The Old Mattress Factory: Bar & Grill

Sunday, March 31, 2019

Old Mattress Factory (aka The Matt)

501 N. 13th, Street, Omaha, NE

Where we went:

With spring in the air we decided to travel downtown and try a restaurant that has been around for many years. With the recent development of arena and convention center and TD Ameritrade Park, the previously run-down area just north of downtown has been undergoing tremendous changes and redevelopment over the last decade. The Old Mattress Factory (recently re-branded as ‘The Matt’) was one of the first restaurants we remember to be opened in the north downtown redevelopment project.

The Matt is nestled right underneath the I-480 overpass just north of downtown, at the very southern edge of the new development. On one hand, being right next to the interstate on-ramp is convenient for making your exit and heading home after your meal. On the other hand, during events, this may be a traffic nightmare as swarms of people try and leave the convention center and/or ballpark. Although they were not particularly busy when we were there, we’re sure that during the summertime with the various events happening in the district, they will be come very busy, especially during the College World Series.

Parking can be tricky to understand at this location. The large lot next to the building has a sign proclaiming that it is Event Parking and requires a fee. However, upon closer inspection, the fine print does specify that patrons of The Matt can park for free in specific spaces, but only on days that no events are taking place.

What we Eat:

Despite the long bar along the north wall of the Matt, there was no drink menu at our table. With no advertised signature cocktails or drinks to sample, we just decided to go for soda and lemonade to quench our thirst. Kyle struggled to decide what to have. He enjoys trying swiss mushroom burgers at different restaurants. However, the Prime Rib French Dip really caught his eye. He finally settled on the french dip, but added mushrooms to have the best of both worlds. Eric chose the Blackened Chicken Sandwich, largely due to his enthusiasm over chipotle sauce of all kinds. Both meals came with a larger variety of sides than we normally see, but we both opted for the fries.

We originally hadn’t planned on getting dessert today, but the dessert menu, though small, had two great choices that our waitress really talked up; the Housemaid Cheesecake and Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet. So we decided to get both!

The Food:

Even though The Matt is a Bar and Grill, and the food at those types of places are usually not bad, but not the highest quality, the food at the Matt was superb. Kyle’s french dip surprised him when it first came out. He thought it came on a toasted hot dog bun! But upon further inspection, he realized it was a full sized hoagie bun; it just appeared small under all the meat. The au ju sauce made it really good. The mushrooms at first threw Kyle off and didn’t seem to mesh with his sandwich, but over the course of the meal, their flavor and texture additions grew on him and he ended up really enjoying his decision to add them.

We both thought the fries were phenomenal. The batter they fry them in was extraordinarily tasty, and with a perfect amount of seasoning on them that should appeal to a variety of palates. Eric may have even been able to eat them without ketchup, which indicates it won him over in a BIG way.

Eric’s was really impressed with his sandwich as well. The bun, in particular really stood out. It was toasted in a way that was really tasty. The chicken tasted like it came fresh off a backyard grill, and the toppings were crisp and fresh. The cheese wasn’t totally melted, but it feels like a minor thing when the rest of the sandwich was so good. The chipotle sauce was, of course, delicious. Then again, you’d have to royally screw up chipotle sauce for Eric to not enjoy it.

Aaaaaaand dessert . . . The waitress REALLY talked up their cheesecake, which is what inspired Kyle to select it in the first place. While he enjoyed it well enough, it didn’t particularly stand out to him from all the other cheesecake options at other eateries in town. It was just a basic cheesecake with no fancy toppings or flavorings other than some sliced strawberry nearly arranged on top. There was some kind of gelatinous layer on top of the cheesecake layer that was kind of bland and tasted somewhat like yogurt. Kyle thinks it was trying to replicate Cheesecake Factory’s Original Cheesecake, but if that was the case, it didn’t quite succeed.

Eric’s Cookie Skillet was another home run for his meal, though! The fresh and piping hot cookie was piled high with an enormous scoop of ice cream, several dollops of whip cream, and generous chocolate drizzle. It was delicious! The chocolate chip cookie was really good, though basic. He would rate it above similar desserts at, say, Old Chicago, but if the cookie had some unique toffee bits or nuts, it would have ranked higher. That said, the freshness and enormity of the cookie skillet made it a highlight of an already amazing meal. Eric’s belly definitely went home full and satisfied.

As a side note, while we didn’t order any specialty or noteworthy drinks, the glasses that we received our diet coke and lemonade in were awkwardly pliable plastic cups that would dramatically bend when picked up. We had to be very careful and conscious of the give of these cups as we drank, for fear of spilling all over the table. Upon further reflection, the cups were similar to the cheap cups you would receive for refreshments at a baseball game, which may be the effect The Matt is going for due to its proximity to the ballpark. The cups didn’t cause any issues during our visit, they were just a surprise that we had to be careful about.

The Atmosphere:

The building The building The Matt is in was built in 1882 and is on the national registry of historic places. It was originally Stabrie Grocery and was located in Omaha’s notorious Burnt District (aka the Red light district) and was later converted into a saloon before becoming the Central Mattress Factory where it remained for the next 50 years.

The exposed brick walls and wooden rafters and support pillars have kept the historic vibe of this building. The modern bar, tables, lighting, and televisions create a fascinating and really cool juxtaposition that brings the dining area into the 21st century while still showcasing its history. Eric was even struck by how cool this dichotomy affects even the restrooms where they even installed antique-looking lighting fixtures to brightly light up the complimentary clash of the old brick and modern slate tiles. He had to try and not look like a creeper as he waited for the restroom to vacate so he could document this cool design effect!

The Service:

The service at the Matt was good. We felt somewhat confined when the hostess only sat people in our corner of the restaurant rather than utilizing the rest of the expansive seating area, and we had to adjust our chairs to make room for other guests. Perhaps they were short on servers and wanted all the patrons in one area to make it easier to serve? Either way, the waitress was responsive and quick with refills, and our food came out with minimal delay. No complaints on our end.

In the End:

The Matt is an excellent restaurant. We’ll definitely be returning again. The large open space lends itself to large group gatherings, as well as the inevitable College World Series crowds. We thoroughly enjoyed our lazy sunday visit, but we know that during special events, The Matt will likely have a very different, much more hectic atmosphere that comes with the crowds (also keeping in mind the potential difficulties in parking during these times). Eric in particular would love to come back sometime and see if they do have any specialty drinks at their bar, but even if they don’t, your drinks seem to be only limited by your imagination from their expansive bar.