OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Chances are you've driven by Winchester Bar & Grill and didn't even realize it. It may be one of the most hidden and best-kept secrets in the metro. But as 3 News Now Anchor Serese Cole reports, thanks to social media, the word is quickly getting out about the bar and its classic comfort food.
If there was ever an example of why you shouldn't judge a book by its cover — this could be it.
Winchester Bar & Grill has been tucked away on 70th and Q since the 70s.
"It's a little hidden. You have to go out of your way to find it. But once you're here — honestly, it's the treasure you wanted to find," said Shift Manager Sarah Lacount.
And while it may look like your typical neighborhood bar, it's not typical bar food.
"Oh baby — gravy, gravy! We put gravy on everything. We've got brown gravy, country gravy, onion gravy, mushroom gravy. If there's anything we have and it's warm, comfort food — we slap warm gravy on it," she laughed.
Comfort food is what they do here.
"We have amazing meatloaf, our hot beef, our Salisbury steak... the list goes on and on," Lacount said.
The appetizers are just as filling as the meals.
Head Cook Jason Pelphrey proved that when he made their super tots.
"We've got our tater tots as our base, we've got queso, we've got jalapeños on there... our in-house taco meat, then you get some black beans, and a little shredded cheese covers it all up like so," Pelphrey demonstrated.
He finishes with a dollop of guac, sour cream, and green onions.
"Is this your most popular appetizer?" asked Serese.
"That is one of them, yes," said Pelphrey.
They're also known for their smash burgers. You can get a single or double and there's a specialty burger every week.
Pelphrey made the double cheddar chili cheeseburger. He puts the house-made chili right on the burger as it cooks. He adds cheddar cheese, diced onions and a slice of cheese. Once the cheese melts, he puts all that goodness on a toasted, buttery bun.
For chicken lovers, there's the Q Street chicken sandwich. You can choose grilled or breaded chicken. It comes with two pieces of bacon and ham. The sandwich is sweet and spicy. The grilled jalapenos give it the heat. The onion jam adds the sweet.
It's spread onto a toasted onion bun along with two pieces of American cheese.
If there's a must-try, it's the hot beef sandwich. It's one of the signature sandwiches.
"We can't make enough gravy to keep up," Pelphrey laughed.
The roast is cooked for 12 hours.
"So, it tastes really nice and juicy and then we just take the drippings out and make the gravy and it's got carrots, celery onions all in there,'' he explained.
It comes with a scoop of mashed potatoes and that famous gravy.
"This is that star of the show?" asked Serese.
"This is what everything is about there! It's a mighty fine sandwich," said Pelphrey.
With good food and good company — you can't help but smile here.
"I like the smiles honestly. I also like when I bus the table that the plates are completely empty. That's a good sign. And I'm like 'mission accomplished — well done, guys'," Lacount chuckled.
Winchester Bar & Grill is at 7002 Q Street. It's right across the street from Funplex.
Here's a look at the daily specials:
Monday: Salisbury steak - $9.99 or creamed chicken over biscuits and mashed potatoes - $11.99
Tuesday: Hot beef - $9.99 (1/2 order-$7.99) or cheeseburger/hamburger with fries - $6.99
Wednesday: Meatloaf -$9.99
Thursday: Smothered pork chops - $9.99
Friday: Chicken fried chicken or chicken fried steak - $9.99
Saturday: Cheeseburger/hamburger with fries $6.99 (11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. only)
The specialty burger of the week is the chili cheeseburger the week of January 9.
For more details go to winchesteromaha.com
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