Louis Gorat’s Steak House

A decorated war veteran and bootlegger, Louis Gorat opened his namesake restaurant in 1943. 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. By…

Patrick Wyman

September 2, 2023

3–4 minutes

4917 Center Street, Bono, Chicken Hut, Gene Dunn, George Kahn, Gorat’s, Gorat’s Tavern, ill Gates, Jewel Kahn, Johnny’s Cafe, Liberace, Louis Gorat, Murphy’s Chicken Hut, Pal Gorat, Ronald Regan, Sebastiana “Nettie” Mandolfo, Shanghai Inn, Villa Nightclub, Warren Buffett, William Murphy, World War I

September 2, 2023

By the time prohibition ended, he opened Gorat’s Tavern at 16th and Chicago Streets in order to support his family with Sebastiana “Nettie” Mandolfo whom he married in 1920 and his son Louis Jr. who went by the nickname “Pal”.

I believe this how the restaurant/residence looked when the Gorat family bought it in 1943.

Louis opened Gorat’s Steak House at 4917 Center St. Built in 1925, it originally served as the home, restaurant and catering business of William Murphy. By 1939 William had sold the building that 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.

By this point in the 1950’s, the screened in porch on the left side of the house was closed in. Photo courtesy of Gorat’s Steak House.

Louis 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 grew from 10 tables to 250 and its lounge from seating for six to 50.

Old interior photo of Gorat’s Steak House. Photo courtesy of Scott Graham.

Even though Louis passed away in 1973 and Nettie in 1990, the restaurant was in good hands with their son “Pal”. He 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 Pal’s grade school classmate Warren Buffett who dined there three or four times a month. It became world famous after Pal agreed to open the restaurant for 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, it’s famous diners have included Ronald Regan, Liberace, Martha Stewart, Bill Gates, Bono and Mark Zuckerberg.

Recent photo of Gorat’s Steak House with the neon sign lit up at night.

Pal sold Gorat’s to Gene Dunn in 2012 at which point the new owner restored it to resemble its look from the 1940’s and 50’s. 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.

Recent picture of the remodeled interior at Gorat’s Steak House.

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. This is what drew Warren Buffet to the restaurant and has allowed it to thrive ever since. It is the second oldest and one of just three remaining Italian steakhouses in Omaha. Only Johnny’s Cafe which was founded in 1922 is older.

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