First timer here. I was this place was really good. I think i might have shocked the staff member at yhe counter when asking about their teas. It was the "french lavender" in question. The response what you want to know? Took me back because i just knew this person was about to give me all the dets. Eventually he did once he found out it was my first time... I did order the tea. It was delicious. No milk, creamer, sugar added just the tea itself. Now, next time i will add oat milk. The turmeric late was creamy and not too sweet. The smoked salmon toast on gluten free bread was AMAZING!!!!! It comes with this creamy sauce that is delicious. This is a MUST order. read more

Never lets you down - it's always packed so be ready to wait a bit but the crowd and service is fast moving: they do a great job of using little gadgets to get to your table and manage orders. The matcha tea is the absolute best and my favorite order is the mushroom avocado toast or the sexy French toast - No matter what you order here, you will not be disappointed. Excellent food, service and overall vibe. Feels casual but also special. Super well done spot and one of my favs in San Mateo! read more

Fast service Easy to find seating inside Good brunch options for non- meat eaters Nice ambiance Minus star for lack of airflow indoors. Wished they have ceiling fans. Outdoor seating available, but gets fill fast on nice days. read more

I love that foreigner has all their items displayed by the counter so you can easily select what to order. So many of their items looked amazing making it hard to narrow down our choices. The ham and burrata quiche was a hit! We thought the mushroom toast was lacking acid/citrus. I would try something else next time. read more

Foreigner - Mushroom toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Great ambiance and is always very popular! The Bacon Benedict was simple yet flavourful, and you really taste the cherry tomatoes! Shame that there was only a single poached egg instead of the usual two though. The Denver Omelette was well made and the potatoes accompanying were good too, no complaints. A bit unique in that you had order first before seating, but if you get there early enough there should be seats. read more

Foreigner - Bacon Benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

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I came to have brunch with my friend and was so excited since the overall reviews were good and the place looked very cute. I ordered the turkey pesto crepe. It was barely warm when it arrived. The turkey and pesto tasted ok, but I wasn't a fan of the crepe skin. It was kind of sweet, and the taste of the crepe didn't match with the savory turkey and pesto. The worst part is that I got food poisoning from this! A few hours later I started to have a headache and and upset stomach, and needed to use the toilet many times. Maybe the food I was served had already gone bad. I noticed that other reviewers had been served moldy food previously so it is probably not uncommon that the food isn't fresh here :( read more

Foreigner - Turkey Pesto Crepe - gave me food poisoning - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

Love this local spot downtown to get brunch. It's a pretty good value for brunch with nice portions. Food also comes out quick and the wait is never that long because there are a lot of seating. Great for hangouts! read more

Brunch that hits the spot! There wasn't a long wait here for a Saturday brunch - the line gets long but there's a lot of seating so it moved quickly. You order first at the counter before sitting, and they have QR codes with the menu do you can decide while you're waiting! The food was solid with reasonable portions and a variety of options. The wait staff was also attentive and helpful even though it was a busy morning. The iced latte I had was so good too! Overall, a reasonably priced casual sit down brunch spot that I'd definitely return to! read more

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My boyfriend and I stopped by this place on a Sunday afternoon to get some homework done and to get our caffeine fix. It was pretty packed coming into the restaurant so be aware of wait times if you plan to come on the weekend. I was very ecstatic to try this place out - it was so hard to pick just one drink from their signature latte menu, I wanted to try them all! 3/5 - Ube Cream Puff 2/5 - Iced Yema Latte 2/5 - Black Mango Iced Tea The cashier forgot to give us a table number so the waiter was confused on who to bring the drinks to. I had to go up to the counter and ask for the drinks. Their Ube Cream Puff was okay - nothing special, I wouldn't get it again. We were pretty disappointed in our drinks. The Iced Yema Latte was watered down and didn't have a strong coffee or sweet taste. The Black Mango Iced Tea was diluted and had a muted mango flavor. Sadly, we won't be coming back for their drinks. read more

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2nd time here, 2nd time off the chart delicious. Great food great service great vibe. Love the wide variety for a brunch on the weekend, healthy tasty and you can get a cheat sweet treat in too. There was a croffle, a protein plate with a glass of wine a mozzarella toast with a ube cream puff and a veggie scramble just at my table! Everything was fresh and delicious. Be back regularly! read more

Very cute interior and fast service. The strawberry delight craffle was delicious. The mushroom Gruyère toast was tasty as well. Great spot for breakfast or brunch. read more

Foreigner - Gruyère and mushroom toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Never again!!! Don't go for the looks. The food they serve might as well be the same as the plastic model they display... cold and tasteless. Food is served cold, straight up the same as day old bread and croffle. My simple scrambled eggs never made it to me even after waiting 40 minutes. At that point we just left. Sexy French toast was anything but sexy and it's more of a cake toast, not bread. The croffle was destroyed by the waterfalls of artificial strawberry sauce. The croissant sandwich was salvageable but nothing to write home about. And I left hungry as my scrambled eggs never came. Service was terrible, rude, unaccommodating and they have the audacity to option for 30% tip. GTFO Ambiance is like Taco Bell. Self service ordering on the counter. I would have actually paid to cook my own food and eat it hot than have them serve anything. Unbelievable how bad the quality and service is. read more

Foreigner - Croffle - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

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If you are looking for a place to take people and have separate checks this is a good spot. Lots of people when we came here which is always a good sign. I tried the smoked salmon toast but was very hesitant based on all the so-so reviews. It was really good! We had a birthday brunch here and it was a great vibe! Adding this to my must go list when I'm in town. read more

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Out of all the amazing San Mateo restaurants, Foreigner stands out among the rest. With its warm and inviting atmosphere, Foreigner offers not only incredible food, but an amazing ambiance. When you walk in, you're greeted by incredibly detailed displays of all of the restaurant's menu items. One of my favorite things about Foreigner is that they have all their food on display, so you know exactly what you're ordering! After placing your order, you take your buzzer, place it on your table, and wait for the staff to bring out the food to you. One of my favorite menu items is the mushroom toast! The bread is crunchy yet soft, and pairs perfectly with the sauteed mushrooms. The flavor combinations are so addicting that I could eat them every day! Another favorite of mine is the ham and cheese croffle, as well as any of the quiches. Overall, every item is phenomenal. read more

Foreigner - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

Came by on a weekend for breakfast with a friend. We found street parking, paid for parking then walked over. We checked the menu and ordered items to share. Ordered Turkey and Pesto Crepe Strawberry delight croffle 2 different latte drinks After paying staff gave us a round buzzer to put on our table. Friendly staff would check up on us. They noticed our buzzer circle wasn't working, but made sure we got our food. We got our food and drinks pretty fast. The food was delicious! The drinks were alright. I'll be back for that croffle. Inside looked clean. read more

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We came here for a weekday brunch. They have lots of selections on their menu. It's such a nice interior, perfect for catching up and grabbing food. They have a counter where food is ordered first and then you're seated. The food was all pretty good. We also tried the latte flight, the flavors were quite interesting. read more

Foreigner - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

The service was quick and attentive which I appreciated. It was my first time here so I tried their Lecso Poached Egg, and I have to say it wasn't too extraordinary. I did like how it came with sour dough to dip it in the soup but other than that it tasted okay to me. Along with the smoothie I had as well-- I felt like I could make those at home. Overall, I thought the service was great and am willing to give it a second chance. read more

Foreigner - Lecso with Poached Egg - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

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The best way to explain this spot is a slightly fancier menu, extremely overpriced crepe vine. When you walk through the door, you see all of their food displayed on the counter in plastic formation. There's no menu to look at while you're waiting until you're at the cashier and at that point you feel so stressed on what to order. Ambiance is very cafe like and cold. We secured a table after getting our number at the counter and had to find someone to clear the dirty plates and wipe the table down. Food came in less than 10 minutes but the two mimosas we ordered took over 25 minutes to get to our table. I also had to ask 4 waiters for our drinks before it actually arrived. I ordered the salmon toast and felt I'll after eating it. I think the salmon wasn't fresh. My friend ordered the Foreigner Favorite and it was swimming in oil. The salmon toast along with a small glass of mimosa was $33!! Extremely overpriced and never coming back. Pro tip: go to mint & honey! The service and quality of food there is impeccable. read more

Foreigner - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

We came here for a late Sunday brunch and found the place to be busy but at about 80% capacity. It's a cafe where you order first at the counter and then find a seat. The staff gives you a number for reference to bring food to your table. The food ended up being pretty good, prices are a bit high but everything was tasty. Overall a 3.5/5 for food. I got the smoked salmon toast which was yummy and but the Foreigner's favorite (basically potatoes and sausage) was super heavy and oily. Service however was what knocked another star off. They had completely forgotten about one of our dishes until the other dish came, I had finished more than half and then once asked about the other dish, they said they had "lost the ticket." Considering this is suppose to be a faster cafe style restaurant we ended up waiting 30 min total to get our food. The server did apologize but it really didn't help our experience as by the time my boyfriend's food came I was completely done with my toast and then had to wait for him to eat. Frankly they weren't even that busy and I would have appreciated a small dessert / pastry to be offered as compensation. The same server later came by and asked if everything arrived and took our number once we said yes without any foresight that we had waited close to 45 min to get our items... I can't imagine how we could have been waiting for more food after an hour of eating. Again this is a cafe, order first kind of place and not one we'll come back to. read more

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I'm taking off two stars because this place feels more like a cheap cafeteria than a hip and trendy brunch spot. It's extremely loud, overwhelming, even. The coffee is really good, but the tables are packed just inches apart. Overall, it's a very overstimulating environment. read more

Arrived a little before 1pm for brunch with a friend on a Sunday. Ordered the foreigner favorite, Denver omelette, red velvet latte, and vanilla latte. I can comment that the vanilla latte was one of the better lattes I've had and delivered a nice espresso flavor that stayed strong throughout! My friend also highly recommended the red velvet latte. Additionally we both enjoyed our meals and thought it was packed with flavor! Definitely such a great menu that we had a hard time ordering (order at counter and food is brought to your table). I liked that they had set out displays of most of the food items so you could see portion sizes as well! Would definitely come back soon. read more

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Food was fine. Prices were kind of high. Inside seating area was incredibly loud, no idea why but it hurt my ears how loud everyone was inside, quite unpleasant. read more

Really enjoyed this spot for a quick brunch! It was pretty crowded on a Saturday, but we were able to snag a table outside. You order inside and they will bring your food & drink over to you. I had a matcha latte and the avocado egg toast. The matcha latte was perfect and I was an absolute fan of the mug that the lattes are served in. I need to find something similar immediately! The avocado egg toast was served so neatly that it hurt me to eat it. Loved the choice of bread and the arugula. Loved the thought given on how to slice the egg, so I could enjoy every bite with some. There were so many options to order, that I panicked and went with something I've had hundreds of times. But the avocado toast was done exceedingly well. Memorable place that is going to be an easy choice for me in the future if I am in San Mateo looking to have breakfast/brunch. read more

Foreigner - Matcha Latte & Avocado Egg Toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

Came here on the weekend for brunch with some friends. At 10:30a, it was getting pretty busy. Though there are a lot of options, the food is in the pricier side, given that portions for some of the items (Croffles) are quite small. The place itself is super cute and trendy, loved the lighting and decor. read more

I really wanted to like this place, but overall, I wasn't really impressed. Went there with friends, party of four for brunch. Food: just ok, nothing great or extremely bad to report. In my personal opinion, well presented average food with a stellar price tag (for what we got). Service: we didn't experience the most friendly service here...at the cash register, the employee was impatient (to say at the least), more interested in talking with the coworkers than answering to our questions. The food runner (or waiter?) seemed annoyed to be there... Ambiance: nice and clean setting read more

Foreigner - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

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One of the best spot in the area for breakfast or brunch. Great service everything is fresh big variety of options. Highly recommend . read more

Spoilt for choices when it comes to their vegetarian options. Love their quiche, scrambled eggs, California bagels, and overnight chia bowl (absolute favorite). Quick service and lots of tables available for a quick weekend grab. read more

Foreigner has become my go to brunch spot in San Mateo. They have great coffee, toasts, crepes, and croffles. The only thing I've gotten that I wasn't too fond of was their chicken salad and that was only because the chicken was too salty. However, everything else has been pretty tasty. Portions are pretty big too so if you come in a small group, you can easily share a couple of items. The biggest con about this place is you're supposed to find a seat after you order and unfortunately, there isn't always a table readily available. It can get pretty packed during the weekends so definitely come a bit earlier to beat the crowds. read more

Another visit, another delicious meal. Tomato and basil quiche: 4.5/5. Wonderful combination of flavors and well-executed. Waitstaff are also really nice and helpful. read more

I don't know another place that has healthy options (like salads) and cheat-meals (Nutella crepe ). Very tasty , my go to spot for breakfast or lunch. Service is fast and good too, I love the option to order ahead online right from google maps. you order and it's ready in 10 minutes - try this with others - haha nope i don't have a fav spot to sit, because anywhere is cozy and relaxing. I come here 2-3 times a week, highly recommend read more

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This place is so "Basic," and I hate how much I love it. The food itself is terrific. I haven't eaten anything I didn't enjoy. Aesthetically, the food is beautiful- thankfully the taste keeps up. I will say that the food on display is slightly more extravagant/bigger than the actual portion. The menu is moderately extensive and there's something for everyone. Staff is always friendly every time I've been here. The restaurant/cafe itself is so cute. Big windows allow in a lot of light, outdoor seating is available, and a nice place to grab a drink and maybe do some work on your laptop. Inside feels very cozy. Great date spot or place to catch up with friends. read more

This is a cute brunch spot nestled within downtown San Mateo. It's cafe style, so you first order at the front (they will give you a number), then you find a table, then they will bring your food to you. I came here with a group of 6, so it was a bit tricky to find a table that would fit us, but we made it work! We were able to pull a few tables together, but it was tricky to find chairs (seems like others were having trouble with this too). I'd recommend coming here with a small group (4 or less), so seating will be easier! Now for the food/drinks: I got the Chicken BLT, which was pretty good! I liked the flavors and presentation! I also got the Mixed Berry Lavender Smoothie, which was perfect! The berries paired really well with the lavender to create a unique flavor duo! It was a bit pricey for the quantity, but definitely worth a try! My friend and I shared a Vietnamese Iced Coffee - it was really good! Definitely on the sweeter side (likely because of the condensed milk), but it was perfect for sharing! One of my friends got the smoked salmon toast, which had a generous portion of salmon! Another friend got the sexy french toast, which was topped with lots of berries! Overall, it was a great cafe and I'll definitely be back here again! read more

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Perhaps my girlfriend and I came at a good time? When we tried to find a table after paying at the cashier for our orders, the line was way longer than when we first lined up. We arrived around 9:45AM on a Sunday, got our order in around 9:50AM, and got our food around 10:10AM. I guess go early for weekend brunch because according to other reviews, it gets busy here! We ordered 3 dishes and a drink: Sexy French Toast - My girlfriend really enjoyed this. I didn't give it a try because I'm usually not a huge fan of sweet stuff. Plating was on point though. It makes for excellent pictures! Denver Omelette - For brunch, I'm just a sucker for omelettes and this one was pretty good. It came with a lot on the side, perfect for me since I was starving! Spinach & Mushroom Quiche - I haven't had a quiche in over 10 years, and the last one I had is unfair to compare this one to because it was homemade. However, spinach and mushroom makes for an amazing combo in a quiche and I quickly gobbled this down. Iced Vietnamese Coffee - Great, not much to say. First sip and it actually reminded of the coffee when I was in Vietnam. I say that's decent? I like how they display all the menu items so when you're in line and unsure what to get, you can take a gander at all the items laid out on the display cases. The staff were quite busy with their jobs the entire time we were there. Not much smiling going around but there wasn't anything to complain about either. Clean interior, well decorated, and prompt service. I enjoyed my time here. Perhaps the service might get crazier when it's later towards the day; I'm glad we arrived there early. Seeing that it's downtown San Mateo, there's still a lot of parking and shorter lines if one goes earlier on weekends! read more

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A nice trendy brunch spot like no other we have in downtown San Mateo. It draws a younger crowd with a more lively take on brunch. I appreciate ordering at the counter, and all their food items are displayed for easy visual reference. Latte art is solid and coffee-shop worthy. I saw several smoothly textured, crisp tulips Dining room is louder than I'd like--a bit too loud if your goal is to meet up with friends / family and have a conversation. Tragedy: There was a piece of paper inside my crepe. It was a full square -- maybe the pieces that separate individual cheese slices. A disappointing mistake; everything else was excellent read more

We visited for our first time. Food was very good! Service was 10 out of 10. Nice experience!

Had lots of food options and portions were large. The only reason I'm giving this 3 stars is because the cashier had told us the clam chowder was bacon free. Upon eating it we discovered giant chunks of bacon in the soup. Not great when you're a pescatarian (no land animal consumer). While my spouses ended up eating it and he did find it tasty, it sucks not being able to share the dish with him when that was the original plan. MANAGEMENT PLEASE PROVIDE YOUR STAFF WITH BETTER TRAINING ON YOUR FOOD ITEMS!!!! Customers don't like being lied to or having these unpleasant surprises. read more

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Foreigner is a great brunch place in San Mateo. They have very casual seating and layout with both indoor and outdoor space. However, it can get a bit busier during the morning so it might be a little hard to find a seat. if you stop by during brunch, I would highly recommend their Arcadian Chicken Salad which is a giant bowl filled with fresh vegetables, grilled chicken, and avocado. Packed with protein but light so you don't feel heavy after eating it. In my most recent visit, I went during dinner for the first time. It was quite easy to find a table and you don't really need a reservation to find a spot. Had the Risotto Fries from the appetizer section, which came with a side of marinara sauce, and they were good. From the main courses, my party ordered the following: Steak au poivre (8/10) - Sliced steak with peppercorns on top accompanied by broccolini and crispy potatoes. Steak and broccolini were pretty delicious but the potatoes were just okay. Salmon (7/10) - Salmon filet with wasabi mashed potatoes and bok choy. Salmon had a crispy skin and was juicy but the wasabi mashed potatoes were overpowering. Mushroom Pasta (9/10) - Egg noodles with cremini and oyster mushrooms. This dish was surprisingly the highlight although it was so simple because the mushrooms were seasoned so well and were packed with flavor. read more

Foreigner - Salmon with bok choy and wasabi mashed potato - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

This spot has been on my radar for a while & finally got to have brunch here with my friend. The line system was interesting, I feel like it gets congested because it's also right by the water and napkin area so other customers and servers walk back and forth. The food looked really good and it was so hard to decide what to get. We ended up sharing the mozzarella, tomato and basil toast, the Frisee salad, and the Cuban Cortadito. The mozzarella, tomato and basil toast was nice a refreshing and came with a small salad on the side. The Frisee salad was probably my favorite out of the two. Super fresh greens, bacon was a little too salty but everything balanced well with the vinaigrette dressing. The Cuban Cortadito was so good!! I also really enjoyed the outdoor seating and everything is very Instagram-worthy! A spot I'll definitely have to return to. read more

Foreigner - Cuban Cortadito, Frisee Salad, Mozarella, Tomato, Basil Toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

Ambiance : 4.5/5 Service : 5/5 Food : 2.5/5 Foreigner is when you want to *wow* your customer. The bright lights and the wait, most people seem that they are for the show, but when you get the food...you get the, food. The ambiance and service deserve 5/5 all the way. The food *meh*, you just get a bit of food, that's it. read more

Foreigner - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

This is one of the spots where you have to queue in line to order your food before finding a place to sit. Brunch on a Sunday was pretty busy but we managed to find a table for 7 of us. Food came out pretty quickly and they tasted decent. Nothing very wow about the flavors but an average brunch spot. read more

Foreigner - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

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