16. Drastic Plastic
City: Omaha, NE
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (402) 346-8843
Address: 1209 Howard St.
Description: Drastic Plastic specializes in two things: vinyl and T-shirts, and they do both really well. In the past year, Drastic focused much of its energy on reissuing out-of-print vinyl, so it’s an understatement to say that shoppers can find things here that simply don’t exist elsewhere. In the front window, Drastic displays a selection of its Omaha-themed T-shirts printed with steaks, corncobs, and kitschy sayings. The store’s owner also runs Impact Merchandising, a multimillion dollar company that prints T-shirts for thousands of rock and punk bands including the Clash, David Bowie, and Elvis Presley, among many others. The company also prints shirts featuring comic book characters and movie titles, and shoppers will see a selection of this merchandise in the store, too.
17. Homer’S
City: Omaha, NE
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (402) 346-0264
Address: 1210 Howard St.
Description: Homer’s is one of those record stores that could have come straight out of a movie. Row upon row of neatly organized discs, including an impressive used section, fill the store’s giant downtown space. With its creaky wood floors, ceiling to floor display of concert posters representing just about every type of music imaginable and staff of musically inclined hipsters, it fits the bill for the kind of locally owned music store people spend a lifetime searching for. During the summer, Homer’s will put a big selection of used music on a table outside and sell it for dirt cheap. And for the superfan, the store has a list of people who request the band posters in the window; some are free, most go for a nominal fee. A second location is at 2457 132nd St. (402-334-8844).
18. No Name Nutrition
City: Omaha, NE
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (402) 393-5812
Address: 2032 N. 72nd St.
Description: Though they feel like an old-fashioned market inside, No Name Nutrition’s two locations are decidedly modern. No Name is Omaha’s largest locally owned health food market, and it’s been operating since 1976. It’s a source for vitamins, supplements, and other natural remedies, but it’s also an indispensible shop for people with food allergies—it has an amazing selection of gluten-free products—and those with other special dietary needs. The second location is at 14469 W. Center Rd. (402-333-1300).
19. Stoysich House Of Sausage
City: Omaha, NE
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (402) 341-7260
Address: 2532 S. 24th St.
Description: Anyone who loves beef jerky absolutely must visit Stoysich House of Sausage. The chewy rolls with a softly crispy outside and delectably chewy inside that bursts with flavor are one of my personal favorites; I lived for them as a child. Stoysich uses locally produced meat to make more than 65 varieties of sausage, cut meat, and processed meat. Many of the shop’s recipes have been handed down through customers, and Omaha’s ethnic neighborhoods—Czech, Polish, Mexican, Greek, Danish, Swedish, Irish, and Hungarian—color the shop’s menu and make it a true reflection of the city’s heritage. Another location is at 2502 S. 130th Ave. (402-333-7277).
20. Wohlner’S Grocery
City: Omaha, NE
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (402) 551-6875
Address: 2289 S. 67th St.
Insider Pick:
Description: Wholner’s has been Omaha’s beloved family-owned grocery store for more than 90 years. The store originally opened in the 1930s in a small building in the midtown Dundee neighborhood. In 2009, it opened a new store in the Aksarben Village development off 72nd and Center Streets, and has since opened a second outpost in the Midtown Crossing development, off 33rd and Dodge Streets. These two outposts—though much more modern than the original store, with its creaky wood floors and spice-scented air—have somehow managed to maintain the same aesthetic. Hand-cut meats, house-baked bread, friendly staff, and a focus on both producing and buying local make Wohlner’s the anti–big box choice.
City: Omaha, NE
Category: Shopping
22. Benson Farmers Market
City: Omaha, NE
Category: Shopping
Description: The following price code has been included to give you a rough idea of what one regular adult ticket or entrance fee will cost at each of the following places. If the fees or costs associated with a particular activity or place are varied, no price has been given and you should use the contact information provided to find out the details. More specific pricing and discount information is included in the listings, where available.
City: Omaha, NE
Category: Shopping
Address: 118 N. 14th St.
24. Divas & Darlings
City: Omaha, NE
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (402) 328-0512
Address: 2801 Pine Lake Rd.
Description: Lincoln’s alternative to the big box baby stores, Divas & Darlings has clothing for the stylish mom and baby, as well as loads of baby accessories, including diaper bags, bottles, nursery items, and swaddle blankets. The fully shoppable website and the store are executed in a cute but classy way, and devoted moms also become devoted shoppers once they enter the store. Divas & Darlings has a wide array of wardrobe options available for moms: dresses, jeans, shirts, pajamas, and robes included, all in contemporary designs from modern brands.
25. Pattino Shoe Boutique
City: Omaha, NE
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (402) 484-4193
Address: 3943 S. 48th St.
Insider Pick:
Description: Hidden in a small cluster of retail shops near Lincoln’s Union College, Pattino is one of the best—if unexpected—small shops in Lincoln. Focused almost exclusively on shoes (a few small hair accessories and pieces of jewelry are the only deviation), Pattino does it right. A well-edited selection of reasonably priced shoes, sandals, and boots, depending on the season, fills the shop, and the sale rack is one that can be counted on to hold something good, as long as you can find your size. A recent perusal of the shop showed an on-trend selection of combat boots, dressy heels perfect for a night out, and casual workday pumps.
26. The Post And Nickel
City: Omaha, NE
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (402) 477-5300
Address: 4728 Prescott Ave.
Description: A standby for men’s and women’s clothing since 1966, The Post and Nickel is one of the most popular downtown Lincoln shopping spots. The Post and Nickel is known for a handful of things: its decor, which is mostly wood with lots of antiques; its wide selection of women’s formalwear and men’s suits; and its premium denim selections. The shop’s main level is devoted to menswear; the second to women’s wear. The shop has great sales—usually a number of sales racks fill part of one room—and all the big premium denim brands for men and women are here. Great staples like T-shirts, boots, and accessories round out the offerings.
27. Stella
City: Omaha, NE
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (402) 476-0028
Address: 101 N. 14th St.
Insider Pick:
Description: Co-owned by three young, fashionable women, Stella is just steps from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln campus downtown and is a favorite of its female students. The store is a mix of fashion, home decor, jewelry, and vintage, but the bulk of the space is devoted to fashion. Reasonably priced dresses, tops, and leggings are at the heart of the shop, and Stella has a cute array of all of it. Fun printed items, seasonal dresses, and party dresses fly out the door, and the small shop only carries a select few items of each type in each size, so you won’t see yourself walking down the street when you leave.
28. Sunny’S Boutique
City: Omaha, NE
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (402) 476-3432
Description: Contemporary fashion for men and women is at the heart of what Sunny’s does. Located in the neighborhood around Union College, the shop carries premium denim, tops, and accessories like belts, bags, and jewelry. Women’s brands include William Rast, Alternative Apparel, House of Harlow, Kensie, and Three Dots, among others. Premium denim is also available for the fashionable man, as are brands like A. Kurtz, G-Shock, and District 91. The store is hard to miss—a colorful black, pink, and yellow awning decorates the front window—and inside the store is bright and cheerful, with a well-curated selection that appeals to college students and older shoppers both.
29. Licorice International
City: Omaha, NE
Category: Shopping
Telephone: (402) 488-2230
Address: 803 Q St.
Insider Pick:
Description: Lincoln’s Licorice International has its roots in Manhattan but has a new home in the heartland. Once a New York City–based mail order business, this business was bought by a group of Lincolnites who’d been regular customers. In February 2003, Licorice International opened a brick-and-mortar shop in Nebraska’s capital city. Two years after it opened, the store relocated to a larger space in Lincoln’s historic Haymarket district. The shop sells more than 150 types of licorice from 12 countries. (Several varieties are gluten-free.) The shop also sells chocolates, gourmet foods, and other types of candy. Free samples of licorice abound in the shop, and it’s especially popular on Husker game days.
City: Omaha, NE
Category: Shopping
Address: 1618 South St.