Came visit on Wednesday night at 4:30pm and no wait for seating! Fast service, fresh food, respectful and friendly staffs. The environment is peaceful and relaxing! Btw Great A/C! read more

Great food Great service by Alvin. Come and visit their restaurant here in San Mateo. Enjoy.

Happy Lamb Hot Pot was fantastic! The broth was flavorful, the ingredients were fresh, and the service was friendly and attentive. Great atmosphere and excellent value. I'll definitely be coming back! read more

Always a good place to eat when you want lot lot lot of meat Great deal Hotpot always the best read more

The ambience and atmosphere is very nice at this location. Depending on what time you go to downtown San Mateo, parking can be either good or bad. There's metered parking in front and street parking a bit further. The restaurant is very clean and modern. They have free snacks at the front as you wait. We got the basic AYCE menu and for our broth, the split with spicy and bone broth. Their broths are very good; full of flavor and depth. Love that they have a lot of whole garlic pieces in the broth that you can eat throughout the meal. My gripe with Happy Lamb is that they charge $2.99 for their sauce and dessert bar. I personally feel like access to hot pot sauces should be a given for hot pot. They should separate the dessert bar and make that an extra cost rather than bundling it with the sauces. Or for parties who opt into the AYCE option should have access to the sauce bar. With the number of hot pot places in NorCal that have many different offerings, I don't think I will be returning here. read more

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

Happy Lamb Hot Pot - Chinese Near Me - San Mateo, California

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I brought my friend's 10 years old twins (turning 11 in few more days) who visited Bay Area. I didn't recognize they change the kid policy to 140cm which they are slightly over by few cm. The staff gave me the discount for one time courtesy. The food is great, just slightly get saltier compared to past visits. read more

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

Happy Lamb Hot Pot - Chinese Near Me - San Mateo, California

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

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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

Happy Lamb Hot Pot - Chinese Near Me - San Mateo, California

Amazing service and clean store. Staff is friendly and quick service. Ingredients are fresh complete with a sauce bar. read more

Happy Lamb Hot Pot - Chinese Near Me - San Mateo, California

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

Happy Lamb Hot Pot - VIP AYCE SET - Chinese Near Me - San Mateo, California

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

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Our favorite hotpot place! I frequently make the trek down here just to eat this - the AYCE is the best value and the marrow broth (both spicy and original) is flavorful enough to not need anything from the sauce bar. Ordering is quick, and the ingredients are fresh. Come during non peak hours to avoid a queue. read more

Great friendly staff and manager. Had a great experience at near closing for a last minute dinner.

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

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Came here again to celebrate my birthday. This time we booked the private room which can fit 10 comfortably on a rectangle table and ordered AYCE. It was nice because we could actually talk and hear. The room has a glass window so it's not totally private but worked out. We had 3 pots which worked fine. The food did not disappoint. They give you your sides on little plates so you don't waste. They also gave us a bright neon greeting sign for picture taking which was fun! (It was too bright to see the sign clearly in a picture.) Take a treat on the counter on your way out - that's always fun. read more

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

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Fresh meat and good broth, great place to gather with friends and families, and Clean place. read more

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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

Happy Lamb Hot Pot - Chinese Near Me - San Mateo, California

I've been going to Happy Lamb for a while, and it's always been consistently good. The all-you-can-eat hotpot offers good-quality meat and a nice variety of options. I especially enjoy the chicken wings and the buns with condensed milk -- always a favorite. The ambience is nice and clean, making it a comfortable place to dine. They've recently added a food bar for an extra cost; some might appreciate the added variety, while others might find it an unnecessary upsell since the main menu already has plenty to choose from. Service is excellent -- friendly, fast, and attentive. Free ice cream and mini snacks at the end are a nice touch. It does get busy, so go early if you want to avoid the crowd. Overall, Happy Lamb remains a reliable and enjoyable spot for a satisfying hotpot meal. read more

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

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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

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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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We were in downtown San Mateo and decided to try Happy Lamb, a Mongolian hot pot chain. I've also been to the San Francisco (permanently closed) and Sacramento locations and they are similar and consistently good. The server explained the dinner options: a la carte, all-you-can-eat for $31.99, or premium all-you-can-eat for $39.99. We chose the $31.99 deal and went with a split broth--original and spicy bone marrow. We ended up ordering two rounds (maximum is three) - hungrier than we thought! The lamb was better than the beef, and there was a nice variety of seafood, vegetables and noodles. Cozy place, good experience. Note: Additional $2.99 per person for self serve fruits, sauces, vanilla ice cream, egg rolls, etc. read more

This is our third time back at Happy Lamb. We keep coming back for the fresh meat, the variety of side dishes, and great customer service. our server Fish was attentive and helpful. We will be back in a few weeks! read more

On a calm Saturday, I had just gifted a lovely bouquet to my partner, but we were now hungry. We didn't know what to eat, but we soon learned about Happy Lamb's hotpot deal, so knowing their good quality, we decided to give it a try. The ayce option is (I believe) limited to 3 rounds, but you can order as many things as you want each round. However, to take advantage of this we ordered a lot during the first and second round, which left us too full for a third round. However, everything was great. The additional sauce bar for 3 dollars is a must, but the quality of ingredients and meat was great. The other ready to eat hot foods leave a lot to be desired, but if you're there for the hotpot you're in for a treat. The free ice cream was also a bit lackluster, but the hotpot itself was definitely the point. Regardless, I would definitely come back for this deal as it wasn't too expensive. read more

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Food on regular menu is so-so; one the meats was cut thickly(as if for bbq) & was not enjoyable to try to chew through. Of course the VIP premium menu has better meats at the cost of $45.99/person, but HEADS UP.. u WILL still be charged to use the sauce station!!! (U would think the VIP package, which includes all the WHOLE menu options, would include the sauce bar but guess not. Only really good meats were the VIP meats which are in limited quantity even if u do AYCE. Also what is this shaved ice LMAO Totally threw me off. Check picture. Also to add, no ice cream at the machine?? Ok. read more

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Uniqueness: Standard hot pot experience, nothing special Wait Time: *** (Can get crowded, but manageable) Food Quality: *** (Decent, but nothing standout) Service: *** (Gets the job done, but not the friendliest) Setting: *** (Casual and spacious, good for groups) Cost: **** (Fair pricing for the portion sizes) Happy Lamb Hot Pot is fine, but nothing exceptional. The broths are flavorful enough, and the meats/veggies are fresh, but there's nothing that really sets this place apart from other hot pot spots. Service is quick but not particularly warm, and the overall experience feels pretty standard. If you're looking for a solid but unremarkable hot pot meal, this place will do the job. read more

Happy Lamb Hot Pot - Chinese Near Me - San Mateo, California

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I was able to sample this restaurant with the family, let me break down everything we sampled and how it all faired Not sure if I came on a off night but me and the family came out to sample everything and we thought it was just ok each of us got the all you can eat option and side of the all you can eat bar we opted for two different broths obviously one that was spicy the other was regular, we did not get the vegetable broth, broth wise both spicy and original was just ok, the spicy broth had a hint of heat but just not much meats offered are like most hot pot spots, we sampled he lamb shoulder, I thought this was delicious fatty beef seemed to melt as soon as you dipped it into the broth, of the pieces we could eat was very minimal of what we got to eat it was good lol, again for fatty beef if you are squeamish of eating fat don't other this cut angus beef the broth is suppose to elevate this meat but sadly it did not tripe- when the kids and wife was done sampled this option, it was slightly slimy that usually tells me one of two things it was not cleaned correctly or older slices that have been sitting we didn't get chicken or seafood, or meatballs the AYCE bar was decent for your sauce choices, stuck with the tried and true, the tofu, baby bok choi, pea sprouts and mushrooms again maybe we came on an off night but we did not think this was anything special, it was good but no wow's or I should try this again or should try that next time if you want to get fed and want hot pot I guess you an visit this spot but it was not anything you would remember after eating lol Go with friends or family or with folks that don't care for heavy on flavor so more muted tastebuds this is perfect for them lol food *** price $$$ service **** helpful ambiance ***.5 clean, not loud read more

High quality meat, delicious soup broth, and quick service. Their all you can eat menu is very limited so we ended up ordering a la carte. The services were large so it worked out well, he would love to try all you can eat in the future. The restaurant was clean and got super busy by 6:30pm. They have juice and snacks for those waiting which is a nice touch. The seating on the booth side was tight for us, but otherwise it was great! Highly recommend the unlimited sauce bar to take your meal to the next level. It comes with fruit, ice cream, and spring roll / gyoza as well. I would def try again! read more

Happy Lamb Hot Pot - Drink menu - Chinese Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Been at this place multiple times over years. Food is fresh. Price is good. Service is ok. Lunch time during the week is less crowded. Quiet busy on Weekend dinner time read more

Great hot pot with fresh ingredients, flavorful broth, and friendly service. Everything tasted fresh, and the atmosphere was clean and welcoming. Definitely one of my favorite hot pot spots--I'll be back! read more

Prices have increased maybe 10%, a la carte is worth it for 4 or more ppl. (Break even at about 4ppl). A la carte you get more of each order. AYCE, you get more variety. Sauce bar is the same. They've now added Taiwan sausage on a rotating heater to the apps! read more

Always busy here during dinner time! I always go for their AYCE option here. You technically only get 3 rounds, but I'm mostly done by round 2. The meat and veggies are always tender and fresh! Food comes up quickly after ordering. They have a sauce bar for an additional $3, and I would definitely recommend getting it. Aside from the sauces, you also get appetizers, fruits, and dessert. All the staff were super nice and attentive! read more

2nd time coming here. first time was good- they didn't cut us off after 90 minutes and mind you it was busier and yet the food was coming out on time and service was on point. However the second time was this past Sunday and at first they say us right away- we placed our order in- took a little long but it was ok. only saw the server once. 60 minutes only have passed and they came and asked if we wanted to put in another order in before we are cut off so we did. They never placed the order in. and they cut us off before the 90 minutes and that night was slow!! Honestly felt discriminated since we were the only non asian table.. we were all hispanic. read more

We celebrated a family birthday at Happy Lamb Hot Pot with a party of seven, and it was an absolute highlight! Everyone opted for the all-you-can-eat option, and we chose three delicious broth bases: classic plain, sour cabbage, and spicy--each one perfectly balanced and full of depth. The ingredients were top-notch: tender Angus beef, flavorful short ribs, succulent lamb slices, silky frozen tofu, and an abundance of fresh vegetables. Everything arrived fresh and high-quality, resulting in pure hot pot bliss. the sweets were also fantastic: the fried mantou+ condensed milk and the ciba were awesome! Despite the restaurant being packed, the service was attentive, and friendly. A huge kudos to the entire team! Happy Lamb delivers brilliant food, exceptional service, and a lively, welcoming ambience. We've been loyal customers (even back when it was Little Sheep) for 15 years and always look forward to coming back! Highly recommended--5 stars! read more

We come here 3 times a year and it's always to celebrate birthdays for family. Their broths are rich and tasty. There are chunks of herbs and garnish so you know they put love and effort into their broths. The menu is extensive and has everything you could want for hotpot. Their sauce station is slightly limited but has all the standard sauces. They offer an appetizer and dessert bar. The best part is their soft serve ice cream. It's what I look forward to the most. It's less creamy and sweet, making it super refreshing and satisfying after hot pot. The kids absolutely love the ice cream. We always get the private room in the back which perfectly sits our family. There is a TV in there which the kids love. read more

I randomly saw a "Summer event" promotion while walking down the street. I figured it's cheaper than Haidilao because I could collect coupons and save them for future meals! We got 20 coupons since it's 50 to get one, and there were two of us. We can use them for discounts next time - what a positive cycle! On weekdays, the basic all-you-can-eat is $30, which seems pretty good. I usually spend over $20-$30 on a casual meal, so being able to get an all-you-can-eat buffet here is great! Happy Lamb! They have a good variety of options here! There are mushrooms and vegetables, rice and noodles, seafood and meats, fruits, desserts, fried foods, etc. It's a paradise for people who have trouble choosing! My favorite!!! The slow-simmered beef bone broth - 5 stars! (The tomato broth was so-so.) The best part is that I could see herbs, garlic, and vegetables in the soup. The soup wasn't salty and didn't have a gritty texture. It's totally my type! I wasn't thirsty after drinking it; the soup was rich yet very clear! My friend liked it too; it didn't taste artificial. You can even make your own beef bone broth rice soak, which is fire!!! It's really great value and very filling! And the best parts are: Comfortable seating Even with a crowd, no need to wait in line The dining environment is quiet and comfortable, not crowded or noisy Many menu items, so you won't get tired of the choices read more

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They had wait list. When the time came it moved back. Then moved back again. Why not just told us minimum wait time will be an hour to an hour and a half. Now, after an hour and half another 30 minutes We gave up and went to the another restaurant. Amazingly wasted out time. read more