Omaha desperately needed something new and fun, and Oto delivered and surpassed expectations. I saw several TikToks promoting the opening weekend of Oto, and immediately made plans with my boyfriend and our friends to come the next weekend. We have never had a hifi lounge in Omaha, and as a lover of live music, vinyl, and indie music, I was intrigued.
When we arrived as a group of 5, there was a waitlist, which was expected with how popular the opening has been; I was pleased with the organization of Oto, and they already had an app with SMS notifications for the waitlist, which made it super simple to wait in the car until we were in the clear to enter. I really appreciated the foresight they had, since it was very chilly outside and we were able to keep our spot while waiting somewhere warm. Oto is very small, but has a ton of seating and a variety in the space, whether it is bar stools, a couch lining the wall, or some taller seating in the corner. It was packed when we arrived, but we were eventually able to sit and enjoy the DJ set.
Drinks were definitely on the pricier side, but the bartender was speedy and helpful. Out of the 4 drinks me and my friend tried, 3 were absolute hits; one was too strong, but her and I prefer lighter drinks and there was still a variety of options. The DJ played some of the best music I have ever heard on a night out. If you prefer indie music or maybe RNB, this is the place. The DJ played everything from Bjork, Sade, Free Nationals, Charli XCX, to Gorillaz. When Empire Ants came on I felt like I finally discovered a place that caters to different music tastes rather than the same old. It was refreshing and fun to be in a space with other music lovers, and I absolutely will come again! read more