upstream brewing company- old market

the chili had agreattomato flavor and the smoked gouda beer soup had a good light creamy mix of flavors.
the cheddar bacon bbq burger was really tasty; we had the bbq on the side and the swe

i remember this being agreatrestaurant with a wide variety of entrees and fresh options. it doesn't seem to be that way now. tried finding something dairy free for a child to eat and was very limited. not having a bread or potato option that is dairy free is very limiting. the salmon entrees were super yummy and the grilled chicken for my daughter was good. just wish they had a few more healthful options for kids and adults.

decent microbrews. fish and chips we average, kitchen was crazy backed up on a thursday early evening. waiter apologized for it knowing it was a problem. greatoutdoor atmosphere in old town.

good place but wasn't thoroughly impressed with the food. been to upstream two times now and both times have been average. it is agreatatmosphere, however i wasn't overly impressed with the food or 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.

the ambiance here is fantastic. we had dinner and beers and were absolutely satisfied by both. the beer cheese soup mixed with their house to tie bisque (half and half as recommended by our server) was amazing.greatexperience.

fast seating, but service was a little slow. blackened burger was good, but i've had way better.greatselection of home brewed beer. would go back to try other menu items.

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.
the food was 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 agreatmeal.


-----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. the food is 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.

despite the poor reviews i went here on a sat night. i sat at the bar and had excellent service. i had two different beers and both were very well done (i brew myself so i'm not some bud light drinker who thinks all craft beer is overpriced). they sell growlers for 12 which is downright cheap for quality craft brew. the bartenders are as courteous and timely as could be, and the place was packed. i ordered wings. the blue cheese was obviously made in house and was very good. the wing sauce wasgreatand might be spicy to some but i eat sriracha like ketchup. the wings weren't crispy enough for me but i didn't order them extra crispy so that's on me. very saucy wings. overall, this was an excellent experience especially for 9pm on a saturday night.

was really excited to try this highly recommended place.greatbuilding with opportunity for wonderful atmosphere. this all came to a screeching halt at the hostess stand. both young ladies were at best cold in their greeting. even though it was a slow night we were taken to a small table in the corner. we ask to be moved to a table near the tv's since it was monday night and football was about to be on. she muttered something and walked away. we went to the table and immediately were interrogated by a waiter named kevin. we explained our wanting to move and he said something about throwing off the "rotation". then he brought me a placemat that was sticky and dirty. uughhh! when our food came he put my food in front of my friend. ... anyhow didn't get much better. my soup was only half in the bowl and half down the side. awful presentation. tasted ok and was at least hot. this could be an amazing restaurant but i won't go back.

great. pita and hummus is the best ever!

fun place,greatfood, and good service!

exceptionallygreatfood, pleasing structure, decent beer, good service, wonderful environment if you appreciate classic rock. definitely worth eating and drinking at this establishment.

sat in the bar.greatfood, slow service on a busy night.

very good!. upstream has some of the better food of any brewery/pub i have been to (and i have been to quite a few, lol). i wanted to try a famous omaha steak but ended up getting the fish and chips because one of the people we were dining with (an omaha native) would not stop talking about how good they were and i just had to see what they were all about. i definitely was not dissapointed! the batter was perfect! my wife raved about howgreather black bean burger was as well and the asiago and artichoke dip that we had as an appetizer was possibly the best artichoke dip i have ever eaten. the beer was very good but did not blow me away. i was looking for something light and crisp/refreshing so i ordered a raspberry lager (abita's raspberry beer is one of my summer favorites) and the beer was almost too light and lacked anything more than an extremely subtle raspberry flavor. it was good and smooth but just different than what i was expecting i guess. definitely agreatbrewery option if you are looking for thegreatlaid back atmosphere that breweries and pubs offer while also not sacrificing on food quality. this is what i call a gourmet pub and it's well worth a try.

great food and service. went there with my girlfriend. we got two appetizers and two dinners with a couple sodas. the bill wasn't as high as i thought it would be. we got the hummus and pita where theres three kinds of hummus which was a good appetizer. we also got the bacon wrapped shrimp...totally awesome. i got the pot roast which came with mashed potatoes. overallgreatfood. the waitress was attentive and checked up on us frequently. thus, overall agreatrestaurant.

for truly exciting beer selection in a cool, historic, high-ceilinged hang-out in downtown omaha, upstream brewing is agreatplace to beat the heat.