I've rode by this spot several times, & wonder what was up in there. Today I saw their open sign on!! Guess what...I pulled up!! I found out that they have live music, karaoke, & culturally blended food!! . Where I am: @citychefgrill . Location Reviewed: 6796 Laurel/Bowie Rd., Bowie M.D. . Items Reviewed: STAMP!! Their Ribs ($27 with half a rack of 72 hour smoked, & bbq pork ribs, Jollof rice, & collard greens). Tender well sauced ribs, mildly spicy Jollof rice, & some of the BEST greens I've ever had!! STAMP!! Their Suya Wings ($21 three Suya spiced wings with onions, mac n cheese, & veggies). Nicely spicy smoked wings, LIKE THAT grilled veggies, & DELICIOUS Mac. STAMP!! Their Mocktail ($14 with strawberry, pineapple, & ginger). Fruity, juicy, & tasty!! STANP!! Their Catfish Meal ($19 with 2 pieces of fried whiting, Jollof rice, & plantains). Nicely seasoned, & crisp catfish, mild tasty Jollof, & DELICIOUS plantains. STAMP !! Their Suya's (Protein with a dry spicy Suya rub all small sized $10 for their Chicken, $14 for their Beef, & $15 for their Goat Suya). A spicy dry rub Suya, each protein was tender, even the chicken was juicy!! STAMP!! Their Halfsmoke Flight ($25 with Mac n cheese, coleslaw, grilled onions, & pulled chicken bbq Halfsmoke's). Those smokes snapped, they all were juicy, & they all had a lil spice with them!! The slaw was sweet, the onions were perfect, the bbq hit, & the mac was ok. . Customer Service: On Point. . Parking: Decent . Recommendations: Get what STAMPED!! . Accessibility: It's is wheelchair friendly, & it's differently abled persons friendly. =STAMP =LIKE THAT =DELICIOUS =DECENT =PASS =NAH read more

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Absolutely pretty good experience from ordering to dinning to eating. The staff was absolutely friendly the ambience is really nice I love the details in everything . The only down side is the restaurant is on the smaller side. read more

The food was amazing here. The Mac and cheese was perfect, greens was seasoned perfectly and the fried fish and salmon bites where . Can't wait to go back. The drinks will getbyou there also. Trust me yall. read more

Food was solid but the wait times for my order(s) have always been way off and I've had to wait for a long time.

I attended a friend's event here this past weekend and while the setup of the space was adequate it didn't feel as though they were prepared for the turnout or for the weather as it was a warm day and there was no air conditioning and the doors to the space had to be left open. The food setup was also adequate however the food itself was mid at best. There is ample parking which is a plus and the staff was very friendly. read more

Received spoiled food from here. The first time I came here it was good but since then the quality has decreased significantly. Won't be returning read more

City Chef - Jellof rice & chicken - Caterers Near Me - Bowie, Maryland

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We ordered the shrimp platter (comes fried or grilled - we got fried) which comes with an aioli dipping sauce and two sides. Also got a large Zobo (hibiscus tea). The zobo was spot on! perfectly sweet really tasty. The food tho... Shrimp - you get 10 well seasoned fried shrimp so great flavor on the batter. BUT the batter isn't crispy and doesn't stay on the shrimp so we had shrimp with a fried batter chaser. lol The aioli is heavy on the mayo and very light on the seasoning so after two shrimp (with batter left in the dipping cup) we abandoned the aioli since it did nothing for the dish. The sides we chose were corn on the cob (seasonal offer) and yams. Skip it. The corn was grilled but I guess they thought the smoke would flavor it. It did not. No butter and no seasoning of any kind. The candied yams weren't candied. Very bland in a watery sauce like they were taken out of a can and just put in a container. Didn't wow me. Maybe they are better at the suya and jollof so I will try that next time but this go round was disappointing. read more

City Chef - Grilled corn - Caterers Near Me - Bowie, Maryland

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Ok, this place was a surprise! Not much going on from. The outside, small space on the inside. The food is the star! A light introduction to food from the Motherland. Small but firm meat pastries, My wife's rice dish was great. Wings come in different flavors all good. They serve Mac and Cheese and greens. With a small bar at the front as well. That was not being used while l was there. They have seating but you should just take out or eat in your car it's about the same. While I'm on take out, we noticed a lot of food went out of the door that way. They cook to order so you might want to order for pick as the wait can be rather long read more

I've been smelling their food for weeks every time I leave the gym so I finally decided it was time to do more than just smell lol , plus I needed something for dinner. When I walked in l, I was not initially greeted, I waited at the counter for less than 2 mins before I was acknowledged. The lady behind the counter was nice, took my order, asked if there was anything else I wanted and answered my question about the menu. I ordered the Whiting with two sides, I got collard greens with Mac and cheese. The whiting was so yummy and the tartar sauce was great too. I never use tartar sauce but theirs was so good I finished it all. The collars greed were very very good, one of the best I've had and there was not any meat in it. Them collars was top tier for sure. The Mac was good but there was just something I could not put my finger on that was off putting about it, it may have been overly seasoned or someone was going for a different taste but I could have done without it. But it was still good if you like your Mac with a little extra razzle dazzle. The place is not that big , there is some seating but not too much. It was clean, and I will be back. I want to try the chicken suya and jollof rice! read more

City Chef - Menu - Caterers Near Me - Bowie, Maryland

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Not much to say except a waste of money Cat fish very bland no seasoning at all Smoked chicken same no flavor no seasoning The music was so loud I could hardly think Cashier didn't know the WiFi password had to text manager gave me two different codes neither worked Restuarant appeared clean Bathroom was clean I ordered whiting they didn't have it Got catfish which wasn't on lunch menu like whiting so it didn't come with a side However I wasn't pleased I'm glad I didn't buy a side read more

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Do you like Mac n Cheese? Suya? Snapper? This cute little place embodies a quaint little West African/American Flavor with a small menu but with vast items that possess endless flavor. The meals are a tad pricey but well worth it as it balanced out by the authenticity of the food. The atmosphere is inviting and owner/Chef Michael is extremely friendly and personable to customers. There is space to sit and enjoy your meal at the bar or relax to the smooth sounds while at the table space available. There is outside seating which will be nice as the weather breaks. Side-note: Most of the food is freshly grilled on the patio on the restaurant's gigantic grill. You can smell the aroma from miles away! read more

City Chef - Caterers Near Me - Bowie, Maryland

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They need to really improve on the appearance of the store. The doors back to the kitchen are dirty. It makes you wonder what the kitchen looks like. Not so fond of the food. I had ribs with no taste, collard greens were good. However very disappointed in their mac and cheese. Perhaps the cook was not there. I think I will pass next time .all. I got the ribs, greens and macaroni and cheese. I only enjoyed the collars greens. This is my second time there and the appearance still the same. Wish them well. read more

City Chef - Dirty and disgusting door leading to kitchen. Dirty bar stools and sticky floors. - Caterers Near Me - Bowie, Maryland

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Honestly so disappointed we spent $100 and got the smallest portions of food for half a rack and half a chicken they picked the smallest bird, the smallest rack of ribs. All the pictures on here show nice sized pieces. As if it wasn't enough to give us a tiny portion the staff treated us with disgust and reluctance it was hard to tell if they wanted to serve us. We wanted to know if we could dine in and met with a look like we should know what's allowed and not. If your Hispanic or Latino don't come here they don't want our money read more

City Chef is a family run business located in Bowie Plaza. The first green flag for me was that there was plenty of parking. Anyone who knows me knows that if I can't easily find a parking spot, I will leave. I really enjoyed my experience at City Chef. I arrived a little close to closing time without realizing it but the service was amazing. I ordered the jerk half chicken special with macaroni and cheese and yams and a hibiscus tea on the side. I took my order to go but they do have seating available inside and out. When I opened my container, I was shocked by how big the chicken piece was. At other places, they sometimes skimp on the food but here you definitely get your money's worth. The portion sizes were amazing. The chicken itself was delicious and tasted fresh. The sides were tasty too. I have one piece of advice, when you go, make sure you get the tea. It was SO good. I'm still thinking about it. They have a nice sized menu with a lot of options. I will definitely visit again to try more items. read more

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Came in here randomly because I passed it all the time. Ended up just getting a half smoke with grilled onions and it was amazing. I immediately came back in for another and got Mac n cheese and jallof rice with it. Everything still good! Next time I'll dig deeper into the menu but as a foodie i recommend to try. read more

Everything went well. The food is delicious, the service is always friendly and smiles, the music makes me dance from the car to the building! read more

This review is for their cooking class. My kids were part of a cooking class where they learned to make pasta and meat sauce all from scratch. The service, quality of ingredients, and patience with a group of teens were impeccable. My kids, who only cook the basics, all made a delicious meal and can't wait to come back. I've also tried their beef suya, and it was fire; so happy with this permanent addition to Bowie's food scene. read more

City Chef - Homemade pasta with meat sauce - Caterers Near Me - Bowie, Maryland

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Local spot. Just getting around to trying this place. Ordered take out for me and hubby. Didn't really have much of an expectation, we just wanted something filling. Food - ordered Jollof rice combo w/ beef suya Definitely gave us the WOW factor , the freshness and quality of food is in every bite. The beef suya was seasoned and cooked to tender perfection. The portion size is commensurate with the price. It's served traditional with raw red onions (if they included fresh tomatoes, it would be even better ;). I give this spot a solid 8/10. This may become a fav in my local rotations. read more

City Chef - Jollof rice combo with beef suya - Caterers Near Me - Bowie, Maryland

I am not sure why this place has low stars. I ordered the lunch special of pork ribs and one side. I did collard greens and the pork ribs. You get five bones, which is amazing for the price of $16. They were well seasoned and did not require any barbecue sauce. I also ordered the collard greens for my side, which were a little bland. However, I've had worse I will definitely return for more ribs with a different side. read more

Beef Suya was chewy with lots of fatty pieces. I would not recommend the Jollof rice, it was horrible. Chicken Suya was okay. read more

good friendly staff server had good conversation catfish and mac is good! will definitely be back

I enjoyed my food. I can tell it's not just thrown together. They are making things from scratch. I know because I bit into two bones while eating my chicken sliders. But I like that! It's real food and it's not always fake and pretty. Going back to try more. Everything was good. They need their own signature drinks tho because Snapple ain't it! lol read more

Great soul for, fair price and friendly staff!! Live jazz on Thursday nights are also a big plus. Worth a visit.

Ordered my food and was told it was a 20 minute wait. 45 minutes goes by and I asked how long. I ended up waiting a little over a hour. There was another gentleman who was waiting for over a hour and a half. They refunded his money and he was promised to get his food as well. He waited another 10 minutes and they denied him the food. There were other customers who was waiting over 30 minutes for their food. Overall it might be best to possibly order o line. I'm not sure how helpful that would be either. read more

Customer Service is wonderful and they are so friendly. Food is amazing. My last visit, my hibiscus tea wasn't bagged. Called them and they immediately sent a text apologizing, and to pick up my missing item on my next visit. My son loves M&C and he ate his and my other half. I highly recommend City Chef read more

High hopes dashed. $23 for a medium chicken suya that was mostly bones. Couldn't have been more than 2 thighs. We also ordered 10 wings and a small veggie for $40. The wings were very tough . read more

Nefarious business practices. They ask for your number to call you when the order is ready and as soon as you get your food you will start getting spam text messages from Toast. I've been getting them ever since. I would never go here again. Plus the food is simply not good. I threw everything in the trash after the first bite. You have been warned. read more

I came here for the first time and the food was amazing. The jerk chicken had so much flavor along with the jollofrice and yams . This place is definitely worth a check it out. read more

City Chef - Sides jollof rice and yams - Caterers Near Me - Bowie, Maryland

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Excellent! Sides are a star. Coming from a Cameroonian perspective, the "Suya" or soya/jollof rice was very good. Love the red onions to lighten up the spice. Meat was fairly tender. I wasn't sure which kind of soya it would be. Medium thickness. Flavor very good. The ribs were good, the greens were extra flavorful. But the Mac and cheese was to die for. Platters were around $25 but were quality. I'd go back, next time I'll try the chicken. And definitely More Mac and cheese!! read more

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City Chef, Bowie, MD. I have been supporting them from when they first opened. But please, DO NOT buy the pepper soup. It is just left over grilled/smoked meat, boiled in water with onions and red peppers. Worst I've every had! Michael, I am totally disappointed in this. Make it right, or STOP selling it as pepper soup. read more

My son was so excited to mention City Chef as a previous bowie resident I was excited to hear that the food culture was changing! However I AM HIGHLY disappointed and disgusted at the very end. My sons and I went on a lunch date after a hot day travel from Havre de Grace MD we pulled into parking lot and it was very beautiful to see kids playing, music and the good smell of BBQ! A great day I thought to spend time, money and support the culture! Ordered the menu literally except the Half-Smoke. Arrived a little after 2 pm placed order and sat at the bar, the cashier was nice initially at the end had a very nasty attitude... and the bartender was amazing guy great conversation and drinks! (Thank you the only reason I left a tip to bad he has to share. The food was received at 4:31pm. When the food came out ALL of the sides, collard greens, jollof rice, plantains, baked beans, mac and cheese were lukewarm and that is being Extra Generous. My Red Snapper, Full Rack of Ribs, sliders were all cold. I was understanding initially considering the crowd, so I asked for my food to be reheated. The person whom took my food back wasn't pleasant didn't apologize and face expressions were as if I was bothering her or I was asking too much.. the red snapper came back out piping hot and was flavorful but basic , out of 10 I give it a 6.2. Baffled that I NEVER...Never received my full rack of ribs that was sent back for reheating at 4:37 pm! I also ordered at 3:54 pm 2 additional items that was never put in... I spoke with the chef personally was told he will make. As a chef myself, I understand the pressure of getting it right for the customer, however another EPIC fail! Went to settle my tab now after 5pm irritation starting to settle in, however trying to be graceful due to the lack of professionalism given and never received an apology was offered a piece of corn bread that wasn't good to begin with .. very dry... and not tasty like it was sitting all night or was refrigerated the night before. I told the to keep it. Although my service was horrible and food overly priced for small portions.. 3 hours later still not my complete order. The cashier comes with a order of ribs by the way she was putting the top on I open the container and sure enough was NOT the ribs I sent back and THEY were over cooked and dry !!!!!!! Fact Food Safety issues, I told them and stated because it wasn't the ribs I sent back I didn't want them, they can keep the money! I left without the food I paid for and left the tip and the $40 full ribs I never received!!!! I was disappointed because its our people that take short cuts and had an attitude about correcting their Service. Here are some valuable tips: If it's late at least make sure it's hot and plentiful. Not all customers want a refund they want you to give them what they ordered, on time, hot and tasteful. Bottomline I don't see what all the hype was about. If you don't know how to cook or haven't taste authentic cuisines then maybe it was the best food you had. For me and my family wasn't the least impressed. I've had authentic recipes made at friends homes that would put them to SHAME! No fufu on Nigerian menu is shameful and as a southerner very very very very very displeased no where near the food taste or quality of the south! $200's spent for nothing took leftovers to the homeless shelter.. We have to do better as a people, I am so kind that I asked when was their slowest day to give them another try and at the end WOULD never ! There's power in numbers and word by mouth! You lost a very valuable customer for giving below basic service! read more

Second time here and was excited to return. The fried whiting could be fried a little longer (heads up, there are bones, if that matters to you). The greens were good. A little sweet for greens but you can also taste the acid as well. I do wish the balance was better but it was decent. The mac and cheese was saltier than I liked (I don't cook with salt at all so it may be overpowering to me for THAT reason). I got the 2 piece whiting with 2 sides for $19. The sides are $5-$6, depending on what you get, if getting them separately. The sizes are great for that price point from a consumer standpoint. When I first tried them about a year ago, I had the smoked chicken. LOVE!!!!! Overall, I would recommend them. They also have a BEAUTIFULLY decorated event space right next door that includes everything you need!! Check them out!!! read more

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5/2/25 Order for delivery, and it was amazing. Definitely will eat here again and again. Wish I would have taken pictures. Next time. Delicious. Thank you City Chef for moving to Bowie! We needed you! Ribs dry and bbq, pulled pork sliders, coleslaw, greens, yams, half smoked sausage, potato salad all 5Star! Oh yeah and the sweet potato pie. I didn't eat it all but tasted all of everybody's order lolol read more

First time and last time visiting City Chef in Bowie Md. The food was over priced. I asked if the ribs were baby back. I was told they were. I was given very fatty ribs that were not baby back. Them when I complained about the ribs I was told Sorry. Ordered fish which was fried very hard. I would not recommend this restaurant. Stewart read more

Let me start by saying that the customer service was awesome. I ordered a slab of ribs, collard greens, and corn on the cob. The corn on the cob was perfectly grilled, and I ate every kernel. The slab of ribs were not the usual whole slab, I wanted to ask them where's the meat. Definitely grilled longer than the norm. Maybe because it was baby back, it was not enough for 4 like the traditional slab. The greens were a bit too sweet and had too much vinegar added. City Chef was not horrible, just not for my family. Thanks, but no thanks. read more

City Chef - A slab of ribs, collard greens, and corn on the cob. - Caterers Near Me - Bowie, Maryland

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When I walked in, I was hit with an amazing smell of food. The customer service was some of the best I've had in the state of Maryland. The food was great; the mac and cheese was creamy and cheesy, with a nice crispy top. The smoked chicken was tender and juicy with a fantastic smoky flavor. The suya was also delicious. I would 100% recommend this place to anyone. read more

City Chef - Caterers Near Me - Bowie, Maryland

Typical customer service experience - so frustrating. Low energy cashier who acted like she did not want my business. Seemed preoccupied and annoyed. Then my order sat for 20 mins and no one told me. There was only one customer there at the bar. They acted so unconcerned. What is up with "us" and customer service. First time customer too - first impression food not bad, customer service meh. We won't even talk about the low rider sofas and low budget bar stools. If you are moderate to big and over 40 - you don't want to sit down in there. Trust me. Now the food - halfsmokes - solid. Chicken wings - good taste and smoked well but they were lukewarm and undercooked. Ugh. read more

Place is nice. New place popped up in bowie. The good is good. Prices are a little high though.

Ok...I'm all for supporting black owned businesses, but this was just not what I was expecting. The suya seasoning on the chicken was good, and I like the addition of sliced onions with it, but the chicken was dry and over cooked. The seafood mac & cheese ($10) had pretty good flavor, but the farfalle pasta was over cooked as well as the 1 shrimp that came in it. The only thing that appears to have been cooked to order was the half-smokes...butnthey were not half-smokes...they were quarter pound hotdogs...and I waited 25 minutes for that! I think it's safe to say I was very disappointed in the quality of the food from here. Will not be returning any time soon. read more

City Chef - Suya Grilled Chicken & Seafood Mac & Cheese, $17 worth of food - Caterers Near Me - Bowie, Maryland

Food is always AMAZING! The ribs always taste so flavorful and the sides are amazing as well. I've tried several combinations including the red snapper combo and bbq rib combo. They never miss! You can tell when everything is made from scratch. Fresh and tasty! read more

City Chef - Red snapper jollof rice and plantain - Caterers Near Me - Bowie, Maryland

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