue’s impressive maki rolls, there are other great options on their happy hour menu. The Blue Balls—which the restaurant gets a lot of recognition from—are only $4.50. Blue also offers scrumptious starters like edamame, calamari, and mango crab Rangoon, all under $5.50. Don’t like sushi? There are other great deals on the happy hour menu, like the chicken and vegetarian lettuce wraps, and chicken satay. No stomach will leave empty from Blue Sushi and Sake Bombers Lounge.

Donut Professor

Omaha Locations: 8410 S 73 Plaza

14505 W Maple Rd

1919 Papillion Pkwy

5649 N 90 St

920 N 204 Ave-Elkhorn, NE

Happy hours: 6a.m.-12p.m. daily

Well, I guess it’s five o’clock somewhere! But while most of you are out partying, I just want a donut. The Donut Professor is an extremely popular breakfast spot here in Omaha, offering great prices and a fast, friendly staff. With a wide gallery of donuts and a warm cup of coffee, who could want more? The art of donut-making is done by the “Professors” in their “Laboratories” around the Omaha Metro, with locations in Papillion and Elkhorn. A family run business, the Donut Professor provides great breakfast and stellar service.

Some of their great flavors include the chocolate buttermilk, the maple iced donut, and the classic chocolate iced with sprinkles. The Donut Professor also has more unique breakfast options like the Bavarian Crème Éclair, the Glazed Twist, and cinnamon rolls. All of these great options and none of them will cause you to spend all of your last paycheck. Also, the coffee there is less expensive than your daily trip to Starbucks or Scooter’s, which goes great with the delicious pastries. My suggestion is to start the party at the Donut Professor.