Friendly service, great pasta dish. Would recommend the Radiatora ricatati
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ximena Ferreyra
Ufff this place is so good! We just stumbled upon it for lunch and were blown away by the quality of home made pasta and sauces!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Robin S
The atmosphere is like a nice coffee shop/cafe but the food quality is excellent! The cafe name and the atmosphere are very deceiving. The food brought back memories of our trip to Florence last year! Pasta is fresh, sauces are rich. Had the amatriciana with a unique pasta shape and my husband had the Bolognese. All so fresh and good. The mussels app - excellent! Fresh and the tomato based sauce they were cooked in absolutely required more bread to soak it all up. Prices were extremely reasonable, very limited wine list but don't let that stop you if you want really good, fresh, reasonably priced pasta. Can't wait to go back. They also sell pastas and sauces for you to make at home.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nic Crouch
Delicious
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Allen Nguyen
Delicious pastas, great flavors and styles. I think it’s similar to Sapore in Burlingame and we love the creamy tomato sauce (pink sauce?) pastas. The lasagna is different, not like typical stouffers mutilayers with cottage cheese but more a deconstructed, really good though!Kid-friendliness: Ample space, kid chairs
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Sauce
KristieL
Made a reservation for 5 people at 5:45pm. Showed up and were told there was a mix up in their system with reservations and this San Mateo location does not take reservations. Waited about 30 mins to get a table, and while waiting the waiter brought us a plate of bruschetta to munch on until our table was ready. We were seated at a 4 person table and a chair was added on the end which was a little awkward for my husband who sat there because the table leg was right in the middle so he had to sit sideways. Food was great, wine was great. Service was also good, but had to ask for a few things. Restaurant was busy (Friday evening) so it was ok.
Shubham Jain
The ravioli and pesto pasta was good. Bruschetta was very tomato. I was hoping for a baked bread but oh
Food: 5
Brian Zhao
Definitely come here if U are a big fan of authentic Italian pastas. This place won’t let U down!
Helen Angeldones
Pasta was cooked al dente which added lots of texture to the creamy, rich and flavorful sauce in the Pollo Masala I had for dinner. Bruschetta was refreshingly appetizing. I will certainly be back.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Calamari Fritti, Bruschetta
Katie C.
Yum! We were really impressed with our pasta dishes. I got fusilli with a creamy pesto and my husband got the cheese ravioli with added on chicken. The dishes seemed fresh and flavorful and were good sized portions. We did take out and it was still very hot when we got home. They also sell fresh pasta to cook at home, so we'll have to try that out too. Glad to have a solid pasta place to add to our regular rotation!
4/14/23Zach and I went to Sapore Express to satisfy our italian food craving for dinner. We decided to try out Sapore Express. It was fairly late to go out for dinner so parking wasn't an issue and when we got there, we were able to sit down within 5 minutes. The restaurant itself is pretty small with some outdoor seating.Here's what we got:1. Calamari to share2. Lasagna alla bolognese (his)3. Radiatori rustica (mine)First to arrive was the calamari. It was fairly crispy but more oily than I would like. We were also given a small plate of bread with some dipping sauce. The bread was hard, cold and dry. I would have preferred the bread to be warmed up at least like what I have experienced at other Italian restaurants...The main dishes didn't take long to come either. The smell of the pasta dishes was so delicious. Zach's dish looked unappetizing, but Zach said he loved it and it tasted great. I really enjoyed my pasta as well. The shape of the radiatori pasta was interesting because I had never seen this type of pasta before. The pasta was cooked to perfection, the sauce was creamy and delicious. There was a good, equal amount of both meat and veggies in the pasta. To note: there's a big sign that says they charge an additional fee if you use a credit card. Zach and I decided we didn't want to pay the additional fee so I paid with cash. Maybe the cashier was new or kinda out of it since it was the end of the day, but he ended up giving me back the coins I paid with and I was missing a few dollars of change. Other than that mishap, service was good and the food was excellent.
Harry W.
Utterly Awesome homemade pasta, totally worth the wait, friendly service. Casual, informal, unpretentious no-frills neighborhood-local-type vibe. Indoor and outdoor seating. It's kind of like eating in an outdoor cafe.. but inside! We can't wait to go back!There are a ton of really great places to have a meal in Downtown San Mateo. but behind this unassuming facade is some absolutely terrific pasta.Our favorites include the following:Radiatore Rustica - Densely stacked spiral pasta in a cylindrical shape served with delicious ground sausage, bell peppers, pea and mushrooms. This one really hit the spot for me.. Wow. The tomato cream sauce was perfect.Tagliolini Vongole - Linguini-like but thicker pasta with fresh clams, garlic and olive oil. Simple ingredients, but oh, what flavor! Calamari Fritti - pretty standard deep fried, but they fry the lemons too! So ask for a slice of fresh lemon on the side if desired..Bruschetta -- just right with plenty of tomatoes and basil..Tiramisu - on point. Fresh and moist with a nice drizzle of chocolate sauce.We have been here a couple of times now, and the food and service quality is very consistently good. Yes, we have much more to explore on this menu, but each time, our go-to choices above are very hard for us to pass up! =)
Lisa C.
Great place to grab so Italian food/pasta in San Mateo! I came here twice, and both times, I had a good time. We were served bread in the beginning, which was great. I ordered the Radiatori Rustica, which was delicious and had a good flavor. The pasta shape was also unique and I enjoyed it! The service was also quick and attentive. There's seating indoors and outdoors, and when I went during the weekend at around noon, there was plenty of seating, and not that long of a wait. Overall, great spot to get some pasta in San Mateo!
Tiffany H.
I wanted to try this place out as I really loved the place that was opened previously. For those who are wondering, this place does not have any recipes from the previous restaurant. There isn't too many tables available indoors so if you have a large party, I suggest you go there early to be seated together. Alternatively, they do have some outdoor seating which can work for those who do not mind. My experience was pretty different from service to the food. The first time, my pasta was lacking some sauce (at least to my standards as I like to coat it prior to eating) and the waiter didn't stop by to offer cheese. The second time I ordered the same dish, I received enough sauce without me asking for it and was offered cheese. The consistent item was the gorgonzola itself. The Fiocchetti al Gorgonzola was my favorite. Fair warning, the dried pear is quite sweet, so having the sauce there really helped to even out the sweetness. I'm not saying it's a bad thing to have it sweet or that I didn't like the dish, it just felt weird having sweets for dinner. I absolutely loved it so no doubt I will reorder this again in the future and hopefully it comes with enough sauce and cheese.
Bradford L.
Fantastic Italian restaurant in a very competitive location in San Mateo! My friend and I were craving Italian food, and decided to come here because prices seemed very affordable and the atmosphere seemed like no frills. I ended up ordering the Radiatori Rustica and we shared the Calamari Fritti. The pasta dish was delicious - great sauce and very interesting pasta shape. The calamari was perfectly fried, but I did find the fried lemon and jalapeño to be a bit bizarre. Deducting a star because they charge a credit card fee - I feel a restaurant located in this area of San Mateo shouldn't be charging that. Otherwise, I'd be happy to return here and try a different dish!
Friendly service, great pasta dish. Would recommend the Radiatora ricatati
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ufff this place is so good! We just stumbled upon it for lunch and were blown away by the quality of home made pasta and sauces!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The atmosphere is like a nice coffee shop/cafe but the food quality is excellent! The cafe name and the atmosphere are very deceiving. The food brought back memories of our trip to Florence last year! Pasta is fresh, sauces are rich. Had the amatriciana with a unique pasta shape and my husband had the Bolognese. All so fresh and good. The mussels app - excellent! Fresh and the tomato based sauce they were cooked in absolutely required more bread to soak it all up. Prices were extremely reasonable, very limited wine list but don't let that stop you if you want really good, fresh, reasonably priced pasta. Can't wait to go back. They also sell pastas and sauces for you to make at home.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Delicious
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Delicious pastas, great flavors and styles. I think it’s similar to Sapore in Burlingame and we love the creamy tomato sauce (pink sauce?) pastas. The lasagna is different, not like typical stouffers mutilayers with cottage cheese but more a deconstructed, really good though!Kid-friendliness: Ample space, kid chairs
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Sauce
Made a reservation for 5 people at 5:45pm. Showed up and were told there was a mix up in their system with reservations and this San Mateo location does not take reservations. Waited about 30 mins to get a table, and while waiting the waiter brought us a plate of bruschetta to munch on until our table was ready. We were seated at a 4 person table and a chair was added on the end which was a little awkward for my husband who sat there because the table leg was right in the middle so he had to sit sideways. Food was great, wine was great. Service was also good, but had to ask for a few things. Restaurant was busy (Friday evening) so it was ok.
The ravioli and pesto pasta was good. Bruschetta was very tomato. I was hoping for a baked bread but oh
Food: 5
Definitely come here if U are a big fan of authentic Italian pastas. This place won’t let U down!
Pasta was cooked al dente which added lots of texture to the creamy, rich and flavorful sauce in the Pollo Masala I had for dinner. Bruschetta was refreshingly appetizing. I will certainly be back.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Calamari Fritti, Bruschetta
Yum! We were really impressed with our pasta dishes. I got fusilli with a creamy pesto and my husband got the cheese ravioli with added on chicken. The dishes seemed fresh and flavorful and were good sized portions. We did take out and it was still very hot when we got home. They also sell fresh pasta to cook at home, so we'll have to try that out too. Glad to have a solid pasta place to add to our regular rotation!
Restaurantji Recommends
4/14/23Zach and I went to Sapore Express to satisfy our italian food craving for dinner. We decided to try out Sapore Express. It was fairly late to go out for dinner so parking wasn't an issue and when we got there, we were able to sit down within 5 minutes. The restaurant itself is pretty small with some outdoor seating.Here's what we got:1. Calamari to share2. Lasagna alla bolognese (his)3. Radiatori rustica (mine)First to arrive was the calamari. It was fairly crispy but more oily than I would like. We were also given a small plate of bread with some dipping sauce. The bread was hard, cold and dry. I would have preferred the bread to be warmed up at least like what I have experienced at other Italian restaurants...The main dishes didn't take long to come either. The smell of the pasta dishes was so delicious. Zach's dish looked unappetizing, but Zach said he loved it and it tasted great. I really enjoyed my pasta as well. The shape of the radiatori pasta was interesting because I had never seen this type of pasta before. The pasta was cooked to perfection, the sauce was creamy and delicious. There was a good, equal amount of both meat and veggies in the pasta. To note: there's a big sign that says they charge an additional fee if you use a credit card. Zach and I decided we didn't want to pay the additional fee so I paid with cash. Maybe the cashier was new or kinda out of it since it was the end of the day, but he ended up giving me back the coins I paid with and I was missing a few dollars of change. Other than that mishap, service was good and the food was excellent.
Utterly Awesome homemade pasta, totally worth the wait, friendly service. Casual, informal, unpretentious no-frills neighborhood-local-type vibe. Indoor and outdoor seating. It's kind of like eating in an outdoor cafe.. but inside! We can't wait to go back!There are a ton of really great places to have a meal in Downtown San Mateo. but behind this unassuming facade is some absolutely terrific pasta.Our favorites include the following:Radiatore Rustica - Densely stacked spiral pasta in a cylindrical shape served with delicious ground sausage, bell peppers, pea and mushrooms. This one really hit the spot for me.. Wow. The tomato cream sauce was perfect.Tagliolini Vongole - Linguini-like but thicker pasta with fresh clams, garlic and olive oil. Simple ingredients, but oh, what flavor! Calamari Fritti - pretty standard deep fried, but they fry the lemons too! So ask for a slice of fresh lemon on the side if desired..Bruschetta -- just right with plenty of tomatoes and basil..Tiramisu - on point. Fresh and moist with a nice drizzle of chocolate sauce.We have been here a couple of times now, and the food and service quality is very consistently good. Yes, we have much more to explore on this menu, but each time, our go-to choices above are very hard for us to pass up! =)
Great place to grab so Italian food/pasta in San Mateo! I came here twice, and both times, I had a good time. We were served bread in the beginning, which was great. I ordered the Radiatori Rustica, which was delicious and had a good flavor. The pasta shape was also unique and I enjoyed it! The service was also quick and attentive. There's seating indoors and outdoors, and when I went during the weekend at around noon, there was plenty of seating, and not that long of a wait. Overall, great spot to get some pasta in San Mateo!
I wanted to try this place out as I really loved the place that was opened previously. For those who are wondering, this place does not have any recipes from the previous restaurant. There isn't too many tables available indoors so if you have a large party, I suggest you go there early to be seated together. Alternatively, they do have some outdoor seating which can work for those who do not mind. My experience was pretty different from service to the food. The first time, my pasta was lacking some sauce (at least to my standards as I like to coat it prior to eating) and the waiter didn't stop by to offer cheese. The second time I ordered the same dish, I received enough sauce without me asking for it and was offered cheese. The consistent item was the gorgonzola itself. The Fiocchetti al Gorgonzola was my favorite. Fair warning, the dried pear is quite sweet, so having the sauce there really helped to even out the sweetness. I'm not saying it's a bad thing to have it sweet or that I didn't like the dish, it just felt weird having sweets for dinner. I absolutely loved it so no doubt I will reorder this again in the future and hopefully it comes with enough sauce and cheese.
Fantastic Italian restaurant in a very competitive location in San Mateo! My friend and I were craving Italian food, and decided to come here because prices seemed very affordable and the atmosphere seemed like no frills. I ended up ordering the Radiatori Rustica and we shared the Calamari Fritti. The pasta dish was delicious - great sauce and very interesting pasta shape. The calamari was perfectly fried, but I did find the fried lemon and jalapeño to be a bit bizarre. Deducting a star because they charge a credit card fee - I feel a restaurant located in this area of San Mateo shouldn't be charging that. Otherwise, I'd be happy to return here and try a different dish!