A Jewel In Omaha
Located in the middle of Omaha’s colorful Old Market district is a little jewel of a restaurant: Ahmad’s.
A dozen simple tables fill a small room adorned with large Persian-motif paintings on blue-painted walls. Seating is also available on the sidewalk patio out front—pleasant on a sunny day or warm evening. (If no tables are available when you arrive, have a drink at the corner bar two doors down and someone will come get you when your table is ready.)
Appetizers are what one might expect at a Middle Eastern or Persian restaurant but are very well executed. The hummos and baba-goo nooj, lightly redolent of garlic and served with flat bread, are delightfully smooth and creamy. The dolmeh—a large, densely stuffed cabbage roll of ground beef, lentils, and vegetables—served with a piquant yet light tomato sauce, is delicious. Or try this combination: order the spicy falafel (served with tahini) and the mast-o-kyar (fresh homemade yogurt with mint and cucumbers) for a wonderful contrast of flavors and textures.
Ask your waiter what white wines are on hand or wander back to the rack on the wall to see what is available for reds. Also offered are beer, intense and sweet Turkish coffee, regular coffee, Persian tea, and soft drinks.
The list of chicken/beef/lamb entrées includes Persian ragouts like Fessun Jun (tasty boneless chicken in a wonderful walnut-pomegranate sauce), and Khoresht Keimeh (beef in a sauce of cinnamon, onions and potato with yellow split peas); kabobs of marinated ground lamb and beef or the marvelous chicken kabob marinated in yogurt, lemon and onion; and vegetarian specialties such as Ghormeh Sabzi (herbed green vegetables braised with kidney beans and dried limes in fenugreek sauce).
Usually available, the shrimp special is highly recommended. Huge (U-10!) shrimp marinated and expertly cooked are delectably succulent. Dinners, attractively garnished and served with delicious spiced rice and a grilled tomato, include a small house salad with a tangy dressing.
Service is friendly and attentive. Though Ahmad cooks, he is often seen explaining his menu to new customers, gently offering suggestions on how best to eat what was ordered, or carrying plates from the kitchen himself. It is apparent that he and his staff will make every effort to provide customers with an exceptional dining experience.    [24 Jun 2002 23:43:29]

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Recommended Dishes: shrimp special; chicken with walnut-pomegranate sauce

     ­K Kruger   

Is very good
This is very good food.    [14 Nov 2002 16:07:12]

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Recommended Dishes: Kabab

     ­Mohamad Khafezan   

Wonderful! A joy! Fun! GREAT food!!!
The owner personally took great care of us. We had special dietary needs (Gluten-free and diabetic) and he was very helpful and friendly. He was right on in the dishes he recommended. It was GREAT!    [06 Mar 2003 22:30:23]

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     ­mchsi   

Yum!!
I have only been to Ahmad's once and it was a few years ago, as I have moved from NE, but I remember a wonderful experience there. The atmosphere was wonderful and the food was excellent. I don't remember what I got, but I remember I ate too much!!!! It was so good.    [16 Dec 2003 22:42:39]

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Recommended Dishes: Anything chicken

     ­KL   

Excellent
Well worth a visit for lunch or dinner. While service is sometimes slow, the kitchen makes the dishes from scratch so if you have the time, the wait is worth it.

While prices are reasonable, prices for some appetizers is surprisingly high compared to simliar cuisine in other cities. However, this is Omaha and if you want hummus, there just aren't too many other options. On the upshot, food quality is very high.

Well worth a visit!    [17 Dec 2003 16:00:11]

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     ­Omaha Eater   

THIS IS THE BEST RESTAURANT EVER!
This is such a wonderful restaurant! I recommend that you go there! It's a great setting, and the food is delicious. Ahmad's daughter is the prettiest thing!    [18 Dec 2003 17:17:55]

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Recommended Dishes: Everything!

     ­unk   

I ADORE it!
My Girlfriend and I went to Ahmad's to try something new. I didnt know what to order so I asked Ahmad what would be something to try that wouldnt be too spicy or overpowering.

He suggested this dish which consisted of grilled marinated chicken on spiced rice, upon which sat a fire roatsed roma tomato.
Under the rice laid somehting like a flour tortilla.
Banana slices adorned the plate and was told to eat those if the food got too spicy.

He told us how to properly eat the dish for maximum flavor effect... MAN All I can say is what ever wine (sweet and white) he brought us made it all heavenly.

I know when I die.. Im going to go to Ahmad's in the sky and eat that dish for EVER!!!    [12 Mar 2004 03:40:10]

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     ­Chris   chris(remove this) at oneroomstudios dot com

Mmm...this food is the best
Go there... The food is the best! Forget ht average French, Italian, or whatever your family normally eats and try something different; i did and i loved it!    [16 Apr 2004 19:41:11]

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Recommended Dishes: Kabab-e Koobideh

     ­Andrea   princesstoday at hotmail dot com

Very Special
I like Ahmad's enough that I chose it as the place to ask my wife to marry me. Ahmad procured a special cake with the proposal on top, spelled out in icing, and he was very happily agreeable as an accomplice. It is a small enough restaurant that it didn't take long for the other diners to figure out the drama at my table, and they broke into applause when my bride-to-be let me place the diamond on her finger.

Having said that, we have been back many times and have tried many dishes and have yet to eat anything I wouldn't recommend. The cooking is perfect, the spices are exotic, the presentation is excellent, and the service is superb. It is a very special dining experience.    [19 May 2006 12:47:14]

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Recommended Dishes: Try the dishes with the special Persian spices.

     ­Paul   um33047 at alltel dot net