10 Best Barbeque Restaurants in San Mateo

“Absolutely loved this place! The food is outstanding — fresh, flavorful, and clearly made with care. The restaurant is spotless, and the ambiance is just perfect: calm, comfortable, and really inviting. It's the kind of spot where you can actually relax and enjoy a meal without the noise and chaos you find elsewhere.
What really sets it apart is the ordering experience — you order right from your phone, which is both seamless and genuinely fun. It feels modern without being gimmicky. Highly recommend to anyone looking for great food in a clean, peaceful setting. Will definitely be back!“

“We’ve been here twice, but only downstairs, which can get very noisy. Their yakitori is very good. We also tried the mentaiko udon and grilled corn and both were good, too.

There’s a public parking garage behind the restaurant. Parking is free after 6 pm. You can enter the restaurant through the back door.“

“Omg this might be the best chinese skewer place in the Bay. The flavor is amazing and the decor is so on point too. I love the veggie skewer options they have (must get a-choy and chives) and the meat skewers are tender too. I really wished they had a fried rice addition since that would go so well with the skewers.

I would recommend you join the waitlist before coming in person since it’s usually really busy. I would come back here many times!!“

“Ok, this is great food! Awesome Barbecue and Fried Chicken. Menu is on the website. Don’t forget to tip!“

“Really enjoyed our dinner here! We skipped the famous sampler platter since we weren’t super hungry and just ordered a few things that sounded good.
- The beef tongue was a bit chewier than I expected - definitely had to work at it.
- Oxtail stew was tasty but they went a little heavy on the green onions.
- Pork jowl had great flavor and that nice fatty richness, though I wish it had been a touch more tender.
- Whole marinated short rib was absolutely incredible. So tender and juicy, honestly the star of the show.

Worth coming back for that alone. Good meal overall with one dish that really knocked it out of the park!“

“I wish I took a picture on how little food you get on a 1 item lunch plate with a side. We got the brisket + side + drink for $28 each after TT. I chalk it up to all the joy that is inflation and huge cost increases post covid. They should include a cornbread muffin like back in the day then the small handful of meat would be less an issue. I know it's tough for restaurants in the bay with all the costs of operating going up, but if the owner reads these...corn muffin those lunches before the yelpers come out! I've always loved AW!“

“Great ramen!!! Fast and friendly service!“

“This is the first review of 2025. I accidently ordered off the uber app from a whim. Until I read the reviews meanwhile my meal was in route. I think they changed the cook yall. Chicken was cooked well rice as well. Mac needs its home recipe for sure. Was the chicken hot? No it was warm. But I am very impressed by the improvement. I won't be ordering again though. 😂😂😂😂“

“Came to visit the l&l barbecue on 3rd avenue in downtown San Mateo. First time to this location. Location is under New Management and I couldn't tell the restaurant was very up to the l&l standard.
Clean tables plenty of seats. Pepsi soda fountain and Hawaiian drinks available. I had the pineapple orange flavor which is my favorite. The menu has regular plates and even mini plates available if you're not that hungry. My wife had the shrimp with rice and a Pepsi. We shared a Spam Masubi. I ordered the regular chicken katsu plate with rice and macaroni. The food was good. Parking is difficult. Plenty of street parking but it fills up fast in the evening and there is also a parking garage which is a bit of a walking distance but if you don't want to play parking wars I would just go for the parking garage and walk a short distance.“

“Fresh authentic Cantonese food. Always come back to here when we crave BBQ pork, porridge, traditional Cantonese rice dishes. Affordable, but that would mean service would take some time. I would call at least 45 minutes in advance to order takeout because it can get busy sometimes. They have fresh fish on the menu even, and weekday specials like pineapple buns.
Great spot for gluten free and dairy free options with all the porridge and rice dishes.“