the hollow bistro and brew

awful experience. my wife and i decided to try this place a second time on april 5th. we had a 7pm reservation and arrived a few minutes early. we were seated at one of the tables in the center aisle, and even though we complained about being uncomfortable the hostess (who turned out to be the owner) only moved us to another of the little tables in the very tiny aisle, but farther from the cold wind from the door.

we both felt claustrophobic, with very large customers standing on either side of us, their expansive backsides just inches from our heads. waitresses must have bumped my arm or shoulders at least a dozen times, trying to squeeze through. when i complained to the completely useless hostess that i felt like we were eating in the middle of a freeway, and i felt the management should make some adjustment on our bill, her reply was "have aniceday."

really?? what could have been a nice, romantic meal was anything but. i can understand that this greedy owner might want to maximize her revenue per square foot, but not that she'd want to do it at the expense of the customers' comfort.

i wrote and complained, by the way, and got nowhere. the owner was completely unapologetic. how does a place like this stay in business?

food was only average, and certainly not worth the trip or the aggravation.

very impressed. my husband and i were told by a few friends to try out the hollow bistro and brew. we were finally in the area last week friday. for a friday night it wasn't too busy, which was great for us because we got a great table in the front window. its anicespot to sit on a sunny day. our waitress was very pleasant and attentive. we didn't know much about the menu but she let us know what was popular and informed us about the specials. we were in between a few things to start with, she recommended the hot banana peppers and i'm glad we got them they were amazing. my husband had the ahi tuna which was cook perfectly (which very rarely happens) our waitress also told us about the upgrade salads that we both tried, the portabella salad was fantastic. food, service and atmosphere was great-cant ask for much more. we will most definitely be back!!!

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 and brew we 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 veryniceyoung 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!!!

food is amazing. me and my wife visited the hollow about a month ago and i was very pleased by the food and the service. the atmosphere is great to have anicedinner with friends or family. i will definitely be going back.

re: accident. i believe i witnessed the above incident. that is not how i took it at all. i felt the management handled it, in the utmost professional way possible. i have been here quite a few times now and have always enjoyed myself, and definitely will go back!!!!


-----06 jan, 2011-----

delicious. i was excited that a new place opened in clarence hollow, the town needs it! it is very warm and inviting. all the staff was extremely friendly and attentive! i got todays special of carrot pasta with chicken and baby bok choy, yummy:) i would definitely recommend this place to anyone. the menu have anicevariety and something for everyone. can't wait to go back!

awesome food!. i've been to the hollow bistro many many times and i must say that this place is amazing!!

even though some people are saying that there is often a long wait for food and drinks it is definately not that bad. these peoeple are probably always commenting after a friday or saturday night. what restaurant do you go to that there isn't a longer wait on these busy busy nights?

even if there is a long-ish wait, the wait staff is always veryniceabout letting you know the status on everything. they are always coming over and keeping you company. they are so personable. not like some otehr restaurants where all they do is take your order. i feel like i know some of these people's lives! which is awesome because it makes the whole place seem so much homely.

overall i think everybody should come check out the hollow bistro and brew!!

love it!!!!!!

out of town favorite!!!. i travel to clarence from north carolina every year to visit family. we don't usually go out to eat very much but i love trying out local restaurants so i insisted on going. it was fantastic!!! i know my family in clarence has been back multiple times since.

we started with a couple appetizers. the chicken and goat cheese wonton ravioli was incredible. the goat cheese gave the ravioli anicecreamy quality that the normal ricotta cheese just would not have accomplished. we also had the calamari. the chinese five spice powder mixed with the light flour dusting and then paired with the sweet red chili sauce was genius.

for my entree i had the hollow burger with fries. the pretzel bun was unique, delicious and in my opinion made the sandwich. topping the burger with an egg and blue cheese really sealed the deal!

all in all i would say the hollow is a great family friendly restaurant that you don't have to fight main st. and transit rd. traffic to get to. they have great food, friendly staff, and a unique atmosphere.

very enjoyable.. upon recommendation from good friends, i ventured to the hollow bistro and brew around 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 and brew i 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 anicevariety 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. withnicewarm recessed lights and hanging/wall-mounted lantern lights, the lighting at the hollow bistro and brew lends 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.

welcome addition.niceambience but far too many tables crammed between the bar and the banquettes....food is good..tho my risotto (they do a daily risotto special) was too 'rice-y'----(firm kernels)...just not as creamy as it should have been...but the chicken was moist and very flavorful..and the staff knowledgeable, courteous and prompt...could use a better selection of 'craft' beer...but at least they offer more than the usual north-of-the-border imports. burgers were quite good, as is their app. bread...very fresh and flavorful....