The Oakwood — Restaurant in Winnipeg

The Oakwood Bistro Restaurant Café

‘Oh, hey you’re in early today, well before closing time. Hey, welcome back. Nice to see ya’, chirps a voice from just inside the dining area. ‘You could sit off there to the side or you could sit in this freshly wiped table. A little wet, but clean.’ The ever so friendly Kendra, over at the neighbourhood café, typically will greet as you come in the door. She has been doing it for 18 years of the café’s 25-year existence at 666 Osborne Street and she is pretty well synonymous with this eatery. They are open from 9 am to 3ish pm every day except weekends at which time hours extend to 8 pm in the evening. I have benefitted from that 3 ish thinking back a time or two ago. There is no rushing the customers here.

So, I did take my place at the freshly wiped table, a little damp as it was but it dried very quickly. As I sat myself down, paper in hand, I noticed the background music taking me back to days gone by with “oh little Jeannie.’ Yes, Elton John has followed many of us, especially us boomers, over the years. It was a lively breakfast crowd practically every table was filled. There was a group of young twenty somethings looking like they were on a breakfast break from work. A quiet couple beside the window, another along the wall just beyond the doorway. A few Spanish speakers at a table socially distanced away. Although the rigors of social distancing are in place, signs of the mask do not appear to be enforced, amongst staff, unlike in some restaurants. It was hardly any time before Kendra had a menu in my hand and had an order taken as to what I would like to drink. She was a performer scurrying from one table to the next. ‘Here’s your coffee’ and off to the next table. God help her, but she did not have us waiting long.

When she stopped to give me a refill, I asked her name at which point with her jovial smile and good humour, says she, tongue firmly planted in cheek ‘if it’s for a compliment it’s Kendra, but if it’s a complaint I’m Erin. I still actually need a little more time to decide and so the scurrying continued. Another customer to greet, another order to take and another bill to settle. She complimented several menu items as if each were all can’t misses each one in its turn worthy of a try before the customer was sold. Soon enough it was back to me.

After getting some clarification, I felt certain that my choice would be satisfying. I love Benny’s as the menu refers to them. In no time at my table, I had my two eggs benedict with the white well done, the yoke runny coated with hollandaise sauce over top a bed of cut up salmon on English muffins and a side of baked cube breakfast potatoes. As I pierced through the egg, salmon and English muffin the yolk came oozing out blending with the oh so fine rich creamy hollandaise sauce - a show stopper, a winner to be sure. Along with that, I had my two toasted buttered ryes with marmalade on the side. Now, that was a breakfast of champions as far as I was concerned, a good fill to kick start the day. Oh, here comes Kendra on a scurry with some more hot coffee. Mmmm delicious as another fork goes in having another look at what Pallister has to say about Phase 4 and the further loosening of the grip covid19 has had over this province. Hmm could do with a good movie over at the cinema soon.

Can hear customers settling their bills just behind. ‘That was really good’ says one. ‘We’ll be back soon’, says another. Another scurry around and here’s your bill for when you are ready. Oh, yeah, bill is similar to that place I had brekkie with my brother last week.

Before taking leave I check in ‘bye Kendra’ ‘have a nice day’. Typically, leave taking is part of the dining experience. ‘Do I know your name?’ she asks. ‘I can now put a name to your face’, says she.

With all that said, the meal in front of you is just a snapshot of the bigger picture. No doubt, you will find your experience as part of this bigger picture time well spent. I am sure you will love the food and the neighbourhood vibe at the...

I have been to the Oakwood Café several times, but this is my first review of the restaurant. Before I get into what is great about this gem in South Osborne I will start by mentioning the two things I find that are not so great. When the restaurant is full, which is quite often, it can be a little bit noisy.

The other thing is the view isn’t exactly spectacular out the windows of the restaurant. A parking lot and traffic is about all you will see.

Now for the good stuff. The ambiance in this restaurant is absolutely wonderful . The tables are spaced far enough apart, that you are not encroaching on anyone else’s experience .

The ambient music played in the background is not loud and one can easily hear what another person may be saying . The service is fun and on point. This time, as with my other visits, the server was bubbly and eager, too help .

On this occasion, I ordered a two egg breakfast complete with coffee. The pricing was on par with other restaurants, and the food was better than expected. The eggs were wonderful, the bacon which was ordered crisp, came that way . And the toast ( one of my pet peeves at restaurants) was buttered edge to edge, as if the person making it was going to be eating it. I can’t tell you how many restaurants I’ve been to where there is just a little smear of butter in the middle of dry toast. The server did not pester me at all, but was very attentive at the right times to see if I needed anything.

It’s hard to describe the atmosphere of the Oakwood Café. You have to go there. More than once! Highly...

My husband and I used to love going to the Oakwood for breakfast/brunch. Their decor with the beautiful birch tree wallpaper and the windows brought such a nice vibe to the place. Their menu was always exceptional (my favourite was their french toast with fresh strawberries), but we have been a few of times in the last year and we have been disappointed every time. They changed their decor so it feels a bit more like a dive rather than a chic restaurant, and the menu has changed quite a bit as well. They still have decent pancakes/waffles/eggs benny, but it really isn't as good as it used to be. Little touches have changed, like no spoons on the table to stir coffee, and this past time we brought our toddler and asked for a side of fruit for him, as there is no kids menu. The server's response was "we don't actually have any fresh fruit" ... so yes, apparently none of their menu items include fruit, which I find really bizarre for a breakfast/brunch spot- you would think they would at least have oranges for garnish or some bananas. This basically meant that our son didn't get to eat lunch because he doesn't each much of anything else. The service was also quite slow the last couple of times we have gone, and we've had to go looking for our server for more water, for example. Even though this was our go-to spot before for dining out at breakfast, I don't think we'll be visiting again...