The food here is excellent. Everything we have had has been super fresh and very we'll prepared. The service is some of the best in town. Our favorite waiter Sean is always very attentive and always makes sure you leave with a smile. It really is a hidden gem and one of our favorite places.
(5)
Heather M.
Wonderful, Inventive specials. Excellent presentation. Love the atmostphere. Great date spot or dinner with friends. Try the golden bags! To top it off, very few times have I been this impressed with a waitstaff. Their knowledge of the menu is impressive, so go with an open mind, and let them take you on a culinary journey.
(5)
Kev G.
Never had eat in but I have had take out many times! Their Pork bun B2 is what I usually order all the time! The pork has a smoky grill flavor to it which is awesome, and that paired with the noodles and the salad with it is just awesome! The golden bags are also very good too! The decor is very modern and hip! The one girl that works is there every time I go and she is extremely friendly and helpful! Can't wait to try the rest of their food!
(4)
Jenny P.
Excellent food, very attentive staff, and overall great atmosphere. Could not recommend more highly!
(5)
Judith M.
Tried this place since it had good reviews. Food was good, but had a terrible experience and felt I had to warn others. We made a reservation and it was not honored. We would have been better off just coming in earlier and waiting for a table. We waited over 45 minutes for our table in a cramped vestibule and that is with a reservation. They took another party that came in after us and made us wait another 20 minutes after! The explanation was that "they had requested that table" Wow! If I had known, I would have requested that table too. the service wasn't great either
(2)
Cuong D.
I went here in July and my experience was great! They have smoking hot waitresses & the best Pad Thai on the face of this earth. Price was very reasonable. Oh and did I mention they had hot waitress there? Great place for the price. You won't be disappointed.
(5)
Susan R.
Loved it! Great mix of flavors. Ordered mahi special and was blown away by the crab topping and orange addition. The accompanying potato side was melt in your mouth flavor and texture. The portions were very generous. I couldn't even come close to finishing it. Not sure why others complained of cost. Ingredients and presentation were top quality. Well worth the cost.
(5)
bill c.
Everything we had was of excellent quality. The owner told us about some killer lunch specials that we'll try this weekend. Some coupons out there right now make this place a steal for the quality of food you'll get. BYOB makes this place a real plus.
(4)
Asil M.
Colonial is a great place to grab a meal! The first time I went was with my friend and the service we experienced while eating there was awesome. The food taste great, and the interior design is just amazingly comfortable. It's an excellent restaurant to go with friends or take a date. My personal favorite meal there is definitely the pho. I love pho! There's even a super bowl there! Since I have been to Colonial, it has become my number one place to go grab a meal. I have been to many other restaurants all over, but Colonial is definitely the best spot in Abington. Tasting their other food, I haven't had any complaints. It's a restaurant I'd highly recommend.
(5)
Angel Y.
I was there last nite, what a disappointment. The nooodle dish is not good at all. This was the worst restaurant I ever had. If you love noodles like me, this isn't the place. Not for $11 for full of sodium base broth. I rather go the pho beyond, least their place is resonable and good noodles. This place is way over price for pho. I would not reconmend. I went there because its a new place near where I am. People who really know pho favor would know. also bad management. Never again!
(1)
Dean M.
I think it may unfair to visit a restaurant once and write a review. The restaurant might be having an unusually great night or, on the other-hand, may be having a bad night. The REAL test is consistency. How do they perform time-after-time-after-time? I have been to this restaurant 10+ times. It is truly, incredibly, darn-near close to perfect. I keep asking myself what they're doing located in Willow Grove (they could be in Philly or Manhattan or LA)... and then thank my lucky-stars they are local to me. Decor is contemporary and comfortable. The place is spotlessly clean. The menu is inventive and creative but includes some classics as well. The cuisine is French-influenced Vietnamese fare... verging on Pan-Asian... yet one can also get a rack of lamb that is as perfect as can be found in a high-end Continental restaurant. The crispy roasted duck is the best I've ever had, anywhere. The seafood medley is heavenly. Appetizers and soups are wonderful (I love the Golden Bags as well as the Carpaccio) Fresh fish choices abound. There's even a bonus secret cuisine (Shhh). If you ask, the servers will give you a full-Vietnamese fare menu... so you get two restaurants-in-one. And that Vietnamese food is brilliant as well. Best Pho outside of Vietnam. Desserts are (I hate saying this, but...) "to die for" and artistically presented. Classic Vietnamese slow-drip coffee is a sublime pleasure. Servers... all are well-trained, thoughtful, courteous, interested and interesting and really take care of the customers. Owner Quy Bau (Cory) is a watchful and friendly perfectionist who is very mindful of pleasing. Selfishly... I wish this restaurant great success and that it lasts forever... because I'll be back many, many times!
(5)
Melissa C.
Went last night with my husband and we had a great meal. They had a great, ecletic menu and some good specials and my husband and I both tried dishes we never had before. The food was fresh and delicious and we even had dessert and I have to say, it was the perfect end to a great meal. The server was fantastic and went over everything on the menu and really sold us on our dishes. It was beautifully decorated and it felt upscale without trying too hard. We will definetly be back to try out some of the other things on the menu.
(4)
Charles R.
Some of the best places are in strip malls and this is one of them. As soon as we were seated the waiter came by, saw we had red and white wines, and before he opened the bottles he said as soon as he opened the bottle he would be bak with a chiller for the white. Amazing. How many BYOS do you go to with a bottle that needs a chiller and you have to keep asking for one. Anyway, the service all night was that attentive. The special soup was asparagus and crab, which was creamy, hot, and rich with flavors. The Golden Purses were as advertised, small purses that were lightly fried , filled with crab and lobster meat on top of a sweet chile sauce. The rib Veal Chop was one of the biggest and best I've seen in this entire area. Their chop rivaled places like Davio's, which I always thought had one of the best. The crispy duck with Chambord glaze was great. A half duck , cut up, that was chrunchy on the outside with lots of tender meat underneath. Both dishes came with fresh string beans and a serving of crispy potato's done sort of like escalloped , only lighter. Didn't have room for dessert, but the tray looked very good. They have their own lot, take all plastic, and the bill was $68.00 with tax. Rather go here than some of the places around me on MainLine. Better food, more innovative, and very friendly staff.
(4)
Daniel K.
Definitely give this place 5 stars. From the moment you walk in to the moment you leave, the service and sincerity of the host, waitresses, and most of Cory the owner is amazing! I went for their 3 course lunch special which was an amazing deal and then went to the dinner. The salmon literally melts in your mouth. Amazing service, awesome atmosphere, and great food gives this contemporary place 5 stars. Definitely beats Pho&Beyond, Pho Tai, and La Fusion!
(5)
Nadine L.
We had a bad experience here last Saturday night. On Sunday the owner Cory actually called me. He heard about the problem from his staff and was very apologetic. He invited us back for dinner on him to make things right. We went last night. The staff was very accommodating and the food was delicious. We enjoyed everything from the appetizer to the dessert. Cory came out to meet us after dinner and was charming. I am glad we had the opportunity to eat here and will go back. I would recommend Colonial to others for their food, atmosphere and service.
(5)
Marie B.
The best dinner ever! No need to go into town anymore for a wonderful dinner! Colonial Quy Bau is a MUST TRY! .Cory is great
(5)
Daniel B.
Excellent food, friendly service and a beautiful atmosphere make this a great spot. The Pho was great and my Bun Dac Biet was delicious. I would come back and try some of the other entrees
(5)
Rick B.
This is a great new restaurant to the area. The owner is very attentive. I will definitely be back!
(5)
Liz N.
The one dish you must try is the crispy duck! It was absolutely delicious! The skin was crispy and not oily like many of the other duck dishes I have tried in Philadelphia. To top it off it came with a strawberry sauce which perfectly complimented the duck. The service was friendly and attentive. I will definitely recommend this restaurant to family and friends!
(5)
K K.
Customer Service was absolutely horrible. They did not accept their own restaurant coupon certificate (which does not have an expiration date). Therefore, they lost 5 potentially new customers. I was flabergasted.
(1)
Eric E.
I have driven by this place a number of times, and we took the family for the first time last night. The interior has been beautifully redone, the restaurant is kid-friendly (though lovely enough for a date), and Cory (the owner) is a fantastic host and is simply amazing. Service was excellent. Food was delicious. We had Pad Thai, Coconut Chicken soup, Vietnamese spring rolls, satay, glazed duck, and creme brulee. All of the dishes were excellent (not perfect, mind you, but among the tastiest five restaurants in the Abington/Cheltenham/Old York Road area). We will definitely return!
(5)
Jane C.
I hate to only give this place 3 stars because the food was pretty great, but the service was God awful. I went tonight and the restaurant was jam-packed. The space seems way too small to have that many tables crammed into it, but it wasn't totally horrendous. However, after sitting down, no one came to ask for our orders for a good 15 minutes. Finally, someone came by and asked if we had ordered yet. When we said "no", he started telling us the specials, but then said, "hold on" and ran off, never to come back. A few minutes later, a different server came by and took our orders, but neglected to tell us about any of the specials. It seems like there's a severe lack of communication between the waitstaff because several different servers came by to offer us food that wasn't ours, ask us if anyone had taken our orders after we had already ordered, etc. One of them offered us a soda "on the house" since we had received such bad service. It was a nice gesture, but why not just up your game instead? Even though the food was good, I won't be coming back here on a Saturday again. They admitted that it was a "hectic" night, but if they can't adequately serve that many people, then perhaps they shouldn't have accepted so many reservations. In short, a pretty disappointing and kind of infuriating experience overall.
(3)
Vickie P.
A nice casual upscale and very intimate dining experience. You have the option between Classic French or traditional Vietnamese cuisine. I always go for the Vietnamese just because it's a little cheaper and so full on flavor. You can get a decent bowl of pho without having to go all the way down south philly. I always order the pho deluxe and the spring rolls with a plum sauce. Both are excellent. The broth is always hot and they are always very generous with the meat. The spring rolls are vegetarian, don't let that make you think they lack in flavor because it's the opposite. The best spring rolls I've ever had! Love this place, also BYOB
(5)
Rolene P.
2 years later and we have become regulars here and have our monthly date night at Colonial (in addition to many take out nights and random "Colonial Cravings". The food continues to amaze us and the service is always impeccable. We feel like part of the Colonial Family. Truly a 5 star establishment.
(5)
Connie J.
My first visit was great! For appetizers my party and I went with the Crispy Wontons & the Dim Sum Sampler. The Dim Sum Sampler included a mushroom pepper salad, golden bags, chicken curry dumplings and mushroom leek dumplings. Our appetizers came out at a timely manner and we're very tasteful! No bad comments. For our entrees I ordered the Crabmeat & shrimp stir-fry Jasmine rice which was freaking delicious! For fried rice, it was not oily and it was delicious! My party ordered the Seafood Pasta & he enjoyed it. There was a good portion of seafood on his plate & not strictly all pasta or veggies. Given that our appetizers & entrees were good we decided to order dessert. Not bad either, had the Oreo Mousse. The best part was the service. The food was great but the service was outstanding; a key factor for customers. See you guys soon, you just earned yourself a regular!
(5)
Anilaury F.
I had ordered takeout and I must say the food was pretty good. I had ordered rice vermicelli with chicken and two vegetable rolls. My takeout came with utensils and some chopsticks as well. The place look clean and the hostess was really nice. I would def come back again.
(5)
Phil D.
Always passed by this place and wanted to check it out, and was pleasantly surprised when checking it out for lunch yesterday. The food they serve is Asian Fusion, but more specifically it is on the Intersection of French and Vietnamese Cuisine, with a small menu of completely Vietnamese cafeteria style items(Pho, Com Tam, Bun Thit Nuong, etc.), a few dishes with other SE Asian influences(ie. Pad Thai, Pad See Ew) but the majority of dishes leaning more towards the French influence. My recommendation for a place like this is forgo the classic viet dishes(they're more expensive than they should be. If you want traditional, cheap, viet food, go to a dirty, cheap, viet cafeteria; the dingier, the better!) Stick to their fusion dishes and you won't regret it. Food(4/5) Overall everything was actually prepared well and tasted delicious, though there were a few dishes that I didn't think were particularly worth the value. I will say that looking at their dinner options just made me salivate, and will definitely come to check those out next time! Soup of the Day(3/5): $5. Got some Spinach soup. Not bad, not particularly impressed. Quy-Bau Golden Bags(3.5/5): $8. Essentially just fried wontons on top of sweet chili sauce(Mae Ploy). Nice presentation, especially with the lemongrass wrapping, makes it seem very 'monopoly'. And the Filling was indeed quite good, with a satisfying amount of shrimp and not much 'filler'(veggies, noodles, etc.). But at $8 for only 5 pieces, i can't really justify myself paying that much for essentially fried wontons. Ginger Chicken(4/5): $8. All the flavors were there, and there was a good ratio of protein to vegetables. That said nothing all too spectacular. As in I wouldn't be surprised to get a similar dish at a random Chinese restaurant. I would order it again but I wouldn't write home about it. Shrimp and Crab Fried Rice(4.5/5): $13. I'm used to paying only $7-8 for good fried rice, so this price point was a bit unexpected...but the rice was cooked perfectly. Savory, Lightly Seasoned without being overpowering, and with just enough fat content to taste delicious but not make you hate yourself and the grease. Also their was a decent amount of crab and shrimp blended into the rice and altogether it just seemed to work. Seafood Pasta(4.5/5): $13. A fusion dish, not a traditional pasta but with a good amount of seafood, less in terms of actual noodles(this is a good thing)and a thin, slightly sweet sauce that borrows heavily on vietnamese flavors. I normally am not the biggest fan of pasta, but I quite enjoyed this. Service(4.5/5) No complaints here. We were promptly seated and attended to the entire meal, with no delays in receiving our order or picking up the check. Additionally, our primary server was very attentive and very articulate in helping us with the menu and telling us about the daily specials(Wish we the stomachs to check some of them out!) Ambience(4/5) Very quaint nice atmosphere, which would be perfect for an intimate conversation but also good for a family meal or small gathering of say, 10-12 people. Very neat all around, unoffensive lighting, and a decor which was consistent with the style of cuisine. All in all, I am definitely excited to return and try out their dinner options. The Lamb and Duck Dishes in particular are on my backlog, and if it's anything like lunch was, the blend of flavors(a little asian, a lot delicious) is right up my alley.
Thai French excellently prepare and presented! Three diners, self, husband, and mother found the atmosphere calm and inviting. Asked for a table on the main level since there's concern about moms mobility. The hostess gladly directed us away from the raised floor area up front to a booth at the rear of the room. Food service was paced very well. We enjoyed the explanations of the specials of the day as well as recommendations from our waiter, Eugene. I decided to go with the Seafood Pho rather than the Chicken w/Jasmine Rice. The soup dish was ample and the stock was hearty with calamari, shrimp, crab and scallop. All tender swimming in rice noodles, sprouts and crisp veges. Husband had the seafood sampler. All different tastes he enjoyed. Glad he could help me with the Pho. The crispy Duck was a hit with mom. She thoroughly enjoyed the sauce reduction, green beans and scalloped potato. The chef separated the leg portion for her so she didn't have to tackle any "bones". After reading the reviews earlier that day I decided to recommend the Thai coffee. It took a while to arrive and I'm glad for that. We had a chance to rest between the main course and the desert. Do order the thai coffee. It's a treat. And it went extremely well with the Lemon Mascarpone Cake we all shared. We'll be back. The place filled up after 7:30PM. Not an empty seat in sight.
(5)
Victoria L.
This place really surprised us, in a good way. My boyfriend and I met my mom here for dinner one night, and my mother was not happy when she found out it was in a strip mall. I assured her that the decor looked nice and presentable and it should be fine. We arrived first and were promptly served water and had our BYOB wine opened while we waited for my mom to arrive. When she got here, our waiter quickly took our order, and the food did not take that long to come out. I ordered the coconut chicken soup and it was so aromatic. My boyfriend and mom shared the calamari appetizer that they really enjoyed. For entree, I stuck to Thai basics and got the drunken noodles, which were decent. They're a solid staple but usually nothing special. My boyfriend got the chicken, which we made fun of him for since it's so plain, but he liked it. My mom got the duck with raspberry, which I thought would be too sweet but it was a nice balance of the typical French-inspired dish. The flavors were even better with the spicy chili that she asked for. Overall, our expectations were exceeded because we weren't sure what to expect. Don't let the location fool you!
(4)
Peter N.
First off, the service is 5 star. I mean, wow. Attentive, courteous, always smiling. This is the kind of place I wouldn't expect to pull a chair for the lady or open my napkin upon my lap. But they do it. The food is decent and the super awesome staff take the time to explain any questions you may have. It is a bit pricey depending on what you get. As an appetizer, we shared a bowl of pho, and they did not skimp on flavor or portion. Well worth it. Also did the golden bags and calamari salad. Both tasted good, but the calamari could've been more charred. For our entrees, we both did noodle dishes - drunken noodle and seafood medley. Both were good and heavy on the protein - lots of chicken/seafood in each. You can choose your spicy level between 1 - 4, and our 2s were not spicy enough for us. It was also a bit pricey for a noodle based dish ($16 and $25, respectively), but it falls in line with the going rate for the ambience and service. Plus, you're saving money on alcohol, because this place is BYOB. Can't beat that. I look forward to returning and trying the rest of the menu!
(4)
Timothy C.
This place is a small, cozy restaurant with a big touch of class. Soft jazz playing, waiters that spread napkins on your lap, and even a coke is brought to you in a wine glass. The food is superb. Everything you try is just overwhelmingly delicious. Prices are quite reasonable for the gourmet meal you're served. It's great place to take a first date or a night out with the wife.
(5)
Jane H.
My husband brought me here for a birthday dinner, and it was such a lovely surprise. This French-Vietnamese restaurant has such a charming ambiance that works in many ways. It feels both casual and fancy at once, without committing, and yet without feeling compromised either. The servers are prompt, polite, and charming. The food was delicious. The food varies from more traditional Vietnamese fare to more fusion-flair. Everything we ate was good. As a bonus, they have a wonderful dessert list -- it was so hard to choose! Also -- all perfect! The price point is a tad high, but I think the quality of the food, service and decor are worth it.
(4)
Felix N.
Love this place have been going here for years. Amish curry chicken and golden bags are an awesome app and entree combo.
(5)
Jennifer K.
Had a lovely Valentine's Day dinner. It was our first time here. We were very pleased. The atmosphere, the service and the food was spot on. My husband raved about the beef dumplings. I agreed. I enjoyed the pho. Can't wait to come back and sample more yumminess.
(4)
Daryl M.
This was our first visit, after a friend recommended the restaurant. We were not disappointed! Soup, calamari, seafood special and soft shell crab entree with green curry sauce - it all delivered! Service was very good, very conscientious. We will be back!
(4)
Aria M.
Our 10 year anniversary rolled around and we hadn't made any plans. I read good reviews for this restaurant on yelp and we decided to give it a try. We were so glad we did. First off the service was spectacular. Friendly and happy and attentive without being overbearing at all. This is a BYO and we brought a pack for my husband and a bottle of wine for me. The opened our drinks and explained the specials. We chose the seafood sampler for an appetizer, and it was delicious. The calamari was crispy and delicious and the golden bags were the star. I orderedthe drunken noodles with chicken and shrimp, omg, I ate every bite, it was heavenly. My husband got the duck with the blueberry glaze, he enjoyed it very much. For desert they brought us out a delicious lemon ricotta cake decorated with "Happy Anniversary" on the house. I can't wait to go back and try some more dishes!
(5)
Elise C.
This place is phenomenal! I've been here a few times for takeout and went once with a large party. The service is the best! The chef even came out to wish me a happy birthday and to ask how the food was. The great thing about this place is that the menu has such a huge variety, whether you want to enjoy some pho for around 10 bucks, or indulge in a 20 dollar entree that is out of this world, this is the place to do so. I've had the pho rau and tofu, seafood pho, and bun bo nuong cha-gio chay. Each dish was spot-on!
Not bad but not great. The spring rolls were cold and the rice vermicelli bowl was full of iceberg with just 4 small shrimp. I will wait and get my Vietnamese in philly.
(3)
Ja S.
Overpriced and staff were whispering and saying how I was underdressed to sit and eat there, little did they know that I was picking up. They could have waited to talk about me after I left. Unprofessional
(2)
Gregory N.
Four of us enjoyed a wonderful meal at colonial for the umpteenth time, and it was, as always, awesome! The server, who was clearly newly trained, did an amazing job taking care of us. The entire staff looked out for us the entire night. Every member of my party enjoyed their meal, the land sampler, and the Vietnamese coffee to close out the night was superb!!! We made everyone get an order of the coffee, and no one was disappointed. Arguably my favorite restaurant in PA. Appreciations to the staff.
(5)
Grey M.
absolutely phenomenal lunch ! we had golden bags,escargot pastry and the viet spring roll for starters and drunk beef rice for entree. The portions are pretty big and each dish tasted spectacular. I was only sad I could not get to dessert. lovely ambiance , helpful waiters and superb meal ,highly recommend and would visit again !
(5)
Jim W.
One of my favorite spots in town. Pho is great as well as all of the dinners and specials.
(4)
Ken O.
This restaurant is trying to do too much. They seem to be pretty good at vietnamese cuisine but are rather poor at everything else. The pad thai was surprisingly bad! The coconut soup had all of the right ingredients but lacked all flavor. The pepper medley salad was less than the sum of its parts. stick to what you know instead of chasing fancy big city words like "fusion".
(2)
James R.
This resturant not only has excellent food but the owners and staff are exceptional Will keep returning as long as they are in business
(5)
Valentino G.
Drove past this gem a lot when going to the Willow Grove mall, me and my girlfriend like to indulge in pho once in awhile and seeing that most of them are closed on a Monday, this place was open so we decided to stop in and give it a go. The service is amazing we were seated within walking in the door right in front of the front window, our waiter came right over and was very attentive and courteous throughout the whole night, while seating the waiter pulled the chair out for my girlfriend and placed a napkin upon my lap, I was really astonished because I didn't expect that here. The food was very good, my girlfriend and I had a very enjoyable night and we got to indulge into some much needed Pho. We started off with an order of the Crispy Vegetable Spring Rolls with a Plum Dipping Sauce and the Vietnamese Summer Rolls with a Peanut Dipping Sauce, both wree very good and would recommend if you like both, and for and entree I had Pho Tai, which was Rice noodle soup with medium rare eye round steak, it was very good, fresh and lite. My girlfirned ordered the Pho Ga, which is the noodle soup with chicken, she reall enjoyed it. One thing that I really like about the Pho places is their Vietnamese iced coffee, which if your a coffee drinker I would highly recommend getting it, this coffee is amazing iced and is very good with the sweeten condensed milk.
(4)
Sharon O.
Visited here with a group for my birthday dinner last week. I'm glad my boyfriend made a reservation because the restaurant was completely packed! The food was delicious and authentic, and large enough to share with others. When I asked for my dish to be spicy, the kitchen definitely delivered. The service was great too- even though the restaurant was BYOB, our waiter was extremely accommodating. Our waiter opened our bottle of wine, poured it, and provided us with an ice bucket by our table. Great service and food, and would try again if in the area.
(4)
Emily K.
Food is so fresh. Beef carpaccio is the best I've ever had at a reasonable price. Pho is fragrant and the vegetables are all fresh and crispy. I had tiramisu for dessert and it was presentable beautifully with house made sauce which was SOOO delicious and cream seemed to be made in house as well. The decor is beautiful and impeccably clean. Not a dust in sight. Service is amazing. I went twice this week and Ryan makes really good viet coffee and he's a efficient server and times things out perfectly. Alan has always been welcoming to me ever since I started dining at colonial since their store opening and it is always great to see them. Lastly Cory is a dear friend and I couldn't be happier for his success and I hope to visit more often because the food is really amazing and you can't find such quality in food and service anymore. Will be back more often!
(5)
Joe S.
THis was one of the noisiest - if not THE noisiest - restaurant I have ever visited. To boot, we were seated by the one aisle down which all the waiters traveled. Service was mediocre, as was the food. Our Ceaser salads were the most tasteless salads of the sort I have ever been served. My wife was served a meal she had not ordered (which they did rectify). We skipped desert in order to LEAVE ASAP. That is Also a First for us. We will Never return.
(1)
Nimmmy A.
The food was lovely but the waitress that was tending to my boyf and I was so rude and rushy. I mean when I come out to eat I want to take my time and enjoy the meal that I'm paying for. It's not like I was sitting there for three hours but she kept coming by to ask for my plate and I wasn't done. I did love the hostess because she was welcoming and the man that made the Vietnamese coffee was absolutely a gem. The two people made up for the pushy waitress. The food itself was scrumptious, so I can definitely see myself coming back here.
(4)
James J.
Really nice place. Ambience is pleasant and more fancy than other Asian joints. Good place to have a business lunch. I suggest the pad see you with chicken or the crab fried rice. The pho is also the best in the area. The grilled meats though are just ok.
(5)
K S.
Great service and food!! But one thing that bothered my eyes..... One of the waitress was dressed like a slut. Very unprofessional. She was in a tiny mini skirt with high heels.
(3)
Alex G.
Certainly wasn't expecting to have one of the best Asian fusion meals I've ever had in this unassuming restaurant in the willow grove area. Advertised as Asian fusion with a French influence, the food is really great. We started off with a vegetable appetizer sampler, which consisted of steamed portobella mushroom and leek dumplings and several types of spring rolls. I really liked the accompanied sauces, especially the peanut sauce. For our entree, we had the drunken noodles with Amish chicken and jumbo shrimp. The noodles were soft and lightly sauces (rarity for traditional drunken noodle dishes) and the chicken was noticeably fresh. Would come back here again if in the area.
Very good food at a reasonable price. The wait staff is amazing! My kids love it here!
(5)
Frank L.
Best foreign food place ever. The hostesses are all so beautiful and friendly it's a little messy at first but the atmosphere is so calm and intimate. The food is delicious. The golden bags are to die for and it just cannot get any better than this. I never thought I'd like asian food like that, but even the take-out is so quick and helpful. Every single time I call, it's a friendly voice always greeting me and reminding me its a BYOB. I went there a few nights ago and it wasn't too busy (I recommend the early days, earlier hours) and ordered a Pho-Thailand which was simply great. There was also this eggplant pasta that was just so yummy I can barely describe it. I don't recommend the desserts, they are a bit over priced, however it's overall a wonderful restaurant.
(5)
Vincent L.
This was my first time here. It's hidden in a strip mall on the corner so I never noticed it. From the time you walk in the staff is nothing but professional. One thing though, it's BYOB so bring your favorite. They even check in your coat. The prices are ever so gently high but not too much to where you'll just go somewhere else or buy a fish sandwich from Burger King. The wait staff are very attentive and friendly. I would recommend this place for a great date night place.
(5)
Matthew V.
What great about this place is they cater to all type of diner. If you want fine dine then there is a menu for you and if budget is concern then there are a menu for that too. Very business savvy with two different menus. The sea food sampler was delicious and the Pad-Thai ingredients is real. Some place they make it with cheap constituent stuff... lol I can finally recognize with on my plate. Their dessert was amazing too. Plus BYOB!
(5)
Lianna N.
I've visited this fairly new restaurant a couple times now, for lunch and for dinner. Here are some of my honest thoughts about the pros and cons of this establishment: Pro: 1.) The owner Cory was VERY nice on our dinner visit there. Not only were we severely under dressed, we did not realize the lunch and dinner menus were different, as well as the dress code and ambiance. We came for pho, but that's lunch fare only, dinner being a good $20+ per plate and mostly French fusion. Not only did he let us order pho anyway, free spring rolls were given with the pho. Great customer service! 2.) Beautiful decor. Feels cozy and warm in there, and is classy. 3.) Great service, friendly staff 4.) BYOB (I think) Cons: 1.) Menus still printed on computer paper and on a clip board. Upgrade please! 2.) No longer a casual dinner restaurant, which is a disappointment for me, since I dont think I'd make this is a regular dinner spot like Pho and Beyond. It will become a special occasion only type of place from here on out. 3.) Pho broth is OK but I still prefer the pho from down the street. 4.) Same comment for the food in general, for what I have tried so far Final comments: -Good opening presence, great decor and service is A+. - As for prices, food, and the marketing audience for the dinner crowd, probably not appealing enough to make me a regular, but would come here once in a while.
(3)
Mandy H.
Pretty good upscale Asian fusion restaurant in the burbs. The place isn't too noticeable when driving by, as its in a shopping center, but it's very pretty on the inside. Other reviewers has mentioned that they need to get rid of the clipboard menus and I agree. The restaurant gives off a more upscale vibe, but the menus don't jive with that. Not to mention, mine was a little dirty from the previous guest. They also need to consolidate their specials a bit. I tend to get really overwhelmed with too many options and then can't decide. We ended up using a restaurant.com gift certificate, so we probably ordered more than we normally would for just the two of us. We ordered a creamy asparagus soup topped with crab meat to share (nothing too exciting) the golden bags (sooo delicious), and the veggie spring rolls (very yummy too, but didn't hold a flame to the golden bags). The golden bags trumped all the other appetizers because they were so cute and so crunchy and tasty. I ordered the Amish chicken and shrimp in a thai basil sauce, which was a little sweet and a little savory. Not my favorite, but I was glad I tried something different. My bf had the shrimp pad Thai which was done perfectly as you would expect for Pad Thai. I just wish we had remembered to bring a bottle of wine, as the restaurant is a byob, but they do offer Specialty iced teas, I had the apricot, if you don't want alcohol. Overall, a nice find for something different in the burbs amongst the slew of chain restaurants, especially if you get the restaurant.com gift certificate to save some money.
(3)
Joelle J.
Tried this place for the first time and I must say I'm really happy with it. My friend made a reservation for a party of 4 and we were seated right away; overall the service was great. I ordered the drunken noodles and had them bump up the spice a little, the food was amazing. I'll definitely come back
(4)
Yohan N.
Came here since I was in town for work. Was craving some asian and saw this asian fusion place and decided to give it a try. The vibe I got walking in was that this place was fancy. Everything from tablecloth to servers coming and offering sparkling water to servers reading out specials, this was a fancy schmancy asian fusion place. Our server had some serious B.O..... only reason I pointed this out was because he came over and read out like 20 different "specials" so he stood next to me for quite a bit. I couldn't focus on what he was saying. By the time he read his 8th special, I had forgotten what he said for the past 3 minutes. It just left a nasty taste on my taste buds. not good buddy. not good at all. Food. I got the golden bags since everyone seemed to rave about it as an appetizer and got the pad thai for dinner. The Golden Bags were good... but just good. In terms of taste, it gave you the illusion it was different and better because of the way it's presented. Instead of a roll, it's wrapped as a bag so the filling is more grouped together instead of spaced out thinly in a roll. So A+ on presentation. The Pad Thai was average. Let's just say it wasn't amazing. Would definitely try one of their other 20 items on the menu.
(3)
Zach V.
The Colonial Quy Bay is truly a diamond in the rough. This place earns everyone one of the 5 stars I gave them. We had reservations for 8 pm on a Saturday. We arrived late at 8:30 and were seated promptly. The dining room was almost at capacity so we were relieved that had a table for us. They have (2) different menus, the regular dinner menu and the Pho menu. Everything on the Pho menu is very reasonably priced around $9. When you move over to the dinner menu the entrees are between $14 - $25. I wasn't in the mood for Pho so we chose to order off the dinner menu. After we were seated the staff regularly checked on us. We perused the menu and started off with the pan fried dumplings, green curry mussels and the Escargot Puff Pastry. The puff pastry was recommended by our very friendly and knowledgeable waiter. The appetizers came out promptly and the Escargot was exquisite. Our girlfriends have never had snail before and they were both pleasantly surprised with how fantastic it was. Deciding what to eat is usually one of the hardest decisions for me to make. I opted for one of our Waiter's recommendations the Wok Shrimp, Scallop, and Beef Roasted Garlic, Shallots and Sweet Corns Viet Chilies. The other entrees we chose were the Pan Sauteed Atlantic Salmon in a Tomato Concassees Stolichnaya Mustard Reduction, Seafood Medley with Shrimp, Salmon, New Zealand Mussels, and Scallops in a Roasted Garlic Brandy Thai basil sauce & the Black Angus Rib-Eye (16oz) Inglehoffer Stone Ground Mustard Pinot Noir Shitake Reduction. My entree was fantastic! The fish and beef were tossed together along with the vegetables in a sauce that starts off sweet and finishes spicy. This meal came with a side of white rice. I really was craving some bread to clean up the remnants of my meal. As we were finished eating our waiter mentioned they have fresh bread that we could have ordered along with this meal. I wish he would have said something earlier. The steak was good but not over the top as the other entrees. Since the chef's specialize in Asian / French cooking I won't hold that against them. I wouldn't have ordered a steak here but my friend was in the mood for one. The seafood medley was really tasty and the Salmon was cooked to perfection. The seafood medley was missing scallops and when we brought that to their attention they were extremely apologetic and offered us free deserts. They didn't try to make any excuses and we really appreciated that. For desert I had the Creme Brulee and the Red Velvet Cake. Both deserts were great. To finish the night off I tried the Vietnamese ice coffee that was made table side in a French press. This was recommended again by our server. I'm not a fan of cold coffee but our waiter had been right all night so I indulged. It was a dark colored sweet coffee that was the perfect paring with a sweet desert. I wouldn't have it alone but in this case it worked. During our meal we noticed a man being rather stern with the staff. Apparently he wasn't happy about something. I figured he wanted something for free. I made a comment to the staff about having to deal with someone that obviously couldn't control his temper. The owner and general manager came over after dinner and explained what had happened. Apparently the man had finished his entire meal but complained about it and wanted it for free. Usually if you don't like something you don't finish the entire plate. The entire staff was so friendly and accommodating. The management obviously trains everyone well and is dedicated to providing top notch customer service. They have a few new fans and we will be sure to come back again. *** I wanted to comment on a few of the things I read it some other people's reviews. #1 The menu is printed on paper and comes on a clip board. This is true but unless you are eating the menu who really cares? #2 The food is rather pricey? Since the meals range from $9 - $29 I would not call this pricey at all. If you can find another restaurant that is of the same quality with Chef's as experienced as these please direct me to it. With tip included our meal was $45 per person.
(5)
Joe M.
My wife took me here for my birthday. The decor is very pleasing. It has a nice upscale look and feel to it, though we went in with jeans and sweaters without feeling out of place. The menu looked to lean a bit more Asian than French, but that was fine. The food is priced a bit higher than some comparable places, but I wouldn't classify this place as expensive by any means. The staff was pleasant without being overbearing. They allowed us to enjoy our dinner and made sure our glasses were always filled. The food itself was well cooked. The soups we ordered were well made and large enough to almost be filling. The lemon grass soup in particular was worth trying. The entrees were large enough to offer a filling meal and allow you to take some home. The spices used were very mild, even after I specifically asked for the spiciest iteration of the curry in my entree. So those with a more tame spice pallet shouldn't worry about the notations of how spicy an item is. Even the most picky of eaters will be able to handle the spice level. Really the only sightly negative thing I can say is that nothing jumped out as "special" with the dinner. It was a nice meal and the food was enjoyable, but nothing I haven't had a bit better at other places. It really is only a minor gripe and more of a personal taste. Definitely worth a shot if you're in the area and looking for something a little nicer than the multitude of chain restaurants nearby.
(4)
Kelli M.
Definitely love a good BYOB. The asian/french fusion threw me for a loop at first but this little place has great flavors and nice presentation. The waitstaff was incredibly nice and the decor was beautiful/clean. A little pricey but worth a try!
(4)
Calvin T.
Tried this place with a bunch of friends for the first time. Decor was very nice. Modern, and upscale. Service was good, and our waiter was knowledgable and answered all our questions. My friend is a health nut and always has something to change about the dish he chooses. They were on point with his changes. Thai Chicken Lemon Grass Soup - aka Tom Yum soup. I always get this soup at every Thai restaurant I go to. It tasted delicious, however it's a bit too pricy at $5. Mostly soup and not much ingredients. If it was $3, I'd get it every time. - 4/5 Amish Chicken & Shrimp Drunken Noodles - one of the best drunken noodle dishes I've ever had. Usually, I find that the basil overpowers this dish in most other places but it was balanced nicely here. Again, this is a typical Thai dish that you would find in any Thai restaurant. I thought $18 was a bit pricy even though it was sooo good. - 5/5 Service - 5/5 Quality - 4.5/5 Value - 3/5 Because it is a bit pricy, we can't be eating here every time when out with friends on the weekend, however it is a place I will come back to every now and then. Best tasting Thai food in the area!
(4)
Pymander H.
This was probably our fifth or sixth time at Colonial. The food continues to be fabulous, but the food service has declined. The place was full but that still does not justify a 45 min to an hour wait for appetizers. Other tables were experiencing the same delays. Note that this did not seem to be the fault of the servers, but rather a kitchen bottleneck.
(4)
John S.
Excellent Thai food. My wife had the Amish chicken with coconut curry, which was good, but not great. I had the Com with grilled beef over fried rice, which was insanely good. Only downside was the fact that they ran out of dumplings, and it was only 7:30 on a Friday. Place gets really crowded and noisy, but the ambience makes up for it and you quickly forget that you are eating in a strip mall. Prices are extremely reasonable considering they are a BYOB.
(4)
Niti S.
Don't be fooled by the strip mall location. We had an excellent meal on Saturday. Our friends had organized a prix-fixed menu for our large group of 8. The food was fresh, arrived beautifully presented course-by-course. 4 of us were vegetarian - and were extremely please with our food selections. BYOB is a bonus.
(4)
Kurdapya K.
I am writing this review as I sit here. The service is incredibly slow. There are only 5 parties with no more than 4 pp/per party. It's not a full house for lunch yet we have been here for about 30 min without lunch. The waitress is ok... Not terrible but not to friendly or helpful either.
(3)
Ira S.
We just stopped in for dinner and the food was good but the staff is totally disorganized. While we ordered correctly, our server even read it back, everything was wrong. They even came out at one point with the wrong food. I had the crispy chicken and there was absolutely nothing crispy about it. If you want to venture out to this place, really really make sure they know what you are ordering.
This place has good food and good service! My boyfriend and I enjoyed our meal here tonight. I had the chicken coconut soup, which was scrumptious! As an appetizer, my boyfriend had the Golden Bags, which were filled with crab and shrimp. He loved them! For my entree, I had the chicken red curry. It was a little bit spicy and the chicken was tender, but it is served over linguine instead of rice--that was a little weird for me. The dish as a whole is delicious, but I feel like they should have stuck with the traditional rice. My boyfriend had a pineapple duck special, and it was great! The duck was super tender and juicy. For dessert, we shared the tiramisu, and the waiter was not exaggerating when he said that it would be the best tiramisu we ever had. He also recommended the Vietnamese iced coffee, and that was fantastic. I have been back to this restaurant twice since I wrote my initial review. This place just keeps getting better! The service is impeccable and the lamb special that I have ordered the last two visits is unbelievably tender and flavorful (think mustard and nut crust.) We have also tried three other desserts since our first visit and they have all been fantastic. Colonial Quy Bau is a little pricey (last night our bill for 2 people was $95, pre-tip), but well worth the money.
(5)
Miguel F.
Excellent food, excellent service. Only been to this restaurant twice so far and everything I've tried, I've loved. The staff are very polite and provide quick service. It appears that the chef pays great attention to detail because the food is arranged so nicely and the flavors just keeps you wanting more. I can't wait to come back just so I can continue trying different stuff.
(5)
Elena F.
Five stars all the way! Service 5+; appetizers a must-must and again must 5++++; desserts - oh my! Main courses ( we have been there twice): duck-5 stars, drunken noodle 5 ; lamb chops 5-, but still really great. Such a gem in our neighborhood! Will definitely come again. And bring friends!
(5)
Lyle D.
Went on a Tuesday. Had the shrimp wonton soup, smoked duck breast salad and rack of lamb special. All amazingly plated, delicious and I must note that the chef's use well-sourced ingredients. Service was top notch. I'm a due hard foodie from Brooklyn via San Diego and this place would be a welcome addition to either locale. Recommend for when you're dining alone, on a date or with family. Bring wine, beer or spurts and rock out. Enjoy, salud!
(5)
Van M.
The service was good although it took a little long for the main entree. Wait staff was very friendly and accommodating. The decor and atmosphere was very nice and not too loud. It was quite crowded. Pho was not their strength but the other dishes were delicious. Their strength may be in their appetizers.
This place was definitely a pleasant surprise! I just finally stepped foot int his place with my family over the weekend. I often drove past it in the day time and never thought it was as elegant as it was. It was a last minute dinner out with my Fiancee and 8 yr/o daughter. Apparently reservations are a must around dinner time, but they were very accommodating (and with a smile!). I felt super under dressed, but didn't get any uncomfortable looks from the staff. We only waited about 20 minutes for a table without reservations. After we were seated we were served on by the manager himself, who was so sweet. He apologized about the 20 minute wait which too me was nothing. He gave us recommendations, and we willing to change anything on the menu to meet my daughter's peanut allergy. Everything on the menu sounded amazing, and the prices weren't bad either. I had the crispy chicken, which to me looked like a fancy Generals Tso chicken from the corner Chinese place, but to my surprise it was saved by the many pineapple chunks that just gave it so much more flavor. My fiancee had a seafood medley that was amazing, and my daughter had a pad tai which was flavorful also. Then to top it off the manager was so tickled by my daughter he brought over a desert for her on him. This place is 5 star for the not so rich family. Some things to consider: Always make reservations for dinner time on the weekends, its a BYOB so pick a good wine, dress accordingly (jeans will do by clean cut with a nice shirt), and its a little loud with all the chi chatter about how good the food is!
(5)
Judy T.
I absolutely love this restaurant. They have amazing food, we had the duck which was cooked so perfectly I couldn't even compare it to duck I've had in the city. We also had corn fritters I think which were very flavorful but not oily at all. The restaurant itself is very cozy, and the decor is beautiful. The owner came to greet us and is very friendly. He greeted my boyfriend and I and we got to speak about his vision for the restaurant which was nice to see how dedicated he was in his ingredients to his finished product. I enjoyed it so much here I would definitely make it a regular place to go if I lived a bit closer.
i ordered the vermicelli with grilled pork and egg rolls which was pretty tasty. however, the noodles were warm and I typically don't associate this dish as a warm dish. the restaurant is nicely decorated and the staff was excellent. if my husband enjoyed viet food, i would definitely visit more often.
(3)
Durga's T.
Back to the Colonial Quy Bau!!! Ok ,so we have been back to the "CQB" :) 2X since my original post. We have tried everything from their salads to pho, appetizers to amazing dishes. I have an update to give for this amazing restaurant in the heart of a very diverse restaurant community. PROS: We noticed they have a nice table set up outside so you can view their menu now and also don't forget they DO have outdoor-seating in the back so if you can, check it out! It really is nicely done. When we came in our second time we noticed a waiter and a waitress. Yeah! They are both very nice and kind. That made our stay very pleasant. The food is amazing and we were given a lunch menu with pho and also the usual entree menu. Still on those clip-boards. :-( Don't forget! They may not serve alcohol but it is BYOB. What great experiences we have had here. From a pleasant and kind staff to Corey the owner coming out to talk to us and the waiter and waitress congratulating us on our engagement. We never feel rushed and our food comes out warm. We have never had appetizers, salads and our entrees come out all at once. It has always been an amazing dining experience. CONCLUSION: If you haven't been to CQB be sure to stop in! Sit down enjoy an amazing interior and hint-hint Corey! Maybe some Vietnamese Dan Tranh music. ;-) Enjoy all these amazing dishes. Don't forget its BYOB and a nice table out back. Be sure to try the Vietnamese Coffee! You'll never go to WAWA again for coffee. If you visited their website and was wondering the name of the track playing it is: Buddha Bar - Bliss - Wish you were here. A great CD!!! :-)
(4)
Adrienne R.
A friend recommended Quy Bau for lunch so I took her up on it. Beforehand, I looked on their website at their lunch menu and read lots of Yelp! reviews (good job guys!). Well when I got to the restaurant I was a little shocked that they didn't have the prixe fixe menu option that I saw online. I asked the server about it TWICE. He brushed me off the first time, which got my very irritated, and then he went to check with the manager. Apparently, it's old and the website needs to be updated :-( Now...on to lunch. I ordered the Bun Dac Beit - which is rice noodles, bbq pork, pork pate, shrimp and a spring roll served with the fish sauce on the side. Very tasty! For dessert I had the lemoncello cake, which was also very delicious :-) The servers were very pleasant and accommodating. It was a little overwhelming at times (talkative, lots of explaining and checking in) but I was there on my lunch break and felt I needed to hurry. Probably wouldn't have mind so much otherwise. I look forward to coming back to try the Pho!
Hey my name is john I'm not saying this be cause I work here and trying to make it look good for us I just feel some yup of way about some one lien and I have worked for this establishment for about two years now furring to the recent comment by the ex employee is totally absurd disrespectful and his facts are totally wrong and he's lying Cory the owner one of his main pep peeves is about how clean every thing is in the kitchen and food handling and his restaurant in general the comment referring to the food being dropped on the floor and put on plates is a lie and would never happen this restaurant has a high reputation And would never never serve their customers dirty food off the ground I've seen it with my own eyes if any thing fell or dropped it was thrown in the trash and never replanted and I promise every customer this ... I am a proud employee of this place and will not let any one slender this place Cory and Allan or one of the best bosses I worked for in my entire life they care and look out for there employees and care and appreciate there customers to the fullest and try's to make sure every one has a enjoyable experience and comes back... come by and check out for your self and have an amazing experience here
(5)
L O.
Best pho in the area. Impeccable service. Great atmosphere. Worth the money. Fine to wear casual clothing but most people in there are somewhat dressed up.
(5)
Ray C.
This place is awesome. Service is very good, it's BYOB, food and selection are excellent, decor is beautiful-even though it's in a strip mall! Try the BUN menu!
(5)
Logan B.
Great food, impeccable service, slightly pricey, but expected for the quality and portion size. Items that stood out: smoked duck salad, fried calamari, golden bags, escargot puff pastry, duck and lamb specials and of course dessert. There were absolutely zero complaints from my family who always find something to complain about!
(5)
Lena C.
My first visit to this restaurant turned out to be a delightful experience. The decor is beautiful and the staff was very kind. The waiter was very generous and didn't rush us when we were there past closing time. My boyfriend and I even had the honor to meet Chef Cory who wanted to ensure us the best hospitality. For appetizers, I ordered the Escargot Puff Pastry. I had plenty of escargot in the past but this was by far the most delicious dish and a new favorite. It was undeniably fresh and savory. The beurre blanc sauce went very well with the escargot. I would recommend it even though it is kind of pricy ($10). For entree, I ordered the Herbed Australian Rack of Lamb. The lamb was made medium well and cooked perfect. It was very rich in flavor. For being the most expensive dish in the entree selection ($29) I believe it was worth every penny. Overall, this is a nice and pleasant restaurant to take a date to. They have a large selection in French cuisine and it is very affordable. Although they need to change the clipboard menu but everything else was great. I am definitely looking forward to visiting again.
(5)
Kate L.
My boyfriend and I returned for round two. During our first visit, it was during the week and we arrived without reservations - we were instantly seated. The food was great. This time, we made reservations for a Saturday night meal. The restaurant was buzzing and it was pretty obvious that the staff was getting ready to seat a large table. We waited about 10 minutes, then were seated. 3 different servers approached us to go over the specials and take our order - this was confusing and it felt a little pushy. When I asked the third server about this, she explained that they all help each other with waiting tables. I get the concept, but I felt like we were being rushed through our meal. Later on, I somewhat understood why. I ordered the soup du jour as an app, which was cream of asparagus soup with crab meat. It was very tasty. We also tried the golden bags - very good, especially the plum chili sauce. For our entrees, I had the crab cakes - I enjoyed them, but probably should have went with a menu item that was more influenced by Thai or French cuisine. My boyfriend had the tiger shrimp and Amish chicken dish. He also enjoyed it, but wished it was served with more sauce. Towards the end of our meal, nearly 10 people were waiting to be seated. I'm not sure if the staff overbooked reservations, or if people walked in without one, but the crowd quickly became rude and impatient. CQB is not a large restaurant, and these people overwhelmed the small waiting area. We will return, but probably stick with week night dining.
(4)
Mike S.
Excellent food. The menu leans mostly Thai, though there are some great fusion style dishes and a few things on the menu that are more French than anything (the escargot was excellent). Their pho is also excellent. I'd say it's better than the other couple of pho restaurants in the area. One tip I'll give is if you go for dinner, they only give you the night's dinner menu. They will still allow you to get pho (which is on the lunch menu) or the other lunch dishes, you just have to ask for the menu. One minor complaint that kept this from being 5 stars was the service. While the staff was extremely friendly, professional, and knowledgeable about the menu, they seemed a bit overwhelmed. I'm assuming this was due to the fact that they had an unruly party of around 25 people to deal with though, so it's understandable. Very much looking forward to a return trip, though I'll probably go during the week, instead of a busy Saturday night.
(4)
Karina P.
My boyfriend brought me to Colonial for my birthday. I have no complaints about the food, it was really good. I had the Cashew Chicken, and my bf had one of their Salmon specials. Their drink menu however; is very very limited, but I attribute that to the place being BYOB (bring your own bottle).
(4)
Ermal H.
Really good place! The food is amazing and the staff is great! I would recommend the duck as it is extremely delicious.
(5)
Lucas O.
I have eaten at Asian restaurants such as Ooka(5 star, try the Chilean Sea Bass Hibatchi [oishii]), Pho Beyond(3.5 star), Pho Saigon(3.5 star), Xchu Xchu(3 star). I came in for a late lunch at 3pm on a Tuesday. The clip board menu already had the dinner menu on top. The hostess/server promptly made eye contact and walked to me as soon as I looked up. That's good service, but I was the only one there besides two other guests. I asked for an iced coffee and a pho. The young lady told me there was no pho, because 'they are preparing a new batch'. I figured they might always keep the pho broth going day after day. Never running out or restarting, but always adding in new spices, herbs, bones, water. Regardless, I ordered shrimp rice vermicelli instead (one of my favorites at Pho Beyond). I expected my coffee to come to my table in a slow drip apparatus like elsewhere, but instead I began to hear the sound of a clinking spoon. An iced Vietnamese coffee is the perfect beverage/dessert AFTER a delicious meal. My first impression of the coffee: Grounds. Grounds were floating and sitting on my ice. Secondly: Bitter. It was acrid and burnt. Was it old coffee? What more it was too watered-down. I could see the sweetened condensed milk line on the bottom of the glass, and I don't think it had been enough. Hence it wasn't creamy. If you want a tasty Vietnamese coffee; you will not find it here. My plate came out with a side of stinky vinegar (in good humor, I love it and I make it at home). Surprisingly for a supposedly 'fancy' restaurant my plate looked like my dad had thrown it together. Big slices of tomato, cucumber, and two small leafs of lettuce. "Where are the pickled veggies?" I thought. "Ahh," there was a tiny bit floating in my sauce.... OK! The grilled shrimp were mediocre; the noodles tasted poorly and had been smashed before or chopped up after cooking. Over all I was dissatisfied with my meal. The server took away the coffee I had barely touched and the bowl with most of the noodles. She didn't charge me for the coffee since I told her I hadn't liked it. The bill came out to 9 dollars for a small salad and 6 shrimp of a meal. I don't know how their 16 dollar dinners are, but from my experience I much prefer the restaurants I rated at the top.
(2)
Paras P.
I have been here about five times now. Each time I've ordered something different and wasn't disappointed. Food is great. I would say it's one of the best restaurants outside of Philly. FYI. I've never made a reservation here but do recommend making one if you can't get here by 6:30 PM on their busy nights. If you come late without a reservation, then you will be waiting for a long time and might even get frustrated and end up giving a bad review for having to wait too long. So don't go late!
(5)
William J.
Food and service outstanding! We were in a bit of a rush, had no rez on a Saturday night and were headed to the Fab Faux at the Keswick. The place was packed so we didn't mind too too much getting the table nearest the bathrooms- but since it was our first time we did feel a bit of trepidation. Once the service started all was well. Amish Chicken Red Curry Bamboo, Basil, and Bell Peppers over Pasta was extremely tasty and the Salmon Special TOPPED WITH JUMBO LUMP CRABMEAT IN A MADIERA WINE WITH DILL MUSTARD was superb. Also found the side of Bok Choy nicely cooked and worth adding to the meal. This will hopefully not be our last meal here. Highly recommended.
(5)
joe n.
Food was delicious!! Service was attentive. Nice addition to the Willow Grove area.
(5)
Donna B.
We went to try this restaurant because of the glowing reviews..... It did not disappoint, from the service to the incredible food! Started with the herb grilled calamari salad which had a hot/spicy sweet taste.....Yummy! And for our entrees I had the Salmon on the menu with the mustard reduction and it was really tasty and cooked to perfection and my husband had the seafood medley special which was equally great..... It is somewhat shocking that this Willow Grove restaurant can rival any center city restaurant! Thumbs up to such an incredible surprise with outstanding service and food!! Also you must get the Vietnamese coffee, it was pretty amazing!!
(5)
J D.
Twice this week...had to come back for the duck salad, it's that good. I'm looking forward to trying the Vietnamese menu next time.
(4)
Jon C.
They make a big effort and have a large menu with plenty of delicious options. Located in a rather nondescript strip mall, but have a very nice space. Will be back for sure.
(5)
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Address :101 E Moreland Rd
Willow Grove, PA, 19090
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Romantic Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Jakob C.
The food here is excellent. Everything we have had has been super fresh and very we'll prepared. The service is some of the best in town. Our favorite waiter Sean is always very attentive and always makes sure you leave with a smile. It really is a hidden gem and one of our favorite places.
(5)Heather M.
Wonderful, Inventive specials. Excellent presentation. Love the atmostphere. Great date spot or dinner with friends. Try the golden bags! To top it off, very few times have I been this impressed with a waitstaff. Their knowledge of the menu is impressive, so go with an open mind, and let them take you on a culinary journey.
(5)Kev G.
Never had eat in but I have had take out many times! Their Pork bun B2 is what I usually order all the time! The pork has a smoky grill flavor to it which is awesome, and that paired with the noodles and the salad with it is just awesome! The golden bags are also very good too! The decor is very modern and hip! The one girl that works is there every time I go and she is extremely friendly and helpful! Can't wait to try the rest of their food!
(4)Jenny P.
Excellent food, very attentive staff, and overall great atmosphere. Could not recommend more highly!
(5)Judith M.
Tried this place since it had good reviews. Food was good, but had a terrible experience and felt I had to warn others. We made a reservation and it was not honored. We would have been better off just coming in earlier and waiting for a table. We waited over 45 minutes for our table in a cramped vestibule and that is with a reservation. They took another party that came in after us and made us wait another 20 minutes after! The explanation was that "they had requested that table" Wow! If I had known, I would have requested that table too. the service wasn't great either
(2)Cuong D.
I went here in July and my experience was great! They have smoking hot waitresses & the best Pad Thai on the face of this earth. Price was very reasonable. Oh and did I mention they had hot waitress there? Great place for the price. You won't be disappointed.
(5)Susan R.
Loved it! Great mix of flavors. Ordered mahi special and was blown away by the crab topping and orange addition. The accompanying potato side was melt in your mouth flavor and texture. The portions were very generous. I couldn't even come close to finishing it. Not sure why others complained of cost. Ingredients and presentation were top quality. Well worth the cost.
(5)bill c.
Everything we had was of excellent quality. The owner told us about some killer lunch specials that we'll try this weekend. Some coupons out there right now make this place a steal for the quality of food you'll get. BYOB makes this place a real plus.
(4)Asil M.
Colonial is a great place to grab a meal! The first time I went was with my friend and the service we experienced while eating there was awesome. The food taste great, and the interior design is just amazingly comfortable. It's an excellent restaurant to go with friends or take a date. My personal favorite meal there is definitely the pho. I love pho! There's even a super bowl there! Since I have been to Colonial, it has become my number one place to go grab a meal. I have been to many other restaurants all over, but Colonial is definitely the best spot in Abington. Tasting their other food, I haven't had any complaints. It's a restaurant I'd highly recommend.
(5)Angel Y.
I was there last nite, what a disappointment. The nooodle dish is not good at all. This was the worst restaurant I ever had. If you love noodles like me, this isn't the place. Not for $11 for full of sodium base broth. I rather go the pho beyond, least their place is resonable and good noodles. This place is way over price for pho. I would not reconmend. I went there because its a new place near where I am. People who really know pho favor would know. also bad management. Never again!
(1)Dean M.
I think it may unfair to visit a restaurant once and write a review. The restaurant might be having an unusually great night or, on the other-hand, may be having a bad night. The REAL test is consistency. How do they perform time-after-time-after-time? I have been to this restaurant 10+ times. It is truly, incredibly, darn-near close to perfect. I keep asking myself what they're doing located in Willow Grove (they could be in Philly or Manhattan or LA)... and then thank my lucky-stars they are local to me. Decor is contemporary and comfortable. The place is spotlessly clean. The menu is inventive and creative but includes some classics as well. The cuisine is French-influenced Vietnamese fare... verging on Pan-Asian... yet one can also get a rack of lamb that is as perfect as can be found in a high-end Continental restaurant. The crispy roasted duck is the best I've ever had, anywhere. The seafood medley is heavenly. Appetizers and soups are wonderful (I love the Golden Bags as well as the Carpaccio) Fresh fish choices abound. There's even a bonus secret cuisine (Shhh). If you ask, the servers will give you a full-Vietnamese fare menu... so you get two restaurants-in-one. And that Vietnamese food is brilliant as well. Best Pho outside of Vietnam. Desserts are (I hate saying this, but...) "to die for" and artistically presented. Classic Vietnamese slow-drip coffee is a sublime pleasure. Servers... all are well-trained, thoughtful, courteous, interested and interesting and really take care of the customers. Owner Quy Bau (Cory) is a watchful and friendly perfectionist who is very mindful of pleasing. Selfishly... I wish this restaurant great success and that it lasts forever... because I'll be back many, many times!
(5)Melissa C.
Went last night with my husband and we had a great meal. They had a great, ecletic menu and some good specials and my husband and I both tried dishes we never had before. The food was fresh and delicious and we even had dessert and I have to say, it was the perfect end to a great meal. The server was fantastic and went over everything on the menu and really sold us on our dishes. It was beautifully decorated and it felt upscale without trying too hard. We will definetly be back to try out some of the other things on the menu.
(4)Charles R.
Some of the best places are in strip malls and this is one of them. As soon as we were seated the waiter came by, saw we had red and white wines, and before he opened the bottles he said as soon as he opened the bottle he would be bak with a chiller for the white. Amazing. How many BYOS do you go to with a bottle that needs a chiller and you have to keep asking for one. Anyway, the service all night was that attentive. The special soup was asparagus and crab, which was creamy, hot, and rich with flavors. The Golden Purses were as advertised, small purses that were lightly fried , filled with crab and lobster meat on top of a sweet chile sauce. The rib Veal Chop was one of the biggest and best I've seen in this entire area. Their chop rivaled places like Davio's, which I always thought had one of the best. The crispy duck with Chambord glaze was great. A half duck , cut up, that was chrunchy on the outside with lots of tender meat underneath. Both dishes came with fresh string beans and a serving of crispy potato's done sort of like escalloped , only lighter. Didn't have room for dessert, but the tray looked very good. They have their own lot, take all plastic, and the bill was $68.00 with tax. Rather go here than some of the places around me on MainLine. Better food, more innovative, and very friendly staff.
(4)Daniel K.
Definitely give this place 5 stars. From the moment you walk in to the moment you leave, the service and sincerity of the host, waitresses, and most of Cory the owner is amazing! I went for their 3 course lunch special which was an amazing deal and then went to the dinner. The salmon literally melts in your mouth. Amazing service, awesome atmosphere, and great food gives this contemporary place 5 stars. Definitely beats Pho&Beyond, Pho Tai, and La Fusion!
(5)Nadine L.
We had a bad experience here last Saturday night. On Sunday the owner Cory actually called me. He heard about the problem from his staff and was very apologetic. He invited us back for dinner on him to make things right. We went last night. The staff was very accommodating and the food was delicious. We enjoyed everything from the appetizer to the dessert. Cory came out to meet us after dinner and was charming. I am glad we had the opportunity to eat here and will go back. I would recommend Colonial to others for their food, atmosphere and service.
(5)Marie B.
The best dinner ever! No need to go into town anymore for a wonderful dinner! Colonial Quy Bau is a MUST TRY! .Cory is great
(5)Daniel B.
Excellent food, friendly service and a beautiful atmosphere make this a great spot. The Pho was great and my Bun Dac Biet was delicious. I would come back and try some of the other entrees
(5)Rick B.
This is a great new restaurant to the area. The owner is very attentive. I will definitely be back!
(5)Liz N.
The one dish you must try is the crispy duck! It was absolutely delicious! The skin was crispy and not oily like many of the other duck dishes I have tried in Philadelphia. To top it off it came with a strawberry sauce which perfectly complimented the duck. The service was friendly and attentive. I will definitely recommend this restaurant to family and friends!
(5)K K.
Customer Service was absolutely horrible. They did not accept their own restaurant coupon certificate (which does not have an expiration date). Therefore, they lost 5 potentially new customers. I was flabergasted.
(1)Eric E.
I have driven by this place a number of times, and we took the family for the first time last night. The interior has been beautifully redone, the restaurant is kid-friendly (though lovely enough for a date), and Cory (the owner) is a fantastic host and is simply amazing. Service was excellent. Food was delicious. We had Pad Thai, Coconut Chicken soup, Vietnamese spring rolls, satay, glazed duck, and creme brulee. All of the dishes were excellent (not perfect, mind you, but among the tastiest five restaurants in the Abington/Cheltenham/Old York Road area). We will definitely return!
(5)Jane C.
I hate to only give this place 3 stars because the food was pretty great, but the service was God awful. I went tonight and the restaurant was jam-packed. The space seems way too small to have that many tables crammed into it, but it wasn't totally horrendous. However, after sitting down, no one came to ask for our orders for a good 15 minutes. Finally, someone came by and asked if we had ordered yet. When we said "no", he started telling us the specials, but then said, "hold on" and ran off, never to come back. A few minutes later, a different server came by and took our orders, but neglected to tell us about any of the specials. It seems like there's a severe lack of communication between the waitstaff because several different servers came by to offer us food that wasn't ours, ask us if anyone had taken our orders after we had already ordered, etc. One of them offered us a soda "on the house" since we had received such bad service. It was a nice gesture, but why not just up your game instead? Even though the food was good, I won't be coming back here on a Saturday again. They admitted that it was a "hectic" night, but if they can't adequately serve that many people, then perhaps they shouldn't have accepted so many reservations. In short, a pretty disappointing and kind of infuriating experience overall.
(3)Vickie P.
A nice casual upscale and very intimate dining experience. You have the option between Classic French or traditional Vietnamese cuisine. I always go for the Vietnamese just because it's a little cheaper and so full on flavor. You can get a decent bowl of pho without having to go all the way down south philly. I always order the pho deluxe and the spring rolls with a plum sauce. Both are excellent. The broth is always hot and they are always very generous with the meat. The spring rolls are vegetarian, don't let that make you think they lack in flavor because it's the opposite. The best spring rolls I've ever had! Love this place, also BYOB
(5)Rolene P.
2 years later and we have become regulars here and have our monthly date night at Colonial (in addition to many take out nights and random "Colonial Cravings". The food continues to amaze us and the service is always impeccable. We feel like part of the Colonial Family. Truly a 5 star establishment.
(5)Connie J.
My first visit was great! For appetizers my party and I went with the Crispy Wontons & the Dim Sum Sampler. The Dim Sum Sampler included a mushroom pepper salad, golden bags, chicken curry dumplings and mushroom leek dumplings. Our appetizers came out at a timely manner and we're very tasteful! No bad comments. For our entrees I ordered the Crabmeat & shrimp stir-fry Jasmine rice which was freaking delicious! For fried rice, it was not oily and it was delicious! My party ordered the Seafood Pasta & he enjoyed it. There was a good portion of seafood on his plate & not strictly all pasta or veggies. Given that our appetizers & entrees were good we decided to order dessert. Not bad either, had the Oreo Mousse. The best part was the service. The food was great but the service was outstanding; a key factor for customers. See you guys soon, you just earned yourself a regular!
(5)Anilaury F.
I had ordered takeout and I must say the food was pretty good. I had ordered rice vermicelli with chicken and two vegetable rolls. My takeout came with utensils and some chopsticks as well. The place look clean and the hostess was really nice. I would def come back again.
(5)Phil D.
Always passed by this place and wanted to check it out, and was pleasantly surprised when checking it out for lunch yesterday. The food they serve is Asian Fusion, but more specifically it is on the Intersection of French and Vietnamese Cuisine, with a small menu of completely Vietnamese cafeteria style items(Pho, Com Tam, Bun Thit Nuong, etc.), a few dishes with other SE Asian influences(ie. Pad Thai, Pad See Ew) but the majority of dishes leaning more towards the French influence. My recommendation for a place like this is forgo the classic viet dishes(they're more expensive than they should be. If you want traditional, cheap, viet food, go to a dirty, cheap, viet cafeteria; the dingier, the better!) Stick to their fusion dishes and you won't regret it. Food(4/5) Overall everything was actually prepared well and tasted delicious, though there were a few dishes that I didn't think were particularly worth the value. I will say that looking at their dinner options just made me salivate, and will definitely come to check those out next time! Soup of the Day(3/5): $5. Got some Spinach soup. Not bad, not particularly impressed. Quy-Bau Golden Bags(3.5/5): $8. Essentially just fried wontons on top of sweet chili sauce(Mae Ploy). Nice presentation, especially with the lemongrass wrapping, makes it seem very 'monopoly'. And the Filling was indeed quite good, with a satisfying amount of shrimp and not much 'filler'(veggies, noodles, etc.). But at $8 for only 5 pieces, i can't really justify myself paying that much for essentially fried wontons. Ginger Chicken(4/5): $8. All the flavors were there, and there was a good ratio of protein to vegetables. That said nothing all too spectacular. As in I wouldn't be surprised to get a similar dish at a random Chinese restaurant. I would order it again but I wouldn't write home about it. Shrimp and Crab Fried Rice(4.5/5): $13. I'm used to paying only $7-8 for good fried rice, so this price point was a bit unexpected...but the rice was cooked perfectly. Savory, Lightly Seasoned without being overpowering, and with just enough fat content to taste delicious but not make you hate yourself and the grease. Also their was a decent amount of crab and shrimp blended into the rice and altogether it just seemed to work. Seafood Pasta(4.5/5): $13. A fusion dish, not a traditional pasta but with a good amount of seafood, less in terms of actual noodles(this is a good thing)and a thin, slightly sweet sauce that borrows heavily on vietnamese flavors. I normally am not the biggest fan of pasta, but I quite enjoyed this. Service(4.5/5) No complaints here. We were promptly seated and attended to the entire meal, with no delays in receiving our order or picking up the check. Additionally, our primary server was very attentive and very articulate in helping us with the menu and telling us about the daily specials(Wish we the stomachs to check some of them out!) Ambience(4/5) Very quaint nice atmosphere, which would be perfect for an intimate conversation but also good for a family meal or small gathering of say, 10-12 people. Very neat all around, unoffensive lighting, and a decor which was consistent with the style of cuisine. All in all, I am definitely excited to return and try out their dinner options. The Lamb and Duck Dishes in particular are on my backlog, and if it's anything like lunch was, the blend of flavors(a little asian, a lot delicious) is right up my alley.
(4)Syvan T.
We came here for dinner and loved it! All of the items on the menu sounded delicious. We started off with the Quy-Bau Golden Bags and Vietnamese Summer Rolls. Both were delicious!! The golden bags were a bit smaller then I expected but were very filling. The summer rolls were fresh and the peanut sauce it came with was flavorful. As our entree my boyfriend ordered the wok, shrimp, scallop and beef. I ordered pho tai chin. The wok shrimp, scallop and beef was very tasty and the pho was awesome! For dessert we shared a vanilla bean creme brûlée. Our service was very good. Someone was always attending to us the second we needed something and they were very polite. This place is definitely a new favorite, I will be visiting again very soon.
(5)ML B.
Thai French excellently prepare and presented! Three diners, self, husband, and mother found the atmosphere calm and inviting. Asked for a table on the main level since there's concern about moms mobility. The hostess gladly directed us away from the raised floor area up front to a booth at the rear of the room. Food service was paced very well. We enjoyed the explanations of the specials of the day as well as recommendations from our waiter, Eugene. I decided to go with the Seafood Pho rather than the Chicken w/Jasmine Rice. The soup dish was ample and the stock was hearty with calamari, shrimp, crab and scallop. All tender swimming in rice noodles, sprouts and crisp veges. Husband had the seafood sampler. All different tastes he enjoyed. Glad he could help me with the Pho. The crispy Duck was a hit with mom. She thoroughly enjoyed the sauce reduction, green beans and scalloped potato. The chef separated the leg portion for her so she didn't have to tackle any "bones". After reading the reviews earlier that day I decided to recommend the Thai coffee. It took a while to arrive and I'm glad for that. We had a chance to rest between the main course and the desert. Do order the thai coffee. It's a treat. And it went extremely well with the Lemon Mascarpone Cake we all shared. We'll be back. The place filled up after 7:30PM. Not an empty seat in sight.
(5)Victoria L.
This place really surprised us, in a good way. My boyfriend and I met my mom here for dinner one night, and my mother was not happy when she found out it was in a strip mall. I assured her that the decor looked nice and presentable and it should be fine. We arrived first and were promptly served water and had our BYOB wine opened while we waited for my mom to arrive. When she got here, our waiter quickly took our order, and the food did not take that long to come out. I ordered the coconut chicken soup and it was so aromatic. My boyfriend and mom shared the calamari appetizer that they really enjoyed. For entree, I stuck to Thai basics and got the drunken noodles, which were decent. They're a solid staple but usually nothing special. My boyfriend got the chicken, which we made fun of him for since it's so plain, but he liked it. My mom got the duck with raspberry, which I thought would be too sweet but it was a nice balance of the typical French-inspired dish. The flavors were even better with the spicy chili that she asked for. Overall, our expectations were exceeded because we weren't sure what to expect. Don't let the location fool you!
(4)Peter N.
First off, the service is 5 star. I mean, wow. Attentive, courteous, always smiling. This is the kind of place I wouldn't expect to pull a chair for the lady or open my napkin upon my lap. But they do it. The food is decent and the super awesome staff take the time to explain any questions you may have. It is a bit pricey depending on what you get. As an appetizer, we shared a bowl of pho, and they did not skimp on flavor or portion. Well worth it. Also did the golden bags and calamari salad. Both tasted good, but the calamari could've been more charred. For our entrees, we both did noodle dishes - drunken noodle and seafood medley. Both were good and heavy on the protein - lots of chicken/seafood in each. You can choose your spicy level between 1 - 4, and our 2s were not spicy enough for us. It was also a bit pricey for a noodle based dish ($16 and $25, respectively), but it falls in line with the going rate for the ambience and service. Plus, you're saving money on alcohol, because this place is BYOB. Can't beat that. I look forward to returning and trying the rest of the menu!
(4)Timothy C.
This place is a small, cozy restaurant with a big touch of class. Soft jazz playing, waiters that spread napkins on your lap, and even a coke is brought to you in a wine glass. The food is superb. Everything you try is just overwhelmingly delicious. Prices are quite reasonable for the gourmet meal you're served. It's great place to take a first date or a night out with the wife.
(5)Jane H.
My husband brought me here for a birthday dinner, and it was such a lovely surprise. This French-Vietnamese restaurant has such a charming ambiance that works in many ways. It feels both casual and fancy at once, without committing, and yet without feeling compromised either. The servers are prompt, polite, and charming. The food was delicious. The food varies from more traditional Vietnamese fare to more fusion-flair. Everything we ate was good. As a bonus, they have a wonderful dessert list -- it was so hard to choose! Also -- all perfect! The price point is a tad high, but I think the quality of the food, service and decor are worth it.
(4)Felix N.
Love this place have been going here for years. Amish curry chicken and golden bags are an awesome app and entree combo.
(5)Jennifer K.
Had a lovely Valentine's Day dinner. It was our first time here. We were very pleased. The atmosphere, the service and the food was spot on. My husband raved about the beef dumplings. I agreed. I enjoyed the pho. Can't wait to come back and sample more yumminess.
(4)Daryl M.
This was our first visit, after a friend recommended the restaurant. We were not disappointed! Soup, calamari, seafood special and soft shell crab entree with green curry sauce - it all delivered! Service was very good, very conscientious. We will be back!
(4)Aria M.
Our 10 year anniversary rolled around and we hadn't made any plans. I read good reviews for this restaurant on yelp and we decided to give it a try. We were so glad we did. First off the service was spectacular. Friendly and happy and attentive without being overbearing at all. This is a BYO and we brought a pack for my husband and a bottle of wine for me. The opened our drinks and explained the specials. We chose the seafood sampler for an appetizer, and it was delicious. The calamari was crispy and delicious and the golden bags were the star. I orderedthe drunken noodles with chicken and shrimp, omg, I ate every bite, it was heavenly. My husband got the duck with the blueberry glaze, he enjoyed it very much. For desert they brought us out a delicious lemon ricotta cake decorated with "Happy Anniversary" on the house. I can't wait to go back and try some more dishes!
(5)Elise C.
This place is phenomenal! I've been here a few times for takeout and went once with a large party. The service is the best! The chef even came out to wish me a happy birthday and to ask how the food was. The great thing about this place is that the menu has such a huge variety, whether you want to enjoy some pho for around 10 bucks, or indulge in a 20 dollar entree that is out of this world, this is the place to do so. I've had the pho rau and tofu, seafood pho, and bun bo nuong cha-gio chay. Each dish was spot-on!
(5)Amy A.
I went there on Friday. My husband and I were meeting another couple for dinner. I picked the place based on Yelp reviews and I was not disappointed. It's BYOB, so in my book you pretty much start with three stars (joking, kind of). They take reservations, awesome. And we got sat right at 8p. The staff was great. We never went without anything. They also made great recommendations. The table order the golden bags and the escargot apps. Amazing. I could've reordered them and had them as my entrée. They were so tasty and having snails in a puff pastry was divine. I ordered the round eye pho. Loved it and the portion was so big I ate it for lunch a couple days later . It heated up very nicely. The two gentleman ordered the duck special. It was both crispy and tender. The other female at the table ordered the lamb special. I didn't try it, but she ate the whole thing and commented that it was delicious. It's reasonably priced for a byob. I think the check was around $100. I was impressed by the quality of the food and the amazing service. I don't head to the Willow Grove area often, but if I do, I would love to eat here again. Thanks to Sean and our other servers for a great night out.
(5)cara v.
Not bad but not great. The spring rolls were cold and the rice vermicelli bowl was full of iceberg with just 4 small shrimp. I will wait and get my Vietnamese in philly.
(3)Ja S.
Overpriced and staff were whispering and saying how I was underdressed to sit and eat there, little did they know that I was picking up. They could have waited to talk about me after I left. Unprofessional
(2)Gregory N.
Four of us enjoyed a wonderful meal at colonial for the umpteenth time, and it was, as always, awesome! The server, who was clearly newly trained, did an amazing job taking care of us. The entire staff looked out for us the entire night. Every member of my party enjoyed their meal, the land sampler, and the Vietnamese coffee to close out the night was superb!!! We made everyone get an order of the coffee, and no one was disappointed. Arguably my favorite restaurant in PA. Appreciations to the staff.
(5)Grey M.
absolutely phenomenal lunch ! we had golden bags,escargot pastry and the viet spring roll for starters and drunk beef rice for entree. The portions are pretty big and each dish tasted spectacular. I was only sad I could not get to dessert. lovely ambiance , helpful waiters and superb meal ,highly recommend and would visit again !
(5)Jim W.
One of my favorite spots in town. Pho is great as well as all of the dinners and specials.
(4)Ken O.
This restaurant is trying to do too much. They seem to be pretty good at vietnamese cuisine but are rather poor at everything else. The pad thai was surprisingly bad! The coconut soup had all of the right ingredients but lacked all flavor. The pepper medley salad was less than the sum of its parts. stick to what you know instead of chasing fancy big city words like "fusion".
(2)James R.
This resturant not only has excellent food but the owners and staff are exceptional Will keep returning as long as they are in business
(5)Valentino G.
Drove past this gem a lot when going to the Willow Grove mall, me and my girlfriend like to indulge in pho once in awhile and seeing that most of them are closed on a Monday, this place was open so we decided to stop in and give it a go. The service is amazing we were seated within walking in the door right in front of the front window, our waiter came right over and was very attentive and courteous throughout the whole night, while seating the waiter pulled the chair out for my girlfriend and placed a napkin upon my lap, I was really astonished because I didn't expect that here. The food was very good, my girlfriend and I had a very enjoyable night and we got to indulge into some much needed Pho. We started off with an order of the Crispy Vegetable Spring Rolls with a Plum Dipping Sauce and the Vietnamese Summer Rolls with a Peanut Dipping Sauce, both wree very good and would recommend if you like both, and for and entree I had Pho Tai, which was Rice noodle soup with medium rare eye round steak, it was very good, fresh and lite. My girlfirned ordered the Pho Ga, which is the noodle soup with chicken, she reall enjoyed it. One thing that I really like about the Pho places is their Vietnamese iced coffee, which if your a coffee drinker I would highly recommend getting it, this coffee is amazing iced and is very good with the sweeten condensed milk.
(4)Sharon O.
Visited here with a group for my birthday dinner last week. I'm glad my boyfriend made a reservation because the restaurant was completely packed! The food was delicious and authentic, and large enough to share with others. When I asked for my dish to be spicy, the kitchen definitely delivered. The service was great too- even though the restaurant was BYOB, our waiter was extremely accommodating. Our waiter opened our bottle of wine, poured it, and provided us with an ice bucket by our table. Great service and food, and would try again if in the area.
(4)Emily K.
Food is so fresh. Beef carpaccio is the best I've ever had at a reasonable price. Pho is fragrant and the vegetables are all fresh and crispy. I had tiramisu for dessert and it was presentable beautifully with house made sauce which was SOOO delicious and cream seemed to be made in house as well. The decor is beautiful and impeccably clean. Not a dust in sight. Service is amazing. I went twice this week and Ryan makes really good viet coffee and he's a efficient server and times things out perfectly. Alan has always been welcoming to me ever since I started dining at colonial since their store opening and it is always great to see them. Lastly Cory is a dear friend and I couldn't be happier for his success and I hope to visit more often because the food is really amazing and you can't find such quality in food and service anymore. Will be back more often!
(5)Joe S.
THis was one of the noisiest - if not THE noisiest - restaurant I have ever visited. To boot, we were seated by the one aisle down which all the waiters traveled. Service was mediocre, as was the food. Our Ceaser salads were the most tasteless salads of the sort I have ever been served. My wife was served a meal she had not ordered (which they did rectify). We skipped desert in order to LEAVE ASAP. That is Also a First for us. We will Never return.
(1)Nimmmy A.
The food was lovely but the waitress that was tending to my boyf and I was so rude and rushy. I mean when I come out to eat I want to take my time and enjoy the meal that I'm paying for. It's not like I was sitting there for three hours but she kept coming by to ask for my plate and I wasn't done. I did love the hostess because she was welcoming and the man that made the Vietnamese coffee was absolutely a gem. The two people made up for the pushy waitress. The food itself was scrumptious, so I can definitely see myself coming back here.
(4)James J.
Really nice place. Ambience is pleasant and more fancy than other Asian joints. Good place to have a business lunch. I suggest the pad see you with chicken or the crab fried rice. The pho is also the best in the area. The grilled meats though are just ok.
(5)K S.
Great service and food!! But one thing that bothered my eyes..... One of the waitress was dressed like a slut. Very unprofessional. She was in a tiny mini skirt with high heels.
(3)Alex G.
Certainly wasn't expecting to have one of the best Asian fusion meals I've ever had in this unassuming restaurant in the willow grove area. Advertised as Asian fusion with a French influence, the food is really great. We started off with a vegetable appetizer sampler, which consisted of steamed portobella mushroom and leek dumplings and several types of spring rolls. I really liked the accompanied sauces, especially the peanut sauce. For our entree, we had the drunken noodles with Amish chicken and jumbo shrimp. The noodles were soft and lightly sauces (rarity for traditional drunken noodle dishes) and the chicken was noticeably fresh. Would come back here again if in the area.
(5)Frankie G.
Started with the mushroom soup which is very good. The salmon in the vodka mustard sauce is very very good. I also enjoyed the greens beans and potatoes au gratin. Would recommend getting the potatoes au gratin on the side if your entrée does not come with them. J-Sun approved!
(5)Andrea F.
Very good food at a reasonable price. The wait staff is amazing! My kids love it here!
(5)Frank L.
Best foreign food place ever. The hostesses are all so beautiful and friendly it's a little messy at first but the atmosphere is so calm and intimate. The food is delicious. The golden bags are to die for and it just cannot get any better than this. I never thought I'd like asian food like that, but even the take-out is so quick and helpful. Every single time I call, it's a friendly voice always greeting me and reminding me its a BYOB. I went there a few nights ago and it wasn't too busy (I recommend the early days, earlier hours) and ordered a Pho-Thailand which was simply great. There was also this eggplant pasta that was just so yummy I can barely describe it. I don't recommend the desserts, they are a bit over priced, however it's overall a wonderful restaurant.
(5)Vincent L.
This was my first time here. It's hidden in a strip mall on the corner so I never noticed it. From the time you walk in the staff is nothing but professional. One thing though, it's BYOB so bring your favorite. They even check in your coat. The prices are ever so gently high but not too much to where you'll just go somewhere else or buy a fish sandwich from Burger King. The wait staff are very attentive and friendly. I would recommend this place for a great date night place.
(5)Matthew V.
What great about this place is they cater to all type of diner. If you want fine dine then there is a menu for you and if budget is concern then there are a menu for that too. Very business savvy with two different menus. The sea food sampler was delicious and the Pad-Thai ingredients is real. Some place they make it with cheap constituent stuff... lol I can finally recognize with on my plate. Their dessert was amazing too. Plus BYOB!
(5)Lianna N.
I've visited this fairly new restaurant a couple times now, for lunch and for dinner. Here are some of my honest thoughts about the pros and cons of this establishment: Pro: 1.) The owner Cory was VERY nice on our dinner visit there. Not only were we severely under dressed, we did not realize the lunch and dinner menus were different, as well as the dress code and ambiance. We came for pho, but that's lunch fare only, dinner being a good $20+ per plate and mostly French fusion. Not only did he let us order pho anyway, free spring rolls were given with the pho. Great customer service! 2.) Beautiful decor. Feels cozy and warm in there, and is classy. 3.) Great service, friendly staff 4.) BYOB (I think) Cons: 1.) Menus still printed on computer paper and on a clip board. Upgrade please! 2.) No longer a casual dinner restaurant, which is a disappointment for me, since I dont think I'd make this is a regular dinner spot like Pho and Beyond. It will become a special occasion only type of place from here on out. 3.) Pho broth is OK but I still prefer the pho from down the street. 4.) Same comment for the food in general, for what I have tried so far Final comments: -Good opening presence, great decor and service is A+. - As for prices, food, and the marketing audience for the dinner crowd, probably not appealing enough to make me a regular, but would come here once in a while.
(3)Mandy H.
Pretty good upscale Asian fusion restaurant in the burbs. The place isn't too noticeable when driving by, as its in a shopping center, but it's very pretty on the inside. Other reviewers has mentioned that they need to get rid of the clipboard menus and I agree. The restaurant gives off a more upscale vibe, but the menus don't jive with that. Not to mention, mine was a little dirty from the previous guest. They also need to consolidate their specials a bit. I tend to get really overwhelmed with too many options and then can't decide. We ended up using a restaurant.com gift certificate, so we probably ordered more than we normally would for just the two of us. We ordered a creamy asparagus soup topped with crab meat to share (nothing too exciting) the golden bags (sooo delicious), and the veggie spring rolls (very yummy too, but didn't hold a flame to the golden bags). The golden bags trumped all the other appetizers because they were so cute and so crunchy and tasty. I ordered the Amish chicken and shrimp in a thai basil sauce, which was a little sweet and a little savory. Not my favorite, but I was glad I tried something different. My bf had the shrimp pad Thai which was done perfectly as you would expect for Pad Thai. I just wish we had remembered to bring a bottle of wine, as the restaurant is a byob, but they do offer Specialty iced teas, I had the apricot, if you don't want alcohol. Overall, a nice find for something different in the burbs amongst the slew of chain restaurants, especially if you get the restaurant.com gift certificate to save some money.
(3)Joelle J.
Tried this place for the first time and I must say I'm really happy with it. My friend made a reservation for a party of 4 and we were seated right away; overall the service was great. I ordered the drunken noodles and had them bump up the spice a little, the food was amazing. I'll definitely come back
(4)Yohan N.
Came here since I was in town for work. Was craving some asian and saw this asian fusion place and decided to give it a try. The vibe I got walking in was that this place was fancy. Everything from tablecloth to servers coming and offering sparkling water to servers reading out specials, this was a fancy schmancy asian fusion place. Our server had some serious B.O..... only reason I pointed this out was because he came over and read out like 20 different "specials" so he stood next to me for quite a bit. I couldn't focus on what he was saying. By the time he read his 8th special, I had forgotten what he said for the past 3 minutes. It just left a nasty taste on my taste buds. not good buddy. not good at all. Food. I got the golden bags since everyone seemed to rave about it as an appetizer and got the pad thai for dinner. The Golden Bags were good... but just good. In terms of taste, it gave you the illusion it was different and better because of the way it's presented. Instead of a roll, it's wrapped as a bag so the filling is more grouped together instead of spaced out thinly in a roll. So A+ on presentation. The Pad Thai was average. Let's just say it wasn't amazing. Would definitely try one of their other 20 items on the menu.
(3)Zach V.
The Colonial Quy Bay is truly a diamond in the rough. This place earns everyone one of the 5 stars I gave them. We had reservations for 8 pm on a Saturday. We arrived late at 8:30 and were seated promptly. The dining room was almost at capacity so we were relieved that had a table for us. They have (2) different menus, the regular dinner menu and the Pho menu. Everything on the Pho menu is very reasonably priced around $9. When you move over to the dinner menu the entrees are between $14 - $25. I wasn't in the mood for Pho so we chose to order off the dinner menu. After we were seated the staff regularly checked on us. We perused the menu and started off with the pan fried dumplings, green curry mussels and the Escargot Puff Pastry. The puff pastry was recommended by our very friendly and knowledgeable waiter. The appetizers came out promptly and the Escargot was exquisite. Our girlfriends have never had snail before and they were both pleasantly surprised with how fantastic it was. Deciding what to eat is usually one of the hardest decisions for me to make. I opted for one of our Waiter's recommendations the Wok Shrimp, Scallop, and Beef Roasted Garlic, Shallots and Sweet Corns Viet Chilies. The other entrees we chose were the Pan Sauteed Atlantic Salmon in a Tomato Concassees Stolichnaya Mustard Reduction, Seafood Medley with Shrimp, Salmon, New Zealand Mussels, and Scallops in a Roasted Garlic Brandy Thai basil sauce & the Black Angus Rib-Eye (16oz) Inglehoffer Stone Ground Mustard Pinot Noir Shitake Reduction. My entree was fantastic! The fish and beef were tossed together along with the vegetables in a sauce that starts off sweet and finishes spicy. This meal came with a side of white rice. I really was craving some bread to clean up the remnants of my meal. As we were finished eating our waiter mentioned they have fresh bread that we could have ordered along with this meal. I wish he would have said something earlier. The steak was good but not over the top as the other entrees. Since the chef's specialize in Asian / French cooking I won't hold that against them. I wouldn't have ordered a steak here but my friend was in the mood for one. The seafood medley was really tasty and the Salmon was cooked to perfection. The seafood medley was missing scallops and when we brought that to their attention they were extremely apologetic and offered us free deserts. They didn't try to make any excuses and we really appreciated that. For desert I had the Creme Brulee and the Red Velvet Cake. Both deserts were great. To finish the night off I tried the Vietnamese ice coffee that was made table side in a French press. This was recommended again by our server. I'm not a fan of cold coffee but our waiter had been right all night so I indulged. It was a dark colored sweet coffee that was the perfect paring with a sweet desert. I wouldn't have it alone but in this case it worked. During our meal we noticed a man being rather stern with the staff. Apparently he wasn't happy about something. I figured he wanted something for free. I made a comment to the staff about having to deal with someone that obviously couldn't control his temper. The owner and general manager came over after dinner and explained what had happened. Apparently the man had finished his entire meal but complained about it and wanted it for free. Usually if you don't like something you don't finish the entire plate. The entire staff was so friendly and accommodating. The management obviously trains everyone well and is dedicated to providing top notch customer service. They have a few new fans and we will be sure to come back again. *** I wanted to comment on a few of the things I read it some other people's reviews. #1 The menu is printed on paper and comes on a clip board. This is true but unless you are eating the menu who really cares? #2 The food is rather pricey? Since the meals range from $9 - $29 I would not call this pricey at all. If you can find another restaurant that is of the same quality with Chef's as experienced as these please direct me to it. With tip included our meal was $45 per person.
(5)Joe M.
My wife took me here for my birthday. The decor is very pleasing. It has a nice upscale look and feel to it, though we went in with jeans and sweaters without feeling out of place. The menu looked to lean a bit more Asian than French, but that was fine. The food is priced a bit higher than some comparable places, but I wouldn't classify this place as expensive by any means. The staff was pleasant without being overbearing. They allowed us to enjoy our dinner and made sure our glasses were always filled. The food itself was well cooked. The soups we ordered were well made and large enough to almost be filling. The lemon grass soup in particular was worth trying. The entrees were large enough to offer a filling meal and allow you to take some home. The spices used were very mild, even after I specifically asked for the spiciest iteration of the curry in my entree. So those with a more tame spice pallet shouldn't worry about the notations of how spicy an item is. Even the most picky of eaters will be able to handle the spice level. Really the only sightly negative thing I can say is that nothing jumped out as "special" with the dinner. It was a nice meal and the food was enjoyable, but nothing I haven't had a bit better at other places. It really is only a minor gripe and more of a personal taste. Definitely worth a shot if you're in the area and looking for something a little nicer than the multitude of chain restaurants nearby.
(4)Kelli M.
Definitely love a good BYOB. The asian/french fusion threw me for a loop at first but this little place has great flavors and nice presentation. The waitstaff was incredibly nice and the decor was beautiful/clean. A little pricey but worth a try!
(4)Calvin T.
Tried this place with a bunch of friends for the first time. Decor was very nice. Modern, and upscale. Service was good, and our waiter was knowledgable and answered all our questions. My friend is a health nut and always has something to change about the dish he chooses. They were on point with his changes. Thai Chicken Lemon Grass Soup - aka Tom Yum soup. I always get this soup at every Thai restaurant I go to. It tasted delicious, however it's a bit too pricy at $5. Mostly soup and not much ingredients. If it was $3, I'd get it every time. - 4/5 Amish Chicken & Shrimp Drunken Noodles - one of the best drunken noodle dishes I've ever had. Usually, I find that the basil overpowers this dish in most other places but it was balanced nicely here. Again, this is a typical Thai dish that you would find in any Thai restaurant. I thought $18 was a bit pricy even though it was sooo good. - 5/5 Service - 5/5 Quality - 4.5/5 Value - 3/5 Because it is a bit pricy, we can't be eating here every time when out with friends on the weekend, however it is a place I will come back to every now and then. Best tasting Thai food in the area!
(4)Pymander H.
This was probably our fifth or sixth time at Colonial. The food continues to be fabulous, but the food service has declined. The place was full but that still does not justify a 45 min to an hour wait for appetizers. Other tables were experiencing the same delays. Note that this did not seem to be the fault of the servers, but rather a kitchen bottleneck.
(4)John S.
Excellent Thai food. My wife had the Amish chicken with coconut curry, which was good, but not great. I had the Com with grilled beef over fried rice, which was insanely good. Only downside was the fact that they ran out of dumplings, and it was only 7:30 on a Friday. Place gets really crowded and noisy, but the ambience makes up for it and you quickly forget that you are eating in a strip mall. Prices are extremely reasonable considering they are a BYOB.
(4)Niti S.
Don't be fooled by the strip mall location. We had an excellent meal on Saturday. Our friends had organized a prix-fixed menu for our large group of 8. The food was fresh, arrived beautifully presented course-by-course. 4 of us were vegetarian - and were extremely please with our food selections. BYOB is a bonus.
(4)Kurdapya K.
I am writing this review as I sit here. The service is incredibly slow. There are only 5 parties with no more than 4 pp/per party. It's not a full house for lunch yet we have been here for about 30 min without lunch. The waitress is ok... Not terrible but not to friendly or helpful either.
(3)Ira S.
We just stopped in for dinner and the food was good but the staff is totally disorganized. While we ordered correctly, our server even read it back, everything was wrong. They even came out at one point with the wrong food. I had the crispy chicken and there was absolutely nothing crispy about it. If you want to venture out to this place, really really make sure they know what you are ordering.
(3)Kira C.
Always amazing. The pho is fresh abc the staff are incredibly kind and accommodating !! Love it here. Oh and try the creme brûlée or the key lime pie!!!
(5)Felicia C.
This place has good food and good service! My boyfriend and I enjoyed our meal here tonight. I had the chicken coconut soup, which was scrumptious! As an appetizer, my boyfriend had the Golden Bags, which were filled with crab and shrimp. He loved them! For my entree, I had the chicken red curry. It was a little bit spicy and the chicken was tender, but it is served over linguine instead of rice--that was a little weird for me. The dish as a whole is delicious, but I feel like they should have stuck with the traditional rice. My boyfriend had a pineapple duck special, and it was great! The duck was super tender and juicy. For dessert, we shared the tiramisu, and the waiter was not exaggerating when he said that it would be the best tiramisu we ever had. He also recommended the Vietnamese iced coffee, and that was fantastic. I have been back to this restaurant twice since I wrote my initial review. This place just keeps getting better! The service is impeccable and the lamb special that I have ordered the last two visits is unbelievably tender and flavorful (think mustard and nut crust.) We have also tried three other desserts since our first visit and they have all been fantastic. Colonial Quy Bau is a little pricey (last night our bill for 2 people was $95, pre-tip), but well worth the money.
(5)Miguel F.
Excellent food, excellent service. Only been to this restaurant twice so far and everything I've tried, I've loved. The staff are very polite and provide quick service. It appears that the chef pays great attention to detail because the food is arranged so nicely and the flavors just keeps you wanting more. I can't wait to come back just so I can continue trying different stuff.
(5)Elena F.
Five stars all the way! Service 5+; appetizers a must-must and again must 5++++; desserts - oh my! Main courses ( we have been there twice): duck-5 stars, drunken noodle 5 ; lamb chops 5-, but still really great. Such a gem in our neighborhood! Will definitely come again. And bring friends!
(5)Lyle D.
Went on a Tuesday. Had the shrimp wonton soup, smoked duck breast salad and rack of lamb special. All amazingly plated, delicious and I must note that the chef's use well-sourced ingredients. Service was top notch. I'm a due hard foodie from Brooklyn via San Diego and this place would be a welcome addition to either locale. Recommend for when you're dining alone, on a date or with family. Bring wine, beer or spurts and rock out. Enjoy, salud!
(5)Van M.
The service was good although it took a little long for the main entree. Wait staff was very friendly and accommodating. The decor and atmosphere was very nice and not too loud. It was quite crowded. Pho was not their strength but the other dishes were delicious. Their strength may be in their appetizers.
(4)Joshua M.
Food is always delicious. Specials are usually very good - apps to entrées. Bring your favorite bottle of wine and make a reservation. Servers work as a team so they are very attentive and friendly. Enjoy, I usually do.
(4)Linda M.
This place was definitely a pleasant surprise! I just finally stepped foot int his place with my family over the weekend. I often drove past it in the day time and never thought it was as elegant as it was. It was a last minute dinner out with my Fiancee and 8 yr/o daughter. Apparently reservations are a must around dinner time, but they were very accommodating (and with a smile!). I felt super under dressed, but didn't get any uncomfortable looks from the staff. We only waited about 20 minutes for a table without reservations. After we were seated we were served on by the manager himself, who was so sweet. He apologized about the 20 minute wait which too me was nothing. He gave us recommendations, and we willing to change anything on the menu to meet my daughter's peanut allergy. Everything on the menu sounded amazing, and the prices weren't bad either. I had the crispy chicken, which to me looked like a fancy Generals Tso chicken from the corner Chinese place, but to my surprise it was saved by the many pineapple chunks that just gave it so much more flavor. My fiancee had a seafood medley that was amazing, and my daughter had a pad tai which was flavorful also. Then to top it off the manager was so tickled by my daughter he brought over a desert for her on him. This place is 5 star for the not so rich family. Some things to consider: Always make reservations for dinner time on the weekends, its a BYOB so pick a good wine, dress accordingly (jeans will do by clean cut with a nice shirt), and its a little loud with all the chi chatter about how good the food is!
(5)Judy T.
I absolutely love this restaurant. They have amazing food, we had the duck which was cooked so perfectly I couldn't even compare it to duck I've had in the city. We also had corn fritters I think which were very flavorful but not oily at all. The restaurant itself is very cozy, and the decor is beautiful. The owner came to greet us and is very friendly. He greeted my boyfriend and I and we got to speak about his vision for the restaurant which was nice to see how dedicated he was in his ingredients to his finished product. I enjoyed it so much here I would definitely make it a regular place to go if I lived a bit closer.
(5)Jimmy W.
What I never liked about suburban living is the long drive back into town for decent food. CQB (as I like to call it) offers us suburbanites a extensive menu, quality ingredients, and top notch service - all along with the BYOB setting. What I love, the golden bags (crispy shrimp wraps), beef carpaccio, calamari salad, pho beef noodle soup, pad thai, and lemon mascarpone cake & crème brûlée for dessert. My biggest problem with this place is they simply have too much options. Once you figure out what you want to eat, they'll then point out 6 or so specials that sound equally as good. Tip: They offer $6 pho every Friday and Saturday lunch. Save your lunch receipt for a free dessert on your next visit. It might look like a regular joint in an unassuming strip mall, but once you get inside....it's kinda fancy. Don't delay, try CQB
(4)Le E.
i ordered the vermicelli with grilled pork and egg rolls which was pretty tasty. however, the noodles were warm and I typically don't associate this dish as a warm dish. the restaurant is nicely decorated and the staff was excellent. if my husband enjoyed viet food, i would definitely visit more often.
(3)Durga's T.
Back to the Colonial Quy Bau!!! Ok ,so we have been back to the "CQB" :) 2X since my original post. We have tried everything from their salads to pho, appetizers to amazing dishes. I have an update to give for this amazing restaurant in the heart of a very diverse restaurant community. PROS: We noticed they have a nice table set up outside so you can view their menu now and also don't forget they DO have outdoor-seating in the back so if you can, check it out! It really is nicely done. When we came in our second time we noticed a waiter and a waitress. Yeah! They are both very nice and kind. That made our stay very pleasant. The food is amazing and we were given a lunch menu with pho and also the usual entree menu. Still on those clip-boards. :-( Don't forget! They may not serve alcohol but it is BYOB. What great experiences we have had here. From a pleasant and kind staff to Corey the owner coming out to talk to us and the waiter and waitress congratulating us on our engagement. We never feel rushed and our food comes out warm. We have never had appetizers, salads and our entrees come out all at once. It has always been an amazing dining experience. CONCLUSION: If you haven't been to CQB be sure to stop in! Sit down enjoy an amazing interior and hint-hint Corey! Maybe some Vietnamese Dan Tranh music. ;-) Enjoy all these amazing dishes. Don't forget its BYOB and a nice table out back. Be sure to try the Vietnamese Coffee! You'll never go to WAWA again for coffee. If you visited their website and was wondering the name of the track playing it is: Buddha Bar - Bliss - Wish you were here. A great CD!!! :-)
(4)Adrienne R.
A friend recommended Quy Bau for lunch so I took her up on it. Beforehand, I looked on their website at their lunch menu and read lots of Yelp! reviews (good job guys!). Well when I got to the restaurant I was a little shocked that they didn't have the prixe fixe menu option that I saw online. I asked the server about it TWICE. He brushed me off the first time, which got my very irritated, and then he went to check with the manager. Apparently, it's old and the website needs to be updated :-( Now...on to lunch. I ordered the Bun Dac Beit - which is rice noodles, bbq pork, pork pate, shrimp and a spring roll served with the fish sauce on the side. Very tasty! For dessert I had the lemoncello cake, which was also very delicious :-) The servers were very pleasant and accommodating. It was a little overwhelming at times (talkative, lots of explaining and checking in) but I was there on my lunch break and felt I needed to hurry. Probably wouldn't have mind so much otherwise. I look forward to coming back to try the Pho!
(4)D P.
This is our new favorite restaurant. We had reservations for 6 p.m. on a Saturday and were seated right away. The staff is well-trained and saw to our every need. Sean seemed to be the premier waiter and most of our interaction was with him. One of our party is vegetarian, and the kitchen and staff were more than willing to accommodate his needs. The meal I had was the best restaurant meal I've had in ages. I had the tofu with eggplant and a delicious cream of broccoli that was the special soup for the day. The décor is lovely. I cannot say anything bad about Colonial Quy Bau. We plan to return for our anniversary, coming up in a few months.
(5)John C.
Hey my name is john I'm not saying this be cause I work here and trying to make it look good for us I just feel some yup of way about some one lien and I have worked for this establishment for about two years now furring to the recent comment by the ex employee is totally absurd disrespectful and his facts are totally wrong and he's lying Cory the owner one of his main pep peeves is about how clean every thing is in the kitchen and food handling and his restaurant in general the comment referring to the food being dropped on the floor and put on plates is a lie and would never happen this restaurant has a high reputation And would never never serve their customers dirty food off the ground I've seen it with my own eyes if any thing fell or dropped it was thrown in the trash and never replanted and I promise every customer this ... I am a proud employee of this place and will not let any one slender this place Cory and Allan or one of the best bosses I worked for in my entire life they care and look out for there employees and care and appreciate there customers to the fullest and try's to make sure every one has a enjoyable experience and comes back... come by and check out for your self and have an amazing experience here
(5)L O.
Best pho in the area. Impeccable service. Great atmosphere. Worth the money. Fine to wear casual clothing but most people in there are somewhat dressed up.
(5)Ray C.
This place is awesome. Service is very good, it's BYOB, food and selection are excellent, decor is beautiful-even though it's in a strip mall! Try the BUN menu!
(5)Logan B.
Great food, impeccable service, slightly pricey, but expected for the quality and portion size. Items that stood out: smoked duck salad, fried calamari, golden bags, escargot puff pastry, duck and lamb specials and of course dessert. There were absolutely zero complaints from my family who always find something to complain about!
(5)Lena C.
My first visit to this restaurant turned out to be a delightful experience. The decor is beautiful and the staff was very kind. The waiter was very generous and didn't rush us when we were there past closing time. My boyfriend and I even had the honor to meet Chef Cory who wanted to ensure us the best hospitality. For appetizers, I ordered the Escargot Puff Pastry. I had plenty of escargot in the past but this was by far the most delicious dish and a new favorite. It was undeniably fresh and savory. The beurre blanc sauce went very well with the escargot. I would recommend it even though it is kind of pricy ($10). For entree, I ordered the Herbed Australian Rack of Lamb. The lamb was made medium well and cooked perfect. It was very rich in flavor. For being the most expensive dish in the entree selection ($29) I believe it was worth every penny. Overall, this is a nice and pleasant restaurant to take a date to. They have a large selection in French cuisine and it is very affordable. Although they need to change the clipboard menu but everything else was great. I am definitely looking forward to visiting again.
(5)Kate L.
My boyfriend and I returned for round two. During our first visit, it was during the week and we arrived without reservations - we were instantly seated. The food was great. This time, we made reservations for a Saturday night meal. The restaurant was buzzing and it was pretty obvious that the staff was getting ready to seat a large table. We waited about 10 minutes, then were seated. 3 different servers approached us to go over the specials and take our order - this was confusing and it felt a little pushy. When I asked the third server about this, she explained that they all help each other with waiting tables. I get the concept, but I felt like we were being rushed through our meal. Later on, I somewhat understood why. I ordered the soup du jour as an app, which was cream of asparagus soup with crab meat. It was very tasty. We also tried the golden bags - very good, especially the plum chili sauce. For our entrees, I had the crab cakes - I enjoyed them, but probably should have went with a menu item that was more influenced by Thai or French cuisine. My boyfriend had the tiger shrimp and Amish chicken dish. He also enjoyed it, but wished it was served with more sauce. Towards the end of our meal, nearly 10 people were waiting to be seated. I'm not sure if the staff overbooked reservations, or if people walked in without one, but the crowd quickly became rude and impatient. CQB is not a large restaurant, and these people overwhelmed the small waiting area. We will return, but probably stick with week night dining.
(4)Mike S.
Excellent food. The menu leans mostly Thai, though there are some great fusion style dishes and a few things on the menu that are more French than anything (the escargot was excellent). Their pho is also excellent. I'd say it's better than the other couple of pho restaurants in the area. One tip I'll give is if you go for dinner, they only give you the night's dinner menu. They will still allow you to get pho (which is on the lunch menu) or the other lunch dishes, you just have to ask for the menu. One minor complaint that kept this from being 5 stars was the service. While the staff was extremely friendly, professional, and knowledgeable about the menu, they seemed a bit overwhelmed. I'm assuming this was due to the fact that they had an unruly party of around 25 people to deal with though, so it's understandable. Very much looking forward to a return trip, though I'll probably go during the week, instead of a busy Saturday night.
(4)Karina P.
My boyfriend brought me to Colonial for my birthday. I have no complaints about the food, it was really good. I had the Cashew Chicken, and my bf had one of their Salmon specials. Their drink menu however; is very very limited, but I attribute that to the place being BYOB (bring your own bottle).
(4)Ermal H.
Really good place! The food is amazing and the staff is great! I would recommend the duck as it is extremely delicious.
(5)Lucas O.
I have eaten at Asian restaurants such as Ooka(5 star, try the Chilean Sea Bass Hibatchi [oishii]), Pho Beyond(3.5 star), Pho Saigon(3.5 star), Xchu Xchu(3 star). I came in for a late lunch at 3pm on a Tuesday. The clip board menu already had the dinner menu on top. The hostess/server promptly made eye contact and walked to me as soon as I looked up. That's good service, but I was the only one there besides two other guests. I asked for an iced coffee and a pho. The young lady told me there was no pho, because 'they are preparing a new batch'. I figured they might always keep the pho broth going day after day. Never running out or restarting, but always adding in new spices, herbs, bones, water. Regardless, I ordered shrimp rice vermicelli instead (one of my favorites at Pho Beyond). I expected my coffee to come to my table in a slow drip apparatus like elsewhere, but instead I began to hear the sound of a clinking spoon. An iced Vietnamese coffee is the perfect beverage/dessert AFTER a delicious meal. My first impression of the coffee: Grounds. Grounds were floating and sitting on my ice. Secondly: Bitter. It was acrid and burnt. Was it old coffee? What more it was too watered-down. I could see the sweetened condensed milk line on the bottom of the glass, and I don't think it had been enough. Hence it wasn't creamy. If you want a tasty Vietnamese coffee; you will not find it here. My plate came out with a side of stinky vinegar (in good humor, I love it and I make it at home). Surprisingly for a supposedly 'fancy' restaurant my plate looked like my dad had thrown it together. Big slices of tomato, cucumber, and two small leafs of lettuce. "Where are the pickled veggies?" I thought. "Ahh," there was a tiny bit floating in my sauce.... OK! The grilled shrimp were mediocre; the noodles tasted poorly and had been smashed before or chopped up after cooking. Over all I was dissatisfied with my meal. The server took away the coffee I had barely touched and the bowl with most of the noodles. She didn't charge me for the coffee since I told her I hadn't liked it. The bill came out to 9 dollars for a small salad and 6 shrimp of a meal. I don't know how their 16 dollar dinners are, but from my experience I much prefer the restaurants I rated at the top.
(2)Paras P.
I have been here about five times now. Each time I've ordered something different and wasn't disappointed. Food is great. I would say it's one of the best restaurants outside of Philly. FYI. I've never made a reservation here but do recommend making one if you can't get here by 6:30 PM on their busy nights. If you come late without a reservation, then you will be waiting for a long time and might even get frustrated and end up giving a bad review for having to wait too long. So don't go late!
(5)William J.
Food and service outstanding! We were in a bit of a rush, had no rez on a Saturday night and were headed to the Fab Faux at the Keswick. The place was packed so we didn't mind too too much getting the table nearest the bathrooms- but since it was our first time we did feel a bit of trepidation. Once the service started all was well. Amish Chicken Red Curry Bamboo, Basil, and Bell Peppers over Pasta was extremely tasty and the Salmon Special TOPPED WITH JUMBO LUMP CRABMEAT IN A MADIERA WINE WITH DILL MUSTARD was superb. Also found the side of Bok Choy nicely cooked and worth adding to the meal. This will hopefully not be our last meal here. Highly recommended.
(5)joe n.
Food was delicious!! Service was attentive. Nice addition to the Willow Grove area.
(5)Donna B.
We went to try this restaurant because of the glowing reviews..... It did not disappoint, from the service to the incredible food! Started with the herb grilled calamari salad which had a hot/spicy sweet taste.....Yummy! And for our entrees I had the Salmon on the menu with the mustard reduction and it was really tasty and cooked to perfection and my husband had the seafood medley special which was equally great..... It is somewhat shocking that this Willow Grove restaurant can rival any center city restaurant! Thumbs up to such an incredible surprise with outstanding service and food!! Also you must get the Vietnamese coffee, it was pretty amazing!!
(5)J D.
Twice this week...had to come back for the duck salad, it's that good. I'm looking forward to trying the Vietnamese menu next time.
(4)Jon C.
They make a big effort and have a large menu with plenty of delicious options. Located in a rather nondescript strip mall, but have a very nice space. Will be back for sure.
(5)