Chow Bistro
454 E Main St, Collegeville, PA, 19426
Chow Bistro Menu
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Address :
454 E Main St
Collegeville, PA, 19426 - Phone (484) 902-8495
- Website https://chowbistro.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Tue
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Trendy
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Patti S.
Have been there so many times since the last. We've needed a place like this, and it has remained consistent. We had my son's confirmation dinner here. 11 people, appetizers and entrees for lunch, and with tip, it came to less than $200...service was amazing, and everyone loved their meals. Have also been several times with friends, family, and my husband for dates. Just love their Calamari. It's a must have. My husband always gets the Mixed Seafood choice, and he's never disappointed. For me, the chef shows his stripes with some more adventurous side dishes, sauces, and preparations. I'll take whatever protein you offer if the side dish is amazing. Wait staff is top notch and not too in your face, but they know the food and make honest recommendations. This place is a must-visit!
(5)L W.
The dining room is small and LOUD. It may have been better to sit outside. However, there was no visual break from the road so outside seating wasn't a good option. Being big fans of the cheese plate, we ordered the brie. Much to our dismay, it was frozen in the middle. Main menu was classic American fare. Lamb meatloaf was the hit of the table; the sauce for this dish was phenomenal. Crab cake sandwich and pork chops were also pretty good. The red curry vegetable offering was overly greasy and the fish tacos were dry and lacked freshness. They offered us the dessert menu but given the volume in the dining room and the disappointing food we opted for ice cream from Wawa.
(2)Briana N.
Chow was recommended to me by several people so I made a reservation for my birthday dinner last night. We started with the almond crusted Brie and the calamari apps. The Brie was bland with only a thin drizzle of cherry sauce and three measly pieces of bread. Hardly enough to share between five people. But the squid was excellent. Possibly the best I've had. It was cooked to perfection. Not rubbery at all. Flavor superb. We then moved on to our entrees, each of us ordering something different. We had the pork chop, salmon, pot roast and curried vegetables. Good reviews all around. I personally had the curry dish and it had excellent flavor and just enough bite. Loads of delicious vegetables and I subbed shrimp for chicken. I also tried the pork chop. It was ordered more well done than I prefer, but was still very enjoyable. The sauce and arugula complimented it nicely. At the end of the meal, we each had a dessert, and except for the crème brûlée, we're not impressed. Overall a positive experience though. The only real setback was the slow service. It was at least 20 minutes before they even brought our apps, with much waiting in between courses and another long wait for the bill.
(3)Martha B.
We have tried chow for dinner a few times and it was always just blah..lacking seasoning and flavor. However for lunch and brunch it's a great place to go! Their soup is great and so are their pancakes!
(3)Linsey W.
Worth a try but not fantastic. The dining room is small and SO LOUD. Definitely not a good place if you're looking for a more intimate experience where you can have a conversation. They offer outdoor seating but most of it is really close to the road and not ideal. The food is ok but nothing extraordinary. The brie appetizer arrived still half frozen and wasn't anything special. The pork chop was cooked well but lacked flavor. The fish tacos and red curry were both very oily and weren't exciting. The lamb meatloaf was actually very well done, cooked well and flavorful. The ginger lemonade is actually really great. We didn't stay for desert because the noise level was out of control. Also, the owner was just sitting in the corner watching but not really doing anything and it was kind of weird. Overall an underwhelming experience.
(2)Shelley D.
I thought the decor in this restaurant was interesting. You can tell it used to be a house, but I thought it was really cool. The acoustics were not the best, we had to talk loudly to hear each other. We had a starter, the calamari, which I thought was delicious. Very yummy. My entree was the chicken caprese, it was really good. We will definitely return.
(4)Elizabeth T.
Really great food. Crab cakes amazing, risotto is great. The place is decorated super cute and overall great dining experience. A few things I would say need to be improved upon is layout..perhaps there is a way to divide the tables with cool plant partitions to not make it feel like you're walking into a huge room with tables. Lighting. Dimmers would be nice or lower level lighting in the evening.
(4)Courtney A.
Four of us went here on Friday night at 730. Luckily we had made a reservation because almost every table was taken, which is nice to see for a newer restaurant. We chose to sit outside...this area needs more places with outdoor seating! The food was very good and their menu, as their decor, was very eclectic! Not necessarily a bad thing. We started with the truffle fries (fries topped with truffle oil) and the Brie cheese. Both were very good. We were all quite pleased with our entrees as well. Between the four of us, we had the burger, seafood risotto, fish tacos and chicken caprese. The service was good and our bill was of average price for a bistro like this. Would definitely go back to try more things on the menu. Collegeville needed a cute place like this!!
(4)Karen M.
Really good food and great service! I had the crab stuffed lobster and the Brie for an app and my friend had white bean and octopus and a salad. Really good food and nice waitress. Will be back.
(5)Joel E.
The food was decent. But I almost got hit by a truck while eating next to the street. Nobody would have known for at least an hour since that's about how often the waitress stopped by. If your looking for a great byo in the area, stick to 19 Bella.
(2)Ron S.
I've driven past Chow for a while now and until recently didn't have any interest in going in. Maybe it was the house like setting (the restaurant was converted from a house) or the outdoor seating struck me as unusual. There isn't much to look at on the street with the exception of cars flying by. Regardless of what was stopping me I never gave the place any serious consideration and even after dining there I really don't have an opinion of the place.... Yes I realize the irony in that I'm writing a review with no opinion. While that may seem ironic or impossible I left Chow the same as I felt going in; indifference..., Indifferent to the décor, the service, and the food. Even though I'm feeling indifferent there were some highs and lows. The décor struck me as strange in that there was modern art mixed in with Asian art accompanied by a cheap looking poster on the wall however, I did like the color scheme. It left me with a mixed feeling of formal yet relaxed. The carpet on the floor was a real low point in the place it was gray and beat up a bit - hard wood would work much better, then again I'm just a yahoo with a Yelp account not an interior designer. Our waitress was very pleasant and smiling although she feel short on the attentiveness. As for the food I had the fried calamari and while freshly breaded it was over cooked and really chewy. Good calamari just melts in your mouth and has a wonderful texture and once you've tasted how it is supposed to be prepared you will never go back. I ordered the Sea Bass for my main dish with Risotto and asparagus. The kitchen did an excellent job on this and flat out nailed the fish and risotto. Unfortunately for my vegan wife her meal was a huge disappointment - no substitutions as everything was already prepared for the evening. I was horrified by the no substitution and was the biggest disappointment of the meal. Sure my wife is difficult (what vegan isn't) but that doesn't mean you have to make her dining experience poor because you can't omit some ingredients. One other bright spot was the drink I ordered ginger lemonade. This drink was AMAZING packed with flavor and very refreshing. Overall there were some highs and lows and in general I still feel indifferent to the place. So Chow I thank you for the evening, unfortunately my experience will only compel me to drive by as I did so many times before.
(2)Michael H.
Wow!! Amazing food. Although service was a little slow, so worth it!! We had the steak frites, seafood medley and amazing scallops. Love the food and spices, with great seating. Totally recommend this for night with nothing to do. Great meals for everyone.
(5)Brenda H.
So far this is the best restaurant in the area for quality new American food - fine dining style but with fairly affordable prices. The menu is designed so wonderfully,it's nearly impossible to make a decision. We finally selected the seafood risotto and crab cakes. The risotto is a little juicier than I'm accustomed but the flavor was outstanding. It was creamy but tangy and chock full of crab and shrimp. Heartwarming! The crab cakes were perfectly seasoned and melt-in-your-mouth tender. My husband's only complaint is that it came with fries and not a "classier" side. The only knock on this place is the length of time for food delivery. Although if the trade-off is fresh flawless food, I won't complain much. And you can't find fault with the staff as they are cheerful and efficient.
(4)Bridget P.
Even though we showed up a half hour before closing Maithai stilled showed my date and I excellent hospitality. She was sweet and new the menu up and down. Highly recommend the escargot stuffed mushrooms for an app. The highlight of my dinner was by the duck! Tender, juicey, delicious, served with pork belly, who could ask for more! The chef knows what he was doing! Maithai and the chef both humored my boyfriend's questions! The whole night was perfect!
(5)Nikki S.
Party of 8. They placed us so close to Main Street we could barely hear each other with the revving engines flying by. There was an open table closer in they could have put us at. Our 2 course meal took 2 hours and 20 minutes. We made the waitress aware of a food allergy and she delivered our 3 orders of calamari and looked at the girl with the allergy and said don't eat that. You would think she would have served one without the sauce so she could enjoy some. When we asked her to bring a half order without the sauce she said we have to put an entire order in because it was measured out. We passed because it took her long enough and sounded like she was going to charge us for her mistake and it was so salty anyways. she should have at least checked with a manager or the chef. Overall the dishes were ok but the service was poor. After she served our salads she said so do you want me to put your food order in. Um, yeah that would be nice. It only took her 20 minutes to get to our table in the first place where we placed the entire order in fear that we wouldn't see her for another 20. 4 people at our table ordered the sea bass which was a nice piece of fish and cooked well, but the risotto was so salty that we all didn't like.
(2)Julie S.
We went the very first night they opened so I'm making certain allowances because I'm sure they are still working through a few things. That said the food we had was very good. We started out with the calamari which was excellent. Tender, not chewy and perfectly spiced with sliced long hots. For entrees we had the Bayou Shrimp & Grits and the Black Angus Burger on Round Roll. Both were wonderful , although my husband's side salad served with his burger was warm and wilted as if placed under a heat lamp. This was something I'm sure they would have rectified had we pointed it out, but I'm surprised it wasn't noticed prior to bringing the meals out to us. With regard to the Bayou Shrimp, the shrimp were cooked to perfection and the savory grits and sauce they were served with are true comfort food. Yum. My only suggestions based on the evening would be 1) the rolls ...they should be fresh and warm instead of cold and 2) perhaps the very nice girl refilling our water glasses could be slightly less attentive and let the glasses reach half empty before circling back to a table. Overall I can tell this place will be serving some great meals and will be a lovely addition to the Collegeville area.
(4)Joy K.
I ate at Chow about a year ago and really liked my meal. Today it was absolute crap. Food was not warm, french fries were soggy, portion size small. When our waitress was alerted that the french fries were cold and soggy she couldn't have cared less: Her response was "They're usually crisp." That was helpful... Waitresses were more interested in socializing than accommodating us. Twice asked for ice and lemon; neither was delivered. I would not recommend this restaurant.
(1)Erin Z.
Have gone here twice, both times for brunch. The first time I had a crab meat omelet and the second time I had an eggs benedict. I cannot decide which one is better because they were both awesome. Our second trip was on mother's day on May 10, 2015 and it was fantastic! We went with my parents and all of got the eggs benedict but my dad god fish tacos and he said they were amazing. Service was really friendly and I think the owner or the manager came out and went to each table to check on everyone to see how they liked their meal. Every staff member was incredibly friendly and I was really surprised how fast the food came out, I wish we could have stayed longer but with brunch you just eat one meal and we were too stuffed to have coffee or dessert. We'd go back there again for mother's day brunch! My only regret was not eating outside, would love to sit out there. Parking is free and there are a lot of spaces in the back and it is BYOB which is great too.
(4)Steven C.
Had the seafood combo. The fish was tasty but a little dry. The service was slow,and the servers appearance was unprofessional. The seafood risotto was great and would highly recommend it. I would give my experience tonight a three star rating..
(3)Tony G.
Three couples out for dinner on a Friday night. Great dinners, good service 2 people had striped bass 2 had crab cakes and the rest had filet Oscar. One filet was undercooked and was sent back( no big deal) But I like my steak hot. The one thing I didn't like was mandatory 20% gratuity for our party. We always top well but I feel we should not be force to.
(4)Jean D.
I've visited this BYOB twice since they opened, once for dinner and for Sunday brunch. Dinner was very good - I had the butterfish special and it was delicious. The risoto was also quite good. Calamari was good but nothing special and I didn't love the crab cakes. Beware, no kids menu and not a lot of options for children. The chef did give our kids grilled chicken and fries. Sunday brunch was a disappointment. The food was very good, particularly the duck confit omelet and the kale salad. I would note that the milk we received with our coffee curdled and the fruit cups were not fresh. The service detracted from the meal. Although I had made reservations and confirmed on Saturday, they didn't have our table ready and seemed very flustered. We had to ask for an additional chair as well as for glasses for our wine. The server handed us hot coffee and plates rather than placing them on the table. We didn't receive several side dishes we ordered, my drink order was not correct (and was blamed on the bus boy) and coffee and water refills were slow. I'm hoping the issues we had are just growing pains for a new restaurant as the place is cute and the food is very good.
(3)Ellen Z.
We went for the first time on Mothers Day 2015. I had the Eggs Benedict and it was just delicious. Everything about that meal was wonderful. My hubby and I arrive early so they let us sit at our table for the 1:30seating while they cleaned up tables around us. I did not see any other customers there during that time. It was a relaxed friendly atmosphere with a very nice staff. They were efficient and friendly and not at all slow. When the rest of our party arrived the server brought us our menus right away and took our order. My granddaughter had chocolate chip Belgian waffles and she ate quite a bit with no prompting or complaining. She even ate one of the delicious breakfast sausages that came with the meal. My husband had the mahi mahi fish tacos and extremely satisfied with them. He said they had just the right amount of heat and were really tasty. We thought maybe we would take some home to eat later, but it was so delicious we just could not stop eating the whole meal! I would highly recommend Chow Bistro for the pleasant servers and the extremely high quality food.
(5)Ellen P.
Was very excited to try CHOW after having loved Black Lab for years. Expected the price point to be on the high side, but I was really disappointed in my food. Rolls were cold. Were they frozen to start? 23 dollars for an entree, but given a can of coke with a glass? Seemed to not fit. Our entrees were ok, not great. The scallops tasted fishy. Were they frozen too? I saw someone else write that the water filler server was over attentive...agreed. I realize there's a fine line between good service and over attentiveness...give the customer some time to breathe. The best part of the meal was definitely dessert. Chocolate waffle with ice cream. Would have loved if our coffee had been hot. Hoping for better next time we stop by.
(2)Rich G.
Food was good, a little overpriced. Service was sooooo slow. We ordered soups and split a salad, soup came out after salad and was cold. Entrees were tastey. waitress didn't know the menu or some of the ingredients in the dishes.
(3)Jane S.
I've been here a couple of times, service has been uneven, at best it's been passable. it's a cute place with lots of natural light. The rating is because of the salmon dish I had today. It has to be the best salmon I've had in along time. Crispy on the outside,moist sweet and delicious on the outside, even though I ordered it well done. One side is covered in sesame seed. There was a wasabi aioli and it was accompanied by a pan fried ramen cake and a cucumber seaweed salad, The plate was also decorated with brown and orange colored sauces. The sides were pleasant, Just really loved the salmon!!! My partner enjoyed his meal of a chicken quesadilla. Did I mention the salmon? It was really good and I need to have it again. Soon! Oh and a big thank-you to the person who complained about over zealous water service, my glass went dry half way through the meal and was never refilled.
(4)Heather A.
I went to this restaurant shortly after they opened. I thought for the price point they were reaching for their food was subpar. I ordered the crab cake sandwich instead of the fish tacos I originally wanted but they refused to substitute the black beans for fries. The pub at wegmans makes a better crab cake sandwich. They wouldn't seperate our bill either which urked me. A little to upodity for me, I do plan on trying it out one more time just to see if it was a one time thing.
(3)Suzi G.
We cannot say enough good things about Chow Bistro! We love the warm and inviting atmosphere, the super friendly wait staff and the absolutely incredible cuisine! I love the Shrimp and Crab Risotto so much that I haven't been able to order anything else for months! My husband's favorite is their crab cakes...other favorites include the corn chowder, fish tacos, pot roast and scallop special. Truly, we have never had anything that wasn't absolutely delicious! The menu changes a bit with the seasons and they try to use local, in season, ingredients in their dishes. All desserts are made fresh by them too! Stop by in early June when strawberries are coming in for the best strawberry tart you ever had! Little tip- if you get the shrimp and crab risotto, you WILL have leftovers. It is awesome the next day, cold, right out of the refrigerator! Addition: Another reviewer (Glenn) said their bill was over $90. I'm not sure if that was for 2 people or 4. We had crab cakes, shrimp and crab risotto, and drinks for $48 including tax. Great deal for exceptional food!
(5)JoAnne B.
Three of us were out for a girls night get together. It was our first time here and it was recommended by a friend. Great meals all around. We started with an asparagus/crab soup and calamari. Both exceptional. The calamari was better than I've tasted in a long time. For dinner, we all did the black and blue steaks with asparagus and Gorgonzola mashed potatoes. Excellent again! There were also a lot of other great choices. Our server was very pleasant and prompt with everything. The only complaint I have here is it is way too bright which definitely affects the atmosphere. Maybe paint the walls a dark color instead of bright white. Otherwise I would go 5 stars.
(4)G. S.
This restaurant has a very interesting and diverse menu. For the most part our food was great. We both started with the corn chowder which was delicious, but was barely warm. I had the shrimp and crab risotto which was delicious. My friend had the sesame salmon which was also wonderful. We shared the yummy peach cobbler for dessert. The reason I didn't give Chow a higher rating was the service. Our server was lovely and very pleasant, but she was the only server for the entire restaurant. We waited quite a long time for her to ask if we were ready for the check. Also, it was VERY LOUD! The place wasn't even totally full and we could hardly hear each other over the voices of the other patrons. They need to hang some curtains or do something to buffer some of the sound.
(3)Glenn J.
I went last night with my wife to Chow BYOB. The lobster mac & cheese app was very good. My wife ordered the seafood risotta which was loaded with shrimp and crab. I got the filet oscar which had great flavor, but I ordered medium and it showed up rare. The dining room is very loud. We skipped desert, so with tax/tip our total was $94. I recommend trying this place, but I would not give it 4/5 stars.
(3)Kate F.
I have been here once before for brunch and they seemed to be working out the kinks, so I decided to try it out again this past weekend. I went with a party of 4 Sunday afternoon. We waited at the door for a few minutes and no one came over to us, there was a table seated and eating, so we figured someone would be out, so we walked over to a table and sat down. The woman at the table said "ugh, we're closed". There was a sign on the door that said they closed Sept 2nd, we pointed this out to her and she said "yeah, well we ran out of food". Her attitude was unnecessary, especially since we stood at the door with no acknowledgement for several minutes, and if you don't know how to order food you shouldn't have a restaurant.
(1)Leo K.
Exceeded expectations. The food was outstanding and the service was great. I get nervous about new places shortly after they open (slow service, forgotten orders, etc) but this was a pleasure. No hesitation recommending Chow Bistro and plan to go back soon.
(5)Jacki D.
Great to have an independently owned restaurant in the area. The dining room layout is not the best and tables for 2 are small and right in the middle of the square room. They are full on Friday and Saturday nights, so you do need a reservation. Sunday nights are busier than I would have guessed. It can get really loud in there as there are no buffers in the room. Food is tasty. Nice menu. Love the dinner special selections. Warm bread is good. Great lobster bisque soup. Shrimp and crab risotto was good, but I would have liked it to be a little more cheesy for my taste. My boyfriend likes the meatloaf. Desert is tasty. Service is slow. The servers were not lazy and seemed to be working hard, so I think they need more servers as they have too many tables per server. Overall, good food. I would give them 4 stars if the service was a little better and the seating was more comfortable.
(3)Maureen L.
Great food! An awesome addition to Collegeville. They lost our reservation but accommodated us after finding an available table.
(4)Pat H.
4 of us had dinner here on Saturday. Each of us tried something different and each of us were pleased with the entrees. We also tried 3 different desserts which also were good. The negative is it is very noisy when busy. Service was very good.
(4)Amy W.
Great food, interesting and different menu, good service. These are veteran restaurateurs, and they have a strong following. We were delighted to see Guy and Cathy back at it again!! There are a lot of tables outside, which was nice on a comfortable summer night. Inside it is loud, very loud. VERY loud. I would strongly recommend a reservation, especially if the weather is bad, since there isn't anywhere to wait really inside the restaurant. Staff was very friendly and accommodating. Overall it was very good and we will be back!!
(4)Joe C.
We have eaten dinner at Chow Bistro twice, and both times it was outstanding. Risotto, the scallop special and surf and turf with filet and crab cake were delicious. Service was outstanding. In my opinion Chef Guy is the best around. I strongly recommend Chow. Make reservations on Friday and Saturday. It is becoming quite popular.
(5)Lisa H.
I ate there last night with 2 of my friends. I do hope this place makes it but it has a lot of work to do. The service was friendly, but completely overwhelmed. I waited 15 minutes for a diet coke that I had to ask 3 times for. The menu is way too big as well. They had an huge list of what I would consider more upscale entrees, then sandwiches, they a huge list of specials. I ended up getting the burger, the server never asked how I wanted it cooked and it came out well done and just way too greasy. My friends had the fish tacos and tilapia special which they really enjoyed. We had the duck fig flatbread for an app which was very good. They just have way too much going on and not enough help. There was a woman standing in the back watching everything, I thought maybe one of the owners but I really hope not as she never left the back even once. If I opened a brand new restaurant, I would check in with the diners, help my staff when they were overwhelmed(which they clearly were), run some food...do something! Again, I do hope this place gets it together and does well.
(2)Rachel E.
We had dinner on Saturday night. The place was packed. When we arrived no one greeted us at the door. The place was loud!! We found our table and our friend that arrived early said she had been waiting 10 minutes to get her wine bottle opened. Following that we waited another 10 until I flagged down a busser to help us. The worst service I've ever had. We has no idea who our server was. The menu is all over the place. They have pot roast, fish tacos, chicken caprese, and sesame salmon. It's not cohesive in any way. When we did finally get to order it took 30 min to get our apps. Then they came out after we finished the apps and told us one of our entrees was sold out. It took another 45 min for the entrees. No bread/ water service. There was a woman I assume to be one of the owners who just stood there staring around the room doing nothing. I would assume she would've seen that we had no water in any of our glasses. We ordered dessert which took another 30 minutes. We were halfway through our desserts and our server asked if we were done. All the food was overly salted and nothing special. Dinner was $200 for 5 people. Honestly I would have rather had my money back. They need some serious work. We probably won't go back.
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