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.“

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

“The Omakase is always great there, my favorite from the 8 course was the anago. They always update the menu based on seasonal availability of the fish, so its very good. It’s more of an eclectic style of sushi but still enjoyable if that is your style. We also had these fried greeneyed fishes that were stellar. They were incredibly well seasoned and perfectly crispy. The wagyu-tacos are also a must get everytime I go. I got a snow crab handroll that wasn’t quite what I expected but the salmon truffle handroll is amazing. We got the green tea ice cream for dessert and they also gave us a yuzu cheesecake that was delicious. It somehow tasted like passionfruit and yuzu. I’d go back again for that cheesecake!“

“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!!“

“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.“

“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.“

“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“

“Kurodai - Black Seabream Nigiri 3 very strong wasabi, bitter, fishy
Ao Ebi - Blue Shrimp Nigiri 5 very chewy texture, slightly seared, slightly sweet
Hon Maguro Chu-toro - Medium Fatty Blue Fin Tuna Nigiri 5 fat evenly distributed, not stringy at all, melt in your mouth
Negitoro Hosomaki - Supreme Fatty Bluefin Tuna w/ Green Onion (Maki) 4 fatty, rich, fresh, flavorful
Oyster Shooter 2 juicy raw oyster, raw quail egg, tobiko, sake, ponzu, tabasco, very strong alcohol, bitter
Baked Baby Scallop 5 two baked Peru baby scallop, juicy, presented on shell, uni, mayo, unagi sauce, green onion, creamy, rich, flavorful
Iku-Uni-Himo 4 soy sauce marinated ikura / large fish eggs, way too salty, uni, mashed monkfish liver, white truffle oil, flavorful
Mentaiko Yaki Udon 4 pan fried thick wheat flour noodles, crunchy seasoned cod roe, crispy bacon, stir fried thin udon, flavorful
Yuzu Cheesecake 5 glazed crust, strong citrus flavor, creamy“

“We love Tokie’s and have been regular users since the mid-80s, when it occupied a tiny space in Charter Square in Foster City. They expanded their space significantly but were the casualty of redevelopment. Their old location was displaced by a primary school. The newer location (on 4th Ave in downtown San Mateo) has very nice ambience but the parking can be a challenge during peak demand times like Friday and Saturday dinners. We bring many of our friends to Tokie’s and the response is always very favorable.“

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

“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!“

“I got the tonkatsu curry rice plate. Very well priced for what you get. The place is nice, clean and simple.

The katsu is freshly fried.
You can definitely tell that the curry is made from scratch. It's light but not watered down. It's flavorful but not overwhelming. I think this is the first time I finished all the curry before the rice or the katsu. Is this is the best curry I've ever had? Not sure, my memory does not go that far back. I can say that this is the best curry I've had in the Bay so far. Give it a try, I highly recommend it.

Don't come in expecting something super rich and strong. This dish is beautifully simple, just perfectly ordinary in a comforting way.“

“good food great service and accomending.“

“Excellent selection of sushi 🍣“

“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.“