This review has been a long time coming because Curry Up Now was one of those places that became part of my routine when I lived in San Mateo--and I still think about it. San Mateo, in my opinion, is one of the most perfect places to live when it comes to weather. Always sunny, usually hovering around that sweet spot of 74 or 75 degrees, safe, walkable, and right in between Burlingame and the rest of the Peninsula. Everything felt easy to get to, and downtown San Mateo really came alive over the years. Maybe it grew a little too fast toward the end, but there's no denying they did an incredible job building up that area. Curry Up Now started as a food truck, and I'll admit--I was one of those people chasing food trucks on Twitter back in the day. So when they opened their brick-and-mortar in downtown San Mateo, I was thrilled. They picked the perfect location. You can hop off the Caltrain, grab a bite, meet friends, catch an Uber, or head back to the garage and be on your way. It's lively, walkable, and always has something going on. My go-to was usually the thali plate. I know they have a lot of creative and innovative items on the menu, but I tend to stick with the tried and true. The thali lets you sample a little bit of everything, and it always felt like a solid, satisfying meal. The chutneys alone were worth the visit--tamarind, garlic, and that bright green one with a real kick. I love spicy food, so I never held back. Another bonus at this location was the full bar, which made it a fun place to meet friends and hang out for a bit. The outdoor seating was also a big plus--very much that California lifestyle where you can sit outside almost year-round and just enjoy the day. It's especially great with a group because you can order a bunch of dishes and share. Prices were reasonable, the staff were friendly and helpful, and the whole place had a casual, welcoming energy. Nothing pretentious--just good food, good service, and a steady flow of people coming and going. I moved away in 2023, and this is definitely one of those spots I miss. If you're passing through on Caltrain or spending time in downtown San Mateo, it's absolutely worth stopping by. Curry up, eat well, travel safe--and don't skip the chutneys. read more

Confusing menu and ordering . Noticed vindaloo burrito ,but not on menu. Server had no idea what mint chutney was. Pricing is hard to comprehend. Vindaloo is supposed to be hot and spicy ,there's was meh. Won't be back. read more

We finally made it to Curry Up Now after finding out (six years later lol) that the food truck my fiancé used to love actually has a physical location here. We are already planning to come back. We tried the fried ravioli first. On their own, they were just okay, kind of mid, but the tikki masala dipping sauce they came with was so good. Honestly, the ravioli felt more like a crispy vehicle for sauce delivery, and I was not mad about that. The mini samosas were good too. I have definitely had better ones before, but these still hit the spot and I have zero complaints. They came with this brown sauce that I am not totally sure what it was, but I loved it and kept going back for more. Overall, really fun flavors and a cool mix of Indian street food vibes with casual comfort food energy. Next time we are going for the curry burritos because that feels like the main character move here. read more

Curry Up Now Indian Restaurant and Catering - Indian Near Me - San Mateo, California

I love this place! I've been here many times for dinner and snacks (when I'm at the bar). I love the fried ravioli! The bar in the back has a lot of interesting drinks as well and excellent service. The vibes are immaculate Highly recommend!! read more

First time at curry up now and enjoyed seeing all the creative menu items! The food was very good and quick. The only wish we had was that the food was heated up a bit more.. Some of the items were not that warm or felt a little cold so they weren't as tasty as they could be. Service was very good and friendly! read more

Curry Up Now Indian Restaurant and Catering - The American Punjabi Thali - Indian Near Me - San Mateo, California

See all

I think i get pani puri cravings and curry up now is the ole reliable for the fix. I love coming here during the connecting bar's happy hour. I will sit in the ambiance of the cool bar, eating my snacks, and getting a happy hour drink. Got the pani puri, mini samosas, and fries to share with my friend and me. read more

Curry Up Now Indian Restaurant and Catering - Indian Near Me - San Mateo, California

Chai n Parle G - 5* (Nice Chai - Generous quantity and of course comes with Parle G) Hella Vegan Bowl - 4* (Need to request less sweet chutney next time) Peri Peri Fries - 4* (generous quantity) Good ambience and good service as well! read more

See all

Had an excellent lunch experience. Our server, Rachelle, was extremely attentive. I had a saag paneer burrito, and my friend had mahkni butter rice bowl. Absolutely delicious food. read more

I came in around 2pm on New Year's Eve for lunch. I have the chicken tikka bowl keto-style (+ $1) which subbed riced cauliflower for rice. I opted for Chana Masala as my side. It was awesome with a perfect amount of spice! It was quiet so I had plenty of time to eat and had a place for my luggage (I took Caltrain & bus to the airport). This is FAR BETTER than anything at SFO! I will definitely be back! read more

3.5 stars, rounded up for service. Ate twice recently, for the first time at this location. The good: I get WiFi here, and it's actually a great place to lunch while working. Service is friendly and attentive. Tables are well stocked with napkins and utensils. There's a huge menu. The average: The food is not great. Palak paneer was decent for my taste. The chicken tikka masala didn't have a lot of flavor. The butter chicken was too sweet. The bad: most dishes cost more than their equivalent elsewhere around town. I recently had curry & kebab in SM and thought their dishes were better, but I'm still more likely to come to curry up now for their convenient location, the service, and more comfortable seating. read more

Curry Up Now Indian Restaurant and Catering - Thali - Indian Near Me - San Mateo, California

The Chicken Ticca Massala burrito was very good!! If I get that way again I will have to try some different options from their menu. Just eyeballing other people's dishes makes a person hungry!!! read more

Wonderful, tender chicken sandwich great vibes great atmosphere excellent service by Jennifer recommend this place for fun cool Indian street food creations read more

My company purchased meals with Butter Chicken, Tikka Masala and their Vegan option. Upon entering, we were greeted and when we told the staff we were picking up an order, it was easy to locate. Everything was already packed. If we wanted any hot sauce, we simply helped ourselves with the sauce to go containers. Each meal was served with their basmati rice, a bean slurry, and either BC/TM; I didn't open the vegan option but smelled delicious. I had the pleasure to enjoy BC/Butter Chicken. The bean slurry reminded me of a Filipino dish, mungo. YUM and main course was triple YUM. read more

In a downtown, with a ramen or bubble tea shop on every block, it's nice to see an Indian inspired restaurant. I think if I went in with a more fast food mindset, I would have probably been a bit more satisfied with the meal. Sexy fries: The dish really didn't seem well thought out. The sweet potato fries were fine, but the paneer and sauce felt like it was just tossed on. Wouldn't recommend. Thali: we ordered with chicken tikka masala, butter chicken, and spinach paneer. I liked how there was different variety, but the flavors of the dishes fell a bit flat. I wished the naan was chewier instead of a pita texture. Haaka noods: If you think of a standard Chinese chow mein, you'll get a decent idea for it tastes. Samosa: The best dish we ate. The pastry was hot and crispy and curried potatoes were tasty. Mango lassi: comes in a bottle so not sure if it is made fresh. Tasted fine. All in all, they try to go for a modern "cool" vibe feel, but the dishes, aside from the samosa, fell flat. read more

Curry Up Now Indian Restaurant and Catering - Indian Near Me - San Mateo, California

See all

I enjoyed our meal here. The place is spacious w great funky wall art, it was not busy at all and the owner was very nice and helpful when I was ordering my vegan option. The food was served quickly and I overheard the owner double check in with the cook to make sure that my bread did not have any butter which was thoughtful of him. The presentation was beautiful and colorful. The dish was very flavorful and delicious, good serving size as well. We did ask for extra chutney sauce and were not charge extra for it. The entire experience was wonderful. CC accepted. read more

See all

Delicious food and always quick service. Love the paneer tiki masala burrito and the samosas.

Very interesting restaurant where the dishes all have a twist on traditional Indian cuisine. They're pretty adventururous and seem to have good ideas, but not all of the dishes turn out well. The Tikka masala burrito was good, but we felt that it would've been better enjoyed as a traditional dish, with naan on the side. The tandoori fried chicken sandwich on the other hand was pretty good, but didn't get too much of the tandoori flavours and felt more like a traditional chicken sandwich. Though promising, I think they need some more time to refine their menu items so that they get to showcase delicious Indian cuisine in innovate forms! read more

Curry Up Now Indian Restaurant and Catering - Tikka Masala Burrito - Indian Near Me - San Mateo, California

See all

Tried ordering through the app and it didn't workout for an oldie like me. So if you're not tech savvy just stick to ordering with the server. :) Food was good like always. Plus for having drinks from the bar next door. Family oriented ambiance Will be back! read more

See all

Food quality is very good and the customer service is really friendly. Highly recommend.

I love all the food at curry up now. It's all very flavorful. It's great for eating there or takeout. This last time we ate there and the service was very good. We like the chicken tikka masala burrito. I try to come here whenever I am in San Mateo. read more

Love this place! I had been here before, and can't believe I haven't reviewed it before now! Delicious food, my favorite is a butter chicken, but then recently I had to fry chicken sandwich and it is amazing! Great location, nice friendly service, and reasonable prices. read more

See all

Long overdue review... This was our third visit to this location, but this one was different and much better. We ordered a few things but here are the things that stood out: Vada Paav (4.5/5) - don't miss this. The bread was nicely warm and just a hint of crisp while the vada was amazing! Not too spicy, the right amount of garlic and garnished with sufficient amounts of chutneys. Paneer Tikka Bowl (3.5/5) : the fam had split views on this dish. I loved the daal and the rice but kid and wife found it meh! I thought the dish had a good blend of spices and not too hot. Paav Bhaji :3.5/5 - while it's tough to compare this with one you'd get from perhaps a Paav Bhaji hut, it was certainly worth having. Service was very good - prompt and courteous. The owner was there in person and stopped by several times to check in. All in all - certainly a place I'd go back to. read more

Curry Up Now Indian Restaurant and Catering - Paneer Tikka Bowl - Indian Near Me - San Mateo, California

Food is amazing here! An office favorite , everyone loves the food, everything is very tasty with just the right amount of spice! We definitely will keep ordering from here! read more

This is a story of redemption...Redemption that took 5 years to occur lol!! When I lived in the bay I loved going to Curry Up Now when it was a new concept to me, Indian street food. However the last time I went there I had a bad experience and it made me salty lol. So I yelped at the time that I was disappointed with how my food came out and that the quality was dropping. The mgr sent me a gift card for a free entree to come back and give them another try. Well I moved away and forgot all about this. I found my free entree card and was determined to go back to CUN when I was visiting the area and see if it would be a better experience. Thank goodness they stayed in business ha! 5 years in restaurant world is a long time to wait and redeem a meal. Well I'm happy to report that everything was great. I ordered the chicken tikka masala burrito (free entree) and the item that was in question, up for redemption, was the sexy fries. I love that name :) Everything came out quickly and it was delicious, as I remembered it to be. The staff were friendly and the place looked the same as 5 years ago so they didn't get worse due to Covid. Thanks CUN for a delicious meal that was 5 years over due :D read more

See all

We love the food here! On most occasions, we have done takeout, so don't have much experience with the service but people have been nice. We've met the chef who manages multiple locations, and he's an amazing chef with great experience. The quality of their menu items is consistently excellent. Their Kathi rolls are a go-to favorite. More recently, they introduced this croissant dabeli dish which I thought was off the charts amazing!! Buttery croissant with very tasty stuffing, and delicious crunch with peanuts and pomegranate. I also love that they give little parle-G biscuits with the chai. I also HIGHLY recommend their dal halwa. It's quite heavy but SO delicious and flavorful. read more

Curry Up Now Indian Restaurant and Catering - Croissant Dabeli - Indian Near Me - San Mateo, California

Such great chaat - I ordered the golgappa, Bhel puri and kachori chaat. While the pani/water felt like it came straight out of a very cold fridge it was still quite flavorful. For a chain this place is still great. My only complaint is the decor feels so boring. One tiny wall with bright colors and the rest looks like a forgotten old McDonald's. So much potential to improve the dentist office ceilings and the wired lighting. This place can feel much more inviting, exciting, fun and warm. Music and staff both excellent! read more

Immediately when you walk in you are welcomed with a wave of aromas and vibrant colors. We were quickly greeted by the staff and sat down with a menu. It was our first time here so we were unfamiliar with the offerings. Lots of stuff on the menu so we got a couple of starters and as couple of entrees. I got the chicken tikka masala burrito and my wife got the butter chicken bowl. Sides were bhel puri and pani puri which came out quickly. Our server was very attentive and checked up on us a few times. Each dish was full of flavor and tasted delicious! We're looking forward to a future visit where we'll try something different! read more

See all

The place doesn't have much foot traffic and that should've been my sign to stick to my norm lunch pickups. Today I was craving pani puri and was very let down by the flavors that touched my mouth today. The pani puri and the batata puri had a very watered down potato consistency and a strong undercooked potato flavor. I understand the juice has a ton of flavor but the potato's and the filling just threw me off I surprisingly couldn't finish them.The staff was very nice, the man who welcomed me in was very attentive. The mango lasi wasn't bad, quite unique. It was more than the normal mango lasi, it had a kick to it with spices. read more

See all

Excellent food with a wide variety of options, flavors, and heat levels. A hint of Cal-Mex in styles and offerings. Have always ordered for delivery, and never been disappointed. read more

Just wow. The food here is amazing! I ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala Bowl but other people in our group ordered Sexy Fries, Deconstructed Samosa, Tikka Masala Burrito, Pani Purri, and Holy Moly Fried Ravioli. There was not a single leftover present when we finished our meal - that's how good it all was. The ratio of the food was perfect - in the past, I've had Indian dishes where the sauce overpowered the entire meal and it looked more like a soup than a bowl. Everything we ordered was flavorful in all the right ways. The only recommendation I have is that they turn the volume of the music down a bit because it was difficult to have a conversation, but I wouldn't take a star away because the food was amazing. I saw they have an NJ location so I can't wait to make my way there! read more

Please do not get the free chai (one free chai per order) -- worst ever. I got my usual kachori chaat-- happy to not be disappointed there. My partner got punjabi burrito-- it seemed stale and tasted weird. We hope this is a one off glitch and not indication of quality. read more

Curry Up Now Indian Restaurant and Catering - Indian Near Me - San Mateo, California

See all

I am updating a review I had done almost a dozen years back when I was a die-hard curry up now fan. I came home hungry today and ordered Curry Up Now bowls through Uber Eats and my order was cancelled by CUN for no reason. I am sorry this is NOT the level of service one expects - there is a reason the ratings have gone down so dramatically over the years - this used to be a 5-star place when I first reviewed it back in 2011 read more

We tried this Indian place for lunch today. Food was delicious! Chicken tikka masala was very tasty and loved their naan. I will definitely come back again and try other dishes. read more

See all

Came here on our date night last Thursday night, the 27th at around 6. I really wanted to try the Chicken Tikka Masala. Could the music possibly be any louder?! There was only one table outside, and that was occupied. Rather than having a dinner where we could not hear each other speak we opted to go elsewhere. read more

I love their chicken tikka masala burrito!!! It's so GOOD! The spice is perfect & not too spicy. The only thing is it makes you want to eat more! read more

A fun spot right in the middle of downtown San Mateo. There are some fun fusion-y type options like burrito and deconstructed samosa. Some of the food can be super spicy, so heads up! They also have a keto meal that is delicious. read more

We used to go at least once a week... but are just now stopping going there... not because of anything bad happening, but because of them changing the menu, dropping the one item my picky son loved eating - the Hakka noodles, which is Indo-Chinese and only some Indian restaurants carry. It is a bit of a strange/specific Indian restaurant... a pretty good indication is that they carry "curry" in their name, but... don't have any curries on their menu. It's kind of a mix of Indian / street food / fast food thingy they've got going. For the good food quality and taste, it'd have been 4 stars, but sometimes service is dragging, plus their new menu clearly is meant to save money by reducing options (eg before you could combine 8 or 10 Thali items - now it's 3 rigid preselected combos), which makes this less interesting... it seems to be drifting a bit more from the Indian street food to the Indian fast food take... read more

Food here is fabulous. Their food truck is also great to order from. Will definitely come back again.

I've been many times. Amazing food, the best ambiance, and Raul was wonderful . Best experience ever

Fast delivery, and it was still hot! The Sexy Fries and Chicken Tikka Masala Burrito were amazing. We also had Holy Moly Fried Ravioli and Mini Samosas. It was perfect for a chilly evening. Good flavors, not too spicy. Just lots of flavor. read more