Oasis Bistro & Lounge

Don’t go here expecting original food. The stuff is right out of the hotel convention cookbook: rice pilaf, roast beef, dry chicken. The salad bar in Friday was on a par with a school salad bar or one from a crappy pizza place.
On Fridays they have a buffet at night that is okay, if your expectation is hotel convention food.
The service was very good however. I wished they paid as much attention to the food as they did to the service.

I’m at the Plaza Theater often and this is where I hang. While the Oasis on show nights is nothing fancy, it is perfect for what it is. Yummy appetizers, sandwiches and drinks in a nice space, served by nice folks at a great price. Everything on the menu is not only good but is served quickly which if you’re running late and the curtain is going up really matters. The restaurant connects to the theater lobby which makes this the place to be on a hot summer night. Far too often restaurants try to be one thing and fail. Clearly «Oasis» saw that theater nights were busy so they scaled back their menu to do this one thing well and I give them huge credit for this. In my 6 visits they have never failed to deliver hot and inventive simple foods served by nice folks. Going downtown lately require planning and an early start but now that I have my oasis I park on the street, have a leisurely light dinner, see a great show and it makes downtown easy. Thanks «Oasis» you are perfect just the way you are!

Deciding to go to Oasisi Bistro before seeing the Nutcracker, was not the best idea I have ever had. After I looked at the website and thought how amazing the food looked, we arrived at 4:30 only to see every single one of the wait staff sitting down and texting. They sat us at the smallest table they had and even though there was only three of us it was way to small … we asked for a bigger table and that is when the rudeness started. After moving to a more comfortable and convenient table, the waitor rudley let us know would transfer us upon our decision of needing a bigger table. From the time we walked in the staff was watching a game on the television hooting hollering and even cussing at the game. We delt with it for a while just wanting to fill our hungry bellies. but it got rather irritating to hear trying to enjoy a quiet meal, even more so irritating that my 6 year old had to listen to there foul mouths. My Husband getting rather tired of it, called over the female manager and asked her if it was a Bistro or a Sports Bar, she replied with «okay» and walked away to continue her stance… watching the game. it even took us five to six times saying excuse me miss to get her attention from the game. When we asked the waitess what she recommended from the menu she said she didnt know and when wed ask other questions they would answer while STILL watching the game. It was rather ridiculous.
All the while of excusing the poor service, wrong food, and screaming and yelling, we consistently watched the Owner walk by over and over again very angry almost as if throwing a temper tantrum at the game also not going his way. The tea was hot and good and that is the only good thing I have to say about my first visit. I am not picky when it comes to dining out, but the combination of yelling, rudeness and bad atmosphere… I will not be returning.

Good place to go for something light. Food was good. Nice patio. Quite busy on nights when there are events at the Plaza Theater. Best to get there plenty early if going to a show. Does not take reservations.

I should have remembered my experience with this place in 2009 during the Classic Film Festival. I believe they had just opened and were having difficulty handling the crowds.
Well, here we go again. Since this place was next door to the Plaza Theater, we decided to give it a whirl. Ugh.
We were 3^rd in line and the girl sat each party in a timely manner. Then told us we’d have a 30 minute wait. I asked about sitting at the bar, she said it was full, but it was open seating. So we sat in the lobby and waited.
Then a large group left the bar and there was a line at the door (after us). They asked if they could sit at the bar, and the hostess let them! Uh, what about us and the other party who was waiting before these jokers!!!
So about 15 minutes later, we got seated. We ordered all our drinks and food at once since we saw how disorganized they were AGAIN!
I had the asparagus fries (fresh asparagus battered and fried and served with blue cheese) and M got a nice chicken salad with cranberries and sweet pecans. The food was good, but they forgot to bring dressing with M’s salad and we had to hunt down the waitress.
I just think that after 3 years, this place would get it together for the events they have downtown. Oh, and where was the specialty drinks that go with the Classic Film Festival??? Those were fun and worth putting up with slow service! Bring those back next year!

Amazing place for a calmed and relaxed dinner or lunch. The hosts/​waiters are pretty relaxed and will NOT be on you every minute… if you enjoy that type of atmosphere you will love it… if you do not… you will hate it!!!
I personally loved it, I have been there and I have not been disappointed whatsoever.
Their salpicon is incredibly good and the area where it is located is really nice.

I almost forgot about this place until I saw Eric’s review. I went there last yearwith my family and my sister’s family. We had been walking around downtown and wanted to stop for some drinks, food and tea.
Tea was served with luke warm water and when I asked for new hot water it was poured from the same thermos that I originally saw them pour it. To top it off, i had to wait for hot water until after the check was brought.
My husband had ordered a Chamay Belgian Beer at the tune of 11 bucks but it was warm. The cheesecake was ok.
I figured I would get off the most wobbly seating ever to check out the loo before deciding on food. I passed the sloppily dressed waiter with stains all over, checked out the loo — came back and paid.
I passed on the food. If it is cooked like the water for the tea, sits on plates as wobbly and dirty as seating and waiter and presumably is as dirty as the loo — i concluded that leaving was the best option before we got sick.
I am never ever coming back to that joint.

My mom and I went before a show at the Plaza recently. I took a sneak peek at the menu, and their REGULAR menu has more appealing options than the «Event» menu, go figure. Regardless, I decided to try it, since it’s so close to the theater. It was an odd evening at best.
The diner was crowded, so we opted to sit on the patio. The hostess dropped one menu on the table and said «Here’s your menu». A– 1 menu for 2 people? B– We could’ve figured out it was the menu without her describing it too us. Next we order drinks. I order Jameson’s and my mom ordered a Pina Colada. The waiter informed her that they don’t have blenders because they make too much noise in a «date place». We did have a chuckle when he called her «my dear». I got my Jameson later, in a glass with a HUGE lipstick print on it. I returned it and got another one, which was decent. Later I got a bloody Mary, which was disappointing because I don’t think they make them, they probably use bloody Mary mix, which doesn’t taste as good.
For appetizers, we had Asparagus Fries and vegetarian spring rolls. The asparagus fries were luke warm. They were mostly a very generic batter with a tiny sprig of asparagus inside. On the side was THE THICKEST blue cheese dressing I have ever tried. The spring rolls were a huge mess, literally. I know that rice paper is a pain in the rear to work with, but you should know not to send out something falling apart. To boot, the veggies (aka iceberg lettuce and cabbage) inside had no seasoning so they were bland to boot. The curry dipping sauce was fair, but not enough to make these worth ordering again.
For dinner, I got the Citrus Salad with Smoked Salmon and my mom got the Salpicon. My salad was decent with a flavorful strawberry dressing. They served my salad on a long thin plate. I think it would have better in a bowl so that citrus could be mixed in, not lain on the outside. Also, I would have opted for a different goat cheese. This one was quite bitter. My mom’s Salpicon was fair she said. She said it could’ve used a bit more lime since the meat was pretty bland.
I think next time we have a show, we will try some place else in the vicinity and not return to this place, despite its convenience.

First of all, parking at the hotel across the street is $ 6, so bring your quarters for the meters. You will have to walk a block or 2 from street parking. Next, the tables and décor are hip and colorful, and upscale. The food, however is unbelievably disappointing. I ordered a turkey melt on marbled rye with a side of tropical fruit. The ‘tropical’ fruit was canned mandarin oranges and old strawberries and blueberries. Hardly ‘tropical’ and none of it was fresh or even edible. The sandwich had fake cheese. If I wanted to have cheese wiz or whatever that was, I wouldn’t pay $ 12 for a sandwich. The tap water was so bad I ordered soda, and the soda tasted worse than the water. The worst part was the service. My coworker and I stared at the waitress, while she talked on the phone across the room. She saw us, then turned her back and talked for another 5 minutes. Finally I asked the bartender if we could pay someone. The waitress finally brought us the bill, only to repeat the situation waiting for waitress to charge our cards and sign. We were there at lunch time with 4 staff on the floor and 4 patrons in the restaurant, so there was really no excuse for such bad service. I NEVER stiff a waitress, but the food and service was so poor, I did. For those of you who say the food is good, I wonder if you smoke crack.

Cute little bistro in the heart of downtown that has an old school theater vibe going on inside. The service was a bit slow, but I wasn’t in a hurry. I tried the Oasis Margarita — a twist on the margarita with basil (my happy surprise), goat cheese and edamame dip (the sprinkling of chipotle gave it a little delicious kick), and Caprese salad (standard). I recommend!

We ate here before a show at the Plaza Theater. It’s so convenient and the food is great, yet simple. Really good sandwiches and salads. The ambience was also great.

Classy lounge in Downtown El Paso/​Art District. Very nice location right by the Plaza and the Camino Real Hotel. The interior is sophisticated. My mom got a glass of Chardonnay; it was good :) I recommend this place if you’re visiting or want to eat out on Sunday. Most of the restaurants are closed on Sunday. It’s quiet, pretty inexpensive, and the food is simple yet very tasty.