The Oaks Restaurant

Wonderful food! Service can be a tad slow but they are always so friendly, helpful and nice. Definitely the place to sit down and eat while at MD Anderson

Service catering patients and family members in this Restaurant is good. Breakfast is very complete and has great taste.

Superb dining experience. Hadn’t been to the restaurant in several years, and if anything it was better than ever. Our service was competent, knowledgeable and attentive beyond expectations. All elements of the fixe meal were excellent and the extras provided were the touches that polished off the experience. We hope to visit again very soon.

Highly recommend. Dinner buffet prime rib blackened shrimp Alfredo. Mozzarella tomato salad. Crime brûlée. All you want good quality 22.95
$ 8 manhattens
Go

So this kept popping up as the top rated gluten-​free restaurant in the area when we go to MD Anderson for treatments.
The food itself is excellent, and tasty and has a great people watching environment. However our waitress had no idea what gluten-​free meant and had to ask the chef, she was also the slowest creature to roam this Earth. Forgot sides, didn’t really speak English and was an overall unpleasant experience not knowing if something was gluten-​free or not.
They do cater to people with dietary restrictions, but I guess gluten-​free is not one of them since they had no idea how to properly handle it or recommend dishes that are gluten free on the menu. The only bonus is they have gluten-​free udis toast bread and that’s about it. Everything else your at your own risk because explaining to read the bag to them was not an option.
Eh… had high hopes for this spot but was quite the opposite. Gluten-​Free diners look elsewhere. The gluten-​free Reuben I finally did get minus the fries since they are not «gluten-​free» for some reason was actually pretty darn good.

Very very good food. Super fresh fruit in the morning buffet and healthy choices on the menu. Surprisingly good wine choices at the bar. Caring staff completes a good experience. A nice place to hide.

I was on the way to the Museum of Science and Unilocal suggested this to me. I didn’t know it was in a hotel at first, but that didn’t bother me. Foods not bad, I really like the garlic ranch at the salad bar!

A nice quite spot in the middle of MDA.
If you have an hour skip the cafes and take a break. Cathy had the Cobb salad, I had a burger. Both were very good. They also had a large buffet.

Food is top notch. Great breakfast and lunch. Wait staff is awesome. However the time it takes for the food to come out is a tad long. Wait staff seemed very frustrated with the kitchen both times I have been here. Be sure to try the fish tacos for lunch!

As a hotel restaurant I was surprised. Most hotels have sub par food at ridiculous prices (still pricey). I would actually give this place 3 ½ stars because they were very understaffed on Father’s Day, so service was not the greatest. We started with a burger trio for an appetizer. That was really good! Father-​in-​law had the cheeseburger which was delicious. My husband had a turkey club which wasn’t out of this world but tasted good. I had the portobello pita which was ok. I think it would have been better if it hadn’t sat so long because it had become a little cold, I also didn’t care for the cheese that was on it. (I actually think they used a different one than was stated on the menu) We had the pecan pie for dessert and again I think the wrong sauce was drizzled on top. It had a lemon flavor but I think caramel was what should have been used. It didn’t completely ruin the pie but was a little odd. The presentation of the food was nice, fries came in a cute tin bucket and sandwiches on a board with little accents.
Long story short we will be back again because my husband is having treatment at MD Anderson. He is allowed to get up and walk around, just can’t leave the hospital but patients are allowed to go to rotary house since it’s connected. It’s a nice change from the cafeteria plus it gets some good walking in for the day!

Over the past three years, I have visited this restaurant frequently during various stints at MD Anderson while my husband has undergone cancer treatment. I have experienced a lot of ups and downs at this restaurant — and I’m just talking about the food and service.
Firstly — their menu keeps getting weirder and weirder. They used to have a normal variety of stuffs going on, but it seems to keep changing into less and less options of normal food. I’m glad that they have at least kept their club sandwich on there. I really think that they want to try to, at most times, force people into using the buffet. The buffet is actually better than most things on the menu — but sometimes I just don’t want the buffet. And the staff always seems… mildly put out when you say no to the buffet and place an order, gets me every time.
Secondly — this place is pricey for the quality. The quality doesn’t particularly keep going downhill, it has always been fairly low. The buffet is about $ 20 per person and includes a dessert. The entrees span from $ 8-​$ 20 depending on what you get. For good eats, that’s not bad but for what tastes like pre-​frozen eats. not so much.
Thirdly — We’ve had some great staff serve us and we’ve had other staff that barely seem to care and are super slow, which was the case yesterday while we were there. She took our drink order, and two seconds later she couldn’t remember what it was. Then she was slow on refills, and didn’t check our plates for accuracy. Alternately, the kitchen sent out a meal that didn’t match the menu. My husband ordered the breakfast sandwich that was supposed to contain bread, eggs, bacon and cheese and instead received bread, eggs, cheese, lettuce and tomato??? The wait staff are friendly but they’re just existing here, and the kitchen does not seem to be striving for excellence. On holidays, we’ve received dirty and used napkins — flipped over and folded differently. It’s a bunch of similar incidents to these examples that makes this a two star review.
Anyways. if you’re stuck at MD Anderson this is an ok option… and yes, we do appreciate that it is usually open unlike most everything else except the hospital cafeteria but we’ve been waiting for them to get their act together for a long time and it has just never happened.

The Oaks is a nice restaurant in the Rotary House at MD Anderson. They have a menu and also a buffet. We had the buffet. There is a lot of variety and they have nice service. I would come back again. It’s a nice, clean restaurant and they cater to their customers.

Awesome Buffett but they need to post the time. The restaurant opens at 11 but the Buffett is at 11:30 or so. Despite this it’s a great place to eat.

I ate dinner here last Thursday with my mom while we were staying at the Rotary House. The restaurant is located on the 2^nd floor of the hotel overlooking the atrium. That night they were offering the regular menu as well as a buffet for $ 19.95. We opted for the buffet dinner which included flank steak, honey ham, herb roasted chicken, stuffed pork tenderloin, jambalaya rice, seasoned corn, cabbage and cranberry and apple dressing. There was also a fresh salad bar, and soup bar with seafood gumbo, chicken and rice, chicken noodle and onion. Desserts included peach pie, chocolate molten cake, some other cakes, lemon pudding and ice-​cream. We enjoyed our dinner and found it to be a great deal for all of the different options that they offered. If you are staying at the Rotary House you should definitely check it out!

I can only corroborate the bulk of the reviews. The Oaks is the hotel restaurant for the Rotary House International. The hotel and restaurant are attached to MD Anderson Cancer Center, but are not owned or operated by the hospital. This is a much better option for dining while in the hospital.
Over the years I have eaten there often, usually as a group. The menu is excellent. Everything is very good. As described by others, there is a different buffet each day. Even things you wouldn’t think would work well in a buffet (i.e., seafood) are excellent and are worth your time.
This is your place if you are stuck in the hospital and need to sit down and get away from it all or entertain.
Another nearby restaurant in the TMC is Trevisio. While Trevisio is certainly more ‘upscale’, the food at The Oaks is much better.
Yes, there is a bar …

The Oaks is a good dining option if you’re staying at the Rotary club. It’s clean, and the food is pretty good.
Most recently, I had the breakfast buffet. It was a bit on the pricey side, at $ 16, plus drinks and tips. But, if you’re in the hotel, and don’t want to leave, it’s a good option. The buffet included all the basics, including cereals, muffins, breads, butters, jams, and fruit. I like that they have a egg station, where you can get eggs made to order. They have plenty of omlette options, such as sausage, ham, veggies, and cheese. The best part of the buffett is the made to order waffle. It’s huge and in the shape of Texas! Very cute.
Service is spot on. Everyone is very friendly, and hospitable. This is not a destination restaurant, but is great if you’re staying at the hotel and don’t want to venture out for a meal.

I booked The Oaks for two of my supervisors to have a business dinner with physicians they were meeting with in Houston. I selected the Oaks based on the Unilocal reviews noted here. When I processed the dinner receipt, I mentioned that my docs and our guests did not eat much. One of my bosses indicated that The Oaks is not the logical type of restaurant for a business dinner. The food was fine but location inside a downtown hotel was not the goal. We probably could have found a better location for a business dinner.
To note, The Oaks staff was quite hospitable on the phone; our reservation was fine. Not knowing the area, we probably should have let our guests pick the venue. I felt compelled to post this review should others be blindly searching for a business dinner venue.

A great little place hidden away in the MD Anderson Cancer Center. Great food, a bit pricy but fine service and a great buffet for breakfast and most evenings.
Several chef specials round out the menu and they have a full bar.
Recommended!

If you are not visiting the Medical Center facilities you would never know this great little place is here.
The restaurant is located on the 2^nd floor on the Rotary House International and is well worth the elevator ride. For the best convenience and avoiding hassles for parking in the downtown area, simply use the Rotary House Valet Parking for about $ 15; I found it easier than mussing with the garages, etc.
There are many things here to suit many dietary needs, naturally reflecting the sensitive nature of the guests that may be at the hospital complex for appointments, etc. Additionally, it suits the taste buds when you want to get
away from the cafeteria styled hospital food.
The staff is extremely hospitable, the buffet menus are wide in variety, and flavored to fit any pallet.
While we were there, we had the: Roast Beef French Dip with Au Jous and Horseradish sauce, Shiner Bock Kobe Beef Burger, Macaroni and cheese for the kids, and a Texas Cobb Salad. A good variety to say the least.
I will stand out on a limb and say that the French Dip was one of the BEST I have had in a long time. The bread was crunchy on the outside while soft and warm inside. The slices of beef were sliced individually, just thick enough, so that they held the flavor and did not seem like paper between the great breads.
The Au Jous was a perfect beefy broth blend that you wish you had more of to dip your bread in, but that would have been a crime since it would have made you forget about the FRESH made horseradish sauce. It was a great addition to the plate. I was torn between having great sauces and not enough sandwich to dip them in.
The Shiner Bock burger is a tall order. not kidding it’s TALL with a hearty beef patty, stacked onion rings, and a great pair of buns to hold it all in. The burger is a good meal with it’s side of country fries and roumalade sauce.
The macaroni for the kids was creamy & dreamy. I found myself eating more and more of it when the kids were done. It was a large portion and filled the kids well. All of the cheeses were blended to perfection in the hearty sized macaroni pasta tubes.
The Cobb salad was clean, crisp and fresh as you would expect.
They also have a lounge at the location if you would like to just have a simple elegant wine or drink. I saw many people there doing just that and spoke with them often (as we were all there over a few days).
I did not eat at the buffet, but if I had more time I would have. I saw the selections and they were amazing. Those I spoke with approved it and said it was worth it.
Once again, the staff was great, the place is quiet, and the food is great in this hidden place. So if you are in the area and looking for something good to eat. Take a moment, use the valet, and go to the 2^nd floor of the Rotary House to visit the restaurant.
You will lose yourself in a meal and forget that you are in the heart of the Medical Center Complex and downtown.