Smoked wings, a vegan beet burger and a Reuben sandwich are drawing lunch and dinner crowds to Wilson & Washburn, a neighborhood scratch kitchen tucked off 14th and Harney streets in downtown Omaha. The restaurant also serves a smoked meatloaf sandwich and keeps its doors open for weekend brunch, giving regulars several reasons to stop by throughout the week.
According to KETV, Wilson & Washburn bills itself as your neighborhood scratch kitchen, and its hours reflect a steady, all-day rhythm: the restaurant opens at 11 a.m. Tuesday through Friday and at 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday for brunch. Reporter Samantha Pastorino detailed the menu highlights that keep diners coming back, including those smoked wings, the vegan beet burger, the smoked meatloaf sandwich and the Reuben.
The vegan beet burger is more than a passing mention on the menu. Per the restaurant's own menu listing, it features a seasoned beet patty, house-smoked peanut butter, pickled jalapeño and a vegan bun, a combination built for diners looking for something beyond standard pub fare.
A Restored Building With Deep Omaha Roots
Wilson & Washburn sits at 1407 Harney St., according to Omaha.com. The restaurant's own website describes the space as downtown Omaha's neighborhood bar, occupying a restored 19th-century building situated one block from the Orpheum Theater. The business also has an event space, with its site noting that the upstairs bar or mezzanine is popular for hosting work parties, company meetings, rehearsal dinners and birthday celebrations.
Owner Jeff Luby and former partner Eric Hochstein opened Wilson and Washburn in late July 2013, according to a review from The Reader. More than a decade later, the restaurant remains a fixture of the downtown dining scene, now navigating a changing streetscape around it.
Construction Reshapes Access Downtown
Downtown Omaha has seen construction near Wilson & Washburn this year, and the restaurant's owners have adjusted their guidance for customers accordingly. They now recommend parking along 14th Street, and drivers can turn onto 14th Street from Howard Street to reach the area, per the same KETV report.
That roadwork connects to a larger infrastructure project nearby. An August 2026 account from Omaha Exploration reported that the south side of Harney Street was entirely blocked between 13th and 15th streets at the time, part of work tied to a planned streetcar route connecting the Old Market to Blackstone. That same report said the full route was targeting a 2028 arrival. Whether the construction or timeline has shifted since that August account was not addressed in available reporting.
For now, Wilson & Washburn continues serving its scratch-kitchen menu through the disruption, giving downtown diners a reason to navigate the detours for a plate of smoked wings or a Reuben sandwich.
