Chow Bar

Reviews

• Rory L.

  star star star star star_border 26 June 2026

  This is my favorite Chinese restaurant in town. The portions are big, the food is good, there's a large menu of options (Americanized Chinese food and legit Chinese food), and the prices are really fair. Obviously if you come to a Chinese restaurant and order Korean or Vietnamese food, you're going to be disappointed! Every dish I've ordered here has been tasty - orange chicken, kung pao chicken and shrimp, chicken in a ginger scallion sauce with bone in, szechuan chicken, etc.
  
  Their lunch buffet is a great price and a nice way to try different types of dishes. They're also really quick if you get it delivered. I am a fan because I manage my expectations. Don't expect red-carpet service but they get the job done--order in, food fast, happy tummy.

• Nancy A.

  star star star_border star_border star_border 19 June 2026

  We typically like it here, one of the two places that have pho in this town. Mishap today with my soup - I found a rubber band in it. They took it back, and decided to take off half of the bowl of soup. Fair enough, I suppose I got through about half by the time I found it. (?) Remarkable though that we've been compensated more for lesser mistakes at other establishments. Seems to be a bad business move given a foreign object was in the food. The cost of a bowl of broth and a few noodles is far less than losing a customer in the long run.

• Arispa W.

  star star star star_border star_border 16 June 2026

  Chow bar is pretty decent, and the location cant be beat. It's the perfect place to pop in on your lunch break and grab a quick, affordable lunch. They even have a lunch buffet, which I haven't tried yet but smelled good!
  
  The servings are generous and the service friendly and fast. I ordered their beef "Pho" and was pleased with what I got. I'd like if they gave me more limes, but I'm sure I could have remedied this by asking. The soup was good, even if it wasn't what a Pho lover would call "true Pho". It was filling and tasty, so I'd definitely order it again.
  
  The ambiance is nothing special, but it's the type of restaurant where atmosphere isn't too important. I give Chow Bar a 3 star primarily because I've had better Pho style soups at other locations in town. Overall it's a decent place to eat and I'll be back!

• Justin L.

  star star star star star_border 14 June 2026

  One of my favorite Asian restaurants in town. This place is excellent for anyone but especially those who love Asian cuisine and are interested in trying something new. The menu is huge and cotains many items you're not going to find at your typical Asian spot. Prices are more than fair and portions are generous.

• R. H.

  star star star star_border star_border 10 June 2026

  The menu is formidably-large to the point of being comical - in addition to Chinese-American, szechuan, and cantonese dishes, Chow Bar also serves Korean, Japanese, and (possibly?) Thai food. I wonder if this is a savvy business practice used to accommodate certain F6 diners who genuinely expect all Asian restaurants to serve the same dishes but, regardless of why these cuisines are available at Chow Bar, I would suggest avoiding the latter parts of the menu altogether. Their miso ramen (a large bowl of miso soup with udon noodles) did not leave a good impression.
  
  However, even with this condensed menu, there's a staggering amount of food to choose from! I've tried quite a few things at Chow Bar, but I always come back to their meatless mapo tofu, a spicy & garlicy triumph unrivaled by any other Chinese restaurant in Bloomington.