Oak Tavern

WOW. That pretty much sums up my food at Oak Tavern. I ordered the coconut french toast with chocolate shavings, rum caramel sauce, bananas, and whipped cream. First off, the dish is big. I was a bit taken back when they brought it out and I saw how massive it was. Definitely not a dish that can be consumed in one sitting (although it was so good that I did give it the old college try!) Two, this dish is very decadent (as you can likely imagine from the ingredients). The chocolate, the caramel sauce, the coconut, and the bananas all came together for a deliciously sweet and indulgent treat. It was almost like a dessert to be honest. I would order this again in a heart beat. It’s too bad they’re closed now, but my waistline is all the smaller for it!

Came here during our spring break and we did not enjoy dining here at all.
Our server was not at all friendly. Seemed rude and miserable. We asked him for suggestions and opinions but he was not very helpful at all. He basically wanted us to just order and get this over with. So we just ordered since he didn’t explain or answer any questions we had. The food took a really long time to come out. By then, our experience was bad enough … can’t even remember or care about the food. Must have not been that great then…

I drove over to Oak Tavern last night only to sadly find that it was closed.
After doing some research I’ve found that the building was purchased by an investment group. The investment group will be demolishing the building to make room for condos.
The great part to this story is that Oak Tavern will be relocating within the year and I can’t wait.

Holy deliciousness!
My boyfriend and I went on a Thursday night. The décor was cozy. think– steampunk meets old world library.
We had made reservations but didn’t really need them. We were immediately seated. I was not disappointed by one single dish or drink. Our waiter was phenomenal. He even went out of his way to find out certain ingredients in the food just because we were curious about it. The kale salad was surprisingly good. The oysters with bacon and cheese *gasp*!
I had the steak and potatoes which were A+ but the highlight of the meal were the scallops on lentils. Do yourself a favor and HAVE THESE! and the Pot de Crème was out of this world. It’s like a salted crème Brule. Need I say more?
For drinks the DEATHS DOOR BRAMBLE was great and I also really enjoyed a cherry cocktail (sorry that was my last one so I cant remember the name =P)
Can’t wait to go back!

What can I say? I’m a regular here. Mark, their bartender, is the best!

Sadly left disappointed. Our server was helpful and polite, but waiting 25 minutes for a salad and 40+ minutes for our entrees at a table for two was a big let down. Too wait that long and not be wowed by the food was even more disappointing.
The large table next to us was extremely upset because their food had taken so long, the manager came out and said he did notice their food had taken 46 minutes to be delivered.
A manager apologized to us and offered us dessert, but we never got it.
Food:
Kale Salad — really tasty
Eggs Shuksuka — another great dish, but you will need more food if you’re hungry because it isn’t much
Shrimp n Grits — they lacked any flavor, I just ate the shrimp and the egg and passed on the rest, I would definitely not recommend this dish. In addition, I was supposed to get jalapeño cornbread and it never came
Duck Hash — lacked flavor, also not much food — would not recommend
After some great reviews and amazing pictures I was super excited, the ambiance and music was very pleasing as well… I just don’t think I’ll go back. Great menu, but lacked on flavor.

This place is cool. It’s a gastropub style restaurant. I went on a date and sat at the bar. The bar tender was very nice and she really took time to engage with us. The food was on point. I had braised short ribs on a bed of mac and cheese and spinach and my gf got the scallops. Also ordered a side of roasted cauliflower which was good.
As for drinks, I ordered two old fashioned’s that were strong, but mixed well. The honey-​dill really made it smooth and delicious.

When you first walk into Oak Tavern the majestic giant oak tree that has been transplanted in the middle of its outdoor patio immediately enamors you. You suddenly feel like you are somewhere else, much more magical. As you walk into the dinning area you notice the large, welcoming bar with dimmed mood lighting and the large selection of wine and spirits. If you are ordering a cocktail order the Deaths Door Bramble, and order it with gin.
When putting together the menu Chef Bracha made sure to put together your favorite comfort foods, along side his famous oysters that made his other restaurants, River Seafood Oyster & Bar, really stand out. My personal small plate favorite are the BBQ spare ribs, which come with a delicious chili sauce you just can’t resist. And if you are an oyster lover then you have to try his Shigoku Oysters.
Now, as far as the main dish I highly recommend you eat the duck confit wood oven pizza. For those of you who aren’t really into duck I still recommend you try it. The blend of mushrooms, with fontina and the truffle is beyond divine. And for those of you who don’t want to get too crazy then go for either the grass fed cheeseburger, and add an egg or bacon, or order the braised short ribs with the mac & cheese.
One of the most insanely delicious desserts I have ever had was here at Oak Tavern, the peanut butter mousse pie. Let’s just say that I visited this restaurant with my sister and we had to take turns on eating the slice of pie — it was that good.

Me gustó mucho el lugar, el ambiente es muy lindo y la terraza encantadora.

Wow.
Was war das denn?
Wir wollten doch nur kurz was essen gehen.
Die Karte sah schon sehr gut aus.
Es wurden aber noch weitere Gerichte angeboten die auch sehr lecker klangen.
Wir haben uns dann einmal für den Cheeseburger mit Bacon und die SpareRibs mit sunchokes (auch als Jerusalem Artichoke bekannt).
Von der Menge her war der Burger mit den Fries ausreichend, auch optisch.
Die SpareRibs sahen auch eher spärlich aus waren aber wohl auch genügend.
Aber es kommt ja bekanntlich nicht auf die Menge an, sondern auf die Qualität. Und die liebe Freunde des guten Geschmacks war hier auf höchstem Niveau anzutreffen.
Der Bacon auf dem Burger war nicht so labbrig wie man es hier oft bekommt sondern sehr Cross und die beiden Streifen waren auch eher dick.
Sehr sehr lecker.
Die Fries, obwohl einfach nur Pommes waren auch eher speziell und hausgemacht.
Ein wahres Geschmackserlebnis.
Zum Nachtisch gab es dann noch Meyers Cheesecake mit Blaubeeren.
Ich wäre echt fast geplatzt, ich hätte auch sehr gerne was abgegeben oder sogar fifty-​fifty gemacht aber meine Begleitung wollte nicht leider Gottes.
Aber ich habe nicht aufgegeben.
Foodkoma trifft es wohl am besten wie ich mich hinterher gefühlt habe aber es war jeden Bissen Wert.
Die Ausstattung des Restaurants hat mir im übrigen auch sehr gut gefallen. Alles sehr urig und dunkel gehalten.
Wer Wein mag ist hier auch bestens aufgehoben, den es ist eigens ein Sommelier unterwegs um die Weinliebhaber unter den anwesenden Gästen zu verwöhnen.
Preislich gesehen war das Hauptmenü eher als günstig zu bezeichnen mit jeweils 14 Dollar plus die sunchokes.
Was unserer Reisekasse das Genick gebrochen hat war eher noch das ganze leckere Bier das es gab.
ABER WIR BEREUEN KEINEN CENT!!!

This place gets a 1 star because the food wasn’t bad.
Where to begin???
First I’d like to say that I’m the type of person that can relate to others very easily.
Ok now I will start:
I got here and had to wait 20 min to be seated when there was no one in front of me. Once I say I had to wait 45 min to be served water and another 5 min for the waiter to come (I timed everything because the wait time was ridiculous).
So my waiter finally came. His name was Anthony (hi Anthony!!) and he just looked like he did not want to be there! I think he had attitude on his face because he was expecting me to be upset for the long wait but I actually wasn’t. Guys I don’t know how to explain myself here. He came over and was pretty much like «do you guy know what you want?» With the most serious face on! I ordered with a huge smile on my face (I wanted him to see that I was friendly and not upset. Also he could have been having a bad day so why was I going to make his day worse? Last, I really didn’t want anyone spitting on my food lol). I ordered the basic (eggs, toast, fries) with cheesy grits and an orange juice) to make a long story short… A different waiter brought us our food. The orange juice came first. Then after 15 – 20 min the eggs and fries came. Then came the toast (when I had already eaten everything… Like 25 min late!). After 30 min Anthony came by my section so I waved to him and asked for the check. 15 min later he brought the check and left. Now this was where our cups were filled with water for a second time by a female waitress who also didn’t look like she wanted to be there. 25 min later I got tired of waiting for Anthony to come back so I went to the area where the waiters charge the card and asked a waiter to charge me. I paid and left. Once I was out of there I finally noticed… HE NEVER BROUGHT ME THE GRITS!!! I’m not beyond pissed because Anthony didn’t charge it.
In a nutshell, I’m not one to not go back to a place because of a little bad service… But this place?!! My goodness. I don’t blame Anthony as much as I blame the owner! How can you not be on top of the service your restaurant is providing?! I’m so disappointed with this place.

Oak Tavern is quickly becoming one of my favorite top brunch spots for food, service, an ambiance. Must trys are their cheese grits, blueberry pancakes, eggs benedicts with pork belly, and their cornbread. Their lattes are delish too. They can accommodate large parties and they take reservations. Just ask to sit in the outdoor courtyard or inside.

This place is a bit like Michael’s in the sense that everything is local and fresh, there is a combination of small and larger dishes that are good for sharing, and it is creative.
Highlights:
1) Some real wow dishes. The bacon-​wrapped dates. The scallop crudo. The duck pizza. The bacon marmalade crostini. The croquettes.
2) The dessert menu is deep. One time I went with 4 people and we were so torn on which ones to get, we ordered all 7.
3) Service is very good. They operate a pair of waiters/​waitresses as a team so you can always find someone when you need to.
What could be better:
1) More healthier options perhaps.

Good food but the service is lacking. They are definitely not up to speed on proper service.
I got the southern breakfast and the grits were ok and they only give you 1 piece of bacon… weird.
However, my cousin got a burger and there were 4 pieces of bacon on it. There’s some misunderstanding of portions here.
My other cousin got the breakfast pizza and that was DELICIOUS!
My hubs crab cake sandwich was «meh».
We probably would not come back.

Whoever came up with the idea that good things come to those who wait may have just been trying to have brunch at Oak Tavern. .
I came by this past Sunday after dropping my dog for her «spaw» day at a nearby groomer. I saw they were just opening, and called up my brunch buddy Michelle L. In that time interval, there were already 3 groups ahead of us at the door. I was then told to wait at the bar until reservations were seated. Thankfully, I was able to get a reservation using my Unilocal mobile app (5 stars for Unilocal!)
The bartender was somewhat more pleasant, as was the strong mimosa she prepared. Seated shortly after, our waiter came by, took our order, and the wait began.
.which was made worthwhile by the soft, sweet, fluffy pancakes with baked-​in blueberries. There were also blueberries and a sweet syrup on the plate, along with whipped crème. These pancakes were some of the best I’ve had, and not exaggeration! Deviating from my usual eggs Benedict, I also enjoyed their southern eggs (over easy) and maple bacon, as well as toast with raspberry jam. The sweet bun we ordered was ok, but not my favorite item on the menu.
The soundtrack was a mix of reggae and alt soft rock, perfect for brunch. There are a few tables in the center courtyard, but they were empty because of the rain. Oak is also pet friendly!

Can I tell you guys a secret? I somewhat hate «brunch». Why? I hate waking up early and typically you will end up waiting a long time to be seated if you go during the later hours of «brunch». I also usually feel that the dinner menu is better and that «brunch» is only a favorite to many due to the option of unlimited mimosa’s and bloody mary’s…
After reading so many wonderful reviews and being hungry and awake pretty early, I decided to give this place a try, I must admit that I was pretty shocked that I just found out about this place in this area (maybe due to the huge following of Michael’s Genuine and Morgans) but I’m so happy I now know of it!
I was immediately impressed by the décor and presence of this place… You first walk through a brick entrance which guides you to an inviting courtyard with a number of tables and manicured trees. You then are able to approach the host stand and opt to sit inside. I think because the courtyard was so nice, I expected the inside to just be alright, man oh man, was I wrong! The interior is pretty large with plenty of seating and a long bar, there are nice paintings, you can see the kitchen, posh tables, large lighting fixtures and texture walls. I was pretty impressed by the décor and could see myself having a party here!
I opted to sit at the bar. After reviewing the menu for awhile (Everything looked so good and I wanted everything) I decided to get the chicken and waffles. As I waited for my dish to come out, I chatted with the bartender and learned that they made certain drinks and sodas from scratch, I was intrigued by the watermelon soda so I opted to try it. The drink was on OMG status… Watermelon pieces sitting above the glass with a slight soda buzz sitting at the bottom of the glass and the freshness of watermelon dancing throughout, it was not overly sweet and had me wishing they would sell it by the pitcher as they only sell it by glass!
Finally, my food comes out and I was somewhat concerned as the chicken looked like it spent too much time in the fryer. My concerns were quickly lifted when I cut into it — the chicken was moist and hot in temperature, the skin was crispy and the maple sauce accompanied with the dish sent it into sweet baby heaven! The dish comes with two pieces of chicken and one waffle — The waffle was OK (it could have been softer) but the maple syrup given gave it justice!
I also tried «The Basic» which is two eggs, home fries and a biscuit! I loved that they took the simplicity of these ingredients and flavored them to perfection. The eggs were scrambled and salted just right, the home fries were sliced potatoes mixed in with onions and peppers (a nice spice) and the biscuit was baked just right with the taste of butter.
I tried the Passion Fruit Lemonade and it was amazing; the lemonade was freshly squeezed and the passion fruit added the perfect blend of sweetness to it!
The service was on point; I had some discussions with my bartender (Michael) and he explained that everything is freshly made from scratch and that the owner is actually one of the chefs and really puts his heart into his cooking.
FYI — You pay for sodas and juice by the glass or bottle (no fountain).
Sometimes you encounter «that» restaurant where everything is perfect from beginning to end and no substitutions are needed in any of the meals. For me… this was one of those encounters.
Thanks Oak Tavern for making this boy cheese from ear to ear — I’ll be back!

My second trip to Oak Tavern last night was a long overdue return visit. The first was honestly unmemorable, so I’m glad to report this week’s visit was quite nice.
I can only speak to happy hour and for that, Oak Tavern is a surefire win. I’ve become a bit of a HH snob, with my standards becoming ridiculously high. Oak hits the mark by offering the holy trifecta of good food, booze, and service.
Beverage specials include beer, wine, and liquor. I opted for vinho Verde since I’m not into Riesling, Rose, or Merlot. Easy on the palate as expected, it was served nice and cold. I love that when you need another glass, the bartenders just fill you up in your current glassware. This makes sense because why would you want them to dirty a new glass for the same wine, you stuffy water waster? Also I feel like it leads to more generous pours, but that could be in my head.
Discounted appetizers are a great deal. We had burrata flatbread, crab toast, and a cheese selection. The cheese was a rich buttery soft variety that paired well with its accoutrements of dried cranberries, nuts, and fig jam. The crusty bread absolutely made the dish. For $ 7, you can’t go wrong. I enjoyed that the crab toast came with ample meat but I think a squeeze of citrus would have really brightened it up. Burrata on anything is heaven so yeah, that worked.
My light dinner (split with a friend) and two glasses of wine set me back a measly $ 40 (30+tip. Yes $ 10 tip, you should tip as if you paid full price!). Great, friendly service at the bar and host stand. Truly a delightful atmosphere that is welcoming yet refined.
I’m interested to return and check out more entrée offerings, but in the meantime I’ll be suggesting Oak Tavern for a sophisticated yet casual evening with friends.

Great place for happy hour. The ambiance is cool and music fun.
I recommend arriving early to grab a good spot and enjoy one drink or a few. As the evening progresses, crowds arrive and Oak Tavern gets busy. The wait at the bar might be lengthy, but do not fret, the bartenders are kind of enough to craft your cocktails or pour your drinks with a smile.
To eat, our party had a couple charcuterie and cheese trays. Both offered a delicious spread of hams and cheeses, with sweets, nuts, and olives. It was plenty for 4 – 6.
I heard Sunday brunch is excellent so we will return to give it a try and judge for ourselves. Until then, HH it is!

Another great place to visit in the Design District. The entrance of the restaurant has a very large courtyard with plenty tables and beautiful foliage. Beautiful dinner setting as long as it is not one of our humid hot Miami night’s. We had arrived early so we chose to go to the inside bar and do Happy Hour.
The inside is just as nice as the outside, very warm wood tones. It may be a Tavern but a very classy one. They have large communal tables near the bar area and seating throughout the dining area. Great place for a bunch of friends to get together. While we sat at the bar a large group of ladies came in which looked like they were having some kind of celebration.
The bartender we had gave us excellent service. Sitting at the bar and looking at the bartender’s making cocktails I could tell they have some awesome drinks. A few I wanted to try they looked so good. I decided to stick with wine. They had a lovely Malbec that was very smooth so I drank three.
For Happy Hour they have drink and wine specials and also some food options. We started with a dozen Blue Point Oysters, they were clean and delightful. Then we ordered some Bacalao Croquette’s, they were very good. The Patron’s sitting at the bar next to us were all very friendly. They have every age group here, from young to mid twenty’s all the way up to 60 year olds. The mix was cool. It was very comfortable and relaxing.
I look forward to checking them out for dinner one evening as all of the food coming out looked amazing. Service is great and the décor is awesome. Prices are average for the area. Perfect place for a romantic dinner outside in the courtyard or with a group of friends.
Stay classy Oak!

A few changes to the menu since I first patronized this place, and I’ll say that I’m a little disappointed by the charcuterie/​cheese plates. Before, you could kind of build your own plate, which is always great. Now, the meats selected by management comprise the charcuterie, and it seems that the cheese plate (sold separately) is a set price for one cheese.
We stayed away.
That said, the food remains tops. We started with the gnocchi and lamb neck sugo, which just worked to reinforce my disdain for tapas-​style places. Why? BECAUSE I WANTED MORE. It was that good. The gnocchi was orgasmically billowy, and the (I think) braised lamb meat was tender as all get out.
For my entrée, I ordered the burger. (What can I say? I was in the mood for something simple.) Accompanied by some great fries, the burger was wonderfully juicy despite my ordering it medium-​well. I just made sure to get it sans «house» sauce, which is a ketchup-​mayonnaise-​pickle concoction: three things at the very top of my «Most Hated» list.
The space remains great, and sitting outside is a must, no matter how muggy an evening or how mosquito-​ridden.

Had the crab cake sandwich rich in flavor I was with a party of 6 and they all loved their foods. My girlfriend had the blue berry pancakes. I would’ve rated a 5 but the really long wait times for the drinks brought it down a notch.
Good ambience, if your planning on eating in the Morning make sure to get the side tables. Although we were under the tree, the sun was scorching and a few dry leaves fell on the table.

Went back for brunch today and had to lower at least one star. Since my last visit this place has really gotten busy which unfortunately manifests itself in diminished service and food quality.
After we’d received our initial order of coffee and drinks we basically sat unattended waiting for our food for an entire hour. Meanwhile, nearby tables that were seated well after us were finished with their meals. When we got up to chase our waiter down, he apologized that the kitchen had gotten backed up and came over with a complimentary bottle of champagne. Neither of us cared for champagne, we’d have preferred a simple bread basket to hold us over, but a nice gesture.
Quality control lacked in the kitchen. Chicken and waffles came with two thighs, which should have been a breast and a thigh. When we pointed this out to the manager, he asked whether that’s what we’d asked for specifically, supposedly they put whatever part of chicken is ready on the waffle. Cop out excuse. Just apologize and bring a piece of white meat, especially after we waited this long. He finally said he’d bring a chicken breast, only to show up with a third thigh.
French toast was not nearly as good as the first time I had it. Once again, in an effort to push food out quickly, the kitchen did a sloppy job. The bread had not been soaked in the batter long enough, therefore it was dry as farts in the center, burnt to charcoal on the outside and also room temperature. They totally skimped on the dark chocolate shavings, I literally had 2 microscopic chips on my plate. Difference like night and day. At this point I just wanted to eat something so I didn’t send it back.
Cheese grits were awesome, about the only thing they got right today. Creamy, cheesy, not too liquid or too grainy, perfectly done.
Finally, I ordered a dessert just out of curiosity. In my mind, a restaurant can never receive 5 stars if they don’t have good dessert. Two of the options our waiter recommended were heavy on dairy (pot de crème and cheesecake) so I went for the chocolate peanut butter mousse cake. The name is very misleading, as it’s a pie not a cake. It has a very thin crust of Oreo crumbs on the bottom, a very creamy peanut butter filling and a thin layer of chocolate ganache on top. The pie should have been served chilled, instead it was room temperature and melting before our eyes. Cloyingly sweet, not enough dark chocolate, would not order it again.
Three is a charm, I may still be back to try their waffles or pancakes. I give them the benefit of the doubt, hoping they had a bad day today and it’s not another case of a place going down hill as soon as it gains popularity (hint, hint Yardbird). They did give us a discount on our check, which is the only reason this is not a two star review.