Home Bistro
Home Bistro Reviews - Prepared Meal Delivery Reviews
Once the proud leader of the prepared meal delivery industry, Home Bistro has slowly evolved into a relic of what it once was. Gone are the 140 plus meals, with enough variation to support the lifestyle dining of every region in the country, along with its value pricing that would fit into almost any family budget. What is left is high-quality ingredients, sous-vide meal preparation, the hallmark of the company, along with above average portion sizes, and incredible sauces. The minimal menu is closer to restaurant dining, except restaurant dining is less expensive.
We evaluate prepared meals we based on numerous criteria including shipping packaging, food quality, and much more, but in the end, the final question is: "Would we reorder this meal again at the same price?"
Given a Home Bistro three-course meal will cost between $18 and $24, it is hard for us to say we would reorder many of these meals again. Not because they are not good, because they are all excellent, but $18 for a chicken breast, a side, and a vegetable is hard to swallow, no pun intended. If your budget allows you to enjoy frozen gourmet prepared meals, that are near perfect from start to finish, then this company is for you. It would be like plating one fantastic sous-vide meal after another and experience meals as if the chef just cooked it for you.
A sampling of photos of Home Bistro Prepared Meals
Home Bistro is essentially a gourmet chef delivered right to your doorstep.
- 100% Satisfaction Guarantee
- Nationwide delivery, including Alaska and Hawaii
- Shipping - Shipping costs depend on the total cost of your order and are the same for all zip codes, and range from $15 to $50 on average.
- Fresh or Frozen? - All of the meals from Home Bistro are freshly prepared and cooked with all real ingredients and then flash frozen.
- Gift Certificates - Home Bistro offers gift certificates that are printable and that can be mailed right to your home. You can also have Home Bistro send the gift certificate to any recipient you would like as an alternative option.
Home Bistro Prepared Meals We Would Not Reorder
Mediterranean Orange Honey Shrimp with Arborio Rice and Spicy Chili Broccoli - $22
When I read the list of what I would be reviewing today, I thought to myself: "Yeah, good luck with that." I cannot believe how well this meal was prepared and reheated using the sous-vide technique. First, the quality of the food was first-rate, and there were about ten pieces of perfectly cooked shrimp that came with my portion. No one gets Risotto from the kitchen to your plate where it comes out as it is intended, but the chefs at HB did just that. It was creamy, flavorful, and complimented the shrimp perfectly. Broccoli is broccoli, but it wasn't mushy and still had a crisp bite in each floret. As great as this meal was, I couldn't say I would order it again at $22. $12 to $14, maybe even $16 I would do it. I do appreciate the culinary skill, but there is about $4 to $5 of food cost on this plate.
-Nicole DiLayne
Charbroiled Peri Peri Chicken with Cauliflower Gratin and Roasted Brussels Sprouts - $18
A Peri Peri sauce has a Portuguese heritage and consists of Piri Piri (the correct spelling) chilies, peppers, garlic, onions, and a splash of lemon. It is also very popular in Africa with slight variations on the recipe. It is very spicy. I was surprised a meal delivery service would put this on the menu because most of their customers would not be familiar with it, but the sauce is very watered down. It is more like a chutney or a mild salsa.
$18 is a lot to expect a consumer to pay for a Chicken Breast, Cauliflower, and a couple of Brussels Sprouts sliced in half, in my book. The meal was good, but I thought it was overpriced.
-Chef Aldo Piquanti
Peri Peri Cod with Rice and Broccoli - $23
Thank you Chef Piquanti (see above) for our lesson on what a Peri Peri sauce is. I too found the sauce to be nothing authentic and questioned why it would be on a piece of Cod anyway. I found the fish to be expertly prepared, and the sous-vide technique for reheating it is unsurpassed., The fresh taste of the fish comes through, and the portion size was considerable, if not double what other meal delivery services give you. The rice might be the best I have ever had from a service, and the broccoli was spot-on too.
$23 for a Cod meal is too expensive for me to say I would repurchase it. I know I have it locally at restaurants for much less and get some more traditional side dishes.
-Morris Pelphner
Hanger Steak with Lemon-Caper Piccata Sauce, with Garlic Marble Potatoes and Cauliflower Gratin - $23
I live in Manhattan where I can go out to The Dutch, Elephant and Castle, the Dumont, Saxon and Parole, or about a dozen other top NYC restaurants and have a hanger steak dinner for about the same price or a few dollars more. I do go out to these places, and I do order Hanger Steak meals, and I have to honestly say this meal is just like being at any one of those restaurants I mentioned. The sous-vide cooking ensures you are going to have a steak expertly prepared and medium rare. It is quite amazing actually. As far as I am concerned, they hit this one out of the park. The sides are very good too. I don't think the steak needs a sauce so you may want to try it on the side.
-Morris Pelphner
Mushroom Bolognese Pappardelle - $11
Normally our Chef Piquanti owns and reviews anything with Bolognese Sauce, but this one has mushrooms he let me do it. And I am so happy he did. The Pappardelle pasta is so good, I wish the size of this meal was doubled. It is clearly fresh pasta, so bonus points for that, and it is so perfectly tender amateur home chefs out there will want to learn more about cooking sous-vide.
The Mushroom Bolognese is not anything close to a traditional Italian Bolognese, but I am sure you don't need me to tell you that. It is good though, very good actually. Well worth $11 in my opinion.
-Nicole DiLayne
Chicken and Fruit Kabob - $18
The idea for this meal is interesting, but is likely to appeal to a very small market. There is about the same amount of chicken in this dish as the Chicken Breast meals. The fruit is fresh and compelling. The potatoes are perfectly seasoned from the inside out.
I am doubtful most American consumers would pay this much for a chicken meal, and being a kabob makes the interest less. $18 seems like too much to ask for this meal, it would certainly be not enough value for me to reorder it.
-Chef Aldo Piquanti
Udon Red Miso Superbowl - $11
We all know what chicken and beef broths taste like. Miso is different in that it does not have a "standard" flavor. Miso can be pungent, sweet, salty, or mild. It mostly depends on the type of grain that was used and how long it was allowed to ferment. Ingredients vary too and can include soybeans, sardines, kelp, smoked tuna, and shiitake mushrooms. This Miso soup is much less complicated and is closer to chicken broth than any traditional Miso, which is probably a good thing. There is no defined size for noodle length, but I thought these were cut too small. I liked it very much, while I think of it as more of an American version of the bowl like Taco Bell is the American version of a taco. It is sad to see this is only available in a package.
-Chef Aldo Piquanti
Artichoke-Lemon Hanger Steak with Vegetables - $24
This is the same hanger steak I reviewed above with a different sauce and a change in sides. It's a $1 more for some reason, but it is just as good as the other dish, and I would continue to recommend it at its higher price and change of sides.
-Morris Pelphner
Orzo Pecorino Romano Superbowl - $11
Sadly, this is now only available as a side dish or part of a package. HB has taken away the ability to load up your freezer with this fantastic dish that is large enough to pass as a light meal.
Combining sous-vide cooking and reheating with perfect preparation and delicious ingredients, like cream, make this one of the best Orzo dishes you may ever have. I feel that way. The sprinkle of mushrooms could be more plentiful, but the little pillows of Orzo in the Pecorino Romano Cream Sauce is a culinary experience you don't want to miss.
-Nicole DiLayne
Romano Pork Medallions - $16
I wonder what makes these Pork Medallions Romano? Romano most often refers to the cheese, no surprise there, or in lesser used applications, in the style of Rome. Roman cooking usually means bold flavors which don't exist in this dish. Maybe it's just a fancy name to make the meal sound more gourmet.
Surprisingly, these Pork Medallions meal is the lowest price three-course meal on the menu. The pork is expertly prepared, juicy, and delicious. Ours came with five thick cuts of it too. The potato wedges were out of this world also. They are not always on the menu, nor t=do they appear in many prepared meals. Gobble them up if you find them. The vegetables are fine, but the sous-vide pork may be an award winner.
-Nicole DiLayne
Grilled Chicken with Sweet and Spicy Veggies - $18
This is a very simple Grilled Chicken Breast, Broccoli, and Carrots. It would qualify for most diet plans, but it wouldn't qualify as a prepared meal with value. $18 seems like $10 overpriced to me.
-Chef Aldo Piquanti
Chianti Braised Short Ribs - $24
First, let me say that the Short Ribs we received looked nothing like the short ribs on the bone as pictured on the HB website. I was tempted to not order this because of the small portion size and the expensive price, but I am happy I did. Why they wouldn't update their website is beyond my understanding.
If you click on the picture and look at the closeup view, you'll still see fat in the meat. Fat mean flavor and cooking this meal sous-vide is about as perfect as you will get from any meal delivery service. The potatoes are magically seasoned inside and are delicious. On the high end of cost, but a great meal to add to your order.
-Morris Pelphner
Home Bistro Reviews by Chef Piquanti
Published on Sep 19, 2012
Chef Piquanti Review of Home Bistro
Home Bistro prepared meals are the original creator of the sous-vide prepared meal. Sous-vide is a cooking process that utilizes airtight plastic bags that house the food while it cooks in a bath of water.
It is very hard to find a flaw in these chef prepared meals that are sous-vide. They can be reheated in a microwave, but I prefer to reheat them in a warm-water bath, which is the same way they were cooked. I used a counter-top appliance, so I can control the water temperature, which is set below boiling. Never boil these meals, or you will dry them out.
I also purchased these meals on sale because I subscribe to their weekly emails. These meals are a good value at full price, but I was happy to save some money. I highly recommend you sign up for their emails. I saved 30% on many of Home Bistro meals by subscribing to their Weekly Newsletter.
-Chef Piquanti
Home Bistro Reviews Submitted to Us from Consumers
Less Than Impressed
Overall: No Medal
- Website Ease of Ordering: Fair
- Reheating: Poor
- Customer Service: Excellent
- Shipping: Excellent
- Taste and Food Quality: Poor
- Value: Poor
I am reading the customers reviews giving Gold Medal and thumbs-up to Home Bistro and I must have been very unlucky because so far, I was less than impressed with their meals. The short-ribs who everybody raves about was tough, unseasoned and the accompanying vegs tasted like perfume and definitely not fresh. The hanger steak was eatable but the fries were awful and Brussel sprouts tough as nails. I got a $500 invested in HB so I will reorder until it wears out but would definitely never invest in those meals again. If only I would have known before spending good money with this company. :(
-Joane Perry, TX
Not Edible
Overall: No Medal
- Website Ease of Ordering: Poor
- Reheating: Poor
- Customer Service: Poor
- Shipping: Fair
- Taste and Food Quality: Poor
- Value: Poor
I ordered 4 meals, each was not edible. Wheels on Meals serve better food then this company. Called company and explained my problems, and requested a refund no response. Meals are not inexpensive. Their idea of warm up is boil in a pot of water and sometimes the pouches leak leaving more water inside packet. Do not waste your money on this company or their Gourmet food?
-Nancy Maurer, IL
Oh My Goodness, It Was So Good
Overall: Gold Medal
- Website Ease of Ordering: Excellent
- Reheating:
Excellent
- Customer Service: Excellent
- Shipping: Excellent
- Taste and Food Quality: Excellent
- Value: Excellent
I love Salmon so I decided on the Salmon wellington. Oh my goodness, it was so good. The shell was light and airy. The salmon was tender with the right amount of seasoning. I also ordered the risotto. It was creamy and delicious. Why would I cook all of this from scratch when it took me minutes to heat. So happy to have found Home Bistro.
-Susan K. San Clemente, CA
Can't Go Wrong
Overall: Gold Medal
- Website Ease of Ordering: Excellent
- Reheating: Excellent
- Customer Service: Good
- Shipping: Excellent
- Taste and Food Quality: Excellent
- Value: Excellent
There is a lot to like about these meals. Here are some pictures from my most recent order. I always throw some of the shrimp cocktails in my order because it seems they are always on sale, and cost less than what I can buy them for in the grocery story. I love them for snacks or serving when I have guests over. The shrimp and pasta meal is one of my favorites, and the meatloaf and potatoes were pretty good too. I can't imagine how anyone could wrong with this company.
-Alfred J., CA
Beef Pot Roast and Shrimp Scampi
Overall: Gold Medal
- Website Ease of Ordering: Excellent
- Reheating: Good
- Customer Service: Excellent
- Shipping: Excellent
- Taste and Food Quality: Excellent
- Value: Excellent
Beef Pot Roast - My first impression of removing the pot roast from the bag and to the plate, was that the gravy was very watery. To my pleasant surprise, the gravy was delicious, which was more like an “au jus.” There are two and half generous slices of roast beef, where were perfectly cooked. The pot roast is fork tender. The mashed potatoes were excellent and also perfectly cooked. They complemented the au jus like you expect in a restaurant or your Mother's Sunday dinner. The peas were also good. The portion size is tremendous Great meal.
Shrimp Scampi - This is nothing short of a delicious meal. Per the manufacturers heating instructions, all three components heated perfectly. There were six large shrimp, which came out tender, flavorful and not tough from being overcooked. The red scampi sauce was delicious, and the pasta reheated to perfection. I licked the plate clean.
-Michael P., NYC
Consumer Supplied Home Bistro Meal Pictures
Food Items Are Phenomenal
Overall: Gold Medal
- Website Ease of Ordering: Excellent
- Reheating: Excellent
- Customer Service: Excellent
- Shipping: Excellent
- Taste and Food Quality: Excellent
- Value: Excellent
It continues to be a pleasure dealing with this company. The service is outstanding and the food items are phenomenal. The chicken pot pie is my husband's favorite, even over the one I make, which he likes also...yet yours even more. What is also fantastic...is that when I order a meal, the proportions are perfect...not too much and not leaving us hungry. We miss the lemon dessert that was on the old menu prior to combining with DineWise. We would like to see this delicious item back on the menu. This is such a wonderful asset to us.
-Barbara C.
A Very Happy New Customer
Overall: Gold Medal
- Website Ease of Ordering: Excellent
- Reheating: Excellent
- Customer Service: Excellent
- Shipping: Excellent
- Taste and Food Quality: Excellent
- Value: Excellent
This was my first time trying prepared meals, and I thought they were outstanding. I purchased ten of them with your Home Bistro Coupon, so I am a very happy new customer. We have eaten more than half of the meals. I never heard of sous-vide cooking before, but it is also something I will never forget.
Beef Brisket Meal
- We live in the south so beef brisket is something we grew up eating. This meal was excellent. The size of the portion was surprising. The beef was so tender I could cut it with a fork, and the barbecue sauce was spicy but not hot. The mashed potatoes were homemade too. I would highly recommend them.
Crab Cakes
- These were very good also. They weren't 100% lump crab meat like you would get a good seafood restaurant, but the meal was about half the price of that too. The lobster sauce was to die for. I wish I could just buy that. The side vegetable blend was also good. The meals are easy to reheat too.
-J. Sommers, NC
Consumer Supplied Home Bistro Meal Pictures
A Birthday Gift
Overall: Silver Medal
- Website Ease of Ordering: Good
- Reheating: Good
- Customer Service: Excellent
- Shipping: Excellent
- Taste and Food Quality: Good
- Value: Good
I received a meal package a birthday gift, and I thought their meals were pretty good. I did buy some other meals a while ago from someone else and these were much better than that. Some of the portions of some of the meals were a little on the smaller side, but the others were hefty. I would recommend them. Next time I want to try picking out my own meals.
-K.B. LA, CA
Great Packaging
Overall: Gold Medal
- Website Ease of Ordering: Excellent
- Reheating: Excellent
- Customer Service: Excellent
- Shipping: Excellent
- Taste and Food Quality: Good
- Value: Excellent
Such a great carton you send our meals in, I hate to throw them away. Now I have one meal left to enjoy.
-Ann R, IL
Unlike All Other Meal Delivery Companies
Overall: Gold Medal
- Website Ease of Ordering: Excellent
- Reheating: Excellent
- Customer Service: Good
- Shipping: Excellent
- Taste and Food Quality: Excellent
- Value: Excellent
Thank you for your website. You are doing a great thing to help out seniors on fixed budgets. One of the things I love about these meals is that they are individually packaged, not in trays. I have found the meals will heat up like having really good leftovers if you put them on a plate, cover the plate with another plate, and microwave for about 3-4 minutes, just like you would heat up a leftover.
That is the only thing they have in common with leftovers. Their meals are delicious, and best in the business, in my opinion. I can't figure out why they are rated #2 because they are unlike all other meal delivery companies.
I sent in pictures of the Lemon Chicken, Garlic Chicken, and Ravioli dinners. These are three wonderful meals of many that reasonably priced and convenient to reheat. I would love to see them expand the menu.
-Alfred J., CA
Consumer Supplied Home Bistro Meal Pictures
Long Time Customer
Overall: Gold Medal
- Website Ease of Ordering: Excellent
- Reheating: Excellent
- Customer Service: Excellent
- Shipping: Excellent
- Taste and Food Quality: Excellent
- Value: Excellent
As a long time customer, I was very happy to see these meals available for sale, especially the cranberry stuffed chicken breast.
-Jennifer Burns, MD
A Terrific Product
Overall: Gold Medal
- Website Ease of Ordering: Excellent
- Reheating: Excellent
- Customer Service: Excellent
- Shipping: Excellent
- Taste and Food Quality: Excellent
- Value: Excellent
I have been using these meals for a few years to send meals to my elderly aunt in Florida. She was thrilled with her last meal package and said it was 'even better than before.' She has a number of health challenges - very poor eyesight, diabetes among others - and she truly enjoys the meals as they are easy for her to prepare and, she says, really delicious. This is a terrific product, excellent service and a great way for those of us who are too far away to be care givers to contribute to the quality of life of our beloved elders.
-D. Brown, HI
A Great Meal Service
Overall: Gold Medal
- Website Ease of Ordering: Excellent
- Reheating: Excellent
- Customer Service: Good
- Shipping: Excellent
- Taste and Food Quality: Excellent
- Value: Excellent
It is great to have their food back! I think their meals are reasonably priced and and I like their catalogs a lot. My favorite meals are the shrimp scampi and the Beef Tips in Burgundy Sauce. It's a great meal service.
-B. Di Marco
Best Chowder I Ever Had
Overall: Gold Medal
- Website Ease of Ordering: Excellent
- Reheating: Excellent
- Customer Service: Excellent
- Shipping: Excellent
- Taste and Food Quality: Excellent
- Value: Excellent
Us South Texans didn't know you really put clams in soup, Campbell's doesn't do that. I would say yours was one of the best chowders I ever had. I know your east coast standards are high but it was rich and creamy and the seasonings per perfect.
-L. Cross, TX
Consumer Supplied Home Bistro Meal Picture
High Standards
Overall: Gold Medal
- Website Ease of Ordering: Excellent
- Reheating: Excellent
- Customer Service: Good
- Shipping: Excellent
- Taste and Food Quality: Excellent
- Value: Excellent
The quality of your meals is the most important important thing to us, and we have never been disappointed. Please continue to maintain your high standards."
-S. Doyle, Baltimore, MD
Share Your Meal Delivery Experiences
Morris Pelphner
Founder and Director
Prepared Meal Delivery Reviews
Chef Aldo Piquanti,
Video Food Blogger
Formerly of Gourmet-Reviews.com
Nicole DiLayne
Food Blogger
Formerly of Prepared-Meals.com
Copyright 2009 Prepared Meal Delivery Reviews. Art Commercially Licensed by Shutterstock. Contact. Companies No Longer in Business DineWise, EasyLife Meals.