Where: 1951 St Marys Ave, Omaha
When: Fri > 3:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m., Sat – Sun > 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.
I got wind of this place last week, although I was informed someone had told me months ago (quite possible…mind lately isn’t what it used be). I decided to give them a try, because their website states they have “Omaha's largest selection of local craft-beer.” How could a place like this fly under my radar for this long (they have been open since June 2011)?
I arrived last Saturday around 9:00 p.m. or so. The place is about the size of the Brass Monkey. For those of you that have not been there, I would say it’s approximately 700-800 square feet. Not big, but plenty of room, plus a high ceiling. They have a small stage tucked against the wall towards the back for live music, which it looks like they have at least once a week.
They had 6 beers on tap: Lucky Bucket Lager, Thunderhead Golden Fräu, Hopulia, Modern Monks Orange Wheat, Bud Light, and Coors Light. The Nebraska beers outnumbered the big guys, so that’s a good sign already. In bottles, I would say they had an additional 20-25 craft and Nebraska beers.
There are other tap houses that have a bigger selection of Nebraska beers (e.g., Krug Park, Crescent Moon), but it looks like this might get better. The bartender informed me they were considering modifying each of the single tap towers, so they would end up having three taps a piece. This would mean they would have 18 beers on tap, instead of just 6. And, if they don’t allow any more yellow water taps, there would be 16 craft beers on tap. For a place of this size, that would be great. I would strongly recommend they do this. Tap beer is what makes or breaks a place.
The two bartenders working were very helpful and willing to please. It didn’t matter if you were new to craft beer, or a grizzled veteran like myself, they tailored their approach well. To me, this is the foundation a great business is built on. If you are not going to employee good people, I’m not going to patronize you.
Their happy hour is 3:00 to 11:00 p.m. every day. Yep, that’s right. I was treated to happy hour pricing on a Saturday night. I purchased a bottle Lucky Bucket IPA and a bottle New Belgium Trippel. Both were $4 each.
In closing, I would recommend a visit to The Hive Lounge. Great service, decent beer selection, nice crowd, and I like the proximately to downtown and midtown.
Website: www.thehiveomaha.com
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/thehivelounge
1 comment:
They advertise on The River quit a bit. They're big on 311 I hear which I suppose would mean their name is in reference to the 311 song "Hive." I've been wanting to check it out. Sounds promising.
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