Bistro 71 — Restaurant in Chambersburg

This was my first time visiting Bistro 71, and the food was exceptional, overall. We started with the meatball appetizer, which was delicious. No complaints, and would definitely order again. Next, we got our soups. I got the tomato bisque, and my roommate got the French onion soup. Our server told us they were working on a salmon potato soup (their soup du jour/of the day), which sounded amazing, but it wasn’t ready (at 6PM). No problem. After that, our house salads and dinner bread came out. Sooooo good! One of the best salads I’ve ever had! The bread was good, but nothing to write home about. Then came the entrees. I got the filet, ordered medium rare, with fingerling potatoes and a brussel sprout salad. My roommate got the crab cakes. Although my filet came out medium well/well (not even close to medium rare), the butter compote helped make it one of the best filets (flavor wise) I’ve ever had. Had it not been topped with the compote, and seasoned/seared so perfectly, I would’ve for sure sent it back, because it was basically well done, to the point that I struggled to cut it. It wasn’t tough to eat, but definitely wasn’t juicy at all, which I prefer. There was no pink or red at all, other than in the very center, and even there, it was minimal. Honestly, if it wasn’t for the delay between each dish and drink refill, I would’ve asked for a remake. My roommate wasn’t a big fan of the crab cake entree, but asked if I wanted to try it, and I really liked it. It was extremely flavorful, which I loved, but he didn’t because he felt it took away from the crab flavor. We ended up getting desserts - him the cookie with ice cream, and me the waffle with ice cream. Both were phenomenal. Personally, I’d love to come back. Other than my filet being seriously overcooked (which shouldn’t happen when you pay $42 for a filet), I really enjoyed the food, and my roommate would probably just order something else. He said himself that he could understand why some people love the crab cake entree, but he personally prefers less “additives” to preserve the crab flavor. I disagree, because it added a ton of flavor and tasted amazing to me. I told him it was one of the best crab cakes I’ve ever had. My only personal complaint is that my steak was wayyyy overcooked, or maybe sat under a heat lamp for too long after it was cooked medium rare. Anyway, we still tipped 20%+ ‘cause our server had to walk up and down a rather narrow set of stairs and was generally good. He even boxed the food up for us. I would recommend this restaurant! I’m rating it 5 stars because I’m a server and understand that every restaurant has off nights. Just hoping it’ll be worth the 5 stars the next...

My husband and I have been a few times, and this past time we had the pleasure of our cook being Jacob. He came out as a break, and we expressed how great the food was and how flavorful it is and every single thing on the menu literally is fantastic especially the French onion soup with the beef tenderloin, and my husband had the duck on the appetizers which he says was fantastic and for entrées I've had the crabcakes And my husband has had the scallops again. Everything hears fantastic. The service is great but I would recommend a reservation, but this is our favorite restaurant in Waynesboro or Chambersburg. He was so kind as to thank us for being there he gave us a quart of free chili, and that again fantastic!! Thank you, and we will be regulars lol but serious!!! I wish I had photos to add, but it really doesn't matter because it would not even do it justice. You have to try the food, and I have read one of the reviews where it said the food was bland, and that they would not be back which is outrageous and I think just maybe they were, having a bad day because the food here is like I said wonderful & is VERY...

I am so ecstatic I discovered this amazing restaurant during my travels—it was truly a gem!

I started with the Ribeye Egg Rolls, and wow—absolutely delicious. Perfectly crispy on the outside, savory and flavorful on the inside. For my entrée, I chose the Crab Cake meal with risotto and summer vegetables. The crab cakes were generously sized and packed with flavor. The risotto was creamy and cooked to perfection, and the veggies added a fresh, vibrant touch.

The meal also came with a fresh salad and homemade rolls—and let me tell you, those rolls tasted like someone’s grandma was back there baking with love. I was so full I couldn’t finish my food, but every bite was worth it.

A special shout-out to Phillip the bartender—absolutely amazing service. I wish I had room to try more from the menu, but I did take the peach cheesecake to go, and it was fabulous—sweet, creamy, and the perfect ending.

Highly recommend this place—I’ll definitely be back if I’m ever...