Lil' Deb's Oasis
Pan-Latin restaurant · Hudson ·
Pan-Latin plates & craft beer in a playful, arty space
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70939491/Please_Wait_p83.0.jpg "Lil' Deb's Oasis by Jessica Pettway/Princeton Architectural Press")
Pan-Latin plates & craft beer in a playful, arty space
"Fantastically eclectic and queer, this pan-Latin-ish spot in Hudson has, since 2016, been a hub of creativity I associate with fried fish dishes, delightfully vibrant decor, and an ever-steadfast community focus—69 cents from every dish goes to mutual aid funds. After nearly a decade of ups and downs, it’s now for sale, with the hope that a new owner will keep it open, honor and expand its visual and energetic language, and carry forward what began as a “literal weirdo art project that became a thing.”" - Nadia Chaudhury
"The poetic phrases being deployed at our favorite restaurant in the Hudson Valley fit with the whole mood of the place. It’s a unique spot that feels like a 1950s diner and a nightclub had a baby, and they really lean into being unapologetically kitschy. Same goes for the wine list. Although some of the descriptions don’t necessarily sound appetizing (a pet-nat from Wisconsin apparently tastes like “Kiehl’s” and a Slovenian red is described as “EZ pass”), we can assure you that they are very, ahem, EZ to drink. “Vitamin section, feather collection, whirling dervish, vavavoom” Nita, Ori Marani, Saperavi from Khashmi, Georgia" - carlo mantuano
"U.S. Route 9, runs through New York and continues into New Jersey and Delaware. Head east off of it and you’ll find Lil Deb’s Oasis on a quiet street in Hudson, New York. This psychedelic-hued diner began offering tropical comfort food and inclusive community in 2015 — before that, it was Debbie’s Restaurant, which served up breakfast sandwiches for locals for nearly 30 years before changing hands. The menu prominently features locally sourced ingredients along with plenty of gluten-free and plant-based fare, including mushroom and nopal stuffed tamales and a famous whole fried fish to share. Patrons can contribute to a “community tab” that allows neighbors with less disposable income to eat at the restaurant, and a community fridge outside the dining room offers mutual aid via donated ingredients." - Vox Creative
"Lil Deb’s Oasis is full of serious food and wine in a place that makes a point not to take itself too seriously. Pretty much everyone here is wearing a crop top, and wine descriptions read like cryptic Connections solutions (tasting notes include “tiny pants and “overdue apology”). Always order the whole fried fish—digging into the crisp, piping-hot flaky goodness with your bare hands before dipping it into the citrusy sauce is a sensual experience. Everything is delicious, but don’t leave without getting a slice of kabocha chocolate mousse cake for dessert." - anne cruz, clare lagomarsino, keith hernandez, chanize thorpe
"Lil’ Deb’s Oasis is one of Hudson’s most talked-about restaurants. Designed to look like a psychedelic tropical hideaway, the restaurant has one of the most fun interiors of any restaurant in the region: a mix of pastel marble fabrics, lights made of colanders, and tennis balls as a running motif that makes it feel as much a living art installation as a restaurant. But don’t let the aesthetics fool you, the food can seriously hold its own: from fried plantains and whole fried fish and everything in between." - Emma Orlow