50 Best Vegetarian Restaurants in San Mateo

“Gonna give it 4 stars because while the aburasoba is good I'd like them to make mazesoba too, which has more complex ingredients, preparation, and flavor. Mogomogu in Sawtelle, LA sets the benchmark for great mazesoba on the west coast.“

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

“The outdoor patio was perfect for our Sunday brunch and our 18th Anniversary. We’ve celebrated many occasions at All Spice and have always had a stellar experience with the staff and the food. Our table felt intimate — we were sharing a large space with four other tables, appropriately distanced. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable. Again, all Covid-19 compliant. The food, oh the food! The Dutch baby was perfectly cooked and the fruit fillings were gorgeous. The chicken sandwich was out of this world. The Mimosa and hard apple cider beverages were on point. We always love our meals at All Spice and this time was no exception. It’s a total gem!“

“Cocktails and Wagyu - soooo good!“

“Went on a friend's recommendation for the clam and garlic pizza. Also got their combination with it.

Overall it isn't amazing but it was novel. Pizza was solid, above average for sure though. Nothing about it was bad just isn't a top 5 pizza for me.

Pricing is fair as it comes in 4 or 8 pieces so worth a try if local.“

“Great atmosphere and brews.“

“First of all the owners are absolutely delightful. We got take out and it blew our socks off! Hands down the best egg I have ever had in my life....Seriously, I had waited a long while to come here and when I got a reservation for my husband's birthday it was a magical, moment. We were delighted. We traveled through taste and it suspended time. Satiated and joyous. Wakuriya is the best Japanese I have had in my life. I cannot wait to dine inside, but until then I will treat myself to their fare every month. Truly, a delight of sight, smell, texture and taste. I feel lucky to live in the neighborhood, to be so close to this 魔法の場所. Much Love Everyone, may you eat well, be well and visit Wakyuriya.“

“A Shanghainese friend of mine says this is one of the best Shanghainese food he has eaten in the Bay Area after all these years. Also the fact that the owner can just shut down for a month at a time to take vacation overseas says how established they are; customers will and keep coming back.“

“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.“

“Really delicious food here. An excellent selection of vegetarian and vegan options as well which was a delight. We tried the soy chicken satay, the kua gai and the katsu soy chicken. They were all super delicious. We also had the Lychee Iced Tea and Thai Iced Tea which were also great. Highly recommend.“

“WOW! Their food was SO delicious! Their pad see ew was so chewy and yummy, and the pad Thai was so flavorful too. The yellow curry was amazing too. The inside is super trendy and cute, lots of lights and flowers. The staff was so attentive, and the food came extremely fast. Highly recommend!!“

“Not sure why I missed this place, but it’s awesome! Had the Philly Yerba frita with Vegas feta. Flavorful with a little heat. Pretty messy bit it was delicious and what’s a good sandwich unless it’s all over your face??? Can’t wait to go back. The beans and rice were nice. The social fries were good! 10/10.“

“All the food we ordered was so good. The variety menu was kind of impressive, and we loved that 😉 it's not Japanese but more Chinese. Order can made my own devices which is easy!

My understanding is that they are not accepting reservations, but I found a waiting machine when you arrived. It's better to get earlier to check on your waiting list if you want to secure your table. No outside tables for dogs too.
The place was already very crowded - about to be full at 6pm on Friday night.
The customer service level was very good, and the staff was friendly and nice.

I agree that some other people said the food was too salty, and it was indeed too salty. I hope they can put more spices on the table and customize it themselves.
I love the dessert there! They do cook and serve very fresh 😉“

“Waited approximately one hour to be seated. Spoiker: it was well worth that wait. I ordered the tonkatsu ramen and pork buns. I can't decide which part was better, the noodles or the broth! The pork buns were priced just right at $8 for 2. Some of the best I've had. You are all so lucky to have such a wonderful ramen bar in your community. I am from Maine and will be sure to stop by this establishment every chance I get once I am in town.“

“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!!“

“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!“

“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 👏🏼🇺🇸“

“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.“

“Four stars for food (many dishes quite good, not quite as good as in Japan), two stars for sustainability (unpleasant disposable chopsticks, dessert in single-use plastic, no labeling of meat/seafood origins). Service friendly and helpful.“

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

“This place hits different, everything was so good. Couldn’t even name anything that wasn’t good. Loved the ribeye, pork belly and vermicelli with scallop. Had to order it again, just that good. Nice service and atmosphere, very nice music taste too!“

“Seema is amazing! I cannot recommend her enough. This isn’t the best picture because the food smelled so good and we dove right in and forgot to take a picture! We loved her chapati and chickpea curry. So tasty and flavorful! Prompt and friendly. Price is reasonable. Thank you Seema!“

“太棒了，肉品沒吃多少，倒是吃了好幾磅的櫻桃🍒“

“Amazing service. Great food. Awesome staff! Can’t recommend it more highly.“

“Good food. Good service. Good atmosphere.“

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

“Super happy to have found Minako and Yoko-san again! Yoko-san's cooking is still homie, comforting, and delicious as ever. Be sure to come visit, relax, be delighted by the carefully made dishes from Yoko-san, be awed by the handwritten menus, and enjoy the chats with Minako!“

“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 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍“

“Yvette, the owner of Swing Shift, has cooked, owned and managed restaurants, AND has traveled extensively. She has brought those experiences to Swing Swift and created a “Greatest Hits” menu. My favorite? The tacos from Mexico City are to die for! Chicharrones give them texture and the tortillas are sublime. Not your usual CalMex tacos. My wife could live on rice. She fell in love with the 5 Spice Fried Rice. The pork belly is tasty, not fatty. And a fried egg finishes the dish. Yvette’s burger isn’t from her travels, it’s from her chef’s brain. She marries spices and cheese and high quality beef to create a new burger experience. Ya gotta try it! While we were there, a regular customer walked in, the staff greeted him and said, “Gumbo?” “Yes.” “Anything else?” “No.” He’s in there all the time, JUST for the gumbo. It will remind you of New Orleans. On a personal note, my mother and grandmother used to challenge each other to chili cook-offs and both their chilis were superb. Mom, Grandma, don’t let Yvette join the contest. Her chili is that good! My wife liked the wine list and I was surprised to find mock-tails (try the Sour!) that were actually good, and not just a mishmash of ingredients like so many places. And they take reservations….yay!“

“Vegetable fried dumplings, soy sauce noodles, and green onion pancakes were all incredibly good. Staff was supremely helpful, kind, and personable. Highly recommend!“

“Yummy food. Highly recommend“

“Still the best kept secret in San Mateo. I’m moving tomorrow and this food is what I’m going to miss the most. The portions are generous, the price is affordable, the service can’t be beat. Cash only. Small parking lot. Family owned and operated. The carne asada is delicious! Actually I haven’t had a bad meal here. Take away is available. You won't be disappointed . Skip the la cumbre and pancho villa. Come get the best!“

“Went to lunch there today Food very tasty and this looks like it would be a fantastic Happy Hour Meet Up!!!!“

“Best pizza in the Bay Area!“

“Nice, quiet spot where you order up front and they bring the food to you. I got the eggs benedict and it was cooked perfectly. Also I loved the hash brown as it was one crispy, delicious rectangle. Bottomless coffee and nice people. Would totally come back.“

“Food came out hot and fast. Enjoyed the pick 4 item meal. Cantonese Chicken, ribs, green beans and shrimp were great

The two people working there were so efficient!

Kids enjoyed the cute animal videos playing. Very family and group friendly“

“Town of Dumpling – San Mateo
I’ve lived in San Mateo my whole life and somehow never tried Town of Dumpling until now — no idea how I missed it, but I’m really glad I finally went. The food was seriously delicious. The soup dumplings especially were a standout — super flavorful, juicy, and perfectly done. You could tell everything was made fresh and with care.

Prices were totally fair too, which was a nice surprise given how high quality everything was. It’s just one of those spots that does great food without trying too hard to be “trendy.”

Definitely coming back. Can’t believe I slept on this place for so long.“

“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!“

“Great service, delicious food and beautiful decorations.“

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

“Best banh mi I've found in California. Very high quality and delicious, with lots of options. The service is fast and friendly as well. I highly recommend it! It's primarily for takeaway, but there is one small two seater table in front.“

“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.“

“The staff was so so helpful and accommodating with my baby and stroller. It's a tight space inside but they seated us in a very comfortable spot where I could park my stroller and they were all very kind (and adorable and silly with the baby). I'm very grateful!!“

“Excellent ramen restaurant! Probably one of the best in the Bay Area in my opinion. Food and service are fantastic! Yuri and Ryota were both kind, considerate, quick, and caring to make our dinner a wonderful experience. Food is delicious and quick.

Highly recommend!

I wish it were closer to San Jose!

Parking can be a bit tight sometimes, but not terrible.

Tip: if eating with kids, keep them away from the ordering screen so they don't accidentally order items ?

Kid-friendliness: Servers are wonderful with kids. Kind and helpful. Appropriate utensils and serving dishes for kids“

“A hidden gem of a family-run Italian restaurant—don’t be misled by the humble exterior. Inside, you’re welcomed with genuine hospitality and unforgettable food. My husband and I ordered the filet of sole and the white Provini veal scallopini—both were bursting with flavor and perfectly portioned. This isn’t a place for flashy plating—it’s all about honest, delicious Italian cooking made with care. The host greeted us with a warm smile and made us feel instantly at home. The retro, moody lighting adds a cozy, nostalgic touch. We’ll definitely be back! Tip: Make a reservation—this spot stays busy, and for good reason.“

“fast customer service and good food“

“Have you ever had Fujian cuisine before? Now you can at Taste of Shaxian in San Mateo! All of the dishes were very simple, but surprised us with a lot of flavor! Whether you're a fan of dumplings or not, this place has good ones and a bunch of other must-try dishes all priced very reasonably. For 2 people, we ordered just enough to be comfortably full.

* Shaxian Wonton Soup
* Soup Dumplings Combo
* Spicy Cold Noodles (highly recommend!)
* Braised Chicken (bone in) Clay Pot w/ Rice (highly recommend!)“

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

“good food great service and accomending.“