Bow & Stern Chilliwack - Chilliwack, British Columbia

Oscar P.

Bow and Stern is a family-owned seafood restaurant founded in 2014 by Jon and Jacki Smith and their son Jordan. Their roots go back to a classic fish and chip shop from 1988. The Chilliwack location opened in October 2020 as part of the District 1881 revitalization.

We visited the Chilliwack location during happy hour, which runs from 2 pm to 5 pm. Highlights include $2 oysters from four selections (two east coast, two west coast).

• Fried chicken sliders: tasty, though I would have preferred them a bit juicier.
• Brussels sprouts: drizzled in honey. If you enjoy sweet dishes this may be right up your alley, but to me it was a bit too sweet.
• Mussels and clams ($12 each): served in a tomato base that was rich and layered, perfect for dipping fresh bread. The white wine cream sauce however was too salty. I ended up rinsing off the sauce to enjoy the shellfish properly.

Drink selection
I tried their B and S martini special with three oysters for $25. It was incredibly aromatic, and I could still taste lemon zest long after taking a sip. My partner had a Mai Tai and loved it. I followed with a double well highball for $9. Great value.

Our total bill was about $180 for two people, which offers excellent value for the quality and experience. Between the seafood, happy hour deals, handcrafted cocktails, and warm family vibe, this place is a standout in the Fraser Valley and just an hour from Vancouver.

But ya… the saltiness of your white wine cream is overwhelming 😣

Absolut Y.

Chilliwack's Best.
I heard good things about this restaurant. We tried it and didn't disappoint.
Nice establishment, love the decor. Quickly seated downstairs near the kitchen. It was busy yet service was very timely and consistent. Our server was very attentive with a big smile. She was very accommodating. After knowing we are going to share our food, she asked the kitchen to split our meals into 2 portions, even the appetizer. We were impressed because not many restaurants do that nowadays. Potentially creates a lot of trouble for the kitchen. Food was very good. They came out fast. Mussels were a bit smaller in size. But they were fresh nonetheless. The green curry flavor was on point. The pepper in the dish, instead of fresh jalapeno, they used pickle pepper , which was interesting. Bang bang prawns tacos were very good. Crunchy deep fried prawns were very good. The tacos were very big. The salsas inside the tacos were actually coleslaw. It was an interesting twist. For the main dish, we choose tomatoes and shrimp linguine. It was a very strong tomato presence. The pasta was cooked perfectly.
Brunch was served till 2pm.

Byron T.

We went during happy hour. We ordered oysters, the artic char risotto, half portion of the white wine sauce with clams and Spanish tomato sauce with mussels.

The oysters came with two sauces, vinegar and a strawberry syrup. The strawberry syrup was definitely a good complement to the oysters.

The artic char risotto was a standard fish dish. The lemon butter sauce gave it the fatty flavor that makes the dish seem almost like a fatty salmon dish. The risotto was nice and firm.

Happy hour deals were great as I could order two different sauces and mollusc dishes. The white wine sauce was a bit salty for me. If the sauce isn't meant to be subtle, I'd consider adding more onions and basil to have enough for each clam.

I do prefer the Spanish tomato sauce with mussels. It has more body to the flavor.

Ray J.

Very good service, which was attentive, friendly and efficient. Fun atmosphere in the dining room. Food was really fresh, tasty, and portions were generous. Good drink specials that rotate daily. Menu had lots of options. Can’t go wrong here and I’m happy to hear they’ve opened a new location closer to home; but I will keep this place in mind anytime I’m in Chilliwack!

Katie W.

The food was fresh and delicious. I had the steak and lobster and everything was perfect. Lovely restaurant with quick and friendly service. I was in Chilliwack for a work trip and would definitely visit again.
On the more expensive side.

Graham V.

Update:
We went back for round two. The food wasn't quite as good this round. The fries weren't great and needed a bit of salt. The fish burger was good but fairly bland. The steak frites had a very nicely cooked and charred steak though the fries needed some seasoning.

The pudding was very good and my wife enjoyed another piece of carrot cake.

The waitress was awesome and the drinks were great.

Original review:

A very cool atmosphere. The staff was great. The food was better than expected.

My wife really enjoyed the Dungeness crab which is served with clarified butter.

We had Brussel Sprouts and a dynamite roll to start. The Brussel sprouts are done in a chili honey sauce and I think we're as good as they could be... And I am not a fan of Brussel Sprouts. The dynamite roll was tasty and I ate a few pieces despite not generally being a fan of sushi.

The fish and chips were great. The coating on the halibut is a bit thick but was airy and pillowy so I didn't mind it. The flavour was very good. The cook on the fish was on point.

For dessert I had their chocolate pudding which has an espresso cream. They make it in house and it is delicious with the bits of toffee crumbled on top.

My wife had their carrot cake. She loved it. The icing is delicate and tasty. The cake, itself, I did not try as it has pineapple in it and I am not a fan of that.

We will be back for sure.

Sean R.

Had the Prawn and avocado cob salad. This was surprisingly so filling, delicious and satisfying. Atmosphere always brings me back and staff was accommodating to our party. We had no reservation but they squeezed us in and moved a table around to do so. Thank you so much guys you are awesome

Gazal G.

It was special experience top-notch 💫
The portion sizes were just right to satisfy everyone.
The taste and flavor were excellent.
The service was outstanding.
Everything was clean.
The atmosphere was great.
Modern.