By Evan Kenkel for Omaha Food Magazine
It was a gut punch when Modern Love went dark. For a city known more for steaks than seitan, the Midtown staple wasn’t just a restaurant—it was a cultural outpost, a haven for the curious, the conscious, the culinarily adventurous. And then it was gone. A goodbye that felt premature, even in a town where permanence is a luxury few restaurants can afford.
But if Omaha knows one thing, it’s how to get back up. And just west of where Modern Love once stood, in the heart of Blackstone, something new is beginning to stir. Fifth House is stepping in—not as a replacement, but as a resurrection.
The address is 3901 Farnam Street, the former home of Get Real Sandwiches. But don’t let the modest square footage fool you—Fifth House is bringing something big. Something bold. Their tagline calls it “the vegan joint of your dreams,” and if the early signs are any indication, they’re not bluffing.
Fifth House is not here to play it safe. They’re not chasing TikTok trends or plating edible flowers for the ’gram. No, what they’re offering is the real deal: vegan food that’s grounded, soulful, and unapologetically satisfying. The kind of food that makes you forget the word “vegan” entirely. You’re not eating it because it’s meatless. You’re eating it because it’s damn good.
On August 15th, Fifth House dropped a casual Facebook post on the former Modern Love page—yes, that page. With it, they confirmed what many had been speculating: the torch has officially been passed. “The stars are aligning,” they wrote, and there was something poetic in that. A celestial nod to a lineage worth preserving. “We can’t WAIT to feed you,” they added, like a promise.
The people behind Fifth House aren’t strangers to this world. They’ve cooked in the trenches, fed the plant-curious and the lifelong herbivores alike. They’re seasoned, not just in flavor profiles, but in purpose. Fifth House isn’t just filling a void—it’s creating something all its own while giving a wink and a nod to the ghost of Modern Love that still lingers in the hearts (and stomachs) of this city.
Right now, the anticipation is palpable. The opening date hasn’t been announced, but the momentum is there. Blackstone, long a haven for the hip and hungry, feels like the right kind of strange for a place like Fifth House. And in a culinary scene still finding its edge, this feels like the kind of move Omaha needs—an anchor for the progressive palate, a place that reminds us food can be both indulgent and intentional.
So what’s on the menu? We’ll find out soon enough. But if you listen closely, you can already hear the buzz of jackfruit sizzling, tofu crisping, and sauces being stirred with quiet precision in the back of a kitchen that’s about to make noise.
Fifth House
? 3901 Farnam St, Omaha, NE 68131
? fifthhouseomaha.com
? eat@fifthhouseomaha.com
? Follow on social
Read about other great vegan restaurants in Omaha!
