by Michael Totten

Created on: June 12, 2009   Last Updated: August 13, 2009

Stranded overnight in Omaha, Nebraska, and looking for a good bar, maybe with a great live music scene? Why not try out one of these options?

Crescent Moon Ale House

3578 Farnam Street, Omaha NE

http://crescentmoonalehouse.com

For good beer, good classic bar food, and good company, look no further than the Crescent Moon Ale House. With the best beer selection in the city, Crescent Moon never has fewer than 30 different beers on tap, chasing it down with such bar standards as burgers, Reubens, and the best fried pickle chips you have ever tasted. Each night features a different food and drink special. Although it is a traditional American bar in every other way, this is not the place to go for Bud Light! For after-hours parking overflow, use the Mutual of Omaha parking lot just down the hill. For a wonderfully surreal experience, combine your stay with a visit to Huber-Haus in the basement, which will take you from American burgers and jukebox to Oktoberfest polka in a German bierhaus in under 30 seconds.

Slowdown

729 N 14th Street, Omaha NE

http://www.theslowdown.com

This friendly bar does anything but slow down during its great concerts and trivia nights. The sound system is well designed, and there isn't a bad sightline in the house. This place adapts its size to the size of the show, saving its main stage for its largest shows, so that the venue for every concert is just the right size. However, the shows start on the early side because of Nebraska's early last call. While drink prices are a bit high for Omaha, drink specials are always priced right, and who can argue with a free jukebox? During cold weather, the place is warm and cozy. During warm weather, the bar staff opens up the garage door to the patio and outdoor beer garden. Get there early during event nights, because the place fills up quickly.

The Waiting Room

6212 Maple Street, Omaha NE

http://www.waitingroomlounge.com

Omaha is the place to catch live music, and few do it better than the Waiting Room. More intimate than Slowdown, this bar is laid out so the performers have room, the crowd has the perfect amount of room, and you can still sit at the bar and feel close to the stage. While Slowdown has its gigs on the traditional concert nights, the Waiting Room often books its smaller indie bands on non-traditional nights, so it's easy to get the best of both worlds. Drinks are reasonably priced. The Waiting Room doesn't offer munchies but that's no problem, since Pizza Shoppe will deliver right to the bar.

Learn more about this author, Michael Totten.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.