Richie’s Chicken & Hamburger

I’m going to make this one short and sweet. Place has charm, like you stepped back into the 70s charm, and I wanted to like it. The food, when it came out, was really good. I’d go back if not for the rest of it.
My youngest son kept saying some old man was shooting him dirty looks. Doesn’t like kids? Doesn’t like new people in his restaurant? Not sure, I told my son to stop looking his way. And no, I am not one of THOSE parents who think their kids can do no wrong. But, my kids were beyond patient this evening.
We ordered four sandwiches. They lost our ticket. It’s not a big place, how do you lose a ticket when there are four tables filled? The cook was apologetic. Our server was nice for most of the time but turned on us at some point. We waited 45 minutes (legit 45 minutes, honest to goodness). I wanted to walk out after half an hour. My kids talked me out of it.
Our bill came to a very reasonable 24 bucks or so. I felt they should have just comped the meal after that mix up. I didn’t want to argue it, I just wanted to end it. I gave the server $ 30. Good tip after all that waiting, I thought. But, our server still decided to make a snarky comment about us as we walked out. Something about being rude. No one even got close to being rude and believe me, had I wanted to I would have had a damn good reason to. But, no, I didn’t vent my frustration. I kept it inside though I am sure visible from my body language.
I can definitely feel what Royal B. was talking about in this place. I won’t be back… and I doubt they care.

Best place ever… don’t let the outside deceive you… the chicken is fresh and tasty… service is friendly and you could bring a family here for dinner without getting a loan to pay for dinner. Once you eat here you’ll never go anywhere else… p. s. …try the onion rings to… there gggrrreeeaaattt.

Just ate here for the first time and the food was phenomenal! Great small town comfort food! The servings were large and the service was fast and friendly! Great place! I’ve read some other reviews on the place and the things they don’t like about the food is the best part! Great food, like something mom would make.

Cleanliness 3
Service 3
Food Quality 4
Likelihood 1
1 – 5 (5 Best!) 2.8
Dinner for 5 please. 3 of us, the first time eating at Richie’s. Getting inside as a person of size was a little challenging as there are stools/​counter, and a cooler right inside the doorway. I had to squeeze sideways to get in. I didn’t like that.
Two of the guests in party are regulars, their service was a bit more focused. During dinner the staff had a conversation, clearly loud enough for us to hear very well (open kitchen/​dining room) that we should not have had to be exposed too. They shared their displeasure about «those» people who come in illegally from the boarder. One staff member commented that she moved from one state to get away from «them.»
It does not matter that their food is ok, their service is ok, or that our friends like it. It is simply not a place I would care to eat at, or support. I wish them the very best. I am sure that there are plenty of people who would eat there and not have a problem with conversations like we heard. I can’t get beyond that.

I love this place… Saturday and Sunday pancakes are the best in Omaha! Staff is friendly, helpful, and down to earth!

I appreciated the friendly greeting I received, the cashier/​hostess was VERY friendly, asked me if it was my first time, I said yes, she WELCOMED ME and invited me to come back often, thanked me for my business, and all of this before I even put my order in or gave her any money!
The chicken was good. It wasn’t too salty, it wasn’t necessarily seasoned, but it was good, and tender, and juicy. And they packed it in my to go bag in such a manner that it was still very warm when I got home. The burger was just okay, I wouldn’t go out of my way for that, but again, the chicken was good, nice sized portions, and again, very friendly staff. I’ll be back! I want to try their seafood next.

If you’re feeling a home-​cooked meal and a hole in the wall neighborhood atmosphere, you’re going to love Richie’s! If you love fried chicken, definitely order it here! Also, their breakfast is pretty awesome! Every time I go there for breakfast I have to have the French toast!

I suggested this to my sister for us to go after watching their commercial late at night. Boy was I sorry that I did. I had salad with ranch dressing that tasted like vinegar. One bite and that was enough. The chicken had way way too much salt. The place is quite small with close quarters for the tables. So close that someone knocked my sister’s tea over with their coat trying to squeeze by. The place is old and really dirty. I feel that you can have an old place but still keep it clean. Our waitress was very friendly. If I was rating her, she would get 4 stars. Would have been 5 stars but I asked for a glass of water and never got it.

Let me start with the one positive point. The servers were excellent and very friendly, they treated everyone like regulars who merited a little extra care. So ***** for service.
Now for the bad stuff. Which was all the food. The fried chicken was bland, greasy and way too salty. The crinkle fries were fried to hard and flavor was completely zapped. No stars.
The place was pretty filthy looking and did I mentiton you have to walk through the dirty kitchen to get to the restroom? Double yuckie. Definately no stars

This is great fried chicken. It’s crisp and delectable, and you won’t want to stop eating it until you’ve dabbed up every last crust bit up with your index finger. The place is quite quaint with a very blue collar ambience. You’ll likely find yourself amidst local elderly regulars which only confirms the authenticity of what your about to consume. You will enjoy

I eat here quite often everything is good but my favorite is the pork tenderloin sandwich. I think its the best in town.

My grandmother makes the best chicken I have ever had, but if hers is not on offer, Richie’s is my backup. All I ever get here is the chicken. No sides. Nothing but chicken. It is amazing. I discovered Richie’s when we lived in the neighborhood and now that I no longer live in Omaha I always have to stop in when I’m in town. The décor and building are no frills and as others have noted, you have to bring cash. The staff is also no frills, but who cares? The chicken is what I come in for so I keep coming back.

The chicken was hot and fresh. The skin was crispy but a little bland. Nothing that a little hot sauce can’t help.
I have driven by this place for years but I have never stopped in. I finally decided to give it a whirl.
I grew up working in restaurants and food service. I was taught to be very clean and handle food properly. The last thing you want is someone getting sick from something that you did. If I see unhealthy or dirty food practices in a restaurant I am generally out the door. I read a previous review of the place noting how the workers used their bare hands instead of using tongs or gloves when handling food. I walked in and saw a big bucket of salad on the counter and some tongs right next to it. I thought, oh good they are being cleaner and using utensils to handle food now. Plus I only ordered chicken and I figured that any bacteria or cross contamination would be killed in the fryer.
I placed my order and noticed that a worker was picking up dirty plates and clearing tables and then went right into the salad bucket and was scooping salad into to go containers with the same dirty hands. So much for the tongs.
Like I said the chicken was hot and fresh. My friend enjoyed it and said he would order from here again. I would return, but stay away from anything that is not cooked using high heat.

A great hole in the wall for fried chicken, hot rolls, and the salad with the home made Italian dressing.

The chicken truly blew my mind. Friendly service too. Just go for the chicken, and order a lot.

Best chicken in Omaha. This is a hole in the wall in South Omaha that is worth seeking out. If you are alone saddle up to the bar and you will feel like a part if the kitchen and will more than likely end up in a conversation with the friendly staff. The amount of food you get here compared to the price makes me feel a little guilty sometimes.

Decent, but I’ve had better fried chicken (the whole reason we got take-​out from here to begin with). Crinkle fries were also okay but that’s all. While the chicken was super crispy… crunchy even, I probably won’t ever crave it again any more than I’d prefer to get KFC or Hy-​Vee fried chicken because…
At least those places don’t touch ALL OF THE FOOD WITH THEIR BARE HANDS.
Yes, sometimes it’s necessary to touch food — especially when plating in fine dining establishments — though clearly this isn’t that instance.
Maybe even when you’re dipping chicken before frying, but not when you’re getting hot rolls out of the oven after handling cash. And definitely not when you’re plunging your hands into a bucket to grab handfuls of lettuce and make salads! Definitely, definitely not then! Where are your tongs?! Tongs!
Honestly, I don’t really care about how food is prepared as long as I don’t accidentally eat a rat or get sick. I’ll eat from food trucks, carts, wagons, vans and stands.
But seeing this kind of happening so brazenly right in front of us like it was no big deal was just too much, which is saying something for me. I barely contained the constant screaming coming from be rational side of my brain.
We got a whole grocery sack of food — 16 pc chicken, 4 rolls, an aluminum foil bulk of fries and 4 Sara Lee dinner rolls (in the brand bag) for $ 21. But I saw every single item be touched, grabbed or palmed by ungloved hands… So that’s not worth it.
Three stars for the chicken and fries (because yes I ate those) and they were fine, one star for sanitation practices and food handling procedures. (AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH)!

I hate to be negative but I walked out of Richie’s pretty disappointed. I live almost next door and was hoping for a go-​to place for some comfort food. My experience was that the food came out surprisingly slow and the food was over cooked and/​or bland. The atmosphere is nice, but not enough to overcome the food. I had the chicken and it was dry and lacking in flavor. I also had a burger that was burned. The side dishes are the usual country bumpkin.

Best fried chicken in Omaha. I have driven by this place everyday for 8 years and have friends that live in the neighborhood to the north and south and finally went today… wow! My wife and I got 8 pieces to go, perfectly cooked and fantastic batter. Best fried chicken I have ever had. Can I go two nights in a row? I desperately want to.

The fried chicken is what they are famous for, and it was good. Very simple, as if your grandma made it. Very few spices so the taste of the high-​quality meat is what really stands out.
We randomly tried the Philly Cheesesteak, and it was amazing! Buttered and grilled bun (a really good one, from Rotella’s maybe?), thinly sliced meat, good swiss cheese, onions, and peppers. I have been trying to find a good East-​coast quality cheesesteak in the midwest for years and this might be it.
The waitress was super-​friendly, the owner was the cook, and the friendly banter and jokes between them, some other employees, and a couple regulars made the experience even more enjoyable. They included us in their banter, which made us feel at home.
We were so excited about this find that we were high-​fiving on the way out! I may have to come back and add a star later, I just didn’t want to be too hasty based on one trip.
Cash only. It is worth a little planning ahead!