Published July 21, 2026 | Updated July 22, 2026

Along the Streetcar Line spotlights businesses along the streetcar route as they navigate its construction. Until it’s complete in 2028, I’m dropping by some of the businesses that are working to stay open to show them some love.

This week I dropped into The Green Room, on 16th near the Orpheum Theater. If you’re curious about the name, I suspect it extends beyond the color and acts as a nod to the backstage where performers gather before going on stage as it too is referred to as a green room.

Opened in 2020, the cocktail lounge sits inside the Farnam 1600 Building. A favorite among service industry workers, The Green Room’s website says that it was built around the idea that great taste shouldn’t be expensive. Along with hand crafted seasonal cocktails, it offers a variety of beer and wine along with a selection of Absinthe and Whiskeys and N/A options including mocktails.

You’ll know you’ve arrived when you see the light green umbrellas on a patio that is surrounded by pink and white flowers. It’s sure to catch your eye amongst the orange barricades that dominate the street. Upon entering, you encounter a massive bar that serves as the centerpiece. The interior leans industrial with a high, exposed ceiling and concrete columns. The walls are painted dark green while the lighting is dim. Green neon lights outline the drink menu.

The lounge has two distinct spaces: the first is a slightly sunken area that has a long booth, club chairs, and tables with lamps. The second has green sofas facing one another and separated by a coffee table in addition to a high-top table, pool table, and a jukebox. The lounge even has a couple of TVs playing movies in the background. Garage doors allow for fresh air even if they were closed due to the ridiculously hot weather during my visit.

After perusing the cocktail menu, I opted for a classic Old Fashioned. Few places make it better than they do. My partner ordered the Shy Guy made with whiskey, orange liqueur, grapefruit, rich cherry syrup, and malic acid. With drinks in hand, we proceeded to sit on the green Chesterfield couches and partake in one of its many board games: Totally 90s trivia.

Being Monday, it was a bit slower than usual which allowed the delightful waitress whose name I failed to get to come around and take our orders for round number two. She thoughtfully played the Black Keys on the jukebox upon learning that we skipped the concert in favor of drinks and A/C. We’ve come to expect the drinks at The Green Room to be top notch and they didn’t let us down. This combined with the atmosphere makes it one of my favorites since discovering it about a year ago.

No place is more impacted by the streetcar construction than this stretch of 16th which is shut down for the next six weeks. As a result, I had to park a couple blocks away and walk over. Parking spots are easier to find than ever so you’re golden once you figure out the route. Keep in mind that this also impacts its neighbors: Cattle Call Restaurant and Bar; Cumbia, a tapas bar; Mercury Lounge; Doozy’s Subs and Pizza Shop; and Downtown Food Mart.

The Green Room’s home is the historic First National Bank Building. By the time the 14-story structure was built, 16th and Farnam was the city’s epicenter. The U-shaped building giving the appearance of two towers was designed by the Chicago architectural firm Graham, Burnham, and Company in the late Renaissance Revival style. Completed in 1917, it is faced in granite and contains light colored brick and terra cotta. The bank moved its headquarters in 1970 but it remained in use as office space until 2000. At that time, the upper floors were turned into condos while the lower floors served as offices and retail and a new lobby was constructed to emulate the original.

The Green Room is located at 306 S. 16th Street. It’s open every day from 3 pm to 2 am with the exception of a holiday here or there. Be sure to check out its website for more or possible changes to hours: https://thegreenroomomaha.com/

This portion of downtown has had its gas line work completed while major utilities construction including water, power, and sewer more than halfway complete and mainline work including track installation in progress. The streetcar remains on track to start service in 2028, which can’t come soon enough! When that occurs, the nearest stop is nearby at 15th and Harney.

There’s no doubt that the streetcar will result in significant changes to the area. Let’s hope closure of the existing businesses along the route isn’t among them.

Omaha Exploration, 2026. All rights reserved. Excerpts and links are welcome with full credit given to Omaha Exploration and a link back to the original content.