Oscar's Diner Luxembourg

When you move to a new city, in this case Luxembourg, often the best way to discover the local area, is to simply walk around the neighborhoods.  Doing this with very little plan or actual understanding where you are going or want to go. When doing this you bumped into so many little corners, shops, parks, and city neighborhoods that each bring out the charm or special atmosphere of what a city always has to offer. I had to run an errand to the post office which is not to far from the main train station of Luxembourg. In an effort not to walk back the same way I cut up a side street. I came up to some shops, eateries, specialist stores and quite a few bars and cafes. The street had a wonderful feel of people out and about, quite a few locals enjoying an afternoon coffee or drink, and with a few open fruit stalls a sense of a place alive and well.



I have over the years always enjoyed playing pool, and as I was heading by one shopfront I came up onto this place http://www.oscarsdiner.lu/

What I like about it immediately was the open windows onto the street it had from the store front. It was a hot summers day, so you could pop in through the entrance or just through the open windows from the street that came up onto tables that looked out on the street. I walked into a dinning area and in the back was a large play area full of pool tables, two snooker tables and a row of nicely set up dart boards. All around big screens showing sport. I walked in and met one of the bar tenders, Curtis, who let me look around, and shared that the best burger in town was available here. Hearing this, my curiosity peeked, quite a statement to make. He said it with such a casual and non arrogant manner, I was in my mind jotting the address and location in my head. Need to come back.

A few days later, I mentioned this to a couple of our friends, and they said Oscar's was had been a popular place with people from our new work place to come on a Friday to have a drink and catch up.  In my own mind I was thinking having a place with pool tables and claiming the best burger in town was quite a combo. I and my friend, Graeme,  made a plan for a Friday night out.  Shoot some pool and try the burger. Naturally I went with a little apprehension, and tried to have no expectations.



We ordered a couple beers on tap and then both choose the cheese burger. While talking to the bar tender we where told how the staff make all the ingredients fresh, and the meat is selected and beef ground on location. We here presented with a nice wooden board, fries in newspaper, with the lettuce, tomato, and onion on the side. There was the option for a couple other style of fries.  We stuck with the classic. The burger came with a special Portuguese style bun, from a traditional recipe. A interesting side note, there is a large vibrant Portuguese community in Luxembourg who make up one of the largest non Luxembourg groups in the country. Naturally having an influence of its own on Luxembourg culture, this seems to one of them. The bun had a more rustic look with a very very light coating of fresh floor, and a slightly harder crust on the outside, and then soft light white/ brown on the inside. The beef patty was fresh, juicy and was done medium rare. Interesting we where actually never asked how we wanted the meat done, and what was delivered was perfect. The meat was delicious, a fresh flavorful taste and enough redness to give you the full essence of the beef but cooked on the outer edges which provided a nice jacket coating, and lovely taste. The size was good, and the bun which had its on flavor. This added to the combination of the condiments and beef, a nice taste. Again one of my pet peeves is the buns that crumbles, but here having cut the bun in half the bun kept in all the ingredients, their moisture and flavor and with a more crisp outside did a nice job of acting as a trap for the meat and condiments. I must say I came in with much apprehension, and somewhat skeptical. There is no doubt that the time and culinary skill behind the meat, the grind and cooking was outstanding. I loved the idea of the Portuguese bun and the fact the meat had enough blood red freshness to bring out the full flavor and nicely complimented with the outer patty being nicely cooked.

Both bartenders were very friendly, great service, warm and up for conversation. The feel of the place had this "your local" atmosphere where you could see some patrons came here a lot, others just tourists, then your pool players, and me enjoying this new burger place. The down to earth feel, and the combination of people coming for good food, playing pool, darts or just to hang to watch one of the many big screens show sports, gave off a good positive vibe. Definitely a place I see myself coming back with friends. Restlessburger gives a 9 rating.