The Drover — Restaurant in Omaha

This was the worst restaurant experience I’ve had in Omaha by far. We’ll start at the beginning. I’ve learned my lesson about not doing the proper research and reading reviews before ordering from a brand new place. So, I was craving a steak and I thought, “I’d love to support a local restaurant instead of a chain like Outback or Applebee’s.” I googled for steakhouses in Omaha. I had never heard of the Drover and it sounded like a cool concept, I like Australia and saloon vibes, awesome. I gave them a call and they put in an order for take-out for me, even though they were busy. They asked if I wanted the signature whiskey marinade, which would add an extra 15 minutes wait. I said yes. They gave me my wait time of 45 minutes then ended the call. Oddly, I wasn’t provided a money total. But I shrugged it off and said I’d find out when I got there. Mistake (pun not intended, ha ha) #1, ALWAYS ask for your total before showing up to the restaurant. Mistake #2, Find out what price range you’re dealing with before calling to order. I got to the Drover saw how packed it was. I felt a little silly for ordering take-out because I didn’t realize it was like a nice, fancy, sit-down type of establishment. It was extremely dark and noisy and oddly cramped. It wasn’t as cool as I thought it would be, I was expecting more of a cowboy theme and paying homage to Australia, it was just very saloon-y. Anyway, I was directed to the bar to pay. I don’t know if my eyes widened or not when I looked at the bill, but I was internally shocked followed by embarrassment. I was a calm and collected Oscar award winning actress and pulled my card out like I burn money on $50 steaks all the time. The total was $66, to be clear. But I just got my tax money, let’s celebrate, baby! I bet this steak is going to be the best steak I’ve ever had in my entire life. (……….) I had no way of knowing that saying, No way am I paying that, I didn’t know it would cost THAT much, and walking right out the door would’ve been completely appropriate in this instance. To be fair, no one told me the price. But I was so embarrassed with myself and thought about the people who had possibly labored and put time and effort into making this food that would end up in the trash if I didn’t take it. The bartender handed me a to-go box to make a salad at the salad bar while he ran my card. To my utter dismay, when I came back no one was behind the bar counter and the bartender had LEFT MY CARD OUT on a table in the vicinity with receipt for me to sign. I don’t care how busy you are, you don’t leave a customer’s card out on a table. How hard is it to stay behind the counter for 3 minutes until I come back to sign the receipt? This was appalling to me and looking back I wish I had made a fuss about this or at least calmly been like I don’t appreciate that you did this and for the future, that is a terrible idea. It was incredibly careless. Then the bartender passes by and is like, Oh okay you found your card? And I’m like… yes? Now I’m walking out the door and questioning whether my bill was added up properly, and thinking this steak better KNOCK MY SOCKS OFF. Moment of truth, get home and cut into my steak, first bite. I’m flabbergasted, I could’ve made a better steak at home for $10. It didn’t taste any different than steak I have had at Applebee’s or Outback. In fact, I’m going to do a comparison for both. It was without a doubt not marinated in any way, which was perplexing to me. To talk up your whiskey marinade then blatantly give a customer an unmarinated piece of meat?? Also, was I charged for the marinade? I ordered the NY Strip, which is $51.95. I discovered this upon looking through reviews and saw pictures of the menu. So how did my bill become $66? Was I charged for the sides? The bread and salad was nothing special, and the rice I got was exactly like the kind that you microwave in a pouch, 100% tasteless and no seasoning. Most disappointing meal of my life. TL;DR I don’t know why this restaurant exists, and know that they are actively gypping people for...

I tried this restaurant for the first time last night, for my and my husband’s 6th wedding anniversary. I’d always heard good things so I was excited to try, even though it’s extremely difficult for me to justify spending $40-$50 on one meal. Upon entering we were confused as to where we were to find someone for seating (we had a reservation), but he eventually came and got our information. After seating, our drink orders were taken and we were brought some bread and butter (which was meh). We placed our order for filets and opted for salad bar. I was super disappointed in the salad bar, it left a lot to be desired. Not many choices at all for toppings, and only iceberg lettuce offered, but maybe I was expecting too much! Like I said, I’d always heard good things so my expectations were super high! After finishing our salads, we waited approx 45 minutes for our food to arrive to the table. I honestly thought they lost our ticket, as while we had 3 drink refills in the meantime, the staff started ignoring our section like the plague due to a group of Karens and Kyles seated behind us (who sent their steak back like 3 times and demanded new ones every time). Anyway, trying to take into account the circumstances, it just sucked because we felt totally forgotten and got no updates on our food, etc until literally right before it came out. The guy did let us know they had been backed up due to “larger parties”, which made us feel like we weren’t a priority at all, but it would have been nice to know earlier on that there was a significantly large wait for the food (I told my husband to just throw down some money for our drinks and we could leave and try somewhere else). Ok- so anyway- when our steaks came, I was VERY impressed. It was delicious and cooked to a perfect medium. I also loved my asparagus, although it was slightly crunchier than I normally eat it, it worked! Given the extenuating circumstances of the night, I gave it 3 stars due to the service, but the food was great. I will probably give it one more try. The only thing that bothered me was the fact that we paid 126.00 or so after tip to feel completely brushed off all night, but the food itself redeemed the situation. It seemed that they may have been short on staff and a bit overwhelmed in...

An intimate dining experience amongst the multiple spaces provide a relatively private atmosphere while still being in a crowded room. The service was outstanding. Never a dry glass or the need to look for help. The food was served course after course, flawlessly. Everything was hot and cooked to order. The staff was friendly and attentive. The loaf of wheat bread was warm and fresh with whipped and creamy butter. We tried the smoked bacon wrapped shrimp and mushroom appetizer, both the ham and bean soup and a decent salad bar, very good. The 18 ounce Trail Boss, Ribeye was whiskey marinated and cooked to a perfect, hint over rare. The 14 ounce Whiskey Ribeye was a perfect medium rare. Served with asparagus , cooked just right. The loaded baked potatoes were satisfying without being over the top loaded. A nice balance. We didn't have room for any of the succulent desserts. We planned ahead and made reservations for an early evening dinner on a Thursday night. The place seemed packed, the whole time. Clean and inviting ambiance. Simple elegance with the right portions of everything. We took home leftovers to enjoy later. Whether for a date night, a solo or somewhere to bring the office or friends, this classic restaurant/ steakhouse hit the mark. Good value for the price. I would recommend this business, and will eat here again, when in the area. The lunch and dinner hours were convenient. Parking was a little crowded but, on street parking, on a little used street, was close and worked well. Nicely kept for a well established venue. I don't drink however, a nice selection of wine and cocktails. Not sure if there was another dining room in the basement. There was a bar to wait at while waiting for a table. They don't skimp on quality or service. Very well satisfied, with everything! I know this place has been around for years and doesn't need advertisement to stay busy, all the time. This is how you run a successful restaurant/business. Kudos to the owner, management, staff, the chef, cooks, bartenders, servers and everyone who make this work as a well...