“Best. Food. Ever.” That right there is what I’ve written at the top of the past 3 receipts I’ve gotten from Bailey’s restaurant in Omaha. Their food, service, and prices are completely incredible and it is amazing that not many people have heard of them.
Usually, when I was craving a nice breakfast or lunch on a weekend we’d head off to Wheatfield’s, and after eating in the quite noisey and crowded dining room, we’d feel a lot more full, even with our pockets feeling much emptier (a usual early meal for two at Wheatfields would run us around $35 with tip). The food was good, but the place was crowded and their prices are a little on the high end. On the way home one day Jessica and I stumbled upon a place called “Bailey’s” just up the road from Wheatfields and we decided we’d have to give it a try. The past 3 weekends we have gone to Bailey’s… twice for breakfast and once for lunch and they leave us wanting to change nothing.
This morning we went for breakfast and Jessica decided to go with a full serving of Biscuits and Gravy, two eggs (cooked perfectly over-medium), two thick pieces of Maple Bacon, and a glass of Iced Tea. Now, this is one of the only restaurants in town we could find for her to get Biscuits and Gravy. Wheatfield’s doesn’t serve them at all, and the places that do (IHOP and Cracker Barrel) are just no good in our opinion. For the longest time my weekend mornings were spent baking biscuits and making sausage gravy, but now we have Bailey’s to help curb her cravings!
My breakfast this morning was actually one of “Chef Jon’s Features” (the specials) of the day:
Vintner’s Eggs
Fresh grilled asparagus dusted with parmesan cheese, crownded with two tender poached eggs, sided with fresh sliced Hot House tomatoes, drizzled with olive oil.
I also decided to go with a slice of their “Incredible Bailey’s Coffee Cake” that was mentioned on the same card. First off, the Eggs were amazing. They were perfectly poached, the egg whites were a perfect ball around a nice runny yolk. The asparagus was grilled beautifully and was dusted with just the right amount of cheese, salt, and pepper. The tomatoes were nice and fresh and also were spiced just right. After my nice light meal I eagerly dove fork first into the slice of coffee cake. Moist, delicious, and tasting of cinnamon, I’d honestly have to say it was the best coffee cake I’ve had in years. With tip, today’s bill came to just $26! Not only is that incredible for what we ate, but Jessica was so full that she couldn’t finish her Biscuits and Gravy and took half home!
Now, before you think this is just a breakfast place, show up after 11 and you’ll be treated to some of the best lunches in Omaha. Last weekend we went in for lunch and Jessica got just a normal BLT and fries, while I opted for the open-faced Moroccan Chicken Sandwich with fries, along with the special “Soup of the Day” which was Chicken Tortilla. First we’ll start with the BLT. Jessica loves BLTs. Everywhere we go, from IHOP, to Brewsky’s, to Wheatfield’s, to Arby’s… she gets the BLT, and usually isn’t happy with it. Either the bread is dry, or the bacon isn’t crispy, or the mayo isn’t that good. This, for her, was the best non-homemade BLT she’s ever had. She spent the entire lunch raving about how perfect every part of the sandwich was. This is one of the highest compliments she can pay to a place. She also enjoyed the fries, which she usually skips at Wheatfield’s as she feels they’re too bland.
When it came to my food, since I ordered soup, it came to the table first while we waited for the main courses. Now, I absolutely love Chicken Tortilla soup when it’s done right, but most places it’s either just a cup of cheese or just broth… never quite right. This wasn’t the case at Bailey’s, where the soup was a wonderful mix of spices, just thick enough to stick to the spoon and yet, not just a bowl of cheese. I wish the soup wasn’t just a special because I could eat it every day (of course, maybe it’s a good thing for my waist that it’s not on the menu every day).
For my next course, my Moroccan Chicken Sandwich was just incredible. The sandwich was open-faced, and consisted of a hummus on toasted bread as a base, followed by a layer of “salad” (which was nice and crunchy with an interesting “Moroccan” dressing tasting of allspice), followed by a wonderfully grilled chicken breast (nice and moist) and ending with a topping of goat cheese and diced bell peppers. The flavor was quite unusual (although very good) and I can’t help trying to recreate the flavor here and home. I highly suggest this sandwich. As with Jessica, I quite enjoyed the fries. They were seasoned well, not greasy or overly salty. Just a nice refreshing side that worked perfectly with the rest of the meal. With tip, the bill for this outing came to just $25, once again, a great deal!
In conclusion, there is nothing I’d want to change about Bailey’s, except possibly it’s location. Bailey’s is located in a tiny strip mall, and I think business could really pick up for them if they had more visibility and a bigger dining room. Then again, I like that it’s out of the way and a small “hole-in-the-wall”, so maybe I don’t want them to change. Go visit the staff early in the morning, they’ll be happy to see you and you’ll be happy to be there!!
Service: 5/5 – Incredible! Everything is served with a smile and everyone is quite quick and helpful.
Food: 5/5 – Astounding! The food seems like your normal cafe fare, but done very elegant and upscale.
Price: 5/5 – Low! We’ve yet to pay more than $26 (with tip!) for a meal for two.
Atmosphere: 5/5 – Laid back and relaxed… just what I want in the morning!
Overall: 5/5 – This is now one of my most favorite restaurants, and I feel disappointed if I go a week without stopping by.
Bailey’s: 1259 S. 120th St., Omaha, NE (click for map)
Hours: 7:00 am – 2:00 pm Everyday
General Manager – Grant Lundin
