Laurent Tailhade wrote of him: Trussed in a harness, he guarded I know not what of the dashing and advantageous part of his nature which revealed in his person an irresistible under-officer [...] A young man without youth, with brown eyes and hair, and unexpressive etronds.

His oily skin with the blackish-yellow colour of hepatics, proud teeth which he hardly cared for, a soldierly and pomaded moustache.A follower of Émile Zola, Méténier wrote naturalist novellas, generally gravelly in style, and pieces in argot for Le Chat Noir.

He made his reputation with naturalist plays set among vagabonds, Apaches and prostitutes and expressed in the language of the street.

In 1896 his Mademoiselle Fifi, previously temporarily banned by the police, was the first ever French play to include a prostitute character.

In 1897, Oscar Méténier bought a theatre at the end of the impasse Chaptal (9th arrondissement) to present his own plays.