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    Colander Kitchens

    4.9 (42 reviews)
    Open 9:00 am - 2:30 pm
    Updated a few days ago

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    Beignet!
    Jill R.

    We happened across Colander Kitchen and boy what a fabulous surprise. We were out for a Carmel machioto for my son and had to order a full blown lunch. 10/10. I crave fresh food low carb and my husband the opposite and this satisfied all 3 of us. The menu is fresh and inventive and the service impeccable. So charming inside, very chic with a vintage feel as well. See photos for what we ate. We will be back very soon.

    Build Your Own Breakfast
    Nichole B.

    Walked in and was informed that there's a kiosk, or I could use the QR on the table where I can seat myself, to place my order. Was there on a Friday morning early so it wasn't very crowded. I believe they were soft opening their new brunch menu so it was interesting navigating that. I was unsure about the dishes as they seemed more eccentric than a classic breakfast but my friend I was dining with went for the crab cake Benedict and was thoroughly impressed. I highly recommend that dish. I ordered the build your own breakfast which was a nice option because I could pick only the things I actually felt hungry for. Eggs, potatoes, toast and avocado. All priced individually as you "build" I was most impressed with the potatoes and andouille sausage. I would come back here for that alone. The toast was also really yummy but you only get one option so I think that's important to note because I'm used to being asked: "white, wheat, sourdough or rye" and I only had the option of brioche. I ordered a bottled ice tea and I stated to realize the way that this place feels is a restaurant that usually only does door dash items delivered to local tech types who need an excuse to leave the office. Feels a bit disjointed in that way. But the coffee cart is a nice touch. I just get the feeling that this place doesn't really know itself yet. Maybe it's because of Covid that many restaurants have adopted the kiosk/QR code dining experience but we've moved away from that and it doesn't feel necessary in a space that seems like it wants to feel personal. Bring on the fresh squeezed juices and maybe a condiment station and I'll stay a while next time.

    Crunchy Musubi & Crispy Spicy Tuna Sushi Burrito
    Sarah W.

    Went to Colander Kitchens today for lunch and it was lovely! Ordered the crispy spicy tuna sushi burrito, crunchy musubi & beignets. Everything was delicious. Didn't get a photo of the beignets because we devoured them right away. The beignets were an amazing consistency, light and airy. We ordered at the kiosks and the food came pretty quick. The purple flower was a nice touch to add some color to the plate. I love the coffee truck! Very cute. The restaurant has very chill vibes. Would definitely recommend to others and hope to be back soon.

    Steak & Black Cod
    Yoojin S.

    This place is super cute! Love the quiet music, spacious lounge-like layout. Super kind owners greeting and managing the place. Miso Black Cod - 5 stars!!! Deliciously soft, perfect texture. Good portion. Miso marination was perfect. Not too salty. Just perfect. Steak - 4 stars Flavor-wise, it's delicious. While the description wnd picture looked "medium-rare," it was more medium well! If there was an option or more attention to detail, it would easily go up to 5 stars. Rice is an add-on ($3.5) for dinner but it was kinda hard. Maybe this place is better for lunch bc rice is included with these protein options. Felt super healthy and clean. Welcome to San Mateo!

    Oyster
    Erika C.

    So glad to have found this place. Walked by and thought it was a coffee shop or a bar lounge. It is a bit of both as well as a restaurant. The large windows make this space really airy and welcoming. They're between backhaus and foreigner. I used to love going to Roy's in SF. The owner is a former chef at Roy's, and the menu is a little reminiscent of that. We came here for dinner. All the dishes were great (see photos) and the menu prices are unreal. I would fully expect the prices to go up after initial opening, and it would still be worth coming to. I brought my friend and her kid here for lunch and coffee when they were visiting from out of town. The owners are super friendly and warm, and also gave my friend's kid a mini sushiritto roll on the house. We just chilled and lounged around. Shared the salmon rillette salad which was good. I liked my macchiato and will be back.

    Crab canes,  perfectly lightly fried!
    Judy S.

    I've been wanting to try this place for a while because I keep hearing great things about it. I was invited to a private tasting, and wow, I'm impressed!! The decor is so cute and inviting. But the best part is the food. We were all anticipating that the food was going to be good because of the reviews, but I think we were all pretty wowed by just how good everything was. Every dish was perfectly cooked and presented. And just when we thought it couldn't get any better, the beignets came! They were heavenly pillows! And to finish the meal off on the best note, a prefect latte. I think it might be the best I've ever had. If you're a coffee lover, you have to come here and try it, you might not ever get any elsewhere!! You can really taste the care and dedication the owners put into their product, I can't wait to come back!!

    Ribs

    Such a great find in downtown San Mateo! I finally got to try Colander Kitchen for a lunch date with my husband. I got the miso cod dish and he ordered the ribs one. The food was delicious. My fish was moist and flavorful. The plate also included rice and edamame beans which was a pleasant surprise considering the $15 price for the dish. My husband loved his dish too and said the ribs were great. I really liked the overall vibe and ambience, like a combo of upscale cafe and restaurant. Relaxing and quiet enough you can talk to each other across the table. For now it's open through lunch only, but the owner mentioned they will be opening for dinner soon. I really wanted to try the beignets too, but didn't have any room so that will have to wait til the next visit!

    Beignets
    Analyst C.

    Omg! We came for lunch on a Friday. We ordered a Sushirrito with baked salmon and Sumo Crunch Sushi Burrito. Both of them came with edamame. Tye gave us last of the beignet to try since it was sold out on the menu. Everything was delicious! We took home half of our sushi-burrito because we couldn't finish it. Will definitely come back again. Cheers to Jenie and Tye.

    Annie T.

    I literally wolf down the beignets. They were incredible. Fresh, hot, melting, perfect. Enjoyed the brunch, have enjoyed the sushirittos in the past, love the poke plate, super fresh, really enjoyed the steak and ribs. I haven't tried anything there that I thought could have been better. It's a beautiful space and is a wonderful addition to the San Mateo food scene.

    ribs
    Jeanine C.

    New spot just opened downtown San Mateo. There's a cute vintage truck in the window with an antique espresso machine. The four of us had lunch here, and the bill was only $60. That's unheard of these days. We had a little bit of everything: the pesto pasta, the red sauce, an americaine salad, braised beef cheeks, and ribs. The food is really good! Front has big comfy seating, and there are dining tables in the back. There's also a huge bar when you enter, but the owner is still waiting for the liquor license. There's a cute vintage truck in the window with an antique espresso machine. Definitely going to come for coffee and get get a little work done. The big windows are great for people watching.

    Tuna salad

    The cod is so delicious! The salad is fresh and tasty as well. I can't eat carb so I had to order both entry but I can only finish half of the salad and wasted the rice. It will be great if the restaurant can offer an option for us to choose a side (salad instead of rice). That way we can reduce food waste. Food is very tasty so I highly recommend the restaurant

    Michelle P.

    Interesting choices for food and for seating here - order on your phone with a QR code - ordered the goat cheese salad to share and a crab sushirito to share since we couldn't make up our minds - love the idea of a sushi burrito - genius! Tasty and fresh. Wish it had been served with wasabi (did receive shoyu packets) - the salad was a little overdressed, but tasty roasted shallot vinaigrette - the toasted goat cheese balls we're good and still warm - tomatoes were good too which is a surprise as it's December so that's great. Ordered a Macchiato after, served with a mini Loacker - a nice touch - flavorful and not too much foam. Check the address and walk on in. Looks plain from the outside and cozy contemporary inside. Needs a little more signage outside so more people will notice it and come in, because I want them to make it! Super cute! And with the higher ceilings, not too loud - I could hear my friend talk! Spoke with the owner, Tai (sp?) - very nice hard working man. Best wishes!

    Jenifer C.

    We went back to try other dishes: Moroccan salad, coconut shrimp, black cod, ribeye and creme brûlée, all yummy!

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    2 months ago

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    8 months ago

    Excellent food and very nice environment. Price is very reasonable for the quality food provided. Highly recommended

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    2 months ago

    The food was delicious and everything taste very fresh. Great service overall. I would definitely comeback again.

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    10 months ago

    Great atmosphere. Simple and elegant food. Very fair pricing. Serviced was attentive but not overbearing. Very casual.

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    5 months ago

    Love the deliciously flavored and very fresh entrees, served with smiles in charming ambiance!

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    8 months ago

    $15 for perfectly prepared steak and koshihikari rice + edamame is bar none the best deal in town. Outrageous.

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    Ask the Community - Colander Kitchens

    You might also consider

    Foreigner

    Foreigner

    4.1
    (1.1k reviews)
    0.0 mi
    $$
    Free WiFi
    Healthy dining

    I came here for breakfast, and it was great! The location is very nice, and the seats and tables…read moreare stylish and comfortable. I got the smoked salmon Benedict, and enjoyed it immensely. The eggs were perfectly poached, the Hollandaise was tasty (but not overwhelming), and the biscuits they come in were really tasty. I also appreciated the lightly dressed salad that came as a side: the greens were very fresh. I also got the Cuban Cortadito, and I was pumped to have a non-dairy coffee drink. It was very well made: the slight hint of condensed milk was a nice touch. It was a nice sweet drink without being cloyingly sweet. But they have so many tasty coffee drinks that it was hard to choose, so I'll def be back to try more of them!

    My friend and I came here last Saturday at around 11:30am. Despite the rain and wet streets that…read moreday, the restaurant was busy and lively. We ordered our food and drinks first at the register and then they gave us a buzzer, which we took to a table of our choice. The restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating, and fortunately, we were able to find a table inside. I ordered the Foreigner Favorite and an iced Yema Latte. My friend ordered the Veggie Scramble and an iced Euro Latte. We both requested less sweet for our drinks. This turned out good for the Euro Latte but I had to go back and ask them to increase the sweetness for the Yema Latte. The drinks were good, nothing too mind-blowing. The Foreigner Favorite was yummy. I really liked the sausages and poached eggs. I love potatoes, and I wish these were a little bit crispier. Regardless, it was an enjoyable dish overall. It was also very filling, and I ended up taking leftovers home.

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    Foreigner
    Foreigner
    Sexy French Toast

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    Sexy French Toast
    The Backhouse

    The Backhouse

    4.3
    (67 reviews)
    1.4 mi

    I ordered a custom tray for a large group celebration and we were pleased with the quality and…read morenovelty. The fish were fresh, the rice was seasoned, and the garnishes were interesting. The owner was communicative via text and E-mail. Pick up was from a ghost kitchen. Menu was difficult to find online, but here is the link: https://twodotsco.typeform.com/to/eUm9sISf?typeform-source=linktr.ee The tray was beautifully decorated. At $6.25 per piece of sushi, the price was similar to nice sushi restaurants. I probably would not order from here frequently, but only as a special treat.

    The Backhouse was first on my radar two years ago on Valentine's Day when my husband surprised me…read morewith one of their beautifully curated omakase boxes for a cozy night in with sake. Everything was really good and thoughtfully prepared, and it made for such a fun and elevated at-home date night. This past week for my mom's 60th birthday, I decided their party platter would be perfect for celebrating. They were very responsive and easy to coordinate with, which made planning simple. You do have to pick up from a ghost kitchen in San Mateo, but the process was efficient and smooth. The platter itself was beautiful and the quality was just as good as we remembered. Fresh, flavorful, and nicely presented. Definitely a great option for special occasions or when you want something a little elevated at home.

    Photos
    The Backhouse
    Omakase box @whaevaeats
    Omakase box @whaevaeats
    Omakase and Chirashi  box @whaevaeats

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    Omakase and Chirashi box @whaevaeats

    Colander Kitchens - salad - Updated July 2026

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