Bob’s Southern Bistro

Crushed. Devastated. Forlorn. Inconsolable. Broken. Dejected. Heartbroken. Grief-​stricken. That is how I feel after hearing that my FAVORITE soul food restaurant closed up shop late last year! Perhaps that language sounds a bit strange (and, even melodramatic), but clearly — if you’ve never eaten at BSB, then you just can’t possibly feel my pain. :-b
I know I didn’t get out much this past year b/​c I was preoccupied with… well, graduate school, but GOODNESS — this news is just so shocking. Where else will I get the city’s finest soul food and groove to the sound of true jazz musicians? Where will I turn when I’m craving the best piece of fried chicken I’ve ever had? (Well, outside of my momma’s, of course, but she doesn’t live in Boston and I don’t know how to fry anything!) Who will fiil this void that Bob’s Southern Bistro (formerly Bob the Chef’s) has left in my heart… and my belly? Boston has lost a true gem, and I don’t think I’ll fit quite the same about the city knowing that Bob’s is no more…

What was formerly Bob the Chef’s, had taken on a new persona — Bob’s Southern Bistro, was a trendy jazz restaurant that reflected the recent gentrification of the South End. The cuisine was defined as Southern Comfort Food as the menu was littered with Paula Dean type favorites including: fried chicken, mac & cheese, etc. As I write this review, I am 10 months removed from Boston, and can see that Darryl Settles, Bob’s owner since 1990, has sold the establishment to pursue other opportunities.
This is a shame. For over 50 years Bob’s was one of the most famous jazz spots in all of Boston. The venue provided a winning combination of southern food and top-​notch jazz. The fried chicken was the best in Boston, but the prices often reflected the fact that the restaurant had been a staple for jazz connoisseurs and not necessarily a place for high end cuisine. In hindsight this was probably not the best location as Columbus Street had become littered with college students from Northeastern, but its status as an institution will not soon be forgotten.
I bid you adieu Bob’s. Thanks for the memories.

Back when Dishie was juggling 4 jobs, Bob’s was one of them (for about 2 months in the spring).
When I was there I met some of the hardest working people in the restaurant biz, which confuses me because I’ve seen a lot of bad service reviews. Even on their off days, my former co-​workers were really awesome about making it up to the customer. Then again, I was on the inside. We had people from all walks of life come in which often stirred things up. I think the crew handled it well. They weren’t perfect, but they handled things well. We also had some AMAZING customers that made me look forward to going to work. :)
On to the food. well. free food gets 5 stars from me! But seriously, everything was pretty delicious. I really liked the jambalaya, although it’s not as hot as many would like (and I don’t eat mild salsa often). Whenever possible I had their catfish fingers. Better than Redbones in my opinion. Snacking on mac and cheese, sweet potato fries,
candied yams, potato salad, and fried chicken commenced daily. Oohh. and corn bread right out of the oven. And if you’ve got room in your belly, top it off with pecan pie a la mode. (PS — I’m the reason why pecan is spelled right on their take out menu. lol)
Yeah. my work pants didn’t fit the same when I left.
OH and the live music. Amazing. It was that extra pick me up during the work day. Definitely not a good place for a chat session. Who talks during jazz anyway unless you’re singing or scatting along? PPS — Leave that to the professionals. ;) Reservations recommended. especially since Bob’s is closing soon! Also, if it’s a weekend night, expect a wait even with a reservation.

Oh Bob’s. I was so excited to visit you. I was so hoping your food would be close to my momma’s. And it was! But you have got to work on your service skills. But first the food…
Your corn muffins rock: dense yet fluffy and full of buttery goodness. Fried catfish with cornmeal batter was fantastic. I drowned it Frank’s Red Hot, but that’s how we do with fish down South. (I loved that you had the hot sauce on the table waiting for me.) The collard greens are the closest to what my momma would make. I’ve been tasting greens around here for a while, and you my friend have won the prize. The glorifried chicken smelled divine and had an extra crispy texture that is the very definition of good, friggin’ fried chicken. But all of that was easily overshadowed by your poor, poor, PISS POOR service.
We sat for 20 minutes waiting to place a drink order while all your waiters avoided eye contact with our table. I lost patience and had to self-​appoint someone to our table by stopping him dead in his tracks and informing him «we don’t have a waiter yet.» He volunteered to serve us which is good and bad news. He disappeared for long periods of time to the point that we were making to-​do lists of what we needed so we wouldn’t forget anything. He failed to list our appetizer order. Remember how we had that coupon and you said we could give it to you later? How then did you manage to not even list our order? Weird. Then you forgot my friend’s corn muffin. Then you forgot to apply the coupon at the end of our meal, so we waited an extra 10 minutes for your manager to correct it. You were polite, but your service was not good at all, sir. And on a Wednesday night when most of the tables are empty, this shouldn’t be a problem.
Sadly, chicken and waffles is not what it’s cracked up to be.

I’ve been here two times with family members who’ve lived in the South. Both times everybody loved it and left happy with full bellies.
The first time we went for the Jazz Brunch. It was a spontaneous decision, so we didn’t make reservations. The place was packed and I think we had a 45 minute — 1 hour wait. However, the hostess was nice enough to let us go wonder around for a bit and then come back so the time passed quickly.
The live blues music they had was great! The musicians were talented and it really set the atmosphere. Our waiters were friendly and made sure we had everything we needed. It was nice to have a buffet so we didn’t have to pick just one or two things. Everything I tried was delicious. Best of all, everyone around you looks like they’re having a great time. There were at least a few graduation and birthday celebrations. I did also notice a per-​person minimum.
The second time we went for dinner. It is a little dark inside, but not terrible. All of the classics are on the menu. I got «glorifried» chicken (because I couldn’t resist the name) with yams and mashed potatoes. I don’t recommend getting the potatoes since they were so-​so and there are a lot of other side options.
Dinner was good, but I definitely recommend everyone check out the brunch at least once, and make reservations…

I really want to give Bob’s 5 stars because of the music and service.
The place looks great, the music is awesome, and the service is good.
Last time I was there we arrived at about 7pm on a Sat. About ½ an hour after we arrived and while we were eatng dinner they put a sign up on the door about a $ 5 cover charge. The grub was decent, but the prices seemed high for BBQ and for the portion sized. When we got the bill they had added the friggin’ cover charge to it …
Edit Dec 2007: It’s going to be changing hands soon so try it before it goes away!

Great food and great service. The supposedly famous mac n cheese didn’t really do it for me, and the sweet potato fries were delicious yet overpriced, but the fried catch of the day was excellent.
Go get your dessert somewhere else. Apple pie and peach cobbler were nothing special.

I went here Sat. with a group of 10 and it was perfect. We had an early reservation at 5:30 because of theatre tickets. Everyone straggered in b/​w 5:30 & 6 and they had no problem with seating us all as we arrived. None of that «your entire party has to be here before you are seated» B.S.
They started us each off with a delicious warm corn muffin. The first one is on the house. After that they’re .75 each but the food is so filling you really only need one. Some of the highlights at the table were the BBQ chicken, ribs & pulled pork sandwich. Sides includes sweet potato fries, red beans & rice, collard greens cole slaw etc.
I had the Jambalaya and it was very good (and had a nice addition of mussels). It wasn’t the best Jambalaya I’ve ever had but, I used to live inNew Orleans so that would be hard to top.
We all split 3 desserts and the pecan pie & apple pie were delicious but the peach cobbler was terrible. Canned peaches topped with a cardboard crust. Also, they ran out of vanilla ice cream so none of the pies were topped with ice cream which was kind of a bummer.
The food is good and the staff is attentive and the menu is so reasonably priced. I don’t think tehre’s anything over $ 15. We didn’t hear any live music because we ate so early but i’d love to go back another time for the Jazz Brunch. And next time I’m trying the Glorifried Chicken!

Bob’s is «comfort food.» The place has a great atmosphere, some live light jazz during the week, and some live bands on the weekend. The portions are big, but my biggest problem is it’s a bit pricey. Expect to pay around $ 15/​person without drinks.
Update: Closed.

This is a review for brunch at Bob’s. I will return soon to check out the dinner.
I went to Bob’s this past Sunday for a birthday brunch with a group of girlfriends. Unfortunately the extremely loud live jazz made it a poor choice for such a gathering.
The food was okay. As is the case with many buffets, the food is never quite hot enough and tends to be on the dry side. The selection was very good — plenty of options, including non-​meat options (just be careful with Southern cooking, because a ham bone seems to make it into just about everything!). The biggest disappointment with the meal was the fried chicken it was very, very dry. The desserts were fresh and yummy — I actually had 2, sweet potato pie and apple pie.
I look forward to returning for dinner to try the food fresh out of the kitchen, rather than sitting in chafing dishes.

There are only two reasons to hand the coveted five star award. The first is if the establishment exceeds all expectations. The second reason is does this establishment involve itself in the community.
Enter Bobs’ Southern Bistro or the restaurant formerly known as Bob The Chefs. BSB is owned by one of the nicest guys anywhere, Darryl Settles. He is also The Man (capitalized for a reason) behind The Beantown Jazz Festival, an event which raises money to fight prostate cancer. Prostate cancer will afflict 25% of men in the US.
Darryl also sits on many boards and is a community man at heart who also owns a restaurant.
Bobs’ Southern Bistro is one of the most unique eateries in this city. It is Southern inspired cuisine, and probably the only place in Boston that serves a great Jambalaya and Etoufee. There are live jazz acts almost nightly and a pretty eclectic mix of people within

Sunday Jazz Brunch was a delight. Great music, and a wide variety of all-​you-​can-​eat comfort food. My favorites included their fried chicken, collard greens, baked sweet potatoes, mac & cheese, and their pies. yum!
Yesterday’s Boston Globe (
) said that the name was changed to «Bob’s Southern Bistro» because it was a sexier name, that it jived with the gentrification of East South Boston along with the restaurant’s changing clientele. I like «Bob the Chef» more. There are plenty of Bistros, only one Chef Bob.

What happened to Bob the Chef’s.
I still salivate just thinking about heading there on a Friday night to get BBQ ribs, seasoned corn, some of the best sweet potatoes in the world, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, green beans, corn bread… dang those were the days.
I took a bunch of friends there after it had changed ownership and ordered the ribs which were dry and hard to eat the manager was nice and exchanged them for pork which was palletable but it wasn’t BBQ ribs. I was shocked when there was a $ 5 a person cover added to the bill and was disappointed that I had to point out to him that he had made a change to our order. I apologized repeatedly to my friends for building this place up so much and having had such a lousy experience.
A few months ago my mouth started watering at work for Bobs’… so I called in the order and went in to pick it up. The girl at the take out desk was a total sweet heart helping me and she was good at humoring the man with too much cologne who (from what I got) «owns dis city». We love characters!
So I got home the smell of the sweet potatoes invading my nostrils. WOW. I opened the little white box of food to find watery sweet potatoes, day old (appearing) cold corn, mac and cheese that looked more like uncooked pasta and orange Elmer’s glue! I hardly ate a bite of this $ 16 plate full of letdown.

What a comfortable, casual place. Great for dates. I just love relaxed places, where you can sit back, without worrying about who is doing what, and enjoy your time with your lover or friends. Especially since paying high prices for mediocre food and pretentious setting is in, you should check out Bob’s for the southern experience. It is always impressive to take someone to a place where there is live jazz that is pure and done for the realy sake of doing jazz.
Definitely delicious: fried catfish, ribs, collard greens, sweet potatoes.
As an appetizer, shrimp is very good. It is a portion big enough for two and worth trying for opening up your appetite!
The service started out slow but got much better with every plate and detail. The waitresses were all very attentive.
About jazz/​blues here: The band started the night with 4 members and a «visiting» saxophonist joined in later in the night and a vocal, who sang no matter what ! It was like an audition for only the best.

I drove pass the place a million of times. And today I drove there just to eat with my gal.
I had chicken and ribs combo with fried and mac. And she had fried catfish with potato salad and corn.
My dish was ok, the chicken was really good and also the sides especially fried, crisp and taste so good. But my ribs were a bit dried, not tender as I expected.
Her dish was good, I tried some catfish which was great.

All I can say is WOW.
I went here for Sunday brunch once, and it was just the most amazing dining experience I’ve had in a while. The brunch buffet spread was beyond words delicious, with everything from scrambled eggs to collard greens to fried chicken to pancakes. They had EVERYTHING out. I didn’t even get to the dessert or fruit and whatever else they had on the other side! (Although my friends said the sweet potato pie was awesome.) Plus, all the food was fresh, hot, and replenished fast.
The wait staff was friendly and accomodating, always right there with a refill of water or coffee or a new fork. The jazz band was pleasant to listen to while gnawing on my electic plate (s) of food. Also, we never felt rushed or self-​conscious about just sitting there, trying to make room in the tummy, and going back up for thirds and fourths. It was just a genuine good time all around.
I would definitely come here again, and bring everyone I know. This place rocks!!!

Undoubtedly the best collard greens I have ever had in Boston (aside from the homemade stuff in my ex-girlfriend’s auntie’s kitchen on Easter Sunday, which honestly, is unbeatable).
But Bob the Chef is definitely one of my favorite date restaurants. The menu is packed with good portions of southern food. My favorite is the mustard fried catfish or fried chicken as the main entrée (both are really fried to perfection). Sides: heaps of collard greens, mac and cheese, candied yams. All delicious.
They do have a pretty good selection of alcoholic drinks, and it’s a great nightspot because of the live music, a mix of local soul-​jazz. Parking is kind of a hassle, but we’ve never had too much trouble.
If you’re not into the sit-​down thing, there’s a small section of the restaurant on the side, where you can order the same good stuff to go.
Overall, the food is off the hook, the music is excellent — the venue is classy but you can still eat with your fingers!

Bob’s ain’t half bad. Even for the vegetarians. You can get the side sampler and have a great time (the only veggie you can’t get is the collard greens). The yams are pretty freakin’ awesome, as is the cabbage. And, it’s pretty cheap. I think it was 9 bucks for the side sampler and it’s pretty darn huge. Also, the corn bread they give you is pretty good.
I’d give it five stars, but I just don’t like the atmosphere. Something about it– it’s too bright or something. I don’t know. I’ve also never had issues with the service– great guys work there. :-)

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Boston. I typically go for the jazz Sunday brunch because of the live music and excellent food. Regarding their chicken it is awesome and a must for anyone that loves chicken. If you have a large party (larger than 4 people), I suggest making reservations because real estate is tight in this establishment.
Almost all of their food is excellent but they still can not beat my mom’s macaroni.

Had BIRTHDAY Brunch @ Bobs this Sunday. First impression, feelin it… Immediate stop at the front bar for some VERY SPICY bloodies (always in order on a Sunday). Blues band was rocking (its cold duck time), although homeboy on the sax did jokingly threaten the audience with a butter knife if we didn’t tip our servers…
Food was delicious and I organized my plate to cover, breakfast, brunch AND lunch, in that order. On the left side, I began with eggs, bacon, potatoes and grits, moving into veggies and collard greens to black eyed peas and FRIED CHICKEN.
woah, i’m still stuffed…