Food 8/10 We had the grilled pork belly and the inasal. I would've liked both to be have a little char but it was decent. Service: 9/10 Our server was great! Ambiance 8/10 The place is big and had cute decor. read more

Decided to finally try this restaurant out after walking by it so many times. The atmosphere was very nice! Nice and clean, and definitely had the feel of a fancy restaurant. The service was great too. Nice and prompt, as well as polite. Sadly...the food itself is where it was lacking. The Chicken Skewers were fantastic! Nice and flavorful, as well as filling. Vanilla Ice Cream wasn't anything special, but a nice refreshing sweet treat to end it. Sadly, the Crab Meat Fried Rice came up short. There were packets within it that were very tasty and flavorful, but overall it tasted pretty...plain, for lack of a better word. So plain that I couldn't bring myself to finish it, and didn't want to take it with me afterwards. I got the full entree size instead of the half size, so maybe that had something to do with it. Might go for the half size next time. Overall, willing to comeback in the future and give it another shot in the future, but sadly not blown away this time. Here's hoping the next visit goes better! read more

Avenida Restaurant - Crab Meat Fried Rice (minus Green Peas), and Chicken Skewers - Filipino Near Me - San Mateo, California

I had such a blast here, the food was so enjoyable. I took my time and ate for 2 hours, trying a bunch of stuff. if you want a rounded meal, try an appetizer, pancit, the crispy meat (lechon was wonderful!), and another meat dish. must get dessert, halo halo is fantastic. sweet cup of goodness with ube ice cream, pudding, jellies, beans. I'm in heaven. service was so kind and cordial. would def come back with a group, they have plenty of space for a large group party. you can try more food with more people! beautiful modern interior- job well done decorating this place. read more

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Tried Avenida for dinner, I haven't eaten much Filipino food before so I was excited to try this spot. Ordered the lumpia, crispy tadyang, grilled squid, and a side of rice. -Lumpia: can't go wrong! solid appetizer, light and crispy. -Crispy tadyang: I was deciding between this and the crispy pata. This dish was very flavorful and had so much depth! The outside was crispy and the beef was very tender -Grilled squid: light and cooked well, it wasn't chewy at all. it paired nicely with the crispy tadyang to balance out! Not a biggie but I wish the slices had been fully cut through since the squid slices were all still connected. I also liked the cooked peppery side veggies. Everything was super flavorful, I'd definitely come back to try other dishes read more

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Our experience started out great here then just kept declining as the meal went on. Upon entering, we were greeted by an energetic man who offered us patio seating since their live musician was starting soon. When we were ready to order, the same host came and he emphasized if we wanted any apps, order it now so he can put it in first to beat the dinner rush. We ordered drinks, just the lumpia as the app, and also the rest of the entrees. I'm not sure what was happening with the service that day but we saw a server come out with our drinks and ask another table if the drinks were for them. And then later, the server knocked over a drink at the other table. And then the servers brought out another table's food order to us by mistake. The table that was seated after us got their food before us. We waited over 40 minutes for our correct order to come out, and the food tasted cold. The lumpia and lechon didn't come out which made us wonder why the first server was very adamant in putting in the lumpia order first. We waited another 20 minutes for the lumpia and lechon which was piping hot when it came out so it was obvious they forgot our order or gave it to someone else. The drinks were great but the food here was very mid. The crab fried rice had no seasoning. All the meat was overcooked. To be honest, I would rather go to Jollibees if I want filipino food. We were obviously annoyed throughout the meal and the waitress was hovering our table but never came to check in on us. When we paid, she asked us how everything was and we told her the food wasn't great. She had the nerve to say "omg I should've checked in on you" as if she didn't stand around us the whole time without any acknowledgment. Anyway this was the worst meal and experience we've had in a while and it makes me wonder how it has such high ratings. RESPONSE TO KENNETH: I'm not sure if you were the one that initially greeted us and took our order but we didn't see you at all after our drinks came out. Our concerns were that our food didn't come out and we asked various servers. Nobody came to check in on us throughout the meal. As the customer, it's not our job to try to flag a manager down to share feedback. Even then, we told the server and she didn't tell a manager. Your snarky response shares all I need to know about your business. If you have "real questions", you can send me a message. read more

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We arrived just before our lunch reservation. Thankfully it was not yet busy, and we were seated fairly quickly. Seating options include the bar, indoor, indoor patio, upstairs indoor, and outdoor patio all surrounded by Island Pacific decor and atmosphere. Our server, Ace, and the rest of the staff were kind and helpful. We requested mango juice and waters all around. Also ordered Lumpia, Mango Salad, Avenida Fried Chicken, Pork Sisig, Salmon Sinigang, and (of course) both plain and garlic rice. Although we found the sisig dry, everything was well received. We might visit again when in the area again, and we would accept the menu's offer to pay with cash for a 5% discount. read more

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One of the most beautiful, modern Filipino restaurants I've seen in the Bay. Menu is pricey but portions and big and food is just delicious. Great authentic options too! read more

Came here for happy hour and had a wonderful time! The food is probably some of the best Filipino food I've had lately in the bay. You can tell the quality of the food with each bite. The pinakbet was not skimping on the bagoong and was delicious. The kare kare was tender and the bangus sisig had a perfectly crispy bottom. The high quality of the protein here really makes each dish taste worth the price. The cocktails were also really good, I enjoy the purple jeepney which was an ube based cocktail. They do have smaller sizes for entrees that you can order so you can sample more of the menu. Will be back to try to crispy pata! The service was also very warm and friendly, they first asked if we've had Filipino food before (which we have many times) to see if they could help make any suggestions from the menu. read more

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Bustling on a Friday night - great food and great vibes! We had a reservation for the evening and luckily so, as the restaurant was packed. Located in downtown San Mateo, it can definitely be difficult to find parking, even in the garages. We had to circle around a couple of times until finding a street parking spot. Keep that time in consideration and come early if you have a reservation. The inside has relatively dim lighting and is quite spacy, and there's plenty of seating both upstairs and downstairs. Service was pretty quick despite how busy it was, and the servers were great! We ordered: - hot calamansi tea - thai chili & garlic wings - inihaw na pusit - pork sisig - sinigang - garlic rice The food came out pretty quickly and mostly all at once. Standouts of the night were the inihaw na pusit (super tender and chewy, and grilled with a great char) and pork sisig (super umami and tender). With that being said, was very satisfied with all the dishes, and there wasn't one that left a negative impression. I will say that this restaurant does lean on the pricier end, but there's a great ambiance for good food and conversations with friends. Would come back! read more

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I recently just went to Avenida Restaurant in Downtown San Mateo for a nice sit down dinner + it was sooo yum! There are two parking garages nearby which make it easy to get to. The interior is so aesthetic with a tropical atmosphere and the food did not disappoint! Plus, the portions were extremely reasonable considering their huge portion sizes! My friend + I shared two appetizers and two entrees and we were sooo full even with a full box of leftovers. The servers were also incredibly sweet + gave us great recommendations!! Every single dish was so delicious and flavorful, but if you asked me my favorite dish I would have to go with the Crispy Pata. That's their house special + the menu describes it as "crispy on the outside & juicy on the inside" which was exactly how it tasted! So flavorful, so crispy, AND the dipping sauce was 10/10. Our server recommended to pair it with the garlic rice which was the right combination! If you're looking for a sweet treat to top it off, I recommend the Halo Halo Milky Ice + Strawberry Milky Ice! These are definitely shareable sizes too! What I ordered: Lumpia - Crispy pork & vegetable spring rolls, side sweet & sour sauce ; such a yummy classic + filling was so good!! Tokkwat Lechon Kawali - Crispy tofu, crispy pork belly, fresh red onion, side soy-vinegar sauce ; tofu lovers you will LOVE this!! I could not stop eating the tofu!!!! Crispy Pata - Pork knuckle, crispy on the outside, juicy and tender on the inside ; One of their house specials + I can see why! It was sooo crispy and tender especially with the dipping sauces! Pairs well with the garlic rice!! Pancit Bihon - Stir-fried thin noodles, Chinese sausage, pork, shrimp, squid balls, carrots, cabbage, celery, garlic, scallion ; Couldn't decide on which boodles because they all looked good, but decided to choose these because House Special and it was so delicious! I loved adding the lime on top too! read more

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Two words: crispy pata. I'm a sucker for deep-fried pork and this dish here never fails to impress me. My next favorite is their pork sisig; the flavors are full-bodied and I like that some of the pieces are crispy without tasting burnt. I've also tried their beef kaldereta, lumpia, adobo rice, chicken inasal, and palabok which were all good. I'd skip on the lechon though and get the crispy pata. Their garlic rice could have more garlic intensity as well. Service was fine. Avenida is an upscale Filipino restaurant, so expect to pay more premium prices. Definitely make a reservation because this place gets really busy. read more

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I'm new to the bay area and was in dire need of some Filipino food. My friend recommended Avenida. We came on a Friday night promptly at 5 pm and were quickly seated to the bar. We ordered drinks that played on your typical Filipino flavors such as mango and ube and pandan. My bf and I were impressed!! For our dishes, we ordered the Thai chili wings, liempo, sisig bangus, and the chicken inasal. Unfortunately, our experience went downhill after that. We waited at the bar for 45 min before our server went to go check on our food. It kind of gave off the impression that we were forgotten about since our server didn't think to round on us. We got the Thai chili wings and the chicken inasal first, to which our server told us that the liempo and the sisig would come out in 5 min. -Wings 3.5/5 Cooked well, crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. I just couldn't taste any of the Thai chili. -Chicken Inasal 3.5/5 Now maybe it's because I've been to the Philippines and had Mang Inasal, but Avenida's flavor wasn't quite where I would've wanted it to be. The chicken itself was again, cooked well - it had the char and the complementary soy sauce concoction was delicious - but I think it was missing the chicken oil that you drizzle over the rice that makes chicken inasal so iconic. -Sisig Bangus 4/5 My bf and I would have liked more crisp to the fish meat and fish skin itself, but we both enjoyed that it wasn't too oily or salty. We would order this again. Now at this point it was 6:10 pm and it had been 15 min since the server had told us the liempo was going to come out. I was confused because liempo is one of the easiest dishes to make - it's grilled pork cooked over the barbecue grill and as such it's usually one of the first entrees to come out when ordered. A different server went to go check on it, and the party next to us told us that they had received our liempo and had sent it back. Now imagine my confusion when a busser immediately comes by to deliver lechon kawali with liver sauce and vinegar. I told them that this was the wrong dish, but the server insisted that "this is how they serve liempo here" and that I was probably confusing the liempo with the bbq pork skewers. I think any Filipino would be have been taken aback when liempo is a grilled pork dish and kawali is pork that it is deep fried. There's really no room for confusion. Unfortunately I'm a really passive person and thought that it was possible that I was wrong. I didn't think to check the pictures here on yelp until we had already gone home AND tipped for the terrible service. Lo and behold I was right. What was really infuriating was that instead of owning up to the mistake, they gave us someone else's food!! We Filipinos pride ourselves on our food and our hospitality. The fact that our initial server forgot about us, and then a different server tried to convince us that we ordered the wrong dish really set an awful taste in my mouth. I was really looking for a taste of back home and instead this restaurant reminded me of why I'd rather just fly back and have my dad's cooking. read more

Avenida Restaurant - The liempo we ordered - Filipino Near Me - San Mateo, California

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The food here is okay. I would say most of what you pay for are the aesthetics, experience, & service. As a Filipino, the authentic Filipino food is going to be at home or at a small mom & pop's shop. Went here for a second time and got the grilled squid, pancit bihon, & lechon kawali. Shared it with a girl friend so we got half portions which were just enough to have room for dessert else where. They start off with chicharron as a small app/snack. I'd say for Filipino food if you haven't had it tied Filipino food it was good. I just wish there was more flavor to it. The squid was alright, could've grilled one at home. I enjoyed with the dipping sauce and it wasn't chewy. Pancit was mid, wish there was more flavor. The lechon kawali was tasty, however, I get the same thing for a better price at a local kitchen. Definitely over priced. Unfortunately the service was lacking. It took quite a while for our server to come, introduce themselves, & give water. When they first came and said they will give some time to review the menu, we were already ready to order. Then they vanished and we never got checked in on again until all of our food was gone. They cleared the table and gave the check. Surprisingly when I got sat apparently the table next to me were not satisfied with their food so I heard that their check was revised. The ambiance and aesthetics look nice. The drinks looked tasty on the menu but didn't get to try them since we were not in the mood for drinking. Halo halos for desserts but we passed as there were other dessert places we had in mind. Most likely will not come back again. read more

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Been here at least a handful of times, but this past weekend, our experience didn't live up to our expectations. Service was friendly but a bit spotty. Not a huge issue, however, more importantly, the dishes overall just didn't hit the same. (We ordered some of the same dishes we always get here). There was one dish (bistek) that was just too tough and was disappointing. We left at least half of it untouched. It cost $36. On the other hand, the best items were the chicken inasal and Kare Kare. Avenida is great for large parties, and it is a nicer Filipino restaurant for gatherings. However, I don't know if it was a one off. We used to be able to recommend this restaurant without hesitation, however after the last dining experience, this is not longer the case. read more

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My sister and I took my dad here for dinner. Arrived early to my reservation of 5 but had to wait til my actual reservation time, which is totally fair. The food came in big portions, definitely recommend family style eating. The drinks were strong and worth the price. My favorite dish was the bangus sisig! The lighting was dim but it set the mood of a night filled with good conversation and laughter. Would recommend to give this restaurant a try! read more

Avenida Restaurant - Filipino Near Me - San Mateo, California

Parking is a nightmare but besides that, restaurant is amazing and beautiful. Staff were very attentive, and the menu was very straight forward. Pricing Is definitely on the higher end of things. Crispy pata: 3/5, very very dry Lumpia: 3/5, not crispy and soggy Chicken adobo: 3.5/5 Beef salpacio: 3.5/5 Beef kare kare: 2/5, not true kare kare Pancit palabok: 5/5, amazing must try read more

Avenida Restaurant - Filipino Near Me - San Mateo, California

I would come back again! This place is a fun restaurant for family-style food with creative drinks. I really enjoyed that you had the option of ordering a half versus full plate which made sharing entrees and appetizers particularly enjoyable, especially if someone on the menu caught your eye and you wanted to just have a few bites. The black pandan old fashioned was a very fun drink, pancit bihon a classic that met expectations, and the lumpia exceptional. The tuna in the sugba kilaw was a bit fishy tasting, calling into question how fresh it was. The rest of the dishes we had were fun but just okay. As for service, our waitress was great but the hostess confused our party. Our party of three made a reservation and arrived 20 minutes early. The hostess acknowledged that our table wasn't ready and asked us to wait. During the entirety of the time leading up to our reservation we had eyed an empty table and were ultimately sat at said empty table. It wasn't clear to me why we were not seated earlier. read more

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One of the many Filipino restaurants in the Bay Area, but this one lives up to the hype. Their salpicao is delicious, the beef cubes are so tender and juicy. Their kare kare is one of my all-time favorites, as well as the grilled pork belly! During my most recent visit, I ordered the dinakdakan and it didn't disappoint; the rich flavors reminded me of the dish I'd often eat when traveling to Ilocos or the Cordilleras. The high point of any meal here is the super creamy halo-halo, of course. Their take on this classic Filipino dessert is just divine! read more

Avenida Restaurant - The very special halo-halo made with their unique milky blend shaved ice. - Filipino Near Me - San Mateo, California

Avenida Restaurant exceeded our expectations! From the moment we walked in, the ambiance was beautiful, warm, cozy, and inviting, perfect for hanging out with friends or family. The Filipino dishes are on point. From savory Pancit Palabok, flavorful Dinakdakan, to the perfectly Crispy Pata, everything hit the spot. The food was outstanding. Fresh, flavorful and clearly made with care. Huge shout out to Lyanne L for her exceptional service. She was incredibly friendly, attentive, and made us feel well taken care of the entire time. Her positive energy and professionalism truly made our visit even better. Highly recommend Avenida Restaurant if you're craving authentic Filipino food, great vibes, and amazing service. We'll definitely be back! read more

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The food was really good! We got the bangus sisig, squid ink rice, adobong pusit, kare kare and a few appetizers. Their garlic rice was also really good. The kare kare meat was tender and had beef and oxtail. We also got halo halo, leche flan and ube panna cotta. The pana cotta was so good! The ambiance was nice as well and the servers were nice and friendly. I would definitely come back to try more of their food. We forgot to take pics because everyone was so hungry. read more

This is "upscale" Filipino. I will start with my rant first (which according to the server is a non-issue in the neighborhood they're in; but he claims he understands my concern). Here we go - almost $5 for a cup of white rice! NOPE - that set a bad initial impression that I expected the rest of the meal to be awful. Imagine serving Filipino food with no rice - and I don't care if your wealthy clients don't always need rice with their meal. Rice is a MUST with the heart of a complete Filipino cuisine. I end my rant. Now for the AMAZING experience. The ambience is awesome, definitely has the upscale restaurant feel that they're going for. The servers are very attentive and friendly and ensure that you're well taken care of. The place has both indoor and outdoor seating and I noticed a small private area on the 2nd floor as well. We were actually surprised with the quality of the meals. They tasted authentic without being too overpriced or too avant-garde to distinguish themselves that they lose the core of what the Filipino meal should be. Our eyes and curiosity definitely ordered more than what our stomach could handle. My dad joked that he was doing a tasting menu as he tried a bit of every meal to ensure if it is really Authentic. It was also his Birthday! So we're thankful for the staff for allowing us to bring our own cake without charging a corkage fee. Also, we got some complimentary desserts - thank you. For 5 adults - we had at least 10 entrees - yes abundance! But we were celebrating an important Birthday. I will most likely return in the future read more

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Food tasted fantastic! Everything was cooked well, and every bite was amazing. Time between ordering and arriving at the table took a bit long. The ambiance and decor were all perfect. We ordered tapas sized plates to share. My favorite was the dinakdakan. The crispy tadyang would have been my favorite, but the order came out with one rib with meat paired with one rib with no meat. Unsure what we were supposed to do with the bone. Other than that, everything was great. read more

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From the moment we walked in to the second we walked out, Avenida felt like home. The care put into everything we ate and the kindness from the servers felt like eating at my kitchen table. The manager, Ken, checked in with us regularly and went the extra mile to make us feel welcomed. If you want to experience Filipino food, culture and atmosphere, the conversation starts and ends with Avenida. I am already looking forward to my next visit read more

Avenida Restaurant - Sinigang Pork Belly Sisig Kare kare Lechon Kawale Adobo Fried Rice - Filipino Near Me - San Mateo, California

Solid Filipino restaurant that's great for families or larger group gatherings. The ambience isn't intimate, and the table setup feels a bit odd--likely because they move tables around to accommodate big parties. Service was friendly. We tried the lumpia, adobang pusit (adobo baby squid), and pancit bihon. The dishes are on the pricier side, but the portions are very generous and definitely meant for sharing family-style. The food isn't gourmet, so adjust your expectations, but everything was hearty and satisfying. read more

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Ahhh! Expensive Filipino food, albeit pretty good flavors. Lumpia, baby pusit, sisig, pancit palabok, and pancit bihon, and sinigang. Everything was mid. read more

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Absolute gem. Squid ink pasta and beef Avenida dish was so incredible. The only thing I would consider skipping was the calamari (even though the tartar sauce was delicious!) The food was so flavorful and the larger portions were great for three people sharing. The ambiance is lovely and staff was kind. read more

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Came here months ago with a group of friends and our (majority Filipino) group were impressed by how the food here turned out! We came later in the evening (about an hour before closing) and appreciated that staff were up, ready, and patient to seat our group of 5. They were so helpful and food came out quickly! We ordered: - Shrimp gambas: this was my first time having this dish, and I liked that it was full of flavor! 7.5/10 since I have no prior place to compare it to. - Sugba kilaw: DELICIOUS. Standards are high considering this is something my dad makes fairly often. 9/10. - Tinomok: Another dish that I tried for the first time. Laing is among one of my favorite Filipino dishes, so when I saw that this was similar, I had high hopes. Also 7.5/10 since I don't have other tinomoks to compare it to! - Kaldereta: As usual, rich in flavor. The meat was tender and a heavy hitter with the rice. 8/10. - Sisig: Not the best sisig I've had, but fairly good. 7.5/10! - Palabok: Very few places I know get palabok wrong. Yummy and big portions! 8/10! - Calamansi juice: Refreshing and not too sweet! 8/10. The ambiance of the restaurant is definitely more on the higher end side compared to other Filipino places. The place is fairly spacious and has good lighting. This is a nice place to elevate your Filipino food nights out! Be aware that it's definitely a little more pricey compared to other places, but it's well worth the experience considering that the place is on the aesthetic end. read more

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Came here for a company event. Food were good but my biggest let down was the ceviche. They added ginger- which was overpowering and destroyed the delicate flavors of the fish. Please fix this. I really love the squid ink rice. The roasted pork was very good too. Everything thing else were pretty good. read more

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Slow service :( Bangus sisig 9/10 - a lil on the saltier side - soft tender milk fish with gingery oniony umami flavor - doesn't have the crunch aspect like in a pork sisig (but I'm ok w that) Lechon kawali 3/10 - feel like I can make this better at home - skin is crispy border line brick - doesn't really have any notable flavors besides the expected porky flavor - meat is soft and crumbly & dry - lechon sauce is carrying Garlic rice 3/10 - isn't the typical garlic rice I'm used to - more like white rice with crispy garlic on top versus fried and incorporated together - maybe I just had high hopes ?? Samantha, our server, suggested the bangus sisig which actually became my favorite dish !! :) she got a little busy but then sat at the host desk answers calls and etc w the host so service was ultimately very slow. It wasn't busy when we went, we were seated immediately. We wanted to try the Turon and halo halo here but it took a long time to get anyone's attention so we decided to get dessert elsewhere. Overall, the vibes were meh. Prices were on the higher end for what we got. I wouldn't say this place is worth it. I'd opt for a mom n pop shop if you want good tasting Filipino food but if you're here for drinks - they do have unique drinks! I'm sure their desserts are good as well. Would I return? Prob not. :( read more

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I have gone here a couple times, usually on a weekend for lunch. It is always packed so we always try to go right at open or after the lunch rush. I go here for the ambience, the location, the food, and the fun Filipino inspired cocktails. The restaurant is huge and very nicely decorated. It looks like a sorta upscale restaurant that you would find in the Philippines. I usually recommend this place to anyone looking for a nicer Filipino restaurant that also taste good. They serve things ala carte so the dishes are for sharing. Everything I had here so far was good, nothing really comes out to me that I hate. I love the creative cocktails. The old fashion is one of our favorites that we always get when we go then we switch around on other drinks to try everything in the menu. Overall I recommend this for a family lunch/dinner, a date, or if you just want to treat yourself for some nice Filipino food and nice vibes. It is pricey but you do get what you paid for. read more

Avenida Restaurant - Filipino Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Filipino food in San Mateo!! I'll keep this short and simple: big portions, well made, great taste, and so many cute titas all around! I don't get Filipino food that often, but I feel like you can't go wrong with anything on the menu! Large portions so definitely come with big appetites or with people. They have traditional Filipino dishes, not the most authentic but definitely modern and upscaled which is the vibe of the restaurant. A little pricy, so make sure you bring people that will share and eat family style with you! What we ordered: * Lechon Kawaii * Pancit Palabok * Beef Kare Kare * Sinigang (vegetables and broth only) * Garlic Rice read more

Avenida Restaurant - Filipino Near Me - San Mateo, California

Had a big birthday celebration lunch at Avenida for my Pinay wife on Sunday. 20 of us were seated upstairs. Definitely a workout for the service staff, bring plate after plate of delicious upscale Filipino cuisine up those stairs. We started with lumpia and tokwa't lechon kawali appetizers right at 11:30, large calamansi carafes all around. A few of us went with some of their over the top libations, ube espresso martinis and pandan old fashions to name a few. The main courses consisted of crispy pata, beef shank kaldereta, pork sisig, pinakbet, and bagoong rice, and one or 2 others. We were barely able to save room for the Derby cake from Mazzetti's (another review necessary) We all had a wonderful time and fantastic meal in such a beautiful restaurant. read more

You know that Pixar movie called Ratatouille where the food critic eats something and he's teleported back to his childhood of eating Ratatouille? Well, a similar feeling occurred to me too. The Filipino food transported me to being with my family. Calamansi drink, omggggg tasted so refreshing on a hot day. Vegetable Sinigang, also oh my gosh. This hands down tasted like my family recipe!!! Perfect balance of vinegar. Loved the okra, eggplant, and a healthy amount of veggies! Pork and chicken adobo, saucy and divine. As all well as the garlic rice. Fried bananas with caramel really hit it home too Vibe is ultra luxe cozy. We went on a Saturday and a jazz saxophonist was actually playing and I believe we were there mid afternoon before dinner time. I can't wait to drag my BFF's up the peninsula to try this spot! Service was awesome too! read more

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There's happy hour everyday at the bar and they have good food for a good price. For my drink, I got the mango sticky rice cocktail, it was good just so strong. I got the thai chili & garlic wings, the sisig taco and the lumpia. The lumpia was so good, no complaints there. The tacos are suppose to come with 2, but they only gave me one. I confirmed with the waiter if the menu was wrong and she apologized and brought out the other. The tacos are normal, they're good but I just got bored of them halfway through. The chicken wings were delicious, but I just expected a glaze rather than them being dry. I wouldn't say I loved this restaurant, but I would come back. read more

Avenida Restaurant - Filipino Near Me - San Mateo, California

Date: Saturday, April 12th, 2025 Time: around 4:15pm Party of: 6 What: After Lunch Drinks *Spirit Free / Mocktail ($11) x2 *Vaccine ($15) x2 *Tokyo Sour ($19) *Black Pandan Old Fashioned ($17) *Halo Halo Milky Ice ($14) *Coconut Pudding ($7) *SF Margarita ($15) *Canned Coke ($5.50) After having a late lunch nearby, my group wanted one more beverage. There wasn't much open at the time, so we decided head to Avenida. We didn't have any type of rezzie, but it wasn't too busy. We sat at the nig communal looking table int he front. I wasn't drinking at the time, so just got the soda. Yes, I paid over $5 for a can of coke. It was exactly what I expected it to be. The desserts did look pretty. And they comped us the halo halo since we were celebrating a bday. Everyone seemed to enjoy their drinks. I've been here before for food and drink back in 2022. I had a good time. Would definitely consider coming back if in the area. REVIEW #3752 read more

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Upscale ish Filipino food that serves yummy comforting meals. For starters we got some chicharron for the table. Tried their adobo rice and squid ink rice. I say the adobo rice is better. Some faves we tried was their kinilaw and crispy tandang or beef ribs. Their kare kare is also very yummy. The bangus sisig was good but I've had better. Overall solid family style meal here and they offer good cocktails read more

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I've always walked past this place but hadn't gotten around to trying it. Decided to take my mom here for her birthday dinner. We were easily able to make reservations for a party of 6 on a weekday. Upon walking in, we were greeted by friendly staff. The biggest hits were the pork knuckle and squid. Squid was tender and cooked to perfection. Pork knuckle was crunchy, flavorful, and fell right off the bone. The sissig was just ok. I think we all agreed that it was too salty so having garlic rice on the side helped. Great spot for large parties and most things are share ale so you can try their extensive menu. read more

Avenida Restaurant - Filipino Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Came here to have dinner while in the area for work. I came by myself. Let me tell you-bring someone with you. The portions are family style. I ordered lumpia, tortang talong, garlic rice and calamansi juice. For dessert, I ordered turon. Service was great. I like that they provide you with a carafe of water, I drink lots of water. I also asked for ice, which I was provided a carafe of ice. It was perfect. Lumpia was a huge portion for 1 person. They were a good size even after it was cut up. I had to take it to go. I make lumpia at home, so I am somewhat a critic when it comes to it. It had a lot of flavor, and good portion of filling. Nice and crunchy. The tortang talong and garlic rice came out. Talong was big. I don't use ketchup (which is what comes with it). I asked for the spicy vinegar. It was tasty with the garlic rice. Garlic rice was a nice size portion. I ordered the turon to go and took leftovers for the hotel. As I said in the beginning, do not come here alone. Portions are big. Good service, and I want to come and try their drinks with food next time. I would definitely come back. I like how the place is open and not too crowded in placement of tables and booths read more

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This place surprised me! Came here on a Friday night with 13 other people and everything went well without a hitch. (we made a reservation ahead of time - if you have a larger group you can book a private area for 3 hours with a $1250 minimum charge for up to 32 people). The servers were very accommodating and friendly. The portions of the foods are quite deceiving all of the dishes are very shareable between 3-4 people. We tried just about everything. The standouts were the pancit, the crispy Pata, the garlic rice, the sisig, and the lechon. The most disappointing dishes were the lumpia/chicken wings/fried chicken and fries - skip those and get something else. Also tried two of the desserts. The halo halo and pandan ice dessert. Definitely go for the pandan dessert if you like that flavor. read more

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street parking sucks! BUT there's lots of parking garages, where you can park, so don't pass this place up! Great customer service, from the time you walk in, get seating, order & wait for your food. Edwin my waiter was A1 TY for the convo & giving me some recommendations on what foods, I should try, Some of his favorites. Walked in around 6ish, it was not busy at all, the greeter, checked me in & told me, the only room they have was, Table Top @ the bar, No Problem, because it was just Me Myself & When I was placing my order, Edwin said...whoa that's a lota food Yup! I'm here to Taste Whatever I think I'd like! Everything I got, was Yummy! Beautiful presentation, plenty of food & they all had their own distinguished flavors. A Winner for me is they have HH & the menu looks Great, not to mention the drinks Pricing is a little too steep for some of the items, but I will definitely be back to try some other things on the menu. read more

Avenida Restaurant - Lots & Lots of seating - Filipino Near Me - San Mateo, California