Jim’s Rib Haven from Rock Island to Omaha

December 13, 2023

Having received numerous accolades in addition to being featured on the Food Network, Jim’s Rib Haven has earned its reputation as one of Omaha’s best barbecue restaurants.

Started by James Overton, he was nearly 40 years old when he became the first African American in the Quad Cities to open a restaurant. The son of farmers, Jim was born in Missouri and later settled in Illinois after serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. Known as the Rib King, he developed a reputation for his barbecue while cooking at family gatherings and church events. During that time, he perfected the recipe for his signature vinegar-based, semi-sweet sauce.

Founded in 1967, Jim’s Rib Haven opened as a carryout restaurant in Rock Island. Its barbecue, especially the ribs and sauce, caught on quickly allowing Jim to expand to a larger location in Rock Island, as well as additional restaurants in East Moline and Omaha.

The Rock Island location was so beloved that ribs and sauce were packed in dry ice and shipped as far as California, Arizona, Hawaii, and even France. One customer said of the restaurant, “Jim’s Rib Haven is a place for those who want to eat the best BBQ they’ve ever had in the Q-C. The meat is tender, you can help yourself to as much sauce as you want, and the place is simple with no frills.”

Jim’s daughter, Lois Thompson, later found a small building one block west of North High School for the Omaha location. The building at 3801 Ames Avenue had been a revolving door of restaurants since its construction in 1983, and there was some doubt about whether the business would succeed. While the Omaha location hasn’t been without challenges, the restaurant still stands more than 35 years later.

The exterior of the Jim’s Rib Haven in Omaha before the fire in the spring of 2023.

The kitchen occupies nearly the entire interior of the Omaha location, leaving seating for only six to eight customers. As a result, most of the business comes from drive-thru service, carryout, and catering. Known primarily for its ribs, the menu also includes chicken, sausage links, sandwiches, saucy baked beans, potato salad, coleslaw, French fries, and peach cobbler.

The meat is chopped, sliced, and seasoned with a dry rub in-house before being slowly cooked over hickory wood, infusing it with smoky flavor. The medium sauce is sweet and tangy, with just enough bite.

Jim received numerous awards during his lifetime and was featured on the Food Network’s Best of 2002. After his death in 2013, his son took over the Rock Island location, while his nephew began operating the East Moline restaurant, now known as Damians’ Rib Haven. Lois has run the Omaha location since it opened in 1988.

Photo of Jim “Rib King” Overton courtesy of the Rock Island Dispatch.

In 2020, Jim’s Rib Haven was named one of Omaha’s top 10 barbecue restaurants. Judges from the Nebraska Barbecue Council said, “Jim’s Rib Haven serves ribs, and they are – hands down – the best ribs in Omaha. Actually, we’d put them up against any barbecue joint in Kansas City. Baby back ribs, spare ribs, beef ribs, rib tips. Jim’s Rib Haven has them all, and they are all incredible. The juicy rib meat slides off the bone when you bite into it. Natural smoke flavor is pretty heavy but doesn’t overpower the premium meat.”

The ribs with its signature sauce at Jim’s Rib Haven in Omaha. Photo courtesy of Jim’s Rib Haven.

A longtime fixture in North Omaha, the restaurant has fostered a strong sense of community since the beginning. It’s not unheard of for Jim’s to help feed families in need.

“We do it the old-fashioned way. The (hickory) wood, and standing over that pit and cooking for four or five hours. A lot of people don’t do that. A lot of people do the gas stove. We don’t do that,” the owner told the Omaha World-Herald in 2012. While Omaha’s barbecue scene has grown considerably since then, Jim’s still has legions of loyal customers who lined up at the drive-thru after it reopened in 2024, following a fire the previous spring.

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Bonus Pics

The menu board inside the Omaha Jim’s Rib Haven. Photo courtesy of Monique E via Yelp.

Google Earth view of Jim’s Rib Haven. Facing Ames Avenue which cuts from right to left, North High School is a block away on the far left.

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3801 Ames Ave, East Moline, Food Network, Jim Overton, Jim’s Rib Haven, Lois Thompson, Nebraska Barbecue Council, North Omaha, Quad Citites, Rock Island

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