I can't believe we were so lucky to randomly stumble upon this amazing restaurant on on trip to half moon bay/ pescadero. It was right next to the Saturday half moon bay farmers market where we were initially there for . And when we saw a small line forming up at this cute little corner of the parking lot, we knew something was up and decided to check it out. ( not to mention, the restaurant is not even open yet). We waited maybe for 10 to 15 minutes before we started to move in to place our order. This restaurant stand on it's own on the corner of the parking lot in a converted old train. Dining in itself is a fun experience. There arent many seat inside, but a lot of people came to order take outs, so it moves by pretty quickly. So we order their special of the day - smoked lamb ribs with zucchini noodles , thai coconut soup and their signature hamburger sandwiches oh and their homemade chips. Everything was just simply delicious and made to order fresh. You can see the chef pulling out the rack of lamb from a tin can outside the train, next to the trees , where all the smoking was happening. And once your order is ready, he came delivered right to you. It definitely have this homey, the love of food vibe. Rack of lamb- LOVE! At first we thought, how come is a little warmer than we thought, instead of steamy hot from the oven , than we started to enjoy the strong smoky tender meat. The meat was medium done and was just cooked perfect. With the delicious seasoning on the meat, every bite was just heaven. And yes I licked all the bones and strip out all the meat I can get between the tough tendons. The thai corn chowder- reminded me of the Tom ga gai. A coconut chicken thai soup, but with more corn. It is not a thick soup like clam chowder. But it has a nice lemongrass coconut corn flavor. Very enjoyable in the chill coastal weather. Signature hamburger sandwich- my daugther loves it . Burger party with a perfect fried egg with some runny yoke and bedded with fresh greens sandwiched in nicely toast bread. Everything about it is just feel very gourmet and farm to table like. All the ingredients taste fresh and has all the flavors from just the pure ingredients itself. Moms herb chips- it was sliced thin and fried crispy with nice herb seasoning. We were so full but took it in a cup and finished it on the way before we can get back to our car. It is probably the highlight meal of my weekend trip to pescadero, sf and half moon bay. I cant wait to come back again! read more

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Oh my gosh. Why did I not try this place sooner! I've had dad's bookmarked for the longest time and finally got around to trying this place out last weekend. Line was out the door on Saturday, but it went by quick. I ordered the mushroom sandwich, soup of the day which happened to be celery root and apple, and the herb salad. I also got to taste a friend's side of potato chips. Everything was delicious, well balanced, and filling. Now, I'm not very adventurous when it comes to food, but after hearing the locals rave about this place I ordered as much as I could stomach. The mushroom sandwich which consisted of sautéed mushrooms, cheese, a runny egg, greens, and pickled onions in between thick buttery slices of bread was amazing. And the egg was perfect! I must admit I was a little bit skeptical about the herb salad. How can a salad consisting of just herbs not be overpowering? But it works y'all. It was delicious and the lemon dressing was so good. This is a must try! To top it off, the service was awesome. Staff was cheerful, and really personable. This place embodies what a mom and pop shop is all about. And all ingredients are local and/or organic too! Yay for supporting local farmers. Highly recommend checking out if you're in half moon bay. read more

Dad's Luncheonette - celery root and apple soup, herb salad (highly recommend) - New American Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

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Not bad if your looking for a quick bite after the beach. Inside is small with metal stools, not good for a big group. I paid about $80 for 4 burgers and an herb salad. Kinda pricy for literally a cup of wild grass lol but that's what you pay for when you're so close the coast. I'd probably go back if it were just myself and one other person but definitely not with the kids. read more

Dad's Luncheonette - The burger with a Mexican Coke - New American Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

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We have been wanting to visit Dad's since reading about it in a few places. It was a hot day and we decided to go out to the coast for a picnic. When we arrived at 1pm there was a line out the door. The wait was not long to get our food (total time in line was 15 minutes) as they are pretty fast. The 4 stars are for the food alone - the seating areas were not comfortable. We ordered: - Burger rare - they made it rare and it was delicious $12 - Mushroom sandwich - absolutely yummy with these pickles and egg $12. - Soup of the day curry carrot $6 - beautifully presented - Herb salad - very different and fresh $6 We asked for it to go and drove to the beach across the street. There is a park with many picnic tables where you can have your food with a beautiful view of the water and waves. The cost is $10 to park but worth it to enjoy a nice day in Half Moon Bay. read more

Dad's Luncheonette - Great picnic - New American Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

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I did like this place, yet wait and service gone down hill. I know places get busier on weekends but shouldn't be excuse to how serve customers. All I ordered was the soup, yet took way longer than necessary plus gave me wrong soup. Says it'd tomatoe soup on menu, yet gave me something completely opposite guess this area has no good food except for camerons inn, half moon bay brew company, and Italian restaurant near it. I almost don't want to eat this unappetizing soup, but hungry and paid for it. I could have gotten better food at a food truck or drive thru and sadly got no apology for the long wait. I was so close to asking for a refund. Never ever coming back... read more

Dad's Luncheonette - New American Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

They only had a limited menu but that make them good at what they offer. Organic ingredients used. I had the mushroom sandwich, it was delicious but a slight tad salty, but still great. read more

We were passing by Half Moon Bay and wanted a quick simple lunch, so we looked on Yelp for a sandwich place and landed on this spot. The menu in pictures was so simple, so we figured if they had such high ratings for a few items, they must be doing them right. And that is definitely the case! Hamburger sandwich (grass fed beef, organic egg, dad's sauce, melty cheese, pickled red onion, oak lettuce on grilled white bread) $12 - this is like a really good burger in sandwich form. The patty leaned slightly dry but it was still very good. All the components of this were well thought out and came together so well. The egg was cooked perfectly and the runny egg added more moisture to the sandwich. The sauce tasted so good with the grilled bread. I'm a huge fan of cheese and don't like sandwiches or burgers without it, so I really like the melty cheese. The pickled red onion added another dimension of flavor. And the lettuce - well ya gotta have something healthy in there right? ;) Mushroom sandwich (maitake mushroom, organic egg, dad's sauce, melty cheese, pickled red onion, oak lettuce on grilled white bread) $12 - all the same ingredients as the hamburger sandwich except with maitake mushrooms instead of beef. I am definitely a meat eater but wow this sandwich is delicious and I liked it even more than the hamburger one. The mushrooms were fresh and the flavor was strong. They have more substance than, let's say, white mushrooms, so I didn't miss the meat too much. My husband said that having the hamburger patty with the mushrooms would have made the perfect sandwich though. Homemade potato chips (organic and made daily) $3.75 - light and crispy, not too salty, but also not particularly special The guy taking our order was nice. There are a few picnic tables for this place, but there's also a little field adjacent to it where people brought picnic blankets to sit on. Parking was easy in the lot, and there are other restaurants nearby. When we came on a Saturday at noon, there was a farmer's market too, so we looked around while waiting for our food. The area is nice and just made for an enjoyable lunchtime environment. Overall we really enjoyed the food, but felt that it was a little pricey for a relatively small portion. We were hungry again a couple hours later, but I'd personally still come back for that mushroom sandwich because it really was quite good. read more

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Recommended from a family friend. I've been waiting for the past couple months to visit! Mushroom sandwich, garbanzo bean & green tomato soup, and "Today's Sweet" of grapefruit custard. So good! They do no-contact payment and card only. Outdoor seating is in the small grassy area next to the caboose or you can spread a small blanket for a picnic (or have a car picnic!). Can't wait to return! read more

Dad's Luncheonette - New American Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

Great place but be prepared to wait in line! Make sure you don't come close to closing because everything runs out! Great burger, seems simple but the flavor is surprisingly sophisticated! read more

Dad's Luncheonette - Burger sandwich - New American Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

It's just a tiny little train car with a kitchen inside. Their menu is limited but smells amazing from outside. We had the burger, Mac n cheese, salad, and soup. I really wanted to try the house-made chips, but by the time we ordered (12:15 on a Friday) they were already sold out. The miso mushroom soup was AMAZING and the Mac n cheese was pretty good. The salad and burger were good but not particularly special. Prices are fair for the portions except for the burger, which could be heartier. read more

Dad's Luncheonette - Burger - New American Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

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Enough has been written about the Hen of the Woods mushroom sandwich, but I gotta add my +1. So genius to use maitake (really any mushroom other than your standard portabello!) and to choose one with such great texture and flavor. Add a soft egg, cheese and deliciously buttered toasted artisanal bread, it's perfection after a morning at the beach. The grass fed beef burger sandwich is also very good but wouldn't necessarily go out of my way for it. Don't forget to order a side of their crispy homemade potato chips to complete your post beach meal. read more

Came again for lunch today and go to try the maitake mushroom sandwich, and it was even better than the hamburger sandwich!! So well seasoned and flavored, this will def be my go to order when I'm here again. read more

MUST TRY: "Hamburger Sandwich" which is really a cheeseburger lol but it's AMAZING! The potato chips seem like it's expensive but it's worth it. Not sure what the yellow dust is but there's a lot of it and it gets messy when eating. But very addictive! Herb salad - not my fave, the dressing wasn't strong enough to balance the whole herbs. I found it kind of bland and boring, I wouldn't get this again Special of the day: pork belly and date pizza made with focaccia I wouldn't order this again either. Not enough pork belly, too much dates, bread was super dense and thick, they should've cut it in half to make it thinner and toasted on the bottom and/or not used such a dense focaccia. Wouldn't order this again either. (I'm noticing from the reviews the special of the day don't do well) Future orders I hope to try soon: Mushroom sandwich Mac & cheese read more

Very friendly guy took our order. Great sense of humor. Food was good. Not cheap but worth it. Some of the best Mac and Cheese I've ever had. The little crisped rice on top make it. My wife didn't think the homemade chips were that great. But they were almost sold out so that tells you something. And the pickled onion on the burger sandwich was great. Tangy but sweet. read more

Awesome little food truck type restaurant! Tip: get there early! There's going to be a line! Loved the hamburger sandwich and the mushroom sandwich! Best was definitely the earl grey pie and Mac and cheese! Creative touches that elevates the dishes! read more

Dude, bro, dude! Thats a hella good burger! I was a little skeptical with the whole toasty bread instead of bun thing, but dang bro! That was good. I'll go back hella times! read more

I remember watching the Food Network with my mom, seeing this place, and her telling me that someday my adventures should lead me to this burger. A year and a half later, my personal bay area adventure lead me to Half Moon Bay. While there was a line for this spot, it went by really fast. People in line were standing with their pups, so saying hello to all of them perfectly occupied my time. I remember thinking to myself after I ordered, (Hamburger Sandwich & Mac N Cheese), how good can a burger actually be? Now listen, like every American Ive eaten my fair share of burgers. But hear me out here, this is hands down by far one of the best burgers I have ever had. The egg with the runny yolk, the pickled onions, the spread, the quality of the meat. All of it is genuinely unmatched. I remember looking over at my friend after we both took our first bite, and our eyes lit up. The Mac and Cheese wasn't as great as the burger, but it is still note worthy. The pie was excellent as well, decant and amazing. Also did I mention? The service rocks. Please come here! read more

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Half Moon Bay is a wonderfully beautiful coastal town. With one of the best diners I have ever been to. This place is in an old train caboose with the happiest chef. They keep it simple with delicious hamburgers or mushroom sandwiches that are created by a chef who formerly worked at Saison and now owns Dad's. The corn chowder has insanely tasty Thai flavors. I'm so happy I stumbled upon this place! read more

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I've driven by this spot many times and finally we decided to stop and grab a bite. I was really looking forward to eating here since the reviews were stellar. We ordered Mushroom Sandwiches and Mac and Cheese. The Mac and Cheese was ok; topped with the puffed wild rice it didn't work for us. The first bite of the Mushroom Sandwich was great. Full of taste with some egg and cheese. After I took a picture for this review, I noticed a hair right in the middle of the sandwich. Gross. See picture. I understand this happens sometimes but it really kills the appetite. read more

Dad's Luncheonette - Yes, that's a hair right in the middle of my mushroom sandwich. - New American Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

Hmmmm...kinda a bit disappointed. I had this bookmarked since they opened and we spent a weekend in Pescadero and it was on the way home. We got there on Sunday around 10:45am - the open at 11am - and we were about the 5th party of 2 in line. We got a mushroom sandwich and a burger and the mac and cheese. It was all good, but I was expecting to be blown out of the water - I was not. The service was VERY good, sincere and nice. I loved the space and the concept. Just maybe not my cup of tea, but happy I went and checked it out. read more

The food was good and although they were busy, the food was prepared fast. I took the food to the beach and enjoy the sunset. I'm not sure if I would go back to this place, but it seems the locals enjoy going there. read more

Finally made it out here and the food lived up to expectations. They're vegetarian friendly! We had the maitake mushroom sandwich, mom's herb salad, and Mac & cheese. It's low key and seating is limited so we ate in the car. The herb salad is one of our favorite salads ever which is saying a lot but don't have it if you're parsley adverse. Mac and cheese is great with the puff rice crunch, I would personally enjoy some black pepper on it to warm it up but the texture is terrific. We had the mushroom sandwich sans egg but didn't feel like it was missing anything. The mushrooms were perfect and the bread was grilled with just a slight char which I love. Drinks- they have canned beer and wine as well as sparkling water and soft drinks. Will be coming back on a less windy day so we can order takeout and picnic at the beach! read more

Dad's Luncheonette - Herb Salad, Mac & Cheese, Mushroom Sandwich sans egg - New American Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

Literally cannot say enough positive things about this place. The chef and servers obviously care about their craft. Food is so pure and simple and well priced at $12 an entree. My hamburger egg sandwich was perfection - highlights were the pickled red onions and butter lettuce. Such clear quality in everything they make. Also the cutest little nook, and you can tell that this place was conceived out of someone's dream. read more

Dad's Luncheonette - New American Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

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Cool looking place but only had two things on their menu. If you don't like beef or mushrooms do not go here.

We drove to Sweet 55 for our chocolate fix & what the heck, we were hungry so decided to try Dad's Luncheonette. First disappointment... they ran out of the homemade chips! Must be really good, wish we could have tried it. Oh well, next time. We ordered one burger sandwich, one mushroom sandwich, one mac & cheese w/puffy rice, and one herb salad. Both sandwiches were good, but not "blow my mind" good. The burger pattie could have been seasoned more & the bread a bit less greasy. The mushroom burger tasted yummy except for the again slightly greasy bread. The mac & cheese was different with the puff rice. The rice gave it a different texture, but overall the mac & cheese itself was just ok. The herb salad however was fantastic. It was very fresh & refreshing. The lemon vinaigrette was very good. read more

They sell out of things super quick. We secured Dad's Burger and the Mushroom burger. Burgers were fresh and they've got a good setup with a few benches. read more

Worth the wait! It's been a three year quest to eat this gastro burger!! Nothing is held back 1. The hamburger Sandwich -done 2. The MAC and cheese.-off the charts 3. Desert-Strawberry shortcake. - Art of love. I recommend just trying the potato chips then enjoy the rest. Off the charts Amazing!! Chef has skills worth of his 3 Michelin stars as Chef De Cuisine. Fly in, drive in, Surf in. Put this on your want list!! read more

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My partner and I decided to take a day trip down Highway 1 to celebrate our anniversary and first stopped at Dad's Luncheonette after hearing about the chef leaving the three-Michelin-starred Saison to open a roadside burger/sandwich stand. We were pleasantly surprised to find Dad's Luncheonette located in a cute, little train car. The place was packed so be prepared to wait to order and to get your food. I loved the mushroom egg sandwich and the rose/pistachio blondie. The price for the sandwich was pricey but it's one of the best meals I've had in HMB. read more

Dad's Luncheonette - Inside - New American Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

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A good restaurant should be consistently excellent. Dad's Luncheonette was possibly once such place but it gone down hill. My wife and I went their for lunch. I ordered the special which was pork belly sandwich. It was terrible. Layers of chewy unrendered fat with little cheese between two slices of bread. What made it worse, I showed a pile of unrendered fat to the person upfront. Instead of calling the chef, he shrugged his shoulders and let us leave. We payed over $50 for two sandwiches, tiny salad and small soup. There are better options in half moon bay. Avoid this place. read more

Finally got a chance to try out this much publicized spot on highway 1 in Half Moon Bay. 5 stars is well deserving because from every angle, a star. The "little" caboose is painted & decorated with whims. The menu sounds "basic" but it is anything but. You can almost taste the Creativity from the ingredients used, which, by the way, are always fresh, locally sourced, and organic. Our group of 8 tried out everything on the menu and then some. ( Chef Scott whipped up something special for us today - taro soup. Yum). Coming back again real soon. Actually, it will be a must for anyone in the area, and it is also "worth a detour" if you are going N to S or S to N in CA. read more

Very busy...long lines...30 minute wait to get food around 1:30 in the afternoon on Saturday. The restaurant is a pickup joint in the parking lot of a strip mall. The kitchen is an old locomotive. Food was pretty decent...not delicious but not bad. Quantity was quite small, especially for the price. For $12 you got 2 pieces of bread with a fried egg, mushrooms and some spinach or similar. Seemed rather expensive given the quantity and content. Kids' grilled cheese was dry and didn't see like much for $6. read more

Came here on a Sunday afternoon- I ordered the maitake mushroom 10/10 and I didnt even get it with the sauce! And a friend ordered the hamburger 8/10 for me Minus the one star because we got food poisoning read more

A place with tons of character slightly off the beaten track, this restaurant/food truck hybrid has a limited menu with each item made to perfection. All ingredients are high quality and fresh, leading to slightly high prices, and running out of certain items. We went at 12:45 and they were out of potato chips and mac n cheese, so we got a hamburger sandwich, mushroom sandwich, and herb salad. They were very open to being accommodating to dietary restrictions but did not have gluten free bread and instead put my sandwich ingredients over lettuce, which I still enjoyed and actually appreciated as a slightly healthier option. However, I wasn't quite as impressed as my friends were with their full sandwiches. The herb salad was fresh and flavorful and would be a good way to get some more greens if you order the standard sandwich. The space is quite small, with just a few seats inside and a few more outside. I would recommend bringing a picnic blanket or towel and a jacket so you can eat outside. read more

Outstanding! Get the "Happy Meal" and you will not leave disappointed. Potato chips with nutritional yeast, mushroom sandwich, corn soup, and herb salad are standouts! But everything was great. Worth the trip from SF! read more

I had this place bookmarked but unsure of where I heard of this place. We were in the area hiking and was starving around 1pm on a weekend. The line went out the door but moved at an ok speed. I think we only waited 15 minutes before we got to the register. They had a special of roasted chicken and potatoes cooked in beef drippings. But they were a little behind and said that would be a half an hour wait. So we ended up getting two of their hamburger sandwiches and the mac n cheese with puffy rice. Maybe after the person behind us ordered they closed the door to, I assume, catch up on orders. There was a note on the door that they would open in about 20 minutes. Lots of people came and were confused at first. But they continued to wait. It must be good. We waited awhile - probably 20 minutes or so. Or it felt really long bc we were starving. But they had opened up the doors by the time we got our food. Anyways the hamburger sandwich was super tasty and unique. The portion isn't that big, esp for the price. I mean I was stuffed but the bf was still hungry. The beef was cooked well. It had cheese, red pickled onions, lettuce, an egg, and some kind of sauce. I liked the sourness of the onions. And an egg makes everything better. The sauce tasted kinda like a lemon vinaigrette to me and it was all over the lettuce. It's also served on two slices of white bread (vs a traditional hamburger bun). Oh and they were out of their homemade chips so that's why we went with the mac and cheese. It was good. I liked that the puffy rice created a texture contrast. But it could've been cheesier in flavor. Next time, we'll have to get their earlier to try their chips and specials. But the burger is solid. read more

Dad's Luncheonette - Mac n cheese with puff rice AND 2 hamburger sandwiches - New American Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

What to do on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon after a five mile hike along the beach in November? Hmmm. My first thought was the hamburger at Dad's Luncheonette as everyone has been raving about the Michelin Star chef in Half Moon Bay! 130pm..... no line... there were available seating despite its tiny venue. The food came pretty quickly. The hamburger sandwich was enticing with over medium egg and spinach. The hamburger was good but quite greasy for my taste. The Mac n cheese was alright. I was disappointed that it's quite plain and not cheesy enough. Another disappointing thing was potato chips were sold out! How could this be? Who would enjoy a hamburger without fries or chips? Actually, homemade potato chips are typically very greasy so I didn't miss having them. Why can't they have fries? Also I asked for ketchup and they don't provide -- not sure why they are trying to be so out of the box? Also, Ice cubes are not available for sweet drinks. Hmmm mmm Sadly, we probably won't come back here again... do wish this place will do well and make some changes. read more

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A must stop. Every time I'm in the area I stop by. I am vegetarian and this place had me covered. The mushroom sandwich always hits the spot and if you're here early enough, get the potato chips. read more

It's been hard finding go to spots now that I'm a HMB local. Despite this being a beautiful and well visited costal town, I must say, there are a lack of excellent eateries here. I know many will disagree, but I just haven't been blown away by much since I've moved here and I've tried a lot. So I was cautiously eager to try the well revered Dad's across the street from my new home. Thank god it was everything I'd heard and more! I can't say more than most people already have about how incredible it is, but I'll try. I'm so glad it lived up to the hype because there's nothing worse than anticipating something and then finally experiencing it and having it be a let down (like in the 90's when I finally saw the Matrix..don't judge me). Dad's did not disappoint. First, their hamburger is to DIE for. It is so juicy and flavorful. I literally was saying, "Oh my god," after each bite. That's when it's really good. When you can't stop talking about it when you're eating it. The mac'n cheese was perfection; especially with the little crunchy topping and chives. It had multiple layers of flavor that opened up slowly after each bite. Something unexpected from something as simple seeming as mac'n cheese. The homemade chips were just the right amount of salty and crispy and the salad was a nice addition as the dressing is a bit tart. Lastly, the atmosphere is unique and befitting HMB. It's the right amount of quirky casual that makes it a perfect fit for this area. I am excited to return again and try more. It's too decadent to be a staple, but absolutely a beloved hometown spot. read more

Spectacular food when he's open. Closed for the season, Dec 23, 2019 until January 22, 2020 read more

If you are lucky enough to her there, you absolutely must hit this place up. My burger sandwich and homemade chips were just wonderful. Bonus points for adding that egg, chef!! read more

Dad's Luncheonette - Hamburger sandwich and homemade chips - New American Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California