Editor’s note: Welcome to our new series. We can’t dine out right now, but we can order in. I’ll share my chronicles of getting to-go meals, curbside takeout or delivery from various Omaha restaurants a few times a week.
How to order
To order, call 402-991-6767. You may have to call several times to get someone on the line. The menu is available online at niteowlomaha.com, and the restaurant is at 3902 Farnam St.
Curbside pickup is available Tuesday through Saturday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. No pickup is available Monday. The two parking spots directly in front of the restaurant are reserved for takeout orders.
What we got
We kept it classic: a double cheeseburger with a side of tots and an order of the Korean cauliflower wings.
How long it took
We had to call several times to get through to a member of the staff to place our order. In fact, we actually called several days in a row to get through, and if there’s one thing I can tell you, it’s that Nite Owl’s takeout line is incredibly busy.
Once we got through, our order took about a half hour. When you arrive, the restaurant asks for you to message its Facebook page and let the staff know you’re there and what kind of vehicle you’re driving. We drove to Blackstone and picked our food up from an employee wearing gloves who kept a socially acceptable distance from our car window. All in all, a seamless process.
Critic’s take
Clearly I was not the only one who was excited about the return of Nite Owl, if the takeout line is any indication. It felt great to sink our teeth into one of the bar and grill’s signature burgers, which in my experience are always cooked right and, now I know, also travel well.
I am generally a fries over tots person, but I get it: the work Nite Owl puts into its fries is time consuming, and they wouldn’t travel well, unlike the burger. The tots are hot and crisp even after you drive them home.
The cauliflower wings come with the sauce on the side, and ours needed a zap of heat. I put them in our trusty countertop toaster oven under the broiler (which I also did for the fries we ordered from Bärchen) and it worked great. Coat them with the sauce once they are piping hot.
Nite Owl is also serving its signature slushy as a rotating flavor to-go, as well as several of its signature drinks.
Until we can all jostle for a seat on Nite Owl’s patio, having their food at home is, at least for this diner, a welcome comfort.