upstream brewing company- old market

i like it. it's comfortfoodwith beer when you are on the road nice selection of micro brews that they are more than happy to recommend and allow you to sample. combine that with the atmosphere of the old market.

upstream has gone downstream. i recently ate lunch at the downtown upstream location and have to say theirfoodand service has really become poor. the last two times we have gone their the service has been extremely poor and thefoodquality is even worse. i remember the days where the servers would greet you with a smile and provide you with top notch service. what i have seen lately is what seems to be a disheveled group of servers wandering around looking confused and not sure what to do. response time for them to greet you when you sit down is terribly slow. then there is no excitement when you are greeted. just seems like they greet you because they have to and not because they want to. i think these people forget they are their to provide customer service. let's not forget without customers to wait on they would have jobs. it's like they expect to be tipped well despite providing sub-par service. thefoodquality has gone down was well. i ordered a hamburger and it was burnt to a crisp. it actually looked like hockey puck.foodcan be bad any place at any given time, that's not the true issue here. i can overlook having a burger a little over cooked but the service is the real issue here. if you don't want to be there and wait on customers then don't. servers must remember you are not entitled to a tip. you have to earn it! don't think just because you come to my table, take my order, and bring out myfoodthat is good service. keep the glasses full, check on your tables, and be friendly. just because you work at the upstream doesn't mean you can substitute that for good customer service. there are plenty of other restaurants out there with better food, prices and service. i hope you can get your act together because upstream used to be a place i enjoyed going to on a regular basis.

very good. wide menu selection in a casual atmosphere. thefoodwas unique and delicious. the magician was a hoot. the service was very good. the beer drinker in the group was in heaven trying all the selections. i took my associates here based on the urbanspoon ratings only and we were not disappointed.

the beer is pretty good. nothing life changing, but plenty good. thefoodis also pretty good too. you need to be prepared. they give you a ton of food. my wife ordered the schnitzel, which was two huge tenderloins. it was so big it was served on a platter. easily enoughfoodfor the two of us to share. we had no idea. i had the fish and chips, which was four big pieces of fish and a ton of fries. the kids meals are also huge. 4 year old daughter ordered the chicken strips, it was four huge chicken strips. would have been plenty for both kids. we’re from out of town, and going back to a hotel. we had told the waitress this, and she was still judgy about thefoodthat didn’t get finished. i get it, and i felt bad, but there is no warning of portion sizes. overall, like i said, everything is pretty good, but not amazing. after we left we discussed and said it’s repeatable now that i know about how muchfoodthey give you.

while walking the market in omaha we came upon upstream. what a pleasant surprise. we were there for happy hour and the specials were fairly good. we both got $7 pizzas, shared pretzel bites and had some really good house brewed beer. ironic that it was an old fire house. that made it even more interesting for us. thefoodwas good and filling. the prices for happy hour were really good. enjoyed dinner and would definitely go back.

had the pretzel crusted cheese curds and fried pickles for appetizers around the table. both were very delicious. had the pork sandwich which was delicious and the dundee scotch ale that was rich. reasonable prices for the amount offoodserved.

i've been to upstream at both locations several times and found thefoodand service inconsistent. all i can say is take your chances and hope the kitchen and wait staff are having a good day. i will say every child i have taken here in magician night have enjoyed the experience.

terrible experience... one of my guest ordered fish & chips and he got fish & grease... (old grease).  i am not going back even if thefoodwas free

good place but wasn't thoroughly impressed with the food. been to upstream two times now and both times have been average. it is a great atmosphere, however i wasn't overly impressed with thefoodor beer. i would recommend rock bottom over upstream if you want a bar atmosphere with house brews. however, upstream can definitely appeal to others. it just wasn't my cup of tea.

deliciousfoodand awesome brew!. busy saturday night, we walked in and were seated immediately (we had a reservation). service was prompt and kitchen was accomodating to our dietary requests.foodwas hot and delicious!

sunday brunch. we tried upstream for sunday morning brunch. they also serve their regular menu, but if you want breakfast items you must order the full brunch buffet, which also comes with unlimited non alcoholic beverages of your choice.
items on the buffet include pastries, fresh fruit, hot and cold salads, eggs, excellent sausage, bacon, steamed veggies, a cajun potato and ham casserole, chicken enchiladas, biscuits and gravy, pecan rolls, waffles, made to order omelets and carved roast beef.
we thought the buffet selections to be good, and the quality was fine. for $17 you can eat and drink as much or little as you wish. children's portions are less. the atmosphere is very relaxed, more so than most places in town that serve a weekend brunch. you don't feel rushed in and out. if you feel like lingering over conversation and coffee that won't be a problem.
omaha as a whole is lacking in weekend brunch options. fortunately the old market isn't. we will add upstream to our regular rotation.


-----13 mar, 2011-----

seems to be getting better. over the years upstream has gone from being a dynamite place to eat and drink to ho-hum. but now they seem to be back on their game.
five of us had dinner on a friday night. the place was packed - as usual. our server was friendly and prompt in delivering drinks, appetizers and our dinner.
thefoodwas uniformly good, everyone agreed. my clam chowder was excellent, as was my shrimp and tomatoes over linguine. a bit overpriced, but still very tasty. the others opted for burgers and loved them.
they have about a dozen home brewed beers on tap, including several seasonals that rotate with the calendar. the beers are worth a trip all by themselves.
the upstream may be one of omaha's largest restaurants, with two levels, two outdoor seating areas, two bars, and a wonderful atmosphere. the building was originally built as a firehouse. their atmosphere just can't be beat.
the menu is fairly typical for a brewpub. lots of options and price points, including flatbread pizzas, salads, sandwiches, seafood, pasta, beef, and daily specials.
food: b+
beer: a+
atmosphere: a+
service: a
value: b


-----15 jun, 2010-----

upstream falling. i feel the need to update my earlier glowing review of the upstream. the place still looks fab. and the outdoor dining area is among the best in omaha. the beers are still decent (though you can get better ones elsewhere). but the food, sadly, really has turned mediocre. edible to be sure, but not inspiring in the least.. another reviewer commented as to how they need to freshen up their menu. that is certainly true, but more importantly, they need to hire a better chef. service was okay on our monday evening patio visit. bottom line, this is still a snazzy place to visit. just don't expect a great meal.


-----03 jan, 2010-----

bustling brew pub. this place has been packing them in for over a decade for their good brew pub fare and house brewed beers in the heart of the old market district. thefoodis good...sometimes very good, and the atmosphere handsome and bustling. expect a wait on weekends. they also have a large outdoor seating area that is one of the city's best for people watching.

best place in the old market!. we have been going to the upstream since it first opened years ago and it is still one of our favs to go to for every occasion. thefoodis great, the atmosphere is always nice and the wait staff is attentive. a+++ in my book!

have been here many times. top 5 fav forfoodand service in omaha. locally owned. best salmon salad i have had in the us.

thefoodwas awful. had the pasta penne. took one bite could not eat it was so bad. told the waitress and she said once you have touched it is nothing we could do. for two of us paid 54.00 forfoodwe didn't even eat. will not be going back one would i recommend this place to anyone.any other wonderful options in downtown to choose from.

used to be better?. overpriced. thefoodis not very good. the best thing on the menu is the root beer.