Some of the best food can always be found in hole-in-the-wall restaurants. At first glance, they may not be as aesthetically pleasing as say, a Ruth Criss Steakhouse or PF Changs. But if you find a good one, you can always count on great food - at ridiculously low prices!
One of the best places in Omaha is the 11-Worth Cafe. It's a plain-Jane place, but consistently has good food, lots of it for an incredibly cheap price! What's also consistent is the service. Despite the case that most of the wait staff come from tough backgrounds and have lead self-confessed pretty rough lives, they are some of the most down-home, friendliest people you'll ever meet. They are also some of the kindest and most compassionate.
Because of its location (the surrounding neighborhood is probably not where you want to be after dark) the restaurant (that opens at 6am and closes at 3pm),attracts businesspeople as well as an eclectic collection of folks from some of the poorest areas in town. This particular day, I noticed a table of mentally challenged guests seated near my friend and me. They were shoddily dressed, unkempt and not too clean. In many places, these people might have been shunned or ignored. Not at the 11-Worth.
Our waitress, Sonya (who calls all her customers "baby" and "honey") greeted them with a warm smile. Apparently, they are frequent customers so Sonya also called them by name. I am impressed that all customers are treated with the same kindness and consideration - no matter their status in life.
Perhaps because of their life's experiences, compassion and kindness come naturally to these 11-Worth servers. What a great lesson we can all learn about pre-judging others or treating people a certain way because of the way they look or dress. What a great life lesson!
