RedGrant Senior Member Joined: 14 Dec 2007 Posts: 25 Location: Omaha Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Sat Dec 15, 2007, 4:03pm Subject: Re: Best Coffee in Omaha?
Now I think I can.
The best latte I've tried in Omaha was at Olive Garden.
As for the worst coffee I've had in my life, my vote goes for MJ Java, the favorite of Omaha magazine.
I want everyone who has never tried MJ Java, to try it at least once so that you can say, "This is the worst coffee I've had in my life."
Even my brother's coffee is better than theirs. My brother buys the cheapest Maxwell grounds, and brew a pot using drip.
After a couple of cups, he will let the rest stand for the rest of the week on the counter, and whenever he feels like to, he will pour some in to a mug, and then microwave it, puts a lot of sugar and cream.
MJ Java's coffee makes my brother's coffee taste like gourmet coffee.
People who work overnight at landmark building (where MJ Java has their "flagship" store) told me that not only MJ brew their coffee using a percolator, but at least sometimes they don't even throw the left over coffe in the percolator at the end of the day, and simply "re-brew" it in the morning!
I kind of suspected it, because even the coffee brewed using a percolator (at Cubby's at old market, Starbucks, Seattle's best) don't taste that bad.
So one day, I "staked" out the place around 6am, (that's when MJ Java opens at Landmark, they have a floor to ceiling glass walls so one can see everything going on inside the cafe), and lo-behold, the employee who opened the place simply turned on the switch of the percolator. No new coffee grounds.
One of these days, I am going to wait around closing to see if they throw away the left over coffee.
This is really a shame, because when MJ Java first opened it, they had the best coffee in Omaha at the time. Ever since the new owners took over a few years ago, the quality of coffee has gone down big time. (They used to close at 11pm, now they've lost so many customers they close at 6:30pm, they don't even open on Sunday, and close at noon on Saturday.)
Even their website really amounts to a fraud. According to their website, they buy the highest Arabica beans around the world, and roast them on a small batch.
If you read carefully, you will realize their on-line ordering system is not functional.
They don't list exactly where their beans come from. They just show the map of the world.
They also don't show the pictures of the owners in the picture section.
They also don't even show the name of the the current owners. In fact, no names of anyone, no pictures at all.
Why? It's obvious to me that the current owners are using the website set up by the original owners to falsely mislead the prospective customers into believing that MJ Java serves higher quality coffee than they actually do.
I consider this as a public service. Please try coffee at least once, just to see for yourself, how bad really they are.
They charge $1.50 for small, Stumptown in Oregon, and the best coffee in my life charges one buck.
fancy_pilot Senior Member Joined: 10 Oct 2007 Posts: 81 Location: Iowa Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: Saeco Classico Grinder: Gaggia MDF
Posted Sat Feb 9, 2008, 9:03pm Subject: Best coffee in Lincoln
Well, I made it out to Coffee Emergency and Cultiva yesterday morning, and had an excellent experience at both. I was in Omaha on business and decided I would make the short 1/2 hour trip to Lincoln.
I ordered a double ristretto at Cultiva and Jon was there and pulled it himself. He wasn't happy with the first shot and dumped it immediately without hesitation. The second shot worked much better and was excellent. I also got a chance to see the roaster at Cultiva - it still has the Vivace sticker on it. Jon somehow managed to get it from David Schomer, I didn't get a chance to ask him how, but I would love to here more of the story sometime. He was short handed and running the place by himself, so I didn't get a chance to talk.
After that I went to Coffee Emergency and had an excellent cappucino and a brief conversation with the owner there about African coffees (currently some of my favorites). I told him I was on a coffee crusade in Lincoln, and we both had a little laugh, but it is absolutely true with two high quality roasters/houses in town(confirmed on this trip).
If you make it out to Omaha, a trip to Lincoln is well worth the extra time.
kelmw Senior Member Joined: 4 Mar 2008 Posts: 44 Location: USA Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: La Spaziale Vivaldi II Grinder: Mazzer Super Jolly Vac Pot: Yama SY-5 Drip: pour over Roaster: Behmor
Posted Wed Mar 12, 2008, 9:09pm Subject: Re: Best Coffee in Omaha?
Check out A Hill of Beans just NW of the Oakview Mall in the strip mall attached to Albertsons grocery. https://www.ahillofbeans.com/index.php They roast in the store, sell fresh roasted beans, green beans, and brewed coffee/drinks. I've used their beans in the past, and really liked them, but I'm not good enough at analyzing coffee to know how it compares to other roasters. But if you're in the area, stop by and give them a shot. They also mail order.
JWillts Senior Member Joined: 15 Jun 2011 Posts: 2 Location: Minneapolis Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Wed Jun 15, 2011, 9:45am Subject: Re: Best Coffee in Omaha?
I second the above sentiments: Skip Omaha, and head to Cultiva in Lincoln. It is definitely worth it.
My family is based in Omaha, and I have yet to find worthy coffee there. Has anyone checked out A Hill of Beans? Can you go there for a light breakfast/snacks, or do they simply sell beans?
Posted Sat Sep 3, 2011, 3:51pm Subject: Re: Best Coffee in Omaha?
Last I visited one of their mall locations, Scooters made a passable milk drink (i.e. better than *$). They roast their own beans. There are various locations around Omaha.
vietnamvet Senior Member Joined: 1 Feb 2012 Posts: 1 Location: omaha Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Wed Feb 1, 2012, 8:05am Subject: Re: Best Coffee in Omaha?
Very interesting discusssion. But I do agree that Omaha has extremely limited good coffee resources,.....I will definately try the locations mentioned in Lincoln. I've tried all of the locations in Omaha,..several times and most are extremely undesireable. MJJava, Scooters are probably the worst. The finest "pull" I have ever experienced was actually at a small Espresso Shop in Savannah, GA,.................it was one of those rare shots where you continually compare other coffee experiences to see if they measure up. Headed to Lincoln!
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