OAKROOM GRILL
It…read moremight have been a relic from a previous building, but there's a walkway behind the restaurant that leads right to a window. I wonder if there's a metaphor there.
When first hearing the name Oakroom, one wouldn't be mistaken imagining whiskey barrels, a wine tasting bar, auburn tones floor to ceiling perhaps. Don't agree? Enter "Oakroom" on Google image search and see what comes up. Unfortunately, this place is called Oakroom Grill, and thoughts degrade to a simulacrum of commonly found franchises like Original Joes, Earls, and Moxie's. It was almost a brilliant name.
We had reservations at 8:00; the pace was surprisingly full, and we were directed swiftly to our table. We felt small, not that we felt our influence was diminished in some way, legitimately small. The nearby booths were elevated, but the central tables were not, and with the ceiling fifteen feet over our heads, we felt like we were banished to the kid's table. When I visited the restroom, I felt like a giant. Speaking of those, the bathrooms were that new style where all the utilities are built into a toilet stall. And is it weird that they have utility plugs in there...I mean, are people shaving?
After these initial impressions, we had a moment to glance at the menu, the absurdly generic menu. Oh sure, they renamed certain dishes, angry meatballs, angry bird chicken--what is this, The View? I don't require my meals to have angst. Who would have thought a menu required therapy? The waitress explained that the dishes read as ordinary, but are given slight twists. However, said twists are not telegraphed in the menu, leaving a variety of options none of which we were excited about.
Hold me back--they got bread and dip!
My girlfriend wasn't into the dip, so attempted to ask for just bread. Should be easy. It's bread. Apparently bread is not on the menu--we'd have to order the bread and dip sans dip. Seriously, we were told that. As for the rest of us, I've seen restaurants with similar selections that managed to create some measure of interest, one or two dishes that stood out. I eventually closed my eyes and randomly pointed to...Rack of Bourbon Baby Back Ribs--aww, crud. Something else. Sukiyaki Bowl--chicken breast glazed in teriyaki sauce served on Asian veggie medley & jasmine rice. Fine. I also ordered the crispy squishy bites (spring rolls and masala bites). My girlfriend settled on the cod fish and chips while my friend ordered the exotic mushrooms steak with a request for "Chicago Style" (also known as Pittsburgh rare)--a common and easy test for any place claiming to be a grill.
At this point, we were still giving the establishment the benefit of the doubt. The remarks about the décor were more humorous than damaging. Elements were impressive. If the menu items are presented well and taste good, a lot of that can be forgiven--even the lackluster menu options can find redemption if they're unique--that twist the waitress was promising. The delivered plates did not fulfill that potential. The fish & chips were passable but ultimately unexciting (I miss Nechako Oyster Bar). My bowl featured undercooked vegetables, and when it said "glazed", it really meant "drenched". And as for the steak--obviously no one knew how to accomplish Chicago-style, but more than that, the meat was of questionable quality (it was overly chewy). We still ended up attempting dessert. I assumed it had to have a sticky toffee or a lava cake. Oh, a brownie tort, close enough.
Oakroom Grill, for the lack of a better comparison, is fan art. As an author and an employer of artists, I know this subject all too well. This restaurant is a derivative from a more established franchise. It's imitating them the best it can while twisting a few concepts here and there in order to prevent accusations of outright replication. The décor, the menu, and the presented food all look familiar. Hell even the borderline sexually discriminatory uniforms look lifted from established names. Oakroom Grill's entire concept is to imitate Moxie's, a restaurant located about half a mile down the street. Whether or not it's better is beside the point. On its current footing, Oakroom Grill needs work, meaning the established name wins the day.
Food: 2/5
Service: 2.5/5
Presentation: 3/5
Value: 3/5
Recommendation: 2.5/5