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They have AYCE again and it's great. Haven't been back here in years since it was little sheep, but it's reinvigorated and delicious now! Service is great and food is fresh. A great way to spend time with friends. It's also super easy: order via iPad, and a robot delivers food to you. Waiters are also very helpful.
Let me clarify some things for people: I came here for the 20th year anniversary of Happy Lamb celebration. They were not taking reservations on Yelp nor over the phone. You had to walk-in and sign up on the waitlist. That's what they meant by walk-ins. With such low prices per person, one would expect a long wait with a long waitlist, and that is exactly what happened. I came on the first day and had to wait 4 hours to be seated with my party. They had a live waitlist that let me monitor my position. I came back and waited at the restaurant before my spot was up to make sure I wasn't skipped. It was chaotic and crowded but the workers worked hard and made sure things were topped up. Nothing in the main entrees were out of stock and the sauce bar was well stocked. Unfortunately, by the time we were seated, the ice cream machine was out. At the end of our meal, there were no more desserts aside from some cut oranges (very delicious!). Food came out at a good speed and everything we ordered arrived. Dishes were not very clean but they had such a high turnover, it is understandable the quality can drop. Again, the workers were working very hard and doing their best. I came again today and the wait time for today was about 3 hours. While it was not as chaotic or crowded, they were not on their A-game. It's understandable after 2 hectic days but the sauce bar was literally depleted with many empty containers. For example, the empty Satay Sauce was not replenished the entire I was there. At least there was ice cream this time. Our food was slow to come out and some things didn't come out until near the end of our 90 min when we ordered them at the beginning. Dishes were a little better in terms of cleanliness but there was still stuck food or grime on the outside. Food quality also suffered a little on the third day with slices of meat or mushrooms noticeably smalelr than usual. They were better at managing the waitlist with a sign up on their door turning away people. On the first day, there was no sign and the waitlist was 86 people deep when I was seated. When we lift, it was already past the last call (9:15 pm). A really great deal that left us all satisfied. I appreciate the hardwork the employees put in and do not take any stars off for the drop in service or quality. But not repleninshing the sauce bar for over 90 min is something that can't be overlooked...
Another hotpot restaurant in the bay area. Happy Lamb hot pot is conveniently located in downtown San Mateo. Plenty of street parking and garage. The meat and seafood are very fresh. The portions are decently sized too. Service was good, waiters were attentive. The dining area is large and spacious enough for everyone to move about without bumping into the chairs. I would have given them 5 stars, but they ran out of desserts and they even turned off the soft ice cream machine. It was 9pm, but there were lots of people including me that are still eating our dinner.
Everything is delicious!!! I love the selection of meats and vegetables! Perfect for meat eaters and vegetarians. My husband loves meats and I'm more of a veggie fan. So here we get the best of both worlds.
Most amazing hotpot I've ever had! 5 out of 5! Lamb leg is so delicious! You can choose so many stuff from the all you can eat meal!
5 people, no happy hour because apparently today counts towards the holidays so they don't honor happy hour times. Automatic gratitude added too...I thought that was normally for parties of 6 or larger...? Food came out delayed. We thought we got everything and paid and then more meat came out as we were about to get up to leave. Water was never refilled, even after we asked for more, they never came back with a new pitcher. It was decent food. $2.99 for the extras bar where you can build your own seasoning dip. Not really worth it tbh. Their desert bar was very lacking.
came for lunch on a thursday and it was pretty empty. the lunch special was affordable and extremely generous. for around $22/person, we got noodles, a veggie platter, an assortment of additions for our hot pot, and a drink of choice. definitely would come hungrier next time!
The meat is excellently cut and the bone broth is exquisite. I'd buy the bone broth just to sip if I could. Within seconds of finishing a plate of meat a member of the staff takes it. I genuinely thought they were magically disappearing. Everything working in unison and being able to sit down with loved ones at this establishment was amazing and will come again. Food was way too good
My friends and I came here on a Monday night, and it was pretty busy. We were seated pretty quickly and placed our orders. The broth never goes wrong here, always on point. The meats were tasty. Our first order was missing a few items, but team members quickly took care of that. For an additional $3 charge, you'll get access to the sauce bar, ice cream, and some side dishes. Unfortunately, the ice cream machine was broken so we couldn't try that. The side dishes and desserts were alright--you get what you pay for. Ambiance is nice here; it's always very cozy.
In my opinion, this happy lamb location is the best joint in the whole Bay Area. The meat quality is very good even for the lowest tier and the soup base is a very good balance and not watery at all. Service is very fast and all the staff are super friendly and very responsive especially the staff named Fish and Alvin . Overall a very pleasant experience every time we come. We are regulars!!
TLDR: Good to Great food, friendly servers, modern vibe. Normal meat and veggie selection on par with most Chinese Hot Pot Places with some unique choices. We called in advance to make a same day reservation. They text you back to check if you are still coming.. =). We arrived on time, and since we had a party of seven, they gave us one of the giant round tables in the back that had three separate hot pots built into the same table. We went with the standard AYCE dinner option for about $34/person, which turned out to be the right choice for us big eaters! Standouts from the evening were the delicious lightly marinated chicken (which somehow stays tender even after boiling for long periods), and the shrimp paste, that you dole up as small chunks and put into the soup to cook. Both of those were excelllent. I do wish they had more kinds of mushrooms to offer other than just the thinly sliced large slabs of trumpet mushrooms. The garlic marinated beef was also very tastly.. Other stuff is about what you get at most any other hot pot place. I wouldn't mind coming back.
1 month ago
16 days ago
26 days ago
I really love the soup bases here! I always order the bone broth soup and the house spicy soup, and both are flavorful, rich, and perfect for hot pot. The spicy soup has just the right amount of heat and so much depth of flavor. The meat slices are always fresh, tender, and delicious, and you can really taste the quality of the ingredients. Everything comes out fresh and the portions are generous. I also love that there are plenty of options to choose from, so there's something for everyone. Overall, this is definitely one of my favorite spots for hot pot. Great soup bases, fresh ingredients, and a satisfying meal every time. I'll definitely be coming back! read more
1 month ago
They have AYCE again and it's great. Haven't been back here in years since it was little sheep, but it's reinvigorated and delicious now! Service is great and food is fresh. A great way to spend time with friends. It's also super easy: order via iPad, and a robot delivers food to you. Waiters are also very helpful. read more
Let me clarify some things for people: I came here for the 20th year anniversary of Happy Lamb celebration. They were not taking reservations on Yelp nor over the phone. You had to walk-in and sign up on the waitlist. That's what they meant by walk-ins. With such low prices per person, one would expect a long wait with a long waitlist, and that is exactly what happened. I came on the first day and had to wait 4 hours to be seated with my party. They had a live waitlist that let me monitor my position. I came back and waited at the restaurant before my spot was up to make sure I wasn't skipped. It was chaotic and crowded but the workers worked hard and made sure things were topped up. Nothing in the main entrees were out of stock and the sauce bar was well stocked. Unfortunately, by the time we were seated, the ice cream machine was out. At the end of our meal, there were no more desserts aside from some cut oranges (very delicious!). Food came out at a good speed and everything we ordered arrived. Dishes were not very clean but they had such a high turnover, it is understandable the quality can drop. Again, the workers were working very hard and doing their best. I came again today and the wait time for today was about 3 hours. While it was not as chaotic or crowded, they were not on their A-game. It's understandable after 2 hectic days but the sauce bar was literally depleted with many empty containers. For example, the empty Satay Sauce was not replenished the entire I was there. At least there was ice cream this time. Our food was slow to come out and some things didn't come out until near the end of our 90 min when we ordered them at the beginning. Dishes were a little better in terms of cleanliness but there was still stuck food or grime on the outside. Food quality also suffered a little on the third day with slices of meat or mushrooms noticeably smalelr than usual. They were better at managing the waitlist with a sign up on their door turning away people. On the first day, there was no sign and the waitlist was 86 people deep when I was seated. When we lift, it was already past the last call (9:15 pm). A really great deal that left us all satisfied. I appreciate the hardwork the employees put in and do not take any stars off for the drop in service or quality. But not repleninshing the sauce bar for over 90 min is something that can't be overlooked... read more
Another hotpot restaurant in the bay area. Happy Lamb hot pot is conveniently located in downtown San Mateo. Plenty of street parking and garage. The meat and seafood are very fresh. The portions are decently sized too. Service was good, waiters were attentive. The dining area is large and spacious enough for everyone to move about without bumping into the chairs. I would have given them 5 stars, but they ran out of desserts and they even turned off the soft ice cream machine. It was 9pm, but there were lots of people including me that are still eating our dinner. read more
2 days ago
Everything is delicious!!! I love the selection of meats and vegetables! Perfect for meat eaters and vegetarians. My husband loves meats and I'm more of a veggie fan. So here we get the best of both worlds. read more
3 days ago
Good food & great service! Love the thousand items. The meat fresh n taste , good place for friends or family read more
3 days ago
Most amazing hotpot I've ever had! 5 out of 5! Lamb leg is so delicious! You can choose so many stuff from the all you can eat meal! read more
3 days ago
Celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival at Happy Lamb Hot Pot! Great food and a festive atmosphere. They also have a cute Mid-Autumn event with mooncakes, lucky red envelopes, and side dish vouchers. Perfect place for a hot pot night with family and friends! read more
3 months ago
5 people, no happy hour because apparently today counts towards the holidays so they don't honor happy hour times. Automatic gratitude added too...I thought that was normally for parties of 6 or larger...? Food came out delayed. We thought we got everything and paid and then more meat came out as we were about to get up to leave. Water was never refilled, even after we asked for more, they never came back with a new pitcher. It was decent food. $2.99 for the extras bar where you can build your own seasoning dip. Not really worth it tbh. Their desert bar was very lacking. read more
Business owner information
Xinxuan Z.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We're…
came for lunch on a thursday and it was pretty empty. the lunch special was affordable and extremely generous. for around $22/person, we got noodles, a veggie platter, an assortment of additions for our hot pot, and a drink of choice. definitely would come hungrier next time! read more
29 days ago
The meat is excellently cut and the bone broth is exquisite. I'd buy the bone broth just to sip if I could. Within seconds of finishing a plate of meat a member of the staff takes it. I genuinely thought they were magically disappearing. Everything working in unison and being able to sit down with loved ones at this establishment was amazing and will come again. Food was way too good read more
11 hours ago
2 months ago
Business owner information
Xinxuan Z.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We're truly…
My friends and I came here on a Monday night, and it was pretty busy. We were seated pretty quickly and placed our orders. The broth never goes wrong here, always on point. The meats were tasty. Our first order was missing a few items, but team members quickly took care of that. For an additional $3 charge, you'll get access to the sauce bar, ice cream, and some side dishes. Unfortunately, the ice cream machine was broken so we couldn't try that. The side dishes and desserts were alright--you get what you pay for. Ambiance is nice here; it's always very cozy. read more
Business owner information
Corin K.
Dear guest,…
10 days ago
In my opinion, this happy lamb location is the best joint in the whole Bay Area. The meat quality is very good even for the lowest tier and the soup base is a very good balance and not watery at all. Service is very fast and all the staff are super friendly and very responsive especially the staff named Fish and Alvin . Overall a very pleasant experience every time we come. We are regulars!! read more
TLDR: Good to Great food, friendly servers, modern vibe. Normal meat and veggie selection on par with most Chinese Hot Pot Places with some unique choices. We called in advance to make a same day reservation. They text you back to check if you are still coming.. =). We arrived on time, and since we had a party of seven, they gave us one of the giant round tables in the back that had three separate hot pots built into the same table. We went with the standard AYCE dinner option for about $34/person, which turned out to be the right choice for us big eaters! Standouts from the evening were the delicious lightly marinated chicken (which somehow stays tender even after boiling for long periods), and the shrimp paste, that you dole up as small chunks and put into the soup to cook. Both of those were excelllent. I do wish they had more kinds of mushrooms to offer other than just the thinly sliced large slabs of trumpet mushrooms. The garlic marinated beef was also very tastly.. Other stuff is about what you get at most any other hot pot place. I wouldn't mind coming back. read more
Business owner information
Corin K.
Thank you so much for such a wonderful and detailed review! We’re…
I love that they have AYCE here at this location, not all Happy Lamb Hot Pot offers it We went around 3P on a Thursday and was sat right away Only one server was working and he was very attentive Even when more people started to come in, he gave all the tables great service They have a nice sauce bar with fruits and little sides We love the broth, meat was very fresh, good veggie choices Definitely one of our favorite places to visit when we are in the area! read more
Business owner information
Corin K.
Dear guest,…
1 month ago
We got the classic AYCE and went two rounds. Technically three, but we only ordered dessert on the third round. Our server, Stanley, patiently explained the ordering process as it was our first time there. Another server, Fish, checked in on us multiple times. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was warm and inviting. I saw employees talking to several customers as if they were regulars. We will definitely be back. read more
Could only show the aftermath of my meal I ate all the food so fast LOL! Hands down one of the best hot pot spots I've been to in the Bay Area. Very roomy restaurant dripping with lots of atmosphere and vibes and the service was absolutely top notch! Shout out to Fish and Alvin, who helped us out a lot and made the experience a 10/10! I will be back hungry and ready sometime soon! read more
3 days ago
3 days ago
this place is absolutely fantastic. it is consistently super fresh and delicious as well as being lively and super fun. the staff are a great team - extremely courteous and quick. the angus beef, spinach, bokchoi and spicy broth is my personal favorite combo. this is a great date spot and place for celebration. Also, Stan - one of the waiters - is the man! read more
21 days ago
Good food for good value!! Servers are all super friendly and accommodating definitely recommend stopping by if you're in San Mateo! read more
27 days ago
My coworkers wanted to do a hot pot lunch. Needless to say, not much work was done after lunch. The food was amazing! I have done hot pot from New Jersey to California and I thought it wasn't my thing! This place changed my thinking. First off the basics broth and spicy were so damn good. We did the all you can eat, add black mushroom, quail eggs, more mushrooms, shrimp paste and etc!!! We went crazy and left stuffed. I'm now a fan of Hot Pot read more
1 month ago
To be honest our dinner check in started a little rough the person in the front came off a little rude and dismissive, but then another associate came out and made it right and sat us right away. The location is big and open very clean We ordered item per item but they did have all you can eat options. Food was great very fresh and tasty loved the presentation. We ordered A lot of meats, veggies, tofu with a side of rice, knife cut noodles and udon The associate Alan was very nice and attentive! Made this review for from a 4 star to 5 I would come back and try more Over all 5 stars read more
3 months ago
I recently dined at this hot pot restaurant and had an absolutely incredible experience. Fish and Alvin are super awesome servers. The broth bases were incredibly flavorful, especially the spicy mala and the rich tomato soup. All the ingredients, from the thinly sliced premium beef to the fresh vegetables, were of top-notch quality. I loved the self serve sauce station because it allowed me to customize my dipping sauce exactly to my liking. The staff was also highly attentive, frequently checking on our table and refilling our broth without being asked. It is the perfect spot for a cozy night out with friends, and I will definitely be back soon. read more
3 months ago
Business owner information
Xinxuan Z.
Dear Cassidy,…
Happy Lamb has always been an OG hot pot restaurant. Came here on a week day for the AYCE menu. We got seated 2 minutes after we arrived. Bone Broth: 5/5 & Spicy Szechuan: 5/5 OG combo always hits the spot Chicken Wings: 5/5 Perfectly seasoned, lightly battered and juicy on the inside. Slices of Meat: 3/5 The best cuts were their pork belly and beef short plate (5/5) everything else was ehhh. Veggies: 4/5 Freshhh but if we wanted Enoki, we had to pay more. Noodles: 5/5 Honestly lots of options for this. read more
2 months ago
2 months ago
2 years ago
I've been here three times. Once with family a long time ago when it first opened, but the last two times I came was with my husband within the past two months. The last two times we came here, we got parking a block or two away. It also wasn't really busy when we were there. The first time was on the weekend for lunch and the second time was on a Tuesday for dinner. We were greeted and seated immediately. The table is already set with utensils, napkins and small plates. We opted for ala carte instead of all you can eat since we didn't want to waste / pay for extra food we couldn't eat. There's a sauce counter for you to create your own sauce. Some ingredients include: cilantro, soy sauce, green onions, sesame oil, chili paste and chili flakes. Next to the sauces there's small bites like cherry tomatoes, egg rolls and seaweed. Zach and I didn't go for the small bites either time. And to note: the time we went on a Tuesday there were a lot of kids.. they don't all know how to use the tongs and so I saw some of them grab the small bite items with their bare hands.... Also, it's an extra $3 per person if the sta see you grabbing those. We got fish filets, the vegetable combo platter, lamb, angus beef, pumpkin, dumplings For the soup, we got "the best of both worlds", one half is spicy, the other isn't spicy. Both times I also got a side of udon. The food came out really quick, sometimes by the waiter, sometimes by their robot. What's great about the ala carte option is that they allow you to bring your leftovers home. The waiters are very attentive, especially with the water since we would get pretty dehydrated from all the salt. The quality of the meat is pretty good and the veggies were fresh. Next time I probably wouldn't get the fish filets. Looking forward to the next meal ! read more
1 year ago
Went again recently and they've updated a few things. . For starters- they now have two menus: a la carte, or the AYCE. There's two tiers for the AYCE menu, though there's still items in the a la carte menu that aren't available in the AYCE menu. . They have a lot of additional add-ons like the sauce bar, snack bar, and ice cream machine. . The quality of the meat was decent but not as good as before. . I wrote "2"/"3" for some portions of the meat in the next round for AYCE, however, the portions continued to get smaller. To offset this, they do bring the food out quickly after ordering. read more
Business owner information
Madison V.
Looking forward to your next visit
We came here pretty often for their AYCE dinner. It's 27.99 per person for weekday lunch and $31.99 pp for weekday dinner and weekends. There is a $2.99 additional cost if you want to use the sauce bar and cold appetizers. The food was decent and the service was generally fine. I wanted to mention that something happened during my recent visit. Towards the end of my meal, I saw a silverfish on my dinning table, I called the waiter and let him know. The silverfish eventually kept walking on my dinning table and dropped to the floor and we couldn't find it. The waiter offered I wanted to move tables, but since I was almost done with the meal, I declined his offer. He handed me with extra napkins but didn't offer to wipe the table or anything else. I understand these things can happen, but it might be helpful for the team to be a little bit more proactive in future situations like this.... Just wanted to share awareness.... read more
Business owner information
Happy Lamb H.
Thank you for being a loyal guest and for taking the time to share…
Went on a Monday afternoon to try their AYCE menu Price: $28/person, plus $3/person for the AYCE bar (sauces, dessert, ice cream); total for two people was around $70-80 after tip and tax Food: 4.5/5 -food overall was so delicious!! -we got the house original marrow broth: broth was tasty and refreshing, great umami taste -meats: both the lamb and meat are good, especially their natural lamb slice -tofu and mushrooms and seafood was not bad too -only thing that wasn't so good was the Napa Cabbage, tasted bitter and not too fresh Service and environment: 5/5 -great customer service, server speaks English and Chinese -food gets delivered with a robot -easy to ask for another round of meat -easy to ask server for more soup base Overall, I would definitely come again, especially if you're feeling hungry and can eat a lot read more
Came here on a Friday evening with two friends and glad we got there before 6pm! They don't take reservations for groups less than 6 people, and it starts to get busy by 5:45pm. By the time we left, there was a long line to get in. Staff and Service: - You have the option to do AYCE or a la carte. The AYCE menu is more limited and is roughly $35 / person. We did the a la carte option due to more menu options and it wasn't anything ridiculous. And we even had more food than needed - If you purchase the AYCE sauce addition for $2.99, you get unlimited access to the sauce bar, fruit, gyoza and spring rolls, etc. Food: - We got two different types of meat (angus and short rib). Both were tasty. We also got the mushroom soup and the original soup as the hot pot soups. I can't remember which one, but one of them tasted kind of funny and ruined the taste of the beef for me - Gyoza was good considering it was just in a bowl next to the sauce bar - Veggies and tofu were good. We recommend getting the Chinese donut - There is a vanilla soft serve machine as well next to the sauce bar for dessert (it's more icy than creamy) Miscellaneous: - Parking is available via metered parking out front and local parking garages (both are free after 6pm and on weekends) read more
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More info about Happy Lamb Hot Pot
215 S Ellsworth Ave
San Mateo, CA 94401
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(650) 343-2566
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https://happylambhotpot.com
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Ask the Community - Happy Lamb Hot Pot
Is this halal?
Is there any parking lot near the restaurant?
Yes, there are a few parking lots in S. Ellsworth Ave.
Is the Summer AYCE special back for 2023?
Do you have all you can eat now at your San Mateo location?
Hello All you can eat is not available sorry.
Is this place order by the dish or all you can eat?
Order a la carte, not all you can eat (as of 1/16/22)
Is there all you can eat anymore?
Not at this time. The last time I went a couple months ago, you had to pay by the plate/dish.
Are you guys open for outdoor / indoor right now?
Indoor dining was available as of 1/16/22
Does anyone know if this business opens now?
As of late November 2019, this branch is still closed, Roth a posted sign saying it is going through renovation since the summer. It is not clear if that is the actual case or it is closed for real.
Is San Mateo open already or still under renovation?
As of dec. 1, still closed for renovations.
Was wondering if you use Creekstone Farms still as your vendor for beef?
Was wondering about all you can eat too? Thought I saw someone reviewed about AYCE.
It's only available Tuesdays
Why does Yelp recommend reviews?
146 reviews that are not currently recommended
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