A decorated war veteran and bootlegger, Louis Gorat opened his namesake restaurant in 1944. Born in Lentini, Sicily, in 1896, he was wounded in France during World War I but later earned the nickname “Ace-in-the-Hole” due to the difficulty in convicting a man who always had someone willing to take the fall for him.
After Prohibition ended and booze became legal again, he opened Gorat’s Tavern at 16th and Chicago Street. Perhaps driven by a desire for a fresh start, Louis decided to pursue the restaurant business full time to support his family with Sebastiana “Nettie” Mandolfo, whom he married in 1920, and his son Louis Jr., who went by the nickname “Pal.”
Gorat opened Gorat’s Steak House at 4917 Center Street. Built in 1925, it originally served as the home, restaurant and catering business of William Murphy. By 1939, Murphy had sold the building, which became the second location for Murphy’s Chicken Hut. For the next four years, George and Jewel Kahn operated Shanghai Inn, a restaurant specializing in Chinese dishes such as chop suey, chow mein, Shanghai steaks and chicken.
Gorat was nearly 50 years old when he bought the building and relocated his family from Little Italy to the second floor residence. On the main floor, he opened Gorat’s Steak House. The restaurant quickly drew a following due to its combination of quality aged steaks, chicken, homemade Italian dishes and competitive prices. The restaurant expanded four times over a 10-year period, and by 1954 it hardly resembled the original house. By its 20th anniversary in 1964, the dining area had grown from 10 tables to 250 and its lounge from seating for six to 50.
Even though Louis passed away in 1973 and Nettie in 1990, the restaurant was in good hands with their son Pal. Pal and Warren Buffett had been friends since Rose Hill Elementary School, and Gorat excelled at running a restaurant that had developed a reputation for being one of the city’s best steakhouses. It was also a favorite of Buffett, who dined there three or four times a month. It became world famous after Gorat agreed, for the first time, to open the restaurant on Sunday evening following the annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholder meeting in 1996. The increased exposure resulted in it being considered one of the top steakhouses in the entire country. Over the years, its famous diners have included Ronald Reagan, Liberace, Martha Stewart, Bill Gates, Bono and Mark Zuckerberg.
Gorat sold the restaurant to Gene Dunn in 2012, at which point Dunn restored it to resemble its look from the 1940s and 1950s. This included removing layers of wallpaper, carpet, false ceilings, shutters and mirrors. He also restored the bar, raised the dance floor, uncovered a fireplace original to the house, restored the neon sign and updated the menu to make it more appealing to families. Dunn sold it to Jimmy and Tammy Chen in 2019.
The Gorat family figured out the formula for success when they opened the restaurant nearly 80 years ago: reasonable prices and quality beef cooked to order. While Buffett’s relationship with Pal may be what drove him to the restaurant in the first place, he continued to go and even helped it thrive and become world-famous.
Gorat’s is one of just five classic steakhouses that remain open in Omaha. In order, they are Johnny’s Cafe (1922), Gorat’s (1944), Cascio’s (1946), The Drover (1968), and Brother Sebastian’s (1977).
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Sources
- Omaha World-Herald archives
- “Facelift by new owner brings back ‘original Gorat’s’ – The steaks are mostly unchanged; the decor of the Buffett favorite has reverted to the 1940s and ’50s. – FOR SHAREHOLDERS: SUGGESTIONS FOR YOUR SPARE TIME – Beyond Gorat’s: No shortage of delightful op.” OWH, 4 05 2013.
- Lopez, Linette. “Gorat’s: Warren Buffett Steakhouse.” Business Insider, 3 May 2013, https://www.businessinsider.com/gorats-warren-buffett-steakhouse-2013-5. Accessed 27 November 2021.
- “Warren Buffett’s favorite steakhouse fits his modest style.” CNBC, 19 May 2018, https://www.cnbc.com/2018/05/19/gorats-warren-buffetts-favorite-steakhouse-fits-his-modest-style.html. Accessed 27 November 2021.
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