Oscar Delta calls itself the “Texas Kitchen” and it certainly lives up to its name!
If you live in one of the few areas that have a fast casual Mexican joint called Chiloso, then you know they make some great food. I hate to eat out of tin cans, or god-forbid, baskets, and thankfully everything they make there is striclty from scratch . Oscar Delta is the Mexican/Southern/Americana “fusion” dining experience by the same creators of Chiloso, and it really works. I have known David, Oscar Delta’s owner, for some time, and he is a good entrepreneur. To be frank though, I have stayed away from this restaurant in the past, because I heard mixed reviews about the concept. I went in to review Oscar Delta forgetting any personal bias and can honestly say: if you’ve heard anything but good things from your friends about the restaurant, please tell those friends to stop being snobby, and head to the downtown Rockwall square for some Texas style comfort food. Oscar Delta offers up a delicious, uniquely Texan dining experience.
The environment is really nice, Oscar Delta is located in an historic building that’s over 100 years old, but filled with plenty of noticeable modern twists and touches from floor to ceiling. Be forewarned, this cool old town dining stop looks like a date night spot, but it’s really more of a family restaurant. By this I mean, you may get seated next to a table with 6 rowdy kids like my wife and I did , so be prepared for this, or maybe plan to stay by the bar. The bar is located in the back and it gives you a nice view of the whole restaurant. The bartenders also provide outstanding service. At Oscar Delta they muddle and shake every drink by hand, from scratch. Even If you didn’t watch them handmake your drink, as you tasted it, you would detect the homemade difference. The drinks are high quality and delicious. I had the jalapeno margarita, and the distinct combination of both sweetness and kick left a pleasant, subtle burn on my tastebuds so refreshing, that I had to order another.
Knowing how much we love Chiloso’s chips, we figured we would try Oscar Delta’s chips and dips platter, the TX Trinity. This platter comes with in house salsa, queso and guac and as we suspected, the dips were highly reminiscent of all our Chiloso favorites. If you are a Chiloso regular you may find this boring, but I was happy to enjoy the delicious chips and dips without Chiloso’s long lines. Those who have been to Chiloso know what I’m sayin’!
For dinner I had the tortilla-covered catfish. This fried catfish came on a bed of queso, with a BBQ twist, and some pico. It was really amazing! The only downside is, it was so good, I may never order another dish on repeat visits. As for my sides, the coleslaw needs some serious work, I found it bland and boring. Stick with a side of fries and you’ll be fine.
On this trip there was no room for dessert because we left so stuffed, and sadly couldn’t even finish our Texas sized entrées! Two of us ate, had drinks, and had the Texas Trinity app for around $45.The price for value at Oscar Delta rocks! (no pun intended for Rockwall-ites). If you live on the east side of Dallas near Garland, Rockwall, Rowlett, Sachse, etc., put Oscar Delta on your rotation and drop me a thank you note!
Oscar Delta calls itself the “Texas Kitchen” and it certainly lives up to its name! From meeting friendly people at the bar, to the bartender recommending some great drinks, we felt right at home. We were greeted at the entrance with a smile and informed of the 15 minute wait, so we made our way to the bar and ordered a couple margaritas. We had the top shelf margarita as well as a refreshing jalapeno cucumber margarita. Both were great. Once seated, we ordered the TX Trinity for our appetizer. This is Oscar Delta’s dips platter, and it was phenomenal. The TX Trinity comes with house made warm red salsa, queso, and guacamole. The dips were so delicious, we had to ask for more chips.
Speaking of which, the service at Oscar Delta was great. Our waitress was amazing and never left a water glass empty or unused plates in front of us.
Now to the entrees. He Dines ordered the Tortilla Crusted Queso Catfish which was fried crispy, and topped with chili con queso. I myself had the Chicken Fried Chicken. This thing was literally the size of my plate and served with Texas toast and jalapeño gravy. In addition to my gargantuan entree, the meal was served with two generously portioned sides (Texas kitchen indeed). I chose a dinner salad and skillet potatoes. The potatoes were just ok, kind of plain, but the dinner salad had a really nice kick! The ranch dressing was unexpectedly spicy, a nice, flavorful surprise for me.
If you’re not a fan of spicy flavors, you need to be careful at Oscar Delta. Many items on the menu have some true Texas heat, and not all of them are clearly indicated as such.
All in all, this was a great evening at a casual but cute spot. Oscar Delta is a moderately priced, family friendly restaurant, with good service and a true Texas atmosphere.
