Louie M's Burger Lust

Friday, August 17, 2018

Louie M’s Burger Lust

1718 Vinton Street, Omaha, NE

Where we went:

Louie M’s Burger Lust is one of Kyle’s favorite burger places in Omaha. Eric, on the other hand, had never been there before. The one issue Kyle finds with Louie M’s, they aren’t open for dinner every day! They are a breakfast and lunch place. However, Kyle tends to forget this, so twice now he has showed up expecting to get dinner, only to find that they are closed! Today, Eric had the day off, so Kyle took a long lunch and met him at Louie M’s.

What we Eat:

Kyle went with his favorite mushroom swiss burger. Almost upon seeing it on the menu, Eric decided to try a Louie M’s original, the Italian Burger. Both had the house fries. Because Eric had the day off, he chose to also get one of Louie M’s famous “Adult Shakes”. He had a hard time choosing due to the waitress’s vague “you can pick whatever you want” response to when he asked what flavors they had, but in the end went with the Chocolate Banana.

The Food:

Louie M’s food is always delicious and today was no exception. Despite being known for their burgers (it is called “Burger Lust” after all) they also have a large selection of vegetarian options and a very large breakfast menu they serve all day. We noticed they didn’t ask how we wanted our burgers done. Both of ours came well done, so perhaps that is just how they prepare all their burgers.

Kyle’s Mushroom Swiss was warm and fresh, but Eric’s Italian Burger was sure something special! The patty itself was spiced with Italian seasoning, covered in melted mozzarella and parmesan cheese, and it came with a side of marinara sauce. Eric realized right away the burger was too hot to eat, so he dumped the marinara sauce on top and let it sit. It was a good thing he did. The time the burger took to cool allowed the sauce to soak up into the bun, not only making the bun more delicious, but that way the sauce didn’t ooze out the sides as he tried to eat it! He’s going to try that trick again sometime. The fries were fine - just normal tasty fries like you’d expect at a burger join. Eric’s shake was also really good.

The Atmosphere:

Louie M’s is located in an old brick building in the historic Vinton Street corridor in South Omaha. With exposed brick walls and steel ceiling tiles on prominent display in the main dining hall. The main hall also features a historic bar back with mirror, neon lighting and several framed historic objects. A side dining hall, also has historical items, but witn an old school 1950’s soda fountain decor.

Our booth had an old aerial view of Omaha’s Creighton University, from, what I believe to be the 1920’s, a frame with foreign currency from places like Jamaica, Hong Kong, and even the former USSR. It also had a framed tax stamp booklet from 1877! If it hadn’t been the lunch rush, we would have hung around and checked out some of the other historical items on display.

The Service:

Louie M’s is a small family owned restaurant which has been around since 1980. The service was fast and friendly, but still has a small town, dinner, vibe to it. The waitress seemed a little distracted during our visit, probably due to the baby screaming in a booth toward the back, but still provided good service.

In the End:

Louie M’s is always a treat. Between the large menu and multiple “Adult Shake” options, there is always something new to try. The historic items on display make it feel like dining in a small private museum. The only issue is the location, with no off street parking available, but the surrounding communities have plenty of street parking to go around, so if you don’t mind waking a block or two for a delicious burger, Louie M’s is the place for you. We definitely will be back,

Kyle has never had their breakfast, and Eric sure wants to know what their pancakes are like!