The Oasis Cafe
609 Hwy 197 S
Maupin, OR 97037
(541) 395
Sometimes the best things just appear out of the blue... sometimes, they appear out of the black stormy sky of a spring storm.
The Oasis Café came out of the black. After riding all day on a major motorcycle adventure en route to the Arctic Ocean, we wound down a steep, wet descent and dumped into a narrow valley carved by the Deschutes River. The small town of Maupin sits nestled on the banks, and the Oasis Resort overlooks the river. Comprised of a collection of tiny cabins from the early 1900s and a former gas station and grocery store (now the Café), the Oasis is the perfect place to end the day.
The smell of sizzling burgers and hot french fries greets you as you walk through the door. All of the burgers are named after rapids: Class I through IV. Jumbo hot dogs ($4.75), fish and chips ($7.75), and deli sandwiches ($5.75) are also available.
We picked a few cold ones from the selection of Oregon microbrews and settled in for a cold drink before dinner.
Mark’s world-famous ribs topped off the menu, half-rack or full. “They really are world-famous,” said the bartender. “Mark’s ribs have been written up in National Geographic.”
Well, with that kind of history, how can you resist? I ordered up a half-rack of baby back ribs with a steaming baker and awesome noodle soup ($12.75). A full rack is available for ($17.95).
The ribs were to die for... fork tender and falling off the bone. Not too spicy or smoky, just tender and sweet, and made from Mark’s secret recipe, not to be disclosed. They were lightly smeared, not smothered, with sauce. The perfect ending to a long day. Next time, I’m opting for the old-fashioned hand-dipped peanut butter milkshake.
A burly fisherman clad in wet waders casually mentioned the 19-inch salmon he started to catch as soon as the rain really started. The river is renowned for fly-fishing and whitewater rafting.
After dinner, stroll down to the river and stare upstream from the old bridge. If you are lucky, and old freight train may come thundering along the river down below.
JGE © 2008