Bob Monkey’s Noodle Zoo

My inaugural visit to Noodle Zoo was for take out fare earlier this summer. I ordered at the register, paid what seemed to be too large a bill even with the rather high prices, and then sat with the menu to try to figure out how the total could have been calculated. When I went back to the register and began to ask about the charge, the young fellow interrupted me with «Yes, yes, I know. I owe you some money.» He pulled a couple dollars out of the register and handed them to me — not as much as I had been overcharged as it happens. I was taken aback. He realized he had overcharged me but waited until I started to ask before giving me back a random (and too little) sum in return. Not. Acceptable.
The food was fine but overpriced. Certainly nothing good enough to make up for the extremely poor service. I won’t be back, though its location is within walking distance of my house. Skip it.

I am at an event that has Noodle Zoo’s sandwiches. I chose a roast beef sandwich. It was fabulous!!! Very tasty bread with cheese on/​in it, quality sauce/​dressing, delicious meat. I want to eat like 4 more… Now…
I highly recommend.

A long-​time favorite for my wife and I. Great sandwiches and pasta dishes. I generally have the CIA sandwich with the house salad. The house salad is a mild caesar with a few large croutons and some pasta.
Occasionally I’ll have one of the pasta bowl specials; usually very good.
The people working the register and taking orders aren’t always the friendliest, but I tend to overlook it in anticipation of the food to come.
They had a location at 180^th & Pacific for a short while a few years ago. Closed fairly quick; very disappointing they don’t have a location out west.

Have only eaten here once, but I really enjoyed the pasta primavera. Will update my review as I enjoy more of their food.
Was slightly confused by the menu. As you enter the restaurant, they have modern sit-​down style menus for your perusal … but you order at the counter … and they have as many specials written on various chalkboards/​wipe-​boards … but I honestly didn’t notice this until after I ordered. Luckily, my meal was superb.
I believe strongly that the food is 80% of what matters in an establishment, and from what I can tell Bob Monkey really knows his stuff. Many people on Unilocal get caught up on service and their experience. Shut up. Seriously. Servers are paid garbage, and finding a restaurant full of good ones is IMPOSSIBLE. If you’re into dining for the service, get a butler. The food is what matters.
Edit: I have eaten here 5 or 6 times now, and I have highly enjoyed every single meal. They put time and thought into every aspect of their meal. Even the bread they serve with each meal is buttered and fried crispy with some dry cheese … so good!
If you’re looking for a great lunch spot and are in the midtown, Dundee area, you’re making a mistake by not giving this place a go.

Other reviewers are right about the lady who takes orders and brings out your food being very cold & rude. I’ve only ever had one thing at Noodle Zoo and it’s great! Turkey Parmesan Grill w/​House Salad. My husband and daughter enjoy the food too but they aren’t nearly as picky as I am.

I really don’t like having to disagree with everyone else about restaurants, especially when it comes to a well loved local joint, but I just did not enjoy my meal at Noodle Zoo.
The problems started early. The young lady taking our orders are the counter was, shall we say, cold? By the time we had finished humbly requesting our sustenance, I was sure that something we’d said or done was a terrible faux-​pas in her homeland of I-​hate-​chu-​stan. Don’t get me wrong, we were no restaurant novices in over our heads. Each of us was a hard man, well versed in the arts of taking down noodles, devouring sushi, and dealing with throngs of servers single-​handedly. But this woman, she was something entirely unexpected. Her steely gaze burned through us like paper and scorched our very souls. Surely, she ruled the restaurant with an iron fist because her fellow coworkers definitely noticed the eye-​beating we were taking from her but did nothing to stave off the onslaught of judgmental peering. Our orders placed, we retreated to the refuge of our table to sip water and ruthlessly critique her demeanor in the safety of our private conversation.
The food startled us upon its arrival at our table, as we had half expected a stern summons back to the executioner’s counter to retrieve our meals, but the fact that we did not have to make the journey back across the dining room on our wobbly knees was a welcome development. Each of us surveying our selected dishes, one of my friends remarked that he expected a great deal more food for the price he paid, but we decided to give the place a chance and try the food out before making up our minds about it. The results were, uninspiring, to say the least.
Nothing was bad (apart from being reduced by our «hostess» to a quivering, girly level of my subconscious that I never knew existed), but nothing was good, either. You know how some TV’s have a «half-​mute» function that reduces the sound to a whisper, no matter how loud it was before you touched the remote? That’s what it was like eating at Noodle Zoo. Nothing stood out, it was all just «meh.» The salad, the bread, the noodles, the soup, the veggies, everything could have been done better, cheaper. It wasn’t bad enough that I’ll think less of people for loving this place, but it was bad enough that I damn sure won’t understand them when they do.

It is the best! Try the shanghai noodles. Wonderful soups. Gotta go there!

This place has its pros and cons. Overall, I’m a fan, but it’s not something I have to have when I’m in Omaha.
The fajita chicken salad is great. My only gripe is that the tortilla served on the side tasted like it had been sprayed with chemicals. I didn’t eat it beyond that first bite. The rest of the ingredients were fresh and the chicken is well marinated. The wild-​berry iced tea was pretty good. I’m not sure the whole thing was worth $ 12 at lunch, but hey, it was a business lunch and not a big deal overall. I’m normally a pack my lunch type of gal, so it was a rare occasion to dine out with coworkers.
My only other complaint: the lady who took my order could use a crash course in «appearing to like your job, even if you hate it.» She was monotone and robotic. Very unpleasant ordering experience, noted by several coworkers.

Read the reviews and stopped there on the way to UNMC to pick up lunch for my honey & me — she was working that day. The guy at the register recommended the Raspberry Chipotle Chicken Lavosh and the Szechuan Noodle Bowl. I chose the Lavosh Pizza which came with a side salad. It was delicious and enough for the two of us to have a light lunch. Service was fast too. Can’t wait to return to try the Noodle Bowl!

Hands down my favorite stop in Omaha. If you haven’t enjoyed Noodle Zoo’s house salad + chicken then I’m quite sure you haven’t lived.
I started frequenting Noodle Zoo as a high school student, my parent’s live a mere 8 blocks from the Dodge location. From the atmosphere to the friendly owners, Noodle Zoo has that down to earth, cozy feel. Their food ranges from tomato soups — foccacia bread panini’s to salads and thai noodles. The place is decorated in a jungle type manner with zebra prints, beaded menus, acrylic tables and lots of faux shrubbery.
I would recommend Noodle Zoo until the cows come home, okay that was super Nebraska of me.

Service is terrible. The food is not good at all. Tasted like boxed food that they heated. I wonder if people in Omaha have any taste buds. Went with the family because the reviews were good but the wife and kid said we are never returning. How hard can it be to make noodles or a sandwich or even a wrap???

Prior to moving to Omaha, I saw this place on Unilocal and decided with a name like this I had to see what it was about. Today was the time to investigate.
Walked in and was caught off guard when the cashier told us to take a menu and when we were ready to go to the register to order. I picked the Szechuan Noodles bowl and my friend chose the Pasta Primavera bowl.
The food arrived in 6 minutes or so. The bread was quite good, and the salad was nice and crisp. My noodles were spiced nicely and the chicken was tender and seasoned to perfection! I tried my friend’s bowl and it was good, though seemed a bit bland compared to mine.
The bowls here are deceptive. When it arrived, I remember thinking I’d polish it off easily. Then most of the way through, I was suddenly full.
The only issue I had with the place was the cashier. She seemed very grumpy and not very friendly at all. I’ll let it slide this visit as she may have been having a bad day. Can’t wait to return!

With so many places to eat in Omaha, I forget how much I love the Noodle Zoo for lunch.
I’m with Sarah… everything is good here, not that I’ve had everything on their menu… yet. My go-​to is always the pasta that comes with a side salad and a slice of bread. The dressing on the salad is so good that I always think, «next time, I’ll just order the salad». But then, once I take a bite of my pasta I realize that I have once again made the best choice and get to enjoy their salad AND pasta AND bread.
Noodle Zoo has a great décor. Exposed ceiling pipes, painted concrete floor and quirky artistic touches all over the place. You have to stand in a queue, but it always moves quickly, so no big. Staff is friendly and very helpful (should I get the pasta? try the sandwich? branch out with a pizza?). The entrees carry-​out well (if you want to eat in the comfort of your home or have an office lunch). Prices are good. Portions are perfect.

Really nice place in the Dundee ‘hood.
Good service.
The food is excellent and flavorful.
The Ceasar side salads were crisp and tasty with garlicy goodness.
The chicken chipotle lavosh pizza was a big hit, especially when the bite included a cilantro leaf or two… LOVE that stuff!
I also tried the Mufaletta, which was another flavor explosion.
Hard to go wrong here for lunch.
Oh… they have cans of Diet Dr Pepper and diet Sunkist. I really appreciate those selections!!! :)

3 ½ stars My salad was good and my friends all enjoyed their dishes too. No one was blown away though and the prices are good, but not phenomenal. I did enjoy the décor and it was easy dining for a group. Overall, for a lunch spot, it’s a great place. It’s a good fit between ordering at the counter, but wanting to not feel like it’s fast food. And, it DEFINITELY isn’t. I don’t mean to imply that — just that you can eat here on a lunch hour easily. I’ll be back for lunch, but on the other hand, even though I can walk here, I’m not intrigued enough to come back for dinner. So 3 ½ stars.

I think I may finally be a convert to dining at local restaurants.
Went to Noodle Zoo for the first time the other night with a
gft certificate, and my friend and I thoroughly enjoyed our meal. We were literally the only ones in the place, but that was perfectly alright – seems more like the lunch crowd type of place.
We started off with the Artichoke Dip and bread. Fantastic. About $ 5.
I ordered a shrimp pasta dish with tomato cream sauce, while my freind had the CIA Sub. We both had a side of house salad. The salads were fabulous, though I do wish just a tad bigger, even if it was just more letttuce. The pasta was delicious, but a bit much at $ 11. She really enjotyed the sandwich and is already planning her next ttrip back!
No more $ 5 Subways for me, I’m hittin up Noodle Zoo next time to try that sandwich! This place seemeds to embody what local dining is all about. Definitely going to return.

What a great place! I use the salon next to the Noodle Zoo but never stopped in before for one reason or another. I wish I had now after eating the food they serve. I can’t help but think of all of the yummy meals that could have been.
When we went it was just before dinner, so the place was empty. One of the specials of the day was Thai Pasta, which I got. The woman who took our orders was very nice and described it as being a noodle version of their Thai Chicken Wrap on the menu. I had never had any Thai noodle dish with mozzarella on it before — it was amazing! The dish came with a side caesar salad and delicious just made bread.
I ordered a soda along with the meal and was a little disappointed that it was in a can, rather than a refillable fountain drink, but that was fine. Glasses were provided for water which worked out well. Perhaps I missed something, but there seemed to be relatively few noodle dishes on the menu.
Friendly people, great food, fast serving time, and great décor make this a four-​star for me. The caffeine junky in me wishes there were fountain drinks, and the linguine lover in me wishes there was a bigger noodle menu. I will definitely be back here again!

We’ve since gone back one time after several months and were greeted warmly by the same server we had during our first visit. She introduced us to the other people working and everyone was incredibly friendly. We’ve always had waiter service, but maybe that’s only at dinnertime. We had the grilled veggies again and they were just as we remembered. Whatever spices they use are super tasty! We’re hoping to make another trip to Omaha soon, we’ll definitely be stopping by Noodle Zoo at least once while there.

Noodle Zoo is one of those places that I feel like you just can’t go wrong. More often than not I’ll find myself recommending items to a friend and after naming 5 or so just saying, «Well, every thing’s great.» And that’s the honest truth. They’ll do catering, take-​out, or dine-​in for lunch. Dinner on the weekends is usually reserved for private parties or wine dinners — which I’ve yet to make it to. I’m here at least once a month and look forward to it every time. The house salad and bread is unlike anything I’ve ever had before.
I even had Noodle Zoo host my rehearsal dinner. Laura was a joy to work with all the way through and everything turned out fantastic. All the employees I’ve had the pleasure of knowing are fantastic people too.
I’ve never left Noodle Zoo feeling anything less than 100% satisfied.

I recently stopped here for lunch and split a salad and a pizza with a friend. The food was great. The flavors were terrific and everything seemed really fresh.
What I don’t like (at least at lunch) is that you have to order at the counter (i prefer a waitron). The plates were really cute and different based on what you ordered.
My office ordered carryout from them several times in the last several years and their box lunches were really good as well.