Chow Down

Woke up bright and early to finally check this place out yesterday and they are no longer serving breakfast or dinner. Its not easy to be successful in «Charter Square», I’ve been watching the shopping complex die a slow death over the years so I hardly believed my best friend when he told me this place was just up the st from me. I am sure we’ll see the whole place demo’d soon to make yet MORE room for soul-​less housing\retail combos (peppering FC at an alarming rate these days) in the near future. Its beyond a shame that CS finally has somewhere besides Tokies that people want to try… and its no longer serving. Hhhrmpphhh…
Its too bad, was DYING to take mom here for mothers day for bkfst or dinner. I wonder if these folks have ever looked into a restaurant space in CS? There’s plenty of room that’s for sure. If there was a good restaurant serving Chow Down style food, u could count on me to visit A LOT. I never cook, haven’t cooked but 3x meals since 2015 started… and all 3x were bbq ‘d steak. But hey, a bachelor has gotta eat too, right?
I’m just gonna hope that another Thai spot doesn’t open in CS. FC loves its Thai, but let’s just all finally give in and just agree Sweet Basil is the only one worth going to. Waaaah!!! What I wouldn’t give for a good restaurant I can just walk to??? Best of luck to these folks, I heard the people who ran it were excellent hosts who served a hearty meal for a reasonable price. But alas, this is FC, a place where a guy who was born and bred can no longer afford to stay simply BC I cannot ‘write code’ or be an ‘engineer’…whatever that is. Lol.

I’m soooo sad! After reading all the great reviews, we were ready for our prime rib hash breakfast. Sadly, they have a sign string they will no longer have breakfast and dinner service to focus on their catering side of the business. Waaahhhh :(can they cater a small breakfast for two? :)
Good luck to chow Down! I am sad I didn’t get to try your restaurant.
**Bill — we did not get a chance to try your restaurant. The low rating is due to our disappointment of you closing the restaurant portion. Best of luck to you with the catering business!!!

This place was a bit confusing. The days and times they are actually open differ from their website, but once you eat here, you wont mind the confusion so much.
Based on on the Unilocal reviews, I very much wanted to try the Prime Rib Hash, but much to my disappointment, it was not on the menu. I then asked the very friendly waitress about when they do have it on the menu, she says they can make it, you just have to ask, perfect, I am asking! My husband ordered their special Chicken burrito. The food did not disappoint, yum!!!
Prices are reasonable. Service is friendly. Eat here you will like it!

Foods great the atmosphere wasn’t that good but it was good

First time here. Not sure if I just came on an off-​day but I have 3 words. Nasty, stale, and greasy. I had the prime rib hash. No flavor and all components tasted the same. Like oil. I don’t know what all the hype is about

Not a fancy place but very delicious breakfast. We ordered the Prime Ribs Hash and Chow’s breakfast. Both are very yummy. Good services. Lovely :)

We discovered this place on a walk around town one morning and are so glad we did! It is tucked away in a rather quiet strip mall type complex. Very tiny place with an open kitchen and some outdoor seating. The menu is compact but they offer delicious meals!
I personally have only had the prime rib hash, which is EPIC. It is flavorful, perfectly cooked, and very filling. Definitely enough for 2 servings. The peppered bacon is awesome too! My boyfriend had the gruyère omelet last time, and it was completely oozing with cheese. He said it was excellent and enjoyed that he could have fresh fruit instead of toast with it.
We will be coming back to this place often since it is a 3 minute walk from our home and the food and service is always excellent!

This cute little restaurant is not visible from Shell Blvd. So, park your vehicle and go exploring a little. Suite G is in there! My bf and I enjoyed a delicious breakfast of prime rib hash and a frittata. The pr hash is indeed as good as the other reviewers say.
2014 update: This time I tried the eggs benedict. It was as wonderful as the prime rib hash, which my bf had again. The recent mixed reviews of this restaurant are interesting. I guess it’s not for everyone, but I think the food is great. I enjoy cooking myself incl. the art of it, I like watching cooks at work, I’ve taken 100+ cooking classes over the past decade. What I care most about are the quality and taste of the food.

Just found Chow Down, not for eats, but for a cooking class. Took some serious foodie friends and tried out Chef Chow’s act. Those who tested him learned he is the real deal — and we all learned some useful techniques and tricks of the trade. If there is something he can do better than cook, it might be to teach. Great time and good company — (even though he made us eat our homework). ;-)

I have to agree with those who question the high ratings… there’s nothing special going on here. I had the banana pecan waffle, which was fine, but completely forgettable. At $ 9, it also seemed overpriced (no sides included). The people who run the place are very friendly and I applaud their efforts to generate a little extra income for the catering business, but I don’t plan to come back.
If it was designed as a restaurant, I might give 3 stars, but having part of the kitchen in the dining room and having to walk through the prep kitchen, etc to get to the bathroom takes it down a star. The downside (?) of having the line cook working in the dining room is that you watch the prep of your meal… pretty sure the strawberry she sliced and put on my waffle was unwashed. I asked about it, and was assured that the fruit had been washed, but since it was in the original box, I doubt it. If they were washed, then by placing them back in the original box, they risk re-​contamination. Either way, not ok.

Great place to have breakfast on a weekend morning. Not overly busy, good prices, and good food. My only knock on this place was the size of the cup of apple juice I got… it was enough for a 3 year old, but not a grown man! haha. Aside from that I’d recommend going here.

Honestly, I have no idea what I expected coming here. All the five stars made it sound like this amazing breakfast place with an accompanying atmosphere. So… this place confused the hell out of me.
The setting: Let’s be real guys, this is a catering kitchen that had some extra space for tables. Like, an honest to god catering space. They don’t dress it up, or put up a bamboo wall or something for effect. You see everything they own and you’re right next to all of it. No wood counter top which leads me to believe they don’t do much baking (wood is best for pastries).
The food: You sit down at a table and are handed a menu with like, eight items on it. It is a simple menu with two tasty specials. Ryan got the prime rib hash and I got the waffle with rum raisin syrup. They both tasted great, but the atmosphere kind of killed it for me.
The service was… lacking. Sure they’re nice but it’s not «real» service. The girl who handed me two black tea bags said, «I don’t know what the difference is between the two,» of Earl Grey and English Breakfast. Sweetheart you have like, twenty things you need to memorize, maybe. The least you can do is remember the kind of teas you have (the list was short). I’m not asking for an in-​depth analysis, just like, you know, just knowing what kind you had. That and trying to get anyone’s attention for water was impossible.
So, here’s the deal: if you wake up in the morning and you’re hungover, you live in Foster City, don’t want to drive far, don’t even want to turn on the stove and crack a few eggs in a skillet, do any sort of prep at all, just want some food you’d usually make but lack any and all motivation to do so and would like to avoid the normal froo-​froo brunch crowd… come here. Expect anything else and you’ll be disappointed. This is not Alana’s. This isn’t Nini’s. It’s just food that’s, as the three stars indicate, A-​OK.

Found this gem on a drive back from the city. Hard to fin at first, but worth the effort. For a guy like me that really appreciates simple, good menu selections, picking my breakfast was easy (even without pictures on the menu!).
The prime rib hash is a popular choice and makes for a good stick-​to-​your-​ribs breakfast option. I also tried their home made sausage which was good but tasted more like a beef cutlet than sausage.
Te service is great and the atmosphere is chill. Swing by if you’re in the area. Check their hours though, they’re not open all day.

3.5 stars. Very small place ran by friendly people. However, service was lacking… There was only one waitress/​hostess/​busser lady. Waited about 7 min after I ordered to get my coffee. That’s a lot of time for a regular morning coffee drinker!
The omelette I ordered was good, fluffy :) The hash browns were the best part of the meal. I also enjoyed the French toast, although a bit oily & reminded me of a donut/​churro/​egg puff. What actually drew us here was the Unilocal pic of a custard-​like French toast– don’t come here expecting that.
For the price, limited seating and limited menu selection, it’s unlikely that I’d return since there are so many other brunch options. But if you like the home-​cooked feel & delicious, crispy hash browns you might want to give this place a try.

I been twice since moving back to Foster City. Only open Fri night and Sat & Sun AM thru 12:30ish.
This place is a cut above while still being very cozy and accessible. The quality of the ingredients is top shelf. the best breakfast in Foster City bar none.
Apparently the Prime Rib dinner is the big deal and is only available Fri night, the only night they are open. I’ll venture over one Friday soon and try it.
You’ll need to be patient if they are busy but you will be rewarded.
If these guys had a better location they’d be mobbed daily. I suspect they run this business on their own terms and it’s working out just fine for them.
I highly recommend planning a breakfast here the first chance you get.
Enjoy!

Leaning 4.5 but customer service and pleasantness of environs wins out.
Had the eggs Benedict. Gorgeous! Not too much sauce, clean and smooth. Eggs were perfect! Ham was just the right size. You could eat them with out an ordeal of cutting and dripping.
God love this man that can make the worlds best hash browns. Every time.
The new to me sausage was a complete gem. Low fat and perfectly flavorful with herbs. The bacon… Yum! And I don’t even like pepper.
Great breakfasts! Love
This place!

We ate here back in August. I’m so glad Foster City has a breakfast place like this. I ordered the prime rib hash and my husband ordered their regular breakfast. The portions were great. I couldn’t finish mine, so I ate them as leftovers the next day. The homemade sausage patty was amazing.
A few tables are located outside of the restaurant, they allowed our little dog to be with us for breakfast.

I just couldn’t wait longer and had to come back.
This time with my wife, and again this place is scoring points and is headed up the charts with like a rocket ship.
My wife had the omelet, simply prepared with gruyère and topped with chives. Doesn’t sound like much, but let me tell you this dish is amazing! Perfectly crafted fluffy eggs combined with fresh quality ingredients made to perfection. She also ordered a side of house made sausage that was equally as great and one of the best sausage patties you will ever find.
I could not resist re-​visiting the prime rib hash. And again, it was every bit as awesome as I remember. The portion is huge! I had the leftovers boxed up and my wife is already looking forward to chowing down on them tomorrow morning.
If you are a fan of breakfast, you MUST check this place out.

I went here for a private company dinner for work. I must say I was quite impressed not just by food but by the attention that the owners gave us.
The food was AMAZING! We had a three course meal and I had the cold pea soup and salmon. I normally don’t eat cold soup (cuz all I ever had were just straight up weird) but this one was so different. Plus, it was really hot outside so it was pretty interesting. I never thought I would love cold soup but that one was gone.
The salmon was presented quite beautifully, I almost didn’t want to eat it. It was so good that I wanted more of it! The sides were equally amazing especially the asparagus. It was grilled or something and it was just perfect. If I had just that and the rice pilaf I would be satisfied as well. Others had the prime rib and it was scary huge!!! I’ve never seen a prime rib that big before! I must take my hubby soon if only he doesn’t work such late nights. He would love that prime rib.
Bill, the chef, was also very personable and really took his time to make our group feel special.
If only I didn’t live so far. Be sure to check this place out if ever you’re in Foster City!

Definitely make a reservation here for Friday Nights. Prime Rib is a must!
Pros:
–Attentive and skilled workers
–Main cooks talk with you and inform you on every detail of the menu
–Delectable and savory food
–Reasonably priced for the quality of the food
Cons:
–Table placements could be organized better for everyone to have a full view of the food being cooked
–Restroom is through the open kitchen in the back (Watch your step.)
–No wine or beer served (But you can bring your own alcohol!)
$ 39 for the Prime Rib
Definitely worth a try!