The Oceanaire

2 out of 5 Stars

Website
5061 Westheimer Rd
Houston, TX 77056
(832) 487-8862

NOTE: This is a review of the BAR menu only.

After many failed attempts to hit up Oceanaire for a celebratory meal, my friend and I finally sampled its fare by way of the bar menu. I'm on a budget and if I'm going to splurge, it's not going to be on a ho-hum Thursday night. Almost everything on the bar menu was under $10, so I figured it was a great way to sample Oceanaire's "way" with the creatures from the sea.

I will review our selections from best to worst.

Oceanaire offers tuna, crab cake, and cheeseburger sliders (who doesn't these days??).

Ironically, the cheeseburger was the winner. They managed to cook the burger medium rare which is pretty amazing considering the size of the patty - juicy and succulent and topped with the sweetest caramelized onions.

The crab cake slider was meh and the the tuna was not ordered.

Next up......we began a lustful affair with the fish and chips. Let me explain. At first bite, the fish was great! The golden batter was just right (sweet and crispy) and still allowed you to enjoy the fish. It went downhill from there. I quickly realized the dish had no real substance (IE - I got bored with the flavor). I didn't even attempt to finish my portion. The "chips" were perfection as I prefer them fine and salty.

And then there was the "chopped" salad with shrimp and crab meat. Frankly, they should feel embarrassed to bring this out to a paying customer. Claiming the salad was chopped was a blatant lie. They topped the (not wedge salad) with shrimp the size of my toenail and crab meat that tasted like water. If there was dressing on the salad, it was not memorable. This was a big fail.

Needless to say, the meal was mediocre at best. What was memorable was the service - top notch even at the bar. Our waiter was very attentive. Along with excellent bread, they give you olives to nosh on while your order is being prepared.

As a seafood fan, I was sad to see the burger, bread and service as the highlight of my experience at Oceanaire. Perhaps the bar menu was not the way to go. Regardless, I will not be returning to Oceanaire (at least on my dime).