As the days passed during Millard’s six day break, I fueled up my 2009 Acura TL, Akira, made sure my bank account was not completely dry, and finally began to prepare my stomach for a very important endeavor. 

As I drove on the snowy roads in the despicably low temperatures, I searched for one thing and one thing only: noodles, specifically the best noodle place in Omaha. 

My first stop was Noodles and Company, a classic. As I entered the warm restaurant, I was immediately greeted by happy workers. 

I ordered a regular sized Wisconsin Mac and Cheese, the price being $6.25, plus tax and 20% tip.

As I sat on the bar stools, waiting for my to-go order to be delivered, I observed the familiar restaurant. 

The modern atmosphere, with dim lighting, and the familiar earth tones brought a calming sensation as I waited for my noodles. The store was fairly empty, other than the occasional guest enjoying their noodles in the dining area. 

As I’m scanning the restaurant, I hear a loud, yet calm “Aiden?” being called from the counter. As I checked my phone, I saw that it had only been four minutes since I had ordered.
The second I arrived back home and entered my household, I dug into my mac and cheese like I hadn’t eaten in decades.

The meal itself was delicious. With each bite, I was filled with deliciously melted cheese and perfectly cooked and seasoned noodles.  

The comfortable childhood classic most definitely satisfied every ounce of  hunger in my freezing body.  As a result of my pleasant fullness, I was able to come the conclusion that this serving of noodles was absolutely perfect. 

 My second stop was Yoshi-Ya Ramen, a ramen shop in Flagship Commons. 

After staring at the menu filled with scrumptious choices for several minutes, I purchased the most popular ramen they offer, the Tonkotsu Ramen. 

This ramen had a base of chicken and pork broth, paired with park chashu, negi, corn, bacon rayu oil, and an ajitama egg. 

The total came out to be $11 plus tax and tip. The wait time was slightly longer than Noodles and Company, coming out to be a total of nine minutes and 25 seconds. 

The meal itself was extraordinary. Normally, I am not one to fully consume a large bowl of noodles, but I couldn’t help but lick this bowl clean.

The ramen was not too spicy, but it was not completely bland. It had the perfect mix of spices, along with cultural classics such as pork and ramen eggs. 

Overall, I very much enjoyed this meal and already have plans to get my hands on another bowl soon– even if I do have to actually eat in the middle of a busy Flagship commons instead of the comforts of my own home. 

The third and final stop was Fazoli’s, where I got the infamous spaghetti with meat sauce, paired with two delicious breadsticks.

This meal cost a total of $6.99 plus tax. It took roughly five minutes to be given to me, which was surprisingly fast for a restaurant that was in the middle of their drive-thru dinner rush. 

This meal was fairly mediocre compared to the first two, as it was fairly bland and had no distinct features. Sadly, the best part of the meal was in fact not the noodles, but instead the buttery breadsticks from heaven. 

However, the price and timeliness of the meal makes up for the somewhat average meal.  If you’re looking for some mediocre pasta and revolutionary breadsticks, Fazoli’s is the place to go. 

As my noodle adventure has come to an end, it is safe to say there are two very distinct winners here. 

If you are looking for the best possible noodles here in Omaha, the Noodles & Company and Yoshi-Ya Ramen are definitely the places to go.