Spaghetti Works
502 S 11th St, Omaha, NE, 68102
Spaghetti Works Menu
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Address :
502 S 11th St
Omaha, NE, 68102 - Phone (402) 422-0770
- Website https://omaha.spagworks.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch, Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
Italian Cuisine
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Pizza
Pizza is a famous Italian dish savored around the world. The entire credit for the popularity of Pizza in the United States goes to the chain of pizzerias all over the country. While the base and the texture of Pizza remains same across the globe, it's the toppings that differs from country to country. In the United States, you will find the top pizzerias serving pizzas with the toppings of mainly beef, bacon, chicken, ham, and sausage for the non-vegetarians. Other than these famous meat options, Pizzas with veg toppings such as mushrooms, pepperonis, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, etc. are also famous in most restaurants in the United States.
Irrespective of your locality, you will find a variety of different restaurants in your cities offering pizzas of all different types. Pizza is hot favorite among people of all ages in the United States. A large size pizza is enough to feed a family of 3 or 4 at large. Pizza is also the most preferred food whenever a group of friends is hanging out together. Pizza gained popularity in the United States after the American soldiers stationed in Italy returned from World War II.
Over the years, different pizzerias in the United States have developed their own respective regional variations. Pizza gained popularity as the iconic dish in the United States in the second half of the 20th century. Whether you prefer thin or thick crust pizza, you can find a pizza of your preference at the best pizza restaurants in your city.
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Kaite S.
Okay, let's be real. We all know what we're getting into when we go to Spaghetti Works - and I'm totally okay with that from time to time. We were looking for something with a decent salad bar and pasta in the Old Market without having to wait too long for a table. The food was fast, hot and resembled Italian. Just what we were looking for.
(4)Jeff A.
Decent place. Nothing extraordinary but of course, I have a high standard. Had lasagna, it was good but not very hot. Wanted them to microwave it for me but I was so hungry, I just went ahead and ate it. Also, sat the bar for about 5 minutes before the bartender acknowledged I was there. Was not busy, he was talking to the other 2 guys there. It's an ok place if you like average, but I'll choose something different next time I'm in town.
(3)Will S.
Spaghetti Works' Old Market location is just one of those spots you'll end up going to throughout the course of your life. You go here with the fam as a kid, or as a kid with your friend's fam or as a spot to grab a quick bite with some coworkers, etc., etc. First up, always get the salad bar. It's constantly being restocked by the staff throughout the day. I l love a good salad bar. Who doesn't love a good salad bar? Beyond that, the rest of the food is classic American-Italian fare -- spaghetti and meatballs, meaty lasagna, greasy pizza and more things you'd expect at a place like this. Nothing groundbreaking, but it's hardy food that will fill you up. Note that they have a dedicated gluten-free section of the menu and can easily whip up a vegetarian or vegan dish if that's what you require. They also have a decent wine selection and a full bar. You'll like Spaghetti Works if you respect it for what it is: a family-centric place with familiar food both kids and adults can enjoy again and again.
(4)Julie M.
It's fine for atmosphere, but the food is just ok. Staff was nice. Not something I would search out, but if you are hungry, it's not someplace I just wouldn't go to. The salad bar is a hit and the unlimited pasta was loved by the guys!
(3)Don M.
I have always enjoyed Spaghetti Works in the Old Market. Their pasta, and sauces are wonderful and there are a great number of other items on the menu as well. Their fried clams on the appetizer menu are HUGE! I would recommend them. Usually, I will get the fettuccine alfredo and add mushrooms and a hot italian sausage. It is awesome. My only complaint is that it isn't as cheap as it used to be. This used to be the "go too" place for college students to get a cheap, unlimited bowl of pasta. Now, you can easily spend $15-20 per person, depending on what you order. But, overall still a good place for a bowl of pasta.
(4)David P.
Not impressed with food, ambience, cleanliness at all. Really expected a better class of restaurant. Waitress overloaded and forgetful. Ordered the grilled chicken Parmesan based on waitress suggestion. Only five small strips of grilled chicken... Waitress brought out five separate checks for my family... Seriously ? We ordered one bottle of wine, lol...
(2)Rene D.
Ok well in town for the week and we wandered around town here window shopping. I saw their mural on the wall up by the Orpheum on Howard. So when we walked by had to come in! Nice salad bar with meal. I had the Spag with meat sauce and side of hot Italian sausage. To me it was a bit sweet on the sauce. Not to my liking but to most people that's the way they like it. ( like PApa Johns Pizza meh). It was edible tho. Hubby had sweet peppers and sausage and he totally enjoyed it! One thing we figured out after half our plate was eaten is that they give seconds !! We were too full for that tho. Nice interior antique decor. Very cool and since it was chilly outside was a good stick to your ribs meal!!
(4)Sahil R.
This spot has a great deal to get the salad bar, pasta, and garlic bread for around $10-$15 dollars depending on what is in your pasta. I went with this deal and got the Pasta w/ 3 sauces; Alfredo, Marinara, and Hot Naked (yes, that is a sauce!) Salad bar and garlic bread was on point but the pasta was simply cooked penne with the 3 sauces plopped on top. I'm curious as to why they didn't mix the pasta with the sauces in a pan before serving. Instead, I had to mix it but that doesn't taste as good as when it's mixed in a pan. Either way, it ended up tasted pretty good after I mixed it and cut up my sausage. I probably would've gave it 4 stars if my pasta was mixed. I'm sure they would do this if you asked. Still a solid food choice with many options of pasta and pizza as well.
(3)Maranda J.
The unlimited pasta + salad bar + garlic bread was faaantastic. We had Pete as a server and he was great! Very attentive and helpful. It was a great value too. Definitely check it out if you're hungry
(5)Gayle M.
We always have a good meal when we eat dinner or lunch here. We like to try different menu items when we go. Prices are reasonable and they have an awesome salad bar. The servers are always friendly but not always attentive as they should be but that happens wherever you go..Overall a good place .
(4)Nicole C.
I've eaten here several times over the past few decades, usually in a group as it is a family friendly place and one of the lower priced options in the Old Market. I really like the salad bar and the food and service are usually pretty good. I normally order something like eggplant parmesan instead of spaghetti because spaghetti is something I can cook at home, usually better and for much cheaper. Great location and good ambiance.
(3)Ryan S.
Went here and water from an overhead cooling unit dropped in my food twice and in my beer. The manager decided to send his waitress out to tell me that it was condensation and then charged me full price when I asked they sent me a low level manager to bs me about how I should be ok with it. Waitress was rude and untrained she had made it a point to alienate us and had someone watch us the entire time. The food was bad and I left beyond unsatisfied. This is my opinion and I will never go back!
(1)Jacob B.
The best thing about this place is the beer that made me tolerate the experience and the humorous interactions with the employees who have a blatant lack of intelligence and no apparent social skills. Now on to the food, mediocre at best is an understatement. It was the equivalent of something id pull out of a freezer. The only positive thing I have to say is that the manager actually had some common sense.
(2)Jason G.
Old Market is notorious for not having the cheapest places to eat...Granted, you have places like Subway and Pepper Jax, but quality food they're not...Since living here, I'd heard stories that Spaghetti Works wasn't that good...that it was better for kids than adults...Well, today was my second time in less than a month going here and I'm happy to say both visits were excellent...Both times I stuck with the never ending pasta bowl with comped garlic bread and a visit to the salad bar...The server on my first visit was quick and attentive...Today though, the waiter, Pete, was a real pleasure...as busy as they were, he never let me wait too long for a drink refill or a pasta refill...And they sat me in a pretty solitary booth in the back which I loved since I was in no mood to have to sit near anyone...The pasta was great, the garlic bread was great and the salad bar was great...the service was excellent...and the price was pretty damn good...I will absolutely be coming back here
(4)Jacob H.
Setting was wonderful, service was great. However, pasta was.. beyond comprehension. The "pomodoro" consisted of a small pile of chopped uncooked tomatoes with chopped uncooked garlic, served on pasta cooked entirely without salt. The prima vera was an equally sad knob of an afterthought served on equally on unsalted overcooked bowties. I hate to be this person, but I mean it when I say I've had better pasta from a can.
(1)Bryan C.
Great family restaurant. The portions are genres and the food is very good. Try the Italian sodas for a real treat.
(5)Ed B.
There is a saying that comes to mind: All good things come to an end. And that rings true as my trip to Omaha winds down..I have visited this nice city for almost two weeks..back to reality. I tried this restaurant based on its nice patio...the basis for my one star. I did no expect fine dining, and it was nowhere near it. Bottom line... For adults, NEVER. If you want to bring the kids downtown so they can feel gran up while eating TONS of pasta (free. refills), while making noise...maybe....well...NO. It is high volume 'churn and burn' On a side note, I talked with my server about this who agreed...I noticed that. all night, she was hustling. With that said, be kind and tip well.
(1)Rumil B.
Wishing there was a 2.5 star option. Not quite deserving of a 2 but not up to a 3. I ordered fried calamari and my friend got a pepperoni pizza. Maybe we should have stuck to their namesake (spaghetti) then we would've enjoyed our meal more. My friend said his pizza wasn't much better than something you could buy frozen. That's all I can say about that because I didn't try it. My dish, however, was not that great. I think the problem lies in the fact that the breading and sauce was clearly meant for chicken (I imagine their chicken parm is fantastic) and definitely not calamari. Hopefully the next time I'm back I won't make the mistake of ordering something that isn't pasta or chicken. When I do, I'm confident my rating will be at least a 3 or 4. The atmosphere was pretty cool, and our waitress was very nice and helpful. So there's that.
(3)Megan H.
I liken Spaghetti Works to a Chinese buffet. You'll get a lot of not-so-wonderful food for one relatively cheap price. I think I was expecting something different due to the name. Spaghetti Works must make great pasta, no?I envisioned freshly made pasta prepared al dente. It ended up being overdone and watery. I assume it's made with dried pasta because they'd totally be touting the freshly made part if it were true. I'm not even sure if it's cooked to order since it seemed to be sticky and a little congealed like overcooked pasta that was on standby for awhile tends to get. The salad bar is fine but the plates are tiny. With endless trips available, that's not disappointing. Get up and get more if you feel so inclined. My disappointment was most definitely with the pasta. If that's what they do, they should do it fairly well, I thought. I found it mushy and bland. I can see why people like Spaghetti Works. Maybe it's the diner-quality and homestyle atmosphere. Maybe it's because it's like a Chinese buffet of Italian-American style pasta: lots of getting stuffed for a little money. It's a decent price if you're into the food. Maybe it's because it appears to be an Old Market classic. It's also very kid friendly and a great location. To me, though, I was disappointed to spend the money there at all. It felt like a missed opportunity to me. Like this place could be so much better and offer higher quality foods. However, they're always packed and many people seem to enjoy it so maybe they're doing just fine with their current operations. Therefore, I'd recommend not going there if you're looking for great pasta and a lot of traditional Italian flavor. Like other reviewers say, it's not an Italian restaurant after all...
(2)Gary G.
I have been about 3-4 times. The service is always excellent and the food hits the spot. This is a great value for the $10-15 range. This is NOT fine Italian dining but a spaghetti and salad bar establishment. The menu is cool in that you can select the sauce pasta and toppings for spaghetti. The food is not overly spicy as this is a family style restaurant. As the spaghetti works has one the few (if not the only) salad bars in the Old Market, this restaurant has to be one your short list.
(5)sonya h.
Service was good, prices are awesome. Food was ok. I didn't think it was that good. The sphagetti was kind of bland.
(3)Noah M.
Ate here on the way back home, got seated immediately which was nice considering it was a Friday night. Server was helpful, salad bar is a nice bonus, spaghetti was pretty good, nothing special but you'll leave satisfied.
(4)Leonia T.
The food was mediocre. I ordered the spinach dip which had a lot of cream cheese that was not blended in the spinach and artichoke. I also ordered the Cajun shrimp Alfredo which was okay and added mushrooms and onions. Nothing spectacular. Bathroom needs maintenance and cleaning.
(3)Levinia T.
Spaghetti works wasn't the best, but it wasn't the worst place I have been either. I walked into spaghetti works yesterday, honestly, because it was so cold outside and it was the first restaurant I ran into walking form my hotel. I sat at the bar and ordered spaghetti and garlic bread. For 10 bucks, it included a trip to the salad bar...not a bad price if you ask me! The noodles were a little more cooked than I would like but the spaghetti sauce had solid flavor. One thing this place has going for them is the service!! The staff seemed like one big family, who all gave the impression that they loved their job. They were extremely friendly and fun!
(3)Donald H.
When you come to the old market come here! I have been coming here for 40 years and I love it great atmosphere of the old market, oh the sounds of people enjoying themselves the pasta is awesome I recommend the hot and naked, beer and cheese, the original or spicy - if you want to try them all get the "works" it's a plate of all nine sauces oh and dont forget to add Italian sausage and meat balls.....the salad bar is good. The only down side is the usual 45 min wait but you can sit on the patio with a drink and enjoy the flavor of down town Omaha attraction we always have a good time a great couple or family destination for the day. Living large Dr. Don, the prices are family friendly
(4)Barb L.
Not a fan. It's hard to mess up spaghetti but the pomodoro angel hair had absolutely no taste. I had to add olive oil from the salad bar and loads of salt and pepper just to make a few bites edible. Our table also ordered a regular spaghetti with a meatball. The meatball was similar to a bouncy ball. The chili shrimp was doused in a terrible seasoning blend. There are so many other places in Old Market we will be trying instead of returning here. The service was good but there was just nothing she could do to make the food better.
(1)Cheryle H.
We already love going down town for the ambiance. Spaghetti Works is one if our favorites for Italian food. I find their pasta fresh and flavorful. The all you can eat salad bar keeps you going while waiting for your main course. We enjoy the patio seating during the summer months.
(4)Natasha S.
Positive I will not return here...ever. If I could give it no stars I would. It was my daughters 14th birthday and she is obsessed with any food with noodles in it. I have never had a problem feeding this child spaghetti in her entire life. We were a party of 7 since her grandparents were coming with us. We were seated within 20 minutes (it was a Friday so we expected this and were not unhappy at all). However, the entire experience went downhill from there. The room they sat us in was in the back. Her grandmother has a service dog so this was actually preferred. What was not appreciated was it took 10 minutes to even get our drink order in or a server to even acknowledge we were there. We also ordered appetizers, which were alright but nothing spectacular and took 40 minutes to get. Then we waited. We watched other tables that got there after us come, eat and leave. A wedding party showed up and they were promptly waited on hand and foot. 90 minutes passed and we still had no food. Finally, they started bringing out plates. The food was stone cold. Everything from the pizza to the pasta...everything was not just cold, but almost like it had sat in a refrigerator. We wouldn't even let the server put it all out because it was all going back. It was so cold I could not get the spoon out of my pasta because the cheese had hardened over it. They indicated they would fix it. We advised them that no, they would make it new. Because we didn't wait 90 minutes for our food to get microwaved. The wedding party that had arrived after us by about 30 minutes was now gone. They had eaten and left as well. Another 40 minutes pass and finally our food arrives. Granted by this point my husband had asked for a manager three times and finally only got to speak to one when he blocked the doors exiting the kitchen until one presented themselves. At that point we were treated as if we were the ones being unreasonable. It should not take 2 hours and 10 minutes to get food out to 7 people. (Amazingly enough I was really astounded that the service dog had done as well as he did lying under the table the whole time). The 2 hours and 10 minutes did NOT include the 40 minutes we had already been there waiting on a server for drinks and to eat our appetizer. Our total time in the restaurant was very close to if not over 3 hours. The manager wound up footing the bill, but to be honest I would not have paid for it either way. The food was extremely subpar even the second time. It tasted old which was surprising for how busy they were. My daughter only took 2 bites and refused to eat any more. We wound up taking her to Chipotle after we left. The child I never have problems with eating any type of noodles, would NOT EAT this. The manager paid a $150 tab that night. Extremely horrible service considering it was for a birthday. My daughter never wants to go back either.
(1)Jim C.
The food was extremely average for what you pay. I got bow tie pasta in olive oil with mushrooms and sausage for almost 13 dollars. This was for lunch on a Saturday. The worst part of the experience was waiting for the pasta portion of the meal. From the time we ordered until we got our entrees it was 35 minutes +. This was with the restaurant half full. A threesome next to us was seated 15 minutes after us but had their food delivered at the same time. We commented on our experience with the hostess but all she said was "Sorry". We will never eat here again.
(1)Angela K.
First of all, let us get one thing out of the way. Spaghetti Works is NOT an Italian restaurant. Do not go here and expect Italian food because you are likely to be terribly disappointed. Spaghetti Works is a spaghetti restaurant. This is a delicate yet important nuance. Spaghetti Works is Italian as Lucky Charms is nutritious. Menu is varied so everyone can go home a big winner. Sandwiches, more traditional Italian food such as lasagna and chicken Parmesan and, of course, spaghetti. The niche Spaghetti works has carved out for itself is the number of sauces they offer. I am not going to bore with the list. But it is extenstivd. Some places have a great wine list. Spag's has a great sauce list. And, because you can get free refills on your pasta' you can try them all. I ordered the beer cheese with a cup of hot naked on the side. The beer cheese is creamy and smooth and orange. But do not confused it with your mother's Mac and cheese. This has a great tart-y zing to it. Excellent. The hot naked is melted butter with oregano, basil (I think) mixed in olive oil. It isn't hot, spicy hot. But it is about as naked as a sauce can get. I think these two together is fantastic. I order the hot naked on the side so I can mix and match my bites. It just creates a better eating experience. You get to choose between toasted garlic bread or sourdough to accompany your meal. Both are good but I prefer the garlic bread. It's just a preference. And they have a couple of nice salad bars both of which are in the beds of an old truck. Dinner and a beverage runs about $10-12 per person.
(4)Casey S.
We came in for a late lunch and loved the selection. We each had "The Works" which has a variety of all of the sauces. Wonderful flavor and variety. The Italian sodas are great! We each had several varieties and enjoyed them all. Our son had the PB&J pizza said it was good as well! Nothing bad to say about this place!
(5)Enzo F.
Good atmosphere for a family, our noisy kids blend into the background noise just fine. Food is pretty good for the price, service was fast and friendly.
(4)Scott T.
Great food and great service. Zach is a great server with a good attitude. Thank you for everything zach!
(5)Mark C.
Average Italian at best. Best thing is kids under 11 eat free with an adult on Monday nights. Service was very good. Food wasn't much to speak about. Eggplant Parmesan was mushy and fell apart. Not a good texture and taste was only so so. Kid's meatball and spaghetti without sauce was swimming (key word swimming) in oil. Not very good. Pesto Chicken Bake was very little pesto and not much chicken swimming in an Alfredo Sauce. Definitely nothing special. Salad bar is pretty good and this place seems to handle groups and kids pretty well. There is also a lady who goes from table to table making balloon animals for the kids. Lots of other Italian options in the Omaha area to try.
(3)Danny B.
I know why here? Well it was close to where we parked and we just wanted something light. A glass of wine and garlic cheese bread, good little start right. Salad bar very fresh just really small plates. Really small. The pasta was just that with six small shrimp no real flavor. The wife had more taster entree with Alfredo and broccoli . All in all it was ok. Nothing special.
(2)Holly J.
It is not fancy but I always look forward to beer cheese when in town. The bar is losing out on money, the bartenders have not been attentive to customers coming up for a drink while waiting for a table the three times I've been in the past 3 months. Ask to sit with Pete. He's a great server!
(3)Lindsay B.
This is one of those places where you have to come on the right day. I love Mondays, which are free for the kiddos. I hate, hate paying $5 for a kids' meal, and my daughter barely eats it. So when it's free, that's fine by me! The salad bar is pretty good, except during busy times, it can get a bit picked over. They are usually pretty attentive about restocking/cleaning up after messy salad bar patrons. We've had the bruschetta as an appetizer, and it's pretty good. Not the best, but not the worst. I love the beer cheese sauce here. You can tell they have a vat of noodles waiting to have different sauces put on them, but I still love the beer cheese sauce. The garlic bread is pretty good, and I've had good servers whenever we come to visit.
(4)John M.
With so many Italian eateries to choose from in Nebraska's largest city, I felt obligated to give this institution a try. With "Spaghetti" boldly in its name and a rather pristine location in the Old Market, I expected some of Omaha's best pasta to be found here. Ultimately, the Spaghetti Works experience as a whole was quite serviceable. Excellent atmosphere, above average service, reasonable prices, and pasta dishes that most diners will likely find very average in both taste and quality. One cannot always judge an eatery based on the food itself. Spaghetti Works has plenty of positives that most diners will love. The atmosphere is very welcoming and the decor is an excellent touch without being too overbearing. This attribute alone makes it an excellent spot for date night or an excellent place to bring the family for a meal. If you're planning to have a beer with your meal, the selection of beers on tap is both wide-ranging and lengthy. However, if you come here expecting to be wowed by the pasta, your expectations may not be met. It does get the job done and you do have the option for refills on many dishes, but the food simply doesn't blow one away. There's nothing wrong with it, but there's just nothing memorable about it either. I left expecting more, but I wasn't disappointed to the point where I'll refuse to go back. Consider this a disclaimer of sorts. Spaghetti Works seems to be a fairly popular eatery in an area saturated with dining options. It's can be an excellent choice depending on what you're looking for. Everything about this place, besides the namesake pasta, seems to operate above average. You won't find among the best pasta here, but if you can get past that, Spaghetti Works still winds up being a decent place to dine.
(3)John K.
My first experience with Spaghetti Works was very positive. Went on a Saturday evening. Seated within 5 minutes. Salad bar was great. Food was good. Service was top notch.
(4)Erin B.
This is a must in downtown Omaha. Pick your pasta & pick up to 3 different sauces. The menu is simple but with various choices and a great salad bar in old historic area. The service was great as the easily helped us with 36 people who walked in without a reservation.
(5)Kayleen J.
We brought our soccer team for lunch. Staff did a great job accommodating our group of 11-year old soccer players and families. The food was great. Would highly recommend for a large group. We ordered off the menu which wasn't a problem for the wait staff. They made my job as team manager really easy and totally nailed it on the service side!
(5)Matt C.
When we arrived we had no wait we got to our seats fast. Our waiter was nice since it our first time for both of us he let us take our time. We order our appetizer and then order our main meal and the time in between was well spaced. The meal was great and going back the is a plus.
(4)Maria M.
We stopped by with our 4-year olds for lunch on Sunday. Didn't know anything about it, just wanted some pasta for the kids. They loved it!!! Great homemade sauce, our picky eaters ate every bit! My husband and I got the salad bar, it was wonderful! Fresh, a big variety, don't really need an entree! Very pleased with service and the food we had.
(5)Anne F.
Waitress was friendly and helpful. Spaghetti was good. I had questions about the sauces and the waitress brought out samples. overall great meal.
(5)Natalie K.
The tortellini and meat sauce is excellent, has sort of a sweetness to it. Garlic cheese bread is addicting and the boyfriend just can't get enough plates of spaghetti. It's inexpensive enough to warrant many return visits. Be sure to sit outside on the deck in the evenings or for lunch, it's wonderful!
(4)Princess C.
Italian foods with cheddar cheese on the top my parmesan... Uhhh.. A no-no. They didn't drain pasta very well, our pastas have watery sauce. The waitress when she served my plate, few pieces of my pasta actually was on the tray, she picked them up with her fingers, pulled them into my plate, and served it to me ... Ughhhhhh
(2)Cliff D.
It is what it is...it'll keep the kids happy. Salad bar is pretty good. Portions are large, Italian sodas have free refills. We've been a few times; it gets pretty hot during the dog days of summer and can be warm inside which makes for a pretty uncomfortable dinner. Winter/spring is better. It's almost always busy and packed.
(3)Athena R.
Service was very slow. Food was very greasy and shrimp undercooked. We wanted a family restaurant after coming home from the airport, but was highly disappointed. We wanted almost 20 minutes after our meal was completed before we even got out check.
(1)Link A.
Unlimited Spaghetti bowl and salad bar? Are you kidding me?!?!?! That's pretty much as good as it gets. Service was fast and friendly and all the food that we ordered was delicious. We ordered bruschetta and I had a fettuccine alfredo with sausage and it was amazing.
(5)Rachel P.
For a basic dinner without a lot of frills, this will do just fine. It is definitely a family-friendly place with large portions. The service was good - he was friendly and seemed to enjoy his customers. The clientele was mostly older couples who appeared to be regulars and families with little kids. I think if you're looking for something a little more upscale, Vivace right across the street would be more your speed. Otherwise, the lasagna was tasty - and reheated well. I probably will choose something different next time I'm in town, but it fit the bill.
(3)Charley B.
No day or early evening in the Old Market is complete without a meal at Spaghetti Works and this is why... For $10 you can get unlimited trips through the salad bar and unlimited pasta and garlic bread. You read that correctly. I will readily admit it's not the pasta an Italian grandmother would love, but it's still good. The restaurant does offer other dishes, but I've never strayed from the spaghetti and meatballs. On busy nights the restaurant will bustle and there can be a wait. It's usually not too bad and there is a bar for you to consume a pre dinner cocktail. Parking? Well, you're in the Old Market and you're probably going to walk. I'd leave the high heals in the car.
(4)Mercy D.
The service was friendly and fast during a busy time. My waitress was so sweet and helpful. The salad bar was awesome. Overall I had a great experience, I would definitely go back and recommend for a enjoyable dinner..
(5)Royal B.
Cleanliness 2 Service 4 Food 3 Likelihood 2 Overall 2.8 I must say that I was expecting much worse, especially for service. And I was a bit surprised. I spent 7 years in hospitality management in Omaha. This has been the ONLY (and remains so) restaurant that I tell people not to go to. In it's day, it was amazing. It's day has came and went. Our server Mel was amazing, she took pretty good care of us. Refills were a little long in between and we had to ask several times. Overall, she did a good job. They were still on a names list when we left. Food was ok. Mine was hot. Lasagna noodles were not cooked all the way through. Someone ordered Fettuccine Alfredo (kinda a staple...) and it had little flavor and little sauce, not even enough sauce to cover all the noodles. The hot naked sauce has zero taste/flavor. The garlic bread was good... We ordered bruschetta, the bread was good, was that a canned product? If you main product is pasta, you should be the king of it. Own it! LIKE YOU USED TOO! Anything that I touched inside the restaurant (we sat on patio!) was sticky. The food is too high priced for it's low quality and bland taste. The .99 frozen dinners at the store will do you better. There were 6 of us. Our friends are from out of town and recall the good times they had before and wanted to go there. Hopefully I can cook for them myself the next time they come to town... :)
(2)A. M.
I always eat here whenever I am in Omaha. I like the food, the servers, and the old school decor and vibe.
(4)Kal J.
Please don't go here so the old dive will pass on with a tiny bit of dignity left. Isn't it time Omaha? Used to love this place...went there tonight for the first time in a long while, now I know why. Wanted a good salad bar, and that may be all that remains of this once proud place..especially the salad bar out of an old car. But the plates they force you to use are like saucers, so small you can get about one pinch of lettuce and that's it. Dinner was unedible. Ordered herb chicken. Veggies were like sponge, they were so freezer burned that when you chewed them it was like gum. The chicken was rubbery, and the pasta was just ok. Had the white clam sauce which used to be full of clams and olive oil...what I was served looked like thousand island dressing...pink and lumpy, just not as tasty. Good bye spaghetti works. You had a good run, but now it's time to either revamp, or pack it in and let someone else use the space.
(1)Katie T.
Our party of 9 ate here on 7/14/14....or should I say, sat here. We were seated within 5 minutes as the restaurant was busy, but not too much. We had good service from our waiter with beverages and ordering. Salad bar was pretty standard, but with small plates for the one trip. However, something must have been going terribly wrong in the kitchen that night because after we had our salad, we waited 75 minutes before our pasta arrived. After about 45 minutes, we asked our waiter what the delay was and if we could at least get some garlic bread while we waited. After an hour, our waiter said to help ourselves to additional salad bar trips because of the wait. When our food finally came, it was good but not terribly hot. We had ordered the unlimited pasta, and after finishing our first small serving size bowls, we asked if it was going to take as long for a second serving. Our waiter said that the kitchen was very backed up and he couldn't guarantee a shorter wait for more pasta. We asked about a discount on our bill because of the wait, but didn't receive one which was disappointing. We did receive $1 off coupons for future visits, which we won't use because we were just traveling through. Our server was good and I felt bad for all the servers because the whole restaurant was impatiently waiting very long for their food and it wasn't their fault. The management should have done much more to compensate diners for very unsatisfactory service.
(1)Mark C.
Food is to die for, could have stayed until they kicked us out. Little slow service at the bar, but not terrible. Really enjoyed the bread and salad bar.
(4)Kyle B.
We almost skipped this place due to some reviews, but I'm glad we didn't. We loved it! Outdoor seating was great, price was great, and food was good. I got the all-u-can eat pasta (I did chicken alfredo the first time and spaghetti the second time) - both were excellent choices. It also came with a salad bar. They said it might take a little while b/c the kitchen was backed up but the food came before we were finished with our salads. The waiter was extremely nice as well. He gave us tips about where to park for the CWS and what to do after the games. For the atmosphere, quality, and price this place can't be beat!!!
(5)Marc M.
Service was great and the prices are very affordable but the food was pretty low quality and bland.
(2)Leelee P.
Nice since I we don't have one in Kansas City, MO. Cajun Shrimp was too salty for me, but the server from Iowa handled it with such flair, telling me, send it back if I was not happy, swapped for scampi, my veggies were real good. I plan to return
(4)Liz L.
So I went here for lunch on a weekday when I flew in. The location is really great in the middle of the Old Market area....it does have a lovely outside eating area and the employees honestly seem to be nice that is where the good kinds of ends. The food is a little outs of average. I hate fettuccine with a white sauce and it tasted like it came out of a can...I can make something much better at home. The ravioli appetizer we ordered tasted like it came from the frozen food section of my local grocery store. The dessert that I had Tiramisu was dry, dry, dry....almost crumbly. I expected a little more but left with a lot less... Don't bother you'll be sad you wasted your money and your time.
(2)Bob R.
Oh, I'm really disappointed. This was always an Omaha institution. It was a place where you could get an all you can eat spaghetti meal with a variety of home made sauces. The quality was always consistently good. Maybe we just picked a bad day, but looking at the other recent reviews, I suspect not. There were three of us at the table - a late lunch. We each ordered the pasta. (They do have a full Italian menu.) They also offer a salad bar, something you don't see a whole lot of anymore. The salad bar was okay. What I ate off of it was fresh and good. They are not very careful with their salad dressings. While they have a large variety of them, they are very close together and people tend to drop one dressing into another. But, I was very disappointed in the quality of the pasta. My first plate was angel hair, and my second was spaghetti. Both were overcooked and mushy. The "Italian sauce", essentially a spicy red sauce with sausage, was pretty good. The second sauce I tried was their red clam sauce - thumbs down on this one. Too bad. When I lived here many years ago I was a regular. Now, may memories are shattered. I guess they are right, you can't go back.
(2)Josh H.
Went here for lunch-- the building and décor were beautiful, I really like the comfortable feel and a great view of the Old Market. Now onto the food-- a great value for the spend but overall probably nothing special, My only complaint was the buffet salad in which you are provided the smallest plate know to man and are not allowed to go back for seconds.. I would at here again for lunch..
(3)Michael V.
This place is kinda neat! I did enjoy the old decor... very classic. The quality of the food was more than acceptable. Definitely a fun place to go as a group for good times. The family and I came here from Colorado on a trip. Overall good experience. The waitress was helpful... but due to the watery consistency of the spaghetti sauce, spilled a bunch of sauce on my son. I don't really blame her too much... it was quite a balancing act just to keep the sauce on the plate ourselves. We are all people mistakes happen. Even with all that I would still recommend this place to a friend.
(4)Mark L.
This is a large and busy family-friendly Italian place in the very cool Old Market area of Omaha. Not romantic restaurant Italian, just good fun American style Italian. The place is huge and visually interesting, with lots of old signs and funny kitsch items like a Buddha statue and an 1800's bicycle. The main section on the menu is the build your own pasta section. You choose the style of pasta, what sauce, & what extras (meatball, cheese, etc). Our party all enjoyed our choices. You also get a trip to their salad bar, which is a basic salad bar with all the usual items. The only thing we did not like was the garlic bread, which got cold & hard real fast. So, overall, a fun and inexpensive place to visit. Not spectacular, but worth a trip for some good, basic Italian food in an interesting place that won't break the bank.
(4)Elise S.
The food isn't amazing but it should never be labeled as "bad" either- as long as you know what to expect. It's exactly the quality of pasta you should anticipate when you have the option to get endless bowls for only $6. Is it mind blowing? Nah, but it's a quick old market dinner option. I don't go on dates here, but I used to eat here all the time when I was little. Now I take my toddler here because she likes it too.
(3)Trey M.
I hate to say this, because the staff there is professional, quick, polite, and offer things some pricier places do not. The food here is simply bad. EVERYTHING else is there. Pricing, atmosphere, cleanliness-although some reviewers seemed to have a problem with that. The food reminds me of when you microwave pasta, then put canned sauce-not any good kind, let's say hunts sauce-on it. It was mushy, flavorless, and warm at best. Switching sauces did not help. The Salad bar is basic. Improve your sauces, and Pasta, you have a winner. In the mean time, Fazolis is better, even cheaper, and I can order through a drive through. Darn shame. This place is definitely a good eye catcher and the service is good.
(1)Michael F.
It's a standard spaghetti restaurant. This eatery has a rustic decor and a menu with plenty of choices of pasta and sauces. I had the salad and spaghetti with the original marinara which was decent. It's located in the Old Market district, so there's a lot of character to it. There are also plenty of seats, so this restaurant is good for a business lunch or catching up with friends.
(3)Katrina S.
This restaurant has great outdoor seating in the middle of the old market. I gave them several chances because of their outdoor seating and even took out-of-towners to Spaghetti Works once. The pasta stinks. I didn't try anything else, but this is Italian food so shouldn't their pasta taste good? It doesn't. It stinks. Like another reviewer said, you get better out of a bottle. Trust me, the outdoor seating is not worth it. It's the ONLY reason why this place is not out of business. To be fair I have only visited for dinner when they were quite busy and I have no complaints when it comes to their service. For out-of-towners, be aware that it is a bit hard to get good food in Omaha at a reasonable price. There are a lot of good restaurants, but it is much more hit and miss than any other places I've lived in. These good reviews might just reflect that. Vivace was another Italian place in the Old Market and had amazing food, but they moved to West Omaha.
(1)Kim H.
The food is average for a "family" Italian restaurant but I would caution you against taking your family here. While my daughter and I were in the restroom, three employees came in swearing (dropping a few F-bombs) and complaining about being at work. My daughter and I were both shocked and appalled to hear this so I reported the incident to the manager who was indifferent. This is NOT an acceptable atmosphere for MY family. Perhaps it should be converted to a bar or strip club to better suit the workplace atmosphere.
(1)Ashley B.
The décor is rustic and interesting. Very large inside with more than adequate seating. If you can grab a table by the street you get a wonderful view of Old Market. Most of the entrees come with the unlimited salad bar. The food was good and plentiful-well worth the average $10 per plate. Will return. Service was wonderful!
(4)Dino O.
This place was big in the 80's. What did we know- it was the 80's. I can forgive break dancing, and ripped sweatshirts but this place is un-forgivable. I am shocked that anyone has had even a decent meal here in the last 10 years. My guess is the only people that eat here is out of town people that are sucked in by the location. I will say the food is consistent- consistently terrible. The service is always slow and food takes forever. I mean it is spaghetti- how long can it take. Sauces are not as good as jar- it is over-priced and the last few times I have been there it looked dirty. It is one of Omaha's worst restaurants in my opinion. Spaghetti is a no brainer- I just don't think anyone cares about service or quality. To be honest- I would rather have the spaghetti served at hot lunch then what comes on my plate. I really don't understand the service being so bad. Maybe the staff knows the food is terrible and tips are not going to be good. I would encourage people to go anywhere else but this dump.
(1)Ecil D.
you can make better pasta at home.
(1)Chaim L.
The decor is as good as it gets. Why they don't just focus on offering a manageable number of basic dishes that are edible instead of a tome of over greasy yet somehow under-flavored sauces over well-overcooked pasta? Why? The service was graceless and sufficiently flustered to merit at decent tip out of pure pity. I'd be more charitable in my review if it didn't seem like a pretty minimal effort to really up the quality of the food and experience a notch. Until then, there are plenty of better options nearby.
(2)Aaron W.
I've been looking for a good pasta place to eat that is inexpensive and tasty. I was so glad I stumbled upon this restaurant! I walked in and was seated quickly. I was happy to see that there are unlimited refills on pasta, salad, drinks and bread. My server was friendly and attentive. My drink was always refilled. It is a nice place with a good environment. Worth coming here, especially for lunch.
(5)Mike S.
The only good thing about this restaurant that I enjoyed was the wine. Food sucked, and service was absolutely terrible!!! Our waiter had disappeared, so we had to ask someone else for our bill, then she disappeared too!! Manager finally came out and gave us our bill.
(1)Doug R.
Celebrated my son's accomplishments at Special Olympics by going to the Old Markets Spag Works. Had a great time. Good food and good service. For the price, it was well worth it. My son wants to go again next week.
(4)Leif R.
Never been to omaha before and stopped by this place on a whim. We were Pleasantly surprised by the bruschetta and their tiramisu! Service gets a big 'meh'- they messed up our drinks, we had to ask for water twice, but either way ill be coming back to try their food.
(4)Patrick W.
I've always enjoyed Spaghetti Works. Maybe it's nostalgia since I've been going here since I was a kid but I've always enjoyed it. It's not that the food is particularly good because it's simply mediocre. I usually order the Hot Italian Pie which is pasta with tomato sauce, pepperoni, italian sausage, black olives, and onions. It's a tad spicy without being overly spicy. The sald bar is decent as is the garlic bread. I always enjoyed the ambiance of the old building and the location is excellent. If you want great Italian fare, go to Nicola's, Lo Sole Mio's or even Carrabba's If you want some affordable comfort food in the Old Market, go to Spaghetti Works.
(3)Mrs. S.
Growing up in this town, I remember coming here with family and friends frequently and thought the food was great. So the food quality either declined, or my tastebuds grew up when I moved away to a real city. dis-ap-POINTING! Husband and I ate here on a quick weekend trip. I was so excited to come here, thinking it was some exquisite hidden gem of my childhood home. Well I can certainly say I am disillusioned and the veil has been pulled away. The food is mediocre at best and the next time I'm in town I will only admire the old and beautiful building because that's the only good thing about it. I ordered a simple angel hair pasta with the naked sauce (or whatever the olive oil and spices sauce is called). It came out looking like something I made myself for many a dinner as a cheap college student: cooked noodles doused in a mixture of vegetable oil, Mrs. Dash seasoning, and pepper. Oh, the other cool thing is the Coke machine that you can make n! combinations. This place was better as a nostalgic memory.
(2)Ben K.
Pros: Beer cheese, cheap eats Cons: Cold pasta, mediocre food When I lived in Omaha I had restaurants that were in heavy rotation, restaurants in medium rotation, and restaurants in light rotation. Spaghetti Works falls into the third category. It's a last resort kind of a place in the Old Market when everything else is too busy or you need a quick bite for lunch. You get a lot of food for not much money and the beer cheese sauce is quite fabulous. However, the pasta more times than not is cold and the quality of the food is rather mediocre. However, if you have kids, the other restaurants seem too busy or you need a quick bite during your lunch break, there are better places, but there are also worse.
(3)Neal H.
Waited 45 minutes for a table for 4, when the hostess said it would be 20 to 25 minutes. The food was adequate not great. The server was nice and took care of us but I believe I'll go somewhere else for spaghetti next time.
(2)Laura K.
Bland...bland...bland...Way different when I ate here as a kid over 15 years ago. The garlic bread was good. I had a little problem with the additional charge of $2.00 for a small meatball. My hubby said that was the only thing that made his meal taste better. We will probably not come here again. I hope managment checks yelp!
(2)Annette S.
Pass on the hot artichoke dip unless you brought you you kitchen knife. The "dip" had huge chunks of artichoke . Just blah on the rest if the food. I wanted to love it but it failed in food and service.
(2)Amy C.
I've been to the Spaghetti Works in Lincoln, NE but it has been a long time. I always remember it being sort of disappointing and I suppose that's why it's been a while. We came to this one in the Old Market on Labor Day for lunch. It was pretty busy, but it didn't take long for our party of 10 (including 1 infant and 1 toddler) to be seated. Everyone gets salad bar with their meals, which I like and I liked the selection at the salad bar, especially the potato sticks. (Love those!) Almost all of us ordered from the create your own pasta part of the menu and I chose mostaciolli with creamy pesto and a sweet Italian sausage link. I really enjoyed my dish and that including the salad was enough to fill me up. You can get refills of pasta choosing the same thing or changing your pasta or sauce. Overall, it was a good meal and I will definitely visit again.
(4)Ryan W.
If I had the choice, I would give this place a 3.5 out of 5. This restaurant is a great place to spend your money, especially when you are on a budget. We often get the unlimited serving of pasta, salad, and bread for a little under $9. With this meal if you want special toppings (ex mushrooms, meatballs, shrimp, etc), you need to pay a little more. But once you finish one bowl of pasta, you can get another one with a different sauce. Excite your taste buds! The pasta itself is so-so (3/5). The bread they serve is alright (3.5/5). Nothing too fancy, but it's tasty. The service isn't too bad either. And I could not be any happier with the price. Being a college student, I pinch pennies when I can. It is located in the Old Market. Yes, it may be difficult to find parking nearby so just anticipate that. If you want an authentic Italian restaurant, this may not be the place. But for the price you pay, this place isn't that bad. Try it out for yourself.
(4)Andrew A.
Overall (3/10) - Lets face it, don't come here Food (2/10) - I can make better out of a bottle... seriously Price (5/10) - Reasonable, but you get what you pay for. Atmosphere (4/10) - not a date place, family feel. Honestly, you have many other nice places to go. Like your kitchen, and open up a bottle of prego or whatever you use, cause it must be better than here. Save some money, cook at home! =D Will I be back? Me thinks not
(2)Ali L.
I'll start by saying I've never liked Spaghetti Works. The food is pretty mediocre, service is decent, salad bar is pretty mediocre. I can't believe it's survived as long as at has, but kudos for doing so. If you want authentic Italian, or just good pasta, you will be hard-pressed here to find either.
(2)Jake D.
The beer cheese sauce is the best. I found a way to cook it at home (since there is no Spaghetti Works in Arizona), but there is nothing like the real thing. Another must-go when I visit the old midwest. REVISED: After my most recent visit, it was brought to my attention that the salad bar plates shrunk dramatically, as did the portions for the main course. And the prices were raised. Why??? I realize both the salad and spaghetti are all you can eat, so why not have a decent portion size (at least the first go around)? "I took 3 bites of my spaghetti and now I'm done. Can I have some more?" I still enjoy coming here when I am in town, but this put a damper on the experience...
(3)Johnathan H.
Service was sub-par, food was just okay. Explore the rest of the Old Market.
(2)Daryn P.
Spaghetti Works is truly fantastic, if you like food borne illnesses and explosive diarrhea. I hadn't been there since I was prepubescent, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. I can remember going there about a half dozen times with my family and ordering pasta with beer cheese accompanied by the salad bar. I can also remember pooping my pants about a half dozen times between the ages of 8 and 12. I now believe that this was not a coincidence. It was just last week when my neighbor asked me to go. He mostly hangs out with his cat, so I figured he might benefit from some human interaction. We sat at the bar and, after several minutes, we were greeted awkwardly by a slimy looking fellow with an oddly shaped head. My neighbor thought he was on drugs, but I argued that he must have grown up near a nuclear power plant. On our way to the salad bar, I took a few minutes to soak in the ambiance - flocks of screaming toddlers, nauseating smells, unbearable heat - it's kind of like hell, but with spaghetti. At first glance, the salad bar looks appetizing. That is, until you discover that a hyperactive nine year old just dipped his hand in the Russian dressing and fired a snot rocket into the diced ham. After we ate, paid, and exited the premises, I informed my neighbor that I needed to go home, so I could die. There's no question: the Spaghetti Works is an institution. For decades, it's been a destination for friends, families, and busloads of pimple-faced punks on their way to Homecoming. Each and every night, the Spaghetti Works is nearly overflowing with people - which is a glaring reminder of a universal truth: people are stupid. One star for the garlic bread.
(1)Mike R.
I read the reviews but it was recommended by a friend so I figured what the heck, give it a try. Should have trusted the reviews. Tried both pesto and alfredo. The pesto I made from a jar last week was 10 times better and if you like alfredo from a jar then theirs is for you. Waitress was having a bad day and let everbody in earshot know it. Go elsewhere.
(2)Brian H.
Great food and atmosphere and the prices are VERY reasonable. My fiancé and I enjoyed a nice Friday evening dinner.
(5)Kurt K.
It has been awhile since I was here last. I think the entire area has gone down hill in the current economic condition. Where I was wowed the past times here, this time was only "meh." Took me awhile to get the bartender away from dishes and enjoying her smoothie to get us drinks while we waited for a table. She knew very little about the beers on tap when I asked. Glad to get sat at a table. Service was excellent at the table. Server was knowledgeable and friendly. Food quality was not as good as I remember. Not a lot of flavor in the sauces.
(3)Aaron T.
Runny sauce, small meatballs were $1.60 ea. Not much flavor to spaghetti if that is there signature meal. Had to try it for myself. A well.
(2)Elisa V.
My husband, 3 children, and I ate here while visiting from Colorado because a friend told us we needed to eat here. I personally would not want to go back. I am not interested in eating my leftovers either. It was not horrible, just not really good. We all ordered pasta. My kids got the kid's plate of spaghetti and i felt like it was a little too small of a portion, but they were not still hungry after the salad bar and garlic bread that comes with the meal. I got The Works with fettuccine and it was just okay. A couple sauces were kind of tasty and the Italian sausage was pretty good, but the marinara sauce was very watery. It was so watery in fact that after our waitress accidentally smacked my daughter in the face while serving her food, she then dumped a bunch of marinara on my son. Our waitress was nice and we were not mad... We even had a hard time keeping the marinara on our plates because it was so watery. The pasta and sauces and even the salad bar just tasted cheap over all. Also, i have to say something about the bathrooms. My kids needed to use the restroom before we left, and as we walked towards the side of the restaurant with the bathrooms it started to smell increasingly like dirty bathrooms. We even walked past a family seated at a table right next to the bathroom hall and it smelled quite gross there. If i was that family i would have asked for a different table because i do not like to smell dirty bathroom while i eat (and i am not someone who causes problems at restaurants). It was quite unappetizing. I guess the place is good for a very casual dining for groups, altough i wonder if there are better places for the same price or cheaper somewhere else.
(3)Sarah G.
Spaghetti Works is cheap and is the 'Omaha staple' restaurant that I consider in the same vein as Hickory Park in Ames. Tons of people flock there for no other reason than that (which is good because the restaurant holds tons of people... don't get lost inside on your way to the salad bar.) I believe those flocking masses are drawn in more by the history, the setting, the 'fun atmosphere' and the hype. I used to go for lunch from time to time when I worked downtown and the refillable pasta bowls with tons of options will always trump that other 'Italian' chain restaurant... something garden... but SW is never my first choice for pasta/Italian in town.
(3)John K.
You guys are a-holes. This place is amazing
(5)Leo T.
I really like the Old Market area here in Omaha. One of the restaurants here is Spaghetti Works. I really like the building and the decor. The service was very good. The food was OK. I've had better though. The spaghetti and meatballs was good. The lasagna was not good at all. The noodles and Alfredo sauce was decent. I did really like the salad bar. They had all my favorites. All in all I would go there again.
(3)Markus B.
There are already many reviews, so I keep it short: - Interesting place / atmosphere, it is an old furniture warehouse. We were sitting in a small separate place, almost like a wardrobe without doors - we liked it. - The have a all you can eat salad bar, nice selection, fresh, tasty - We ordered Spaghetti (Nomen est omen), I had the cheese-beer sauce, my wife something with tomato and mushrooms. I would say good, not perfect. We were asked for a Spaghetti refill, but we passed. Prices were cheap, service fast - overall: We liked it!
(3)Jim P.
The ambiance and decor are what got us through the door. It looked like a fun and inviting restaurant. It is located in the downtown market district and we had lunch at the Upstream Brewery and were very happy with that restaurant. The food was just OK. Nothing mind blowing. The service wasn't that great. Found ourselves waiting for quite a while and no one checking on us. There was a woman walking around making balloon animals/characters for the kids, so after the meal we asked our waiter if he could ask her to come over to our table. He informed us that she didn't work for the restaurant and can't be told where to go by the staff. WTF???? I didn't quite understand this. Why is she allowed in their restaurant to peddle her business if they can't tell her where her attention is needed. Being a business owner, I laughed at the waiter and just said "Seriously?". After a very long wait, she made her way over after my wife went over and asked her politely to come over to our table. It was worth the wait. She was amazing with the balloons. The most impressive was the Ironman character. Not an easy one. And, as other parents can attest, when the kids are happy, mommy is happy. And when mommy is happy, we are all happy. The decor was pretty interesting and keeps your interest while you wait for the staff and food. With better service, I would rate this a four star. Cheers!
(3)Matthew S.
I'm surprised to read all the poor reviews, as we were blown away by this place. We had a wedding rehearsal dinner here with about 50 people and the service was attentive and fast--they really did an amazing job, and I've never seen a single waitress manage a room that large so well and easily. We all enjoyed our meals and the variety offered, I really liked the free refill option (without which I would have downgraded my review a star, as the bowl of pasta I got was quite small, so I had two), and the prices were very good. I had the combination bowl with mostacolli and alfredo, clam white, and spicy marinara sauces (which are poured on different parts of the pasta bowl so they're adjacent but not mixed), all of which were very enjoyable and not the same as what I get out of a jar at home. My wife is gluten/lactose intolerant, so this place was especially awesome because she was able to get rice noodles and a dairy-free sauce, which is almost unheard of in Italian-style restaurants. I rarely give five star reviews, but during our time at Spaghetti Works there were no detractions. Great food, great service, and an overall great experience. Maybe we just had an awesome waitress who made all the difference... all I know is that we had a great time.
(5)George W.
"Oh, everything is average nowadays..." That song should be this place's theme song. If you name your business Spaghetti Works, shouldn't you have the best spaghetti? Instead, I got a pesto sauce where you couldn't taste the pesto, and it was pretty mediocre overall. So, what did I order: bow tie pasta with pesto sauce, and hot sausage. For plusses, if you want more than a bowl of pasta, game on! They'll bring you a refill of what you ordered. The salad bar is on the back of a Model A, and was well-stocked and fresh. So, the place is A-Ok, but not great. It's pretty much average. It's a resort - chain - Bennigans-wanna-be restaurant. It was clean, and the service was polite and fast.
(3)Sara S.
I cannot possibly fathom how someone could like this place, unless you were five years old and not that hungry. Any adult palate should detect something seriously wrong with this place. First of all, if you're going to have a restaurant serving pasta, learn to NOT overcook it. This is probably the number one faux pas, and yet this is beyond the cooks at Spaghetti Works abilities. Though it was years ago, I still recall my disgust for how unclean, dark and dingy the restaurant itself was, as well as my overcooked pasta, dreadful sauce and chewy eggplant parm. The service was also atrocious. It really does blow my mind to see that this restaurant is still up and running. All I can say is "how?".
(1)Christina K.
This is my guys ultimate favorite place to eat and I have gone here a couple times when we went to visit his family. I wouldn't say it is the best although he would say differently. Their salad bar is really good and I find that is the best part about it. The pasta is OKAY. A couple of times I have gotten my pasta and it has been cold. Which is the reason I don't really care for it. I've tried to finish my first cold plate of pasta before and asked for more hoping it would be hot the next time around but no such luck. Also there isn't anything really special about the pasta, kinda bland for me. They do have great prices and give you as much pasta as you want. You can have more than one sauce and switch it up on your second helping. It is a cool idea if only the pasta was better. I prefer The Old Spaghetti Factory and don't mind spending a bit more for hot good spaghetti but hey if you like cold pasta go for it!
(3)Mary M.
If you're looking for italian, this is not the place to go, but if you're looking for something inexpensive in the Old Market that is not a sandwich shop, I recommend Spaghetti Works. It's great for anybody on a budget, and unlike most of the restaurants in the Old Market, it is kid friendly. The food is not great, but it's good. My husband always goes for the hot naked and I like the hot spicy italian (top it with an italian sausage link). Your meal comes with a salad from the salad bar (actually quite good), which is cleverly tucked away into the back of an old model T pickup truck, and garlic bread. They have a very large dining room, a good sized party room in the back and spacious seating on their patio. I've always had a decent meal here (they are consistent if nothing else) and the service is always fast & friendly.
(4)Lindsay O.
SW is what it is...cheap, good location in the Old Market and family friendly, which is why my dad always wants to go there when my family goes up to Omaha. The service is ok and the food is decent but don't expect traditional Italian food. SW has been there for as long as I can remember (20+ years) so it must be doing something right.
(3)Anastasia B.
Yikes! After reading other reviews, I am questioning my taste in restaurants. I like spaghetti works. The food is not going to blow you away, but to be able to get a sit-down dinner in the Old Market for under $10 is a good deal, I think. You can get a bowl of spaghetti and salad bar for $6 or so. Also, this place is very laid back and "come as you are". Not as boughie as other places in downtown omaha. For a couple that thinks they don't have money for "date night", think again... Dinner at Spaghetti Works $20 (tip included) Walking around Old Market/Gene Leahy FREE Caricature drawing by Val $8 Gondola ride $6 Feeding ducks at Gene Leahy $1 (for loaf of bread) Cheap bottle of wine at La Buevette $14 (plus corking free) Cheap Cigars at CR ROI $4 Serenade from street musician $5 (gotta support street musicians) Coffee at Aromas $6 My point is that just because your pay check isn't what you think it should be , that doesn't mean you are restricted to spending your friday night eating at Fudruckers and watching some crappy movie from Blockbuster. You can have a wonderful experience Omaha's Old Market, with out emptying out your piggy bank. I think Spaghetti Works is a nice place to eat if you are on a budget and even if your not. The End.
(4)Kevin W.
I was in Omaha on business and saw this place as we walked around looking for dinner. Basically, it is pasta that tastes like something you can cook at home and you choose a sauce. I had the Shrimp Scampi pasta. The shrimp was obviously not very fresh and most likely had been frozen for some time. And the pasta was mediocre. As previous reviewer stated...the salad bar was weak. Not much there at all. The service was okay, but overall this place is nothing to write home about.
(2)Jaclyn W.
First off I have to say how funny it is that the menu says "our tempting salad bar" because I don't find slimy lettuce very tempting. It was hard to tell how bad the lettuce was until I got back to our table. (The salad bar doesn't have any lighting over it.) I order the regular meat sauce and it was good. Only thing I would change is to make it a bit less watery. My fiance got the chicken fettuccine and it was pretty good. I liked his choice better than mine! All in all it's a decent place for a quick, casual bite to eat. I have to give them a major thumbs up for the dining area outside, that was my favorite part.
(2)Matt M.
Could not agree more with the previous post - I just don't understand why people eat here.
(1)Tanya L.
I came here with my sister 4 years ago and it was fantastic, so when my family and I were back in Omaha, this was where I wanted to go while in Old Market. Big mistake! The pasta was way over-cooked....it was mushy. And beer cheese sauce I remember loving tasted overly flour-y and not at all like it was the first time I was there. The only thing I could say it has going for it was the Hot Naked sauce (it had good flavor), but even that was served with so much sauce it was like a bowl of olive oil with noodles floating in it. Never again....
(1)Scott C.
Kinda touristy, kinda chainy, kinda just ok. Nothing exciting.
(2)Rachael L.
OK, so it isn't an authentic Italian restaurant, but it isn't the worst thing either. If you are a person who eats at chain restaruants, then you have no place complaining about spaghetti works. (I personally try to avoid most chain restaurants at all cost.) I love spaghetti works, I am not sure why, but it is very tasty. Their salad bar in a truck is oddly delicious, for some reason I find my salads from this particular salad bar to trump all others, even though it isn't as fancy as many I've seen. The pasta is fairly simple, order spaghetti with a red sauce (I prefer the spicy italian w/ a meatball), and if you eat your whole bowl and want more, they will refill it with any other pasta and sauce of your choice, or the same. How many places do that? I've tried a few of the other sauce options, the hot n' naked is good and the creamy pesto is bland. I also prefer their garlic bread to the loaf of bread that they offer. This place is also very family friendly. So go here if you are on a budget and want some inexpensive pasta. Don't go to Spaghetti Works looking for a life changing carbonarra and you won't be disappointed.
(3)Douglas R.
Was in Omaha for the JO National Championships and needed a affordable good restaurant for my athletes to eat. And this was it I was impressed with the decor and the friendliness of the waiter! At first I thought it was a Old Spaghetti Factory place and I am pleased to announce its not the food is way better. Instead of kids meals for my daughters and another child they let us split a Fettuccine Feast with Grilled Chicken and allowed all three to have the salad bar a much more economical choice then 3 kids meals. I orders the Lasagna feast which was a huge piece of Lasagna and 2 meatballs with a sausage, link. I can get down when I eat and I couldnt finish this meal! The lasagna was decent and the meat balls were average however the marinara sauce was entirely to sweet if they toned that down a little bit this would be a great meal. Salad bar was adequate and had the usual suspects of toppings and salad add ins, nothing special in the dressing department. The garlic bread that came with the meal was essentially Texas toast but it was definitely yummy! Also if you order a pasta dish beside lasagna or ravioli its all you can eat! This is a family place the food is not stellar but it is definitely worth giving a shot when in Omaha ! GO BUFFS!
(4)Lawrence N.
One of the most simple, casual, quick and cheapest sit-down restaurants in the Old Market. With that said, you also get what you pay for...and you're not paying for much when you're here. Mix and match bottomless pasta plates, a salad bar and a low bill is basically what you'll find. Do I like the food a lot? No. Do I eat here often because of the aforementioned reasons? Yes. You don't go to Texas Roadhouse to satiate your Wagyu Beef craving, so don't go to Spaghetti Works to satisfy your fine Italian food pangs.
(3)Liz T.
Don't fool yourself into thinking this restaurant is related to The Old Spaghetti Factory chain like I did--it's far from it. Spaghetti Works is not only an insult to Italian food but to American food as well. The Garlic Cheese Bread was good, but I'm not even going to get into how it's impossible to screw up this stuff. The salad bar was very typical--iceberg lettuce, bland croutons, supermarket dressing. *Yawn* I had the Spaghetti with White Clam--it had few clams and they were of the canned variety; the white sauce was practically tasteless. I came with 3 people and none of us even thought the food was ok. This is probably the cheapest place in Old Market, but you definitely get what you pay for here (and maybe a little less vis-a-vis The Old Spaghetti Factory).
(1)Noah C.
you know, when i was much younger i used to love this place. not so much anymore. the salad bar is pretty weak, appetizers are mostly fried, the pastas are just ok and the wine list needs a lot of work. i have to say that i used to always hit spaghetti works during my trips home to visit family and friends but i think i've had enough.
(3)Jennifer H.
Are you thinking of stopping in after an afternoon of wandering around the Old Market? No, no, no no no, no no, no, no, no, no. First, the service was almost absent. Refills were hard to come by. The garlic bread was limp, cold, flavorless, and in some cases rock hard. My husband ordered spaghetti. The sauce was watery. I got linguine "hot naked" with fried clams. They definitely spare the expense of extra virgin olive oil. There was nothing virgin about it; they might as well have used canola. And the clams... brr. I'm not entirely sure there were clams embedded in the hard chunks of over-fried batter. And even better, the whole dish was lukewarm. In fact, everything was. One in our party had to send her whole plate back because it had actually crossed the line into cold. I had high hopes for the salad bar, because how can you screw up a salad bar? Oh don't worry, they did. Iceburg lettuce. Limp broccoli. Flavorless foodservice dressing. Even the tongs were inadequate. The *tongs*, people. The salad plates with dishwasher crust left on them were an extra special bonus.
(1)A E.
I haven't dined here for 4 years. Not much changed on the interior from 4 years ago or 20 years ago. But I can't judge a meal and service soley on the building. This was a great stop with three hungry teens and the luxury of the bottomless bowl of pasta and bread that they could feast on. The service -- I wish I could recall our server's name. She was great! Friendly, attentive to our needs and prompt with the service. She could certainly land herself a job at some more upscale places. Now the food -- not bad. I would say it was what would be expected at a never ending pasta place. The salad bar was fresh and we didn't arrive until 9pm. It was not like most open salad bars at 9pm. It was clean and they actually had what appeared to be an attendent cleaning up behind people dishing out their own salads. Not much evidence of your commonly found spills and/or the the salad toppings from one container landing in or around the other containers. I can't bring myself to give this 4 stars. The food was ok, but nothing great. I would go back, but not on the next couple trips. There are too many great family owned Italian places to dine in Omaha to rank this higher and stop here more frequently. But, this has it's niche and I thought they did a pretty good job and would not write them out of the game.
(3)Jeff G.
After hearing mixed reviews about Spaghetti Works, I decided to go check it out for myself. I notice one common thread between the positive reviews for this restaurant: The Beer Cheese. For my main entree I got cheese tortellini with the beer cheese sauce. Needless to say, It was great to be in an italian restaurant for a change that didn't feel the need to take itself so seriously that it couldn't offer such a great sauce, and I was not left disappointed. It was AWESOME. I highly recommend it if you're ever eating here. That said, the spinach artichoke dip was great too! I've grown so used to cheesy spinach dips that *say* they contain artichoke but it's difficult to tell. The artichoke dip at Spaghetti Works was so loaded with juicy delicious artichoke hearts I couldn't believe it. The biggest downside was the general atmosphere. Its great for a family cause you'll be surrounded by 'em, but as a single male I got a little sick of hearing kids arguing with their parents.
(4)Jennifer H.
I gave this place 2 stars because it's not a great restaurant, but I would definitely recommend it if you're on a family trip to Omaha. Spaghetti Works is the perfect place to take children. It's noisy, and super-casual. I was completely un-embarrased to take my not-so-quiet toddler there for dinner, and didn't have to be mortified if he cried a little or threw the menu on the floor. :) The atmosphere was definitely created to encourage families. The salad bar is made from an old truck! The food is a little bland, but good for the price. I had Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo. The chicken was pretty good. The Alfredo sauce was pretty bland, but for under $10, I wasn't expecting a ton. I was happy with the food at this price point. The menu is really diverse, so everyone will find something to suit them. One of our group has a wheat allergy, and had no problem finding a several acceptable choices.
(2)naomi n.
not very good and can't understand why anybody would go here. it's location and strange wild west interior must be what draws people in and gets them eating. the food is something i could make and that is not a good thing. basic pasta, sauce from a can. ice burg lettuce with a few sad tomatoes and ranch dressing make up a meal from spaghetti works.
(2)Rosalina R.
Kid food. Just not my style. Icantt even write anything witty about this place, it's THAT boring.
(2)Dave F.
This place is here because it is in Nebraska's most visited tourist area. That said, it is better than expected (as yelped, Not an Old Spaghetti Factory) but the same idea. They seemed to have an active bar, and I needed a place to eat before a Qwest Center event with relatives who would not like anything freaky or pricey. I actually had a good chicken parm, the service was good for being busy; so if you hate 'fine dining' and want a good deal you will love it, if you want to impress a date don't even try
(3)Matt J.
I've been here a few times now and I really have never been too impressed with the food here. The salad bar is pretty lame and the food is bland. It's pretty cheap but I've had better from Fazoli's.
(2)Jen H.
One star. We went after having some drinks elsewhere, knowing it was a relatively inexpensive place to go and near by. We had a party of 10 and it took almost an hour to seat us. When we walked in (after finally having the stupid beeper go off) they sat us in an EMPTY back room. I waited an HOUR to be seated in a huge EMPTY back room? Whatever. Our waitress was a total downer. She was not attentive, had a HUGE attitude problem, and acted like coming around was a huge hassle. Our food came out luke-warm or even cold. Two in our party who ordered the lasagna complained. One sent it back to get a new one, the other was too hungry and just wanted to eat, so she didn't want to bother. My friend who ordered the manicotti also sent hers back to be warmed up. When the new lasagna came out the waitress explained in a rude way that 'he stuck the thermometer in it and it is 140 degrees, so it's hot.' Hey, thanks! We had to wait to get re-fills on pasta and even those were luke-warm. When we were finally done, the waitress threw our checks at us (almost literally) and the only person who had anything comped on their ticket was the guy who sent his lasagna back to get a new one. We were given no pens with which to sign. Finally, after being home for a little over an hour, we have both visited the toilet several times and my stomach feels ready to turn itself inside out. We will not be going back. Ever.
(1)Darin B.
It was OK. It's family friendly and the location is nice but the food is mediocre.
(2)Jody L.
I have to eat here anytime I am in or near Omaha. After reading the other reviews, I am a little sad. This place is not for people looking for fine cuisine. It is all about the atmosphere, good food, and drinks. They have never ending pasta bowls, garlic bread, and a salad bar for CHEAP prices. They have a pretty good selection of food, so this is a great place to take a group of people. Everyone will be happy. I have taken a lot of first timers to Spaghetti Works and they all loved it. Love the beer cheese sauce and hot and naked (c'mon how great is that name). They have a full service bar as well. Try a dirty martini or The Gummy Bear. (Yes, it really tastes like a Gummy Bear). There is always something to look at, the place is covered in antiques and random crazy things. I don't have kids, but it is totally kid friendly as well. This place can get busy on the weekends. But, it is worth the wait. I am still puzzled by the bad reviews. *tear*. I am posting some pics from my last visit.
(4)Pukar R.
I've been here a couple of times. It's a decent restaurant with a good salad bar, that's really all I can remember from this place. Their food was decent, nothing too special that sticks out in my mind. The service was good.
(3)Dan C.
Avoid this one at all costs, the McItalian of Omaha. With places like Lo Sole Mio and Malara's I continue to be amazed that this place is still going.
(1)Jonathan A.
I have nostalgic and sentimental attachments to Spaghetti works, so screw it. It gets 3 stars. The beer cheese is the way to go. It a family place, so know what you're walking into. The food is not fine dining and the atmosphere isn't either, so don't expect it. But I love it anyway. There's a place in my heart for Spaghetti works.
(3)Downtown J.
Not a fan. Salad bar is the best part and yet still weak and I make better pasta at home. I understand that they are an Old Market staple but I wish they would step up the quality.
(1)Britton J.
Mediocre pasta saved by strong drinks, pleasing salad bar, and reasonable prices. Service tends to be on the slow side, but if you're not in a hurry Spaghetti Works is not a bad choice.
(3)Jessica M.
My family of four went here last night. Our waiter was fine but seemed pretty frazzled. Our food was very disappointing. Our son got Shrimp Scampi. It had no flavor to it & seemed like they put pasta on the plate & shrimp with hardly anything else. Husband got a meatball sandwich...came out luke warm. They forgot his pasta too. Then they completely forgot to make mine & my daughters orders. Her spaghetti & meatball came with one meatball. And they forgot to put half the shrimp I ordered on my plate. Husband & son were done eating by the time we got our food.
(1)Paul R.
Awesome sauces! Service superb by Shaun. Fun place, good food. Just ask Zach the pasta dude!
(4)Mark D.
Charming decor with interesting antiques. The have some private booths that look like old dressing rooms. Server was attentive, but very busy. She got one entree completely wrong. Food was a two out of five. Prices were reasonable. Of our five diners, two developed significant stomach pain soon after leaving the restaurant and explosive diarrhea an hour later. A great place to recommend to your visiting in-laws.
(2)Mandy Z.
The food was good but the service was horrible. I sat at the bar and as soon as I sat down the bartender asked what she could get me I asked for a wine list which she showed me but than never came back to take my order. I waited 10 minutes for her to walk by so I could ask her for a glass of wine, if I hadn't asked her she would have never stopped to ask me. At that time she took my order and told me I could go get a salad at the salad bar, I had just come back from the salad bar and taken maybe three bites and she showed up with my hot pasta plate. It would have been nice to have finished my salad or at least been close to finishing. So when I finally got to my pasta it was not very warm. It tasted fine. Small portion which was fine but not for the price.
(2)Kate T.
Is it a fine dining experience? No. Is it delicious and cheap? Yes. On a Saturday night my husband and I were able to eat dinner and each have a glass of wine for about $25 (we had a PinPoint reward which helped lower the tab). Yes it was noisy and crowded but we were lucky enough to be seated in one of the semi-private "rooms" in the back so it felt like we were the only ones there, other than the general noise level and when you went to the salad bar. The beer cheese will always be my favorite sauce and if you mix it with either the Spicy Italian or Hot Naked you won't be disappointed. Definitely prefer the garlic bread to the sourdough, it's just so good. And the salad bar is one of my favorites. I just wish they had cold plates instead of ones straight out of the dishwasher. Overall, this place has always been one of my favorites and I think I have my husband convinced now too. Give it a shot, just don't expect the typical downtown atmosphere. The good news is you don't get the typical downtown prices either.
(4)Christina P.
Last night I went to Spaghetti Works Downtown. The place was busy for a Thursday night. We were worried we wouldn't get a table, but we walked in and were seated right away. The waiter was great! He refilled our Italian Sodas 4 times.
(4)Kate R.
Great service! Very clean. Clean bathrooms. Good beer selection. salad bar has fresh items and lots of them. The best place for fried clams i have ever been to !!!!! Great atmosphere. Will be back. Kudos to our server Justin :)
(5)