21 Best Sushi Bars in San Mateo

“I think it must take a lot of effort to source the ingredients to be able to serve sushi of this caliber in San Francisco. It's a great honor to be a fishmonger.‼️“

“Was greeted & seated promptly. Welcomed by Manager Hung. Brittany was our waitress & we received the 20th Anniversary Sacks. Happy Anniversary.“

“This place has very authentic sushi. Imported Japanese fish are fresh and flavorful. The other appetizers and rolls are excellent too. The only negative is they are very busy so our dinner felt a bit rushed. But if you are looking for good food, this place is one of the best Japanese restaurants on the peninsula.“

“Sushi was delicious and service was great! Not a romantic spot though because it’s loud but fun if your going with family and friends. Music is good!!“

“Enjoyed omakase 8pcs with some age dashi tofu, nigori sake and the white peach panna cotta!“

“Thank you for the fresh Uni, and very awesome customer service. Highly recommend!!!“

“Great food and great people. I always have excellent service and great food when I eat there.“

“Cozy little Japanese restaurant with super friendly servers. The owner works at the counter. I come for Ishiyaki Hitsumamushi (Stone Bowl Seafood Rice) which I don’t think is served anywhere else. I also had tuna bone marrow for appetitzer and black sesame cheesecake for dessert. So many other dishes I want to try so will be back.“

“I’m happy to support The Backhouse. I’ve ordered from them twice now, the $450 deluxe platter, and both times were excellent. You can tell the owner takes pride in her preparation, selects high quality fish, and the rice is cooked and proportioned perfectly. Most importantly, you get to enjoy delicious meal in the comforts of your own home.

Ordering through their website may seem daunting, but it’s actually pretty straight forward. They are also accommodating as I selected the wrong date and corrected with a link they provided. I didn’t have to call or speak to anyone. Their ordering website is intuitive and well designed.“

“Great walkable neighborhood“

“Not my usual sushi diner, but we wanted to try out a new place. This restaurant has 2 stories with a staircase.

The service was average. The serving staff couldn’t speak English. We didn’t know Spanish so we had to communicate with body language to ask for some water. The staff that actually took our orders knew English, but he was missing the first 10 minutes, counting from when we finished scanning the menu.

The food was very good. Fresh sashimi and sushi rolls. The only thing that could be improved was the plain udon. As far as I know, even Japanese plain udon contains seaweed, fish cakes and tempura crumbs. This one had none. Literally, just udon and broth, not even chopped green onions.

Vegetarian options: They have veggie dishes, look for the descriptions.

Parking: Free parking after 6pm

Kid-friendliness: Kid’s high chairs and plastic utensils

Wheelchair accessibility: I think first floor dining area is for disabilities and elders.“

“Their all-you-can-eat option is the best deal going! Try everything on the menu- very fresh, so yummy and discount for cash payment“

“High quality food at fair prices. One baffling issue is that they charge for tea, but provides FREE saki and sida.“

“good food great service and accomending.“

“I found authentic sushiya in Bay area!
I went here for the first time and I enjoyed my dinner. They have great selections day by day with special fishes that I’ve never tried before.
Everything were very fresh and price were reasonable. I will definitely come back later to try different seasonal fishes.“

“Came here with a buddy and made out for about $50 or less. We ordered 3 rolls and split them, which was enough food for the two of us. The portions were fairly well sized and reasonably priced(for current bay area sushi prices). The fish tasted fresh, and they had plenty of options. They were not very busy and the waitress was friendly. I enjoyed the mostly wooden decor, reminded me of the more old school sushi places i grew up with. Mini bonus for me is that they are in the same spot my childhood chinese restaurant was at!“

“Amazing service, food and drinks are fantastic! We were helped by a server Logan, she’s been the best part of the experience at Tokie’s. Fish is super fresh, I highly recommend getting Tokie’s roll and seared scallops (aburi sushi). Yum! Can’t wait to come back.“

“Excellent selection of sushi 🍣“

“On the cheaper side for food, and it's amazing. Haven't tried their ramen but tonkatsu curry is great.Takoyaki is more on the soft side, and karaage isn't crispy— but good. It's a different style— liking it would be preference.“

“Shiki in San Mateo has become my secret midday haven—my dependable, no-fuss escape from the grind of workdays. Whether it's a comforting bowl of udon or a beautifully simple sushi combo, there's a quiet satisfaction in knowing exactly what I’m walking into: clean flavors, fast service, and a calm atmosphere that gives me just enough of a breather to reset.“

“A pre-flight tradition with veggies (and fish!)

My friend loves this place, and over time, it’s become a little tradition: a quick dinner here before I send her off to SFO. I’m not exactly what you’d call a vegetarian (far from it!), but hey—this is a poke spot, and fish definitely isn’t a vegetable. Still, I always follow my friend’s lead and pick kale as the base. By the end of the bowl, I feel like I’ve eaten a year’s worth of greens… in a good way. 😄

This time, I also tried their signature (I think?) taro chips—and I liked them! Crispy, slightly sweet, and a nice change from the usual sides.

Simple, fresh, fast, and now a sentimental favorite. Looking forward to our next “see-you-later” dinner here.“