50 Best Vegan Restaurants in San Mateo

“10/10 no notes, jk. It can feel small and cramped for a bit once you enter, but once u settle in, it’s comforting and an enjoyable place to dine.

Got the pad see ew, yellow curry, and crispy pork fried rice. Pad see ew 10/10 no notes, yellow curry an 8, the fried rice is a 9.5.

100/10 would come again. Reasonably priced, monies worth and bellies full. 🤭😋😋“

“I found this bakery when I was looking for a place to purchase alfajores and I was so happy to have found it! I was greeted as soon as I walked in and my first visit was nothing but a very nice experience. Two young men behind the counter seemed really friendly and helpful. The other customers in the store at the time seemed very happy. I came for alfajores today, but I will definitely go back for more alfajores and other goodies!“

“First time here. Long line to get in but it moved fairly quickly. Had the Roast beef Aburasoba. Mind-Boggling GOOD! The flavor was out of this world! The service was fantastic!! I can’t wait to go back again!“

“Iced matcha was not strong enough, so I will try hot matcha next time. Also iced strawberry matcha is nice. They made my order wrong at first (matcha instead of strawberry matcha) so they gave me the matcha for free—super kind, thanks!

Line is long but fast, and seating may not look available at first but it cleared up for me. Love the vibe and furniture.“

“This is actually my third or fourth visit here. I have recently enjoyed the fiesta bowl with Bistec(Steak) and a fiesta bowl with Milanesa de Pollo (Breaded chicken). Both were very good. They have a good amount of sauces available to add on to your meals and the staff are always happy to help.“

“Fast friendly service. But you’ll be taking a to-go bag home for sure!! I was stuffed!!“

“Excellent food every time we have been… will be back. Everything is great on their menu. 🥰 Tonight we had guest from Montreal, celebrated Mother’s Day and our 23rd Wedding Anniversary! We couldn’t be happier to eat at Vespucci. Manuela and Francesco feel like my southern Italian family. Warm, welcoming, good food and wine and genuine conversation. Love them.“

“Halal beef burgers, made to order, soft brioche buns, veggie options, yummy milkshakes! Definitely with be a place we frequent! Face friendly business, family owned and operated 👏🏼🇺🇸“

“Cocktails and Wagyu - soooo good!“

“Best pizza in the Bay Area!“

“We had an absolutely lovely experience here! Came for my boyfriend’s birthday, everyone was friendly and attentive. Fantastic high end ambience. The food was almost too beautiful to eat and every one of us thoroughly enjoyed our entrees. One of our guests said it was the best spaghetti he had ever had! The mushroom risotto was perfection. I had the Chilean sea bass and WOW! The salmon was also amazing. The other two guests had roasted chicken and hangar steak… I didn’t get to try them but they looked amazing and everyone cleaned their plate even though we were full lol! We will absolutely be back. Highly recommend!! 5 stars ⭐️“

“Must try Affogato!! Espresso poured over Vanilla ice cream or over your favorite ice cream. Delicious 😋“

“super yum! i had the garlic chili tonkatsu ramen and unagi chazuke and they were great! the chazuke was very satisfying and addicting to eat - the unagi was perfectly cooked and seasoned with a sweet sauce! i felt like the garlic chili tokatsu ramen was a bit overcooked but still very fragrant. a sleeper hit was the shishito pepper tempura - crispy and flavorful!“

“Excellent meal here. The miso sea bass was delicious, and the nigiri in the seasonal omakase was great. Wagyu nigiri was a standout. Our waitress/server was fantastic also! one of the best sushi/omakases in san mateo in my opinion! pricing is absolutely reasonable too.“

“Love the indoor/patio ambience Menu selection,,,food ,,,,especially variety of bruschettas Drink selection as well,,,, mimosas,,,sangria Would like more live music“

“Good food. Good service. Good atmosphere.“

“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!!“

“Get there early. This places fills up.
We tried tokatusu ramen, curry ramen, black pepper ramen, spicy karage and regular karage.

All delicious.
Careful of getting it spicy. It has a lot of kick.
Spicy karage is more sweet than spicy, but very delicious sauce.

5/5 earned.“

“Fritters are great for a treat“

“Good food (we had the green papaya salad and the pad kee mao, both excellent). Had we known that the pad kee mao didn't come with tofu we would have asked for it, so next time we will, but that's nitpicking. Very fast service, noticeably so. Location great for those in San Mateo or Foster City (and this restaurant is much better in my mind than Sweet Basil, I'm sorry). The pad kee mao dish was huge and we had to take home half of each plate (we got two, next time one will be enough, but we took it home and plan to enjoy later)“

“Love the dry aged porterhouse, juicy and delicious. The service was phenomenal and of course the new location.“

“The Home Run sourdough breakfast sandwich was excellent and I would order that again x100. The hash brown serving that came with the sandwich was ginormous and I ended up needing a to-go box for that! The latte however was not to my liking, tasted bitter to me.“

“Do you love going to Flavortown? How about dreaming with your eyes open? Then try these birria tacos. The first time I had it was from leftovers that my daughter brought home for lunch. Then I drove from Oakley to San Mateo to have them fresh. It was AMAZING! They provide extra stuff to add to the tacos, but it honestly didn’t need them. The meat was so tender & flavorful that I had to close my eyes so I could fully appreciate the taste. Then I added the extras one by one & it tasted like a new taco each time. I know it seems like I’m exaggerating, but it’s really that good! My only wish is that they had seating nearby & a second location closer to Oakley.“

“ONE word "EXCELLENT". Great menu, love the murals, quick service, clean and they even serve beer and wine. parking is tricky so have patience. Garlic Fries, Hummus, Combo Gyro Plate!“

“Great service, delicious food and beautiful decorations.“

“Great hole in the wall! Noodles, dumplings, cold apps. All hand made. Pix on wall to help order. They sell frozen dumplings too- great deal and cash only. Credit card ok for the meal. The gentleman there is kind and helpful. You can see them making it right there. Donut place right next to it! Easy parking- big lot.“

“OMG, what a wonderful experience. Sam was really good behind the counter, and helped us to some amazing vegan options, such as the Vegan Sub with Meatballs marinara, and another Vegan Philly Steak Sub. Both just wow amazing with high quality vegan organic products (like the organic salad greens from Costco) and vegan meat and cheese from the Butchers Son. Absolutely wonderful!“

“Delicious authentic Brazilian food with amazing service . Fun experience too!“

“Wonderful vegan sushi & friendly owner. I tried the shiitake avocado & spicy vegan rolls, both were delicious. Looking forward to visiting and trying other menu items soon!!“

“Love the pizza! We live in the East Bay but we stop by whenever we pass by San Mateo. We always get a Meat Lovers & the Chicken Pesto!“

“太棒了，肉品沒吃多少，倒是吃了好幾磅的櫻桃🍒“

“Having enjoyed their dishes many times for months, It’s beyond “Very Satisfying”! Excellent, delicious food! Quality well maintained although it is a hard time under C-19. Hygiene suggestions n requests well followed! Thanks 🙏 Customer Service outstanding! Highly recommended 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍“

“Saigon Butter Tofu Wine sauce Ox Tail Noodle Soup Crab & Pork Meatball & Tomato Vermicelli And to drink: Taro w/Coconut Slush“

“was an amazing vibes lovely crew coffee was so good!“

“Hamburgers are beyond delicious.“

“Ramen Parlor has been one of my longtime go-to spots in San Mateo — especially for their lobster miso ramen, which I’ve been ordering for years. The flavors are still solid and the broth has that rich seafood depth that makes it stand out from other ramen shops.

That said, I do feel like the dish was better a few years ago — the broth had more complexity and the overall presentation felt a bit more refined back then. It’s still good, just not quite the same standout it once was.

Service is friendly and the atmosphere is casual and welcoming. Definitely worth a visit if you’re craving something different from the usual tonkotsu or shoyu ramen — especially if you haven’t tried their lobster miso bowl before.“

“It looks like a small place from the outside, but the inside is big and the food is delicious. Very strongly suggested.“

“Love the food n the people who works there. ❤️papaya salad, pad thai. Fried pompano and ground chicken with basil Aroy mak mak 👍👍👍❤️❤️❤️“

“The do called "inclusive" atmosphere is really just an owner who hates everyone who has different views. If your social or political views are woke, you aren't welcome. Spend your money elsewhere. This guy is an idiot.“

“Nice all the time“

“Your cookies are extraordinary delicious! excellent! Love all your cookies!!!!“

“Tokie’s Sushi in San Mateo is an absolute gem. The food is consistently fresh, beautifully prepared, and full of flavor...from the sushi to the cooked dishes, everything is done with care and attention to detail. You can truly taste the quality in every bite.
And don’t skip the craft cocktails—they’re just as impressive as the food. Creative, well-balanced, and perfectly made, they pair incredibly well with the menu and really elevate the whole dining experience.
What truly sets Tokie’s apart, though, is the people. The owners are incredibly kind, welcoming, and genuinely passionate about what they do. The staff is just as amazing, friendly, attentive, and always making you feel like a regular, even on your first visit. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, which makes the experience even better.
If you’re looking for outstanding sushi, excellent craft cocktails, and top-notch service, Tokie’s Sushi is a must. Highly recommend and can’t wait to keep coming back.“

“Love this place! Great food and amazing drinks — the matcha 🍵 is my favorite. The only thing is that once they brought the check, we kind of felt the need to leave even though we were still chatting. It wasn’t a big deal since the place was busy, but just something we noticed. Either way, we’ll definitely come back!“

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

“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“

“The food was absolutely delicious! I'm vegetarian, but my wife isn't. The waiter brought us a divided pot and even got me the vegetarian version of the spicy broth. The food they brought was very fresh, and I have zero complaints. They even had a little robot waiter.“

“This place is great! The food is always fresh and tasty. Delivers every time. The people are friendly, inviting, and welcoming (lots and Demetre). They make us feel like family. They do have beer and wine. And the frozen yoghurt is terrific especially with chocolate drizzled over it! The facilities are spotless, including the restrooms. We love this place!“

“This place is busy for a reason. Which could also be seen as a con. But the yakitori is good and most of the other food is above the bar for great. We had a very friendly server but could tell some of the other servers were not as friendly. The only major con would be the price. If you’re hungry you’ll be spending a pretty penny to eat here“

“Visiting from MN and found this bahn mi shop. Ordered the chicken spring rolls and the lemongrass beef bahn mi and it was all magnificent!
The spring rolls were huge and we purchased two of their hot sauces for dipping and it was all delicious.
The sandwich was perfect with a crispy baguette and lots of veggies. Highly recommend!“

“BJ's is consistently good and the service today with Aja T. was outstanding. Our only complaint was that our eyes were bigger than our stomachs, so we brought home a LOT of food. And that's really NOT a problem! Good food, good atmosphere, reasonable prices, a great place for a group, and great service. Love having BJ's in the neighborhood.“