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Chau Chow Chinese Dim Sum & Seafood Restaurant
Rating Details »
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Brunch
25 reviews for Chau Chow Chinese Dim Sum & Seafood Restaurant
I think Chau Chow offers some really great no-frills Dim Sum. Don't go expecting a high-end dining experience, but what you will find is excellent Dim Sum, a nice variety, and quick service.
The perfect place in the area for a Sunday morning after a late Saturday night- also a great quick lunch during the week.
I have not tried their dinners or traditional American-Chinese fair, but they are an excellent option for Dim, Sum.
Ugh. I don't like this place at all. It doesn't taste as good as the one in Chinatown and everything is always just off including the service.
Do yourself a favor and just go to Chinatown.
I have eaten there twice, ordered out a couple of times and had delivery a couple of times. Despite what you may read below (and I am not discounting their experiences) I have had universally good luck. It is a traditionally Chinese place, no crappy Americanized thick sauces-- their seafood is top-notch--they will warn you if you are ordering something that is not special-- I ordered the sea bass and they told me, well, we have the striped sea bass -- which is far bonier than the regular sea bass-- anyway, in general, this is place is great. sorry for others' bad experiences, but we are about seven and zero.
their soups are great and expensive . . .
This place provide a "chinatown" like experience in Dorchester. Not 5 star but if you don't want to go into chinatown it is a good place to go. I went once for dim sum and it was quite good but not outstanding. Be aware that it does get really busy on Sunday for dim sum, just expect that you might have to wait a bit before getting seated.
I've been here a few times with my extended family (the Chinese side, obviously..the other side doesn't really "do" Chinese food). Sadly, the thing I've come to realize is that no matter where you go, you generally get bad service in Chinese restaurants, even if you're Chinese yourself.
The food is decent, but Chau Chow isn't a place I'd go out of my way to get to.
HORRORS!
Someone roped me into going here and I will hate them forever for the $35 and the evening they stole from me.
Perhaps I am not the person this restaurant is for. I imagine that if you are a Chinese person and you want real Chinese food, this place might be for you.
But I found most of the food here inedible. I rarely trash a restaurant this much, but if you are an American person who is used to American Chinese food (high quality, low quality, everything in between), this place is not for you.
I was told that our party was going to have a 10-course feast. I left hungry -- I usually took one bite of whatever they were serving and decided to hope that the next round would be better. But alas, it never was.
AVOID.
I adore dim sum, and this place has some of the best. So why does it get only three stars? Well maybe I'm just cursed but my friends and I always have some sort of problem when we're there. From the time they charged us for items we didn't get (they had double stamped an item or two), to the time Dragon performances took over the place (and food service stopped for an hour and a half with no warning, only to be told once the performance ended Dim Sum was over so we sat there for 2hrs with only 3 food items for the whole table, while loud drumming ensued) or the best occasion when a server spilled tea into my friend's purse. Never an apology, and never anything but the most remedial of service.
But the food is great! So... I guess it's a great place if you carry a horseshoe and hope for the best.
try the chicken feet, for real.
Cleanliness - no (tables are sticky, floors are sticky, bathrooms are....)
Service - no (they clear the tables by throwing dishes into a cart - very loud)
Why 3 stars? Some of the food tastes pretty good - like the salted pepper dungeness crab - fresh crab fried and seasoned with garlic, jalapeno peppers and salt. It's sooo good. The hot and sour soup - not too thick and flavorful.
I've gotten the black bean clams here many times and it's so inconsistent. Most of the time it's sandy. Sometimes it tastes like low tide. A couple of times it was just right. I'm afraid to get it.
Dim sum is decent, but wish the selection was better.
Easy parking - way better than dealing with the Chinatown parking situation.
This is the usual dim sum joint our family frequents when we want some dim sum. We used to go to the one in Chinatown, but the entire staff has moved here, and the location is so much closer to home!
So dim sum here is consistently decent, but I get tired of eating the same things (shrimp dumplings, fried shrimp balls, shrimp with tofu) and can only get so full from dim sum. The other day, we ordered some salt and pepper dungeness crab, and it was awesome! It was meaty, tasty, and fried just right - kind of crunchy on the outside, kind of soft on the inside. I could have eaten that all day...but we had to leave.
And I have to say something about the bathroom here - don't use it if you don't have to. There is poor ventilation, the sinks are always wet, and the hand dryer is really weak. I had to go in there just to wash my hands after eating crab, and felt "dirty" afterwards.
This place is an abomination... with greasy food, incorrect orders, slow and arrogant staff. The Essex St. Chau Chow location is great... I wonder if the Morrissey site is run by some 'less bright' cousins.
It is more elegant than the Chinartown location. I have been there twice since it has been Chau Chow. My fiance surprised me for our anniversary and took me out to dinner. I love to order the Chinese style lobster, it is very delicious. So I asked for butter sauce with my lobster and the server brought out a palte with a half stick of butter.(lol) My fiance was outraged by this but the server did not really understand English.
We asked another server if he could bring us some butter sauce and a Sprite. I was facing the doors to the kitchen and where the servers pour the drinks. Instead of our serving bringing me a glass of Sprite with ice, he poured me a glass of Sprite right at the table from a 2 liter bottle.
I had enough and my fiance was ready to explode. What restaurant uses 2 liter bottles of soda. 95% of the time I drink spring water but I was scared to ask for a glass because who knows, it might have came from the tap, yuk!
My fiance wanted to order a bottle of champagne. I told him that we can go to the liquor store on the way home and buy my favorite champagne, Nectar Imperial Moet and Chandon. It cost $40 in the store and double the price in a restaurant. I was not enjoying my dinner and I just wanted to get the hell out of there and go home and, relax and drink a glass of champagne with my s/o.
We have not been back since that night. I give second chances so maybe one day I will give this Chau Chow another try. Maybe they have improved with dinner service.
Wow, take a look at this recent health inspection!
http://www.cityofbosto...
A great big FAIL. Twenty six health violations, including rodent drippings on the floor and not properly dealing with their rodent infestation! And of course numerous violations in cleanliness and food storage, which explains the spoiled food I got.
This place has gone WAY downhill and such a shame since the neighborhood needs more good Chinese.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/12/2008
I got badly spoiled food in a home delivery--including rancid chicken and shrimp that smelled and… Read more »
Crab Rangoon to die for.
Originally...I was sad to see long time Dorchester establishment Linda Mae's pancake house vacate this property. And I was a bit skeptical about yet another Chinese restaurant opening. You can barely drive one block in Dot without going past a Chinese take-out place (a proliferation kinda like Starbuck's downtown).
But after dining here in March I can eagerly say it's a welcome addition to the neighborhood. The food was great and reasonably priced. The staff was friendly and attentive. And anyone who spends any time in Dorchester at all knows how precious a parking lot is. Chau Chow has a good amount of parking in a private lot.
The only thing I found odd was the stacks of 2 liter bottles of soda against the back wall. Apparently, if you want soda, you have to order a bottle. I'm not sure how that works.
In conclusion... I can't stress this enough...get the Crab Rangoon.
The only time I got to Chau Chow's for dim sum on Morrisey Blvd was at around 2:30pm, a.k.a. not-good-dim-sum time. So yes, I was lazy and slept in.
When we got there, the restaurant was almost empty, and most of the dim sum brought around looked like leftovers (not freshly cooked and had been sitting there for awhile). We got the Chinese broccoli and it was completely cold and therefore unappetizing. At least warm the food up before you serve it?!
Dinner was better. I got scallops and asparagus. It came in a black bean sauce and was pretty delicious. The scallops were well cooked and tender. Other dishes weren't too memorable. I would recommend sticking to their special dishes and seafood dishes.
Dim sum w/out fighting over a parking space!!
I think they just recently opened not too long ago. Dim sum is fresh (even my dad said he likes it here!!!), place is clean and spacious. And there's parking!!!
Maybe it just me, but I think they have just a smaller selection of dim sum than the other dim sum restaurant in Chinatown. But they still have the basic stuff!
We were treated poorly by the service staff and the food was just plain awful. Never again.
I went here a couple times becoz it's near to my home. The first time, there was many ppl and dim sum was great.
Later on I think it's just so so dim sum, rice flour was always too thick. And the taste was not as good as the first time.
May be next time I would go to China Pearl.
If you live or work just south of the city, this large, parking lot- equipped Chinese and Dim Sum operation is a find. I had dinner with a friend there on a Tuesday night and the place was about half full. Half of the patrons were large parties of Chinese speaking patrons who had some very yummy large family serving bowls of food.
The chicken and the bean curd dishes we ordered, as well as the appetizer, were all very good. The food also arrived very, very promptly and was very hot and of good size.
The were a few things that could use some work. First of all placing the Budda shrine and cart for dirty dishes next to one another directly in the center of the entry-way was a negative first impression. It is also apparent this place gets a lot of business including a lot of children from the little hand prints and shoe scuff marks all over the front windows and wall. Somebody, please break out the Windex and Fantastic. Finally, the service is quick and the waiters certainly keep moving all the time, but no one ever checks on you once you are served -- it's more like a hailing a cab sort of operation.
I left full, happy and with a take-home bag so I am going to stop complaining now...
I met my first experience with dim sum with some trepidation. I'd tried dim sum items from menu's and from buffets, but I did not know what to expect, especially when said dim sum in located in Dooster.
As soon as you are seated, the hovering staff will approach and open pots and trays to offer you their wares. I'm not sure of the protocol, but I'm pretty sure I hurt some feelings when I turned them down. Good luck trying to determine what all the items are; the help can't help because they don't understand what you're asking. You're safe if you stick with dumplings; they're soft and fully stuffed with tasty ... meat-ish products. Try lots of items, and expect some misses. The bill won't add up quickly, so you can probably afford trial and error.
We struck gold with the beef and ginger soup, which was dusted with scallions and mustard and filled with tiny dollops of dough. We should have avoided the many items stuffed with pureed crab, as this is flavorless and creepily textured. Also, unless you're Anthony Bourdain, I would advise avoiding the chicken feet or thousand year old egg. But, hey, maybe you swing that way.
I'm not sure about parking problems, but it's a short bus ride from the North Quincy T.
The food(dinner/lunch/dim sum) is average. It is a very convenient location and there is usually parking. It is still hard to find parking on weekends during peak dim sum hours. I think their main business is weekend nights for weddings/parties and weekend mornings for dim sum, otherwise the place is usually dead.
So if you live south of boston and don't want to trek into chinatown for better quality chinese food, then this is your place.
First time here. It's pretty good and nice to have a similar, if not better than the one in Chinatown. Quick service. Parking is a bit complicated when it is full. But, there is an attendant to help. Plus, you can park in nearby stores and it is within walking distance. Price is right and again, away from the city.
The Chinatown restaurant "The Grand Chow" has been a long time favorite and now the same family has finally begun showing Dorchester what good Chinatown food is all about. The Chow Foon with Beef and Chinese Broccoli has been one of my favorites for years and now I can get it right down the street from where I live. Also their General Gao Chicken is so good, other restaurants shouldn't be allowed to use the same name. Don't forget to order the pea sprouts with oyster sauce (expensive but oh so good!)...YUM. Whether you eat in or take out you'll enjoy it.
Been to numerous lunches, dinners, Sunday dim sums, and private parties here... Same great seafood soups, and most of my regular dishes are done perfectly, just like the Chau Chow on Essex in Chinatown. Don't get scared by the location or size of the restaurant, it is very yummy still.
i find the dim sum very average, more pricey than Chinatown, parking still sux, and driving there still a problem for me.
This place is a favorite. No parking hassles like you'd find with their other restaurant, Chau Chow City, in Chinatown, if you're not taking the T. It's not the best-prepared dim sum I've ever had, but they offer the same things and it's still pretty darn good. The uninitiated might want a knowledgeable friend to suggest the good dishes and turn down the chicken feet (I declined for my friends without asking). The shu mai, crystal shrimp dumplings, and ha gao (another shrimpy thing) are always winners, and sweet buns or ones filled with roast pork are also good. Add an order of pan-fried noodles with either beef or seafood -- the noodles are fried to a crispy texture and then covered in a delicious sauce. Beware the chicken fried rice (the chicken had an undercooked texture and the rice wasn't all that tasty). And don't wait for a waiter to come to you; flag one if you need him. It can get real noisy there sometimes, but it's all part of the dim sum experience. Try it!
