Jim

• Aroma 7/12
• Appearance 3/3
• Flavor 12/20
• Mouthfeel 4/5
• Overall 7/10

Jess

• Aroma 6/12
• Appearance 2/3
• Flavor 10/20
• Mouthfeel 3/5
• Overall 5/10

Jess

The atmosphere was pretty good. We were seated upstairs, where there was a bar, quite a bit of indoor seating, and apparently an outdoor patio (judging by the look of our glistening waitress who kept disappearing through a door on the side of the room with trays of food and beer and then returning with empty plates and glasses).

There were several things on the menu that looked quite delicious, so to tide us over while we made our decisions, we decided to start with the dumplings. I enjoyed them, maybe mostly because we’d been at the zoo all day and I was absolutely starving.  Being in Omaha, we decided we needed to order steaks.  While my filet was pretty darn good, Jim was sort of ambivalent about his ribeye, and we both thought we may have enjoyed other options a little more. Maybe it’s just because Omaha isn’t really any better in the steak department than Kansas City. What can I say? We’re spoiled like that here.   The presentation of the food was nice, but not anything super special or fancy.  The price was more than what you’d pay at Applebee’s but less than what you’d pay at Ruth’s Chris — I had an 8-ounce filet with mashed potatoes and some asparagus tied in a little bundle for about $28. The service was a bit lacking while we were there. We didn’t see our waitress for 20 minutes at a time, and it took at least that long just to get waters after we were seated.  I like to give waitresses the benefit of the doubt — maybe she had a lot of tables, maybe some of her other guests were especially demanding, who knows. But if I got service like that again, it might make me not want to go back.

The brewery offered 11 beers on tap, ranging the gamut from pale yellow fizzy stuff, to a very roasty stout.  For about $12, Jim got a sampler of all their beers.  They even let him pick his favorite for one extra sample, since their cask beer was down.  I had some sips of each.  My personal favorites were the Honey Raspberry Ale, the Firehouse ESB (tasted like a red to me, which is a good thing, in my opinion), and the Dundee Scotch Ale. They also had a couple of seasonal saisons that I thought were pretty good. We ended up  taking a growler of one of them home, which we shared with friends at a Royals tailgate on Saturday.  Everyone enjoyed it.

Overall, I’m glad we went and I enjoyed my food. I would have enjoyed both the food and beer more if I’d been feeling a little better, though.

• Atmosphere 8/10
• Beer Selection 10/15
• Beer Service 4/5
• Food 7/10
• Price 7/10

Jim

The atmosphere inside Upstream Brewery was very similar to the whole vibe of the Old Market, sort of a rough reclamation of buildings lost to abandonment. Lots of interior brick, dark-stained wood, and exposed metal. The bottom floor had ample waiting space and a large bar area with plenty of seating around it. Upstairs, where we sat, included a second, smaller bar and many tables and booths separated by low walls. Along one of the exterior walls were several pool tables.

Our server was friendly, but slow. It seemed her section stretched from the few tables nearest the staircase to the outdoor deck. It had to have made her job much more difficult than it should have been.

Upstream had more beer choices than I expected. A few were too close to each other for my liking. Their O! Gold and the Gold Coast Blonde (essentially a light lager and a kölsch) had little differences. I was surprised by the Honey Raspberry Ale, a wheat ale with a pleasant hint of honey. Not too sweet, which is what I feared. Both the Capital Premium Pale Ale and the India Pale Ale were very aggressively hopped, and both bordered on too harsh. The Dundee Scotch Ale (an export-strength ale) was sweeter than it ought to be. The Blackstone Stout just tasted burnt.

The highlight of their beer selection were the Firehouse ESB (which was listed as Firehouse Red Ale on the back of the food menu, but nowhere else), and their two seasonal saisons. The ESB was nicely balanced with toasty malt character, strong hop bitterness, and a pleasing aroma of flowery hops.

The two saisons were named for their primary nontraditional spice. Jess really enjoyed the Blue Ginger Saison. It had a wonderful bite from the ginger, but it did not overpower or dominate the flavor like I feared it would. I preferred the Lemongrass Saison, with native Nebraska lemongrass and bitter orange peel. Both were excellent saisons for spring. We went home with a growler of one.

My tasters came in miniature weizen glasses emblazoned with the Upstream logo. They were out of the placemats, so we were left to fend for ourselves remembering which beer was which. (Not that difficult, really. Except for those two light ones.)

My ribeye was good. I’ve had much better and I’ve had worse. The pork potsticker appetizers were quite good. The price was about what we would expect for the quality of the beer, food, and its location.

• Atmosphere 7/10
• Beer Selection 12/15
• Beer Service 3/5
• Food 7/10
• Price 7/10

Jess

Charlie Hooper’s is one of my favorite bars, and during the late spring and fall months, I might head there a couple times a week. This mostly has to do with the fact that it is an easy walk from my house. The interior is almost completely dark wood–the floor, tables, chairs, bar, and trim. There’s a small, covered outdoor patio with some tables to accommodate smokers and those who want to escape the crowd inside.

Most days, you can easily walk in and find a table, but Hooper’s is a good place to watch a ball game, with several flat screens strategically placed around the two main rooms, so if you want to watch the Missouri Tigers or the Kansas Jayhawks, you need to get there very early to reserve your spot.

Speaking of reservations, Hooper’s is a great place to host a party, because for a deposit of only $100, you can reserve the back room, which seats 30 to 40 people comfortably. The food selection is good, with even a few healthier choices. The black bean burger and chicken pita are a couple of my favorites.

There are about 20 beers on tap and maybe 100 or so in bottles, although nothing that you couldn’t find fairly easily at a local liquor store. Bottled beer is only served with a glass if you ask, and then it’s likely to be a water glass. Service is hit or miss, but there are several severs who have been there a while and will get to know you if you come in regularly.

Prices are pretty good on both food and beer. Mondays feature any of their burgers, complete with fries, for a mere $3. Happy hour lasts till 7:00, and reduces the price of beer by $1. There are also daily food and beer specials. Overall, a very solid neighborhood pub.

• Atmosphere 7/10
• Beer Selection 12/15
• Beer Service 1/5
• Food 7/10
• Price 8/10

Jim

Charlie Hooper’s is a neighborhood place. I really like it for that. You will normally find plenty of children running around during the day on weekends. The twenty-somethings filter in after the dinner crowd has left. The atmosphere remains relaxed, even as the place fills in on weekend nights and Wednesdays for Import Night ($2.00 import beers).

The beer selection is good, but not great. It is broader than it is deep, but they feature every available Boulevard beer on tap, and is usually the first to get the brewery’s seasonals in. The beer menu changes monthly, with new offerings rotating in. All drafts are served in a standard pint glass, and getting a glass with bottled beers can sometimes be a struggle.

I enjoy my time in Hooper’s for the little things. The wide beer menu, the good food, the reasonable prices, and especially its location.

• Atmosphere 7/10
• Beer Selection 10/15
• Beer Service 1/5
• Food 8/10
• Price 8/10

• Atmosphere What is the feel of the place? Sports bar, dive, loud, friendly, romantic, kitschy, swank? How good is the service? 10 points
• Beer Selection A big deal. How long is the list? Anything adventurous? Does the beer selection match the food? 15 points
• Beer Service Is the beer served in the proper glass? If it’s bottled, is it served with a glass at all? Too cold? Too warm? 5 points
• Food How is the menu?  Anything unique or interesting?  How are the portion sizes, flavors, presentation, and freshness?  10 points
• Price Are the prices reasonable? Are there food and beer selections that are a good value? Are there food or beer specials? 10 points

• Aroma How it smells: malty, hoppy, floral, skunky, stale. 12 points
• Appearance How it looks. Not that important, really. 3 points
• Flavor The big deal. How it tastes. 20 points
• Mouthfeel The tactile impression. Fizzy, flat, thick, watery, astringent. 5 points
• Overall Impression The beer as whole. What we really thought. 10 points

We reserve the right to change our methods and probably will. We will most likely revisit beers more than once. You’ll like that, though. More to read!

• Aroma How it smells: malty, hoppy, floral, skunky, stale. 12 points
• Appearance How it looks. Not that important, really. 3 points
• Flavor The big deal. How it tastes. 20 points
• Mouthfeel The tactile impression. Fizzy, flat, thick, watery, astringent. 5 points
• Overall Impression The beer as whole. What we really thought. 10 points

We reserve the right to change our methods and probably will. We will most likely revisit beers more than once. You’ll like that, though. More to read!