Father and Son Duo Open Owensboro’s Newest Mexican Restaurant
Photos by Jamie Plain
One of Owensboro’s newest dining options is Oscar’s, located in the former Legends location in Lake Forest Town Center, next to Orange Leaf. Open since May 5, the restaurant is named for not one, but two Oscars, the father and son team of Oscar Segura Sr. and Oscar Segura Jr. The younger of the two, 19-year-old Oscar, serves as spokesperson and frontman for the bar and restaurant, which he wants people to know is “not just another place” to eat Mexican style food.
Using the established setup from Legends, Oscar’s distinguishes itself from what might be seen as competing restaurants by boasting a full-service bar. “Most of the time at Mexican restaurants, people just order a margarita or the occasional beer,” young Oscar says. In addition to traditional favorites, Oscar’s offers a few unique menu items such as tortilla wrapped hotdogs, chimichanga bananas, and elote, which is a Mexican street corn that Segura says few people realize is actually a dessert.
Beyond the menu, both Seguras hope that what sets their establishment apart is a family-friendly atmosphere for both patrons and staff. Oscar, who is also currently majoring in Business and Hospitality at The University of Kentucky, says he started learning the restaurant business at age 12. He worked alongside his father for Armando Ortiz, the former owner of Real Hacienda and a close family friend. “Both my dad and Armando taught me how important it is to be friendly and keep the customer happy,” he says. That should be no problem at Oscar’s, which is stacked with experienced wait staff who have a high standard for customers, according to the young co-owner.
The location on the periphery of Lake Forest subdivision allows for golf cart cruise ups for dinner. Patio dining is available, and it is also the only restaurant of its type in town with a drive thru window. “It’s been great so far,” young Oscar says of the spot’s first month. “We’re seeing a lot of customers we haven’t seen in years.”
Finally, if you’ve read this far and you are one of those people that chooses your Mexican spot based on chips and salsa, I can confirm that my three boys rated the chips (which might be the only item the Seguras are not totally aligned on) “good,” the salsa (which Oscar say is a family recipe,) “really good,” and the queso dip “really, really good.” Bonus points were awarded for the music that was playing in the restaurant and for the multiple TVs allowing for ultimate sports viewing. OL
