Chef Chow’s House
230 Harvard St, Brookline, MA, 02446
Chef Chow’s House Menu
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Appetizers
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Soups
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Beef
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Seafood
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Poultry
Healthy Meal suggestions for Chef Chow’s House
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Appetizers
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Soups
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Beef
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Seafood
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Poultry
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Address :
230 Harvard St
Brookline, MA, 02446 - Phone (617) 739-2469
- Website https://www.chefchowshouse.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:30 am - 10
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Quiet
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
Chinese Cuisine
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
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Ali G.
I live right by this place and it has become my go-to when I'm craving Chinese. I always do delivery and it comes super fast, piping hot, and the ingredients seem fresh. General gao's chicken is really flavorful and I love the vegetarian spring rolls although like others noted sometimes I do think they're a bit undercooked.
(4)Kate K.
Chef Chow's food is standard American Chinese. It is good, nothing special. I come here infrequently because of the staff. It often feels like the customers are a bother. With all the restaurants in the area, it is surprising that the staff remains so indifferent. The reason for the review is the rice. Yes, plain old white rice. Specifically, one has to pay for rice. This is not unique to Chef Chow's because many Boston area restaurants do the same. However, the size of the rice container was so tiny, it added insult to injury. Yes, I ordered a small but this is the smallest take-out container I have ever seen. Look at the picture and see what you think. The rice was not even completely cooked. It was barely closing in on al dente. If you're going to charge for rice, then give a decent portion and cook it properly. My review is three stars. They lost one star because of the ornery staff. They lost the other star because the food is just average and they unapologetically charge for a Chinese food staple that costs them almost nothing.
(3)David C.
Eating at Chef Chow's House made me nostalgic for the horribly Americanized Chinese restaurants I grew up on in Western Mass. I say this both as praise and criticism. As bastardized as that food was, I LOVED the greasy, salty, syrupy goodness found in lo mein, pu pu platters, fried rice and, of course, General Tso's (I salute you, sir) chicken. That being said, I have also had amazing Chinese food from many different regions here in Boston, and have realized how fresh, flavorful and imaginative it can be. Bottom line, go to Chef Chow's House if you want some good comfort food (and maybe an MSG headache), but head to Chinatown (or even Allston) if you'd rather something a little more authentic.
(3)Dean D.
Don't know about the food because after asking if they had a combination plate they said no and hung up on me right as I was going to ask another question. 0 star for customer service.
(1)Grace M.
pretty disappointing.. i got a szechuan tofu which was not extra spicy as i'd asked and in fact, had VERY little flavor. just tasted like a generic brown sauce with too much cornstarch. also had to go back to pick up the order again b/c they gave me some chicken or pork dish instead of my tofu, so that was a bummer. i've heard people say this place used to be pretty good but has been going down hill. still, it seems popular but i don't recommend it.
(2)Nicole B.
Food: General Gau chicken was very basic and the Sesame Chicken was oddly fried. The batter did not stick to the chicken well, so it puffed slightly and was separated from the meat. $2 extra charge for only white meat chicken. The crab rangoons were actually pretty good! Side note: What kind of place charges extra for a side of rice?? This place. Rice is not included! Decor: Dated and simple but clean. The booth I was sitting at was adjacent to another booth and the wall/backing was loose, so every time the person sitting behind me adjusted their posture, the booth ended up hitting me in the back. Yelp check-in deal: Was 11 months expired. Not sure if this is a Yelp glitch or a Chef Chow's glitch, but either way was sad to have missed out.
(3)Caitlin M.
Chef Chow's is decent. I agree with Candace that the food isn't fresh--it comes out way too soon. I also agree with Nicole's note about charging for rice. Rice should come with entrees. But the food is cheap and tastes decent. The waitstaff could be friendlier.
(3)Mallory C.
We've ordered delivery from here a couple of times, and it's been a hit both times. I have struggled to find "decent" chinese food around these parts, and have been disappointed with other places I've tried. The most recent time we ordered, the food arrived a whole half hour before it was estimated, which is a huge bonus for me! Everything was packaged very securely and was very hot on arrival. We ordered the: Dragon & Phoenix- the boy loved this. there was tons of seafood, and he even had leftovers, which never happens! Singapore Noodles- So good, exactly what I was hoping for, with the perfect amount of vegetables (I got it without meat) Crab Rangoons- SO GOOD, and they give you 8, which is far more than most places give you in an order Wonton Soup- Not the best I've had, but the meat inside the wontons was very flavorful and the soup actually tasted better upon reheating the next day! I've previously had the garlic noodles too, which were simple but awesome!!! We also got tons of sauces and fortune cookies with our meal. Definitely a lot of bang for your buck! We will be ordering again!
(4)Tenzin N.
So I came here for a friend's graduation dinner and the food was okay but oh lord the service was horrendous! Never have I ever had a waiter that refused to give the WiFi to someone when it says free WiFi. Also, my water had a small little fly in it just chilling and my friends ginger ale tasted off. I'm sure they did something to it because ginger ale isn't supposed to taste like that. They use tap water I'm sure of it. F - on the service. Not coming back here for sure.
(2)Kelly G.
The chinese place in my area closed so I tried Chef Chow based on the reveiws I read. I was happily surprised by the quality of their food. It tasted very fresh and had a good variety of flavors and dishes. The delivery is very prompt as well. It's become my go to Chinese take out. I particularly like the crispy beef.
(4)Candace L.
Food is not fresh. The attitude is rude. I would give a zero if it were an option. I ate there several months ago and we all became ill. They used to have good food several years ago. The chicken was very fatty. The owner won't extend himself at all. Don't go to this lousy restaurant when there are so many wonderful ones in the Brookline area.
(1)Frank B.
This is below average Chinese food. Ordered sweet and sour chicken, general Gau's chicken, egg rolls, wonton soup and white rice. The only thing worth eating was the rice. But the portions were large delivery was quick and the driver was very polite which is why I gave it two stars.
(2)Alan C.
i want to like this place only problem is the food is just not good. i got the twin lobsters they were obviously frozen and tasted it. i ordered a shrimp dish and the shrimp were not clean yuk i got the beef teriyaki and the meat was so tuff inedible. some of the worst chines i have ever had.
(1)Susie D.
We eat there often because it is inexpensive and the portions are good. The food is very good quality. The last time I was there, someone in my party got a filet of fish with vegetables, and she was astounded that they were three huge pieces of fish in it. I usually get the chicken with cashew nuts steamed, & I am happy with that and steamed veggies. Then I get frozen yogurt at Yogurtland... My only issue is that I am avoiding white and brown rice because of the arsenic problem, so I wish they would offer some type of fiber, such as udon buckwheat noodles. I usually just get extra steamed vegetables. But I have this problem at every Chinese restaurant. Anyway, you cannot go wrong here if you want classic Chinese food at a low price with ample portions.
(5)Bill W.
In Brigham & Women's hospital Dec 31, 2013 waiting to bring in the New year. My wife can't leave the hospital for a few weeks and i thought I'd treat the bone marrow transplant team to some chinese. They have menus from 3 different chinese takeouts in the area. I " yelped " all 3 only to see poor reviews. But a google search came up with Chef Chows. Reviews were good so it was an easy decision to make. 20 minutes after my order the food arrived in the lobby and the delivery guy called my cell. I made an excellent choice. Food was hot, plenty of it and very tasty!!! The nurses were very surprised that the food was so good and even more surprised that it took a guy living over an hour away to hep them discover such a great place less than 1 mile from here. Should you be looking for chinese and are close to this place - for whatever reason - don't hesitate- you won't be sorry!!!
(4)Sheila S.
Found this restaurant to be clean, though nothing flashy inside. Fun, well kept fish tank when you walk in. Food was cooked to order and they could do no MSG and cater to food allergies. Beers were very inexpensive and food was reasonably priced. Wished they did dinner combo plates, they just do them for lunch. Good neighborhood spot overall.
(4)Dave R.
This place is nothing. Ok food that isn't super fresh or in any way interesting. The staff is super awkward....uncomfortable, quiet vibes. I'd use this for takeout if there were no other options around (maybe that's the case - I don't live here).
(2)Steven A.
The food here is delectable and the amount of food that you get for $6 or $7 is outstanding. When I go I love to order egg drop soup, spring roll, fried rice and shrimp and chicken double ding. I always feel satisfied and for $7.00. The wait staff and host are always pleasant and it's in a central location. This is a great budget minded dining venue.
(5)Dave M.
My favorite Chinese restaurant for over 25 years. The General Gao's chicken is the best I ever had. I travel a lot and no other Chinese restaurant compares!
(5)Stacey J.
so i wanted to try something different so i ordered the chicken chow mein from the lunch special . I wasn't sure what that was so i googled it to see the images. It looked good. As soon as I sat down to eat my lunch meal...it wasn't nothing close to the images I saw on google. Im big fan of chinese food so I would recommend no one get that lunch special chicken chow mein. there was no seasoning. there were noodles on the bottom filled with water...gross. never again
(2)Shan L.
I ordered from Chef Chow's recently, and I'm a fan. When ordering Chinese food, I typically stick to the meats (dishes that would take me a while to make), and buy/cook the veggies myself (usually 5 minutes tops, to cook). Easiest/best return on investment IMO. Szechuan Spicy Chicken with Peanuts: --Honestly, I wasn't sure why folks like "Szechuan Spicy Chicken with Peanuts" so much until now - their version of it was delicious, and chicken was super tender! Very good, would order again. Salt and Pepper Large Shrimp: -- Freaking delicious. Spicy wasn't so spicy, but Wow, I never would have expected that just adding Salt and Pepper would make a dish. Would definitely order again! Shrimp with Lobster Sauce: -- I've tried both the dark (w/ black bean sauce) and light (sans black bean sauce), and while I like them both, I think I prefer the light version. No lobster (I think the name came about from the Cantonese lobster prep, which included black bean sauce). Would order again. Hunan Plum Flavored Duck: -- So interestingly enough, this is still in my fridge, because we were so gung-ho on all the other dishes. It has high ratings on foodler, so I'm optimistic! Bonus: I like that the delivery guy actually brought the food to my door, as opposed to calling me from the car, telling me to come downstairs to pick-up my food.
(4)Sharon G.
We had a nice meal here on our recent trip to Boston. We had just taken the T from Logan to our B&B in Brookline and the snow was starting to come down with big gusts of wind. We stepped in here and ordered the house special lo mein and the salt and pepper squid to share. Along with the hot tea, it was perfect. The lo mein was soft and chewy and the squid was in a light, crispy batter with small flakes of jalapeno. There was also a nice ambiance -- it's on one of Brookline's pretty central side streets with views of the snow coming down.
(4)Augustina M.
Now from the gate let me just say, this rating is relative to the Chinese food I've had in the area/the surrounding area options in Allston/Brookline. Crab Rangoons and Fried Rice are always a staple for me and both were quite good. The rangoons were overly stuffed with delish cream cheese and were just golden & crispy enough. The chicken fried rice I ordered was great and a good portion size. Cons: Delivery min of $15 and a $2.50 fee is assessed for delivery... and my food came slightly colder than I've had before. I would definitely recommend this place for the typical unhealthy greasy Chinese food options, but I'm sure the healthier options are just as good.
(4)Sonia T.
Solidly mediocre. It fits the niche of decent greasy chinese food - if the service wasn't so brusque to the point of being quite rude (part of it is language barrier, but it's still unpleasant). We had eggrolls, Szechuan Spicy Chicken with Peanuts and Basil Triple delight. All were oily, tasty, and pretty flavorful but not too spicy, with meat that you know is not the best cuts. And sometimes that's what you're looking for, so its all right.
(3)Graceypoo M.
i really like their: walnut shrimp--doused in mayo with pineapple chunks and broccoli chicken with green beans crab rangoon scallion pancake
(4)Jenn S.
I had tried Chef Chow's takeout YEARS ago and remember not liking it - so I never went back. Well, recently an Eversave deal came up, so I decided it was time to give it another shot, especially since we've been looking for a new Chinese place. My husband & I went on a rainy Saturday night and while he parked the car, I was immediately seated. The waiter wasn't sure if I could use the Eversave coupon without a printout, so he had me talk to one of the owners, who immediately scanned it off my phone and were very pleasant about it. I've had bad experiences with rude owners before regarding these coupons, so this was a nice change. Onto the restaurant & food: We had $30 to spend, so we started off with an order of my favorite, the Peking Ravioli. There were 6 in the order and we ended up with only 1. They weren't the best dumplings I've ever had and weren't as pan-fried as I like them, but I've certainly had worse and I gobbled mine right up. For our meals, we split the Chicken with Cashews (YUM!) and Chicken Chow Mein (Stir-fried shredded vegetables served with crispy thin dry noodles). I don't think I've ever had Chow Mein before (if I have, it's been years), but I was a bit surprised to see this come in a white sauce. The taste wasn't bad, it just wasn't super flavorful and was somewhat slimy. The crispy noodles - served separately - helped with the texture and slimness, but I would not get this again. I wish I'd gone with the Chicken with Broccoli, as some previous reviews suggested. The waiter was very nice and pointed out - twice! - that we had not yet reached the $30. So we ordered a large brown rice and a Diet Coke to round it out. Although 1 app & 2 entrees with a side of rice does not seem worth $30, we had plenty of food leftover - enough for lunch for both of us the next day, and dinner for 1. One small setback was the packing of the leftovers. Unfortunately, our waiter put our 1 dumpling in a box under the Chicken with Cashews (I like that he didn't waste a box, but I almost thought he didn't pack it at all!) and did not give us the Duck Sauce or Dumpling Sauce. Sad. :( We will most likely be giving them a try for delivery the next time we crave Chinese.
(3)Matthew G.
My wife and I miss this place every time we order Chinese! Great place with great food. Would highly recommend.
(5)Rebecca S.
So the delivery took a bit longer than I'd expect for a Monday (about an hour, which is 15 mins later than I'd been told to expect), but other than that I'm definitely a fan. The food was flavorful and the ingredients seemed fresher and much higher quality than other inexpensive chinese places I've tried. The singapore noodles and salt and pepper shrimp (which I think might be off-menu) were fab. The only negative was the cold sesame noodles which were a bit bland. Will definitely be heading back.
(4)Sidney L.
I have been looking for good Chinese food outside of Chinatown for some time, and sadly I am still looking. I've been to Chef Chow's twice, first because I was intrigued by the crowd of people there and second to satiate a random craving for Chinese food, and twice I left disappointed. A few of my notes: - Chef Chow's is expensive than what you'll find in Chinatown - per dish, you'll pay $2 or $3 more for a smaller portion (and you'll have to pay for rice). This actually doesn't bother me that much because I figure I should be paying more in Coolidge Corner, but it's worth noting that what you're paying for is location and tablecloths. - The service is awful, even by Chinatown standards. My servers didn't seem to speak English well and were of little help navigating the menu. Don't both asking for recommendations. I also had a lot of difficulty acquiring water and chili sauce. - The food is particularly greasy, even for Chinese food. I took my leftover fried rice, heated it up in a pan (no need to add oil), and dumped it onto some paper towels to blot out the oil. The salt and pepper squid had this thick, greasy batter, instead of the light batter you would get at other Chinese places. - I did find the hot tea to be particularly good here. It was hot and very dark.
(2)Michelle R.
Delicious, not too gross or greasy, American Chinese take-out. So good for agoraphobic days- order online, shows up ASAP, and everyone is really nice. This is actually one of the delivery restaurants that I don't hate 10 ,minutes later.
(5)Kelsey M.
Costly meals that DO NOT INCLUDE RICE?! Never paid almost $11.00 for General Cho's Chicken without rice! These people smile extra hard as they nickle and dime every cent they can out of you. Food is AVERAGE and the fried bananas are like trying to swallow huge snot balls!
(1)Tyler W.
When I order takeout from a Chinese food place I always focus on two things: dumplings and general gao's. This place had ok dumplings but some of the best gao's I have had in my life. No joke. Seriously, order it. I'm usually very partial to dumplings and the fact that they were just ok would make me maybe lean to a 3 or 4 star rating...but they simply have the generals FINEST chicken there is in Boston!!!!
(5)Don L.
I ordered the sesame chicken and the veggie lo mein for takeout. The lo mein was alright, nothing special but I'm giving this place 1 start because not only was the sesame chicken super soggy and mushy, it was undercooked. I cut into it and it was still pink in the middle - good thing I noticed or I could have gotten sick. It's definitely over-priced for what it is, and I wouldn't risk getting sick to eat this less than mediocre food.
(1)Kelly O.
I grew up on Americanized Chinese food, and though nowadays I tend to appreciate more 'authentic' Asian cuisine (Gourmet Dumpling House, Jade Garden, Pho Pasteur), I still have a soft spot for neon sweet and sour chicken and fried pu pu platters (don't judge, you know you do too!). When my picky mom was in town and wanted to grab dinner in the neighborhood, Chef Chow's was a decent choice. A time or two in the distant past, I'd gotten their Chow Fun as take out (no complaints, especially for the $7.50 price), but last night was the first time I dined in. We were pretty pleased with the prices on the drink menu ($3.50 for a bottled Sam?!), and the food menu was also on a lower price point with many dishes around $7-8 and most under $12... the entrees don't come with rice, but a small white rice is only .95. We started off with BBQ boneless spareribs for the table, which was a solid rendition of a classic app... smaller slices than other places, but it did make it easier to eat. I had a little bit of envy when the table next to us got a flaming pu pu platter which looked awesome (totally cheesy I know, but still cool/nostalgic), but that will need to wait until next time. For my entree, I got the Shrimp with Mango, which was a giant platter of battered shrimp, mango, scattered pieces of peppers and carrots, and a few slices of celery, in a thick sweet sauce. Not bad, essentially exactly what I had expected, and it was more than enough food to have leftovers for lunch today (score). The other 2 entrees at our table (Crispy Chicken and Hunan Crispy Beef) were also ginormous platters, both containing pieces of giant battered meat over a few errant pieces of broccoli (so choose wisely if you're looking to incorporate some veggies in your meal), that also resulted in leftovers and generally happy stomachs. They didn't bring over tea until we were almost done with our meal, but to be fair, we had forgotten to ask for it in the first place. Service was just shy of being overly attentive, but I guess that's better than nothing? Overall, I'd say the prices and portions of Chef Chow's make it worth a trip if you're craving solid, classic American Chinese food in the area (if you want more authentic or original, go elsewhere). Also may be an awesome cheap spot for after work drinks and apps?
(3)BJ L.
Chef Chow's house was overall pretty decent. I stopped in here because I was super hungry and it happened to be in front of me. None of the dishes come with rice or noodles, so you have to order them separately. I got the Szechuan beef, and it was very flavorful. Paired with the fried rice, it was enough food for 2 meals, so I made it just that. All in all, a nice place to grab a quick bite when you feel the need for Chinese food.
(3)Vincent M.
I'm feeling under the weather so my other half runs out to grab me my go-to sick cure, won ton soup. This place kicked the won ton in the butt and delivered a very flavorful, delicious hot soup! I was sick, couldn't taste much, but the flavor of this soup came through strong! It was like the soup was kicking the sick outta me! After I finished it, I really did feel better. Good work Chef Chow! I'd like to go to the restaurant and sit down and see what dinner service is like, Hopefully we'll get out there soon. I was very impressed with their take out. They had a great lunch special that included soup, crab rangoon and a choice of meat. So good! I'll be back here soon!
(4)Steph W.
I have lived near Chef Chow's for awhile and always wondered about what sort of delicious treats lived inside. However, I was slightly disappointed. The place is a bit blah in terms of decor/atmosphere and the service was mediocre. When my friend wanted a 3rd coke (is that so crazy?!) the waitress made some sort of noise as if she was annoyed -- sorry, but the salty food is making us thirsty!! But, I'll say that the pork lo mein and beef teriyaki were good. The scallion pancakes were also good although a bit greasy. However, in all fairness, I had never had scallion pancakes prior this visit, so perhaps they're always greasy. We also ordered general gau's which was for a lack of a better term, meh. If I was desperate for Chinese I'd go back but I probably won't return.
(2)Shaaru R.
This was really disappointing and I thought a little before writing this. I am one of those non confrontational kind of folks and I find it really difficult to say something to someone's face and I thought of letting it go but the more I think about it, the more it bugs me. So today I ordered for delivery two items: the house spicy wings which according to my take out menu at home said it was 6.95 and the shredded beef with carrot and a small white rice. The delivery was prompt and therefore one star but in the bill I saw that they had charged me 7.90 so I checked the online menu to see if they had increased prices but nope. Now obviously I suppose a dollar makes no difference and I tipped him anyway but I JUST WISH PEOPLE WOULDN'T DO THIS. Like how is one dollar going to make any difference except have an angry customer write something like this. Now for the food. The wings seemed fine upon the first bite and then in a little while this odd taste sort of started happening and I just couldn't place what it was except it reminded me terribly of cleaning liquid. I am not even sure what it could even be but it was just terrible and so I abandoned that. The beef was in a thick sauce which I assume is some kind of soy and was just meh. In about two hours after eating I got this pukish feeling and have been throwing up since and I know it can't be anything else because I have been having fruits and water and bread since yesterday! Anyway, clearly I won't be ordering from here anymore but it's really sad that restaurants are willing to jeopardize reputation like this.
(1)Alexis C.
My friend dragged me here, and it was a mistake. I should have known the instant I saw the demographic at the tables: 100% Caucasian and over 50 years old. Yes, I managed to perform simultaneous racial and ageist profiling. The food is really salty and not that good. The service was fine. I get the impression that this is where the local retired folk go when they feel in the mood for something "exotic."
(2)Amanda O.
Our go-to Chinese restaurant. Their food is great. Good portions, not greasy, and they definitely buy good quality meat and/or cook it well. I haven't been disappointed and we've been there 10+ times. Their beef with broccoli, sesame chicken, and crab rangoons are some of our favorites. Added Bonus: Cheapest, strongest mixed drinks in the Boston area that I've found. Mixed drinks (and they make them strong) are about $6. A scorpion bowl for 2 is about $13, and those 2 people could not drive afterwards. It's all the drinks you need. Overall, this place is delicious and a great value.
(5)Sean S.
Pricier than you average (panda) bear, but well worth it. I've never eaten in the establishment, but I've walked by it. Looks clean, nice atmosphere, tables, bar etc. Think of your average late night Chinese delivery - then stuff a handful of steriod and awesome pills down its throat. Food is always delivered PIPING hot, and is just DELICIOUS. When I want Chinese, and they're still open, it's a no brainer. Do yourself a favor and get some Basil Fried Rice and try their peking ravioli - I've tried much more on the menu and have YET to taste anything I didn't like/devour/wish I had more. Pricier than other Chinese delivery, but well worth it.
(5)Alex B.
Okay. 2 hours for delivery is not why I chose this place. The order estimate was an hour. Doubling that time is uncalled for. I could have picked one of many low quality chinese food restaurants. I wanted General Gau's Chicken, Fried Rice, and Crab Rangoon. I had placed my order on foodler.com and after about 1.5 hours started calling. Each time they said I would get a call back, but nothing. The crab rangoon was partly soggy when it should be crunchy (prob cause it was sitting for so long) and the general gau's chicken was nothing to smile over. I did like the fried rice (special with chicken, shrimp, and pork) though which is the only reason this place is getting 2 stars and not 1. I wish foodler had the option of recalling a delivery tip because I was pissed. All the guy said was "I am sorry, we will do better next time." We guess what, there wont be a next time, pal!
(2)Alan M.
Ordered delivery. They were very attentive particularly when we mentioned there was a nut allergy and we ordered sesame chicken. They were careful to ask if there might be an allergy to sesame seeds also. Food was good although the scallion pancakes were crispier than we preferred. All was good otherwise.
(4)Elizabeth S.
Picked up takeout here last night. The main dishes (1 beef, 1 shrimp) were bland, tasteless, and gummy. The scallion pancakes were like greasy cardboard. Everything was still hot when we took it out of the bag, so it isn't a case of "cooling takeout." Will not be trying again.
(1)Carrie P.
The service at this location was definitely the highlight. The only food that was truly outstanding, in my opinion, was the hot and sour soup. I love when it is so spicy it makes you sniffle. DELICIOUS. Other than this, the service was the only stellar component. The fried rice lacked extensive flavor, which was disappointing to me. I can make flavorless fried rice in my own house, I don't want to pay for it. The sauces were too Americanized for me to truly enjoy them. I guess I was just looking for a more authentic experience. I wouldn't avoid this restaurant, it is definitely a great location, and therefore really convenient when out in Coolidge Corner, but I feel as if there is a lot of room to grow in the food category.
(3)Jeff D.
After placing a take out order at the bar and telling them very specifically that my wife is very allergic to seafood, I got home to discover that the crispy chicken I ordered was actually fish. My wife took a few bites and realized it didn't taste like chicken. She now has hives all over her face and a potential visit to the ER. This is UNFORGIVABLE for a restaurant. The rest of the food I ate was incredibly bland. Even the "spicy" dish. Will never eat here again.
(1)C M.
not the best and not the worst. After adding some salt, most dishes were pretty good (fried rice, beef & broccoli, chow mein). Hot & Sour soup didn't have much flavor. Had some specialty items I don't see at many places.
(3)Michelle M.
If you're going to order from Chef Chow's, I'd recommend the crispy walnut shrimp--it's battered, fried, jumbo shrimp in a sweet mayo-based sauce with walnuts and broccoli. After trying a couple of other entrees from their menu, the crispy walnut shrimp is the only dish I enjoy. Everything else is so-so
(3)Gisele M.
I went to Chef Chow House two weeks ago on a Saturday evening. First of all, the food came out so fast, I swear they knew we were coming. I ordered the crab ragoons, house fried rice, chicken and broccoli, and another seafood dish. The food was pretty good. The crab ragoons were pretty good. The atmosphere was ok - not too crowded for a Saturday night.
(3)Kate M.
It's nice to have a sit-down place for Chinese food, so we didn't have to sacrifice what we wanted to eat in order to go out. The atmosphere has a lot to do with this rating. We started with scallion pancakes which were fantastic. Then I had sesame chicken, which was delicious and had just enough sweet. My boyfriend's sweet & sour chicken was a LOT of breading and not much flavor. The prices were a little high - especially in light of them putting rice a la carte (? - what's the point of charging $0.95 for a scoop of rice?) but I'd pay them to be able to sit in a comfortable, clean Chinese restaurant. The portions were okay and it was also not very greasy, which I really appreciated.
(3)Toodles K.
Please do not patronize this establishment. There's got to be a better Chinese food restaurant in Brookline... There HAS to be... Go to Boston's Chinatown instead. 1) First there was the CONSTANT chatter of the waitresses and waiter/bartender yapping with each other in Chinese or worse, chatting loudly in Chinese on the phone. Very obnoxious, and yeah, I wondered if they were talking about me. I admit it... 2) The waitress with the floor sweeper hit my chair... TWICE. 3) Their Kung Pow Chicken with Peanuts was so lame and obviously not from scratch. 4) And finally, giving me my check when I wasn't finished eating yet is RUDE. THAT is why the waitress only got one dollar and four pennies as tip. Stay away... stay far away...
(1)L. B.
My go to place. There is always an available table, the wait staff is kind and attentive, the prices are reasonable (I usually spend between $10-13 on food) and the alcohol comes in awesome tiki glasses. The food is on the top of its game with fresh vegetables, light breading and just the right amount of spice. The egg rolls, and sesame chicken are both a must have. I've tried them all and Chef Chow is definitely the best Brookline chinese.
(5)Sally M.
This was the second time we went here when in Brookline. The service was fast. The food was good. The cocktail that we ordered was not made right and too strong. The wine was ok. Not eager to go back.
(2)Florina K.
Walnut Shrimp is the best dish EVER!!! And other food is really good too! I just with the service was better. There is a guy that is ALWAYS there literally, and when he is in a bad mood he can be really rude. Nonetheless the food is great!!:)
(4)Sara C.
I went here for the lunch special. The staff was pleasant and the restaurant was clean. The food was pretty good. The crab ragoon uses really crab and a good ratio of crab to cream cheese (so many restaurants have tons of cream cheese and then some token crab). The hot and sour soup was good but a touch too peppery for me so I was unable to finish it. I really liked the flavors of the cashew nut chicken, but good grief there must have been four stalks of celery (chopped into large chunks) in it. Bleck! Way too much.
(3)Jen F.
Interesting experience with Chef Chow's last week--called for take-out and asked what ingredients are in the sauce of the "chicken with vegetables" dish. The man who answered the phone said he "didn't know" but he was sure it was "nothing bad". Although a peculiar response, I asked again. At this point the man said "well, you know, garlic, onion, etc". I said "sure, but garlic and onion do not constitute a sauce, do you mind asking the kitchen if you do not know?". To this the man replied "well, they are super busy". Intrigued, I answered "I will hold and do not mind waiting". After several minutes, the man picked up the phone and said "Salt and MSG". So, I guess I know why he went to such great lengths NOT to answer my question.
(1)Cassie H.
We ordered take out from Chef Chow's House one night because we were too lazy to cook and we were craving some good Chinese food. The food came fast and it was very hot. The fried chicken wings were good, but not great. The shrimp fried rice was decent, but not very wonderful. Easily forgettable. The chicken w/ ginger & scallions with rice casserole was the biggest disappointment. Touted as one of the chef's specials, it was over-salted, soggy, and overloaded with onions. Overall, not an enjoyable experience. We will not be ordering from or visiting Chef Chow's again any time soon.
(1)Janet C.
We ordered 3 dishes, Chicken Fried Rice (good), Crispy Chicken (good), Crispy Beef (could skip). I was done but my friend wasn't finish eating. The waitress already gave us the bill. Then I put my credit card in the wallet thing and tried to find her to tell her that she can wrap up the rest. The place wasn't even that busy, I don't know what the rush was for. The quality of the food has gone down hill.
(1)Christopher S.
We've all heard this before, "(enter restaurant name) has the BEST Chinese food! You have to go!" In my experience I've noticed that that statement is true but to a point. Most of the local Chinese restaurants I've tried, by recommendation, do have some of the best food I've tasted but no meal in its entirety has blown me away. Last week while in Brookline my girlfriend and I decided to go out for dinner. At first our plan was to find some place new to try but ended up going for Chinese in the end. Chef Chow's House caught our attention when we had parked our car across the street and we thought, "why not?" It was shortly after 7:00pm, walked inside and were instantly noticed by the hostess. She brought us to a booth by the large front window where we were quickly greeted again by a waiter who handed us menus. He informed us that he would return shortly to take our drink orders and answer any questions we had. We both knew we were in the mood for some exotic drinks (Scorpion Bowl for One and a Zombie), wanted to stick to our usual order of appetizers for dinner and a heaping mound of rice. Pretty much my entire life a Chinese food dinner consisted of appetizers with a large side of rice. Today it's no different and I've honestly liked keeping a routine where I know what I am getting into. But over the years my favorite restaurants have come and gone leaving me searching for replacements. I am still on a never ending quest to find the perfect egg roll. To this day nobody does egg-rolls better than Sabrina Wong III in Framingham. I grew up on that $hit and have yet to find anyone who does them better. But Chef Chow's House has come the closest! So far they are the only restaurant I've tried that has the thicker, crispy, fried crust I love in an egg-roll. Overall Chef Chow's House is very, very good. The food is excellent and doesn't leave a heavy feeling in your stomach. Staff is one of the friendliest I've encountered outside of Minado and minus finding parking the location is very good. It's hard to say that this is THE BEST Chinese food restaurant but it's definitely one of the better ones I've tasted. Just remember no one is going to find the magical combination where everything is 5 stars but as long as you are happy with what you get that all is what matters. I would definitely return to Chef Chow's House.
(4)Pedro M.
***2.5 STARS*** Meh. Nice atmosphere, mediocre food. Chicken and vegetable soup was bad. Crab rangoon was okay. Deep fried tofu dish was kind of soggy, and with a heavy sauce. Chicken with scallions and ginger didnt have enough ginger. Whatever. Glad it's there, but just nothing to write home about.
(2)Greg I.
This place is strange: The food is great when you eat in, and the service is pretty much top notch. But for the love of all things that are holy in this world, never ever get takeout from here. It's below par the worst 2AM takeout Chinese place in town. It's like they're thinking that because you aren't in the restaurant to complain, they serve up a big pile of crap. It's just terrible. Step it up Chef Chow!
(2)Anna Y.
I have been to Chef Chow's twice, both times at night about 2 hours before closing. I mention this because the late hour might be the reason for the shitty service (and bad review). The food is pretty good, and not too expensive for Brookline. The mixed drinks are pretty reasonable as well. The menu isn't descriptive at all, so unless you are familiar with the restaurant it is unclear what comes in each dish. Good luck asking the wait staff- I have never seen so much eye rolling in response to polite questioning! I work in food service, so I can empathize with most wait staff. Pleasant service is a plus but it is definitely not a priority, and I would gladly overlook a surly waitress in exchange for a nice meal. But damn, I have never felt so unwelcome in a restaurant before! Because of the confusing menu, it took us longer than usual to figure out what we wanted. We received many undisguised dirty looks for taking too long, and not because they were busy (there were only 3 other tables eating). I tip 20% by default, and this was the first time I have ever left less than that in my life. Another downside is that the portions are pretty small and they don't come with rice. They didn't even ask "do you want rice with that?". Come on people, rice is practically free and who wants to eat a plate of green beans and sauce for $8?
(2)Sandy H.
Solid chinese food and a little bit more authentic than most other places I've been to outside of Chinatown. I always get the Beef Chow Foon here. The lunch specials are a pretty good deal and come with choice of soup, appetizer, and either white or veggie fried rice all for under $8.
(4)H S.
These are things I like when I go out for Chinese: -food that comes out blazing fast -super sweet servers who come running over from across the restaurant when you accidentally look in their direction for a second -fantastic drink menus and even better/fatal scorpion bowls -super sweet servers who don't judge their customers who order said scorpion bowls, even if it's just two girls and they order three bowls in the span of a couple hours. Maybe they have work in the morning. Yeah, they have work in the morning. Chef Chow didn't judge me, neither should you.
(5)Nadia K.
This was so bad I actually forced the guy to take back the worst smelling/tasting pad thai I've ever had. It made me gag it was so bad. This is the first time I've insisted something be removed from the bill. The "sizzling chicken and vegetables" was almost as bad but because it didn't smell like rotting fish we ate it. It had zero flavor and was slimy- the chicken looked like it came from a frozen package of lunch meat. By far the worst food I've had in Boston. If you want asian food, go to Pho Pasteur in China town on Washington- no matter what you get, it's pretty good.
(1)Tim S.
I was looking for a Chinese place that a) Delivers, and b) has Moo Shu (or Moo Shi or Mu Shoo...) Chow's House met these criteria and even got fairly good reviews. We ordered at about 6:15 on a Thursday night. They told us that it would be 45 minutes to an hour for delivery... Let me be frank - we were hungry and Chow was what was going to go down.... You can guess where this one is going. After an hour, no food. We called. "It's on it's way was the response". We live 5 minutes down Beacon Street from their place of business. 15 minutes later, no food. We called again. The driver called us back - "Where you live?" Now granted, we live at a funky address, 31.5, yes 31 and a half, yet, we are *right* next to #31. The food arrived at 7:45; an hour and a half after ordering. The dumplings that we ordered were cold, doughy and like rubber. more dough than meat. The Moo Shu was respectable, but no where near the quality that would even deign us to save any unused portion for a cold lunch the next day. The one saving grace about the meal was the meaty General Tso (Gao's) chicken dish - it wasn't all dough like some other chinese places. Not happy with the overall food from this place and the delivery was abysmal. Not worth the 3.5 stars aggregate that this place gets. Definitely a 2 star restaurant. Take out or eat in srestaurant may prove to be a better option for Chef Chow.
(2)Laura D.
Dragon Star is still better but this is decent chinese. I started with a pina colada. It was good and fairly strong. Then we had crab rangoon and it was great! For entrees we had a chicken and lobster in spicy sauce. This was good, not as spicy as we thought but a large portion. It had some onions but no other veggies. We also had the general gau chicken. This was just ok. No broccoli like you normally find with general gaus. People raved about it on here but it was slimy meat with a lot of fat. The coating was nice and crispy and the sauce was good but the chicken looked like mystery meat. No rice comes with the entrees which we found a little odd. No wait on a Friday night was nice but any good place has one on a Friday night. Overall I would give it another try and the food was decent but nothing special. Parking is also a pain in Brookline so next time we will probably take the T.
(3)Keith W.
I have never liked their food. I have tried at least 10 of their dishes and could only find one that was halfway decent. The only reason why we order from there is my wife likes their hot and sour soup which she eats everytime we order chinese food. This is also why my most recent experience was so frustrating. We ordered our usual order and they brought wonton soup. When I called back to complain they not only tried to argue that I did order wonton soup but refused to deliver the hot and sour (they asked me to drive and pick it up) We will never order from this place again which makes me happy since jo jo taipei and shanghai gate are much better.
(1)Shannon J.
I've only eaten in the restaurant once, but service was friendly and efficient without rushing to turn over our table, so I wouldn't be opposed to going back. It's just that when I feel like Chinese food, I tend to feel like staying in, so I get delivery. The Chinese food here is consistently good. They do a fantastic ma po tufu, and a great beef chow fun. My husband and I get those two dishes practically every time we order from this place. The ginger scallion duck is very good, as are the general's chicken and sesame chicken. I also like that they give you the option to have brown rice or white rice. All in all, best Chinese food I've had since moving to Boston (though it doesn't hold a candle to Chinese food in the bay area in California).
(3)Michael P.
The food is fare...not anything to go back to. Small portions and big price! They are RUDE! I will never go back to this restaurant again.... I have never been treated this badly, not even in china town!
(1)Lea C.
Aww, I was so excited about this one based on the Yelp reviews. I was definitely disappointed. Last night, the bf and I ordered some delivery to go with our viewing of Black Dynamite (which was NOT disappointing). We ordered the pu pu platter, hot and sour soup, crispy chicken, and the yu hsiang chicken. It was full of hits and misses for sure. The pu pu platter was mostly good. Teriyaki beef: delicious. Crab rangoon: handmade? Delicious. Chicken fingers: good. Spare ribs: good but greasy. Wings: huge and good. Spring rolls: big, but meh and literally dripping grease by the teaspoon. The crispy chicken was the most bizarre thing I've ever seen: chicken pounded flat into large squares, battered, and fried. Like crunchy chicken playing cards. Murder to eat with chopsticks. The sauce on it wasn't really there and was pink. The veggies it was supposed to be served with consisted of 2 strips of bell pepper, a broccoli spear, and a 1-inch piece of bok choy. I didn't finish it...because I didn't want to. The soup was not very good, contained barely any bamboo, and was missing the "sour" component of hot and sour soup. The yu hsiang chicken was okay if I added ingredients to the sauce to make it palatable and then let it sit to marinate overnight. As it stood, it was pretty bland. It was chock full of chicken and veggies, so that was a plus. I guess I'll just never find the beloved garlic chicken I ate almost weekly in the midwest with its sweet, spicy, garlicky sauce. If anyone knows where to find the aforementioned dish, please tell me. Did I mention that none of this came with rice? Fail. And it was like $42 for 4 items which is not okay---especially when 2 of them weren't really salvageable. So, in summation, pu pu platter: good. Everything else: not so much.
(3)Jeff S.
Best Chinese food in Boston. The service is great. I highly recommend the pu pu pladder, the orange beef, and the sesame chicken. I've gone here for 7 years and my family insists on coming here every time they are in town.
(5)Allie G.
love Chef Chow's & miss living right down the street from this place! it's not quite five stars for me but the food is good, the service is decent and one Scorpion bowl for two (shared between two people, feel like I need to clarify that so I don't sound like a raging alcoholic) will get you nice and drunk.
(4)Milee S.
While never a fan of Chinese food, I had a major craving for Crab Rangoon so I placed a take-out order here over the weekend. Along with Crab Rangoon, I also got Hot and Sour Soup and the Vegetable LoMein. The Crab Rangoon was awesome, but a bit much for one person. I loved the sweetness of it. The soup was very thick, in my opinion--a little too thick for hot and sour soup. And there was a ton of tofu in it which dampened the taste. It could have been more spicy. The LoMein was pretty good. You get a lot for your money--I have enough for the next 2 days! I wished there were more vegetables and not just green onion tops and bean sprouts. I guess if I had a craving again, I'd stick with just the Crab Rangoon-that really was the best part!
(3)Vera S.
Hooray!!! I finally found some delicious General Tso's chicken!!! And I don't have to go into Chinatown. Their general tso's was really good, and not just "I'm in Boston, so I have lowered my standards" good. Like, really good. Thier hot and sour soup was great too - I loves it. There are 2 things that suck about Chef Chow. 1) They don't deliver themselves, but outsource their delivery to "Night owl". Night owl sucks ass and unlike normal delivery services who bring you food when you ask for it, they sort of decide to whenever they feel like it, which is usually a few hours after you have ordered it.. Save yourself the trouble and just go. Don't subject yourself to the idiots who run "night owl", just go. 2) If you order a dinner entree, you have to order steamed rice seperately. Lame. But I am so thrilled to find good General Tso's, that I'll pay for the extra steamed rice.
(5)Steven K.
Really good. I liked the mandarin chicken, and the hot sake was really hot (and good). Service was excellent.
(5)Victoria A.
I would classify this as American-Chinese (our own special bastardization of the cuisine) rather than strict Chinese, but that said, it's a great embodiment of the form. The food is consistent, and there's pretty decent variety (for example, if you want spicier food the menu extends beyond the General Gau's/Kungpao/yuhsiang trifecta) and there are frequently interesting specials. uhm...other good stuff: The service is good. They are willing to make substitutions. The food is also really plentiful for the price, so you can probably get dinner and lunch the next day from one entree. Also they have fish tanks!
(3)Veronica T.
Food was tasteless, restaurant looks clean. Overall ok but would not return.
(2)Morgan H.
I ordered take-out for a night of studying at home and I was pleasantly surprised. I got the General Gau's chicken and crab rangoons (recommended by fellow Yelpers) which were both delish! The crab rangoons had the perfect mix of softness in the middle and crunchiness on the outside, and the chicken was junk-food-good without being overwhelmingly sauced or greasy. I will definitely order from here again....
(4)Jesse N.
I have been a fan of Chef Chow's House for years. I have never been disappointed with anything to speak of, but I am fanatical about their Crispy Chicken. It costs about 10 dollars and it is just... amazing. So yummy! Flat pieces of white meat chicken breaded with this light, crispy, flavourful coating and a sweet and slightly spicy sauce. There is nothing better. They make a decent steamed peking ravioli too. Dang... now I am craving that Crispy Chicken....
(5)Rob G.
Tried Chef's for lunch last weekend. The special luncheon plates were a really great deal. Good selection of options with choice of soup and appetizer. Service was brisk, food took a little while to come out, but the place was nearly full. Taste, temperature and texture, all great. Prices looked a little higher for dinner, but decor and cleanliness was above average for most Chinese spots. 5-Stars for lunch, 4 for dinner.
(4)Nelle C.
Service and food both are very good here. Try the steamed salmon with mixed vegetables - it's big enough for 2!
(4)Favalaro F.
Other than the food poisoning from the Peking Duck that I had to deal with, there were no problems.
(1)Yelpie G.
Chef Chow's was for years a Thursday night staple after work. Yes, the Crab Rangoon is great and so is the Sweet and Sour Chicken, General Gau's and the Lo Mein. Nothing made my trip home on the Devil C Line more wonderful than knowing I was on my way to Chef Chow's to pick up some hot and tempting Chinese take out. Especially on those dreary winter evenings when even God couldn't make you cook - Chef Chow's made you feel all warm and fuzzy and happy. Makes me wish I lived in Brookline all over again.
(4)Christopher M.
Best Chinese around. Go once a week when possible. Busy nights are not the best times to go though.
(5)nicole z.
Came here on new years after bad experience. See my golden temple review. The owner was so nice and accommodating. The experience here was great, food allergies were taken seriously, and food was delicious. Nice quiet ambiance. We will definitely be back! Prices are very reasonable. Most important to me their customer service was A+!!!!
(5)Orly M.
Best Chinese restaurant outside of Chinatown. This plase is delicious and cheap. BEST HOT AND SOUR SOUP I"VE EVER HAD. I've had a lot of hot and soup. It's an obsession of mine. If I could eat only this Chow's soup for the rest of my life I would be very, very happy. Dunk some fried wontons in there and it's heavenly. I think I'm going to have dreams that are both hot and sour tonight. The lemon chicken is also delicious. It's not deep fried and the sauce is really light. The veggies are always fresh and perfectly cooked. Service is great. Restaurant is clean. Eat it and weep, people.
(5)Keelin C.
When looking for decent Chinese food in Brookline this is a good option. As the rating states, this place is alright. The service is fast and the place is clean. The food is very typical of your main street Chinese place. Most of their classic entrees (Sesame Chicken and Lo Mien) are good and just as you would expect them. I especially enjoyed the chicken that is mostly white meat and tender. The pupus were ok. Don't order the egg rolls they aren't great. The prices are decent. Overall this place is good and a solid 3 stars.
(3)Allison L.
After a full day of travel on my first trip to Boston, I was craving some good old East Coast Chinese food. Chef Chow did not disappoint. I slurped down some hot and sour soup and tucked into the Szechuan spicy chicken with peanuts -- so good. I spent more than I normally do for dinner for one ($13 or so before tip) but screw it, I hadn't eaten all day and it was delicious. Thanks, Chef Chow, for giving me my first Boston meal!
(4)Lauren F.
Went with three other people and the service was slow. The waitress didn't even look at us when we ordered. The food took forever. The service was so bad we didn't leave a very good tip but we left something and the waitress had the nerve to come back and ask if this was the tip. NEVER going back there.
(1)AB H.
It's not bad chinese food, but it's not great either. It's what you would expect... decent crab rangoon, fabulous bok choy, average to poor shrimp and fish, and very good pork pancakes. I didn't take them up on their offer to keep sugar, oil, and other bad-for-you ingredients out of my order, but I liked that touch.
(2)Lawrence L.
The restaurant reeked of industrial strength cleaner. Ruined the taste of the food. (I guess the uncooked brown rice wouldn't have tasted any better.)
(1)Amy C.
hard to find good chinese food near JP. we were in Brookline for an appt. and stopped by here since i was craving mad chinese food. nice sized portions, pretty tasty, and good service. the manager came over and introduced himself, asked our names, asked when our baby was due. i was thinking to myself, what managers do that anymore??
(4)Steven E.
Today I ordered takeout LUNCH SPECIAL from Chef Chow's. It included a soup, crab Rangoons and General Gaos Chicken. The meal itself was over vegetable friend rice. Delicious!
(5)Li S.
Uh this food is pretty expensive for such small portions... And the appetizers can really hurt your wallet. They don't differentiate between small or large sizes, egg rolls are 4 bucks. And you never have as many leftovers as you do with other places. But other than that, the food is good and not overly greasy. So I'll stick with 3 stars and only order when I have money to burn.
(3)Bella and Aleksey R.
This place isn't bad. We had the pu-pu platter for 2 which was very filling and had good crab rangoons, which is often the litmus test for a Chinese restaurant. Their hot and sour soup was OK. My dish contained noodles and shrimp, it tasted rather standard, didn't jump out at me like something extremely unique but wasn't bad either. When I went here years ago for some reason I remembered it was better.
(3)Rosalind P.
Ok this is my favorite Chinese place in town and they are really nice. I recently went to lunch there with 5 third graders and they were quick, sweet and the food was delicious. I couldn't believe the amount you get for lunch including soup, appetizer, main dish and rice for only 5.50. I have also been there without small children and downed a few Scoripion Bowls. Mmm Mmm good. There is just something about sharing a large bowl of fruity alcohol with dear friends. I think it is the est Chinese in the area.
(4)Itch S.
This place has been around forever and for any restaurant that says something right there. Food is great by local Chinese standards but what keeps me coming back is the service - I hate to say this but service that would be good in any restaurant. Even the delivery guys are very nice if you get delivery service.
(4)Michael M.
I'm eating their food right NOW! I'm not Chinese and don't know jack about "real" Chinese food, but I love this stuff. I predictably order sweet and sour chicken and sticky white rice every time. This isn't gourmet s&s chicken, mind you - I think it says it all when I describe the s&s sauce as that bright pink corn-syrup, but MAN it's good. The chicken is breaded and cooked to a crisp golden brown too. They also almost always deliver within 20-30min, although they tell me 45min. Then again, I live a mile away. Anyway - great stuff. Highly recommend it. For "Americanized" Chinese food (know what I mean?), I give it five stars. For the Real thing (like the stuff you find in Chinatown, where all the customers are Chinese and I can't read the menu), this would realistically drop down to two stars. That's my take on it, anyway.
(5)Alison H.
I have lived in Brookline for years but never ate at Chef Chow's, even though friends from JP & Cambridge would make special trips for the food. This past weekend my boyfriend and I got take-out and it was delish. A perfect middle ground between "only when drunk" Dragon Star & ridiculously expensive Golden Temple. The egg rolls were crispy but not oily, the spareribs had more meat than fat, the General Gao's chicken actually had chicken and not just lumps of fried batter. I will definitely be heading back when a Chinese food craving hits again. Bummed I never tried it before.
(4)Julie T.
I have only ever come here for lunch as they have pretty good lunch specials. You can't go back farther than $6, I think, and it's a decent meal. Soup, side, rice, and entree for $6 is pretty awesome. Their food is sometimes a little too bland for me, but they have one dish called Strange Flavored Chicken which sounds freakin' creepy and incredibly sketchy, but it's pretty good. It's one of those dishes where you're like: I'm not sure how I feel about this and if I should be enjoying it or not...but it so peculiar that you can't seem to stop eating! Anyways, portion-wise, their lunch specials don't always fill me up, but that's just me. Besides that, they're good.
(3)Jamie T.
When I lived in the area I loved to go to Chef Chow's for lunch, I remember they had a great luncheon special. The Amazing chicken was my favorite... mmm... Now I want to eat that!
(4)Jillian Q.
Oh, Chef Chow's, you are my guilty guilty Chinese food pleasure. I really do love this place. Every time I have gone (for dinner and lunch and takeout) the service, food, and drinks have always been great. They have one of the best wonton soups I've ever had. My other personal favorites: tempura veggies, chicken fingers - they have some sort of ginger in them I think?, Lemon Chicken, GARLIC NOODLES, beef with broccoli, spareribs....I could go on forever. I feel the like prices are decent for what you get and we always have leftovers. I've honestly never had a bad experience here.
(4)robert o.
I use to live near Chef Chow year's ago and the food was fantastic. Well it is great to know it is still great. I went this week and every dish was expertly prepared and fresh. It was and will always be my favorite Chinese restaurant.
(5)Linda S.
I thought this place was great. It was reasonably priced and the food we ordered was well prepared and tasty. The mango chicken special was excellent! The waitstaff was friendly and attentive.
(4)Nate M.
One of my favorite Chinese restaurants in the metro-west area, especially for General Gau's chicken and crab rangoon. Their lunch combos are delicious and one of the best deals in the city for the quality and quantity of food.
(5)Sarah C.
Do not want.
(1)J J.
Normally I find Chef Chow's to be a place that consistently serves good Chinese food, although not great. I will continue to feel this way, but tonight I ordered (via delivery) the orange crispy beef, and I was so disappointed. Maybe I just did not understand the nature of this dish, but I was expecting chunks of beef, crispy with orange sauce. Instead I got something akin to beef chips, very minimal beef, mostly fried batter in orange sauce. Greasy. Unsatisfying. Avoid this dish if you don't like the sound of it. I do enjoy the Mongolian Beef and many of their chicken dishes, as well as hot and sour soup and Crab Rangoon, their steamed rolls. The staff can forget sometimes that YOU are the customer. I have had great staff and have also had some experiences where they have been close to arrogant.. Still give it four stars..just because I can't seem to find a really great Chinese restaurant in Brookline that is somewhat reasonably priced, so Chef Chow's has to suffice for now.
(4)Omer N.
I've been to Chef Chow's recently and thought it was a great value. Prices are very reasonable and food is tasty. I agree with fellow yelpers on the Crab Rangoon - they were definitely on of the best I've ever had. Chicken dishes dominate the menu. I liked the sesame chicken. The fried rice was so-so. I'm planning to try noodles next time. Unfortunately there was a bad smell to the place. My friends argue this is the "authentic Chinese restaurant" smell but I disagree. There are plenty of Chinese restaurants in the area w/o this problem. I also should add that service was very friendly.
(3)Mike D.
Nothing about this place is four star except for the fact that it's a good honest specimen of a dying breed around these parts: an American-Chinese restaurant where you can go with a paperback on a damp, chilly day, sit down, and get a cup of hot and sour soup (they actually do this very well), a spring roll, and a plate of something spicy and reasonably tasty with rice for six or seven dollars.
(4)Alicia Y.
Meh... this was definitely not the best Chinese I've ever had. Granted, the atmosphere is nicer than some Chinese joints (it's nicely decorated, fairly spacious, and our waiter was friendly enough), but the food left me feeling kind of unfulfilled and oily. My friend ordered the sweet n' sour chicken and said it was basically chicken tenders with pureed jam slathered on top of them. My sesame chicken was lackluster, as was my other friend's chicken with vegetables. Our friend who got pad thai said his was decent, so maybe noodles are the way to go at this place. However, I'd definitely try other local places before rushing back here.
(2)Sarah A.
Chef Chow's is a neighborhood favorite and I've been here on several occasions. The food is consistently yummy. The crab rangoon is excellent as are the spring rolls. I have always been satisfied with the quality of the food and the generous portions. I was here today for lunch and had the sweet & sour chicken, which was excellent, served as a luncheon special with wonton soup and crab rangoon. Yum yum. I am compelled to yelp about Chef Chow's today though because the service we received was so horrible. My entree was brought to the table several minutes before my friend's entree arrived. He was left to wait for quite some time. This is just wrong. My entree should have been kept warm in the kitchen until his was ready and both entrees should have been brought out together. I realize that sometimes it's okay to bring out some entrees before others, as in the case of a large group, but this was just two people and it was several minutes before his entree arrived. No, no, no. Bad Chef Chow's. Also, our waitress never checked in with us to see if we needed anything or if we were satisfied with our meals. I am still giving Chef Chow's four stars for the yumminess of the food and the excellent value, but be forewarned about the poor and abrupt service.
(4)Ana M.
I'm giving Chef Chow's three stars because they have some of the best Chicken & Broccoli I've had. The chicken is really tender and doesn't have that questionable consistency I often run into with this dish. Also noteworthy are the lunch special prices (around $6 for soup, appetizer and entree). I would give this place four stars, but the service is so-so - our waiter was forgetful and got really taken aback when I asked for chopsticks.
(3)Kristin S.
For Chinese food its standard for Boston its decent. I've never eaten in the restaurant, I have just had delivery. The sesame chicken is good but I still find it strange that the chicken meat breaks away in long strips. The soup comes in a small serving compared to other places, the lo mien is good but lacks a lot of whatever meat you choose to have it prepared with.
(3)gado.gado D.
lunch special dishes are good and inexpensive, must try one of the chicken (house special - forgot the name). it's good to have this clean chinese joint nearby for a quick fix.
(4)Emily F.
We end up getting food from here pretty often, and its pretty consistent. The delivery service is always polite, but eating in I've found the service to be pretty bad. Had the same experience as the last review where the person I was eating with got their meal and then I waited another 15 minutes for mine. The crab rangoon are great, so is the hunan crispy beef. Most of the food is pretty greasy, and its a little pricey. The lunch specials are a great deal.
(3)