mark's bistro

horrid!!!. we liveniceand close and were so wanting to have aniceplace to eat that we can walk to...and marks is not it.

we waited 1.25 hours for a table, which we were told would be a 30 minute wait. at the bar we had to remind the bartnder over and over for water and drink refills, even though it really was not busy. we tried the tuna and the antipasto (which was drastically overpriced) and were not thrilled.

our food was completely forgettable. the mac & cheese was bland, the gnocci was inedible, and the sandwich and chicken lasagna plates were something most people could have made at home. all food was served on hospital grade plates, one of which was filthy.

our waiter was horrible. he never check on the food, was forgetful (one of our plates took an addiional 5 minutes to come out of the kitchen) and in the end, packed up the food we were taking home (for our dogs) and then stood at the bar with the packed food for 7 minutes talking to his friends instead of bringing the bill or checking to see if we needed anything else.

the most frustrating thing is that we brought all of the to the attention of the manager. i was pretty polite, but firm about how upset we were that this was our treatment, and that we would have told him sooner if we had seen him around the dining room at any point during the meal. he appologized over and over and said he and/or mark would be calling me (took me nme and cell number)in the next few days. it was over a week ago and no response.

not only was it a horrid meal and exprience, but the manager and owner obviously do not care about the food quality and customer service.

mediocre. i took my friend here for his birthday and expected it to be fantastic, because i've heard people say good things about it, and it is expensive. but it wasn't great, to be honest. i found the menu uninspired and the food just so-so. to me it's just a notch above something like appleby's, although it wasniceand cozy. also the staff was pretty nice.

romantic dinner on outdoor garden patio. my boyfriend and i went to mark's just for anicedinner together, and it was a reallyniceexperience. we sat outside on their lovely patio which is flourished with plants and flowers (simply beautiful). it was a little chilly outside but luckily the bistro had a basket full of soft fleece blankets that you could use while sitting outside :-). we ordered the mac and cheese as an appetizer, which was pretty much to die for. it was the best gourmet mac i've had in omaha, and i've tried quiet a few! i ordered the prosciutto-wrapped pork tenderloin which was fantastic, it was perfectly tender and was accompanied with garlic mashed potatoes and sautéed kale and peppers, with sweet potato stings on top and then drizzled with pesto (it was unlike anything i've had before and it was fantastic). my boyfriend ordered the whiskey-marinated flatiron steak which was cooked perfectly and served with roasted brussel sprouts and gourmet tots! basically what i'm getting at is this place is great! everything from the atmosphere to the food, i had a fantastic night. thanks mark :-)

a wonderful patio. we enjoyed a wonderful summer evening meal at mark's in dundee. the unique location of the second floor patio is unexpected from the underwood street below. it's anicesurprise and very inviting when you reach the top of the stairs.
we dined on a tuesday night in late july. anicesurprise was 1/2 priced wine on bottles below $50. we enjoyed a 2010 newton claret. i couldn't resist trying their signature mac & cheese. it was baked to perfection, topped with anicepanko crust and bubbling with four cheese goodness. the rest of the party went with anicegrilled salmon and a cioppino over pasta.
we were all very pleased. i can recommend mark's - especially a summer dinner on their magnificent patio!

our food was pretty bad. we are generally easy to please but my husband actually sent back his lamb meatball and gnocchi dish because the meatballs were still cold inside. it came back over-microwaved and unappealing. it was $18 and was very bland. i had a bbq pork dish which was good. i thought they should have knocked something off the bill for my husbands awful dish but they did not. amazing ambience, cozy, and romantic without being stuffy or formal. outside patio lookednicetoo.

great atmosphere; good food. while full meals are offered on the menu, mark's mostly hits the spot when you are in the mood for lighter fare with a little bit of flair.
mark's excels in atmosphere, whether out on their exceptionally pleasant, multi tiered rear patio or inside in their main dining room, featuring a wall of windows looking out high over underwood avenue. the restaurant is on the second floor, with main access gained by climbing a tall stack of outdoor steps. the climb is worth it.
fully three fourths of the internationally inspired menu consists of appetizers, salads and sandwiches. pad thai, mussles in wine, caprese salad, french dip, french onion soup, a pork cubano sandwich. you get the drift. the menu isn't particularly large, but it is eclectic enough to please most palates. prices range from about $10 for entree salads and sandwiches to $20-30 for full dinner options. daily specials offer even more variety.
the pad thai is always a winner, and comes in tofu, chicken or shrimp options. the salads and soups are also consistently good. however on a recent visit the french dip fell flat, so much so that we asked to have it taken back and be allowed to reorder. the waiter apologized, and it was deducted from our check.
service is friendly and very quick, but you are encouraged to linger over drinks and appetizers if that is your wish. this is a place designed for conversation and relaxation.
food: b+
atmosphere: a
service: a
menu sophistication: b
value: b+


-----29 jan, 2010-----

room with a view. omaha's best patio dining, and best room with a view. the food is usually good, sometimes excellent, and very reasonably priced. a verynicewine selection, as well.
inniceweather sit out on the multi-tiered patio and people watch. it is amazing what you might see!

very excellent papardelle pasta dish. unimpressed with roasted tomato and flatbread appetizer. reallynicewine list. good service. lovely atmosphere. however sitting near window at lunch is very warm. i appreciate anicelocal place with interesting menu.

good. i like mark's - they have a very good lamb sandwich. i had a really wierd gaspacho here, though, that wasn't anything close to gaspacho. their portions are a bit skimpy for what you pay, but it's aniceatmosphere and the wait staff, for the most part (there is one lady they need to fire) isniceand professional.

some good, some bad...on the fence.. i liked the concept and what i heard about it so we came for lunch. the atmosphere was verynice- i liked that they had an entire wall of windows. the patio was veryniceand quaint (but it was too chilly to sit outside). i can see where the other reviewers were coming from on the long service time. we arrived for lunch at 11:50 and were seated immediately (so i was optimistic!). lunch was definately in full swing; but from seat to check it was a two hour lunch & that is a bit excessive & wouldn't normally work for us. at first the waitress was attentive but as service went on it felt as if everything really slowed down; or took a really long time.

the menu was very interesting i had a hard time trying decide on what i wanted (for me a good sign)- most other patrons around me seemed to settle on a salad or the mac n cheese. my husband got the mac and cheese with embellishments (it happened to be meatloaf) and i got a pork schnitzel and spaetzle. his was delish; mine not so much. the spaetzle was a huge let down -- the pork was flavorless aside from a greasy fried flavor? the french onion soup and our appetizer - three spreads with our bread was good. more then enough and i was satisfied enough not to get cranky about the dissapointing main dish. we ordered the pumpkin and butterscotch cheesecake - i was happy we decided to give dessert a try - the cheesecake was well worth it.

i am really on the fence on whether or not i like this place or not. but i enjoyed it enough to give it another try. i am going to go back before making a final vote ;)