
Jaipur is named after the capital of northern India’s Rajasthan state. It’s also Omaha’s oldest craft brewery, opening in 1992. The Rockbrook Village restaurant serves notably delicious Indian food. This is evident by the lines of awards on the wall that greet you as you enter.
In late 2021, Jaipur opened a second location in the former Acadian Grille space at 5018 Underwood Avenue in Dundee. Both locations are popular.

Dundee dining area
The Dundee location’s decor has a traditional Indian feel fused with a modern flair that fits the neighborhood vibe. When you walk in, the staff wastes no time making you feel right at home.
The Rockbrook location has undergone renovations recently. The decor is deep and rich in color with beautiful Indian art and accents. It’s at once warm and cozy. The moment you enter, you know you’re in exceptional culinary hands and hospitality.

Rockbrook dining area
One of the things I appreciated about both locations was the way the entrees were served. You’re given a plate and a large platter of rice to share with the table. Each entree comes in its own bowl or platter, making it very easy to share.
Since rice accompanied both of our meals at each visit, I’ll start there. It’s perfectly cooked jasmine rich – light and fluffy. It carried a very moderate seasoning, which made it a perfect addition to each entree.
Our first visit took us to Dundee, where we tried the margarita and Long Island ice tea for cocktails. We had the momos as starters, and put in an order of both plain and garlic naan. For entrees, Jennifer ordered the salmon madras, while I went for the chicken tikka makani. For dessert we tried the traditional kheer pudding.

House margarita
The margarita was vibrant, a blend of tequila, orange liqueur and lime. The balance was spot on. You get the expected taste of agave from the tequila and the sweet citrus notes from the orange liqueur and lime. It’s on the normal happy hour menu and is very refreshing.
The Long Island iced tea was a nice cocktail – slightly fizzy with a sweet, citrus and cola flavor. It’s usually made from five liquors and is known for being an alcohol-heavy cocktail. This blend was dangerously smooth.
Momos
The momos are small dumplings with a savory filling. We ordered them steamed, but you can also have them fried. The outer dough was delicate and moist. The filling was exquisite. The moms are served with a tomato sesame chutney, which is a wonderful accompaniment.
Naan
The naan arrived hot, soft, puffy and tender. It’s exactly what you’d expect good naan to be. Little notes of char make it an excellent, rustic flatbread – perfect for folding with some of the sauce, meat and rice.
Jaipur’s garlic naan is a nice change from others I’ve had. It isn’t greasy or oily at all while keeping prominent notes of garlic. The naan arrived fresh, warm and soft. It paired well with my chicken tikka makani, especially because the garlic wasn’t overpowering.
Mulligatawny soup
The mulligatawny soup is a pureed lentil soup and a good start to any meal. The lentil blends well with curry, hints of ginger and has a slightly sour acidity. You can order this soup on its own, but it also comes with entrees in lieu of a salad. I recommend you try it.
Salmon madras
The salmon madras is a spiced coconut milk sauce with fresh salmon. There’s a healthy portion of salmon, sliced into large chunks. The sauce is very creamy with notes of tomato, spices and coconut. It’s full of flavor, but I wished it was seasoned with a touch more salt.
Chicken tikka makani
The chicken tikka makani, also known as butter chicken, is boneless chicken cooked in light butter with a creamy tomato sauce. The sauce is savory and piquant. The chicken is tender and juicy. The spice blend compliments the sauce without ever overwhelming it. I savored every bite until I could indulge no more.
Kheer
Kheer is a traditional Indian rice pudding. It’s a slightly sweet dessert, made from boiling milk and rice. We were told many guests request it served cold, but hot is how it’s traditionally served. That’s how we ordered it. It reminded me of tapioca, with the base more of a creamy broth than thick pudding. The kheer was a sophisticated end to a great meal.
We went to Rockbrook for our second visit, starting with an old fashioned and jalapeño ale for drinks. We couldn’t decide between two appetizers – the chicken tika spinach bread and the keema chole – so we ordered both! For entrees, Jennifer had the kadai gosht, and I ordered the lamb bhuna. We finished with the kulfi Indian ice cream.
Old fashioned
The old fashioned isn’t on the drink menu, but rest assured, they’ll make one for you. Our server Rakshya told us the bar makes this cocktail well, and she was correct. It was expertly made – the perfect amount of sweet and bitter to allow the bourbon to remain the star.
I’d like to note that Rakshya did not steer us wrong once and was expertly instrumental in our menu selection.
Jalapeño ale
The jalapeño ale is a fantastic beer – a deep and rich brew. The ale has slightly sweet caramel notes from the hops. The infused jalapeño is a welcome accent. You get more of a jalapeño essence than heat, which gives it a very pleasant finish. It paired well with everything we ordered.
Chicken tika spinach bread
The chicken tika spinach bread is naan stuffed with chicken tika and spinach dip. It’s a lovely appetizer best described as an Indian inspired pizza. The naan makes for a wonderful crust, and the spinach dip makes a great sauce. The chicken tika was tender and was topped with melted cheese. This appetizer was an excellent, savory surprise.
Keema chole
Keema chole is made with ground meat and chickpeas and is served with a papadum (a crispy Indian flatbread) shell. I would best describe it as similar to a shepherd’s pie without the potatoes but infused with Indian spices. The papadum is crispy and flavorful. We had to restrain ourselves to not finish the whole thing.
Kadai gosht
Kadai gosht is lamb flash-cooked with jalapeño, onions and tomatoes. Like the keema chole, the lamb was exquisitely tender. The jalapeños make this a moderately spicy dish but not overwhelmingly so. The sauce – with tomatoes, onions and curry spices – make this comfort food on a plate.
Lamb bhuna
The lamb bhuna is described as lamb sautéed with garlic and creamy sauce. The garlic in the sauce was just right and not overpowering. The lamb was nice and tender. The tomato-based cream sauce carried an excellent curry spice blend and enhanced the lamb’s natural flavors.
Kulfi Indian ice cream
The kulfi Indian ice cream is made from thickened milk and molded into cubes. There are two options: mango or pistachio. We opted for pistachio. The nutty flavor is prominent, and the creaminess of the thickened milk gives it a good finish. It’s not incredibly sweet, which makes it feel more like a guilt-free indulgence. It was a delicious encore to a fantastic meal.
Jaipur has been one of Omaha’s most popular Indian restaurants. Having been here for more than 32 years, it’s not hard to see why. Obvious quality and care goes into all the entrees.
Gyanendra Bhandari, the executive chef, and his wife, Simi, co-own Jaipur. Bhandari has served as executive chef since before the couple took ownership in 2004, and their current chefs have been with them since that time.
I had a brief moment to speak with Bhandari after he visited every table during our Rockbrook visit.
“I want to make sure this is a place I’d want to go to,” Bhandari said. “If I want to eat here, others will too. I want to make sure everyone leaves here with a great experience.”
In that, Bhandari has achieved his goal. The staff is well trained and extremely hospitable. If you’re new to Indian cuisine, you’d be welcome to ask about any dish. You’ll receive a thorough description of what to expect with the flavors and spice levels. In fact, they’ll appreciate you asking.
If you haven’t experienced Jaipur yet and love Indian food, or are looking for a good introduction to it, this is certainly a must try. Everything is top notch, and the hospitality is off the charts.
Rockbrook:
10922 Elm St, Omaha, NE 68144
(402) 392-7331
https://rockbrook.jaipurindianfood.com/
Dundee:
5018 Underwood Ave, Omaha, NE 68132
(402) 392-7338
https://dundee.jaipurindianfood.com/
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