I've been here 6-7 times and try different drinks each time. Their cocktail options are quite extensive and I've never been let down on balance, flavor, and presentation. Fogbird is the perfect place to start or end a night out. read more

I went on a Friday night. Made reservations online through Tock, but when I got there they did not ask for my name but still sat me. Place was pack during their soft opening. The good: the decor of this place is extremely inviting and reminds me of SF bars. The drinks are very beautifully presented. Staff was really nice. The bad: My drink was overly sweet. Waiter recommended the Paloma but it was way too sweet, I had to let the ice water down the drink for it to be bearable. It's not made of grapefruit juice but rather grapefruit cordial (syrup). So maybe it was my fault. The other two drinks my partner ordered were just ok... The waiter's shift ended and he didn't tell us (I only knew because I seen him leave) and I felt like the bartender who took over took a while to check up on us. I gave it 4 stars because I believe the place has potential and this is just their soft opening, so they're still working out the kinks... read more

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I went on a date here on a Wednesday night and this place is so cute! Ambiance: 5/5 If it's for a girls night out or after work drinks or date night, the vibe is so nice. The music is at the right level where you can get lost in a conversation but faintly hear it playing. The lighting is put at the perfect dimness to not overpower the decor. Decor: 5/5 Honestly, I'm a tad biased because I love peacock blue/teal. The designs along with furniture/decor is tastefully done. Not too overpowering but worked with the layout. Libations: 5/5 I love whiskey and scotch. So I tried the Baller Manhattan and Flight Risk (from their Signature cocktails/House Classics menu) Baller Manhattan - Whistle Pig Rye, Vermouth Blend, Bitters. Tastefully done and each time you savored a sip, your tastebuds heightened. Also, it was garnished with cherries - new fave! (If you do not enjoy whiskey/scotch, this may not be for you) Flight Risk - James E Pepper Rye, Amontillado Sherry, Nardini Amaro, Bitters. Our attendant recommended this drink and she hit it on the nail! (Forgot her name but she has perfected the cat eyeliner!) This drink complimented the previous one as it was a bit milder. Overall, I'm definitely coming back with more friends! read more

Fogbird - Inside Fogbird - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Drinks taste really good we will definitely come back and try more drinks from the menu! Our drinks were ready within 5 mins so it was pretty quick. We really like the wallpaper and the layout of the bar. read more

Fogbird - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

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happy to see so many great cocktail places open up in downtown san mateo. Wunderbar at Wursthall and now this place! Went early when they open at 4pm and there was plenty of seating. Ordered the Angry Bird - rum drink that tastes like a pina colada or a batida Also ordered the Oaxacan After Midnight. Nice citrus notes, smoky, more Spirit forward. They care about quality, you can see it in how the ice cube doesn't even have bubbles in it Will be back! read more

Husband and I went for drinks to Fogbird on a Saturday night. We loved the interior (though i thought the lights on the bar were too intense and could be made dimmer for a more cozy/classy setting). There was plenty of seating and the server was super duper sweet. We were hoping to get some food but we reached after the kitchen closed - the server was nice enough to say that we could bring in food from outside (which was awesome because now we could hang out at this cool spot for longer). We tried 5 cocktails among us and the fav was swan song. The cocktails were pretty stiff and felt like they were made with great ingredients. I did think some of the drinks could be colder but overall definitely a great addition to SM downtown! read more

Fogbird was very delightful! It's in San Mateo downtown so parking is relatively easy--plenty of lots around (closest one is the Main St. lot I believe) which is free after 6pm or all day Sundays. The decor and ambience are refreshing and warm. We really like that they listed credits in their menus for all of the designers and suppliers of their space/goods. Drinks were absolutely great and despite being a crowded and busy space, everything came out reasonably quickly. Fries were also surprisingly good? Definitely recommending this spot and would love to come back again! read more

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Stopped by without reservations early on a Friday evening. I called ahead to see if they were pet friendly and they are! Awesome!!! Sat in the window and had a great time. Sam helped us out and she was awesome! Drinks were strong and delicious, I had something with blueberries and it was tasty!! Ambiance, service and the appetizers are all great! We will be back! read more

Fogbird - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

This is the space that was formerly Tiki Lounge, which I frequented a lot years ago. So it was a little bittersweet to see Fogbird, but at the same time it makes sense for the change. There was this clarified drink that was awesome, it incorporated some chai spices I believe and it was super good. I did see there was an old fashioned...for $18. I understand inflation, cost of living, the tech money in the peninsula. But I'm sorry, why is Redbreast 12 being used in an old fashioned? Maybe I'm just an old school whiskey/scotch guy that prefers spirits like Redbreast to be neat, but that's just me. All in all, the drinks were good from the new kid on the block. Cocktails are a bit steep, in my opinion, but the place is still worth a try. read more

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Last week I went to Fogbird with two friends and we were very excited to see such a chic bar open up in San Mateo! We went around 6:30 pm on a Friday and it was crowded which was surprisingly since it was dinner time so we were seated by the bar first. The service was great because they remembered to eventually move us to a table so we could be more comfortable and they were constantly asking us if we needed anything else (more drinks and water). The ambience was great and we enjoyed our experience at this bar. We ordered 3 of their signature drinks and they were all delicious. The bartender was very kind and adjusted my drink as I wanted a Moscow mule with a hint of grapefruit. The only thing is that I wish the space was bigger so there could be more tables for people. When we were leaving there was a line so I'm assuming there will a wait if I was to go at prime time. Overall, I highly recommend checking out this bar for a fun Friday or Saturday activity with your friends! read more

Fogbird - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Great vibes, good food (albeit a bit overpriced), fast service! Not too busy and on the quieter side as it goes for places like this. Great spot to meet up with friends after work / before dinner. I'd come back here. read more

Treated my cousins to some nice cocktails after dinner here! Loved the vibe and the servers were very nice. It's definitely an intimate spot with dim lights and everyone either seated at the bar or cozy tables. I thought the drinks were pretty nice, strong, and tasty. I really loved the look of the bar and the minimalistic but classy decor. read more

Fogbird - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

This used to be one of our favorite cocktail spots until last nights experience. Over the last year the service at the bar has gotten worse and after last night I don't feel comfortable returning to this establishment. When we first arrived it seemed full so we asked if we could grab a drink at the bar and put our names down to wait for a table. The host/server seemed annoyed with us from the moment we walked in. Since it was going to be a long wait for our group size which we totally understood we decided to just grab a quick drink at the bar since we loved the cocktails here. My husband said it felt like servers were purposely bumping into him because we were sat at the end of the bar where the drinks were coming out. We order our drinks with the male bartender and we see multiple drinks being sent out thinking he needs to make those drinks first before getting to ours which was fine. The bartender then walks to the back and I assume he's grabbing something he needs to make our drinks. A female bartender comes up and asks if we need anything and we tell her that we already ordered our drinks with the other bartender. We wait a bit then asked if the original bartender was returning and she said he went on his lunch break. We were shocked, how are you going to take a drink order, not tell your partner, and just walk away knowing that customers are waiting for their drinks? We decided after that point to just leave. As previous servers / bartenders I could never imagine treating customers this way. We felt like we were an inconvenience to them for trying to grab some drinks. If you're too busy to service customers then don't seat us in the first place. We left feeling like we did something wrong when all we wanted was to grab a drink. read more

Cute bar! Walked over to Fogbird while waiting for a restaurant to seat my group. We all got 1 drink each and sat in a group couch area. The staff were attentive and drinks were okay. It was clean and pretty cute inside too! read more

Fogbird - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

Like several others mentioned, I really wanted to love this place. The vibe was awesome, and the drinks were so pretty! But even upon initial review of their cocktail menu nothing particularly stood out. And things just went downhill after I ordered two of their drinks. Literally undrinkable. Pricey, imbalanced cocktails. Try elsewhere. read more

Noticed a new cocktail bar opened on South B Street at the old Tiki Bar in San Mateo, so my friend and I decided to check them out. I arrived around 10pm on 12/8 and left our phone number and name under James with the waiter. We were told the wait would be 15 minutes to be seated and that they would give us a call to come back when they are ready to seat us. After going to a neighboring bar and fast forwarding towards their closing time at 12am, we never received a call back after roaming around the area. What's the point of having a waitlist if you're not going to look at it, it's just easier to seat people as space opens up or offer the bar. I'm not sure if they review or open their waitlist for outsiders, but I guess they only welcome their friend to their space as the owners stated. Was definitely harder than getting into Fogbird on a Friday night than a popular nightclub. read more

Been to Fogbird a few times now and it's always a good time. They currently have a special menu of Lunar New Year drinks in addition to their regular items. Their milk punch is quite good. As to be expected with San Mateo downtown, they get busy during peak hours and their prices are $15-$20 for one drink pre-tax/tip. read more

This place is a gem! Super chill atmosphere and beautiful interior. My friends and I were welcomed warmly by one of the bar tender Nick. He was super sweet. We elected to seat by the bar and we were taken cared of nicely. Another bartender Christian greeted us kindly at the bar and took our drinks and food orders. He was super friendly and very knowledgeable of what's on the menu. We didn't wait long for our drinks and appetizers to come too. Drinks were well made and the food tasted good. We had a relaxing time and enjoyed the ambiance. Highly recommend this place and will definitely be returning to this gem of a place! read more

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Cute spot to have a drink. Their cocktails are interesting. Nice vibe here. Very convenient location with lots of restaurants nearby.

Cool atmosphere, good food, and great service on the coolest street in downtown San Mateo! (What more do you want in a bar??) I was here with customers and colleagues and Sammi (bartender) took great care of us. Definitely trust her recommendations (if Sammi is there) otherwise ask for the signature cocktails, well worth the price! read more

Fogbird - Like old times signature cocktail, a great (new) take on a classic old-fashioned - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Great drinks and ambience, but touchy service with attitude, specially the guy with the face tattoos.

Very delicious drinks in downtown San Mateo! The menu is categorized by different cocktails/ spirits and even breaks down more light refreshing drinks vs more spirit forward. Great spot for after work drinks! read more

Fogbird - Back Left: The Land of Eternal Spring Front Left: Swan Song Right: Birds of Paradise - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

Perfect spot for a date night! The ambiance is warm and inviting, with a long menu full of diverse options. It feels like you're transported out of San Mateo and into a cozy New York bar. Only thing that docked points was service. Definitely looking forward to coming back! read more

I found this place on a whim after doing a quick search on Yelp when a friend of mine said she was in town that same day. We walked in without a reservation and were seated immediately. This place is so cute. I love the wall paper and decor. Our server and the bar tender were friendly and attentive. The drink menu is super unique. There are a lot of combinations I've never seen before or tried. It helped me step out of my usual drink comfort zone. The food looked good, but I didn't try any while I was there. I wish I could have tried more than two drinks, but I guess that means I'll just have to come back. :) read more

By now those who knows me knows I love to eat and drink. Especially happy hour drinks and eats. I also love nice drinks and ambiance. But what really dislike is service that is not up to par or overwhelming service to the point where it is annoying. Yeah so back to my review. So I was invited to hangout after work with my coworkers, why? Because it's what I do and I'm always there to chill. Word of mouth was that there's a new bar/lounge in San Mateo so WTH, let's go check it out. It's a Tuesday yes a Tuesday so what. Who doesn't drink on Tuesdays? Arrived at 4:30pm and it's about 1/3 full to what seems like many post work peeps with somewhat business attires so I guess they're here to wind down and relax. Seated and perused the menu for a few minutes maybe 5 mins. Menu is pretty simple but many varieties of cocktails so it definitely needs time to go through and think about what you want to order especially for the price of each cocktail. Like on their description, many crafted cocktails that seems too fancy but this place looks like it was created to accommodate the higher end of clientele to come and relax. After putting our order in, it takes about 10-15 minutes to start getting our cocktails. With the first three cocktails arriving first and the the second three coming in about 4-5 mins later really boggled our minds. The drinks came out in many different fancy glasses but for the price of each cocktails, it was really a small amount. The flavors was there and good but it sure didn't knock me off my seat. Second round we decide to order their $9 beers. Nothing fancy but some some local crafts form Oakland. Overall this is a nicely decorated bar that is spacious and open but could definitely use some improvements in service and drinks. After many attentive services we asked for our check and upon receiving the bill, we was notified that a 20% gratuity will be added to our tab due the fact that we was a party of 6. Our entire table was shocked to hear of this considering that this is a lounge/bar and not a RESTAURANT. I mean you're just serving us beers and cocktails with some bar bites. I don't think it was necessary to automatically include this charge. Overall : Drinks was good, service was way too attentive and annoying, automatic gratuity was not necessary, ambiance is good. Sorry not sorry but i will not be coming back here and I'm sure my fellow foodies and bar hoppers feel the same. Best of luck and hoping the owners will see this and make some changes. 6 Cocktails 4 Beers 1 Flatbread Total : $190.68 read more

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I came here with my friends one night after dinner and initially had planned on going to another spot, but came back here instead after finding out how crowded the first spot was and I'm glad we did. The service and bartenders here were near perfect! I had an old fashioned and a savannah sour. I feel like you can never go wrong with an old fashioned and the savannah sour was something different! It consisted of a bertoux California brandy, rainwater Madeira, apricot liquor, orgeat syrup, and lemon. I normally drink whiskey sours and this one I would say would come as close as can be to a whiskey sour on the menu without it being a whiskey sour. I'm not a brandy or alcohol connoisseur but I thought the drink tasted delicious. Ambiance was nice, the bartenders were chill and even offered us shots for my group. This is super cool lounge to hang out and chill with an extensive cocktail and drink menu. read more

Fogbird - Savannah Sour - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

The service here is really good. We made a reservation and we promptly seated when we arrived. We sat by the large front windows and had great lighting. The staff here were so friendly and our waitress made great recommendations. The Bougainvillea was my favorite cocktail here, it reminded me of a mojito. The sangria was good and so was the milk punch. They also have a decent selection of alcohol free cocktails that use actual non alcoholic spirits rather than just removing the alcohol and serving mixers and soda water/lemonade. read more

Indoor modern ambiance Outdoor seating + great weather Selection of delicious signature cocktails Awesome service, Thank you Kassie read more

Fogbird - Bougainvilla$15.00 Pacific Paloma$16.00 - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

Delicious drinks and solid appetizers! I love the place it's cozy, intimate, and has great energy. The bartenders know how to make good drinks and they use quality ingredients. Love the service and highly recommend for a date night or after work drinks. read more

A hip cocktail bar in downtown San Mateo with a focus on unique spirits and riffs on classic cocktails. I've been here a couple times and they haven't disappointed me yet! Service is great and the main bartender guy gives great recommendations and is super nice. The ambiance inside gives a little bit White Lotus meets art-deco-warehouse. Though there aren't really any gripes I have with this bar, I will say that the customer demographic leans very techie, young urban professional vibes. Not exactly a romantic spot, but reliable nonetheless. read more

Fogbird - a bar with a bowl of fruit on the counter - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

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We accidentally slipped in during the soft opening but couldn't be more impressed. The ambience was great, cocktails were delicious, and and the proximity to Caltrain is ideal for waiting out the next train. read more

Fogbird - Yum! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

Went there for the first time with my wife this week and was not disappointed. Good atmosphere and great drinks. Charlie was our bartender and his drinks were great and his willingness to share his knowledge made for a fun experience. Will be going back for sure read more

A great spot to stop in and enjoy some craft cocktails. The menu is very artfully crafted and everything was tasty. The ambiance is very chill and the service was wonderful. The highlight of the night was our bartender Christian. He created not just great drinks, but even better times. read more

Fogbird - Garlic Parmesan Fries - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Went on a friday night with a reservation, service was really slow ik it was a Friday night... but we were rarely checked on and I thought the drinks were very very average for the price of almost $20 I would've expected a little more. I wasn't surprised by anything here the aesthetic was alright looked better online and when it's busy the space between the tables are crowded and too close together. Just my opinion on this place, may have to give it another try when it's less busy read more

I came here with my best friends to celebrate my engagement. We were seated at the bar with only two of us getting seats, but we were thankful that we even got a spot because the place was really packed. We were having a wonderful time and ordered our drinks, when we noticed a table open up. We let a waitress know that a table had opened up, and we were going to move over there. She stated that the table could only seat 2-3 people even though there were comfortably 4-5 seats.. We decided to move to the table because the bartender let us know we were in the way of the area he serves drinks. After sitting down we realized one of the drinks we were just served had a very strong foul smell and the taste of old boxed wine. We went up to the bartender to ask about the drink when the waitress ambushed us, hollering "YOU CANNOT ORDER AT THE BAR. I AM YOUR WAITRESS YOU ORDER WITH ME" astonished by her attitude, we explained we were asking a question about the drink because it had a weird odor and taste. Without listening to us, she began barking again that we need to only order with her and that she is the waitress and we are not allowed to order at the bar. Feeling unsafe, we were going to head back to our table, when the pleasant bartender let us know he's sorry and he'll remake another drink. We returned back to the table and tried to have a great night. After the bartender brought out our drink, the waitress came over to shout at us again..."JUST MAKING SURE YOU GOT YOUR FREE DRINK...DO YOU LIKE IT OR DO WE NEED TO MAKE ANOTHER ONE?..DO YOU WANT ANOTHER ONE?.." at this point we were feeling so uncomfortable because we did not understand her aggressive behavior towards us that we decided to quickly drink our drinks so we could leave. She came back again within a few minutes to let us know once again that we were receiving a free drink and that she is giving us great service by not charging us for the drink. We were so uncomfortable that we just accepted her behavior and began chugging our drinks so we could leave. We asked for the check and of course, she let us know for the third time that we were receiving a free drink and we were getting a discount because she wanted us to have the best experience.. The entire experience was so strange and all we wanted to do was enjoy our cocktails without being harassed multiple times by our waitress. I have never had a worse experience in a bar and probably will never come back here because this place ruined my engagement. read more

Fogbird - this encapsulates our experience at fogbeard - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

I've passed by this place multiple times and have always wanted to come in because it has a cute and comforting ambiance to it. We were in the area for dinner and decided to come here to get a few drinks while waiting for our table. My party of 4 was seated right away on a Friday night. We got the Birds of Paradise, Oaxacan After Midnight, margarita, and an old fashioned. The margarita tasted very bland and watery. The other drinks were just ok. I really wanted to like this place, but the drinks here are just subpar. read more

So it's ok. If you can get a good seat by the window or the bar then it's cozy; the other seats are less so. Drinks are fine, food is find...really an all around A-OK. Kinda feel the staff is just running the place and didn't get any warm and fuzzy vibes from them. But if one needed a spot in the hood to drop in and grab a cocktail, this is a good place to keep on the short list. read more

Nice chill bar with good service and good music. I had the opening act drink it was great! Service was friendly and fast.

Cute and trendy cocktail bar. I came by on a Friday after work and there wasn't a wait. However, I have seen it very busy after dinner time. They don't do reservations so plan accordingly. They have both indoor and outdoor patio seating, but I recommend sitting inside to enjoy the ambiance. The interior is super cozy with dim lighting and it's a great place to enjoy an intimate conversation. I got a naked and famous cocktail, which was pretty good. Well balanced flavors with the mezcal, though pretty spirit forward. My friend got the pollen and salt which was also spirit forward with the gin but my friend enjoyed it. The server was fairly attentive and checked on us multiple times. He wasn't pushy for us to order another round, which was appreciated. The drinks are a bit pricey, but there aren't many options for "fancy" cocktail bars in the area so I'm glad there's a place to go to get nice drinks. Would recommend checking it out if you're craving a cheeky cocktail. read more

Thanks to all the team at Fogbird for doing an amazing job last night. We rented the whole place out for a private Christmas Party for our friends and the whole evening was fabulous from the wonderful cocktails and food to the outstanding bar staff and servers. If you are looking for a place to host a party, look no further than Fogbird. It's the best! read more