After being a loyal customer for 15 years it is still one of my favorites. The food is constantly off the charts good! The cognac fillet is my favorite and never disappoints. Wait staff s always great and attentive! Best restaurant in Rockwall! read more

I've been eyeballin' Oar House for about a year. Situated just next to Culpepper's on I-30 at the Horizon exit, I've perused the menu and have wanted to try it for a long long time. It's more expensive than I expected, most entrees are in the $17-$35 range. The atmosphere is casual but nice, with white table cloths there's also with a long bar with a TV taking up most of the front room. It's nice but unpretentious. We stood around for a few minutes before we were acknowledged, long enough to go ask if anyone was going to come seat us and my little impatient hot head was about ready to walk back out. There's no real hostess stand per se and being newbies I even wondered if there was another door we should have gone into. Finally, a young fella beckoned us to come and we followed him to a table. No real "hey, how many tonight?" or anything, just a c'mere wave and grunting gesture towards a table. First impressions, y'all. Finally when we were sat and had drinks I have to say our experience totally improved. The waitress was sweet and fun. We ordered some crab claws and were totally stoked when big ol' claws came out, not the usual baby crab kind. Each hunk of meat was like a yummy crab meatball. For my main course, I had the Cappalini Agli Aspagagi... basically angel hair pasta with shrimp with asparagus and roasted red bell peppers in a garlic wine sauce. It was light and very tasty... for $24 it was very simple, but overall I was happy. Mr. B got the 12oz NY Strip that's topped with portabella mushrooms, onions and a gorgonzola cream sauce. His also came with potatoes and vegetables as a side... there are a la carte sides on the menu so one would assume you'd need to buy sides as well, but be sure to ask- he did and was totally happy with what came with it. He liked his steak but I gotta say, there's no way that lil' fella was 12oz. I'd give it 8oz tops. Still it was very good and for $30, it should be. We finished our wine for dessert and listened to the fella singin' in the corner of the bar. The atmosphere was romantic and laid back- and I loved it. Overall, I really liked my Oar House experience but there were a few aggravations (weird lack of hostess stand situation, menu prices not really in line with the food you get). I see from their website they have a patio that looks nice too! We'll have to check that out soon. read more

The Oar House is a great restaurant. It's as simple as that. The food, first off, is incredible. My last visit was a lunch including appetizers of brushetta and mussels that were sauteed in a fantastic garlic white wine sauce, yummy! My main dish was off the specials menu, a halibut topped with crab and served with asparagus cooked perfectly. There are other pasta dishes to try, and the specials menu had a couple other entrees that I wanted to try before settling on the halibut. The ambiance is mellow and inviting, it looks like an old safari outpost, and has a full size canoe style boat stemming down from the ceiling. If you ever find yourself in the Dallas area I would recommend making the drive over to Rockwall to try this place out! read more

I expected a really nice dinner. It took forever!!!! I'm pretty sure my meal had been cooked for a long time. My steak that I had ordered medium was well done and my sauce was all congealed on top. They did offer to remake it, but it took over a hour to get it in the first place I didn't want to wait longer. They took half off and gave us free desserts which was very nice. Nothing was amazing, probably won't ever go back. read more

I came here on a Saturday night for a double date with friends. I had high expectations for this place, considering the location on the lake. Side note, there's no view of the lake... more like the I-30 service road. Upon entering, I stood awkwardly at the entrance next to the live guitar musician in the corner. There was no hostess stand, and received several weird looks from the folks at the bar. Umm... do we seat ourselves? I walked out to find our other friends, then reentered with everybody. Finally, a hostess came over to greet us and seat us in the back by the kitchen. It took at least 5-10 minutes for anybody to greet us later and bring waters. It took another 10 minutes to receive drinks (2 old fashioned and 1 amaretto sour). We didn't even get our bread until the appetizers came about 20 minutes later. What the heck? You'll notice a recurring theme of poor service in my review. The bread was soggy, and not tasty at all. It tasted like it was frozen and microwaved. We all split a bruscetta appetizer and the grilled shrimp on risotto cakes app. Both were a good start to the meal. For the main dish, I ordered a sea scallop angel hair dish with cream sauce, which tasted like Olive Garden-status. It definitely did not warrant $21. The scallops were diced, which is a shame. I understand it makes it look like you're getting more scallops that way, but I'd rather get 3 properly seared scallops than 15 soggy squares. There was no sear whatsoever on them, yielding them quite bland. The lobster bisque was not memorable, either. It had one tiny piece of seafood, and that was it- mostly cream base. My bf and the couple joining us weren't impressed with their dishes, either. Throughout our stay, the waiter Jesus was not to be found. This was insane, considering during the second half of our meal, we were the only table in the restaurant (besides a few people at the bar). When we got our check, we wanted to ask him to split the bill in half. That would've been easy to do if Jesus was even around. He was hiding in the kitchen. Also, we would see several staff members (waterboys and waiters) walk out of the kitchen with a mouthful of food. How unprofessional is that? If you want to eat, at least close our check and get us out of here first. Conclusion: I wouldn't come back. For the $120 I spent on 2 people, there are a hundred places in DFW I'd rather go first. There's not even a nice lake view! read more

I live in Dallas now, but I grew up in Rockwall. My family still lives there. In all my years as a Rockwallite(?)... Rockwaller(?)... hmm, you get what I'm sayin'... I had never eaten at this restaurant. Well now I'm a fan! I'm surprised by some of the lackluster reviews, but I get that not everyone has the same experience when dining out. All I can say is both the food and service were superb! We came in on a Sunday evening and were celebrating the announcement of my brother and sister-in-law's pregnancy (I'm gonna be a FUNcle, y'all!! -- sounds better than "guncle") and also my Mom and her husband's anniversary. We had wine, cocktails, delicious appetizers, outstanding entrees, and decadent desserts. So we had it all! I got to try escargot for the first time. It was ok... kinda like a very garlic-y booger. The other apps were more my style. I can't remember exactly the steak I ordered, but it was good. The seafood entrees that others ordered were outstanding (my Mom gave me a hefty serving of her meal when she got full). Thanks Mom! The desserts were simple (i.e. strawberries with a cream sauce and also cheesecake) yet satisfying enough. Shout out to our server, Houston. He was personable, knowledgeable with the menu, and spot on throughout the meal. Side note: I would categorize this place as a little more upscale and intimate... like a good date place. So it was a little peculiar when we were leaving and two guys (probably early 20s) came in wearing tank tops. *shrug* read more

Visited The Oar House today for lunch and had a really great experience! I would've thought the prices were going to be out of control, but I was wrong they was in line with all the other restaurants in town. All the food was great and service was good, if I could make any recommendations it would be to add another waitress. read more

Ok... cool old building. Culpepper is next door as well. I enjoy their wagyu steak for sure. As for the Oar House. Way over priced mediocre food. Wasn't bad, wasn't great. I don't mind paying extra for a dining experience but, meh! Server was great first of all. Their bread is a smashed buttered hot dog bun or hoagie maybe cut into strips. I got the lobster bisque which was a lot of bisque if you know what I mean. Wife enjoyed her shrimp and pasta but definitely won't be back. Old building, old smells, and we were definitely the youngest in the establishment. Oh and my margarita even after adding a double was way too sweet. Good Luck read more

We have been here several times and the food is always en pointe, the restaurant is relaxing,and service is efficient. You will never go thirsty here as the beverage guy is always doing his job. The food comes out slow and methodical like all other fine restaurants. Good food takes patience. This place is worth the wait. The homemade salad dressings are all delicious. The salmon is superb. My teens love the chicken parmigiana.It is a large portion at dinner that can easily be shared. This is a great place to go on a romantic date, out for drinks or with the teens for a family dinner. Put the phones away, enjoy the conversation and relax! read more

Horrible service for the high prices they have. We just ordered an appetizer (Bruschetta) Almost $9.00 for just 5 pieces of cold dry baguette bread, sprinkled with chopped tomatoes and goat cheese. As a former food and beverage Director, their cost of that appetizer, could not exceed $1.00 We sat at the bar, and the bartender seem too busy socializing, and not taking care of her customers. After that horrible expensive appetizer we decided not to order dinner, payed our bill and Left, to never come back again. I do not recommend. RC Rockwall read more

Atmosphere is cozy. Server was excellent but it took over an hour to get food once ordered. People seated after us were finished eating when we received our food. Have been several times the service has always been good but the kitchen seems to be disorganized. read more

I love this place. The food is delicious. They have my favorite steak and salad. It is pricey but the food is really good. Great for a date night or special occasion. read more

This place has good high quality food and fairly good service. It's fairly popular on the weekends. It has a romantic type atmosphere EXCEPT......... They sit a table for TWO RIGHT next to the other tables for two. Meaning, you are SO close to the other tables that you might as well be eating WITH THEM! Terrible, terrible seating for TWO! TERRIBLE! Adequate service, good food (a bit salty for me), nice atmosphere for a party LARGER THAN TWO! I will NOT return to this restaurant because of their seating for TWO is literally like eating at the same table with others. Terribly disappointed. I would suggest that YOU try this restaurant if you a 4+ people, but NOT dinner for TWO! read more

From the moment you walk in the service is exceptional. The waiter and cook couldn't get any better. The food was fabulous. I would totally recommend this restaurant. read more

Meh. Wanted to like this more since it's been a local mainstay for years. Some things great, some things poor. Handicapped access and seating EXCELLENT. Great atmosphere. Food - disappointing. I ordered beef medalions - ample portion and plenty tender but super salty. Wife ordered halibut which had strong fishy smell despite claim all fish is fresh. Service - poor. We had a table in front, we think our waiter had most of his tables in the back because we rarely saw him. Salads took forever to arrive, same for dinners and check. Like several other complaints here, we wanted to re-order but were afraid it would take another hour so we just ate what we got. We expected a much better experience for this price range. read more

My wife's all time favorite Rockwall restaurant. The food is always prepared perfectly and the service rivals the best of any restaurants. The executive lunches are a real bargin and our favorite time to dine. Great fresh seafood and excellent steaks. If you have never been, you gotta go there. If you can, ask for Matt to be your waiter. read more

We had high hopes for this place but they were definately not met. Our waiter had a great personality and was very nice and our food tasted decent when we did finally get it. Certainly not worth the price. We ordered the bruchetta for an appetizer and the menu says it has goat cheese but instead it is feta. The lobster bisque was great, some of the best I've had but the salad had so much dressing it wasn't edible. We ordered a steak and a pasta dish with shrimp and Angel hair pasta. It took almost an hour (52 minutes) to get our meals. The steak dish was great but the shrimp dish just didn't start off well considering all the tails were still on the shrimp. By the time it cooled enough to take them off, the whole dish was cold and not good. All in all it was disappointing and we will likely not return. read more

food is very good. They have a great lunch menu and a good value with nice portions. That was my lunch experience. I would rate it at a 4 star. Dinner: Service is odd.. Not sure why they would hire someone with such a heavy accent?? its not a Mexican restaurant!. and don't order a cocktail with simple syrup!! becase we were told the bartender would not make it! We sat there in disbelief. Thought perhaps the language barrier was an issue. But no. Turns out the place just couldn't care less about the customer.. So we walked away from our table.... and we went where they would! Not gonna waste 150+$ and a date night on a place like that. read more

Came in for a nice dinner with my family. Walked in and no hostess to be found, they don't even have one near the door. So you essentially have wait near the door and look around like a deer in the headlights until someone shows up to seat you. Finally we get seated after two minutes of waiting at the front next to the musician (who was fantastic btw), the menus are made out of paper, they are nearly two feet long and take up a lot of the table space (especially if there are four people at a table). On top of this they then place additional paper menus that have the wine list on them as well as another paper menu for the starters. So by the time you sit down the entire table is taken up by these oversized menus. I mean seriously, paper menus? Our server comes over to take our drink order. I ask what's on draft and they say they only have bottled. Okay that's fine. Well my beer comes and they sit not only my bottle down, but an empty glass as well. You make customers pour their own beer into a glass? The glass given couldn't even fit the entire 12 oz beer completely inside on top of this. Bread was given 5-10 minutes after asking for it and it tasted great! I had a cup of the lobster bisque and it tasted pretty good as well. When our entrees came out only one our of four plates was hot to the touch. I looked at my friends dish and saw that some of the pasta had hardened due to being overheated/overcooked. I tasted the diced chicken along with some of the pasta/sauce. All I tasted was tomato sauce. No other flavors were present. I'm quite positive they shoved it in the oven and forgot about it. The manger did comp this plate however. This place used to be so much better. The service was slow and the food was par/subpar. I do not (and did not) expect this kind of quality from such an establishment that charges these kinds of prices. I will not be returning. read more

To start off I wasn't originally intending to go here, and it was my birthday and on top of that my anniversary with my boyfriend. We had originally went to texas road house where , oh you can read that review after this one but anyway, we were greeted promptly at the door by a man named Matt. Very friendly and complimenting to me as every one else there, after our drink order was taken the chef came out and greeted us. Then we had bread come followed by soup which was lobster bisque it was delicious. I ordered a halibut with the asparagus Spears I was stuffed as was my boyfriend. They had live music and it was wonderful. Nice and quiet inside for a Friday late night dinner. It was fantastic and a surprise. read more

My husband and I went there last night with another couple for dinner. We could see an empty table for four as soon as we walked in. 25 minutes later we were seated at the same table. I ordered the Caesar salad ($8.00) and the fillet ($32.00). The Caesar salad was tiny and wilted with parmesan cheese that comes out of a can. My husbands salad was about the same. The fillet came with sautéed vegetables and roasted potatoes. Both were tiny portions. The fillet was OK and the sauce was really good. Would have been delicious with more potatoes. Our waiter was OK but nothing special. I think for the money I would opt for Culpepoers next time. I believe they have the same owner but I've had much better experiences there. I've seen reviews saying the Oar House lunch is good but three stars is generous for this place for dinner. read more

Service was great. Food was slow to arrive and luke warm in some of our dishes. Atmosphere is okay...a little out dated but okay. Within a long walking distance of the Hilton. read more

My wife and I first visited the Oar House when we were in the area on a job interview a few years back and loved the food and atmosphere. Although I did not take that job a few years ago, We recently moved to Rockwall and decided to try it again. We were not disappointed. The food remains excellent both in variety and quality. The atmosphere was excellent as well. The only negative is that we were seated close to a door on a cold evening and occasionally got hit with a blast of cold air. But that did not detract from an excellent dining experience. My wife and I will definitely be visiting again. read more

I love this place; I live out of town and whenever I come to town this restaurant is my first choice. I love the filet with the peppercorn sauce. I usually reserve the small room for intimate dinner parties. The wine is is great so you have a good choice to choose from. read more

Came for lunch with two friends. Parking was easy, lot was clean and uncrowded. The place had an old musty smell inside. My nose adapted after 10-15 min. Lighting looks too dark for lunch, but perfect for an evening date. Lunch menu had good variety, I got the Ravioli di Formagio (cheese ravioli), lobster bisque, and Caesar salad. Not a fan of the sun-dried tomatoes on the Ravioli. It had a fish sauce smell. The contrast was very unpleasant. The prosciutto was OK. I couldn't tell it apart from your average holiday ham cut into rectangular strips. Honestly, I don't think it was prosciutto due to the lack of marbling and how thick it was. Cheese ravioli was good, not great, good. It could have been better, but the sun-dried tomatoes overpowered the Madeira bordelaise. Now, let's discuss what IS good. The lobster bisque. Chunks of lobster awaits your mouth in a rich creamy tomato base that is slightly tart. A common problem I find with bisques restaurants make is that they are salty, not this one, it's perfect. Lobster bisque alone was worth the visit. Gamberetti al Limone (shrimp scampi) was delicious. Lemon cream sauce doubled as a bread dip after the shrimp was gone. Waiter was good. He's a busy man for lunch time. I had to wait a bit on water because he got sucked into a problem with a customer at the bar. Bad day for mister waiter. But before that, he was very attentive and even gave my friends a sample cup of the lobster bisque. In all the experience was good. Set aside more time than usual for lunch if you are coming here. I recommend this place for an evening date. Giving this place a 4 star instead of 3 because I ruled out personal taste on the ravioli, someone else may enjoy it, just not me. I REALLY hope they do something about that musty smell of what I assume is old wood and brick read more

First visit. Surprised at the brunch only menu at 1;30. Waitress could care less, just lousy overall begging for bread, begging for butter. 1 meal wasn't served as ordered . Warm beer, pretty much told I didn't know what a cold beer. Lousy dry spaghetti oh I could go on. The topper was the 26.00 gratuity added to bill, for Mothers Day, waitress no where to be found of course to even ask..pathetic place.. read more

Great experience celebrating a birthday. Appetizer - Mussels in red sauce delicious! Mussels were huge and meaty, no grit and sauce was delicious. Great item to share. Shrimp and Lobster bisque also deliciously rich as it should be. Onion Soup, no crouton or cheese topping, so this was not really what I expected. Broth was good though. Roasted Beet salad wonderful. Entrees were also great. One pasta dish and one chicken dish. Both great flavors and good portion sizes. Too full for dessert. Ambience is extremely rustic, nautical feel. One might say a little musty on the inside. Very cozy, darker interior. Live music, acoustic guitar was a nice touch. Prices were reasonable for this location and I will definitely be back, now that I live near here. Good find and I highly recommend it! read more

Good meal. We had the halibut and NY strip. We were there on a special occasion - NY eve and didn't realize it was a fixed price limited menu. The four course meal was very good. We also ordered a $65 bottle of wine and two cocktails. Our shock came when our waiter presented the bill with his 20% tip added. When we asked if it was their practice to add the 20% tip for a table of two - his response was disappointing. Ironically, we would have likely tipped 20% plus but the fact that a third of our bill was alcohol and the presumptuous and arrogant attitude changed our experience and opinion of the restaurant. read more

Great atmosphere. Wonderful and personal service and good food choices. A little tight for a group but if you are close and ok w being close it's perfect. read more

We stopped in here expecting a steakhouse/new American based on Yelp, so were a bit surprised to find it to be Italian. We decided to go with the flow. I had the shrimp with asparagus and bell peppers in a white wine sauce the boyfriend opted for lasagna. We were both pleased with our dishes. The coolest part of the experience was the gorgeous bar and friendly service. Drinks were good and not too skimpy on the booze. They had nice (I.e. Not too loud) live music that was just starting up as we left. read more

Always our special occasion place. We had 8 family members here for Christmas time dinner. Excellent service and food. It took about 2.5 hours to complete our meal which was great for family talking but it was almost too long. Might suggest getting meal out a little quicker and receiving dessert menus quicker after meal read more

Food was just amazing! Had the blackened shrimp appetizer and the duck as a main course. I've never had duck breast, only the leg. Such a taste explosion! Service was fair for the price of the meal. Waiter was very attentive when he was at my table, but had to wait on more than one occasion. Otherwise it would have been a 5! I'll be back read more

Went to dinner with my husband. We are new to the area and wanted some Italian food. The food was excellent. We had calamari and chicken crepes. The crepes were excellent. I ordered chicken parmigiana and he had Chilean sea bass with oysters. The building was cool. Previous reviews had as leary, but we were very happy with our experience. Jose was our waiter. He took the time to thoroughly go over the menu and some recommendations. He's a very nice guy with great customer service. Not sure why other people had such mediocre experiences. When we were there, we were satisf ies beyond our expectations. read more

I have only ever eaten lunch here, but it is great! You get bread and then choice of soup or salad before your meal comes, so prepared to be stuffed! They have a wonderful selection of pastas with seafood, chicken and beef. The Crespelle di Arrogosta (lobster crepes ) are so rich and my favorite! A dimly lit, cozy atmosphere. Would make a great business lunch or dinner date! read more

Excellent lunch with 3 generations of my family. All were happy. And the friendliest, most helpful waitress. This is an excellent choice!

The Oar House in Rockwall is great! With chefs who have been there 25 years, they have a good thing down to the last mushroom!! Try the Spaghetti Carbonara- OMG - it is fabulous!! The Gorgonzola Salad is our favorite salad- although my son thought it was a bit skimpy on the greens last night, but the fact remains that the combination of ingredients is incredible. Well done Oar House- we'll be back!! - Jami Owen read more

The best thing about this place is seeing it in my rear view mirror when we were leaving.The waitress and manager are incompetent. We had to ask for bread, waitress didn't explain menu to us first time diners (and last), no knowledge of wine menu, 1 1/2 hours to get entree, and food was cold. When we told manager about cold food all he could say was "I been watching the food come out of the kitchen" What? The only good thing was another waiter noticed we didn't have bread after we had been sitting there for 30 minutes (Need to make this guy the manager). When I plan on dropping $150 for a meal I expect to be waited on and if I have a complaint I would expect the manager to take my complaint a little more serious. Also, I ordered a medium rare NY Strip and it was almost well done. If you are looking to eat at a place where the service sucks, the food is fair at best, and overpriced, then this place is for you. Spend your hard earned money somewhere else. read more

Curbside worked beautifully and food delicious and hot!!!! Ready when we told them we would be there and packed well!!!

Beautiful atmosphere, great spot in Rockwall. The bar is wonderful....this has been a mainstay in Rockwall for many, many years. Unfortunately, the service & food both fail to live up to the ambiance. The service is quite arrogant & unapologetic. The menu is written beautifully, yet the food is a total let down. For the price, one should expect great food. To be fair, I didnt have everything on the menu. BUT, with a party of 4...(oh, they lost our reservation btw...& was quite rude when we were told that we didn't have one), we had quite a variety of the menu from apps to entrees to dessert. Best thing was the tiramisu. I had mussels that weren't cooked all the way (sent them back). The bruschetta was average. The calamari was acceptable. The NY strip was disappointing. The Wahoo was ok. Again, for the prices, one should.really enjoy the service & meal. I do not recommend eating there. Great place for happy hour or drinks. I was really bummed out because when I was much younger, this place was stellar. read more

Probably the worst meal since moving to the area. Not even good old time home cooking. Absolute garbage. Worse than cafeteria food. Watered down, flavorless, extremely overpriced junk. Do not waste your money!! read more