20 Best Korean Restaurants near San Mateo

“Good food. Definitely recommended.“

“No wait to be seated upon opening on a Friday night, ordered right away with no expectations. Star of the show: KFC. Wow!!
My new favorite Korean fried chicken in the Bay Area, the spicy glaze was incredible and really reminded me of Korea. Definitely coming back more often for those!! Really enjoyed the Ttoekboki as well, very flavorful and lovely spiciness level. Will try the Bulgogi fries next!“

“So good !!!!!🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥“

“food place for family and hang out“

“Just delicious. I ordered an ube soft serve with an Ah Boong (fish waffle) on the side. The Ah Boong is warm and fresh, simultaneously soft and crispy, and the ice cream is flavorful and the perfect amount. I inhaled the entire thing within 5 minutes, it was just that good. The ube soft serve is not the best I've had, but it's still good, and that's probably because of my personal tastes. I think it is worth the price. The location is convenient too, right in Downtown San Mateo! Overall, I will come again. 4/5.“

“Part of a ghost kitchen that serves takeout food from various restaurants, no dine-in seating. I recommend ordering online and then picking it up over ordering in store, especially as parking is a little rough. Also recommend requesting utensils and napkins if you think you'll need them, since mine didn't come with any.

I've never been to other Vons chicken locations but the food that I got here was really delicious and also cheaper than the redwood city Vons chicken.
I got the lunch combo with 6 PC boneless chicken and it was the perfect amount of food for a meal.

Took about 30 min for order to be ready for pickup.“

“I loved the food. BBQ chicken, garlic fried chicken, cauliflower rice. I wanted to try the noodles, but I'm not fond of green onions and I found out that it's pre mixed into the noodles. Had hoped for the option of no green onions in the mix. Oh well, can't have it all. My rating is 4.5 “

“Hands down the best Korean fried barbecued chicken in the Bay Area! Banchan in San Mateo blew me away — perfectly crispy, juicy chicken with a rich glaze that hits all the right notes. The flavors are bold but balanced, and the sides (especially the pickled radish and kimchi) complement the meal beautifully. Service was fast and friendly, and the place was spotless. I’ve been craving it ever since. Highly recommend for anyone who loves Korean BBQ or just amazing fried chicken.“

“This is one of my favorite Korean restaurants in the Bay Area. One of the reasons is because they have a good selection of banchans. They offer a small fish that comes as a standard banchan.

We ordered Soondubu seafood and fish roe with Japchae as an appetizer. The Japchae was on the sweeter side and I wish it had a little more char flavor. Overall still a good dish. Portion sizes are generous. The soondubu’s had plenty of addins.“

“OMG I knew nothing about this restaurant but we chose it because that’s where we found a parking space, rock star. It was meant to be. Everything was delicious. From the kimchi to the beef tongue to the tofu soup with the dumplings, to the beef tendon soup (after adding salt) and the spicy noodles. I already want to eat there again. Tomorrow.“

“Delicious food and great service. We love many dishes from this restaurant“

“Delicious food, great atmosphere, great service! I've tried the Premium Ox bone noodle soup, bibimbap, jjajangmyeon, kimbap, and tteokbokki, and all are absolutely delicious! In fact, the tteokbokki is some of the best I've tried. I live out of town, but I will go back here every time I visit here.“

“Wanted to try a new Korean restaurant. This was definitely a hidden jem. We got here around 6:30pm on Saturday, May 31, 2025. There was no waiting and seated us right away. The restaurant seating is spacious with plenty of chair space and legroom. They cook everything for you. It was cooked to perfection. The Kalbi was tender with the perfect seasoning. Their Bonchon is some of the best we have ever tasted. Especially, their Kimchi. We have tried many different brands of Kimchi from Korean supermarkets. This has become our favorite Korean restaurant now.“

“Came in for a meal at 8:10 pm. Staff made us feel welcome even though we got there close pretty late for dinner. Tried their wings for appetizer. Chicken was cooked perfectly and extremely juicy. We tried the Bulgogi beef and seafood rice pots. Both tasted excellent.“

“Satisfies Korean food craving.“

“Really family friendly place with high quality Korean noodles. Reminds me of Korea and oddly Southern California, where Korean food presence is strong. SO glad to be seeing more high quality foods in the Bay area, and in the Peninsula where there is an absolute paucity of selection. Service was only ok, but it was clear that they were understaffed during their opening months. Will be back!“

“This place is absolutely incredible!!! The food is beyond delicious - especially the Korean dishes, which are so good they’ll leave you speechless. The service is wonderfully friendly, making the whole experience feel warm and welcoming. I also love that they have outdoor seating; it gives the restaurant such a pleasant and vibrant atmosphere.

If you go, you must try the Korean tteokbokki(spicy rice cake 떡볶이) korean fried chicken, and the kimchi fried rice , all highly recommended. Even the coffee is amazing here!!!! they serve it generously and it tastes fantastic.

Overall, a perfect spot for anyone looking for excellent food, outstanding service, and a great vibe!“

“The charcoal grills are a new experience for me. It was awesome! Food was delicious! Service was great! My only complaint would be for the ventilation to be better/stronger. I know to expect to smell like KBBQ after, but I think ventilation can be improved.“

“The food was great! In my bowl I got white rice and japchae mix, protein: bulgogi, carrots, cucumbers, and kimchi for my banchans. I also got a fried egg for a little extra. Everything was bomb, I would definitely go again. I'd like to try the other meats, i will say the meat was a little cold and wish it was a bit warmer.

For sauces I tried the Seoul Spicy Sauce and the Mayo Siracha and like both with my food. The service was friendly and chill.“