21 Best American Restaurants in San Mateo

“The outdoor patio was perfect for our Sunday brunch and our 18th Anniversary. We’ve celebrated many occasions at All Spice and have always had a stellar experience with the staff and the food. Our table felt intimate — we were sharing a large space with four other tables, appropriately distanced. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable. Again, all Covid-19 compliant. The food, oh the food! The Dutch baby was perfectly cooked and the fruit fillings were gorgeous. The chicken sandwich was out of this world. The Mimosa and hard apple cider beverages were on point. We always love our meals at All Spice and this time was no exception. It’s a total gem!“

“The do called "inclusive" atmosphere is really just an owner who hates everyone who has different views. If your social or political views are woke, you aren't welcome. Spend your money elsewhere. This guy is an idiot.“

“Good food. Good service. Good atmosphere.“

“Great food an Service. Friendly staff and generous portions.“

“Yvette, the owner of Swing Shift, has cooked, owned and managed restaurants, AND has traveled extensively. She has brought those experiences to Swing Swift and created a “Greatest Hits” menu. My favorite? The tacos from Mexico City are to die for! Chicharrones give them texture and the tortillas are sublime. Not your usual CalMex tacos. My wife could live on rice. She fell in love with the 5 Spice Fried Rice. The pork belly is tasty, not fatty. And a fried egg finishes the dish. Yvette’s burger isn’t from her travels, it’s from her chef’s brain. She marries spices and cheese and high quality beef to create a new burger experience. Ya gotta try it! While we were there, a regular customer walked in, the staff greeted him and said, “Gumbo?” “Yes.” “Anything else?” “No.” He’s in there all the time, JUST for the gumbo. It will remind you of New Orleans. On a personal note, my mother and grandmother used to challenge each other to chili cook-offs and both their chilis were superb. Mom, Grandma, don’t let Yvette join the contest. Her chili is that good! My wife liked the wine list and I was surprised to find mock-tails (try the Sour!) that were actually good, and not just a mishmash of ingredients like so many places. And they take reservations….yay!“

“We had an absolutely lovely experience here! Came for my boyfriend’s birthday, everyone was friendly and attentive. Fantastic high end ambience. The food was almost too beautiful to eat and every one of us thoroughly enjoyed our entrees. One of our guests said it was the best spaghetti he had ever had! The mushroom risotto was perfection. I had the Chilean sea bass and WOW! The salmon was also amazing. The other two guests had roasted chicken and hangar steak… I didn’t get to try them but they looked amazing and everyone cleaned their plate even though we were full lol! We will absolutely be back. Highly recommend!! 5 stars ⭐️“

“Come for Happy Hour or a cold beer few times a week. Good atmosphere, fast service usually Liz, Chelsea and Guy with longer hair and hat or Angel there they all have good customer service, friendly and Happy to Help. all good at what they do but Liz is definitely our favorite only because we have known her the longest and she has never let us go Thirsty or hungry and great at always checking on us 💯👍 as well as Chelsea Angel and the other guy. Been to many BJs in different states but got to say San Mateo has the best atmosphere then By other BJs we been too. But guessing it's only because of the staff there give them what they deserve and keep them around Because without them it wouldn't be the same.“

“Voted (by me) as the best place for breakfast in downtown San Mateo. I've been coming here for 9 years, and I've not had a bad meal. Friendly staff, generally quick service, good price, great food.

My favorite menu item is the fruit crepes with strawberry yogurt filling. 🤤“

“I've waited years for a Super Duper to open on the peninsula, and this branch does not disappoint.

Very clean, great staff and service, and burgers are as excellent as the Marina and SOMA locations. We love being able to modify burgers to fit dietary restrictions and preferences. I love how I'm reminding of the quality and freshness of the beef patties with every super duper burger I've had.

My standard order:
- cheeseburger with aged cheddar, extra veggies, jalapeños. sometimes i sub the bun w/ ciabatta
- keto cheeseburger, extra veggies
- cheeseburger without veggies (kids' request)
- fries
- ice cream shakes or cones

I appreciate them using compostable packaging , stainless steel trays and zero plastics (or as little as possible).

Parking was fine on a recent Saturday around 12:30pm

Manager walked around regularly to check on tables , and gernrally make sure things were running smoothly (I think I even saw him water one of the potted plants outside).

Music playlist on point with a variety of genres, and there were even some Snow Patrol and Duran Duran songs I haven't heard in a while. Oh nostalgia!

[Edited to add - they do in fact have beer and wine, so I guess that'll be included in my order next weekend!]
The only thing missing for me is this location does not have beer / wine (which SOMA location has), but it's a small aspect that maybe isn't needed for a large portion of their clientele

Thank you , Super Duper, for making my burger dreams come true!“

“Always love all their pies and we go there whenever we are visiting the area.“

“My favorite restaurant in Burlingame food is always fresh and not salty I love it 🥰 service is super nice“

“I deliver custom cabinets in Silicon Valley from Bend Oregon and when I’m in North Bay I always eat here. Always fabulous food for me and my German Shorthair Pointer. Room to park for my huge delivery van. I have never got anything bad for last 6 yrs it’s always been great“

“I've been to the one in the city and figured I'd give this place a try and have a nice quiet lunch to myself.Upon entering, it said, "Please wait to be seated." A few minutes passed by, and I saw employees walking around but wasn't acknowledged. I noticed the cashiers to my left and walked up. The lady was nice and took my order and told me to have a seat anywhere and that someone would be bringing me my drink. I was low-key annoyed. Why can't they make a sign that says place order with cashier?I looked around for a place to sit. The vibe seemed pretty chill. Decor was simple neutral colors. I took a seat, and a waitress grabbed my ticket. She was super nice and attentive. She was constantly refilling my Arnold Palmer, which was a huge plus.I ordered:1. Clam chowder - I'm not a huge soup fan, but this was surprisingly tasty and paired well with the cheese toast they provided.2. Chef's featured steak - This dish came with potatoes and spinach, I believe. I kind of wished it came with a roll. This was delicious, it definitely satisfied my craving.3. Crème Brûlée - I didn't think I had room for dessert but this was Aaaammmaaazzzing.To be honest, I was surprised for once I finished all my food all by myself. This is rare lol but speaks volumes to how good the food and service was. I'll definitely be back.“

“The staff was so so helpful and accommodating with my baby and stroller. It's a tight space inside but they seated us in a very comfortable spot where I could park my stroller and they were all very kind (and adorable and silly with the baby). I'm very grateful!!“

“Our reservation originally was at 12:30pm on Mothers' Day, but we came early and just asked the host if we can be seated. She checked and we were seated right away. I did not get a chance to ask her name. Our server was Andre, very Professional and quick service. The food was well cooked and tastes so good. We enjoyed our dining experience and would definitely come back.“

“The Best PASTRAMI!! Could not believe how juicy and tasty it was. From a low of 1 to a high of 10, it just breaks the ceiling at a score of 11. I was happy to see a lot of choices for drinks. Make sure you save space for the Baked Pudding. Excellent service from our server, Oliver! It was my first time and he gave the right recommendations. Fast and friendly service too. He would often pass by to check on us. And my group was a bit demanding by asking for napkins, then spoons. Thank you. I give it 5 stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“

“I had the Chicken Mix Bowl with the smokey chipotle sauce and it was AMAZING. I am allergic to dairy, gluten, and soy so being able to not worry about that with my meal was so nice. I also have ARFID (avoidant restrictive food intake disorder) and have a really hard with certain textures, usually chicken is really hard for me to eat but I had no issues with this chicken!! The texture was consistent all the way through, pulled apart really easily, and was just overall amazing. The portions are really good and the food is very flavorful. I'm really happy with my meal. Thank you guys for the amazing food. I highly recommend this place!!“

“Good food but service was poor“

“Literally these are the best fries I've ever had hands down. I got the original plain with just salt on them and the original chili BBQ which were off the hook. Both of them were amazing even the plain salted ones. I'm actually am shocked how good these fries are they were perfectly crispy not overcooked with the perfect amount of seasoning they are absolutely delicious. My son had come home about an hour and a half after I got them and I told him to try them and you know how usually after fries sit for 15-20 minutes they're not that good well after an hour and a half they were still top-notch ...no lie!!!! My son said oh "Damn if there.this good after over an hour then I wonder what they tasted like when you first got them".... that's how good they are!!! They are perfection...crisp but not at all burnt, not at all oily and the taste is fresh!! I also tried the spicy nuggets which We're more like popcorn chicken which is fine by us because we love popcorn chicken they were absolutely delicious.The portion sizes for both were very generous. I will be going back here without a doubt not even a question and not just once in a while but quite often. Because these items were so good I wanna try their burger and their Cheese sticks. Great job...so happy to have a place like this 3 min away!!“

“Great place to dine out with friends and family 😄“