mantra

even the little touches...... mantra's omelet special is a definite favorite. this past weekend i asked if i could have a side of something besides the fruit or breakfast potatoes. (both of which are good, just not what works for me all the time) i asked my server if just a side of sauteed vegetables would be possible and she said she would ask the chef. when my omelet came there was a side portion of zucchini, squash, sweet onions, julienned carrots, but the incredible thing was how well they were seasoned and the freshness of flavor. these were, literally, the most delicious vegetables i have ever had at a restaurant. i already loved the omelet yet found the mixed vegetable side was equal to or even surpassing the main item. looking forward to many more great meals at mantra!


-----10 aug, 2014-----

dinner...and then brunch...... we have come to appreciate whatmantrais providing! it's a cool, simple atmosphere with very great, fresh food offerings! early afternoon, sunday, i ordered the specialty omelet, and asked my waiter if the chef would make it as light and fluffy as possible. (i have a "need for moist" issue since having had radiation/chemo treatment on my throat). the omelet was perfect, for me. added in were sweet cherry(?) tomatoes, fresh/tender asparagus, thinly sliced,/tender prosciutto, havarti cheese. the fried breakfast potatoes were even cooked to how i could handle them, soft and crispy at the same time. the fruit bowl accompaniment was fresher than most i've had at other restaurants. and though i couldn't do the english muffin, i could tell is was toasted just right. (it's carbs, like that that i really miss). our respective dinners @mantra have also been better prepared than what one expects from a specific description!

great food, wait staff, and atmosphere. i just love going to this place. the staff is warm and friendly and the food is consistenly excellent. everything i've ordered has been impeccable. plus, the prices are reasonable. it's became my new favorite neighborhood place! great jobmantrafor always giving me a pleasant experience from dining to drinking!

hi ho!. my mate and i had brunch atmantraon 7-28-13. food was served cold and over cooked! i know the owner and his partner and noticed neither was there! needless to say, i will not be returning! hope taxis doesn't hit the skids, as well.

bohemian rhapsody. benson keeps reinventing itself. what is now omaha's hottest bohemian neighborhood for food and music has sprouted a nice little bistro on the west end: mantra. open less than a year, this first cousin to west omaha's taxi's bistro has a fresh american vibe flowing through its veins.
the atmosphere is generally attractive* in a modern sort of way, with a bar on one side of the dining room, and an open kitchen off to the side. tables and banquettes offer comfortable seating.
the regular menu leans (heavily) toward lighter fare. salads, sandwiches and specialty tacos predominate. appetizers range from decent crab cakes to mussels done a variety of ways, to two arancinis and two flatbreads.
an ever changing sheet of more substantive dinner fare is always offered. on the night of our visit it included baked salmon over basmati rice, chicken picatta, and bacon wrapped diver sea scallops. about half of the menu is either fish, seafood, or vegetarian.
we split an order of crab cakes as an appetizer. they were good, but nothing compared to what you will find back east. the small dinner salad was also tasty, if unremarkable.
what stood out were the main courses, including seafood enchiladas and seared ahi tuna tacos. the tacos were excellent, a highlight worth traveling out of your way to sample.
we were too full to even share a dessert, however the couple at the next table raved about the pistachio cake french toast. it is mantra's signature menu item.
the wine list offers considerable value, with many bottles in the $20-25 range. about a dozen wines are available by the glass.
service was super friendly, as our waitress answered all of our questions and offered several suggestions from both the appetizer as well as entree menus. she clearly had a full familiarity with the food coming out of the kitchen, an all too rare experience in this town.
now to my *. while the overall dining atmosphere is quite pleasurable, mantra's vibe threatens to be spoiled by no fewer than 7 big screen tvs lining the walls of both the bar as well as the dining room. the sound was off, but here is my gripe...and it is a major one at that: people don't go to dinner to be distracted by huge tv sets. they go out to dinner to get away from huge tv sets. puhleeze, chuck the boob tubes and instead hang a few more interesting paintings on those walls, like you have at taxi's. the change will serve to makemantraan a level neighborhood dining spot.
food: a-
menu sophistication: a-
service: a
atmosphere: b-
value: a

amazing!!!. we had such a great dinner atmantralast friday night. we had heard mixed reviews so decided to try it out ourselves and they have made a loyal customer out of us. everything from the wine, the veggie flatbread, the lamb burger, the grilled veggie foccacia sandwich, blue cheese and cabbage soup.....everything was spot on. our server was great as well. she was honest about items on the menu and suggestions. the only thing i noticed was if you have a party of 5 or more i would call ahead b/c quite a few large parties were coming in and they didn't have tables set up so they had to squeeze. but we will be back!

solid. i've been tomantratwice and both times were very solid. this last time was a wednesday night around 8 pm. there weren't many people there, so if you dislike crowds, it's a good time to go. the service was friendly and attentive. the drinks were good and the food was solid. i had the turkey burger, which i really enjoyed. the fries were a basic shoestring type, that could and should be better. my date had salmon, which he enjoyed. all in all a good experience and i'll definitely go again.

great addition to benson!. i recently met some friends atmantrafor a sunday brunch. we took advantage of the nice weather and started out seated on the patio sipping on mimosas. the patio is nice with sturdy tables and chairs - not the cheap patio furniture. the patio wraps around 2 sides of the restaurant. after a couple of mimosas we decided to eat our brunch inside. the restaurant is modern in it's decor, and makes you feel comfortable at the same time. i ordered the blt and was blown away. it wasn't your standard blt...it was made with peppered bacon, feta cheese and a drizzle of balsamic on a grilled focaccia bun. i was really unsure if i would like it but i love blt's so thought i'd order it. not your average blt but omg did the flavors blend together brilliantly! loved it...can't wait to have another. we all ordered a slice of french toast for our dessert...i do the same at taxi's, the owner's other restaurant...and for the others at my table it was a hit. i knew it would be!! i have to say my slice of french toast was not as crunchy as taxi's which was a little dissapointing but hopefully we just hit a not "perfect" day for french toast, but again, still enjoyed! everyone in my party loved their food. visitmantraand you won't be dissapointed! look forward to my next visit!

a new favorite. two of us had dinner on a monday (it's great to have a nice place open on monday). meatloaf dinner with mashed potatoes and gravy was very good, and very reasonably priced. i had the special: fresh walleye served over a bed of perfectly cooked and seasoned rice. i'm glad i didn't ask the price; at $23.95 i might have passed on it - it was worth the price! we both had the vegetables, zucchini and yellow squash, also seasoned and cooked perfectly.

i also had a vodka gimlet (well, o.k., so i had two!). perfectly done!

our waiter was just o.k. - seemed a little unprepared, actually. everything else was just perfect! putmantradown as our new "favorite restaurant in omaha."

a great new place to eat. when i read that malcolm thompson was opening a new place, i knew my wife and i had to go. we have eaten at every restaurant mac has ever worked at as a chef, or chef/owner for over 35 years and have never been disappointed. in fact, i can think of no one who makes better food more consistently. from the neon goose to the yo yo grille to the amazing taxi's, malcolm has specialized in gourmet comfort food at fair prices. nothing new here--mantra sticks to the same delectable plan. we had shrimp dijon, a blt, and chicken enchilladas, plus two of the best sangria's we've ever had. the shrimp dijon was perfection, and the blt featured tasty, thick peppered bacon and feta cheese--and the bread it was on was perfect. i had to steal some of amy's chicken enchilladas, and the cheese on these alone was worth double the price we were paying for the entree. prices were moderate, actually low, considering the quality of the food. service was also excellent. at every restaurant mac has run, he hires smart people who work hard and know how to talk to customers in order to make dining out the pleasant experience it should be. the location, just west of the benson area on 69th and maple, makesmantraa perfect place to hit on the way into see a band or to drink at krug or the sydney or burke's pub. it was too hot to eat outside but there is a dining area outside that will be a fine place to hang out once it isn't 100 most of the time.mantraplans to stay open late with a bar snack menu so it will also be a nice place to stop for a nightcap. also, the bar and art/decor inside both look sharp. there is just nothing not to like. go there and be happy.