Lunch Eats at Eat Chow

After figuring out housing woes for the next school term, I organized a lunch time get-together with two of my future roommates Lindsey and Esme. This was the first time I got to meet Esme, and knowing that she's actually an international student from China, I thought that it would be nice to eat lunch at an American-style restaurant. Upon Yelp-ing a bit (a new favorite past-time of mine), I saw great reviews for Eat Chow in Costa Mesa and knew that we had to come here for lunch.

The restaurant design is also noteworthy. The interior looks super chic, with a few tables complemented by fancy (extremely heavy) chairs and a bar table with stools against the windows. Moreover, Eat Chow is connected to the clothing store, The Closet, next door. Rather than plastered walls, there is a window as well as a doorway leading into the restaurant. I thought that that was very unique. In addition, I noticed on the door of Eat Chow's that dining in there gave a discount for shopping at The Closet. Very neat.

Anyway, to start off the meal, I ordered their popular Truffle Parmesan fries. The moment I bit into one of the fries, I realized what all the hype was about. Fried in truffle oil, these fries tasted perfectly seasoned, and simply irresistible. Each fry itself was also finely cut into super thin sticks, which kept me from feeling guilty eating them.

Truffle Parmesan Fries from Eat Chow

For my main entree, I ordered the French Dip sandwich. I did not expect to be wow'd or anything, as it's a pretty basic dish, but actually... Eat Chow's French Dip is definitely something to boast about. The roast beef was very juicy and tender, and the sauce was freshly hot. The portion size was also very appropriate and nothing that made the dish feel too heavy. At first, I had my reservations about ordering it because I knew that it would not come with a necessary serving of vegetables, but it worked out because my sandwich was actually accompanied with a side of greens.

French Dip Sandwich from Eat Chow.

Lindsey ordered the Teri Burger, while Esme ordered the Salmon sandwich. While I did not try either of their dishes, they both nodded in agreement when I asked whether they liked what they ordered. Furthermore, by the end of our meal, all three of our plates were completely cleared! Esme also added that the Salmon sandwich she ordered was The Best Sandwich that she's ever ate (note the caps). After her dish arrived and her raving reviews of it, I half-regretted not ordering it because it was my second choice! But whatever, I had an amazing sandwich as well :)

Teri Burger from Eat Chow

Salmon Sandwich from Eat Chow

Overall, this lunch was solid. I love how their dishes seem like traditional American dishes with a little edge. I don't know what this place would be like during lunch and dinner times on weekends, since the restaurant is quite small and cozy, but when we went at around 2pm on a weekday, there weren't a lot of people and therefore service was pretty attentive. Take my word, I will come back and order that salmon sandwich! Now who wants to join me?


Eat Chow
1802 Newport Blvd
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
(949) 650-2469