We visited Oscar's Cafe for lunch after being promised some of the best food in Springdale. We were…read morepretty surprised when we arrived at 11:25 AM and they were still serving breakfast! The waitress explained that their menu switches over to lunch at 11:30. That's certainly one of the latest I've ever seen! At any rate, we were happy to wait the extra 10-15 minute wait for the kitchen switchover. At this point the place wasn't too crowded at all all, and just as promised, we were able to place our order at 11:40.
Garlic Burger ($18) - This is a huge plate of food with a mound of fries and one gigantic burger. The burger starts with a soft bun, lightly toasted on both sides, which is then piled up with onion and plenty of piquant pickles, making the burger extra tangy. There's a weak creamy mayo/mustard mixture that soaks the veggies, followed by a giant half pound burger patty on top. It's slightly pink in the center, but is somehow dry. It doesn't have much of a grilled/char flavor, nor much of a beefy flavor either. The patty is large but disappointing in flavor and execution.
There's a pitiful spoonful of garlic on top of the patty. It such a small amount it's almost indistinguishable in flavor and texture - in fact, I didn't even know there was any garlic until I deconstructed the burger. That's a very poor showing for a burger with "garlic" in the name.
On top of the garlic is a thick slice of melted cheese, more mayo/mustard, a small bed of shredded lettuce (complete with shreds falling out all over even before being brought to our table), and a couple of tomato slices. There's plenty of mayo/mustard sauce for the sandwich, enough to overcome how dry the meat is.
The sandwich comes with a choice of regular or sweet potato fries, of which we went with the former. They are standard food service battered fries, not fried long enough to give any coloring to the exterior, making them extra pale and soft. We asked for a side of fry sauce which we found to be thin, watery, and drippy. (2/5)
Pork Tamales ($22) - This dish comes with a side salad, which came immediately to the table. It's a pretty large portion for a side salad and includes plenty of romaine, full cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, charred corn, olives, and a pile of shredded carrot in an extremely tangy and slightly sweet dressing. The dressing is both way too acidic and way too watery for my tastes. It's so overdressed that a large puddle of dressing remained after finishing the salad.
The tamales aren't very good either. They are doused in a green chile sauce that's only added after being blasted in whatever cooking appliance they use. The masa feels woefully under-steamed. It's quite coarse in texture and is hard, dry, and crumbly. It's so hard it's almost crunchy. The tamales seem to be pan fried on both sides, or perhaps broiled in a salamander for far too long. The green chile inside isn't even that flavorful, making the tamales a bland disappointment.
There's a bed of shredded pork underneath the two tamales. The pork is not as far gone as the tamales. It's a little stringy and dry, but still retains at least a minimum amount of moisture. The pork has a pleasing pink/red tinge, but isn't smoky whatsoever. The overall profile doesn't display much in terms of spices, and the flavor of the pork itself isn't my favorite. I have a feeling that this is microwaved food service pork rather than being made in house.
On top of everything is a chile verde sauce. It's again not that flavorful, with more acidity than anything else. There's absolutely zero heat - it's one of the most mild green chile sauces I've had. I feel like the dish could be improved a little if they simmered the pork in the green chile to help layer the flavors more. Unfortunately they are clearly cooked and assembled in a modular manner to save on ingredient cost.
On the side is brown rice, actually cooked with green chile, and tender black beans that are appropriately salted. (2/5)
Tip: If most people are sitting on the patio, I recommend not asking for an indoor seat. We were basically ignored by the waitress after we got our food since we were the only customers sitting inside. Also, get here earlier for fastest seating. By the time we left half past noon, the place was bustling with the entire patio being full of patrons.
Oscar's Cafe serves huge portions with mediocre to bad quality. It's definitely a quantity over quality type of place and seems to be catered towards people who are scared of flavor and spices. I certainly would not return.
Bathrooms - Single unisex room in the restaurant itself, but there are more in the mercantile area.
