Mercury — Restaurant in Omaha

Overall, 2.5 stars Service ⭐ Drinks ⭐⭐ Food ⭐⭐⭐⭐

*Allergen note, they use peanut oil on everything. If you have a severe allergy this is not the place for you.

We went to Mercury last night to attend a friend’s birthday celebration. The owner had been communicating with this friend for over a week and had sectioned off an area in the back. My friend communicated that there would be 15-20 people in attendance, and the owner had told her that would be fine and if there were going to be more than 20, she would need to rent part of the bar, which was absolutely fine with us. He definitely hyped my friend up that the location was an excellent party spot and usually accommodated parties.

We had 14 people. They had seating for 8 (barely) reserved for us. We tried to make it work, we even asked for additional chairs. While they granted us a few spare chairs, they could not give us as many as we needed because the waitress stated that it would create “standing room only” by removing any chairs from any tables. We also could not stand near our party because then it would be “standing room only”. I understand there are occupancy laws to take into consideration but there were empty tables and empty conversation areas everywhere. It was not anywhere near capacity. We packed into a corner booth like sardines to make it work.

It was painfully obvious that the waitress was wholly unprepared for a party. She was perfectly nice, but had no idea how to deal with a group. And that’s on management, know your staffing requirements and what your employees can handle. We were never brought waters, our table was never bussed, and for the most part we were ignored unless we flailed around or stood to get attention. Let me be clear, the place was not packed, even with our party it was probably at half capacity. It got so ridiculous at one point we began to bus our own table and had to get attention from the employees to come take things from our hands. Plates stacked 5 high? Ridiculous. Parties of this size should really have 2 people to attend, especially when management knew well in advance. We were there for 3.5 hours, at one point I waited an hour to get the attention of the waitress to let her know I never got my cocktail, and it was not busy.

I spent $110 for myself and my spouse (this includes 20% automatic gratuity and an additional tip because I felt bad that management put her in this position). My spouse had one N/A drink and I had 3 of their signature cocktails, we each had a sandwich as well. The drinks were ok, the Tanuki Sculpture Garden was the worst cocktail I’ve ever had, but the bar had no issues taking it back/comping it without me even asking for it to be taken off the bill. Would have probably tried more if it were possible to get a waiter or waitress to the table.

The food was legit great. The front of the restaurant might be a staffing mess but the kitchen is doing fine.

The ambience is wonderful. Style points to the decorator for sure. For a small party of 4-8 (absolute max) this would be good choice. Even design wise, it’s not set up for more. Anything more than that, either rent the whole place AND make sure that management has a clear expectation of staffing, or go elsewhere that is more equipped to handle a large party.

I really had high hopes for this place as it is advertised as being able to accommodate parties (even online reservations for up to 20) but it was a let down. I would try it again for a date night with just my spouse, but will not be bringing a group here.

As a side note to the restaurant, the zoo map/drink menus are cute. They don’t make a lot of sense, but they are cute. Please laminate them. They were basically...

So there it is, Mercury! Just sitting there, on some Omaha corner, minding its own business, but then you step inside and BAM! The vibrations hit you, a low hum of sophisticated energy. It's not some sterile, stainless-steel-and-minimalism mausoleum, no sir. This place, it's got guts. It's got character oozing from every artfully mismatched piece of decor, a devil-may-care aesthetic that, paradoxically, speaks to an almost obsessive attention to detail. And the drinks! Oh, the drinks! We're not talking about your Uncle Jerry's rum and coke here. These are concoctions of sheer, unadulterated artistry. Take, for instance, the Wren's Black Manhattan. You hear that? Black Manhattan! It's not just a drink; it's a declaration, a deep, brooding, yet utterly inviting sip into the dark heart of a perfectly balanced cocktail. It's got that rich, velvety whisper of rye, the sophisticated bitterness, a complexity that unravels on the palate like a perfectly tailored suit. And then, the Boulevardier! Another classic, yes, but here, it's… elevated. It’s that perfect marriage of bourbon's warmth and the bittersweet embrace of Campari and vermouth. Each sip a testament to precision, to a kind of liquid alchemy that separates the merely good from the truly great. Mercury Omaha isn't just a bar; it's a statement. It's where the knowing come to sip, to see, to be seen, and to understand that the pursuit of the perfect cocktail, much like life itself, is a glorious, intricate, and utterly delightful pursuit. Go there. Experience it. Your taste buds, and perhaps even your very soul, will...

I'd recommend checking this place out as it has a cool Vibe, and at least for Christmas they went all out.

The must order item is the Mac and Cheese with pulled pork. Don't do it if it's just the Mac and Cheese... It's kinda average by itself, but add the pork, and you dont even need a lot, it becomes this magical dish that gets a 5 star from me.

The carrot and goat cheese ravioli gets a solid 4 stars from me. The charcuterie was a 4 star. It tasted fine. The presentation on the plate wasn't as pretty as it might have been if presented on a board. It was pretty standard with the exception being the goat cheese. The server did not explain what was on the board individually when it was served to us. The Brussel sprouts gets a 4 star from me. The flavor was really good but I didn't get a roasted feel from them with how they were drenched in the sauce. They could have been boiled with how the texture was.

Service was very good. She answered all of our questions. If she didn't know she would find it out.

I do not drink alcohol so I asked for some Mocktails. The server told me they had pureed fruit which sounded like it would make a fantastic base. I had requested a not too sweet or tart drink. The first one was a bit tart. The second drink seemed to be a ginger beer like soda. The last drink was a 4.25 star which we enjoyed the most as it was the more fruit forward drink.

All in all an enjoyable evening. Parking is typical downtown parking. I...