Verdict: Bar & Grill

Saturday, March 2, 2019

Verdict Bar and Grill

1901 Harney Street, Omaha, NE

Where we went:

Last weekend we had planned to attend our friends birthday party. Unfortunately, that same night Omaha got hit by a blizzard. So tonight, we went to his make up birthday party at the Verdict Bar and Grill located in Downtown Omaha. Like DJ’s Dugout, we are stretching our definition of “restaurant” a little by this. Verdict is primarily a lounge bar that features karaoke every Friday and Saturday night. However, they also have a large food menu, so we decided it was still appropriate for this blog. We have been to Verdict on a number of occasions, so going for a birthday was a perfect special event for us to revisit it!

What we Eat:

Eric started his night off with a Long Island Iced Tea, or as he likes to call it, a Strong Island Iced Tea. He knew the particular bartender that night who indulges Eric’s “Boozetooth” whenever he stops in. He then ordered another of his favorites: the Chicken Parmesan sandwich with fries. After that he was still craving more and decided to go all in and add an order of mozzarella sticks to top it all off. Kyle went with his favorite item to get at Verdict, the pulled pork sandwich with fries. Both Eric and Kyle joined several of their friends by ordering the signature drink of the night, the Hurricane, which was a pre-mixed fruity rum drink that was on display in a large container at the bar.

The Food:

Eric’s drinks and food were just as delicious as he’s used to. The Strong Island and the Hurricane were both super strong, which may deter lesser mortals, but Eric was in the mood to party! He also ordered the Bartender’s Choice shot, which was on special. He had no idea what the bartender chose for him, but it went down the hatch with all the rest just fine.

The Chicken Parmesan sandwich makes Eric’s mouth water every time he thinks of it. It’s just so consistently good! The chicken is moist with crispy fried breading, gooey melted mozzarella, and the PERFECT amount of sauce. Eric is a sauce fanatic, and this sandwich struck the perfect balance between generous helpings of saucy goodness, but not so much that it squirted out the sides of the bun to make a big mess. Fantastic!

The sandwich was so good that Eric wanted a refill upon finishing it. However, he opted to go for some mozzarella sticks to get his saucy, cheesy, fried fix, thinking that it would be easier to stomach than a whole other sandwich. The mozz sticks were served piping hot and fresh, and the waitress even gave him an extra dipping cup of marinara sauce so that he could dunk them to his heart’s content. The fries were also stellar- cooked just right and with a good balance of seasonings. Eric recalls a previous visit where upon receiving his food order, a girl at the bar turned and wandered over to him exclaiming how good his fries smelled and she just had to see them. She was drunk, but it’s still a testament to how great these fries are that they literally lure people to them.

Kyle’s drink was as awesome as normal.However, he was surprised by his pulled pork sandwich because, well, it wasn’t a pulled pork sandwich. It appears to be ground pork (like as sloppy joe) in barbecue sauce. Now, at the end of the day, one would think it would taste the same right? It’s the same type of meat, and the same sauce, but no, texture is a big thing, and this texture was just strange. He was very disappointed in his sandwich, and will not order it next time. The fries however, were as good as ever.

It was particularly interesting that Eric’s Chicken Parmesan sandwich has been so consistently good at Verdict, but Kyle's Pulled pork is apparently not. We don’t know if we can just chalk this up to a different cook in the kitchen or what.

The Atmosphere:

The Verdict is particularly interesting when it comes to Atmosphere, because they have a few different atmospheres to choose from. If you are looking for a warm lounge with a fireplace and comfortable couches and chairs, they have a section just behind the bar for you. If you are looking for a traditional bar feel, with high top tables and bar stools, the verdict has that too. Finally, if you are looking for low tables and chairs with a restaurant feel, they also offer that closer to the kitchen.

The “restaurant” feel location is much smaller on a Friday or Saturday night because half of that area is taken up with the Karaoke stage. The birthday boy loves karaoke (and man can he sing!) so this is the perfect location for him.

The Verdict also frequently hosts themed nights and parties. This particular visit was a Mardi Gras night (hence the special on Hurricanes), complete with Mardi Gras decor and passing out colored bead necklaces. They go all out for holidays like Halloween and New Years, and even have some random fun themed nights like a Onesie Night where people could lounge around in comfy pajamas and win prizes!

The Service:

The Verdict has a small staff, with two bartenders, one kitchen cook and a waiter. But don’t let that fool you. They provide extremely friendly and fast service to everyone. If the bar gets particularly full, you will probably need to go order your food up at the bar, but if it's not as crowded someone will come to your table and take your order. The Karaoke leader is also extremely friendly and will make anyone who is even the slightest bit interested in singing feel more than welcome to give it a shot in a judgment free environment. That being said, there is also no pressure to sing if that isn’t for you.

In the End:

The Verdict is something of a mainstay for Kyle and Eric, if only because it is a frequent weekend evening hangout for several in their social circle. The high frequency of different events means there's almost always something new and fun going on there. Unfortunately, if Kyle hadn’t been to the Verdict before, he wouldn't recommend it based on his food experience this night. Everyplace can have an off night, or inconsistent cooking staff, so Kyle will just chalk it up to that when he comes back next time. Eric, on the other hand, will most assuredly order the Chicken Parmesan sandwich again. Perhaps Kyle will chose something different on the menu, in hopes of a more satisfying meal. The atmosphere and events are the main draws of The Verdict, however. They have a plethora of drink options, and their food is (mostly) a step above most other bars.