Warren Buffett has never been known as a foodie. The Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) CEO famously stops at McDonald's (MCD) for breakfast every morning, drinks a lot of Coca-Cola (KO), and owns both Dairy Queen and See's Candies (both tasty but hardly gourmet brands).
The billionaire does, however, live in Omaha -- a city famous for its steaks -- and Buffett has made his love of steaks very clear. That means that no visit to Omaha would be complete without a stop at Gorat's, a modest, unassuming steakhouse that happens to be Warren Buffett's favorite steakhouse.
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A Visit To Gorat's, Buffett's Favorite Steakhouse
Calling Gorat's dated sort of misses the point. The restaurant is more intentionally frozen in time than out of date. Yes, having a Buffett cardboard cutout is as tacky as the bull's head with red-lit eyes on the wall, but it's all there with a clear "give the people what they want vibe."
During the annual Berkshire Hathaway meeting, Gorat's knows it's going to be slammed (we made our reservations months before) and uses a somewhat modified menu. That likely helps its efficiency, but it also means that customers aren't getting the full Gorat's experience. Really, the biggest change was that the eatery's well-liked Baked Potato Soup was not offered, nor were most of its salads or many of its appetizers.
The restaurant also usually offers a number of Italian dishes, and those were largely missing as well. But, when you come to Gorat's, soup, salad, and appetizers aren't actually the point. You're visiting Gorat's for the steak.
So What's the Food Like?
Buffett famously orders the 22-oz T-Bone Steak and a double order of hash browns. Me and one of my dining partners -- a friend I've eaten at dozens of world-class steakhouses in Las Vegas and around the country with -- ordered the T-Bone and made the Buffett substitution of hash browns for the baked potato.
Before we started our meal, we ordered Manhattans from the bar. The Gorat's bartenders clearly knew how to make classic drinks, and these were well-executed. The bar had a deep selection of whiskey, and while it's not likely that the bartenders follow the latest trends, they certainly know their way around a Manhattan or a martini.
We also started our meal with fried ravioli a Gorat's classic that neither stood out nor failed. It was a fine dish with the lightly-fried disks being filled with a tasty cheese mix, but there was nothing special about the dish.
The T-Bones, however, mine served medium rare and my friend's medium, were among the better steaks we have ever had. A T-bone has a filet/tenderloin on one side with a strip steak on the other. It's a sort of best-of-both world's product and the execution here was flawless.
Gorat's does very little to the steak -- likely just salt and pepper with maybe a little butter -- but the taste of the meat shines through. We each had a few bites with the tangy house steak sauce (a sort of better-executed A-1) which was a nice enhancement, but it wasn't needed. This was a simple preparation done perfectly.
The same might be said of the hash browns which were a non-greasy take on the American diner classic. There was nothing fancy here, but the flavors went well together, and nothing more was needed.
Should You Visit Gorat's?
While Buffett's attention has made Gorat's a tourist attraction, it does not operate like one. The restaurant simply does what it does (at a very high volume during the annual Berkshire Hathaway meeting when we visited), and it makes no compromises.
The restaurant isn't much to look at, but the staff is very friendly and knows how to manage a large crowd. It's a simple steakhouse built around the steak that's also modestly priced by steakhouse standards.
Six of us all split appetizers, ordered a round of drinks, and shared two $60 bottles of wine. We added a 20% tip and split the check evenly, each paying $110. That may sound like a lot, but similar quality steakhouses in Las Vegas and New York, where the food might not be as good, might cost us twice as much.
Gorat's is not a one-time bucket list restaurant. It's a nice choice for a fancy, but casual, dinner should you happen to be in Omaha.
