Bow & Stern

Happy to hear and not surprised to hear that they are closed.
Portions drastically shrunk, service diminished, and the food became sub par.
My nephew had the most violent food poisoning ever from the shrimp here. We know exactly what dish it was as we shared everything, BUT that item.
When I called to notify the restaurant, they simply offered me a free meal. Uhhhh…
Needless to say, we never returned.

Please don’t close. This is one of the few decent places in West Town!!!
Come back!
We love you!

Best dollar oysters I have seen in Chicago. Long tap list and big green booths. Grab the free desert from the Unilocal check in and go nuts. Good expirence!

I ordered carry-​out from Bow & Stern this week and loved it! It turns out the night I stopped in they had a lobster roll special… and lobster rolls are a weakness of mine so I had to say YES!
It was not your purist’s lobster roll, but it was delicious. It was in a more mayonnaise based sauce that was very nicely seasoned and served on a brioche bun. Mmmm.
As good as the sandwich was the fries. These are legit! These are probably the best fries I have had in Chicago in some time. I wonder whether they were perhaps double fried. Anyway, they came with a super flavorful garlic mayo.
I’ll definitely be stopping in some night for their oyster special and a proper meal!

We went there on Tuesday for oyster happy hour. It was just right… the place was relaxed and starting to get busy at 6 p.m. Tuesday gets you ½ price bottle of wine too.
The oyster fresh sheet passes my high bar with their Shigoku oysters. I had it for the first time from Taylor Shellfish Farms and never looked back at other kinds, not even kumamotos.
Everyone else seems to like the burrata and kale chips, not me… it was too much oily kale leaves all over the burrata. The crab cake and grilled romaine salad was pretty good.
They also have a reverse oyster happy hour on fridays 10pm — midnight, so we will be back!

I really wasn’t a fan of the ahi tuna I had here. There was just something off about it; however, the salmon tartar and oysters are awesome! You can’t beat the $ 1 oyster happy hour deal they have a few times during the week! I don’t know much about oysters, so it’s a good way to try different kinds. I can’t help but giggle at the descriptions: girthy, deep-​cupped, plump… no wonder they are considered and aphrodesiac…
Service has always been great, especially when it comes to trying wines and pairing them. It makes me feel like a fancy lady.

I came here for brunch this past weekend and it was… alright. I ordered the benedict and the first bite was good, but then I reached the middle of the fish cake thing, and it was freezing cold! I’m not sure if they didn’t cook it all the way through, or if they just stuck it in the microwave, but only the edges were warm. My boyfriend ordered the breakfast burrito and his was alright. It felt like it was missing something, but I can’t put my finger on what it is. I liked his more than mine, but it still wasn’t great. We also ordered oysters. We got the Sunset Beach and some other one (sorry I don’t really remember). Honestly, the only saving grace for this place was the oysters. I probably would not come back if it were not for those oysters. I definitely would rather go during happy hour though ($ 1 oysters!).
My advice, only come for the oysters. They’re the only thing that’s good/​worth it.

I was impressed with Groupon when I found a deal to this newly opened hot spot. I purchased a $ 20 for $ 40 in March and made the quick trip over.
We had resos and were seated in a pretty tight spot in the back, left room at the end of the restaurant. We looked up and saw the very cute glass ceiling which complimented the dimly lit, nautical vibe of the place.
We shared baby octopus which was yum, he had the bow burger and I had the ahi tuna. Ahi tuna was def one of the best I’ve had. He said his burger was pretty damn good. Oysters were pretty over-​priced so we didn’t order them.
Everything was fine except that my hubby had trouble getting out of his seat since there were 4 other chairs inches away. He’s not a very large dude by any means, so I can only imagine the difficulty other people may encounter when staff packs this place to the max.

Recently had a boy’s day here. Oysters and craft beer. I was in heaven. Add grilled octopus and nirvana takes over. Dragon’s milk beer and a dozen 1800’s. Holy smokes Batman. POW! BOOM! KAPOW!
The wicked Dragon’s milk clashing with the briny 1800’s. Soon the clash becomes a symphony. Slurp… sip… slurp… sip. Oysters are on special between 5pm and 7pm.
The staff was knowledgeable and friendly. I will return.

Service-​wise, our waitress was attentive and follows up with us.
The $ 1 to $ 1.25 fresh oysters are the best since its nearer than the other place. plus more choices!
Food: entrée-​wise, its not really elevated. Bro disliked his food but he tried to finish tham all. My pork was a bit underdone but its ok. The lauging bird thing as appetizer was fine. not a favorite.

I had a Groupon that was expiring soon so we came here for brunch. We ordered the laughing bird shrimp (fancy way of saying sweet and sour shrimp which were okay), crab cakes (good texture, crust and flavor), oysters (fresh with interesting sauces), baked oysters with chorizo? and the potato hash (good, but not great).
I liked the layout and the feel of the place. I understand the nautical theme, but I’m not a fan of the curtains that separate the private dining room and the regular dining room.
Overall, I would come back for the seafood and probably their happy hour specials.

5 stars all the way. Service, hospitality, cleanliness, ambiance, drinks, apps, entrees, dessert… all top notch! Raw oysters were fresh and tasty, especially the Midnight Bays. Baked oysters with chorizo are an absolute must. Of course the Pork Belly & Scallops entrée was divine, and the accompanying collard greens were a perfect pair. Unfortunately they ran out of the Dulce de Leche w/​sour cream ice cream, however it saved us from a most assured food coma. All that AND an extensive beer and wine list… you’re all but guaranteed a great night. As with most Loop spots, it can get pricey; but if you’re lucky enough to score a Groupon, definitely check it out.

I met a few friend after work on Tues for happy hour. It has a great special on tues! $ 1 oyster and half off bottle of wine!
Note that the oysters come in an order of three. They are very fresh compares to other deals in the city!

First time here and are verrrry pleased with every element.
Environment. Cozy and quiet on a Tuesday night.
Food. Memorable. Delish. Fast. Complex Flavors. Fun textures. Had a dozen oysters, Burrata & chips, Sturgeon & Main lobster tail b not a single item disappointed. In fact even the Burrata was very unique & had fun textures.
Service. Wonderful. Warm. Fast. But timely.
We can’t wait to return and bring ppl! Welcome Bow & Stern!!!

My friend had wanted to check out this restaurant and found a groupon for it too, so we thought – why not give it a try? Well we are so glad we did!
We arrived for brunch and the restaurant was spacious and very comfortable. It was not noisy at all which I really enjoyed, especially for breakfast. I ordered the steak and eggs which included deliciously cooked waygu steak done medium rare (as I had requested), really good potatoes, nice and spicy cauliflower, and fried kale. My friend ordered raw oysters (came as a dish of 3) which she really enjoyed. The drinks here were also good and they were able to make mine non-​alcoholic. Would definitely come back here!

i was so happy that this place opened in my neighborhood and Chicago needs more good seafood restaurants. Being an oyster and seafood lover (sometimes a critic), I was very excited about this place. I have been here twice for dinner and both of my experiences have been great. The server I had both times was very helpful and nice and it was very easy to make reservation as well. The oysters were fresh and delicious and I was lucky to make it to the oyster special night (a dozen for $ 15), which was a great deal. I am not sure if it was a one time thing, but I am glad I was there for that!
Having lived in Boston and being a frequent traveler to the East Coast, this is place is very good for Chicago. I know that the seafood in places like MA and VA will always be fresher and more affordable. It wouldn’t be fair to hold Chicago seafood restaurants to the same standards.
Overall, It’s a great place with quality seafood but it’s definitely not cheap. The oyster bar is the main attraction for me to come here. I like the fact that you get to choose oysters from both the East Coast and West Coast and they are all tasty. The only suggestion I have is to have a wider selection of dressing, and definitely give us lemon slices based on size of the order. To people that want to check out this place, I would say try the chicken thighs– they are so crispy and amazingly delicious! I hope this place would continue to provide great service and fresh seafood.

My experience at Bow & Stern was disappointing all around. We consistently waited 20 – 30 minutes for our server to acknowledge us (20 minutes from when we first sat down until we finally flagged someone down…30 minutes of waiting for drink refills and our entrees after appetizers were cleared). For the price, the food was awful. My boyfriend got the steak and lobster, and both were small and poorly cooked.
The oysters were good, but they do not bring the usual suspects for garnishing: cocktail sauce, horseradish, lemon… instead they bring a special little garnish for each type of oyster. Cool idea, but they need to provide the old standbys!

Oyster bars in Chicago are about as abundant as sports fans watching the Sochi Olympics so Bow & Stern gets a gold medal on neighborhood originality alone as far as I’m concerned. The only thing remotely close by shucking stuff is Fronteir and they’re a pretty different concept altogether.
I did brunch at Bow & Stern on their first day offering it and it was a pretty beautiful experience. Fresh oysters from a number of coasts, an amazing lobster roll, and a bloody mary with an eye opening kick. As others have mentioned it is a little priciey, but it’s definitely finer dining than almost anything you’ll find this part of town.
The staff was really nice and the décor has a subtle sophistication so whether you’re entertaining some clients for a nice dinner or just rolling out of bed hung over for some brunch Bow & Stern delivers.

Food here was definitely a 5*:
Pros: Food
Cons: Slow service (maybe a kink while starting up)
All of the appetizers were spot on:
Kale chips with burrata cheese
Ahi Tartar
Muscles — these along were amazingly well prepared. Has a smokey taste to it. Very well done.
All of the oysters on a half shell were very fresh and delicious. I really liked the lady chatterley.
I had the sturgeon for my entrée and it was also fairly well prepared.
Desserts:
Keylime pie
Dulece de leche with sour cream ice cream
All and all, I was quite happy with the food at Bow and stern. I was originally concerned with the early reviews, but the food fantastic. Really is worth a try!
Only thing i didn’t like here was the slow waiting service. If you have time the food is well worth it. I will be going back for sure.

I was invited to a pre-​opening this past Tuesday. We arrived around 9pm and met our friends at the bar. The bartender was pleasant but took a while to pour our beers. Our friend was told they were out of the beer he ordered, and she just poured and brought over some other random beer.
Our friends had already ordered an appetizer, the burrata and chips, by the time we arrived. That came out while we were still at the bar waiting to be seated at a table. This ended up being the only thing that I tried, but it was delicious. The kale chips were an awesome complement to the burrata. It was a unique and well-​prepared dish.
Because it was their first night, everything took much longer than on a normal night at an established restaurant. That late into the night though, they were out of almost everything else we wanted to try. I ordered the oysters, but I didn’t look closely at the menu and discovered they had meat on them.
I’d like to go back and try Bow & Stern when they have had a chance to work out all of the kinks because it seems like a cool concept. They did a great job revamping the interior from the previous establishment and gave it a polished New Englandish feel.