Chow House

I went to Chow House for a quick lunch. The restaurant has weird hours (open from 11am to 3pm). Chow House was very busy around noon. It’s not a big restaurant, so seating filled up very fast (inside & outside). We had about a 10 minute wait. I ordered a Betty sandwich (Marinated Korean beef, pickled veggies, red onion, cilantro, eel sauce and avocado crema) with pasta salad. Chow House Betty sandwich was tasty. The marinated meat and pickled vegetables blended well together. I enjoyed my pasta salad but the serving size was very small. I tried Chow House Amante Picante (house-​made chorizo, grilled chicken, jalapeño relish, and cheese) as well. It was flavorful and delicious (my favorite sandwich). The banana pudding was tasty. Our server was very attentive. Parking was a hassle because Chow House is located directly on VCU campus. Chow House is a good choice for sandwiches in RVA. I give Chow House a 4.5 rating.
P. S. There was a sign saying the restaurant closes this week.

The service was quick and attentive. The atmosphere was relaxed. And most importantly, my burger was freaking unreal. Chow House is cheap, quick and delicious.

Absolutely loved this place! My mother and I saw their sign as we were riding around downtown Richmond and decided to give it a try. The atmosphere was eclectic and warm. Our waiter was fantastic. We started off with the boneless honey-​cilantro wings, which I would highly recommend. The chicken was obviously fresh and fried perfectly. Then my mother ordered an Asian salad and I got the portobello burger with pasta salad. Both were delicious! We got the strawberry cheesecake bread pudding for dessert, also amazing. My favorite part about this place was how they initially bring you water in a tall glass bottle to pour as you wish and the salad’s come in big metal bowls. Thought this was a very neat idea. Our four course meal was also very reasonably priced for the quality. Can’t wait to go back.

Great find! Cute little restaurant with good prices and even better food.
Pickled vegetables were really unique and paired well with my sandwich. Portions were big but we finished everything.
Service a bit slow because it’s a small place and run by only a couple people. Still, overall nice vibe and delicious food.

During our dinner at Chow House, Justin and I found ourselves saying that we wished somewhere like this existed in DC: good, creative food where 90 percent of the menu is less than $ 10 and draught beer is just $ 5. I’m sure it helps that Chow House is catering to local college students but there are a shit ton of colleges in DC and no where near enough good cheap eats.
After a couple of hours in the car and battling rush hour traffic, we made our way to Chow House. Street parking was free right outside the restaurant and we were able to snag the last free table inside, pretty lucky since it’s a small dining area.
We ordered the Sinful Spuds (fries loaded with shredded cheese, bacon, green onions and cilantro; $ 8) with the $ 2 add on pork butt as a starter though all of the food came out at the same time. The fries were fairly limp but the meat, bacon and Ranch certainly helped and we nearly finished the plate. The few sprigs of cilantro added a ton of flavor (to a few bites anyway), though I could have eaten half a bunch of chopped cilantro on it.
For my main I got the Moo Moo’s Demise (burger with a caramelized bacon patty, cheese, jalapeño relish, pickled red onion, chili aioli, lettuce, tomato and a brioche bun; $ 9.50). I didn’t expect much from the warning that it was spicy but was pleasantly surprised. The relish actually had quite a kick! The aioli wasn’t nearly as hot but had great flavor. The one thing that I disliked was that the bun couldn’t stand up to the rest of the burger. It was delivered to me already soggy on the bottom… and not just the edges, the entire bottom felt like a sponge. That’s one of my texture pet peeves and I ended up flipping it over, discarding the bottom and having myself an open faced, upside down burger. The burger itself was a formidable size (or maybe it was the fries that were and I couldn’t finish my burger because I had so many of them) but luckily Justin had ordered a much lighter main, the shrimp po boy ($ 11), and was able to help out. With so much heavy eats I was quite thankful Chow House had a kale salad side option (and no extra charge for ordering the salad instead of fries). The sesame vinaigrette had a ton of flavor and the fresh veggies helped cut through the fries and bacon-​cheese-​spice laden burger.
The dessert menu was very tempting but my full stomach and I were unsuccessful in persuading Justin to order the banana pudding since he would have been stuck with most of it. Instead he got the bread pudding ($ 4), which he can never resist. The type changes daily and we had one topped with chocolate chips. The bites I sampled were fine, but I’m no bread pudding connoisseur (I told justin it would be better if it was coffee cake and he laughed saying «but then it wouldn’t be bread pudding!»), so you’ll have to take Justin’s word on that; he seemed to enjoy it.
Overall a decent product in a cute little restaurant with more than reasonable prices. Chow House is more than worth a stop, especially if you’re looking for a quick bite not far off of 95.

Absolutely love Chow House. Located conveniently in between the Fan and VCU campus, it’s a great casual place to grab a bite to eat or get a takeout.
The last time I’ve been here was about a year ago, and when I went today their menu selection has more than doubled! My friend and I got the Hot Chix and PB Sammie and I really can’t decide which I liked more because both were SO delicious in a different way.
Hot Chix — fried chicken sandwich tossed in habanero sauce. The chicken was huge! It was literally popping out of the buns on both sides. It’s also pretty spicy so hope you can handle the heat, and the breading was perfect and soo crispy.
PB Sammie — This was recommended by our server and it did not disappoint! It’s BBQ pork with caramelized onion (really good here) with chili aoli and tons of slaw on top. The BBQ was flavorful without being salty, which sadly happens at many places. The buns were also perfectly browned and toasty.
Sides — The FRIES are a must-​have here and they literally give you so much that it’s more than enough for 2 people. The pasta salad was more bland than flavorful and kale salad was just okay.
Service is always great and the guy constantly checked up on us. This is a small place but they have 3 group tables that can sit a maximum of 6 people each.

Good food and big portions. The burgers have so much stuff in it, they are about 10″ high. The fries are delicious. We went here for lunch based upon the high Unilocal reviews. We thought it was that good we went back the following week. Parking is readily available at the side streets a block down.
Watch for the hours. I believe they are only open 11 – 3 earlier in the week. Then also in the evenings on Thursday and Friday.

Greg–
Having lived in Richmond on Main St for almost 2 years now, I’ve seen this place hundreds of times and when it first caught my eye, I think I assumed it was a bookstore. Well anyone that was hoping for this to be a bookstore, you’ll be really disappointed unless you like extremely delicious food at a reasonable price. Ordered MooMoo’s Demise-​$ 9.50 (topped with bacon, jalapeño relish, pickled red onion and chili aioli, lettuce and tomato on a brioche bun). As scary as it can be ordering a burger with soooo many toppings, this burger is a pure success. The flavors meld together extremely well yet you can taste them all individually. The bun was probably the softest burger bun I’ve ever eaten yet with a very thin layer of the inside toasted almost to a non-​burnt, crunch.
The food critic formerly known as: Matterhorn
This restaurant holds a special place in my heart. NOT because I’ve grown up seeing it every day of my life or anything sentimental like that, but because we tried coming here a few weeks ago for a Unilocal review, but Greg failed to check the hours of business and I ended up losing all of my gains from my workout. In all seriousness though, if you want to try this place, just make sure they are open first, as they have some unconventional restaurant hours. On to the food! Everything looked good on the menu, but I’m basic — so of course I got the Chowsteak Hoagie which is just a fun way of saying cheese steak. It’s got the steak of course, lots of cheese, and lettuce, tomato and grilled onions. This was probably one of the better cheese steaks that I’ve had — and sadly, my arteries agree. While the bun was a little more toasted then I would’ve preferred (especially after seing Greg’s extremely soft and buttery burger roll) the flavor of the sandwich more than made up for it. For our side, we both got the pasta salad, which is a cold ciltantro pesto penne with feta and tomatoes. This was exceptional as well — not bland or overpowering like most of the pasta salads that I seem to get. While I couldn’t really tell what they were going for with their interior design and table designs, if you can manage to get to Chow House while they’re open, you will not regret it! This doesn’t seem like an intimate place to go on a date, but more like a casual lunch spot to catch up with a friend. As a plus though — this place was practically empty, only one person was there when we arrived, getting a takeout order. During the meal, only one other group of three people showed up. Matterhorn OUT!

Ordered the PB Sammie with kale salad and it was amazing! It’s pulled pork but with cilantro lime slaw!

I came here with my coworkers today and we all loved it. Three of us ordered the Black and Blue Burger — I’m not even a burger person and I ate the whole thing. It was the size of my face. It was DELICIOUS.
Also, I’m kind of picky about fries. And their fries were amazing. The vibe was great, the service was great. I really enjoyed the entire experience and would recommend to others!

I had the shrimp Po’ Boy. I love that they used Prawns instead of small shrimp. The atmosphere was hipster meets industrial. All In all I would consider going again!

I’ve passed this place many times and didn’t think anything of it but I finally decided to try it. It is now one of my favorites in Richmond. I ordered the portobello burger and it was amazing. The fries were also perfect. I would definitely recommend this place!

I can’t believe I walk past this place so many time and never try it until now! From the outside, Chow House doesn’t look like much, very ordinary. I live around the area for more than 4 years now, I can honestly said that this business location is curse. I have seen many restaurants opened shop here and closed down within months. For Chow House to last this long and thrive despite their limited hours, it is a testimony to their strength.
As a party, we ordered the Sinful Spud, the Big Butt, the Betty, and the Po Boy. The appetizer Sinful Spud was a big hit! It was simply one of the best fries we have ever had. The pork belly just took it to the next level. The Po Boy definitely had substance. It is not your average Po Boy sandwiches with tiny little shrimps. Oh no, Chow House did not skimmed on their portion. These are big delicious shrimps and breaded to perfection. The sandwich bread itself is crunchy and not hard like others. For the Big Butt, it was packed with a lot of flavors. The meat was marinated really well and the veggies really reminded me of Banh Mi. I can’t commend on the Betty because by the time I get to it, I was too full and must take it to go. However, the others in my party raved about it so it must have been very good.
As for dessert, the special of the day was Maple Bacon Bread Pudding. It was like dessert and breakfast combined in one dish! The bread was moist and not overly sweet. They put just the right amount of syrup so not to drench the whole dish into a soggy mess. The bacon bits weren’t overpowering or chewy at all. Every components came together wonderfully.
This is a great place for lunch and I highly recommended it. They also do delivery and take out as well. You will not be disappointing!

I am, frankly embarrassed to say that I managed to Graduate from VCU before I realized this place existed. I have rectified that oversight by going more than once, now, and enjoyed the place every time. The sandwiches have all been tops so far, particularly the Amante Picante and the Moo Moo’s Demise, and they’re all accompanied with either a Ridiculous mound of delicious fries or a startlingly nommable kale salad. I intend to return to try the frybread tacos. One hears excellent things.

The fry bread tacos are unbelievable. I’m just sayin’ it. Get the fry bread tacos with BBQ pork butt every time.
The sandwich options are diverse and interesting. For me, that presents somewhat of a problem since everything looks so good. It’ll actually take me some time to find the perfect option. This time I went with the BLT&A and it was delicious. The lettuce was a little awkward since it was shredded, but the fried tomatillos and avocado sauce were delicious.
But those fry bread tacos!!!

Food — My party ordered the Sinful Spuds and I ordered the Betty with a side of pasta! And let me just say they do not skimp on the ingredients and definitely the portion. I had to force myself to finish b/​c I hate packing leftovers home lol. The Sinful Spuds was definitely worth the ordering. The fries were crispy and there were enough bacon bits and cheese on there to make my tummy happy. As for the Betty, the meat choice was very flavorful and balanced well with the vegetables inside the sandwich also. However, one downside was that it was too salty at some parts of the sandwich and I think it was from too much soy sauce at the bottom of the bread. I wouldn’t come back and order the Betty but my friends ordered other AMAZING sandwiches and burgers that I would definitely come back and get. The pasta was alright, I would definitely order fries as my side to get the bang for my buck next time though. I thought the cheese was overbearing and made my sandwich taste a little weird. Bonus, there’s siracha on the table already.
Price — The price is very reasonable for the amount of food served and I was a happy camper. $ 9 for the sandwich — I’LL TAKE IT!
Service — Maybe because there is only one person serving and greeting customers but service could be better. But this is a small Richmond restaurant, like most restaurants around here and I can see why 2 people working in the front can be too cramp. I’m used to these types of restaurants in Richmond, so it doesn’t bother me. A little flavor of Richmond eats for you!
Overall, I would definitely come back and try some of their other burgers and sandwiches. It’s also a perfect date place for 2!

I can see why this lunch spot got such high reviews. I’m not a big sandwich person but this is not your average sandwich place. Delicious hot sandwiches, several in the vein of a bánh mì, and with such great flavors! Very creative use of ingredients and hearty to say the least. My sandwich was enough for two meals. My dining companion thoroughly enjoyed this restaurant’s version of a pulled pork sandwich. I can’t wait to come back to try more of the offerings. Oh, and for the first time, I tried a Mexican Coke which was served in a glass bottle with a paper straw and tasted like a regular Coke but less sweet. Is it lunchtime yet?

Our family stopped in here after spending the morning at a training camp. We were looking for a place with interesting adult fare as well as a few things kids would like. The Unilocal reviews suggested this would be a good stop.
We were not disappointed! My wife had the BLT&A sandwich plus pasta salad side. I had the pulled pork sandwich and cole slaw side. Kids had the hot dog and chicken fingers. Everyone really liked what they ordered. Wide local beer selection added to the experience. Bread pudding was genuine (and will cost a half-​marathon to burn off).
The restaurant is small, family run, only six tables inside, seating for about 26.
Service was quick and friendly (from a family-​owner). Pretty reasonably priced too.

after waiting forever to try this place I finally had it for lunch today. I really wanted to give it give stars and it really thought I would but it’s just not there yet.
I had the health but sandwich and a mound of fires! the sandwich was a little soggy but probably cause I did take out, this didn’t bother me though. the one thing I didn’t like is that the tofu wasn’t cooked. it would have been nice if they had grilled it because it would have held together better. I think next time I need to try the fry bread tacos because that’s initially what I had my eye on.
overall really good flavors, super friendly staff, and insanely generous with the serving of fries! can’t wait to go back.

Went in on a Saturday afternoon around 3 pm to a relatively empty restaurant. There was only one waiter and he was super friendly and immediately sat us. My friends and I have been eyeing Chow House for a while, so I knew it was going to be between the HOT CHIX or AMANTE PICANTE.
We ended up getting the SINFUL SPUDS appetizer with pork belly ($ 2 extra); they were amazing. The pork belly especially stood out. The fries were a little too salty for my taste, but it wasn’t enough to keep me getting them again. Along with the pork belly, it had melted cheese and green onion. Yum!
I ordered the AMANTE PICANTE for my entrée with a side of kale salad. The salad was nothing special, just kale, sesame seeds, carrots, and radish. The dressing paired well with the salad, but perhaps not my entrée… The entrée though… OMG…BEST SANDWICH EVER. It was a mixture of house made chorizo (perfect amount of spice!), chicken, pickled jalapeño relish, and queso. It was so so so so so good! I would get this every time if I didn’t want to try other options.
My friend got the HOT CHIX which was also very good. Loved the spice on that as well. My other friend got the pork belly sandwich. That was my least favorite, but still amazing.
I give the food a solid 4.3 and the service a 5. I’m rounding it up to a 5 star experience.
Run, don’t walk, to Chow House for lunch tomorrow. :)