Fast Food in Omaha Nebraska…

While visiting our family in Omaha, there were times when we opted for take-out or fast food vs. going out to a sit down restaurant or cooking at David and Amy’s new home.  We were also inspired by the fact that their air conditioning system at home had died…

As long as we were having fast food, it was an opportunity to experience Omaha area fast food providers…

Our first experience was with Five Spice Food and Restaurant.  Originally, we’d planned to eat at the restaurant but when we arrived, Laurie and I felt that the atmosphere in this ‘modern’ Chinese restaurant was too sterile, too industrial and too noisy, so we took our order home with us.  We should have taken an inside photo but we were too put off to even consider eating here…so David II came back to pick up our order when it was ready.

We certainly ordered plenty of food!  The above photo is a representative picture of our total order.  An egg roll cost $1.95, 4 crab Rangoon were $3.95 and 8 pot stickers cost $4.95.  Individual basic meals…with lots of choices including chicken, beef, shrimp, pork of vegetable entrees, cost $6.95 and they come with 2 crab Rangoon and fried rice.  There is also an extensive list of Chef’s Specialties available, ranging from $11.95 - $15.95.

 

Bottom line… Laurie and I weren’t impressed by the food from Five Spice.  We classified it as just OK…a fuel stop at best.  Still, despite our impressions, the place was busy and it seemed to be quite popular.  If you give it a try let us know what you think… Five Spice Food and Restaurant is located at 2571 South 177th Plaza in Omaha, Nebraska.  Phone: 402-778-9888.  This restaurant is on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/FiveSpiceOmaha.

We’d never heard of the Runza fast food chain… David II, Emmett Lee, Laurie and I stopped at one of their outlets for lunch one day. 

 Runza is the name of a regional fast food restaurant chain specializing in ethnic cuisine once served by the Volga German immigrants to the United States.  In 1949, Sarah "Sally" Everett and her brother, Alex Brening, opened the first Runza Drive-Inn in Lincoln, Nebraska, and began serving runza sandwiches.  These consist of pastry/a bun filled with ground beef, onion, and cabbage.  Per Runza’s website, there are currently 80 restaurants in this chain, with 75 of them being in the state of Nebraska.

The inside of the restaurant resembled any of the many typical fast-food chains…signs above the counter with the menu and counter service.  The facility was clean and neat and the employees were helpful and efficient…

Laurie snapped this photo of David II, Emmett Lee and me sitting at our table at Runza.  Amy and David II were down in Kansas City for a soccer tournament…

FYI… The runza sandwich originated in Russia during the 1800s and spread to Germany before appearing in the United States.  The recipe was passed down from generation to generation and is available throughout the Americas, particularly in Argentina and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The recipe was spread throughout the United States by the Volga Germans, (i.e., Germans from Russia), and runza sandwiches can be found in North and South Dakota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska. The term "runza" is registered as a trademark in the United States by Runza Restaurants.

Laurie also took this picture of our grandson Emmett Lee (10…soon to be 11) and his ‘Papa’ (Grandpa).  What ever happened to the young version of me? (That was a fellow who had hair and in high school he'd looked like a young Clark Kent!) Time marches on! 

David II told me that Runza’s hamburgers were pretty good…so that’s what I ordered.  This is my half-pound cheeseburger. I must admit that it was better than most of the fast food burgers around the country!  It was juicy and satisfying…

Emmett Lee had his usual cheeseburger with a strawberry milkshake and lemonade.  David II also had a burger…and the men in our group were happy campers!

Laurie decided to step ‘outside the usual box’ and she ordered a version of what made Runza famous… She ordered the Cheese Runza Sandwich…a bun stuffed with ‘loose’ ground beef, onions, cabbage, cheese and secret spices.  She got fries as her side and David II had ordered some onion rings so she could try them too. 

The French fries were good as were the onion rings… However, while the sandwich tasted alright, the impact of that sandwich on Laurie was similar to the name of this restaurant chain…”Runza”.  She has allowed that she’d go back for one of the hamburgers…but no more Runza sandwiches for her!

I’m not sure of the address of the Runza location that we went to…as David II bought our meal and he got the receipt.  To learn more about Runza Restaurants and to find a location in Nebraska, Iowa, Colorado or Kansas, you can go to the company website at http://www.runza.com/.  

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave