El Basha serves some of the most authentic Lebanese food in the Omaha area. Located on 75th and Pacific, tasty entrees are not too far away for anyone who lives in Omaha.
From the outside of this restaurant you can tell they mean business when it comes to cooking. The experience and food all resulted in my approval for the name “El Basha,” it was nothings short of my expectations.
Upon entry, you seat yourself and take as much time as you would like to look at the menu and order. This differs from most restaurants as a waitress usually takes orders.
While sitting at the table deciding what to order, I noticed the light that was above my table was harsh, looking up too much exposed the naked light and was hard on the eyes.
Besides this, the walls were filled with paintings of what seemed to show pieces of Lebanese culture. These paintings added to what I ate, which was very full of flavor.
At the register, I ordered a Chicken Shwarma along with a Lentil soup. The soup was just much like other Indian restaurants that serve Lentil soups. The taste was nothing short of satisfying, and it was nothing that I had experienced before.
On the other hand, the main dish was unlike any other foods that I had eaten. Cut in half, was wrapped marinated chicken with pickles and a sauce that is specific to El Basha. If you have the sauce, make sure to bring along a piece of gum because it had a lot of garlic.
The Chicken Shwarma was still delicious, the chicken was perfectly cooked and although I had my doubts with the pickles, they crunch added a great contrast to the soft shell of the wrap. After I finished with the chicken wrap, I began on my side of mashed potatoes and lettuce.
The mashed potatoes served the same sort of fate that the sauce from El Basha did, too much garlic. Without that, the potatoes would have been a great side to go with the chicken wrap.
Altogether, the meal was fresh and after I ate, I did not feel like I had eaten anything bad, but instead real ingredients that were cooked together for a delectable meal.
Walking out, I felt full, there was enough food for even two people to share one order. I felt full the whole rest of the night and even into the early morning I could feel what I ate the night before.
I would go back to El Basha to try the Grape Leaves dish. In fact, I tried to order it at the register, but they were sold out of the entrée, meaning that Grape Leaves must be the food to order. The sound of a big spinach leaf stuffed with rice, onions, parsley, tomato, mint, all cooked in a mix of olive oil and lemon juice sounds delightful.
For a great dinner experience that is different from most American food, El Basha is a great place to go. The food was satisfying, and the environment earns the restaurant four out of five stars rating.