Omaha has a surprising drought in regard to truly solid barbecue restaurants. One would expect a plethora, considering our proximity to Kansas City, but alas, we are desperately low on great barbecue. One of these few great restaurants is Hartland Bar-B-Que in Benson.

When you walk into Hartland, you get hit with that weird hodgepodge that is the aesthetic of a barbecue restaurant, with clearly personal items lining the walls, quirky things like a fake $10 trillion bill and a display case filled with, what I believe to be, fishing hooks.

On top of this display case is where they keep the most important thing to any barbecue place: the sauces. Hartland has four different sauces: their sweet sauce called Hartland, a mild flavored Kansas City styled sauce, a vinegar-based Carolina sauce and a spicy barbecue sauce. This selection is less than some barbecue joints, but their quality is great, each with deep flavor.
The sweetness of the Hartland sauce is far from overpowering, as many sauces are, and is probably the best sauce at the restaurant. The Kansas City sauce is very good and offers some more clearly smoky flavors, but is somewhat bland in comparison to the other sauces. The Carolina sauce avoids the pitfalls of many other vinegar-based sauces, which tend to just taste like vinegar, and offers a complex flavor that expands on its vinegar base. The hot barbecue sauce is clearly good and has some great flavor, but I am too much of a wimp and it is my least favorite sauce personally, though I do know of many people who would have this as their favorite sauce. Overall, the sauces are fantastic at Hartland.

The next most important part of barbecue is the meat. Hartland has all the classics: brisket, ribs, pulled pork, chicken and really not much else, though that is far from a problem. The meats they have are great and well made, with enough distinctive flavor to be great on their own without sauce, but they are perfectly made to elevate both the sauce’s flavor and their own.
In addition to great food, the service is great too. Restaurants with this aesthetic are just comforting when you walk in; you’re guaranteed an attentive employee who will put up with whatever annoying actions or indecision you put them through. They are also willing to help you find what you want for your meal when you start droning on and on about how you have no clue what to order.

Overall, Hartland is a true gem. Its sauces are great, the food elevates it and the comforting atmosphere is really top-notch. I give Hartland 8 trillion dollars out of 10.