Avenida Restaurant
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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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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
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!
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.
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.
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!
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
2 years ago
4/13/24 I've only ever had Filipino cuisine once and most of the food I ate at that time was fried which I didn't like. Avenida Restaurant is located in downtown San Mateo and it's always packed. I convinced Zach that we should try it out since every time we walk by, there's always savoring smells coming out from it. We checked in with the host and they said it would be 30 - 35 minutes for the next table, so we took a seat at the bar where they can still serve food. We placed our order with the bartender. Here's what we got: - Beef shank kaldereta - Vegetarian chop suey - Adobo rice - Ube ice cream (just for me) Everything came out together in 10 - 15 minutes. Everything smelled great. The portions are fairly large that we had leftovers the next day. The adobo rice is soft and has a good amount of pork with a garlicky flavor. The beef is very tender and full of flavor. The beef is a bit salty and thick and hearty like a stew. The vegetable chop suey was a good counter balance to the heavy-ness of the beef and rice. The veggies are cooked with sesame oil which I enjoyed. For dessert, I enjoyed two scoops of their ube ice cream. Atmosphere wise, it's pretty loud in the restaurant. I would come back to try more of their delicious food. read more
4 months ago
Business owner information
Kenneth A.
Margaux, we appreciate your feedback and the time you took to share…
Really rare for me to be able to find Filipino food, really cool to be able to find an elevated Filipino food place. I'm not too familiar with this cuisine as there usually aren't too many Filipinos restaurants in general besides Jollibee which I'm sure there's more to the culture than just fried chicken and spaghetti. Pretty much tried one of each category; appetizer, meat, veggies, soup. The soup is very very sour so it could throw some people off. Other than that, everything else is excellent. Love the egg with eggplant, fried pork belly, and sauteed mushrooms. Tell me about your experience if you've been here or is going to after reading this review:) read more
It's my second tike being here because the first time i came, everything was so good. My go to is grilled squid and bbq pork. The portions are pretty big; it's a good place for large group gatherings. The food is just so flavorful and delicious. But the bbq pork is a bit chewy today. The noodles were ok to me but my friend loves it. Overall, i recommend this restaurant! read more
9 months ago
Celebrated a birthday at Avenida Restaurant, a Filipino fusion spot with excellent service and a warm atmosphere. Food Highlights: * Mango Salad: Fresh ingredients, mangoes were super sweet; shrimp paste was strong, so maybe ask for less if you're sensitive to saltiness. * Cheesy Chicken Dip: Salty on its own but delicious with the bread. * Inihaw na Pusit (Jumbo Squid): My favorite -- perfectly tender with a flavorful sauce. * Crispy Pata (Pork Knuckle): Super crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, nicely seasoned; there's extra sauce on the side if you want it. Drinks: The Summer Back Home cocktail was amazing -- great balance of sweetness and alcohol. Honestly, I'd come back just for the drinks! Overall, a fantastic spot for celebrations or just a fun night out with friends. Highly recommend trying the inihaw na pusit and the crispy pata! read more
Avenida was a nice gem in DT San Mateo! There aren't many "upscale" Filipino restaurants in the Bay Area, so coming here was a nice experience overall. They are on the pricier side, but you are paying for service, presentation, and high quality dishes. One thing that really impressed my family and I is that they kept the traditional flavors of each dish while also making it extremely flavorful and less oily! Filipino food can be really oily and salty, but my family and I found the perfect balance from these dishes at Avenida. Highlights were the crispy pata, salpicao, and pusit (jumbo)! I'm so excited to come back and try the rest of their menu! read more
1 year ago
I thought this place was super tasty. It is pricer but overall the quality was good. They serve the food pretty quickly and is spacious. The servers were also attentive in case we wanted anything. They were really nice to allow us to bring in our own cake for our friend's birthday and don't charge a cake cutting fee if they don't cut the cake. They also fridged it for us until the end of dinner. read more
2 months ago
Business owner information
Kenneth A.
Thanks for sharing your wonderful experience, Karen! We're delighted…
2 years ago
I always like to bring out of town guests or relatives here because of the upscale get comfy ambiance, and expertly crafted Filipino food. A cuisine that tends to go unnoticed by most. But the chefs being a modern and bright take to classic Filipino comfort dishes. I can start that anything grilled here is phenomenal. Actually smoky and grilled flavors on their meats. Kara Kara is a staple here and they do it right. They are famous for their Crispy pata and it is so crunchy it is a deifnite treat here. Can't go wrong with their juicy baby squid and lumpia either. Their garlic rice is also flavorful with no burned garlic residue. Every dish I've ordered here has been a hit and I go back time and time again. Don't forget their craft cocktails and milky ice (like halo halo) to end your indulgent meal. Service is friendly and fast and they truly take care of your experience. read more
Left a huge positive impression on me! Little on the expensive side, but would do it again! The food was great and well served, the service was good and location is nice. If you get 2 dishes it is easily a big meal for 2 people. Highly recommend the Beef Shank Kaldereta, if you like red meat. If you are more of a seafood, the Inihaw na Pusit (squid) was also very flavorful, deliciously grilled. The desserts seemed to be a big selling point for this restaurant, but I'll be honest and say I wasn't particularly impressed by it at all. Maybe just not my kind of dessert. read more
Downtown San Mateo has some of the best restaurants in the Bay Area and Avenida is definitely one of them. I'd say Avenida is part of my highest tier of Filipino restaurants that I have been to. Every single dish that I've tasted from here has been so enjoyable. A bit pricier compared to most other Filipino restaurants, but who says Filipino food can't match the prices of other cuisines? Their sisig was packed with flavor. I'm usually not a huge fan of Palabok, but their Palabok was quite addicting. Great balance of noodles and sauce. For taste, service, and overall quality - Avenida is very worth a visit or two or just your favorite go-to place. read more
Avenida is a modernized Filipino restaurant that serves delicious authentic Filipino food. I sometimes get skeptical about modernized Filipino restaurants as, respectfully, the food always turns out to be Americanized without the taste of the Filipino comfort food close to home or is greatly overpriced and not worth what you pay for. However, Avenida does NOT disappoint. I also see Filipino OG's dine here and you know the food is good when even the OG's and the Tita's dine in large groups haha. Overview: Food: 9/10 Service: 8/10 Ambiance: 10/10 What we ordered: 1) Sugba Kilaw - 8/10 *Perfect ratio of citrus and vinegar paired with tender Grilled Pork Belly and fresh Tuna Ceviche that did not taste fishy 2) Pork Sisig - 8/10 *Served sizzling hot on a skillet and was seasoned and flavored perfectly. The sisig had a perfect crisp and softness and greatly enough, did not taste oily which I hate when Sisig is too oily Pork Belly Sinigang - 9/10 *One of our favorite Siningang's from a restaurant!!! Oh my goodness!!! The pork and the veggies were not overcooked. The veggies were cooked perfectly and still had their beautiful colors. The pork was so tender and soft. Most importantly, the Sinigang broth was perfectly SOUR, enough to make that puckered lip face! The pork was so tender Chicken / Pork BBQ - 8/10 *Both choices of protein were perfectly sauced and had such a great broiled char. I preferred the Pork BBQ over the Chicken BBQ. The sizes of the BBQ were definitely what you paid for, and they did not skimp on the portion size, which I appreciate! FOOD: 9/10 I am honestly stunned by how authentic the food tastes at Avenida. There is not one dish so far that is not full of flavor or lacks flavor. The portions of the food are worth what you pay for and an a la carte style despite all being served in one portion for the most part. I have tried their savory appetizers and main courses. However, the next time we go, I seriously NEED TO try their dessert. The dessert menu had a great number of choices to choose from, and all sounded so yummy. I also need to try their cocktails!! SERVICE: 8/10 What I appreciate about Avenida staff is that, even if they are not your assigned waiter or waitress, they all do a fair share of checking up on the customers to see if all is okay or if anything is needed. We had about four different staff that checked up on us, all in good sporadic timing. Ironically, on the first visit we had, we ordered multiple dishes which all came out at a decent time. However, we also arrived an hour before closing time. This time, we only ordered one bowl of Sinigang which took about 30 minutes. However, we also arrived close to dinner time. The wait was still worth it in a sense where the food was for sure fresh and piping hot. AMBIANCE: 10/10 Major interior design vibes every single angle you look at here at Avenida!!! I am in awe of how modern yet cozy Avenida is. From the beautiful woven Filipino art on the walls, the beautiful tiles on the floor, the different good quality and designed chairs throughout each table, the historic photos of Philippines or Filipino historical figures on the wall, literally everything looks well thought out. Even the BATHROOM is nice!!!! Haha. I also love how spacious the restaurant is. I can not wait to try other items on the menu next visit. Yummy food, reasonable prices, great portions, friendly staff, clean, spacious restaurant with beautiful decor... worth the visit. read more
I've been here many times with my husband, cousin, and most recently with my parents and in-laws. I love how it looks in here: tropical, tastefully decorated, and plenty of seating with a big bar, heated patio, and semi-private area upstairs. Compared to most of the Filipino restaurants in Chicago (except the newer ones), this one looks very modern. During our recent visit, we sat at a high table near the door. We did family style and ordered the Lumpia, Chicken and Pork Adobo, Lechon Kawali, Bangus Sisig, Pancit Bihon, Pork Belly Sinigang, and Garlic Rice. Everything was delicious! My Filipino parents approved, in-laws loved it, and hubby and I got our favorites. Yes it's pricier for Filipino food, but the portions are big and we always have leftovers. Service was good as usual. The rotating cocktails are tasty. Love this spot and will continue to go here! read more
Avenida was an elusive restaurant for us to visit since the wait times are so long ! We got lucky and got seated with no reservations within 5 minutes on a saturday evening. Truly lucky. It was with much anticipation that we got to finally taste the food here. The food didn't quite meet expectations but it was still very good. My favorite dish was the Shrimp Gambas. There was happy hour on the weeknd's, so we got the dish for a great price ! Overall, the staff was great. I had a fun time here. The inside was very beautiful, and the underrated it for the holidays. read more
This is where the old breakfast/brunch spot used to be. It's nice to have some Filipino food in the area. The food is quite good and the portions are plentiful. The person I went with couldn't make up their mind and actually wanted 2 Lumpia dishes. This amount of food was definitely r out to feed at LEAST 6 people. All of the dishes were good, IMO, a little pricey but good portions. I would go again if I was in the area and really craving filipino food. The service was good and there were a LOT of seats open but they said most of the seats were already taken so we had to sit at the bar or the elevated tables, which is fine as we obviously needed the room. read more
6 months ago
2nd time here. The food is great. I love the pork knuckle and the steamed fish. Everything is fresh and flavorful. The service was great too. read more
This is my 3rd or 4th time here - the food is still awesome!! We walked in with a party of 2 on a Friday night at around 7pm with no reservations, and were able to get seated immediately at the bar. Service was great and at a reasonable pace for a crowded Friday night. I believe some of the open tables were for reservations only, but honestly the bar is pretty spacious so I didn't miss getting a table. The standouts for me tonight was the Sizzling Bulalo, which is a seasonal special. The meat is so tender and cuts easily with a spoon, and the gravy is heavy but in a good way. Definitely a craveworthy hearty entree and pairs surprisingly well with the garlic rice in my opinion (flavors weren't overwhelming, I thought it was just right) Highly recommend the Halo Halo as a meal closer, I get it every time and it always hits the spot! The veggie and broth Sinigang was unfortunately a rare miss - last time I got it we had it with the beef ribs, which turned out to be too heavy so this time we thought it would be smarter to get it with just the broth and veggies. However, the soup came out super sour, definitely more concentrated than last time. I wonder if it has anything to do the additional meat helping absorb more of the acidity. If you're ordering this wiht the veggie and broth only option, be aware that it might come out acidic so try to balance it with rice just in case. Overall the vibes are great, this place is perfect for fun group dinners as almost every plate can be shared family style. I'd highly recommend trying this out if you are craving a hearty modern Filipino meal! read more
10 months ago
I had a brunch gathering at Avenida for my cousins 40th birthday. I had a great experience here from start to finish. Avenida staff were excellent with planning and coordination of this smallish event right off the bat, they were easy to communicate with and quick with answers to all my questions. The event was over Labor Day weekend, and a few guests I invited backed out last minute. I was in a panic, because it was last minute, I let Avenida know asap. Avenida was totally understanding and adjusted my reservation accordingly. Day of event ran smoothly and the food was absolutely delicious! My family was impressed and the birthday gal had a great time. Totally recommend Avenida and its beautiful ambience to anyone looking for a brunch venue. Great service, good food, cocktails and fabulous event staff. read more
3 months ago
Business owner information
Kenneth A.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Massimo! We're delighted to hear…
1 year ago
3.5 - glad I came with a group so I could try all new dishes that I am unfamiliar with. The absolute favorite was the crispy pata. The crispy outer skin and moist, tender meat was just perfection. If I come back this is the must order for sure. The Kare Kare and pancit palabok were good but just not to my palate. I prefer noodles dry stir fried or in soup and not sauced over. Flavor of Kare Kare did not stand out for me. But these are just personal flavor preferences. Make sure you make a reservation. We came for lunch on a Saturday and the place filled up quickly, mostly larger group. Service was friendly and efficient. Nice outdoor seating also available. read more
It was my second time dining here and just like before, it was a great experience. I ordered the usual favorites my family loves and the food didn't disappoint. Everything was so good and tasty. The service was great too! The staff were really friendly and made sure we were comfortable especially since we had someone in a wheelchair with us. The ambiance was really nice. Very modern pinoy style. Always a good time here! read more
1 year ago
Delicious food and generous portions, perfect for sharing! This modern Filipino restaurant has a great mix of traditional flavors with a contemporary twist. We ordered the Inihaw na Pusit (Jumbo Squid) and Pancit Canton. The jumbo squid was incredibly tender and marinated perfectly with a flavorful soy-based sauce and spices. It was definitely the highlight of the meal! The Pancit Canton was also good--packed with ingredients like Chinese sausage, squid balls, pork, shrimp, and a variety of veggies. While it was tasty, I think I'll try something a bit more unique next time. Overall, very flavorful and well-prepared dishes. Definitely worth a visit! read more
6 months ago
It's rare that I write Yelp reviews; however, there are times when I feel compelled--either when a restaurant is amazing or disappointing. In this case, unfortunately, it was the latter. The ambience was great, but the menu was overpriced compared to other excellent Filipino restaurants offering the same dishes. For example, the crispy pata was priced at $49, which did not feel justified. My friends and I expected something special, but it was just a standard crispy pata. Our waiter was pleasant and answered our questions, but once our food was served, we didn't see him again. There was no follow-up or check-in. Additionally, the woman who brought out our dishes was quite rough and came across as rude, placing the dishes on the table aggressively. Our bill totaled over $500, so I had high expectations and left disappointed. I had also hoped this might be a place to host future company dinner events, but based on this experience, I don't plan to return. I would pass on Avenida. read more
Was craving Filipino food so here I am. I came in and ordered the crispy pina cocktail, the crispy pata, and milky ice buko pandan. The cocktail was pretty good. It had a good balance between pineapple and alcohol to it. The crispy pata which was highly recommended, tasted amazing! It was very crispy and moist. The buko pandan dessert had to be my favorite item on the menu. It was very milky and creamy. The service here was good also. The waiter was good at giving recommendations and was very nice. The restaurant itself gives off modern tropical vibes. This restaurant serves modern upscale Filipino food. Definitely worth a try. Try it out if you like. :) read more
A higher end Filipino spot that would be a great date night option! I've walked past this place many times while in downtown San Mateo and it's always bustling. So I finally made a reservation online on Opentable and made it in! The restaurant is beautiful and had high ceilings with a cool bar. So if you want drinks, they have lots of interesting Filipino inspired options! We had the Lumpia (entree), Jumbo Grilled Squid, and Bangus Sisig. The lumpia was delicious and lightly fried. We inhaled the lumpia without feeling like we just had so much oily food. The squid is marinaded in a flavorful soy sauce base that also comes on the side for extra dipping. The Bangus Sisig (milkfish sisig) was on the Specials menu, so if you like a different take from pork sisig and like fish, milkfish is a unique and tasty option! read more
4 months ago
Business owner information
Kenneth A.
Thanks for sharing your great experience, Osvaldo! We're delighted to…
2 years ago
Came here today with my niece... she's visiting from the LA area and we checked out USF right before, and SCU right before that! Needless to say, we were starving when we arrived (neither of us had any food up until our meal here), and my niece mentioned she had never had Filipino food (not even lumpia!) Pros- opens for dinner at 4, some others I looked at opened at 4:30 or 5pm. The servers provided very friendly service, and the food was delicious and plentiful. We both wished we had more people, so we could have ordered more things to try out! I did my best to order a good variety... lumpia, grilled pork skewers, chicken and pork adobo, garlic salmon, pansit, garlic and regular rice, sautéed spinach with garlic (they actually have vegetables that do not include meat) and their huge crispy pata... yes, we had a ton of leftovers (3 full bags/9 containers). We ate enough to try a bite of everything, plus save room for dessert -strawberry milk ice with an additional order of ice cream. Everything was super tasty, but our favorite was the grilled skewered pork (really great flavor)! Second was dessert! We took so much food home, 5 additional people ate and several dishes still didn't looked touched! Cons- I see two dollar signs on Yelp, but I thought it was on the higher side as far as price point. It was tasty though and we both want to come back and try more! read more
2 months ago
Business owner information
Kenneth A.
Thanks for the wonderful feedback, Catherine! We’re so happy to hear…
1 year ago
- Price point: $$ (~$30 per person) - Cuisine: Filipino - Ambience: The interior is spacious and has a tropical vibe. Very cozy atmosphere with friendly service! - Food review: 1. Pancit Palabok: Noodles with shrimp and hard boiled eggs! This was one of the most popular dishes recommended by the server and it didnot disappoint! Portion was huge (sufficient for 2 ppl), Super delicious (9/10). 2. Chicken inasal: Grilled chicken marinaded with soy based sauce, very soft and juicy! Again very generous with their portion size (8.5/10) 3. Jeju holiday: Very refreshing light drink, perfect for hot summers! (10/10). 4. Pan-Daiquiri: Drink with Pandan and rum, again delicious and great for coconut lovers (9.5/10) They have so many other dishes which we would love to try next time! Definitely give them a try, if you are local and want to try filipino dishes! OF COURSE, WE WILL BE BACK TO TRY THE OTHER DISHES(Overall, 9.5/10)! Recommended for: Filipino dishes; generous portions; great bang for one's buck read more
6 months ago
1 year ago
The atmosphere is incredibly modern and vibrant, the service is friendly and attentive, and the food is absolutely delicious! We had a fantastic time celebrating Mother's Day here. However, we were a bit bummed to find that our beloved crispy tadyang is no longer on the menu--that dish was definitely our favorite! read more
Great service!! Attended a birthday party and the venue was perfect - great open space and nice long bar. We had pancit, short rib, pinakbet, fish sisig, lumpia shanghai, vegetable lumpia, shrimp with mushrooms, chicken wings, and leche flan - all were delicious! read more
Made a reservation for a Friday night at 7pm for 2 though it seems like there were plenty of spots open! I've walked by a few times and they were packed in the past so I was truly surprised! This is my second time here and I ordered the crispy pork knuckle again. I remember it to be better the first time - this time, it felt like it was too crispy and it made it hard to bite. I also noticed that our portion was smaller than 2 other parties that ordered it... not sure if this is a quality assurance issue but we were eyeing everybody else's because they had more meat on theirs!! The pork/chicken adobo is a pass, it's simple and homey but not my usual cup of tea. The garlic rice was very flavorful thought! The pork belly was nice and juicy and the pandan dessert wasn't too sweet and was the perfect way to end the meal. I would get those two again! read more
Wsup my yelp nukka....aye, this spot rihht here, its actually not bad tho. Farrelz... I mean i only seen it thru the ig hype before..u know, them influencers tryna spit they game on the hype here but after actually trying their food here ...some of its on point. Right off tha bat tho, its downtown san mateo off 3rd ave. That means parking is all badd depending on the time you go there to eat. This restaurant is located on a corner of a busy intersection. When you walk in, that ambiance scene is pretty cool...kinda provincial, kinda mid scale eatery, kinda bistro, kinda homestyle kitchen. Its open atmoshere makes for a very casual feel with no boogie. So we came to celebrate a birthday. Food was preordered so as I walked up to a large banquet already going in, the food was all on display, ready to just dig in and plate up. ****SEE PHOTOS FOR LOOKS AND DESCRIPTIONS**** Listen...listen...this place is not bad at all. Is it the best filipino food, not uf youre comparing it to your family cooking, is it an option, of course. There will be some yhings a filipino will not enjoy as far their flavor but there will be food here that your table will enjoy. Being that there isnt many filipino food restaurants out here to easily enjoy, if youre in the peninsula area, hit this place up. read more
2 years ago
I tried Avenida with my family to celebrate my birthday recently. I had been here for drinks previously but had never tried their food. It's a great place to go for large parties. The restaurant is spacious and nicely decorated and the food was delicious too! All the portions were huge and perfect for sharing. - Lumpia - perfectly fried and crispy - Chicken and pork adobo - Seasoned very well and one of my fave dishes of the night! - Crispy pata - while the skin was super crispy, I thought the pork lacked flavor. It was great with the sauce that it was served with, but I would probably skip this dish next time. - Grilled beef ribs - this dish was similar tasting to the crispy pata, except it was beef instead of pork. It was served with the same sauce on the side. - Bangus ala probe - the fish was delicate and cooked just right! - Pancit canton - tasty stir fried noodles, but not the best ! I saved room to try the milky ice buko pandan, which was a great way to the end the meal. It was refreshing on a warm, summer day! I skipped the halo halo because I am not a fan of mung beans, but maybe I'll try it next time since it's served with flan. I'd like to go back and sample other dishes, like the sinigang and pork sisig. Our server was also great! She gave good recommendations as my family is not very familiar with Filipino cuisine. All in all, it was a very enjoyable experience and would highly recommend this restaurant! read more
4 months ago
Avenida has great ambiance inside and outside. The food and drinks were delicious and reasonably priced. The best part is their staff is very kind!! I will definitely be back! read more
Business owner information
Kenneth A.
Thanks for the wonderful feedback, Melanie! We're so glad you enjoyed…
8 months ago
First time eating at Avenidas and it was an amazing experience. The food was delicious and service was also really amazing! Ken and Kristine showed us great hospitality and were so nice to us! If you're looking for good Filipino food and great hospitality definitely come to Avenidas! read more
8 months ago
Came here on a Saturday around 7pm and we ordered the Treviche (would order again), Lechon Kawali (not pictured) and 2 sides of Garlic Rice. We were given a complimentary side of chicharron while we waited for our food to arrive. There were only two of us, so we asked the server what they recommended based on our party size. I'm not sure how long it was, since neither of us were keeping track of time, but the server and manager apologized to us for the long wait time and gave us a free leche flan at the end of the meal. We didn't know until we received the bill that they didn't charge us for the lechon kawali. We decided to tip them the price of the meal because they really didn't need to do that I'll definitely be coming back with more people in the future so that I could try more of the menu! read more
More info about Avenida Restaurant
201 E 3rd Ave
San Mateo, CA 94401
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(650) 781-3637
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https://avenidarestaurant.net
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Ask the Community - Avenida Restaurant
Is your outdoor patio dog friendly?
Hi, Kristel! 😊 Our patio and parklet are both dog and pet friendly 🐾
Besides street parking are there any other parking options like garage parking?
Yes there is Walking distance There are 2 garages nearby
Is it intimate dining for say a 30 year anniversary dinner?
It could get pretty loud in the restaurant, so probably not an ideal place for intimate dining.
What are the current hours? I saw the current online menu and it says there's lunch specials starting at 12 Noon but Yelp says you're open at 4pm (Monday thru Friday).
I passed by the place many times already and ate there today and am pretty sure it is only open for dinner.
Do they use MSG in their dishes?
Are there gluten free dishes on the menu?
NO there are no gluten free dishes on the menu.
Is this restaurant stroller / baby friendly?
I think it'd be possible to bring in a baby with stroller - the tables are not tightly arranged. The staff impressed me as the type that would accommodate a baby with a smile.
Do they have Happy Hour?
they only have lunch specials from 12pm-3pm starting at $12.99,only few selections though
Do we have to booked a reservation?
It's best to book a reservation especially during COVID-19 as indoor/outdoor dining is limited.
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59 reviews that are not currently recommended
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Avenida Restaurant - filipino - Updated June 2026
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