1912 Benson

Wednesday, February 21, 2019

1912 Benson

6201 Maple Street, Omaha, NE

Where we went:

We are between snow storms here in Omaha, got hit by one just the other day, and another one is coming this weekend. But despite the piles of snow everywhere, we decided to venture out. We chose Benson this time, an older but up and coming neighborhood along Omaha’s east Maple street. 1912 Benson is an upscale bar and grill located in the heart of Benson. Benson is mostly known for their bars and nightlife.

What we Eat:

1912 didn’t have as big of menu as we had expected, but what they lacked in variety they made up for in interesting combinations. Eric was torn between the Beef Short Rib and the 1912 Burger, but in the end went with the classic 1912 burger and fries because he wasn’t sure if the Short Rib was a Sandwich or an “& Such” according to the menu. While Kyle tried the Smoked Brisket and Fries. Kyle requested the sauce on the side of his meal.

Being primarily a bar, they had a large, leather bound, menu of their signature drinks. Eric started off with an Apple Pony, a spiced rum and ginger beer drink, then finished the meal with the D’s Green Tea, an Irish Whiskey and Peach Schnapps combo.

We treated ourselves at the end of the meal with the Housemade Beignets. We had a hard time choosing between the Lemon Cream Cheese or Nutella stuffing. Our waitress suggested getting both the stuffings. The kitchen couldn't do both, but they could give us both the stuffings on the side instead of inside the beignets, so that is the tasty option we went with.

The Food:

Eric’s two drinks were very good. The Apple Pony was his favorite. Eric is a big fan of ginger in his cocktails, but had never had it combined with an apple flavor. Suffice to say, but Eric was blown away by how good that combination turned out to be. The spice from the ginger went perfectly with the apple liqueur to really bring out the pie-ness of the drink. The D’s Green Tea came highly recommended by the waitress, and Eric was really looking forward to this unique flavor combination as well. Unfortunately, upon first sipping the drink, the Sour vastly overwhelmed the other flavors, even after mixing his drink. Once the sour shock wore off, the green tea flavors started to come through in the aftertaste and were really nice. Eric suspects that his cocktail must have been made with more sour than usual and would live to give the drink a second chance on his next visit.

Eric’s classic burger was amazing. He was drawn to it by the tomato jam and pork-belly toppings. In the end they amounted to fancier ketchup and bacon, but their fanciness definitely enhanced the burger. The black-truffle aioli was a definitely highlight as well. It was used to just the right amount to enhance the burger and not overwhelm it. The meat was more medium than the well-done that he ordered, but it was juicy delicious. The bun was also the perfect combination of soft and toasted to just the right degree.

Kyle’s Smoked Brisket was a bit difficult. It was good, but it came in the section “Sandwiches & Such” on the menu, so he assumed it was going to be the “and such” turns out it came on a bun. There is nothing wrong with that, but the meat was hard to bite through, so when he took bites of the bun, the get way more meat then he expected. He eat most of the meat with a fork. Kyle was also a little confused with the sauce. The menu said, “traditional or smoked Jalapeno sauce with an awkward line break in the middle of the description. He read that as “Traditional Jalapeno” or Smoked Jalapeno”. Not being a fan of Jalapenos, he got the Traditional on the side. It turned out it was Traditional or Smoked Jalapeno, so he could have gotten the sauce right on the meat. Overall, despite the confusion the Brisket was excellent.

Both Kyle and Eric agreed that the house made and seasoned fries were excellent. They were very thick and had just the right amount of seasoning.

The Housemaid Beignets were delicious. They came covered in cinnamon and sugar and were piping hot. The nutella was both Kyle and Eric’s favorite, as it paired really well with the cinnamon. Kyle felt the Lemon Cream Cheese, however, was too Lemony for him, but Eric like it and enjoyed the flavor contrast with the nutella.

The Atmosphere:

1912 has a unique atmosphere. It is located in an old, historic warehouse building that was built in, take a while guess, 1912! The entire front of the bar is a glass garage door that can be opened in the warmer spring and summer months. All the walls inside were exposed brick, and the extremely large bar runs the entire length right down the middle of the restaurant. The signature bit of 1912, that were were not able to enjoy due to the 15 degree temperatures outside, is 1912 features the only rooftop bar in Omaha. This rooftop bar because very popular during the NCAA Men’s College World Series.

The Service:

The staff at 1912 seemed nice. Unfortunately, there was no sign when we arrived saying “Please set yourself” so we waited at the door for a few minutes before someone shouted from the other end of the bar “Feel free to sit anywhere you like.” So our welcome could have been a little warmer. The waitress seemed a little distracted at first, which was odd because there were so few people there this evening, but as the night progressed she opened up and became more friendly.

In the End:

1912 Benson is a unique and tasty dining location in the heart of Historic Benson. We suggest, after the meal, taking a stroll down Maple street to see the other establishments Benson has to offer. One of these establishments is Beercade, an adult Bar/Arcade. Unfortunately, Beercade is extremely popular is is quite busy most nights, including this night, so we didn’t take the time to hang around, but your experience may vary.