Neighborhood
Maple Street
Benson
Eclectic & Creative20 local spots
MusicBarsVintageMuralsIndieRecord Shops
Benson is Maple Street after dark: neon, murals, and rooms that book the bands the rest of the city hears about a week later. The Waiting Room and Reverb Lounge sit near Military Avenue, and First Friday turns the storefronts into a street party.
By day the same blocks pour coffee, serve ice cream, and open a brewery you can see from the sidewalk. Benson was its own town until Omaha annexed it in 1917, and the commercial strip still has a main-street shape.
Come for a show. The next door is usually worth opening too.
Best for
Music lovers, night owls, creatives
The story
Originally an independent city founded in 1887 by Erastus Benson, a railroad executive. It was annexed into Omaha in 1917 but never lost its fiercely independent spirit. The main drag, Maple Street, went through cycles of boom and decline before a creative renaissance in the 2000s. The Waiting Room opened in 2007, anchoring what became a nationally recognized indie music corridor. Today Benson has more live music per block than anywhere in Nebraska.
Benson Main Drag
- 1Start at The Waiting Room, 6212 Maple St, Omaha, NE
- 2Continue to Reverb Lounge, 6121 Military Ave, Omaha, NE
- 3Continue to Jake's Cigars & Spirits, 6206 Maple St, Omaha, NE
- 4Continue to Beercade, 6104 Maple St, Omaha, NE
- 5Continue to Benson Brewery, 6059 Maple St, Omaha, NE
- 6Continue to Hardy Coffee Co., 6051 Maple St, Omaha, NE
- 7Continue to Ted & Wally's, 6023 Maple St, Omaha, NE
- 8Continue to Yoshitomo, 6009 Maple St, Omaha, NE
- 9Finish at The Sydney, 5918 Maple St, Omaha, NE
Happening here
- First FridaysBenson First Friday
Monthly art walk, gallery openings, food & drink specials.
- SummerBenson Beer Fest
Street party with 50+ craft beers and live music.
Explore Benson
Benson is Maple Street after dark: neon, murals, and rooms that book the bands the rest of the city hears about a week later. The Waiting Room and Reverb Lounge sit near Military Avenue, and First Friday turns the storefronts into a street party. By day the same blocks pour coffee, serve ice cream, and open a brewery you can see from the sidewalk. Benson was its own town until Omaha annexed it in 1917, and the commercial strip still has a main-street shape. Come for a show. The next door is usually worth opening too.
The essentials
Walk stops, neighborhood icons, and the rooms with something on the calendar in Benson.
Bar · $$ · Open · until 2 AM
A cigar bar with spots in Omaha and Lincoln, open more than 20 years.
Specialty Coffee & Bakery · $$ · Open · until 5 PM
Started as a small bakery in 2010 and began roasting its own coffee in 2015.
Ice Cream · $ · Open · until 11 PM
The Benson shop of the Old Market's from-scratch ice cream maker, open since 1984.
All places in Benson
36 places
restaurant · Beer Garden · $$
Open · until 12 AM
A Benson beer garden with more than 30 beers on tap, including European imports.
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restaurant · Mexican · $
Open · until 8 PM
Bright, relaxed outpost serving Mexican grub such as burritos, tacos, nachos & tequila drinks.
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coffee · Specialty Coffee & Bakery · $$
Open · until 5 PM
Started as a small bakery in 2010 and began roasting its own coffee in 2015.
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restaurant · $$
Open · until 10 PM
Ika's Benson flagship, a small, fast-paced ramen shop.
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bar · $$
Open · until 2 AM
A cigar bar with spots in Omaha and Lincoln, open more than 20 years.
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sweets · Ice Cream · $
Open · until 11 PM
The Benson shop of the Old Market's from-scratch ice cream maker, open since 1984.
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Gallery
Community gallery in the heart of Benson, showcasing emerging local artists with monthly rotating exhibitions.
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restaurant · cajun · $$
Closed
Cajun and Creole cooking: andouille fries, beignets, po' boys, fried seafood, jambalaya and gumbo.
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restaurant · $$$
Closed
The specialty is a six-course chef's tasting menu that changes every week.
