Chow

Food = great.
Chinese chicken salad = perfect assortment of vegetables, sliced apples, and sliced chicken. Comes with a ginger-​honey-​peanut dressing but allergies, so I ended up trying their tangy lemon vinaigrette. Petite size, $ 8.95. (They have medium and large, too.)
Smiling noodles = shrimp, chicken, vegetables with noodles in a spicy ginger-​garlic-​curry sauce. Medium size, $ 13.50. (They have full sized entrée for $ 15.95.)
Blueberry pancake (listed under the side item, not full entrée on the brunch menu) = moist, fluffy, and perfect blueberry filled pancake with blueberry sauce and maple mascarpone cheese. $ 6.95.
Coffee = strong. $ 3.75 (x2).
Ginger cake = spicy ginger, sweet but balanced with the ginger, whipped cream and ice cream (sorry, couldn’t figure out what flavor it was, and it wasn’t listed). It was rich and just enough for two. $ 8.50.
Seating = plenty but it gets packed here. Just be patient.
Service = super friendly! And attentive.
Prices = moderate. But that’ll depend on your appetite and what size you’re ordering. Make sure to read the menu carefully. Including our friends’ two entrees, two soft drinks, and chocolate cake, lunch for 4 came out to around $ 100.00, including tip.

Been here twice in just two weeks now and I will absolutely be coming back! Such a fantastic spot in the Castro. Starting with the staff to layout to ambiance, the setting is perfect for a group brunch.
My parents were visiting from the east coast so I brought them here for our last meal together — they’re known to be critical of (just about everything) restaurants — they left so happy! Raved about it back east to their friends. I have since had friends visit from San Diego and also sent them to Chow!
I *highly* recommend the grass-​fed burger. Sort of consider myself a burger ~connoisseur~ and lemme tell ya… they do NOT disappoint. Fresh and cooked to perfection. Being a New Yorker, I’m confident that my opinion holds some weight so listen when I tell ya, their prosciutto pizza is to die for.
Be sure to sit on the back patio!

Coincidentally came across this brunch spot since a bakery nearby I wanted to try was closed. It has a decent amount of dining space and nice workers. It wasn’t a brunch that really stood out to me, but their chilaquiles were pretty on point!
Everything here is pretty standard but the restaurant itself has a warm inviting feel to it. Our server kept telling us that that chilaquiles were «BOOOMB with bell peppers» which I thought was kind of random but we took her advice and got chilaquiles with bell peppers only to find that they were $ 1.50 extra! #wut

The dishes here are common American fare. It won’t be the most amazing, but they are adequate. Full bar, friendly and efficient service. Not a place to go out of the way to eat at, but it’s a good place for decent food in the area.
The veggie lasagna was okay, salads are good, the pot roast is probably best among the entrees.

TLDR: Dinner is delicious, satisfying comfort food that comes in large portions, served in a fun, homey space that manages to be vibrant and bustling without the crowd, lines, and wait of other SF restaurants, and by servers who are both attentive and friendly.
Do you yearn for the days when your menu made sense? Do you fondly recall dishes made simply and delicious, without the frou-​frou and the ooh-​la-​la? Do you wonder what spaghetti and meatballs taste like when they are made with **gasp** NOODLES and **slap-​faced-​shock** MEATBALLS? Without the addition of unicorn spittle reduction, dew drops collected at dawn off the face of a baby squirrel, and bottled essence of a double rainbow over an endangered panda habitat?
I do. Oh, I do.
So I went to Chow! And the menu made sense, because it had timeless American classics as well as some American-​adopted, not-​really-​foreign-​but-​OK-​Americans-​do-​your-​thing classics! We’re talking spaghetti and meatballs, burgers, grilled cheeses, tuna melts and pot roast, plus Chinese chicken salad, Asian noodles, and enchiladas. Plus a whole lot more, because the menu is nice and long. And straightforward.
And the dishes are SOLID: delicious, satiating comfort food. The prices are a little steep for the straightforward food, but the large portions make up for that. Pretty good beer and wine list, plus a really creative «virgin cocktail» list. I generally like my cocktails solidly de-​flowered, but these were nonetheless refreshing and delicious. They also had one of the lengthiest and more delicious dessert menus I’ve seen in a while: lovely, thick slabs of coconut cream pie, TCHO chocolate cream pie, pecan pie, fruit pie, ginger cake, and more.
Really amazing back patio space with wonderfully warming space heaters, and a happy, bustling vibe created by relaxed, energetic tables (well enough spaced so that you’re not yelling over each other) and very busy but attentive, chill, caring servers. We had zero wait for dinner, and yet the space was consistently well-​filled.
So, when to go? Seems a great place to take a bunch of friends for a fun catch-​up dinner. There seemed to be several birthdays going on, too. A pretty good date spot if you’re looking for casual and bustling rather than romantic and intimate. Or, go if your palate has been cloyed with all the frou-​frou SF restaurants have been feeling the need to add to their dishes, and you just want to sit alone and remember what the hell «comfort food» tastes like again.

Haven’t been here in years but wanted to have brunch without waitin in long lines like at Kitchen Story. Ordered kids size French toast and eggs Benny. French Toast was not very hot, was too dry and not very flavorful. The eggs Benedict was good with pan grilled ham instead of Canadian bacon. Potatoes had a nice crust and were seasoned well and fresh. In all, a strong 3 star for food.

I had a perfect brunch experience here!
Sure, there was bit of wait but the line moved quickly. The dining area is actually pretty large. If you sit in the back you’ll get a nice view of the kitchen and the chefs in action.
If you’re looking for something outside the usual scrambled and eggs benedict for brunch, Chow is your place. Highlights from the menu:
Mussels (cream, wine, herbs, tomato, $ 10), Wontons (shrimp, pork, ginger-​chili sauce, $ 9), Local Albacore tuna melt ($ 13), Thai-​Style organic chicken breast salad ($ 12), Blueberry pancakes ($ 11).
There are plenty of more choices for lunch — this is a full-​on restaurant. Service was super friendly and attentive… no reason NOT to come back. Great spot!

Came here for a mini-​learning brunch session on a Sunday morning. We got in at around 945−10am, and there was no line! Niiiice! Note that it started getting crowded by 11.
I’d been here once before for brunch but forgot to write a review on it. This was a lovely experience, despite being sat next to the blaring music. It was hard to hear over it, but eh, it would’ve been hard to hear once a lot of people where in there anyway, so no big deal.
Service is excellent. Also, they have a decent tea selection. I believe it was Two Leaves, but I can’t remember now as it’s been a while. Our waitress checked on us often and when I asked what her favorite dish was, she had an answer ready, which is always a plus!
If salmon hash is available, GET IT. Oh man. If smoked salmon is your game, there is nothing like smoked salmon and delicious potatoes to go with it. So, so good. I just want salmon hash all the time. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I am still a corned beef hash fanatic. But salmon hash is like, a game changer of brunch foods. Fishy goodness with potatoey goodness for breakfast. Totally SF, so unfortunately it’s not as good as the stuff as I can get on the east coast, but it’ll do in a pinch.
Plus, their dessert is big enough to share. Get that spice cake with pumpkin ice cream. It’s delightful. And I believe they may have it year-round…I could be wrong, though. In any case, get it if it’s there. Always ask for a dessert menu, or just skip the dessert menu and order that spice cake in advance. It’ll be good to share.

Brunch review.
Eggs benedict — ⁴⁄₅
Mascarpone French toast — ²⁄₅
Marion Raspberry short cake — ³⁄₅
Ginger cake with pumpkin ice cream — ⁵⁄₅ — Awesome awesome
Overall, dessert here is «as good as it gets.»

I have heard so many positive things about this place, I’m glad I finally got to try it. First of all, this place is WAY bigger than it appeared when I looked through the windows a few times. On the day of my dinner with a friend, I called ahead and tried to reserved a table. They only do same-​day reservations only for groups of 6 or 8 or more. Something like that.
My friend and I came here around 6:30PM on a weeknight. Apparently it gets busy around 7:00PM so we purposely went to beat the dinner rush. It was a «seat yourself» policy so we chose the bar, naturally. There is also a back patio that I want to explore in the future. I ordered the Fusilli Chicken and Sausage Pasta, which was recommended by a few fellow Unilocalers. Nothing too special but the portion size was just right. Piping hot with plenty of meat… just how I like it.
Anyways, the service was excellent. The bartender (even though we did not order any alcohol) was very attentive to us… boxing my food at the end and getting us the check in a timely manner. I was not very impressed by the food, but I would still come here again because of its convenient location (right next to the Church Muni station) and its great service.

Three years in between visits and Chow is still great!
I never knew they had a outdoor dining area under a tent that is in the back of the restaurant.
Spaghetti & meatballs was delicious while the organic chicken noodle soup tasted a tad too salty. You can’t go wrong with the flour-​less chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream on the side, it’s my favorite dessert at Chow.
Service was much better my second time around here. Our waiter took good care of us and satisfied all of our needs. BTW, if you plan on coming during the weekend for dinner, I recommend making a reservation beforehand, whether it’s for a table of 2 or 6. It will save you a good 15 – 20 minutes of waiting.

Really really enjoyed my experience at Chow. I had been to Park Chow a long time ago for brunch which was also pleasant but thiiiiis was absolutely fulfilling and scrumptious.
Got the pot roast holy crap. Sooo soft that meat. And perfectly seasoned. This is umami heaven. The portions are also very generous. I was definitely a happy camper after that meal :‘D
To finish this review, gotta add that this place is simply cozy, with good food, keeps us coming back for more.

Got to San Francisco a little too late for lunch and I was just looking for a place to eat around the area. Came across Chow and just went for it.
+ Food
I wasn’t sure what I wanted to eat at first; I was just starving. They have a lot of food choices on their menu; from pasta to pizza, sandwiches, burgers and salads. It makes choosing something a bit harder… But I went for their special of the day: Salmon Pasta with Vegetables. Delicious and filling. The sauce was creamy but not too thick, the vegetables were fresh, and the salmon was cooked to perfection. Quality comfort food, with huge portions! I would recommend coming here if you’re hungry and want some good food to fill you up. Next time, I’ll try their brunch food and pastries.
+ Service
Phenomenal. Our server was friendly and helpful with our food choices; just ask for what they recommend if you don’t like this or don’t like that or just ask for their personal favorite dishes! The place was not too crowded when we got there, but we did get there at around 2:30 pm.

A deux pas de notre chambre, en face de l’arrêt du tramway Church, derrière de lourds rideaux en velours rouge, il y a Chow, le restaurant préféré de notre hôte airb’nb. Il y a une terrasse extérieure charmante et une salle assez grande, très conviviale.
On y a même été deux fois en une semaine! Je peux donc vous garantir que le veggie burger, les pâtes choux fleurs/​fromage de chèvre/​thym/​citron et que le gâteau gingembre GLACE A LA CITROUILLE sont excellents! (cette glacé à la citrouille me manqué tous les jours)

Testé et approuvé les Thaï style noodle !
Ce qui est sympa ici, c’est la variété de la carte et le service rapide! Ce qui l’est moins, ce sont les erreurs… Dans les commandes ou dans l’addition ! Mais bon je n’en tiendrai pas rigueur à notre serveur qui avait l’air un peu débordé en cette heure de pointe (on est venu pour le dinner).
L’endroit est chaleureux, accueillant et fait très américain dans sa décoration. Et dans le choix des plats aussi ! Bön Ok, mon plat est un plat Thaï, mais il y avait un large choix de plats et de desserts assez typique.

Also, wenn wir einen Geheimtipp für San Francisco haben, dann ist es dieses Restaurant! Entspannte, nette Atmosphäre und tolles Essen zu fairen Preisen. Die Vorspeisen kosten zwischen 5 – 10 Dollar und die Hauptgerichte zwischen 12 – 20 Dollar. Aber Ihr müsst unbedingt Platz für den Nachtisch lassen!!! Wir haben drei verschiedene probiert und sie waren alle der Hammer! Der Hauswein ist mit 23, — Doller für eine Flasche nicht teuer und wirklich gut. Der Ziegenkäse und die Miesmuscheln waren eine großartige Vorspeise. Als Hauptgericht hatten wir Regatoni mit Lamm Sugo und Pizza mit Fechel-​Salami. Beides war sehr gut. Auf unseren Tisch haben wir ca. 15 Minuten gewartet aber jede Minute hat sich gelohnt. Der Service war sehr freundlich.