Alpine Inn — Restaurant in Omaha

Alpine Inn is the very definition of a "hidden gem". It is located off the beaten path, the building is old and rustic, and you pass through a dimly-lit bar past a pool table to get to the restaurant. The dining area has large windows to allow patrons to view raccoons feasting on chicken bones. [Unfortunately, not a single raccoon was present during our recent lunch there. Oh well, whatcha gonna do?] I'll tell you whatcha gonna do... eat some delicious fried chicken! That is their specialty -- and they do it right! I had the Tenders 4 Piece Dinner which featured large juicy strips that they obviously made on site. No frozen, out of the bag chicken items here--these were actually tender and delicious. My wife had Chicken w/ Onion Rings (the waiter staff likely saved the bones for those hiding raccoons). She enjoyed the 3 smaller pieces of chicken and we took the breast for later. My meal came with Macaroni Salad which was ok (I have a high bar when it comes to that side dish) and potato wedges. The wedges were a good-sized potato cut in fourths, then breaded and fried. Nicely done, but I would have liked some additional seasoning on them. Two of our group eschewed the chicken and ordered Hamburgers. Both of them liked their burgers which tells you that the kitchen can handle more than just chicken. As we left, we noticed the big selection of pies and cakes -- they looked great and we wished we would have saved some room for dessert. Might have to go back and sample...

My kids and husband had been here before but I hadn't so they wanted to take me. It was a very busy day and apparently they were short staffed. The sign stated please seat yourself. Then In tiny letters "or get on wait list." We did not see that part. So we seated ourselves in one of the several empty tables (two adults, 3 kids). Waitress came up and informed us they are short staffed and we if we aren't on the wait list we need to get up. Fine. I asked where we get on the wait list. Waitress says, rudely, "with one of us, I just told you that." Me: "I'm sorry I didn't hear you, no need to be rude." Waitress: "You Were rude first. Look around you. We are busy and short staffed which I already told you." She is screaming at me at this point, and not even trying to not cause a scene (I was quiet but firm this entire interaction). I ended up in tears and we left the restaurant. As someone whose family owns a restaurant, I understand the demands, especially when you are short staffed. But guests/customers should never be made to feel like an inconvenience or like they aren't wanted. I'd had a long day and admittedly, maybe I wasn't the most polite either. But I did not deserve to be spoken to like that. Maybe if I had been a regular, as I've seen several reviews state, this wouldn't have happened. I guess I'm not part of in in crowd, so it doesn't matter how I'm treated...

If I would be able to leave a negative number I totally would... I fully understand being busy and understaffed but when you take an order it should prolly be entered that way... I ordered a tenderloin and fries... when the food came to the table mine was missing.... the waitress came back after my kids said my food was missing and the girl said O I wrote it down as tenders and fries... I said ok whatever that is not what I ordered but Ill eat it anyway... she had already taken it away from our table so she went back to the kitchen I thought to get the tenders and fries but came back with something completely different, I again told her that is not what I ordered but took it and started eating it and about 5 minutes later she FINALLY brought out exactly what I had ordered and walked away without saying anything.... Not once did I get so much as a sorry your order was wrong or nothing even after I had said multiple times that we will not return..... my husband goes to oay and asks that something be done in an attempt to fix it and she was anything but willing to do that until another employee fixed the situation by taken 1 dinner off the ticket... After all the hyoe about this place I was super excited to try it with my family and that excitement quickly...