Oshkosh Restaurant Tips by Tugboatguy Top 5 Page for this destination

The Jade Dragon: Oshkosh's Finest Dine-In Chinese Restaurant

A wonderfully hospitable Chinese sit-down restaurant conveniently located just across the street kiddy-corner from The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Scott Hall dorm on Wisconsin Street is not to be missed if you like large portions of excellent Chinese food. The extensive menu contains 79 main dishes, twelve appetizers and seven soup choices. There is additionally six special Health Foods for takeout only and fifteen Chef Special dishes. A special kid's menu can be requested. For lunch there are twenty additional selections served between 10:30 am and 3:00 pm Monday through Saturday. All can be taken out also, in pints or quart sizes. Plan on taking some time to study the extensive culinary choices. I ate there several times over a nine day period and everything was excellent. I judge a Chinese restaurant by its Hot and Sour soup, and the Jade Dragon's was right up there with the best I have sampled. The L-shaped restaurant has both comfortable booths and tables that can adjust to the size of the guest party. This is a family operation with a partner who helps wherever necessary. Delivery and takeout is also available. Note: Menu is also in Chinese. Spicy dishes are in red type and degree of spiciness can be specified (as to number of red peppers, for example).

Don't fail to check out their attractive website-Colorful, Classy, Clever, Complete!

Open 7 days a week Mon.-Sat.-10:30 am to 11:00 pm and Sundays 11:00 am to 11:00 pm.

Favorite Dish: I found actually three favorite dinners. In addition to the wonderful cup of hot and sour soup to start (a bowl is also available), I preferred the Mongolian Beef dinner or the Kung Po spicy Beef dinner, both served with white rice, tea and fortune cookies. Servings are huge and tasty with many vegetables. You may specify NO MSG (mono-sodium glutamate) if not MSG-tolerant. I also tried the House Special Egg Foo Young which was also excellent, and almost too much food.

Address: 252 Wisconsin Street. Oshkosh 54901

Comparison: about average

Directions: Wisconsin street is a main north/south street running through the main campus of the U of W-Oshkosh not far from downtown.

Other Contact: FAX: 920 236-0780

Phone: 920 236-0799

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 5

Theme: Chinese/Dim Sum

Website: http://www.jadedragonosh.com

El Azteca Restaurant: Authentic Mexican Food and Ambience

El Azteca has five Wisconsin locations besides the Oshkosh restaurant.There are two in Appleton, one in Neenah and one in DePere, Wisconsin, which latter is called El Maya. The Oshkosh restaurant is a large, beautifully decorated multi-room restaurant with a huge menu and moderate pricing. They feature both Aztec specialties and Maya dinners, as well as combination dinners, appetizers, side orders, a la carte selections, salads, Mexican grill dinners, seafood, vegetarian plates, American favorites, five Aztec Express lunches, fourteen other lunch specials, desserts, beverages including beer, cocktail specials, wine, daiquiries and margaritas and a selection of Aztec specialties in addition to soft drinks, coffee, ice tea, root beer, Coke, Sprite, lemonade and milk. Free refills on selected beverages.

If you cannot find something to like out of this huge selection, they have a sports bar and lounge with multiple TVs off the lobby which does not intrude on the dining rooms. Two outdoor patios through glass doors serve al fresca lunches in good weather. The interior is immaculately clean and a small army of staff gives you instant attention with excellent service. Comfortable, large booths or tables can seat a large group or the sole diner. I ate here several times over nine days, always in the evening, and the crowds on week nights were a good indication of the restaurant's reputation for fine food and service. If you like Mexican food, you cannot go wrong at an El Azteca. All meals served with complimentary chips and two kinds of salsa. Lower prices at lunch.

Favorite Dish: Either of the Carnitas dinner or the Carne Asada dinner were favorite selections. The Carnitas dinner was prepared in a healthy manner by steam-frying pork pieces rather than deep frying as is usual elsewhere. Sides were salad, rice, beans, tomatoes, and your choice of warm corn or flour tortillas.

The Carne Asada dinner was a great marinated steak prepared to order, with sides of rice and beans, tomatoes, onions and slice of avocado with jalapeno. Portions are large and filling. you won't go away hungry.

The care taken to prepare the Carnitas pork in a different lower-fat manner than deep-frying was a first for me. I appreciated this nice touch to an old favorite in Mexican restaurants. The helpful attentive staff were all Latinos which also bespoke authenticity of all selections and courtesy.

Address: 30 Wisconsin Street. Oshkosh 54901

Comparison: about average

Directions: Wisconsin Street is a main north south street running through the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh not far from downtown Oshkosh.

Other Contact: FAX: 920 337-0553

Phone: 920 337-0552

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 5

Theme: Mexican