Oscar's Family Restaurant

Oscar's Family Restaurant
835 Victoria St. North
Kitchener, Ontario N2B 3C3

There are several diners /family-oriented restaurants in town, Oscar is probably one of my favorites. I really can't explain why I keep going back. Their food portions are generous, some items are tasty and their servers are friendly. Still, I have enjoyed much better food and service somewhere else. After I finished half of the beef liver (and doggy bagged the other half) and almost full slice of butter rum cake today, the answer became clear. It is due to the satisfaction after having comfort food.

There was one period of time that J and I dined at Oscar a lot, back when we were "nesting". Before we purchased our place, this section of Victoria street was just the route to Guelph. It was quite a surprise to see so many home-furnishing-related stores on this block.

When I go to Oscar's, I tend to order the few items I have (again and again). Chicken parmesan, beef/pork/chicken souvlaki, burgers and beef liver. The beef liver is kind of an odd ball. When I first ordered it and actually enjoyed it, J stared at me in disbelief. It was a surprise to me, too. Although I love foie gras (sorry for all the animal-right advocates out there, but it is really tasty), but beef liver? The beef liver dish is HUGE (actually pretty much every dish at Oscar's is huge): liver coated in bread crumb and pan-fried, topped with sauteed onions and 2 slices of bacon, steamed vegetables and your choice of potatoes. If beef liver is not your cup of tea, you can also try their burgers or souvalaki.

The service is general quite good. When it is busy, the service might be slow but people are always friendly. Rumor has it that the Sunday brunch is the craziest time; the line-up can stretch into the parking lot. Maybe it explains why the entrance and exist are two completely opposite doors and separated by a glass.