Mantra Bar & Grille

Since it was later in the evening, our party of four decided to nosh on a few appetizers instead of ordering meals. After perusing the menu, we ordered the lavosh, flatbread, and homemade chips with Maytag blue cheese. Since I’m dairy free, we asked to withhold some ingredients.
The chips were delicious with the Blue Cheese on the side as requested. However, the lavosh had cheese on it when we requested it not to. The cheese on top was not included but the cheese spread on the crust was still there. When we informed the waiter, he didn’t seem to care all that much that he didn’t get the order right. Actually, he didn’t care to fill our water glasses either.
Come on, Mantra; I’m routing for you! I’ve been here before and it was better than this time. I see you as a great addition to the Benson area and I want you to do well. Maybe our waiter had an off night and it will be better next time!

Food was really slow to come out. Ambiance… seems like they aren’t sure what they want to be. Combination of Jams, Ms, and DJs Dugout. Hmm.

There were 4 of us for a celebratory dinner. The server could have had a better knowledge of the wine menu. I asked about a couple of entrees and she explained the crab cake salad was very popular. I can see why. For $ 13, I received this beautiful dinner salad with 2 perfectly cooked crab cakes. The mixture of field greens, Penna and artichoke hearts was delicious! The wait for the food seemed a little long, but it was worth the wait. Fabulous food will cover other short comings!!! My friends had a roasted pork tenderloin and I snuck a bite… It was a bit dry. We all agreed we would come back, they both said they would need to order something else.

Boom! Another 5 star rating for this hidden gem on Maple. I like that they have made a name for themselves in an old dive bar location with great food, good IPAs on tap, and a pretty cool appreciation for art. I just found out the take-​out is really convenient. I didn’t even feel bad picking it up in my sweat pants on a Friday! I would rate it as a nice sit down place where you could get away with casual dress, not as packed as Pitch or Krug Park, and a small place to hideout… I like it a lot…

Small, casual place. Good service and good food all around. Cheese sauce on the Lavash was far too liquid runny, but the flavor was very good. Real cheese would have been better.
Daughter enjoyed the Lamb burger and my Pasta Penne was surprisingly good! Fresh flavors and worthy of their ratings.
Slight disappointment that the Lamb Burger and Mantra Meatloaf both contain Pork. Those of us that understand the science of food avoid Pork.
The only real disappointment was the Pistachio Cake French Toast dessert. For the price less indulgent than one would expect. Minuscule amount of maple syrup.
Reasonable prices for the most part. Hate the trend of TVs in the dining room and background music should be strictly instrumental, but this place is definitely well worth a visit.

Great space and our server was fantastic. Everybody at the table loved their drinks, and were even sharing with each other. Service, bar = great!
And then came the kitchen… the menu is a little scattered (meatloaf, burgers and enchilladas). After ordering, it took over an hour for the food to arrive. The server was apologetic and the other servers were standing at the kitchen window waiting… and waiting…
The food that came was mixed. Some people loved their cucumber sandwiches, the meatloaf was good, but my chicken enchillada was pretty devoid of flavor.
Next time, I’d propose we go for the bar and then head somewhere else for the food.

The interior is a little small so a reservation is probably recommended. The day I went we had a large group so they let me order a drink while we waited which was nice.
The peach julep had bourbon but was a little sweet for my taste.
We tried the spinach artichoke dip which was delicious and the accompanying bread was nice and crusty but still soft in the center.
I tried the seafood enchiladas. Good amount of food. Wish it had a bit more flavor or spice, overall it was pretty bland. All the seafood was cooked well.
Also tried the black and blue manhattan. A little better than the peach julep, not too sweet and the blackberry jam was a good call.
My friend tried the night’s special which was a flat iron steak. She enjoyed the steak yet her and two others tried the mashed potatoes — which tasted like instant from a box. Not something any of us were expecting.
There was one other minor problem that was quickly resolved. Customer service was great for a large group o a Saturday night.

Went there for the first time for a friends birthday. The crab cakes and BLT were excellent. Great wine menu. Deducted 1 star only because parking was a bit of a pain. Will definitely be returning though!

Very impressed.
IN SHORT:
they value their customers and hold themselves to a high level of customer service. Good food, drinks, and desert
Sydney was amazing.
Printer issue with kitchen, and they made everything perfect despite the unfortunate circumstances.
Our visit went from good, to not-​so-​good, to amazing. It’s our 16year anniversary. Thank you for making it special!

I had the worst possible experience tonight. After about 25 minutes, the waiter comes out to say they lost the check, meaning they hadn’t even started cooking, no apologies either.

Started off here with happy hour at 5:30 on a Friday evening. They were surprisingly very empty. Their HH menu consisted of $ 4 house wines, $ 4 margaritas and $ 6 cocktails. I started with a margarita, which I was happy to see is made to order, no pre-​made mix. The drink was good, surprisingly strong, although pretty small. Next I tried one of their cocktails, the gingeroni. It consisted of gin, ginger beer, and a blood orange purée. Again, this drink was pretty strong and although consisting of completely different ingredients, reminded a lot of the taste of a Paloma.
After meeting up with some friends for dinner later in the evening, I decided to try one of their specials, the Roasted Pork Tenderloin Medallions. It came with mashed potatoes and the house vegetable, which was a mix of sautéed zucchini, yellow squash, and onions. All of the food was very good, with the pork being so tender and juicy.
I was pretty satisfied with everything I ordered and would recommend this place. I’m not sure if this will be a spot a frequent often, but it’s definitely work checking out!

The thing that stands out the most about this restaurant is the beautiful patio! The view isn’t 5, but the patio itself is lovely beautiful décor and even the fencing was this lovely finish that let through a rainbow shimmer. There is also a fire pit, string lights above. Really, it is just something you need to experience first hand. Perfect for a summer evening. The food was good as well. We ordered the lavosh as a starter and I will be ordering it again next time, great combination of cream cheese and havarti. My boyfriend had the enchiladas, he said they were a step up from par. I had the meatloaf. If I had to describe the meatloaf in one word it would be: unique. Very difficult to put to words, but the flavor is not what you would expect with meatloaf. This does not mean it is bad, it is just different than what I am accustomed to, the sauce almost has an Asian taste to it. Prices are very reasonable. A good place to check out for a date night or small party amongst co-​workers. Not exactly a «family restaurant» although they do have a kids menu so the option is there. If you check the place out I would recommend making a reservation in advance as the seating is limited.

Weird experience. I arrived at Mantra on a Sunday, early evening. I was the only customer.
I opted to eat inside because it was much too hot for me to eat outside, but the outdoor seating looked wonderful. Even though it’s right on Maple, the outdoor area had a nice high wall and was flanked with lots of tropical plants. When the weather is cooler, this would be THE place to dine.
There are so many selections on the menu and then they bring a ‘specials’ menu to boot. I was torn, but opted for the seafood risotto on the specials menu. Shrimp, scallops and mussels in a creamy risotto, it sounded good.
I will say I felt like a bit of an outsider, but I suppose that’s to be expected when one is the only patron in the place.
My meal arrived in a low, flat bowl. It was wet and/​or juicy. I wasn’t given a spoon, but one was required. When asked if I needed anything, my answer was «a spoon, please». The shrimp was flavorful, both sweet and salty. The mussels, I think there were five, were also tasty. The main seafood ingredient was scallops. Is it bay scallops that are small? There were a lot if them, but they really had no flavor.
I think the risotto should have been more thick. I had to check online to make sure my expectations weren’t misguided, so here is a definition of risotto found online: Properly cooked risotto is rich and creamy but still with some resistance or bite: al dente, and with separate grains.
So I think the soupy risotto wasn’t quite right, but it was tasty.
It’s hard to judge Mantra on one dish, especially when they have a menu with so many options.
I’d definitely be willing to stop in again when the weather supports a nice outdoor eating experience.

Delicious dinner on a Monday night. Half price bottles of wine on Mondays and the selection is great! I had the chicken piccata, creamy rich sauce and chicken cooked perfectly. Very tender and moist. Husband had the ahi tuna nachos. Cooked rare like he loves it with multiple dipping sauces. Excellent atmosphere, clean and modern. Service was great. Will absolutely be back!

Went here for Sunday brunch and sat at the bar. Good selection of drinks and great brunch menu. Good service and chill atmosphere. Gotta love Benson :)

Went here on a Sunday morning with a group of friends for mimosas and breakfast. It wasn’t that busy, few tables here and there. Server had an attitude right away. My boyfriend walked in after me… waited 15 minutes, but he still didn’t get a water. Finally, I went up to the bar to get one for him. Drinks legitimately took 15 – 20 minutes to get. For five mimosas, a mojito, and a coffee. I bartend for a living, that’s just ridiculous. But the waitress was doing her best to avoid us, so maybe it wasn’t the bartender’s fault.
We ordered about 10 minutes after arrival, and food took 45 minutes for just my boyfriend and I’s French toast, since we ordered before everyone else. French toast was okay, I’ve had better at Bailey’s.
The bill was over $ 50 for one mimosa, one mojito, coffee, and two plates of French toast with a side of bacon. We won’t be coming here again.

A friend and I went here for dinner on a Tuesday night. This restaurant is a few blocks West of downtown Benson and has its own small lot, so parking was not an issue like it is with some restaurants in Benson. It also has a super cute light up tree out front so it is easy to find from the street. The inside has a great atmosphere and, while it was pretty cold when we went, I noticed they had a nice patio with a pretty fire pit that would be great when it gets a little warmer.
I started off with the Paloma to drink (Tequila, Cointreau, Blood Orange Purée, Lime Juice, Soda). It was good but nothing amazing. My friend ordered a glass of red wine — I don’t remember the name but he said it is hard to find in restaurants so he was pretty impressed.
We started off with the lamb and pork Mantra Lollipops, which are served with a cilantro shallot cream sauce. They were fantastic! The lollipops were good-​sized balls of meat and were tender and flavorful. The cream sauce was also full of flavor and perfectly complimented the savory meat.
For my entrée I ordered the Mantra Burger (served on a Pretzel Bun with Lettuce, Tomato, Red Onion, Pickle. and Chipotle Peanut BBQ) and added Havarti Cheese. The burger was perfectly cooked and I really enjoyed the BBQ sauce. I am a sucker for anything served on a pretzel bun. It was served with fries which were also really good. My friend had the B.L.T. (Peppered Bacon, Balsamic Glazed Tomato, Mixed Greens, and Feta Cheese on Grilled Focaccia with Garlic Mayonnaise) and really enjoyed it.
Overall this was a great meal. I don’t make it to the Benson area very often but if I am ever in the area again I would definitely consider a repeat visit to Mantra.

Some friends and I came here for their Sunday brunch last week and we all agreed that it was outstanding. Not only are their bottomless mimosas delicious (and not at all chintzy on the champagne), but their Green Chili Chicken Omelette was by far the best breakfast I’ve ever had. A friend let me try her order of the Blackstone Eggs and they were also incredibly delicious.
It’s not a huge place, so I would highly suggest making a reservation — especially if you’re bringing a large party.

My husband and I discovered this place randomly, by driving by it a couple of weeks ago. This is definitely a hidden gem in Omaha. First of all, their prices are amazing! My husband tonight each had a wonderful entrée and one cocktail each, the total of our bill was $ 32. The vibe of this place kind of reminded us of J Coco. I got the mac & cheese. I could definitely taste the leeks in the cream sauce, for anyone who loves leeks like I do this is a great dish for you! Our friends got the cheeseburger and penne pasta, everyone was thrilled with their meal. Everyone also seemed to really like their french fries as well. I recommend this place for a wonderful meal at a great price.

Cleanliness 4
Service 4
Food 4
Likelihood 4
1 – 5 (5 Best!) 4.0
I was greeted right away. I used the restroom after I arrived, VERY clean, thank you!
I chose my table, and waited for my guest to arrive. My beverage service was prompt, thank you!
I had the mantra burger and soup of the day. I am pretty sure it was not a fresh patty, AND it was VERY flavorful with their peanut chipotle sauce. The pretzel bun was amazing. Great service, beverage kept filed, used dishes removed.
This was my second visit, and not my last!