Ordered the Tuna Lovers combo for takeout, was $39.42. Tuna was good quality, but not good value for the price. Was told 10-15 min, took 30 min. Wait staff clearly super slammed, needed help.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Eddie Lee
Summary: food ok. Service needs work. Wouldn't visit again.
Had the katsu curry. Taste was good, but breading quality of the tonkatsu could use a LOT of work. Super thin meat, breading that was completely separate from the meat, and a relatively small portion.
Also had takoyaki— came out about when I was finished with the curry. Taste was ok, nothing special.
Waitress wasn't rude, but gave a strong feeling of not really caring at all. Would be the number reason I am not planning on visiting again.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 2
Tom Li
Food acceptable. Beef tongue was overcooked like crazy to the point of being crunchy from the char. Hamachi kama was perfectly cooked though.
Service could be better. My water cup along with my friends were clearly empty and they never offered to refill at all.
I tipped them fairly at 15% as my dinner service did not deserve the standard 18% their receipt asks for. Will probably not return again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 2
Jason Xiahou
Good not great Japanese food. We liked the Crazy Monkey roll, which was pretty big and came cut in 8 pieces. The chicken katsu curry was solid too, as was the buta nasu, though that had a lot more onion in it than I was expecting. It was packed on a Thursday night with beer towers flowing. Servers were really busy.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 3
Angelica Illescas
I have been frequenting this place for 5 years, they are one of my favorite restaurants, I love the food but in a few months now the attention of the waiters is terrible. You order something, they take a while to bring it, you have to ask for it more times and there are times when they don't bring the food... The care before was better than now.
Joshua Fischer
I ordered Izakaya Mai via Uber delivery. Altogether, delivery took over 1.5 hrs. When I opened the packaging, something smelled off. I thought it was the salmon and avocado roll, because the salmon was quite pungent, but it turned out to be the ginger, which was turning rancid. Like so so many Bay Area restaurants, if you aren't paying hundreds for a dinner reserved months in advance, you're likely to get subpar ingredients and mediocre food. Overall disappointing experience. After researching I discovered they are open late and that the ambience is authentic. If it were after 10pm and I had a decent pool of antibiotic booze in my belly, this would probably have been a better choice than, say, 7-11.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
Brandon Smith
First time going tonight. Absolutely amazing quality flavor and quality in the fish. Reminds me of a very traditional place.Definitely will return.
Vincent Chan
Am always happy to be here at Izakaya Mai. Have been going to this restaurant since i moved to San Mateo. I love the small plates because i can order a variety of food but not be overwhelmed by the by the volume of food. Good selection of saké and beer.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Okonomiyaki Japanese Pancakes, Deluxe Chirashi Bowl, Takoyaki, Roll, Izakaya Original Champon Served Hot
Ireth Barajas
Very disappointed! As someone who loves Japanese food and goes to multiple Japanese restaurants I can say this was my least favorite. I had got the chicken curry Katsu, spicy crunchy roll sushi, and chicken karage it was not savory or good. Very disappointed. Food was also served warm, not hot. If you want ur money's worth with tasty food this is NOT the place. The environment is nice but food isn't. Lesson learned do not eat at a restaurant that has a huge menu.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 2
Andrew Rayhill
Small place with really good food. I had the Chirashi Don bowl and really liked it. They have a really nice assortment of Sake and Japanese beer. Great little restaurant in San Mateo!
Great place to have fun! I definitely recommend it! The atmosphere is vibrant and welcoming, making it perfect for a day out with family or friends. The staff are friendly and attentive, ensuring that everyonehas a great experience. There's a variety of activities to keep everyone entertained, from exciting games to relaxing spots to unwind. Plus, the food optionsare fantastic, catering to all tastes. Overall, it's a wonderful destination that guarantees a memorable time for everyone!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Chandrahas P
Vibes and food are immaculate. The waiters are so friendly. The place is extra cozy
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Marcello Miranda
Not half bad, a bit below-average in terms of quality. Also their sushi rolls are about half the size of anywhere else, so you're getting pretty ripped off for what you're paying.
Nancy Vargas Lozano
Our flight was delayed and by the moment we landed, this was one of the few places still open.Well, amazing surprise! Food is delicious, place was packed, so one of the guys preparing food came to give us the menu for us not to wait.We will try to come back when we are in the area!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rohan Saxena
Average sushi place. The service wasn't the most attentive and the sushi itself is 50% or more rish. Proper sushi rolls highlights the fish where this seemed like the goal was to fill the customer up with rice instead.However, the fish itself was fresh and the same was good. A solid sushi place for the price, however, I'm sure there's better in the area.*Note - Visiting San Mateo. Not a local
Ordered the Tuna Lovers combo for takeout, was $39.42. Tuna was good quality, but not good value for the price. Was told 10-15 min, took 30 min. Wait staff clearly super slammed, needed help.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Summary: food ok. Service needs work. Wouldn't visit again.
Had the katsu curry. Taste was good, but breading quality of the tonkatsu could use a LOT of work. Super thin meat, breading that was completely separate from the meat, and a relatively small portion.
Also had takoyaki— came out about when I was finished with the curry. Taste was ok, nothing special.
Waitress wasn't rude, but gave a strong feeling of not really caring at all. Would be the number reason I am not planning on visiting again.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 2
Food acceptable. Beef tongue was overcooked like crazy to the point of being crunchy from the char. Hamachi kama was perfectly cooked though.
Service could be better. My water cup along with my friends were clearly empty and they never offered to refill at all.
I tipped them fairly at 15% as my dinner service did not deserve the standard 18% their receipt asks for. Will probably not return again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 2
Good not great Japanese food. We liked the Crazy Monkey roll, which was pretty big and came cut in 8 pieces. The chicken katsu curry was solid too, as was the buta nasu, though that had a lot more onion in it than I was expecting. It was packed on a Thursday night with beer towers flowing. Servers were really busy.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 3
I have been frequenting this place for 5 years, they are one of my favorite restaurants, I love the food but in a few months now the attention of the waiters is terrible. You order something, they take a while to bring it, you have to ask for it more times and there are times when they don't bring the food... The care before was better than now.
I ordered Izakaya Mai via Uber delivery. Altogether, delivery took over 1.5 hrs. When I opened the packaging, something smelled off. I thought it was the salmon and avocado roll, because the salmon was quite pungent, but it turned out to be the ginger, which was turning rancid. Like so so many Bay Area restaurants, if you aren't paying hundreds for a dinner reserved months in advance, you're likely to get subpar ingredients and mediocre food. Overall disappointing experience. After researching I discovered they are open late and that the ambience is authentic. If it were after 10pm and I had a decent pool of antibiotic booze in my belly, this would probably have been a better choice than, say, 7-11.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
First time going tonight. Absolutely amazing quality flavor and quality in the fish. Reminds me of a very traditional place.Definitely will return.
Am always happy to be here at Izakaya Mai. Have been going to this restaurant since i moved to San Mateo. I love the small plates because i can order a variety of food but not be overwhelmed by the by the volume of food. Good selection of saké and beer.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Okonomiyaki Japanese Pancakes, Deluxe Chirashi Bowl, Takoyaki, Roll, Izakaya Original Champon Served Hot
Very disappointed! As someone who loves Japanese food and goes to multiple Japanese restaurants I can say this was my least favorite. I had got the chicken curry Katsu, spicy crunchy roll sushi, and chicken karage it was not savory or good. Very disappointed. Food was also served warm, not hot. If you want ur money's worth with tasty food this is NOT the place. The environment is nice but food isn't. Lesson learned do not eat at a restaurant that has a huge menu.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 2
Small place with really good food. I had the Chirashi Don bowl and really liked it. They have a really nice assortment of Sake and Japanese beer. Great little restaurant in San Mateo!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Delux Chirashi Don
Restaurantji Recommends
Great place to have fun! I definitely recommend it! The atmosphere is vibrant and welcoming, making it perfect for a day out with family or friends. The staff are friendly and attentive, ensuring that everyonehas a great experience. There's a variety of activities to keep everyone entertained, from exciting games to relaxing spots to unwind. Plus, the food optionsare fantastic, catering to all tastes. Overall, it's a wonderful destination that guarantees a memorable time for everyone!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Vibes and food are immaculate. The waiters are so friendly. The place is extra cozy
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Not half bad, a bit below-average in terms of quality. Also their sushi rolls are about half the size of anywhere else, so you're getting pretty ripped off for what you're paying.
Our flight was delayed and by the moment we landed, this was one of the few places still open.Well, amazing surprise! Food is delicious, place was packed, so one of the guys preparing food came to give us the menu for us not to wait.We will try to come back when we are in the area!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Average sushi place. The service wasn't the most attentive and the sushi itself is 50% or more rish. Proper sushi rolls highlights the fish where this seemed like the goal was to fill the customer up with rice instead.However, the fish itself was fresh and the same was good. A solid sushi place for the price, however, I'm sure there's better in the area.*Note - Visiting San Mateo. Not a local
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
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