the hollow bistro and brew

mixed feelings. the hollow bistro andbrewis a small restaurant located where i call clarence hollow downtown. it is a clean restaurant with classic decoration. but it is not ready for people with babies, because the high chair belt was broken and they tried to do a quick fix to it. what it lost so many points to me.

stopping your car there could be a problem on a busy day because their parking lot is shared with other business. however when i went there on a saturday afternoon for lunch, there were a lot of spots to park my car.

we had no reservations. but that was not a problem, because the place only had 2 tables filled and during my stay only 2 more were filled. the senior waitress that received me was a very polite and charismatic and directed me to my table. unfortunately she was not our waitress. the noise level was very low, so i think this is a good place to enjoy intimate conversation.

the lunch menu was ok. not so many options to choose, but they have a good variety. i just recommend that they fix their lunch menu page on their site, because i'm the kind of person that likes to see the menu before i'm going to a place. and asking for options on the dinner menu it was not allowed, where sometimes is possible from some restaurants.

we started our lunch with soda and a delicious bread basket. the soda taste was not so good, maybe a problem on the carbonation of the fountain. but kudos for the bread, they were delicious but very expensive ($3). for this price, i was expecting more bread pieces.

we asked for the hollow burger ($9.5) and a pasta with shrimp scampi that i don't remember the plate name. first and more important, i was impressed how quick our food was done. it did not take 15 minutes to have the plates on our table. very impressive!

the hollow burger pleased me so much. it was a delicious gourmet burger and the fries were crispy. until now, i did not find a so good gourmet burger like i found here! however, the pasta for my wife was not so good. we did not found the capers and the scampi sauce was more a plenty of oil than the sauce. i do not recommend the pasta.

another bad point of my experience with the restaurant was the young waitress that served us. she was not charismatic as the senior waitress and forgot to tell us the specials. i was only aware of that because i overheard the other waitress offering that to the other tables. we left the restaurant upset because the specials seemed to have better options that the lunch menu.

but even with the bad points, we enjoyed our visit to the restaurant. the burger was very good and the food delivery was very quick. if i plan to eat again at this restaurant? maybe... but it will not be my first choice, mainly because the unsafe high chair for my baby.

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good for babies? no
good for big groups? yes
enough parking spots to everyone? no

great!. right before the christmas season, my husband and i were invited to dinner with a few friends. although we have never been to the hollow bistro andbrewwe were definitely willing to try something new. they accommodated a party of 8 quickly. my first impressions were that it was very "cozy" and comfortable. we were greeted by a very nice young lady named danielle. my friend and i were going to split a bottle of wine, but wasn't sure what one we would like. danielle recommended a bottle of kendall jackson chardonnay and we loved it.(i actually bought a bottle for a new years party that i had.) we also weren't sure what to order because all of our friends that have been there before and had their favorite dishes. even though we had many questions about the menu, our waitress answered all of our questions with many recommendations. my husband ordered the ribeye and our waitress recommended the sesame chicken dish, which i ordered. we loved our dinners. they were cooked and seasoned perfectly. the hollow bistro is a classy restaurant with great atmosphere. the service was excellent, we will definitely be back!!!

a great destination for a quick date night. the hollow bistro andbrewis a great destination for a quick adult night out without the kids. the food is fantastic, and consistently so, especially the daily specials. i agree with other comments that the kitchen may get overwhelmed at times when the restaurant is busy, but the servers usually handle this well by keeping the tables informed of the delays and offering drinks or other food to fill the gap. i have had nothing but great experiences there and plan to go back often.

yes please!. if you want an enjoyable evening out, the hollow bistro &brewis the place to go. whether you want a quiet romantic dinner by the fire, a place to have a beer and watch the game, or just a simply delicious meal. i've heard complaints about the wait time for the food (and sometimes drinks) to be served, but it is well worth it. take your time and enjoy :)

very enjoyable.. upon recommendation from good friends, i ventured to the hollow bistro andbrewaround dinner time. because of the well designed and lit signage i was able to find the restaurant straight away in the hollow area. at first glance the parking area seemed quaint, but i found plenty of parking on the street and nearby free public parking one block away.

entering the hollow bistro andbrewi was visually greeted by white linens, candles, rustic exposed brick and a fireplace tucked nicely in the corner. dining solo this evening i decided to take a seat at the bar. with a warm greeting from the server i ordered a drink and was handed a menu. now being a non-alcoholic drinker i usually avoid the bar area from awkward situations; but my order of a ginger ale was met with a smile and no hesitation.

the menu had a nice variety of choices. peppered with some different items while not compromising the favorites. it was feeling like a meat and potatoes kind of night, so i ordered meat and potatoes by way of the 140z new york strip steak and roasted garlic mashed potatoes.

while waiting for my meal at the bar i was able to have a good look at the details of the hollow bistro and brew. if i were so inclined to watch sports or television while dinning, there were 3 or 4 flat screen tv's positioned quite well around the restaurant, but not too overpowering to take away from the comfortable ambiance. overall nicely decorated with dark woods and exposed brick. with nice warm recessed lights and hanging/wall-mounted lantern lights, the lighting at the hollow bistro andbrewlends itself to the growing comfort i experienced with my dine. lighting is important to me in places that i eat, as it effects my moods and experiences.

in less time than i realized my food arrived and the true review began. without hesitation cut into the strip steak. cooked to my requested perfection the steak is very tender and juicy. the merlot demi-glace added to the already great base taste of steak; not too overpowering. the roasted garlic mashed potatoes where a great compliment to the strip steak. as far as meat and potatoes this met my expectations and then some.

this was a very enjoyable meal and experience at the hollow bistro and brew, i look forward to returning and tasting more of the menu.

simply fabulous addition to the clarence hollow. the hollow bistro &brewbrings a breath of life to the clarence hollow. i grew up in clarence and never had decent options to eat in town or meet up with friends. venturing to transit rd was the only option. the hollow has fulfilled my need!
the hollow restaurant and staff are nothing but welcoming and friendly. the vibe is very relaxed. this brings a new welcoming atmosphere to the hollow. the food is delish, to say the least...the drinks are plentiful...always provided with a smiling server. the specials change daily and i've never chosen something that i didn't thoroughly enjoy and relish.
sure the place may be busy on friday and saturday nights, but is much worth the wait. sit at the bar and have a drink while waiting. all good things come to those who are patient.
the clarence hollow has so much potential and i would like to commend the owners of the hollow bistro andbrewfor a exquisite job they have done renovating and bringing life to the hollow. i wish them much luck and look forward to becoming a regular at this establishment. i'm excited to bring fellow clarence hs alumni to check this place out!

absolutely love it!. the hollow bistro andbrewis a fantastic place! the food is absolutely wonderful and there is a wide variety of beer, wine and cocktails to keep you there all night! i'm from chicago, where we obviously have tons of restaurants and a wide variety to choose from. but even in chicago it is hard to find a place like the hollow with such a warm, local, neighborhood feel that has such fantastic food and extensive drink menu! i have been out to clarence twice since it opened on december 16, 2010 and can't wait to get out there again and try some more of the delicious food and drinks!


-----14 jan, 2011-----

lobster mac and cheese. this was my very favorite! but unfortunately it was only a new year's special. hopefully they will bring it back as a common specials item!!!


-----14 jan, 2011-----

chicken panini. fantastic! i wanted to try something else, but ended up ordering this again the very next day because it was soooo good!


-----14 jan, 2011-----

veggie flatbread. delicious!


-----14 jan, 2011-----

lobster bisque. this was also a new year's special, that was amazing! another customer exclaimed "that is the best lobster bisque i have ever had, and i'm a bisque freak!"


-----14 jan, 2011-----

lobster tail. was a new years eve special but it was absolutely amazing!