Chop Stix Bistro

This was our third time here because the food is amazing. Prices are a bit high though, two sushi rolls and two noodle bowls was about $ 55.
Service is horrible! We sat for 15 minutes before receiving our drinks, another 15 before our order was taken, and then 40(!!!) minutes for our food.
The atmosphere was nice, but the wait and service made it a bad experience. We will not go again.

It was pure chance that we happened on Chop Stix Bistro for lunch today. There was a quilt show at Thornbury and we wandered looking at fabric art until our eyes were sore and our tummies hungry. The outdoor tables looked inviting, and the menu moreso — and it turned out to be happy accident for us. Unlike some previous reviews, we found the service to be attentive and friendly, and the prices are very fare for the quality of the food and the size of the portions.
Enjoying the hint of cooler air, spouse and I both opted for noodle bowls — him choosing Hu Tieu Nam Vag (a huge bowl of mild broth with rice vermicelli, bbq pork, chicken and seafood) and me Buh Bo Hue, the traditional Viet Namese beef soup, that comes with an awesome amount of chilii floating on the surface. Both were delicious — but since Buh Bo Hue is usually spicy-​hot enough to fry my tongue, I found the mild level of spice in this bowl a bit of a disappointment. The flavor was great, however and to be honest, had the heat been at the level I’d expected, I wouldn’t be able to report honestly on this aspect of lunch. We saw a few people with sush that looked interesting, so we’ll probably come back and give that a try — but for us, finding a good place for a noodle bowl is enough to get us back over and over again.
If you haven’t been here, I should add that they will probably be crowded when weather drives diners inside — the interior room is nicely decorated but has only a few tables.

I have ordered from this restaurant and dined in over the last 5 years. The food is inconsistent. Most recently I ordered calamari which was very greasy and basically inedible. The Pad Thai is at times OK and other times not… my recommendation is to look around because Gainesville has many very good restaurants and Chop Stix is not one of them.

Tonight, I picked up Chinese take-​out. Last summer, new owner who is related to the previous owner had remodeled the whole restaurant with a more refine look and taste. I feel the new improvements are worth the slightly higher prices especially if you and your friends are content to marinate for some extensive catching up time. They also have 8 cocktail specials along with a variety of other adult beverages. You have to try the Bloody Mary garnished with a cocktail shrimp and celery. Also, the patio looks even more amazing with the new plants, fountain, fans. umbrellas and awning. A very inviting and cozy space with a quiet and leisurely pace.
Tonight, I noticed the plants are fuller providing more shade and privacy in this very intimate ambiance while staying somewhat open to the surroundings. You will see what I mean if you decide to give them a try. If you don’t know, it’s situated in one of the best commercial area in Gainesville with so many great unique, specialty shops like jewelry, furniture, retro stuff, arts, chocolate, salons, and a women’s gym (GHFC) plus so many more. I’m sorry I can’t remember all their names but I promise it’s an adventure zone. And Chopstix Bistro is the secret garden.
I will definitely come back and dine on the patio when I have old friends visit. I also recommend coming when it’s not busy especially between 2 – 6. The times I’ve gone have never been the traditional eating times and I had no problems with a wait. When I’m in a hurry here, I just tell her to bring me my check after she puts in the order. She’ll usually bring me my credit card slips shortly after she brings out the food. That way, when I’m ready, I can just go. It’s a little extra step but the system ensures I am where I need to be, on time. Tonight, we got the Shrimp & Vegetable Lo Mein which is the best in town. I also, got the Curry Crab Rangoons. They were good but I don’t care for the thicker wanton skins. The delicious filling was more than most places. The Chicken Wings especially with sweet-​n-​sour sauce and the Shrimp Fried Rice are one of the best in town. You can tell by the shrimp size. I wished they were butterflied though. I also add the sweet-n’-sour on my fried rice.
On my last visits, I had the Vietnamese Spicy Beef Noodle Soup aka Bun Bo Hue, the Vietnamese Iced Coffee. On my trip before that, the Lobster Roll (I forget name) and Salmon Teriyaki. I also highly recommend the Thai Ginger Group, General Tso Chicken, the Pad Thai and the Salt n’ Pepper Squid. The best Salt n’ Pepper goes to her mother Restaurant on 13^th street. All of those were great. I hope you enjoy your adventure there. I could get lost in that commercial complex for a few hours.

Okay so I went again. I think the place is a fair price for what you get but the food in the quality is just not there everything is just really not worth The value. They do have a nice outside seating but that did not offset the cold food and The flies.
So I’ve been there a couple times and I’ve decided that I would not go back except maybe to try the phở, but I’m not a big noodle eater.

Most consistently amazing food of any gainesville restaurant-​just don’t expect great service:) this is one of those family owned places that employ relatives who really don’t want to be there but smile anyway. For many years Chopstix has been a part of my family’s favorites! The Pad Kee Mow is always amazing and noodle bowls make me want to make me go fetal.

I eat lunch here often. It is always a pleasant experience. The food is good and the people are friendly. I like the noodle bowls, pad Thai and vermicelli bowl.

For an appetizer, I always order the vegetable Thai Tom kha. They make it so well. I recommend it for any body because it’s not spicy and they have versions in shrimp, beef or chicken.
I have dined here many times and I usually get sushi, but since it was cold outside I decided to order a hot entrée. I settled on the red curry fried tofu. It came out in a bowl with a generous amount of delicately fried tofu chunks, cooked green peppers and some carrots. It was a mild curry — served with a side of rice.
I would definitely order it again.

Ate here last week with my family for the first time and was very disappointed. We got four sushi rolls and they were probably the worst we have ever had. The rolls were overly stuffed with rice and cut into slices so large that it was impossible to eat them in one bite/​mouthful. This was even more of a problem because the seaweed was extremely chewy. In addition to the terrible sushi rolls we got an order of their spring rolls and they were really odd, seemed like a processed chicken nugget was the filling.
My cosmopolitan didn’t taste like one and my wife’s margarita was absolutely terrible. I think they used orange juice in it (and a lot of it). We sent the margarita back.
The service was wasn’t good but wasn’t really bad either.
We were truly surprised by the bad food based on the numerous positive reviews, but will definitely not be returning.

Unexpected GOOD Asian fusion restaurant in North Florida. Appetizers were good. The Entre Royal Seafood with the shrimp sauce was to die for. Very nice experience.

I feel bad at the thought of giving any place a «one-​star» review but here it is:
My fiancé and I visited this place in the hopes that we’d find a restaurant we could visit semi-​regularly when we’re feeling too lazy, hungry, or tired to cook. (We just moved from Houston, TX to Gainesville a week or so ago and are slowly adjusting to a decrease in variety of food options).
One of his favorite comfort dishes ever is pad thai and that is the go-​to for him whenever a place offers this dish. Needless to say, he’s had his fair share of the good and the bad.
When we walked into the restaurant, I noticed a weird, sour smell and suggested we sit outside. I’m an oddball when it comes to smells but they can seriously turn me off, especially when I’m trying to eat. (But you can show me gross pictures all day and I’d be fine). Right as we get settled on their patio, we both noticed the distinct smell of trash/​dumpsters. This was actually worse and more potent than the smell inside the restaurant. A table of two next to us moved inside to avoid the smell. (We know this, because it’s hard not to eavesdrop on someone within earshot). At that point, we decided to just order to-​go so we can watch some Modern Family and not have to be assaulted by offensive smells.
We went inside to place our order:
1. Chicken pad thai
2. Beef pad kee mao
$ 10/​each. Not cheap but not pricey either. Somehow, despite all the odors, I was starving. It was a bit late for dinner, around 20:30, so the restaurant wasn’t that crowded or busy.
We waited for our meal. FOR TWENTY-​FIVE MINUTES. I could have actually cooked something in this amount of time, not including the drive to and from. We watched a table of four plow through 2 sushi rolls, 2 bowls of fried rice, 4 Asahi beers, and 2 entrees (one of which is some fried meat with pineapple on top). We watched the table of two from earlier, who ordered maybe seconds before us, get their food and their boba, and nearly finish their food.
If it’s not already obvious, I was steamed! We got our check literally 10 seconds after we ordered so I have no idea what the hold up was. I was so pissed off, I eventually crossed out my tip and wrote in $ 0 — took too long. I know, it’s mean. And this is the first time I have ever done that, but there really was no excuse.
So how was the food?
1. The pad thai noodles are what you would expect and the portion was normal. The chicken, however, was not that fresh and had a soggy, mushy texture. My fiancé left all his chicken untouched. He did finish all the noodles but I thought they were a big «gloopy.»
2. The beef pad kee mao was my dish and I was really hoping for the food to make up for the service. It did not. The beef used was the beef normally found in phở tai. That beef is delicious in noodle soup but I have NEVER seen it used in pad kee mao or pad thai. It was bland and it tasted like it had been cooked way longer than it was ordered.
The pad kee mao noodles, which are usually the thicker flat rice noodles, was the exact same as the pad thai noodles. HUH? WHAT IS HAPPENING. Additionally, the seasoning on the noodles was yellow curry. DO THESE PEOPLE NOT KNOW WHAT PAD KEE MAO IS? And if not, WHY ARE YOU SELLING IT AND ADVERTISING IT AS SUCH?
Take my advice. Do not order the pad kee mao unless you want something that is totally not what you ordered.
I was taught from a very young age to not waste or throw away edible food. This is why I try to eat everything in the fridge that’s about to expire and why my sister and I ALWAYS look forward to our leftovers. Usually, we just didn’t get enough of whatever deliciousness we had the night before.
Last night, I threw away my «pad kee mao,» an abomination to Thai cuisine. Good freakin’ riddance.

The past couple times that I’ve dined here have been disappointing, & the most recent fell right in line with the trend. Our server was nice as usual, but the experience all in all was miserable.
I ordered a volcano roll for myself, as the menu listed there was no cucumber in this roll (I am allergic to cucumbers). I received my single roll almost 20 minutes later (a full fifteen after my fiancé received his full MEAL) & there was cucumber in it. Not just the usual little rounded slices that sushi tends to have, but huge chunks bigger than the actual fish inside.
I asked our waitress about it, who then had me speak to another waitress (who arrived another 10 minutes later), who said she would make me another. We could very clearly hear her arguing at length with an older woman behind the sushi bar.
My new & improved roll was maybe half the size of the original, and had no avocado at all – something the roll was supposed to have both in and on it. Also, yet another chunk of cucumber snuck in there.
Luckily, my allergy is fairly minor, so having that little piece only made my lips itch and swell as opposed to causing anaphylaxis.
The sushi here in general had progressively degraded over my past few visits, & unfortunately this will be my last. The other food is very good, but it’s just not worth what you’re paying for. My shrunken, avocado-​less roll was most definitely NOT a $ 14 roll.

The service was prompt and on point, two handsome men and one beautiful woman! All three was smiling and happy to be there. The food came fast and the Sushi was amazingballs! We ordered the (Sake Roll… Spell check) it was Very tasty!

Service was great, food was not.
Great outside seating very relaxing. The server was very good. One dish we got was cold. Both dishes were bland (one was vegi pad Thai, don’t remember the other one). The vegi summer rolls are supposed to have mint in them, there was not mint in it).
Overall I wouldn’t recommend going here.

GREAT FOOD but the service is HORRIBLE in this place! I would have given it a 5 star review but the service makes it a 4. The food is amazing but they do lack in service.
The waiters/​waitresses are not very friendly, seem preoccupied and are hard to track down. The location on 13^th has better service.
The bad service does not keep me from going back because they make up for it with their great food. Just don’t be in a hurry when you go :)

I agree with many reviewers here that their service is sometimes poor, but overall my experience there for lunch has been good. I love their house salad and House Aged Dashi! If you like lots of freshly cooked veggies, House Aged Dashi is for you!
They also seemed to have released the mean waiter from employment and the new person is almost overly gracious. :)
Check your bill at every restaurant you go too, not just Chopstix.

I’m not a big «Chinese» food person but I decided to give Chop Stix a try. The food was okay, not great. The service was excellent, the little man who took our order was friendly and amusing. I think if I had a craving for Asian food I would probably try somewhere new.

We really wanted to give this place a higher rating. But service was so bad and so sporadic it made the dining experience almost painful.
Ambiance of Location gets 4 stars
Food quality gets = 3.5 stars
Cost of food gets = 4 if not 5 stars prices are very reasonable
Service gets = 1 star — if was awful and extremely slow
Service was so bad we were all saying we would come back because of the prices, ambiance and the quality wasn’t that bad in flavor. But it was so painful to get an order placed, there was not a dedicated server serving our table. We sat inside instead of out, right in front off everyone, everyone ignored all our questions or things we asked for (extra napkins, water, etc). This place needs major help in restructuring how they provide service. If they got it under control I really think this would be a great place to go. We saw multiple people coming in from the outside dining area asking for service. We arrived early before the evening crowds hit, so there’s no excuse for our table. Once it got busy they just seem overwhelmed. They were packed on a Friday night. I would guess it’s the location that brings people in, as it’s not the food and service.
We would go again, we just won’t be rushing back anytime soon. Much better dining and service in the local area.
Oh yes, check your bill as Peter notes. They gave us the wrong one also which had things on there we didn’t order. Also as Peter notes their Pad Thai was a 2 of 5. Just barely average. It just came out noodles, chicken that’s it. There were no veggies, no sprinkling of peanuts, no cilantro on top. It was a plain jane pad thai. It tasted ok, but average at best.

Check your bill before paying. The lady that runs the register has a tendency to make mistakes (in their favor, of course). This used to be one of my favorite places, but it has gone from nice, friendly, and classy to pricy, insipid, and crappy.
Their Pad Thai has suffered a huge downturn in amount served, flavor and quality. The Tom-​Kah-​Ghai soup used to be exquisite… no longer the case.
Bottom line is: Chopstix in Thornebrook village has declined in service and quality at lightning speeds.
Beware of the Asian lady that runs the register; dont say I didnt warn you.
I almost forgot, there is a server that wears a black belt with metalic stars and glitter on it… This dude is suffering from Bad-​dayitis and refuses to take anything for it. We always try to avoid him and sit in others’ sections.

I’ve been twice to this location and the average is about 3 stars… although my most recent visit would have garnered one star.
Had a roll with the driest cilantro EVER inside… oh yea and it still had the stems! GROSS. I could barely finish it bc the texture made cringe… especially when the cilantro stems poked me in the side of the mouth.
The regular sushi is just ok, tuna never seems to be that fresh. I would recommend getting a bento box for the price.
The non sushi items are higher quality. Pad thai is good and The curried rangoons are really awesome!