Best Casual Restaurants in Oakville

I enjoy dining @ O & O! The service is excellent and the food is delicious. I like the pasta with the lobster and the salad is very fresh. Thank you Carl for your great service tonight! I missed seeing Victoria! You are very kind and thoughtful! Megan

Being an executive chef in the past, I’m usually not all that impressed with restaurants. I’m frugal. I figure if I’m going to spend money on someone else to prepare my food, I’d better be making yummy noises with every bite… RARELY does that happen. For our 34th anniversary, my wife and I decided to give Russel’s a go. The atmosphere was quiet and charming, intimate. The wine selection was well suited to the menu. We started with the baked ricotta… Simple, delicious, unctuous. Main course: I ordered the pork chops, my wife ordered the pot roast. Two simple, humble, basic entrées readily found in any home kitchen. THIS was not home cooking. Both meals were visually stunning. The pot roast was melt in your mouth, delicious. The hint of sweetness form the braising reduction, paired with the light bite of the horseradish, along the the creaminess of the potatoes was a perfect bite. My meal, the pork chops, ummm… WOW! A thick double chop, that I honestly thought would be on the bland side. However, the chef was able to pull flavor all the way through the chop. Cooked to a perfect med-rare center, without the exterior becoming even a little dry and chewy is a feat, but they did it. The depth of flavor was amazing, tasting different nuances in every bite. Yes, I made yummy noises with every bite, my apologies to the table next to us. As a chef, I’m usually left searching for that “extra something” in my food… it’s called “love”. The back of the house staff is obviously very skilled, producing an incredible plate, but they also put their heart into their craft, giving that “extra something” that we crave. Hat’s off, knives down to you Russel’s on Macklind. You’ve made this chef very happy.

Really enjoyed the atmosphere, food and drinks were great. Definitely worth checking out.

I've had the pleasure of dining at Twisted Tree for the last two nights. Both experiences were pleasurable with good friends and delicious food. The servers and all the wait staff are kind, knowledgeable and quick to take care of their customers. The food has always been perfect. From salad to our meals everyone raves about their experience. I highly recommend everyone give Twisted Tree their business!

Great dinner and service at Trattoria Toscana. Only concern was that the restaurant was packed and it was hard at first to have a table discussion with my guest.