My wife and I love to support small, locally owned businesses and restaurants. We were given the name of a little known, and out of the way restaurant in the heart of Central Texas named, "Oscar Store". We were told that this place has the absolute best steaks anywhere around. This restaurant is located a little ways outside of Temple, Texas in a remote country setting. Now, I grew up in this area and I have honestly never heard of Oscar Store until just a couple days ago.

We decided that we would check it out so we drove out to this place. Oscar Store is set at the corner of a 3 way country road intersection next to an old house that has definitely seen better days. The exterior of Oscar Store itself looks like one of those really old rustic buildings that is covered in corrugated sheet metal that you would see out in the middle of a field somewhere. It is deceiving from the road because it does not look very big but in actuality, it is a rather large restaurant that you are unable to see from the road. It also has an outdoor area with a stage where they periodically have outdoor concerts and other venues. The restaurant is surrounded by one of those old timey wooden log fences that is decorated with old wagon wheels and other really old farm implements. I even saw an old antique saw mill blade. The front entrance is a covered patio with old rustic benches strategically placed to invite conversation.

Once you get inside, the hostess/cashier desk is immediately to your right where you will be greeted with a warm smile and a "Welcome In" greeting. The restaurant is divided up into multiple seating areas/rooms which facilitates the ease of having large parties for different occasions. My wife and I just sat in the seating area near the main entrance. The tables are of different sizes and seating capacities and spread spaciously apart to allow ample room for staff to move about and take care of their tables. This spacing of the tables also allows for private/semi private conversations if that is desired. The decor of the inside is again quaint rustic and antique pieces which are quite interesting to look at. They had an autographed photo of Moe Bandy hanging on their wall as well as other autographed photos of famous individuals who have apparently visited Oscar Store in the past. The staff is super friendly and very attentive as well. Our server immediately brought us some menu's and took our drink and appetizer order. We ordered the Fried Pickles. Y'all, let me tell you this... I LOVE Fried Pickles, they are my favorite. But the Fried Pickles we got at Oscar Store were hands down the Very Best I have ever eaten.

The menu is comprised of "Down Home" country cooking selections ranging from Liver & Onions to Fried Catfish. My wife ordered the Chicken Fried Steak with Country Green Beans and a Baked Potato. I was craving fish so I ordered the Fried Catfish with Turnip Greens and also a Baked Potato. Now they were pretty busy during our visit so service was just a little slow but nothing to get in a twist about. It actually gave my wife and I time to look around at the decor, and to talk and enjoy the ambiance of the whole place.

When our meals arrived, not only did they look amazing, but they also smelled amazing. And the taste? Out of this world. My wife even made the comment, "This chicken fried steak tastes like my Grannie cooked it." Y'all that is the VERY BEST compliment I have ever heard my wife give to a restaurant. That is Really Saying Something about the quality of their food. As for me, I normally put a little salt and pepper on my food at restaurants because they just never seem to season it enough for me, however, something inside told me to just "try it first" so I did. It was so delicious and did not need any seasoning help. They chef had seasoned it perfectly and I was super impressed.

When we received our bill I was pleased to find that it was not overpriced and very comperable to other restaurants in the area. (Or at least in Temple, TX nearby). Overall, this quaint, rustic, hidden gem of a restaurant definitely deserves 5 full stars and my wife and I will definitely return there many times in the future. I Highly Recommend that if you are ever in the area, you should absolutely make "Oscar Store" a priority. Their address is 8133 Oscar Spur, Temple, TX 76501.

If you live in the area or are just traveling through and looking for a good place to eat, you absolutely must try OSCAR STORE!!! You won't regret it and you may miss out on some of the best food if you pass it by.