The Chew Chew

I had heard about this place from a friend so I decided to take my girlfriend here for a Friday night meal. I checked out the menu and we were both excited because rarely do we get to eat and enjoy the same things because she has a rather severe sensitivity to gluten and I will eat anything without issue. And this place by their menu seems to flaunt their gluten free options. This was a mistake.
We started by picking an appetizer that was listed on the menu as gluten free and we stressed with the waitress to double check that it was in fact gluten free, and she checked with whomever and said yes that is indeed gluten free. So we chowed down only to have the waitress come back after my beautiful girlfriend ate more then half of it to tell us
Basically WHOOPS that is a typo that isn’t gluten free!!! my girlfriend started to not feel well and barely could eat her entre then the bill comes and they tried to charge us for the appetizer after poisoning my girlfriend’s with it. The manager didn’t even bother to apologize nor even acknowledge the typo. My guess is the price to fix menus doesn’t outweigh poisoning customers. Be very careful with the «gf» menu options.

The pork chop should be in Guinness book of world records. Not kidding.
When I came into this nice resto with a groupon in hand, I didn’t know it would take hubby 30+ minutes just to eat his entrée. We called it the never-​ending pork chop. Prior to the the behemoth pork chop, we enjoyed the comp bread that came with a deliciously-​whipped, garlicky butter and a glass of really good, affordable wine.
My entrée was a crab-​stuffed filet of fish that was ok, but a bit greasy, and the side of veggies it came with tasted straight out of the can or frozen bag at target. I have a rule, if one of our meals is a hit, then the night was a success. Since hubby said this pork chop was literally the best of his life, and he had having a never-​ending portion of it, my so/​so dinner was not that big of a deal.
There was no room for dessert, obvs, and it took about 2 days for his stomach to return to a normal size. Service was good and the place is really cute. We sat near the window and the wall of wine bottles. The space is pretty huge and has a second floor I didn’t get to check out.
I will be back to try a different fish item and I’m gonna tip Guinness off to give these people a medal for this pork chop.

I went here for a Valentine’s Day dinner and really enjoyed the atmosphere and food. The cocktails are also excellent — although they are fairly pricey. I had the Surf and Turf (steak and lobster tail) and the lobster was excellent. The steak was fairly decent as well. My husband had some other kind of steak but said his was very salty so he didn’t finish it. The service was excellent — what you would expect for a restaurant with higher prices than average. They do get very crowded on Friday nights and weekends (45 minute wait) so make sure to make a reservation. When it’s nice out, they open all the front windows which is very cool. I will definitely come here again for a nice meal, though my fiancé was left with a bad impression because of the prices and saltiness of his steak.

Excellent dinner! I had the Nutty Chicken (macadamia nut crusted boneless breast), and my wife had chicken and penne in Alfredo sauce. An outstanding meal!

So I’ve been wanting to come here for a while and I finally got my chance today. I started off with an Appletini with olives in it and it was just amazing! My server «G» was friendly and to the point, brought me this amazing drink and a bread basket, the bread was nice and warm served with whipped butter so it was really good. I then had the special which was a cheese quesadilla appetizer and then off the specials menu, the daily specials menu, I also ordered the chicken Diane which was very interesting except for the gravy being slightly over seasoned and a bit rich it was really good. It was made with fingerling potatoes as the bottom layer, then a layer of asparagus, on top of that charred chicken breast which was really good on top of the chicken breast was the mushroom gravy which again just a tad bit over seasoned and then topped with pickled onions.
The place itself is very nice very clean the bar area is very welcoming a place that I know I can go to and not feel like I’m at a bar and be able to enjoy a drink with some nice people around. The bartender was very friendly I could see her having conversation with everybody around her which is really nice. I was too full to enjoy dessert but I’m definitely going back and trying some of the other appetizers, I should mention that the quesadilla had zucchini in it which was really good. really enjoyed my dinner. Did I mention my martini was DELICIOUS? Cause it was!

We are thrilled that this gem is right down the street from where we live. The food is always spot on. Try the Saturday evening surf & turf. The pork chop is fabulous and we even love the burger. BONUS: one of the most kid friendly higher end spots.

Excellent food & service! BBQ Duck nachos are highly recommended! Defiantly coming back.

Both times I have been here, the food has been great! I would say the price is a bit steep for what you get, but they’re trying to cater to a certain clientele for sure. My salad with chicken was about $ 15 (yikes) and although it was super delicious, I could make the same thing at home for a fraction of the cost. The menu is fairly eclectic, and the food has always been very fresh. If you want a fancy dinner out in the suburbs, it’s definitely a good choice overall. Make reservations! We waited about 10 minutes on a Friday night for a table because I had reserved one, but they were telling others approximately a 45 minute wait.

Love the food, fun décor and excellent service! The wait staff is well-​trained friendly and professional. The menu offers a mix of seafood, steaks and some eclectic dishes. The bar area is slightly upscale and a nice place to get a drink if you while waiting for a table.

My wife and I went there on a $ 40 Groupon and I have had colleagues mention how good this place is. It is right in downtown Riverside. We entered for our reservation and the place seem crowded. It was very appealing to the eye with a comfortable décor referencing dining car atmosphere. The bar was crowded as well. We took a couple of seats there, with my wife ordering a martini (French) and I ordered a draft stout.
We were seated quickly and we had a nice booth seat. When my wife asked me to taste the French martini, I almost choked on how full of alcohol it was. Not well prepared at all.
After looking at the menu, my wife went with the chicken Diane and I decided on the Big pork chop, especially based on a Unilocal photo I saw, with a quartino of chianti.
The wait was not bad for the food. The quartino never came until we had asked again after our food had arrived.
In looking at the dishes, there was nothing that stood out. The chicken was a slighlty grilled breast with «Diane» sauce over it, slightly blanched asparagus. The pork chop was a large cut with a creamed like corn and sweet potato. There was nothing outstanding with either dish. The dijon mustard with the chop was a jarred mustard ladeled with the chop, nothing more. The Diane sauce was mediocre at best, with no ingenuity to any of the dishes. You get what you get, and you don’t get upset, as my kids would say.
With all the reviews the place gets, you would think I has something that people rave about. As avid diners who look for a place to impress them, this place has nothing. Bad drinks, complacent meals, and a primp atmosphere set for a Loop steakhouse with the taste of a novice in the kitchen.

Excellent food in a very nice space on a quiet street in Riverside. At least it was quiet on a wintry Saturday night. Service was first rate. I’ve forgotten her name, but our server was terrific, helpful with food choices, & right there when we wanted her. Everyone in our party of 8 was pleased with the appetizers, entrees and desserts. Oh, and the bartender makes a 5-​star cocktail backed up by a decent selection of wine and craft beers.

I don’t understand how this place gets so
many good reviews. The owner’s friends must review a lot. Anyway, WAY over priced and the food it terrible. The steak was very poor quality and the pasta in the cream sauce was more like pasta in cream soup. Not good. The service was also bad. Don’t waste your time and money.

To give a 1 star review because you disagree with this owner’s opinion on slot machines is disgraceful! Total abuse of a vehicle intended for fair, unbiased opinions and personal experiences.
Not intended to be a soap box for one craving 15 minutes of fame.
I am not related to this establishment at all so don’t get all excited Unilocal people! No need to filter this legitimate review!
At least rate an establishment on it’s performance not your own personal feelings on something that doesn’t even affect you in any way!
Chew Chew deserves 5 stars because of my many past dining experiences.
Food is unique and absolutely delicious. I have never had a bad experience!
I hosted an anniversary party for my parents last year. We were treated like royalty.
Big deal. so you won’t patron Chew Chew because of slot machines that most likely won’t ever be installed in the Puritan town of Riverside. Boo hoo! I’m sure Chew Chew is just devastated to lose out on a person complaining about prices!
Go move to an island.

Best dinner in a long time! At the last minute I made reservations here on a Saturday night. The BF did not feel like Indian food (my original plan) so a friend really pushed this place on me. I am so thankful we ended up here!
I ordered the fish of the day that was served with rice and veggies. Everything was perfect! I actually ate my leftovers 2 days later and it was still fresh and amazing. The BF went with the surf & turf and ate every single bite. He let us try a tiny piece of his lobster and it was a great choice on his part for sure. His daughter ordered the chicken Diana? I had a small bite and the flavors were great as well! You could really see the quality in every aspect of every single dish we were served.
All of our drinks were amazing as well. They were doing mixed drinks and martinis. I stuck with wine. The wine list is great! Service was patient and friendly even when we were indecisive. I cant wait to come back!

We went with another couple on a Friday night. I had made a 8:00 reservation a few days prior. Our table was located by the front windows, with the warm summer air. Felt very comfortable. This place is a lot bigger inside than the outside makes it look. They recently switched the menu, and are celebrating 20 years in business. We had no idea this place existed. Happy we used Unilocal to find it!
Our waiter was so friendly, knowledgeable, and made sure we knew of the specials. He was so attentive. It’s been awhile since we’ve gone out and felt the money we spent was worth the food! Can’t wait to go back. Everything we ordered was delicious.
Drinks:
Wine
Cranberry/​vodka
Mango Mojito (delicious)
Starters:
Baked Onion Soup
Chopped Wedge
Ice oysters
Bacon wrapped chorizo stuffed dates
Main Course:
Grilled Salmon
Crab crusted Rainbow Trout
Macadamia nut chicken
Jambalaya Rice bowl
Dessert:
Belgium Chocolate Cake
Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee
Cappuccino’s and coffee!

I waited until I had been twice because I thought maybe my father has been slipping our servers a C-​Note when we go out to eat because we *never* have a bad dining experience with him. :)
My boyfriend and I came recently to celebrate an anniversary. We had reservations on a Tuesday evening but they were definitely not needed at 6:30 P. We began our dining with a hot appetizer of fried calamari. They had a very light breading and came with two sauces — a warm marinara and a cool ranch/​tzatziki type of sauce. The boyfriend really enjoyed the tzatziki type of sauce. It is not something we typically receive with calamari and he said it was fantastic.
BF had the filet mignon with a mushroom gravy. It had nice full sized mushrooms in the gravy but he said it did not have a mushroomy taste. (Important only because he detests mushrooms and was handing them over to me) He said it was one of the best filets he had in a long time.
I went with the stuffed meatball and a glass of the wine special Malbec. It was an open faced meatball covered in, I believe provolone cheese, over a bed of broccolini and pasta in a light marinara sauce. The meatball itself was fantastic. I am not a fan of broccoli so this being mixed in with the pasta rather than on the side did not bode well with me but there wasn’t a lot so it wasn’t an issue.
I should note that the menu changes seasonally. I had looked at their Spring menu as published on their facebook page and it did not include either of our selections. I had actually planned on ordering the Amish Chicken with mushroom risotto until I saw the stuffed meatball and could not decide. The menu is so incredibly diverse that it is almost impossible for you to not find something to eat.
We ended the evening with Crème Brulee. This was a first for me but it definitely will not be a last. It was an incredible taste experience. The vanilla bean custard was so light and flavourful.
This will definitely be our go-​to spot for intimate occasions. It was a very nice meal in a very lovely environment.

I’ve never had food I didn’t enjoy at The Chew Chew, but today I’d like to send a special thank you to Scott. Last week I called, explaining my Mom’s 85^th birthday was coming up and how I really wanted to treat her to a lobster tale for her special day. If you don’t ask, you’ll never know, right? He graciously agreed to special order and add it to the menu. She loved it… and the chocolate lava cake presented to her for dessert. We had a wonderful evening! Thank you!

I have fond memories of the Chew Chew of my youth, back when it was on the other side of the tracks and it served up an affordable lunch, even for a kid like me and his friends. I’m not all too enthused about the revamped Chew Chew with overly jacked up prices. I think it’s gotten a little too big for its britches.
I’ve been here several times when my parents want to have a «nice» dinner and I’ve found it to be a-​ok. The food isn’t something I would go out of my way to get and I think the prices are way too high for what you get. The Chew Chew has Chicago prices, which makes no sense to me because the rent is cheaper here than the city and the food is of lesser quality than many city places. I’ve ordered a handful of dishes here in the past and there hasn’t been anything that really stood out to me. Every time I’ve seen the final check here, I’ve always cringed internally because it just seems way too high.
All of that being said, it’s great that there’s a restaurant of higher quality than the average in Riverside. I do like supporting local businesses. I’ve been to a large share of high quality restaurants in Chicago, many of which have out-​of-​my-​budget dinner entrees. What’s cool is that a lot of those places have equally good food available for brunch/​lunch for a way more affordable price. My suggestion for Chew Chew is to offer weekend brunch again. I’d imagine ingredient cost wouldn’t be high. Riverside could use a solid brunch place and this could be it.

I’d gotten a few recommendations to try this place, and many friends flipping out «OMG, I’m SO jealous!!!» when I told them I was coming to Chew Chew, so I was ready for a good experience.
We were seated promptly by the window, with water and our waitress appearing seconds after that. It took us a few minutes to get our act together to select drinks, but the waitress was polite and patient with us the whole time. I ordered the Moon Over Riverside– a Quincy Street Distillery whiskey drink with cherries/​lots of other yummy goodness. It was $ 8, but with the strength of two drinks, so it didn’t seem like quite the bad deal. It took the whole meal to consume– pacing was definitely needed.
The complimentary bread that came out was hot and fresh, served with a garlic butter.
For food, we first ordered fried pickles– I’m a sucker for these, especially if they are pickle chips (as opposed to stackers or spears). The amount was plentiful, with the outside being extra crispy. Some pickles were not quite coated enough, though, leading to a few that got overly fried and were withered. But 90% were great, served with a ranch-​y sauce.
For my meal (and I felt VERY adult about this choice, as I usually go for burgers or a sandwich), I ordered the scottish salmon, served on a bed of spinach with onions and pancetta, and chickpeas. I LOVE chickpeas, and had never seen a dish quite like this before. I thought it was fantastic. It had a topping on the fish though that was a little too sour for my liking, but it was easily scraped off. My date had the fish and chips, but substituted mashed potatoes. We each took home leftovers. Mine were fantastic the next day too.
The restaurant itself is large but cozy, has an upstairs level, even. I liked the train theme throughout and thought it was more on the tasteful than cheesy side. Bathrooms were nice and clean with two stalls.
Everything was great with this experience. I wouldn’t hesitate to come back!

I came here with a friend after using a living social deal at Quincy Street Distillery about a block or so away. We came here later on a Friday night, and well basically closed the place, so that late. We sat outside, and at this time there was plenty of seating both outdoors and inside.
The menu is very decent — lots of different items to cheese from. Decent drink menu too, $ 6 sangria on special on this particular Friday night and that was pretty tasty as well. My friend and I both ordered pasta dishes (we also got bread on the side) so needless to say it was a tasty carb filled meal!
The thing that annoyed me was our waiter — who SHOULD be making eye contact with all people at the table, there were only two of us but he spoke TO my friend every time he came to the table. I only had this happen to me once before at Cabo Wabo in Las Vegas and I am not going to compare the two but HELLO two of us are eating and paying here!!! Very annoying. When I handed him our bill upon paying I got a «have a good night» not a «thank you» soooooo minus the two stars for that stuff going on.