CHOW
44 ratings since posting on Thursday, August 19, 2004
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Overall Rating   based on 44 ratings |
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This is one of my favorites. It makes me miss living in SF. Everyone is super friendly and the meat-less lasagna is great! Yes, a bit loud but that's what makes it fun! Good food Good people! - Allie , posted 01/30/09 |
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A tad noisy for me, but after several recent visits, I can honestly say that the food was always great and the service was 1st class. - Unsubscribed , posted 01/30/09 |
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Don't know about the rest of the food, but, I just had the Eggs Florentine (That's vegetarian for Eggs Benedict) and it was THE BEST breakfast tastiness I have ever had in my life. Oh my Jesus Lord it was a thing of soft beauty. I had an orgasm with that plate, so, sadly, my date went without poonani that morning. - Justin , posted 12/03/07 |
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well....i don't know how to say this but you know when a place just starts snowballing downhill and you cannot stop it...well that is what is happening to this chain....that's right i said chain...i feel that by opening the 3rd location in the valley was all it took to take this neighborhood classic and turn it into a capitolistic hell hole with a money grubbing asshole for an owner who just married an ex- in house waitress who f*%ked her way to wife with child and head of human resources! how good could a human resources head be who f*%ked her way to the top? how exactly is she going to provide services for the employees? I'll tell you...by taking away more and more perks away and clearing out the only employees that will stand up for themselves (like me). and not to mention that the cooks are the one's who are suffering the most as the demand to satisfy the customers goes up and the supply of fresh goods is so low. You know, they even claim to use organic produce most of the time, organic bacon and meats....well guess again. they are only organic if they happened to get organics for that week...which is not all the time and they don't bother telling you which is which!!! so next time you are there...why don't you ask them if they know "for sure" if they are using organics...go ahead, fake some really strange allergy that only is found in non-organic produce...then order something that they claim to be totally organic and see if the still let you order it!! - skyfox , posted 02/26/07 |
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Always good home-style meals!!! And I've eaten there for years. - Will , posted 01/13/07 |
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Ordered a pork chop. When the waiter asked if I wanted one or two, for the $2 difference I thought I would just get one less pork chop. When the food came it had the smallest side dishes I ever saw in my life. I got two bites of spinach and a tiny piece of fried polenta . I just remember beeing pissed off that for two dollars less I was going to be still hungry after all the effort. Not only that, but the pork chop was dry and tough. The waiter was nice and did nto charge me for my dish after I had to order pasta to make up for the lack of real food. He was nice, but too late to change my mind. I don't ever have reason to go there again. Oh, yea...Madonna's greatest hits blaring at near club volume is not good eating ambiance either. - Pamela Q , posted 12/07/06 |
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As a foodie, I would agree that the food at Chow in Lafayette, I assume a sister store, is nothing to write home about, there were yellow jackets coming in the drawn screen and it was crowded, but the place feels right. It's got an open market, a center area, where I guess people can sit around it (I was around the corner so I can't remember exactly) and there are all those chairs and tables outside. It feels like one of the most sophisticated, homey places I can think of in this part of the bay area and it always comes to mind as a place to be seen and to see others. It's just got style and class. It's alive with pretty people and everyone is nice. So, if you are looking for a place that has moderately good food but where you feel good and comfortable, and it's clean and well designed, go there and then let me know if I am correct. It's a place to take a date. - Unsubscribed , posted 10/25/06 |
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Yep. I wholeheartedly agree. I got some sort of baked chicken and my girlfriend got some kind of steak, and it tasted just way too much like home cooking - from a very unskilled home cook. Bland, boring, expensive, lame clientelle, poor service. I make better meals at home every night - and I don't claim to be a very good cook at all. - Evinrizzle , posted 10/17/06 |
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it's overrated. park chow is better on a lot of levels but they all (there are @least 3 chows now) keep making their portions smaller and their prices higher. but yeah, you can do worse... - FaernWorks™ , posted 10/16/06 |
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My sweetie and I loved the artichoke with lemon mayo, the butternut squash farfalle with mushrooms and sage, and the garden noodles (tofu, snap peas, miso, peanut sauce, cilantro, & noodles). The dessert was good too -- apple pie a la mode and the ginger cake. Very filling and tasty vegetarian options. - Unsubscribed , posted 10/12/06 |
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I like the atmosphere as being nice yet kicked back. The food is good quality...I wouldn't mind a bit bolder flavor, but it is still good healthy food. - Matt , posted 10/05/06 |
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I eat at the Market chow for breakfast quite frequently because it's close to home and they have quality ingredients and organic coffee. I actually love the coffee. The service is generally freindly and fine, but lately the quality of my meals has been consisitantly on the decline. I'm in denial about it but it is the truth. It's really not that great. I had dessert over at Park Chow once and thought it was fantastic. Pies, cakes, and dessert wines. Tasty and fun. Haven't had dessert at Market yet. So it's about a 3/3.5. You could do better, but you could do worse as well. - Peter , posted 10/02/06 |
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I have eaten here once. I found it expensive for the crappy service and cramped messy eating areas. The food is bland and flavored like they are expecting the bland European diet. I love Europe and Europeans but this place would make them say bland. The yuppies I was with loved it Ate there all the time. Very loud for not being a pub. If I want people elbowing me while I eat my meal I can go to a crowded pub in Union Square. Place is bad. - Vandal , posted 10/01/06 |
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the menu seemed so hopeful, but the food was rather bland. I can't believe they're still in business, there's no real reason for them to still have there doors open. I'm gonna post this on yelp as well. - Unsubscribed , posted 09/05/06 |
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The food at Chow @ Market St. is alright. Not bad, but nothing special either. - Aleph , posted 08/06/06 |
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I like to come here when I don't quite know what I feel like, the extremely varied menu is good for that! The food is not particularly adventurous, but rather is well-made comfort food. Many of the pastas are available in smaller portions, which I appreciate, and it's a kid friendly place for when little cousins are in town. At night, the noise can be horrid. You can alleviate that somewhat by sitting in the loft upstairs, where there's a bit more space between tables and less traffic. Overall, a great neighborhood joint for casual meals. - cascabel , posted 07/01/06 |
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I wish there was a 3.5 rating: I had the garden noodles which were pretty tasty, but super good, and it was crowded and *very* loud. If can't recommend going in a group of more than 4, or you're never going to hear each other! - Jenni , posted 03/29/06 |
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Varied diverse menu, including homestyle comfort food done with a twist.. Very moderately priced, its an exceptional value. Friendly service, usually prompt without feeling rushed. Drawback is the eclectic and often over-enthusiastic crowd sometimes can make conversation a challenge. Has been one of my favorite local dining places for several years. - Unsubscribed , posted 02/20/06 |
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I eat at Park Chow on 9th at Irving 5-10 times per week. At Park chow the cute waiters are attentive, too. My favorites are Brandon, Becky and Tasha. While the menus are the same, the food is consistently better at Park Chow. Dining on the upstairs deck on a sunny day or a warm night with the stars above is super special. At brunch I recommend subbing some salmon into the eggs benedict, yum! - David , posted 11/10/05 |
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I went to Chow years ago and had a great experience, but recently it was horrible. The food was bad and I got sick! It's hard to mess up tomato sauce but they did, I'll never go back. - Unsubscribed , posted 11/01/05 |
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Chow is my favorite 3-hour brunch/lunch/dinner place. Fun & cute staff, good food, and nice setting. Whee! - Viva , posted 08/11/05 |
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Oh wow, get the spiced cake w/ pumpkin ice cream & caramel... you'll *literally* be in heaven. - Shannon! , posted 06/03/05 |
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I have enjoyed Chow since they first opened. I've tried just about everything they offer and it's fairly priced in my opinion. I love the no corkage fee for your own wine. Leaves you to splurge on things like smiling noodles and gulf shrimp salad. I have never had one complaint about the service. They always greet me as if I'm the mayor of SF. Although I don't go here for dinner because I can't hear myself think. I'm strictly a luncher. - Wasabininja , posted 04/24/05 |
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i understand that the place was once a great outlet for good food, but it has begun a fast roll down a steep hill. on my last and final visit, my lemonade glass had food stuck on the inside of it, our pizza was burnt on the bottom, and worst of all my spinach salad with prawns had a piece of what looked like raw chewed meat. bye bye - chad , posted 04/07/05 |
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I am addicted to the Fusilli Chicken pasta. - reeser , posted 03/22/05 |
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Some of their dishes rock... some don't. The apple pie is one of the best I've ever had. Top it off with some ice cream and you're in heaven. - Pete , posted 01/12/05 |
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Chow is a great "every day" restaurant. It's just the right combination of good food, casual environment, and fair price. One of the really nice and down to earth things about Chow (and Park Chow) is that there is no corkage fee for wine. Bring your own bottle, splurge a bit more on the food, and tip a bit extra if you get good service. - Gadget , posted 11/16/04 |
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The service is Excellent. However, since Chow opened it has become over crowded, and over priced, the portions have gotten smaller and the quality of food has deteriorated. I think it was great when it forst opened and since then it has become overrated. - stephanie , posted 11/15/04 |
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good food, reasonably priced. Loud, though. - Unsubscribed , posted 11/04/04 |
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Thought that they had both terrific food and great service. - Chris , posted 11/01/04 |
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This is my first restuarant job. I am a fabulous host 4 nights a week. Rockin food, fun atmosphere, crazy service. Check it out (like you have not already =P) - MK , posted 10/22/04 |
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the food tends to bland although some of the desserts are good. Boring. - Patrick , posted 10/21/04 |
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Located on Church near Market, this place is a grat lunch spot or pre-bar hopping locale. Easy to get to on Public Transportation, warm, friendly service, and a good menu of favs. I love the pork chops...the salads are quite good as well. Prices are decent for the quality. Check it out! - katband , posted 10/20/04 |
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The food is consistently good and the prices are affordable. The waitstaff is very good, non-obtrusive and consistent. I'm probably one of their first 100 customers and dine there 2-3 times per month. It's the best American comfort food in the city. AND - no farmed salmon - always wild - they've got it right. - Unsubscribed , posted 10/20/04 |
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I have eaten at Chow ever since they opened, about seven years ago, and they have only gotten better. They have a great waitstaff, creative, delicious food at VERY reasonable prices, and that wonderful, individual neighborhood feeling. I have eaten dozens of meals here, and never been disappointed. - patsy , posted 10/20/04 |
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I don't eat out often, but when I do my first choice is at Chow. Located at 215 Church St, near Market Street, Chow is one of the best dining experiences one can ask for. The staff is always fun, no matter what you choose from the menu it's a good choice, and even with desert you'll still have money left in your wallet. The addition of the heated back patio only improves on perfection. My advice, as about the catch of the day...always a winner. - Clee , posted 10/19/04 |
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I take all my out of town visitors to Chow -- those whose palates can't handle anything more exotic than a Crapplebees or a Coco's in their hometown. It's best cheap straightforward American cooking in the city. I tried Home recently (across Market from Chow) and for the cost, Chow can't be beat! - Unsubscribed , posted 10/17/04 |
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Chow is just what you're looking for. They have great quality foods --everything is fresh and prepared with care. I definitely recommend their hamburgers. But, if you want something a little different, they also make home-made mini pizzas, or you could try a thai chicken salad. Plus the prices are really good for the quality you recieve. - Allen , posted 08/19/04 |
CHOW was recommended for:
- Tribe: Recipe Exchange
