The Italian Margarita was the star of the show. The environment didn't feel very Italian. The theme of the restaurant is Oar with a boat hanging from the ceiling and various animal heads. The food was decent nothing memorable to mention. read more

I ate here with my son and daughter in law. The food was not good and our bill for just three of us was over $250.00! We have eaten at Ruth's Chris for that amount and the food is good there. I do not recommend this place at all. read more

Substandard experience on Xmas eve dinner- we made reservations on Xmas eve and were promptly seated at 7:30 restaurant was about 75% full. We ordered fried calamari we were offered soup or salad with our entrees . Here is what happened- calamari came out barely warm,breading was soft not crispy as it should and many pieces were stuck together- my soup came out smallish and my wife ordered the Caesar salad underwhelming but supposedly comes with dinner guess that's ok - entrees came out in the middle of eating our soup and salad- waitress apologized but did nothing about it- our entrees were just ok - that's not a compliment- bill comes out and there is an up charge for the underwhelming Caesar $11 Waitress told us she usually tells her customers about the up charge but forgot because she was very busy - we just moved to the area and are starting to figure out that standards in this area are different than Dallas or Plano When you spend $150-$200 we expect better won't be back- we will travel out of rockwall for a nice dinner read more

Upon arriving at the Oar House (1st time) we were greeted kindly enough by the wait staff. The room was empty and we told him we had reservations. He took us to a table by the bathrooms and facing the entrance to the kitchen. We noticed immediately there were pieces of food strewn all over the floor of the kitchen. It was pretty gross. It was my birthday. And we told them that. My husband knew that I wanted to try it because we lived in the area and people spoke high regards of this establishment. The waitress had the personality of our napkins. We asked for recommendations and she said she like everything. We ordered the mushroom appetizer, which she did say was her favorite and it was lukewarm at best. With cold garlic bread. The salads were fine, but due to the complaint about the cold bread, we were served soggy mushy bread. Hot. But mushy. I ordered the halibut and husband ordered lasagna. Halibut was well cooked and had a nice flavor and sauce. However, the lasagna was worse than stouffers. Noodles over cooked, meat was flavorless and an overall disappointment. We asked for the manager to tell her of our experience and she said she'd talk to the chef and let him know. She offered to bring us dessert to make up for our bad experience. By then, we were ready to get the heck out. And shouldn't I get a piece of cake or something for my birthday?? The prices don't reflect the quality of the meal. Save your money and head to zanada or literally any other restaurant in rockwall. Better yet...go to terrillis in Dallas and experience a true culinary dream. read more

The Oar House - Halibut - Italian Near Me - Rockwall, Texas

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The calamari was not cooked. It has caused me to not want to eat it again. The drinks were tangy. The set up is cute. But I kid u not I went home showered and projectile vomited the whole meal. Which all was within an 1 hr period. Never again for me. read more

Ate here several times before and was very pleased with both the service and food. However, this time was not the same. Both service and food quality diminished immensely. Not sure I'm ever coming back read more

Staff was not pleasant so we left. This was place was recommended to us but our experience was not pleasant and staff not friendly at all.

Love the old- world ambiance, fabulous food and impeccable service. Our foodie friends from Dallas love it too. Worth the drive across the bridge which is saying a lot! read more

The food was very disappointing. It's like a fake gourmet Italian restaurant. I suggest the chefs and owners take a field trip To St. Rocco's in Trinity Groves in Dallas. Soo much better and in the same price range. Although the service was ok, not as good as Rocco's. The veal was tough and the potatoes and garlic bread were cold. Trashy Italian. Go elsewhere. read more

We gave this restaurant a second chance since the first time was bad & they did not redeem themselves. Save yourself & go to Bin, Perry's, Trulucks, Etc. The interior is interesting & nothing seems to mesh. Random paintings and mirrors mixed with animal heads & an oar & boat on the ceiling. Bar & restaurant are just very dated. Bathrooms were really dirty, to the point that the guys mentioned it too. Service/food took forever. This is an extremely small place, so soup, salad & entree should not take 2.5 hours. Most of it was crammed in at the end. Lobster bisque was good, salads were okay & our fish & steak weren't anything special. They need an overhaul bc there are too many other great restaurants in town. It's surprising bc we enjoyed the food at their other restaurant fatted calf. read more

Great service, attentive and helpful. The food perfect, and lovely room. Will be back next time in Rockwall.

Been a regular customer now for 27+ years. But, after being treated by the manager tonight, it will be my last. Tables are open, but his excuses for not seating us was that we had bar seats. After the 4th time of asking with STILL open tables and given we had a reservation, his answer was.... Well you had seats at the bar, so we seat people that walk in that don't have seats at the bar. read more

I've been dining here for years so I'm very familiar with The Oar House. Unfortunately, over the last year the food quality is just not the same. On a recent visit the service was good but the food was sorely disappointing. If you have high standards for Italian food, save your money and spend it elsewhere. read more

We always enjoy eating dinner at Oar House. It's one of the few restaurants in Rockwall that we can actually talk and hear each other. It's a smaller restaurant and more intimate than most. The decor is nice and wait staff is always attentive and knowledgeable about the menu items. We usually get whatever special "off menu dishes" they have for the day and have never been disappointed. These specials are usually steak or seafood with a delicious sauce, paired with a vegetable and or rice/potatoes. We also order a salad, garlic bread and dessert. I forgot to take a picture but most certainly will the next visit. read more

Food was very good to outstanding. The Lobster Bisque has a unique taste with dill and seasonings. Very good though. The crab claws were yummy and the salad was to good to very good. read more

Let me start by saying the food is AMAZING!!! Love the ambiance, the patio and did I mention how good the food is? But they are completely incompetent when it comes to their POS (cash register system). We had a group of 4 couples. We asked for separate checks - which should be super easy in this day and age. They would not accommodate this request - maybe because they wanted to make sure they could automatically add a 20% gratuity. Since we all wanted to pay by credit card - we were asked by the server to tell her how much to charge each credit card. Well, this was pure hell - because we had to figure out what she charged us for her guaranteed 20% tip. The numbers just didn't add up. Everyone was willing to pay the 20% gratuity, but we couldn't match up our numbers with her math. It took almost a full hour after we received our check before we were able to finally leave. There was absolutely no reason for this disaster. We would have complained to a manager, but we couldn't find him/her. Bottom line, don't go to this restaurant with a group of people unless one person is going to pay the entire bill. read more

We had a 7:30 reservation - arrived a few minutes early and were seated pretty close to on time. At 9pm we finally received our entrees. The food was good but we had not anticipated 2 hrs for dinner. read more

We went to The Oar House for a birthday celebration, and the meal we were served was underwhelming at best. Our server was very pleasant, and prompt. But our meal was not worth the $155 it cost. I ordered the halibut, and it had a strong fishy odor, and was far from fresh. It had a rubbery texture to it. My friends ordered the chicken parmigiana, and angel hair pasta with the white sauce, clams and mussels. They too said their entrees weren't fresh. We ordered the chocolate mousse cake and the cake itself was very dry. When we mentioned our disappointment to the manager we were encouraged to come back & they would comp our meal. We will not be returning to The Oar House. Good customer service and quality ingredients don't seem to be part of the patronage here. read more

Time to read the truth Yelp users. The truth about the Oar House in Rockwall. Nestled next to the lake (or the field formally known as the lake) is a little place called "The Oar House". Now you might assume that this is a place to get meals similar to a Joes Crabshack, but you would be dead wrong. It's officially billed as a Italian restaurant, but the fare spans chicken, lamb, pork, steaks and fish. They have many pasta infused dishes, but they also have many other choices. This review was for my experience on a weekday lunch, around 1pm. They are only open from 11am-2pm for lunch, so it's a small window of time. A little note here is that they do have a special lunch menu with reduced prices. The place is like a upscale tavern, and the neon lights are still on the wall. The decor is wooden, dark, romantic, but not so serious that you could not wear a pair of jeans in here if you wanted. A lot of people complain about the lack of dress code, but they dont understand Rockwall. This city does not have a dresscode, you could wear a pair of gym shorts into Culpepper, Zanata, Bin 303 or even Allure if you wanted. No one cares, and neither should you. The service was fantastic, and prompt. A team of 4 waiters kept my glass of tea full, impressing me with the service and attention to detail. They brought hot bread out which was great, and the spinach dip was incredible. I really enjoyed it. I opted for the Lobster Bisque for my side over salad, which was a great choice because this Bisque was as good s it gets. Only the bisque from Andiamo in Addison is better. My main course for lunch was a of the menu item, which was a pasta in white sauce with sausage, chicken, peppers and crumbled cheese. It was amazing. Also a value at only $12, which is a steal at a place of this caliber. For sure, this is a meeting/date place, so guys like me coming in to drop $30 on lunch are not the norm, but we are welcome. The owner came by to greet me and I told him up front that I am an avid yelper and that his place is a 5 star experience. I was ashamed that he was only at 2.5 here, and let him know I would tell the truth about my experience in this review. Excellent atmosphere, amazing service, incredible food. Yes, this is a 5 star dining experience in Rockwall. Get in there and try it out, you will love it. Just dont expect long john silvers. read more

The Oar House - Business Special - Italian Near Me - Rockwall, Texas

Four of us went there last week, Sunday 5/22 around 7:00, it was dead. Only two tables had people sitting at them and no one sitting at the bar. This is usually not a good sign. Was seated by a guy, not our waiter. He handed us menus, a specials menu and a wine list. He said they had a wine special where bottles that were $60 or less were half price and bottles over $60 were $30 off. Great we thought, we can try a wine we normally would not buy due to the markup they have at these places. Tried to order one at $55 to start out, a nice Champagne. Waiter came back and said they did not have that one and he recommended a different one that was slightly higher in price. I didn't like it so we skipped that one. I ordered a beer while we tried to decide on a wine. Ended up ordering a bottle of Pinot Noir priced at $65, which they did have this time and my wife got a glass of Moscato, since she prefers white wine. We ordered the Escargot app and a few of their classic dishes, two noodle dishes and two veal dishes. The noodle dishes were nicely sized for the price, however the veal dishes were under sized for the $24.00 price tag. Small little portions of broiled potatoes and veges and a small veal cutlet. Throughout the whole dinner, the place never got any busier so it's hard to judge how the service would be or what the noise level might get to. The waiter did ok for really only having one table, but we did have to flag him down several times, which I thought was annoying. The waiter did stop by near the end of the meal and asked about dessert. We ordered one creme brule and 4 spoons. It arrived very fast, but was very small. It also had a citrus sugar on top which ruined it. Avoid the creme brule. As we finished up we flagged down the waiter and asked for to go boxes and the check. Imagine my surprise when the bill was $206.00. I looked at the bill and sure enough they charged me full price for the bottle of wine, $65.00. It took a bit to get the waiter back to the table, but once we did, we asked about the wine. He told us there was not a $30 off on the wine. I immediately asked for a manager. When the manager arrived he asked if there was something wrong with the bill. We explained the wine situation and what the original person who seated us told us. He then said that was wrong and we would have to pay full price. To which I said I was only paying the $35.00 that we were told the wine would cost. He then told us that he would have to call another manager to ask if that was going to be possible. Really? Are you a manager or what? You don't need to call someone else, you need to just adjust the bill. Needless to say, our waiter returned with an adjusted bill of $171. We probably won't be going back for some time because the whole place and the experience was just weird. There are far better places to go for a $200.00 meal. read more

The Oar House - Full price on the bill for wine that was supposed to be discounted. - Italian Near Me - Rockwall, Texas

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My husband and I ate there last night for our anniversary. We were a little concerned after reading some negative review but I have to say we had a wonderful time. The service was prompt and Ryan, our server, was very courteous. I had the peppered filet 8 oz and it was cooked perfectly. John had the Sea Bass that was also excellent. What was also very cool is you get a salad, potatoes and vegetables with the order at no extra charge. That's a rarity at the higher end restaurants. Calamari appetizer was also good. We plan to go back for our next special celebration. read more

Since moving here my wife and I hadn't had much time to get out, just the two of us for a nice dinner. I'd heard from former residents of Rockwall that this was *the* spot to eat. We were excited and since it was a personal recommendation my typical safeguard of looking up reviews got bypassed. What a mistake... First, the restaurant wasn't busy at all and we stood by the front door for a good 5+ mins... not sure why... After we were sat, the waitress took another 5-10 to show up for our drink order, again - lots of open tables. Another 5+ minutes pass, drinks finally arrive. We order and wait. And wait... And wait... Food shows up. Wife got the filet, it was meh... flavorless, undercooked and the veggies were mealy. My fish was over dressed, tons of garish garnish, underseasoned and quite sad. We won't be back. read more

The flounder was the best I have ever eaten Fantastic service, very nice place to eat.

Delicious food and drinks. The rowing scull and oars are on the ceiling. Handsome bar. Good acoustics.

Love the atmosphere! A one piece band on the weekends, martini night on Tuesdays I think and excellent food & service. I like the escargot & sea bass especially. The other night, I had the Best Oysters and they offered 1/2 price Oregon Pinot Noir by the bottle. It was wonderful! They were broiled, so fresh & delicate. Not the biggest, but these were the most delicious oysters ever. read more

It was ok. The calamari was a little salty and the food was a over priced. The ambiance was not as expected from a nice restaurant to take your wife to for an anniversary dinner. If you have kids to take it would be good as their were a lot of kids there. Noisy atmosphere. Service was just ok. Food was mediocre. read more

Great local restaurant. Went over the weekend with a group of friends and had a wonderful time. Loved the crab claw appetizer and the Osso Bucco that was on special that night. Would have preferred Gnocci with the Osso Bucco but the pasta was tasty all the same. My friends enjoyed their Chicken Parm. Good wine list and friendly, thoughtful service. My 2 cents. Greg T. read more

Great food great atmosphere and BTW their house Ciacolata dessert was amazing! Licked the plate on both courses!

I have no clue why this place has 3 stars. This is a 5 star restaurant all day every day. We always come here for special occasions but most recently, the hubs and I came for my birthday dinner date. The crab claws appetizer is expensive but so amazing. The sauce alone is worth the money and we usually fight over who gets to sop up the remaining juice with the complementary bread. I can't seem to Shy away from the peppercorn filet because it's the best! Hands down the best steak in Rockwall. And yes I have eaten at all of them. The sides are hugely portioned and so fresh. I am pretty picky about wine, and the wine list is always updated and our server is always knowledgable about what pairs best. The service is always attentive and the only restaurant that can keep up with how quickly my husband drinks water. (It's nearly impossible to keep his glass filled but they have a guy on stand by on top of it) I included pictures of our meals on the garden patio (just as pretty as it sounds... water fountain, bulb lights, the lake, etc.) love love love the Oar House. Five stars. read more

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My husband took me to the Oar House for our anniversary dinner. I wish he had picked someplace else. The waiters and waitresses were very pompous or aloof, and the decor was outdated and strange. For all that show, you get lukewarm food drowning in a pool of mayonnaise-flavored sauce. I really disliked the flavor combinations in what I ordered. The prices were also very high considering the quality of food we received. You should save your money for a nicer place that actually lives up to the hype, like Bin 303 on the other side of town. read more

Can't thank you guys enough for staying open through this tough time. We ordered the Carbonara the other night and it was perfect. It was pitched as a family of 4 dinner but it could have fed an army. Can't wait until we get to eat in person again!!. read more

The Oar House is well worth the price tag. Great atmosphere, amazing steaks, and wonderful service. It's my husband and my favorite place for a nice meal and a glass of wine. read more

Clearly not my style. Lots of long-time residents in the area fo several times a week. I don't get it. Interior is a weird hybrid decor that is neither fancy nor casual, but rather a mutation of both. Service is slow if you are not a frequent loyal customer. The food was totally forgettable and certainly not worth the price charged. read more

$28 for 8 tiny crab claws is a bit ridiculous. Besides the the food is decent, presentation could however use some work!

First time here. We have lived here for over a year. Always looking for fine dining in Texas. Finally found this GREAT place. Wonderful service, great menu. Food was fantastic!. Excellent wine list. Thank you Oar House for delivering!!! read more

First time to The Oar House. Made reservations for my wife and I. It was a date night for us and we wanted to try something new. Atmosphere was quiet and quaint. Nothing to get excited about. However, it was just what we needed after a busy week. Our waiter Brian, I think that's his name, was very prompt and helpful with choice of wine, meal and dessert. The gentleman serving water never let our glasses go empty. Overall service was what we would expect. The food we ordered didn't come out fast, which was perfect since it was a date not rushing to be somewhere else. Both our meals were delicious. I ordered the pork chop which came with mashed potatoes and fresh green beans. Very tasty and tender. My wife order a pasta meal that was one of the best I have ever tasted. We shared of course. Although the weather was bad outside we forgot and enjoyed our meals. Thanks to our waiter and staff for a great date night. read more

Great place to go if you want to have long conversations. Food ok but nothing special. Waitress could be friendly. Acted like a bouncer more than a friendly waitress read more

Went to the Oar House this evening for anniversary - great place everyone wearing masks - It's supposed to be 75% capacity busy evening progresses seem like every single table is filled - i asked the wait staff and the manager came over and I said the same thing and she said something like oh I didn't realize it would be this crowded and I said well it's supposed to be 75% and 6 feet apart and she goes well you're not 6 feet apart from your husband- very unfavorable management response- read more

So this is like an upscale Italian seafood place my sister wanted me to go she took me so I agreed. We had spinach dip and bread at the beginning it was really good and I had a blue cheese salad and she had a Caesar salad it was pretty good the peach tea is pretty good but you need to add a little sugar if you like sweet tea also I got the chicken with the mushrooms it was good but they don't know how to do very well done if you ask for well done. My server Marcus was awesome II tried to do everything he could to help out and make me comfortable he was a good server very fast and efficient and if I do go back I will probably ask for him my bill was $68.96 for three people and I left him at $30 tip because he was that good. My sister and my mother got some pasta tortellini and it was pretty good we came for lunch special but it sure is not a place for kids. read more

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Just had my Birthday dinner here and the food and service were outstanding. Thank you to the entire staff read more