Bistro Market

Hmmmm.... I've been shopping weekly at the Bistro for about a year and a half. I had a puzzling experience this afternoon. I went through the Buffet for a quick bite of Cashew Chicken. They now charge you by weight of food that you put in a To-go box. A normal sized portion that you get anywhere in Springfield (cashew chicken capital of the world)for $5.50 was $16.66. Thats right.... sixteen dollars. The cashier was incredibly defensive. I understand there is seafood pasta and steak on the buffet but don't make us pay surf and turf prices for cashew chicken. Needless to say I'm very aggravated!

a basic grocery store that has super shiny floors and bright lights, but lacks club card price. fun to browse.

What I'm reviewing here is the hot food buffet, not the grocery store/coffee house/liquor store/bar that are all also attached.

And in fact, the buffet, as of four days ago, isn't a buffet any more but a hot food line where you scoop food onto a plate, they weigh it, and you pay them $6.99 a pound. We came for the buffet and got more a deli hot food experience.

Firstly, let's note that none of the food is marked. Fried chicken is obviously fried chicken, and mashed potatoes are obviously mashed potatoes. Some other dishes however, some kind of Mexican rice dish, looked good, but since I didn't know what was in it, I didn't get it. Same is true for enchiladas--are these pollo verde? Looked like it, and they were, but still, I would have liked some little signs to let me know what I was eating, or maybe eating. Placards?

Another small problem: You don't know how much food you're getting until you hand them the plate. Honestly, I didn't know if I had 1 pound or 3 pounds of food when I went up there. It turned out to be just over a pound, which made my meal almost $9, and that's fine, but I might want more/less, and really, until I know what I'm paying, that's hard to determine.

As for the food, it's all above okay. It's better than the Golden Corral/Old Country Buffet spread in that things seem a little fresher, the meat seems a little meatier, and there was some nice variety (but then again, I've been to Golden Corral recently, and honestly, the steak I had there was as good as any steak I've had in a restaurant in years). The green chicken enchilada was pretty good, and overall, it was a nice experience. It's also a fun, festive atmosphere in Downtown Springfield, lots of people walking around, a bar off behind us, and some hipster decor.

Nothing's great, though, and overall, it's buffet food, food that sits under lamps until someone eats enough of it so the cooks make more of the same. No individual item was as good as ordering it individually at a traditional restaurant, and nothing there is ever going to make me say, "You know what I'm craving? Bistro Market's _____! Let's go right now!" A really good restaurant, 4 stars or above, will do that.

So, worth a try, for sure, but nothing to run out to right now.