New-York style and deep-dish pizzas, giant portion sizes, and quick service. That’s what Oscars Grill in Isla Mujeres is known for. However, is it actually worth a stop on your way to the south of the island, or are there better places on the island?
Having eaten here five times over the past two years, I think I can give you a pretty good idea of whether or not Oscars is worth a visit for you. Let’s dive into this Oscars Grill Isla Mujeres review!
Isla Mujeres Oscars Grill Menu: What to Order (and What I Always Get)
Oscars is known for the value for money that you get. Let’s see what they have to offer.
Drinks – The Usual Suspects
In terms of drinks, Oscars doesn’t really have a signature drink. You’ll find the usual suspects, such as a variety of beers, spirits, sodas, and cocktails. It’s all ice cold, and the alcohol mixed drinks are typically quite strong. It’s good value for money overall.
Food – Absolute Abundance
Oscar’s serves a mix of Mexican, American, and Italian foods. We got tacos, fajitas, burritos, seafood dishes, and enchiladas on the Mexican side, hamburgers and New York-style pizza on the American side, and a variety of pastas on the Italian side.
On the island, Oscars is mainly known for its pizza. That’s also how the restaurant started back in the day. At the time of writing, we live in the neighbourhood that’s right next to Oscar. So, whenever we feel like having pizza and not going to the northern part of the island, we’ll head to Oscars.
They serve two kinds of pizzas: New York Delgada (thin crust) and Siciliana Cuadrada Gruesa, which is a deep-dish pizza. In my humble opinion, the pizzas are gigantic. Both my girlfriend and I can easily eat a full Italian-style pizza. However, at Oscars, we typically just share a pizza because it’s so much. We also go for the thin-crust pizza, because the deep-dish ones are even bigger.
The pizzas are very good for a New York-style pizza. Personally, I prefer Italian-style pizzas with a way thinner crust, but in terms of this style, Oscars is the only place on the island that delivers it. I’m guessing that’s also one of the reasons why it’s so popular with the North-American tourist that mainly visit here. It’s also why I gave it a spot in my list of best restaurants in Isla Mujeres.
Also good to know, you also get served 5 large pieces of garlic bread sprinkled with Parmesan cheese before your meal. It’s delicious, but another reason why we can’t typically finish a whole pizza by ourselves 😉
Isla Mujeres Oscars Grill Prices: Is It Worth It?
For the amount of food that you’re getting, Oscars is definitely worth it.
When we look at the drinks menu, we see that beers are 60 pesos ($3 USD), whereas cocktails will cost anything between 120 pesos and 220 pesos ($6 – 11 USD). Most of them will be somewhere in the 120 – 150 pesos ($6 – $7.5 USD). All in all, not the cheapest on the island, but right about where I would expect prices to be.
When we move on to the food menu, we see that most pizzas will cost between 190 – 300 pesos ($9.5 – 15 USD) per pizza. Pizzas with seafood can go all the way to 585 pesos ($29 USD). Overall, the pizzas are incredible value for the amount of food you’re getting. Also, keep in mind that the garlic knot bread pieces you get beforehand are completely free.
Other dishes, such as pastas (170 – 270 pesos / $8.5 – 13.5 USD), Mexican dishes (210 – 290 pesos / $10.5 – 14.5 USD), and hamburgers (140 – 160 pesos / $7 – 8 USD) provide tremendous value for the amount of food you’re getting as well.
Best Time to Visit (Avoid the Wait)
What’s the best time to visit Oscars Grill? Well, if you’re visiting Isla Mujeres during high season (January – April), you can either show up early or make a reservation if you don’t want to wait.
Oscars is a very popular place for dinner, especially during the busiest season. You can make a reservation on their website. I would recommend this, especially if you want to show up with a group of more than five people. The restaurant is pretty big for island standards, but it fills up really quickly.
If you have a smaller group and show up between the hours of 6:30 and 8 PM, I would expect you to wait 10-20 minutes, depending on the day (Friday and Saturday are the busiest).
We have eaten here four times; however, in all cases, it was a weekday (though during high season), and it was after 8 PM. We’ve never had to wait for a table, even when we showed up with a group of eight people. It’s really all about timing.
What the Atmosphere Is Really Like
One of the best things about Oscars is the vibe. The complete restaurant is outdoor seating (although it is largely covered, so you can still sit there when it rains). Overall, it’s busy, all the furniture is made out of wood (the chairs and tables near the roadside are comically large), and the music is a combination of English classics and modern pop, but never really too loud.
Oscars also has a terrace near the water; however, this is open only during certain months of the year. Last time we asked the waiter, and he told us the terrace is only open in the months of December, January, and February. This seems weird to me as it gets way busier on the island between March and April, but there’s probably a reason for it.
The staff at Oscars is typically friendly. I do sometimes get the feeling that they want to get you out the door a little too quickly in order to free up a table, but they’ve never been unfriendly to me.
Vegetarian, Vegan, and Dietary Options
I’m a vegetarian myself, and so is my girlfriend, so we know what kind of hoops you have to jump through to find something to eat.
Oscars really isn’t the pinnacle for vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free dining. As a vegetarian, your options are limited to the basics. We’re talking a pizza margherita or vegetarian, vegetarian enchiladas, and some pasta options such as pasta alfredo or vegetarian lasagna. As a vegan, you can ask to take the cheese out of the vegetarian enchiladas, but that’s about as far as you’ll get here.
If you’re gluten-free, you’ll have to take the meat options or pick one of the Mexican dishes. The Mexican dishes that use tortillas are all made with corn, so that’s a good option as well.
Is Oscars Grill Good for Remote Work or Long Dinners?
Oscars really isn’t the place for getting some work done or for sitting down for long dinners. During the day, it’s quite crowded. It’s also located right next to a road, which means if you want to concentrate or have some calls, this probably isn’t the spot. Also, they have big tables that seat a minimum of four people. Everything in this restaurant is focused on eating big meals and not on having a small coffee and tuning into work for a couple of hours.
In terms of long, relaxing dinners, Oscars also wouldn’t be my place of choice. The service is quick, the food is quick, and getting the bill is quick. Of course, they’ll let you sit there without a problem as long as you’re eating/drinking or ordering, but during rush hour, table turnover is a priority for them.
Oscars is best for people who are on their way to Punta Sur or who are going back to the North after spending a day at one of the beach clubs down south. It’s good food, served quickly.
Location: How to Get There Easily
Oscars is located near the middle of the island, on the western side. This is the exact location. Strategically, this is a good spot because it’s right on the road that leads most tourists with golf carts from north to south and the other way around.
If you have a golf cart, bike, or scooter, you can park it right on the side of the road next to Oscar. Keep in mind that during lunch and dinner time, it will get busy, and parking will be limited. You can also drive into the neighbourhood that’s right next to Oscar and temporarily park your vehicle right there.
If you need to take a taxi from the north, you can go to the taxi station and stand in line. That’ll take five minutes. The drive to Oscar should be no more than 150 pesos ($7.5 USD). If they’re trying to charge you 200 pesos or more, they’re heavily overcharging, which does regularly happen.
If you’re coming from the northern part of the island, it will take around 10 minutes to drive down to Oscar.
How Isla Mujeres Oscars Grill Compares to Other Dinner Spots
If you’re looking for big portion sizes, reasonable prices, and classic Mexican, American, and some Italian cuisine, Oscars is the right place for you. There’s no other restaurant on the island that provides New York-style or deep-dish pizzas in this quantity for this price. Hell, there’s not even another restaurant that has these dishes to begin with, as far as I know.
It’s also a great restaurant if you’re with a larger group, as they have many tables that can sit 8 people easily.
If you’re looking for an authentic Mexican experience or a place that has a cozy vibe, Oscars isn’t the best option, and there are other restaurants on the main street (Avenida Miguel Hidalgo) that provide better options. Options include Lola Valentina, Oceans, El Patio, and La Terazza, to name a few.
FAQ About Isla Mujeres Oscars Grill
What is Isla Mujeres Oscars Grill known for?
Oscars Grill on Isla Mujeres is known for New York-style and deep-dish pizza and large portion sizes.
Does Isla Mujeres Oscars Grill take reservations?
Yes, Oscars Grill takes reservations. You can go to their website (oscarsgrill.shop) or call +52 998 888 0916 to make a reservation. Making a reservation is advised if your group is larger than four people.
How long is the wait at Isla Mujeres Oscars Grill?
This depends on the season, the day of the week, and the time. If you’re visiting on Saturday, between 6:30 and 8:30 PM in the months of January to April, you may have to wait up to 20 minutes. If you’re visiting outside of these months, the waiting time drops to 5-10 minutes. During weekdays, there’s often no waiting time at all.
Is Isla Mujeres Oscars Grill cash only?
No, Oscars Grill also takes card payments at no additional fee.
What are the opening hours of Isla Mujeres Oscars Grill?
Oscars Grill is open daily from 10 AM – 11:30 PM.
Is Isla Mujeres Oscars Grill kid-friendly?
Oscars Grill is kid-friendly in the sense that their dishes cater to the tastes that children typically enjoy. It is not kid-friendly in the sense that there are no playground areas within the restaurant or nearby. Also, it’s located right next to a road.
Can you work remotely from Isla Mujeres Oscars Grill?
Working remotely from Oscar is theoretically possible, but it’s not advised since the restaurant can get really busy during lunch and dinner times.
Is Isla Mujeres Oscars Grill worth visiting?
Yes, Oscars Isla Mujeres is worth visiting if you’re looking for American-style pizzas, Mexican dishes, and big portion sizes. It’s also a great restaurant for larger groups.
