Cafe 157

Hadn’t been here for a few years, and have to say things have improved! A great location with excellent outdoor seating that can’t be beat, and friendly very involved owners. Dora is great! The past two times I’ve had fish dishes and they were excellent. Great martinis as well. A very good spot for dinner in Matthews or just drinks! I’ll be back more often.

Had dinner and dessert. AMAZING LAMB. Louis had crab cakes and loved it. Must try it out. You

Service was so bad we finally gave up and left. We were seated promptly, then waited 20 minutes to see a server. We ordered drinks and food. 15 minutes for drinks to arrive. We requested water which took another 15. An HOUR PASSED, our food Never arrived.

Was not crowded on a rainy Saturday evening, so we were seated immediately. The service was very good, efficient and friendly.
I had the sea bass with risotto special. The risotto was wonderful, the sea bass seemed just a tad undercooked, but was flavorful. My wife had some very good crab cakes.
Overall, I’m not sure it was fully worth the slightly spendy price, but the atmosphere, service, and food combined for a pretty nice evening. Thank you.

Came here for Queens Feast. First time at Café 157. Got here at 6:31 pm for a 6:30 pm reservation and was promptly told «You’re late!» Really not a good first impression. I would rate service two stars and the food four stars so that’s where I come up with the three star rating. Salmon was excellent and the crab cakes were hearty. Maybe if the service/​experience improves we’ll come back.

Great spot! Food is always good, patio is lovely, and George & Dora are always so very welcoming. Definitely a recommended place!

Never again, take my advice and stay away. $ 175 for dinner for 2 (including a cheap bottle of wine). We had a inattentive waitress who was rude and condescending when I ordered the special which was lamb. «Its really expensive are you sure,» is what she said even though they were not that expensive. They were horrible though, very fatty and overcooked. Not good at all. Needless to say the whole experience just sucked and will not be returning which is a shame because the place is very close to my house. It’s cute from the outside but the inside is like walking into the 70’s and the place needs updating. Like a complete overhaul.

Fantastic veggie lasagne… eggplant, zucchini, tomato, onion, roasted red pepper, squash and portabello. Wonderful sauce, with cheese on a few layers, and basil. Not fried so this is a healthy, vegetarian option! Tried the Aroncini… another favorite of mine. Crispy and light on the outside, creamy, smooth and wonderfully made inside. I love this place and how they make their dishes. Wait staff is very attentive and a pleasure. Highly recommend for a single, couple or group dinner. Lastly the limocello cake, though brought in is BRILLIANT!!! Loved it! The crème brûlée made on house is wonderful as well.

I finally stopped in this restaurant and boy am I glad I did! The service and food was amazing. My table ordered 3 different entrees and all were awesome. We also ordered the a piece of chocolate mousse cake for dessert and a fight almost broke out because we only ordered one. I will definitely be going back… maybe tonight.

An absolute treasure! This place is amazing! A friend of mine lives closeby and recommended that we try it, so one rainy afternoon we went there and it was incredible! The building is sort of odd (former bank), but there is street parking in front, and plenty of parking in the back. The hostess greeted us with a smile and sat us right away. The server was amazing, the food came out quickly, and everything was hot, fresh, and delicious. They have a very good selection and variety of food for every taste, and you feel like you are in a place that should cost way more than it actually does to enjoy wonderful meals there. We plan on becoming regulars!

While the ambience may leave a bit to be deaired, the food makes up for it!!! The calamari was the most tender I have ever had, with a delicious lemon aioli. The fig and prosciutto flat bread was also exvellent, and large. The bread basket was a tender inside, crispy crust brioche with olive oil, herbs and parmesan cheese cooked into it. I highly recommend this restaurant!!!

Would definitely not recommend, as we got food poisoning there. My wife and I had dinner on August 13^th and both had contaminated beef. Needless to say after multiple rounds of vomiting we went to the doctor and confirmed food poisoning. I called to complain to the manager and he said that he would process our claim through their insurance company; which doesn’t really help as our claim was already processed through our insurance. I had to take time off work and we had to get sitters to help watch our child.

Corvina fish on a bed of couscous. Just an amazing fish that melts in your mouth. I can’t say enough about the relaxing atmosphere of sitting out on the porch while enjoying this 3 course meal which started with an amazing Caesar salad and ended with a true New York style cheesecake.

Everything was EXCELLENT!! Scallop Risotto OMG. Great pick for Charlotte Restaurant week. Thanks to George the owner. Just great. A must visit. We will be back

One of our favorite restaurants in Matthews. We’ve never had a bad meal there.

Such prime location in town, I always wanted to stop by and try this place.
I have to say I’m disappointed, not only the food was average and over priced, the service was poor and the location inside is in desperate need of some updates, outside looks great, the lights and the sitting area, it really catches your eye.
The staff looked like they hated their job, at least our waitress, except for an older gentleman that greeted us cordially a couple of times.
Our waitress was either having a bad day or hated her job, inattentive and border line rude. Maybe the staff needs updating too.
I ordered the special prime rib and although tasty, it was tough and full of fat, small portion for the $$
Sad to say but I doubt we will be going back.

We’ve been here a hand full of times and do enjoy the food. The last 2 times the service was amazing but it was hit or miss before that. The food has always been great. I ordered the Cajun pasta with chicken and it was really good. We will continue to eat here as it seems to get better everytime we go.

A very nice late lunch. Nice cozy place with a touch of class.
Quite a nice Italian menu and lots of seafood options. I especially liked the cream sauces which is a specialty. Service was superb and iced tea kept flowing.
A large place with plenty of room for large groups and office parties.
They also have a martini menu which would be fun to try, but not for lunch today.
Location is smack in the middle of downtown Matthews, a decent little town southeast of Charlotte. Cute stores and they have retained the shop fronts from the past. A nice town to stroll about on warm days.
Café 157 is a decent place to try out.

Foods was okay. The service was great. I am guessing the regulars don’t come here for the food but for the charismatic staff. I had a fish fish with aromatic base sauce which was tasty enough and my husbands chicken which of course I sampled was tasty too. But I will totally be back for the lovely service. Everyone was super friendly and in an area with a few dining options, not many, 157 will do well because of the service. The wine selection is pretty good too. The décor of the restaurant is a bit dated, not at all trendy but that’s okay. Why put money into the building when you have an amazing team. Give them all a raise!

3.7
I came here for lunch last weekend and enjoyed it very much.
The atmosphere is nice, clean and modern. I almost felt a little under-​dressed considering I was wearing running pants and a sweatshirt but oh well. The servers were very friendly the lunch menu offered a good variety.
I ordered a salad that had a thin-​sliced of grilled chicken breast on top… it had goat cheese, cranberries, pecans, etc. It was very just enough of everything and the dressing was a nice vinaigrette that added just enough flavor to the meal.
I also tried the butternut squash soup and that was good. It was everything it should have been, creamy, comforting, a little sweet but also savoring. It was very good.
The man ordered a burger that came with applewood smoked bacon and fries on the side. The burgers are made to order and very fresh. It was a good burger! I was surprised but it was juicy and hearty. Well done.
My ONLY gripe is that I think they are a little overpriced… especially their lunch menu. My salad ended up being nearly $ 13 and really there wasn’t much to it. We walked out of there spending what we normally would for dinner. I think it is perfect for a nicer lunch with family or friends but to just stop in for a quick bite… you leave feeling a tad bit merked.
All in all I like this place. Matthews isn’t offering a whole lot these days so I am glad to have Café 157 as an option.