5 outta 5 for EVERYTHING! Food - 5 Stars Service - 5 Stars Ambiance - 5 Stars Service - 5 Stars Wonderful Human Beings - 5 Stars I came to JC Bruno a long time ago for a wedding and the food blew me away! My friend, Maria, treated me for my bday and it's just as amazing and spectacular as I remember it! I've been to tons of weddings and Michelin Star restaurants and the quality and taste can't compare to JC Bruno! Everything here is homemade from scratch and Chef JC is an unbelievable Chef! JC Bruno is a hidden gem that will go viral! They have a chic patio and live music on Friday nights! They do corporate catering for Google and tech companies as well! They also do tons of weddings! Gonna tell all my friends and family about JC Bruno! Five outta Five! read more

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Second time to this amazing restaurant! The food is absolutely divine with generous portions. Hubby and I had the rib eye steak (aged in-house over 21 days) and the cioppino w/pasta. We both thoroughly enjoyed our meals and had leftovers to take home. Marcela manages the front end with class and JC cooks on another level!!! We've been raving about this restaurant to our family and friends so a yelp review was in order! read more

Been meaning to try this place for awhile now and not disappointed. Good choices across the entire menu from American, French and Peruvian dishes. We started with a tuna tartare that used a bit too much soy but was otherwise tasty and a pretty good size appetizer. Recommend you ask for dressing on the side with salads that my wife and I ordered (burrata and beet salads) as they put more than light amount which is what I prefer. They were good salads with generous amount of greens for bedding. We went with mains that we don't usually see and they were very tasty. The Arroz Con Mariscos reminded me of a seafood paella and the Lomo Saltado feels like Peruvian fused with Chinese using sliced filet mignon with onions, tomatoes and soy sauce and a side of rice. Marcela recommended the bread pudding to complete our meal, which was very nice but we were too full by then to finish! Last tip, to make reservations it's best to text Marcela or use Google Reservations Assistant as I tried calling before and her Voicemail is usually full! Will definitely come back to try other items that looked really good, too. read more

JC Bruno Restaurant - Arroz Con Marisco...enjoying a nice Saturday dinner! - New American Near Me - San Bruno, California

Treated myself to a delicious tasty dinner at JC Bruno! Chef JC always deliver amazing tasty delicious food! Jazzy classy modern ambiance! Hidden gem 5 star restaurant that you'll have to try! Perfect for birthday celebrations, weddings, corporate catering, business dinners, and events! There were tons of festive groups celebrating their birthday! JC Bruno has cute intimate patio was packed with Filipino family gathering! Laughter, positivity, wine, and tasty food! Classy vibes to treat yourself, your date, your family, your client for dinner! One of the best local San Francisco Bay Area restaurants hands down! You'll keep coming back to try all their amazing dishes! read more

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Hidden gem! Really homey feel but with high level cuisine. Best escargot I've had. Excellent lobster ravioli, rack of lamb, and sea bass.

Overall, the starters were very tasty and satisfying. My favorite was the escargot, pairs very well with the bread they give you. The crab cakes were quite small portioned, but it's more than enough for two. The main courses were kind of just "Okay" The rack of lamb was a bit on the bland side and the sauce's tartness didn't go too well with the gamey flavor for the lamb. The sides that went with the rack of lamb weren't all that special as well. The filet mignon was very tender and cooked well. Again the sides were kind of bland and not as good as it could be. Overall 4/5 the starters were very good and the main courses meats were alright. Definitely worth a try! read more

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Horrible parking! As in good luck finding something, definitely a Lyft/Uber in kinda situation. So I finally get to the door and it's locked? I thought we'll maybe the entrance is through the patio, Nope! Someone opened the door and asked if I had a reservation I said no & they explained that since they didn't have any reservations they locked the door? I asked if I could order something to go, nope I'm at a loss. It smelled like they were cooking but no food for you I guess. I mean place has great reviews wish I could've tried the food but swing and a miss! Given the whole location parking situation and weird hours/ seating/serving sorry we're not open today deal I don't think I'll be back anytime soon read more

JC Bruno Restaurant - This close to trying the food, but nope - New American Near Me - San Bruno, California

This review is long overdue. JC Bruno is easily one of my favorite restaurants. It's a little unassuming and parking is a little bit difficult during lunch time, but so worth it. It's a super cute restaurant run by a husband and wife team, JC and Marcela. I initially was looking for a local venue to host an intimate wedding dinner. Husband and I tried this place out and immediately fell in love with the food, patio, ambiance. Honestly all the food is DELICOUS but some standouts are the squid ink seafood pasta, the mussels and clams, burrata salad, filet mignon, and homemade tiramisu. Friday nights they have live music. We decided to hold our 30-person wedding dinner here and EVERYONE raved about the food and the live music and the impromptu dancing. We honestly had a great time and it felt like a whole ass wedding instead of just a dinner with music. Marcela was great about us arriving a little bit late, saved me a parking spot without me asking, the table setting was so cute, set up the flowers, cut our small cake so everyone had a bite, etc. SInce everyone was so full Marcela packed up the desserts for everyone to take home at the end of the night so it looked we had last minute favors for everyone haha. I rave to everyone about this place. We were SO happy and it was SO stress-free on our wedding day and the days leading up to it. Definitely would hold other events here or even just for dinner. read more

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I'm a regular to this house of yummy foods, and I brought a friend here to see her reaction. With every bite she was committed to coming back. We ordered only 3 dishes (Clams & Mussels, Chilean Sea Bass, Rack of Lamb) and each dish's freshness delighted her into speechlessness. My friend was impressed with the generous food portions, and even the generous pour of wine by the glass. JC & Marcella (owners), you just won over a new convert! My friend will be back bringing you new business. read more

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Great ambiance, friendly staff and service was awesome & food is delicious! Will be back :) read more

Our friends raved about this restaurant and finally we all had a chance to dine there. We sat in their outdoor covered patio. Very cute and could be a great date spot or for slightly large groups. We had a party of 6 and a toddler. The food is delicious. I'm writing this review a few years late lol but everything we ordered tasted good and fresh. I personally ordered the cioppino with pasta and I was so happy. Lots of seafood, the pasta with the sauce. MMMM. definitely had some leftovers. I tasted the lomo saltado my husband ordered, and surprisingly it was good as well. I thought it would be meh but very flavorful! a few girls ordered the lobster pasta, yum as well. we also shared some appetizers and had wine flowing. So it was a good night. oh! we also were there on a live music night and it was fun. definitely want to come back but sadly our family schedules don't align. parking wasn't the easiest but not too bad! Great spot for all occasions! read more

Loved everything about this restaurant: they went above and beyond to make our party extra-special! Even reserved the handicap parking space for my parents!!! The food is amazing: fresh, high quality, and so tasty! Marcela (owner) is welcoming, attentive, very professional, and extremely hard working. Highly recommend this restaurant. You will not be disappointed! read more

Highly recommend!!!! Delicious food , great service, staff very friendly. Chef has an exquisite touch to all the the food he makes. Close to the airport , great pricing , beautiful restaurant you won't regret it . Left very Satisfied read more

Wanted to give a special shout out to Marcela, the owner. I contacted her regarding an after funeral reception. She catered to our every need and was super accommodating and understanding. The food was DELICIOUS and fresh. The banquet we had family style was impeccable and everyone said how much they enjoyed every single dish. The wait staff was so nice and very helpful. We sat in their outside space which was superb. Airy but not windy. Spacious. Wonderful. Cannot say enough wonderful things about JC and their whole entire staff. read more

Amazing food and fantastic service. I would highly recommend this place. We'll be back for sure read more

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JC Bruno is more than a restaurant, it's a relationship. It's now my #1 spot, and I'd recommend it in a heartbeat to anyone looking for great food, genuine people, and unforgettable service! If you're looking for a go-to restaurant that feels like your favorite local spot and your second home, JC Bruno is it. I truly mean when I say that Marcela, the owner, is the soul of this place, and she has completely redefined what true hospitality means in today's world. From the moment you walk in, you're greeted not just by a friendly staff, but by people who genuinely care. Marcela herself is always around, and what makes her so special is that she doesn't act like a distant owner, but rather you feel like you're planning something with a longtime friend. She'll chat with you, laugh with you, and most importantly, she stands by you to help plan your perfect experience, whether you're organizing a small dinner or a full-blown celebration. What blew me away most was how flexible she is. JC Bruno's menu is already this amazing fusion of European, Mediterranean, and other international flavors, but if there's something special you want that's not listed? Just ask. Marcela will go out of her way to make it happen. That kind of flexibility is almost unheard of these days. I've worked with many restaurants for events and special dinners, but working with Marcela is different because she treats you like a partner, not a transaction. She'll talk through your vision, offer smart suggestions, and help you figure out the best possible setup for your group. The way she collaborates with you makes it fun and stress-free. It's rare to find a place where the owner is this involved and down-to-earth. read more

Had the steak special. It was humongous!! And so delicious. Great customer service, it seems like family owned place.

My husband and I came by to try JC Bruno for the first time on Valentine's Day. I'm glad we had made a reservation well in advance as the place got packed over the course of the evening. The restaurant was beautifully decorated with flowers and candles on each table, giving the entire atmosphere an intimate, romantic vibe. Because it was a holiday, there was only a prix fixe menu to choose from, which I wasn't expecting, but I ended up being pretty happy with our options. To start, I got the crab cake while my husband got the pear and blue cheese salad. The crab cake wasn't very big but was super fresh and perfectly crisped and paired really well with the rest of the ingredients on the plate. For our mains, I got the chicken while my husband got the filet mignon. Although they didn't ask him how he wanted his steak cooked, it came out exactly as he likes it - medium rare. His steak came with these perfectly seasoned garlic roasted potatoes on the side which were delicious. As far as my chicken, it was cooked perfectly and came with a side of yummy mashed potatoes and asparagus. The chicken was drizzled with a mushroom gravy sauce. While the flavor of the sauce was good, it was a little too salty for my tastes. For dessert, we ended with a medley of different desserts, from a raspberry cookie to a molten chocolate lava cake and a couple of other sweet bites in between. It was the perfect amount for two people to share and wasn't too decadent where it left us feeling ashamed with ourselves. Overall, JC Bruno gave us a wonderful experience on our last visit and I would highly recommend others to check this place out. read more

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This restaurant was a fantastic find for a Saturday dinner with friends. The interior is cozy and classy. The food was exceptional. The mussels with chorizo, the pasta special, the salads were delightful. The service was friendly and knowledgeable. read more

Juan and Marcela are running a top notch business in San Bruno! Currently with the COVID-19 rules in effect, they are open for take out Monday through Saturday with a limited menu. But let me tell you the limited menu is plenty full of choices, and delicious ones at that. We ordered the clam chowder soup which was thick and delicious. I ordered the Vegetables in Pasta with a Tomato Sauce. Thick, delicious, lots of veggies. My husband had the Seafood Pasta. It was full of salmon, clams, mussels and shrimp. All together came to about $60. Serving sizes were generous and we were both stuffed after eating our meals. Thanks again for wonderful food! read more

JC Bruno Restaurant - Vegetables with Pasta in a Tomato Sauce - New American Near Me - San Bruno, California

I honestly was blown away by the service and food Very rare you get both at the highest level read more

Most underrated, hidden gem, amazing service, food, interior, music, vibe almost as if I teleported to Europe. Don't let the exterior fool you. Bruno tartare, house merlot, tiki coffee cake, panna cotta, all made in-house were truly incredible Finally a place that blows my mind. I will be back, and back, and back, and back. Thank you for the wonderful escape on a Tuesday. Cheers read more

My family went here for a birthday dinner and we were very impressed by this place. Parking is a little difficult to find, but it is SO worth it for the food. The pasta special was a squid ink seafood dish and we loved it so much that we ordered 2! The rack of lamb was seared well and came with plenty of sides. I'm a big bread person so I was a huge fan of the complimentary bread and butter. Soft, warm, and delightful. The other food we had like the calamari were delicious too. Only critique I can think of were the service being slightly slow and the squid in the calamari being a litttttttle too rubbery, but the atmosphere, flavors, big portions, and hospitality more than made up for it. Like a boomerang, we'd 100% come back again read more

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We had an outstanding evening with excellent food and excellent service. We went on a Thursday so place was quiet (we heard weekends are very busy). We were greeted with a friendly welcome and a very accessible menu. We had crab cakes - they're small but they're perfect. Fried crunchy and placed artfully on top of a tomato relish that was amazing with an avocado mousse that was a creamy rich compliment. My husband had a huge steak - he's carb free so appreciated the option- and I had perfectly prepared lamb chops. It was a lot of lamb but I ate every bite. Desserts looked good - we split a delicious, dense NY Cheesecake made right with a really terrific berry compote that wasn't overly sweet. And the wine the waiter recommended (a red by the glass) was a savvy choice. Service was friendly, attentive, totally unhurried...never a dirty dish lingering and each course presented with plenty of down time to enjoy the last. And every dish was beautiful. We eat with our eyes first right? The chef owner clearly understands this and each dish was presented in a lovely but again unfussy way. The crab cakes and cheese cake were like modern art. Overall fantastic experience. We will be back for many a fine dining and celebration dinner. And we can bring our vegan kid because they have a real option. Always appreciate that. read more

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JC Bruno is one of the best hidden gems of San Bruno! Came here for my dad's birthday and boy was it delicious! We did a pre-fixed family style menu with so many incredible courses. We started off with this fresh mixed salad and freshly baked bread served warm. Then moved onto two types of steamed mussels in both a seafood and pork broth that was to die for. Dipping your bread in there is a must! Then we moved on to this scrumptious chicken appetizer with red onions, fried calamari and a lobster creamy pasta with peas. Ending with the the highlight of the night for me which is their Lomo Saltado (tender beef) and Seafood Rice (well seasoned and mouth watering)! JC's attention to flavor is proven in the sauces. Each dish so unique packing with depth and punch that makes you want to take another bite after another even when full. The attention to detail and love in this food is so evident and brings that moment of pure unexpected joy. I can't wait to come back and try more dishes. The service here is beyond exceptional, it truly feels like a special place with so much thoughtfulness. We were serenaded by a wonderful guitarist, Mauricio, which made the night even more special. Kudos to the JC Bruno team in making this such a special experience for my family and I! read more

Where do I begin?! We've eaten here so many times-- first during pandemic and we dined outdoors, serenaded by live acoustic guitarist with his awesome voice; every time we come here whether with friends or family, we're beyond happy with their dry aged ribeye steak--it's prepared perfectly medium pink and the gravy sauce doesn't overpower the grilled flavor and freshness of the meat! it's the only place my family and I have been that meet our expectations starting with Bruno tartare, crab cakes to Cioppino to chilean seabass. Then their Bread pudding a la mode is to die for!! If you have not been here, I recommend that you try...it's a hidden gem place to celebrate a special occasion birthday or anniversary-- you will not disappoint! Family-owned business makes this place more awesome bcos they give attention to detail n excellent customer service! read more

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The good: From a technical standpoint, the food is well prepared Ingredients are high quality Portions are generous Staff is friendly The bad: Menu is still under development (hopefully) Front of house service is haphazard Seating is not comfortable Was excited to try this place as San Bruno has few fine dining options. The French/California/Peruvian combo sounded great. My party of two was seated right away at 6:30 on a Friday. You can tell a lot of thought went into building the dining room. The colors and decor were evocative of late 50s, early 60s style yet it was modern and elegant. When I saw the menu and the airline chicken breast, I thought the owner had built in some nostalgia to their menu as well as the decor. I commented to the waiter that some menu items seemed a cute nod to the early 60s, but the blank response leads me to believe that the nostalgia was either unintentional or was never communicated to the front of house. Unfortunately the seating was uncomfortable. If you are seated along the walls of the dining room, take some care when selecting a bench or chair. The bench is far too low for the tables and the chairs are higher. Whoever is sitting on the bench will have the table uncomfortably high and will be looking up to their dining companions seated in chairs. The waiter did not tell us the specials. We ordered the mussels, the burrata, the airline chicken breast, and the short ribs. I have to give credit to the waiter that he attempted to time the apps and mains so that we could share the apps, but in the end the timing of food was not good. Between the apps and the mains, we stared at an empty table for nearly ten minutes. It was almost two hours to finish dinner because they could not handle the dining room as it filled up, and we were among the tales that got neglected. We watched many tables get served and leave during our time there. The service was clearly the biggest issue. It was a chore to get bread to the table. One bussers was hustling, but an older busser mostly stood in the corner of the dining room, alternating between snacking and chatting with other staff. He sprung into action maybe four times during our two hours at dinner. One of those times was after the appetizers, when he came to wipe down our table with the wet rag used for cleaning up after parties are done eating. It was off putting to say the least, maybe even a little gross. This busser is in need of training, at least to know that you can't eat and serve at the same time, and to share some work with the other staff who is working hard. The food. It's pretty good, but also flawed. The mussels are cooked with chorizo. The delicate taste of the mussels is completely overwhelmed by the chorizo. Though after you've eaten the mussels, you end up with a fantastic chorizo broth that is great to dip bread in, the mussels themselves are ruined by the strong flavors. I don't think this recipe could even be tweaked to perfect it. It's fundamentally ill-conceived. The airline chicken was perfectly cooked, but not showcased too well with the wing covered by another chunk of chicken. The meat drowned in a saucy bunch of relativity soggy veggies. Still tasted pretty good, but the textures were maybe not perfectly executed. The short ribs were probably the worst dish, but still not bad. They were nicely cooked in that the collagen was well broken down, but the meat was very slightly on the side of stringy and dry. I was looking forward to the Peruvian potatoes, but they were minced into the quinoa, and got lost in the dish. The peas were unremarkable, but may taste better in a couple months when their season peaks. The asparagus is in season now, but seemed out of place in the dish, just steamed with the rest of the food heaped on top. I did very much appreciate that none of the food was too salty. I applaud the kitchen for not using salt as a way to impress and misdirect diners, as is commonly done. Best dish was the burrata salad, which was extremely high quality, creamy, and balanced well with the watercress and vinaigrette. It is not a good time of year for tomatoes (and it showed) and the tomato basil gelatin was completely flavorless and had a strange gummy texture. Seasonal ingredient sourcing is not a priority here, and some of the dishes are more about showcasing gastronomical cleverness rather than actually using creativity towards balanced and delicious flavors. Hopefully the menu will continue to be improved. I doubt I'll be back, but if some improvements are made to the menu, the dining room, and especially the service, JC Bruno could be great. read more

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We'll they did again! Marcella and her staff did a wonderful job making my sister's birthday a wonderful delicious success! Looking forward to coming back, the food is always amazing. read more

Food is amazing! taste really good and cooked well! the place is small but very nice and Marcella is very accommodating and warm! We celebrated my Mom's birthday and everyone enjoyed the food and the place. I love supporting small businesses specially something that makes you feel home! read more

JC Bruno Restaurant - Cioppino - New American Near Me - San Bruno, California

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Sorry for saying this, unlike other places where appetizers are needed, not at JC Bruno, portions are HUGE! We ordered: Buratta Salad- still in the fridge, who wants to eat a salad first when your staring down the entrees below. Cheese Burger- So BIG! And loved the shoestring fries. We got the bun on the side since my wife is GF with no issue. Came with a nice aioli. Diver Scallops and Bacon wrapped Prawns: scallops were AMAZING!! So rich but on a stormy night it was perfect. Came with a mash and carrots that were perfectly cooked! So yeah we forgot about the salad.. They have nice outdoor seating with heaters where tables were definitely spread out, not like the other places I've seen recently. We really enjoyed our meal and will be coming back! Thanks JC (I'm sure no one there is named JC but I'm rolling with it) read more

Great food with big portions and great staff!!! All the choices were excellent. The only downside was the parking. It took us a while to find one but it was worth it. read more

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Great service, great food, and a friendly family staff! The pasta is authentic(homemade), and the sauce is the best!!

Absolutely horrible experience. Had a party of 25. Pre ordered our main entree. When we got there we had two additional in our party that where told they could not order as they weren't part of the preorder. We where not allowed salads, appetizers or dessert as they weren't preordered. We where not told they should be preordered only the entree. We where only given three baskets of bread and no refills as only one loaf was purchased for our party and the restaurant had no more. They had no ladies room available, I was asked to use the men's room but not use toilet paper as they had plumbing issue. Will not return. read more

Came with my friends for a post birthday celebration. Also been wanting to come here since prior to this establishment, I used to come and help at the last restaurant here. The place looks different, lots of upgrades for sure! The parking lot transformed into their outdoor seating. We came at a good day since no one was there and had a live singer. Odd though because there was only 3 of us and they put an auto gratuity. Ive been working in restaurants since 2006 and usually its for 6 or more...the food was amazing except for the lobster pasta. Will probably come back later to try the other menu items. read more

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What a great local gem. Tried the Cioppino and Lamb Shank. Both were excellent. Excited to return to try other options.

My boyfriend and I dined here a few weeks ago! We arrived and we were not greeted by anyone for about 5 minutes, we saw the owner and one other worker walking around and neither greeted us. We also noticed the owner had a slightly annoyed face. Once we were seated, service was slow but we were in no rush. The food was good, but doesn't excuse the service. No one checked on us. However, the owner was more than attentive to the parties beside us. I understand Covid has made it difficult for restaurants, despite the service we did not want to be a nuisance and tipped generously. I coincidentally went back on yelp and saw that the owner had left a reply on another dissatisfied customers yelp and told them "please do not come back it is very stressful to deal with customers like you.." no one likes to hear criticism but I think in order to be a successful restaurant you should probably take a moment and reflect as to why all of the negative reviews all have something in common - the lack there of customer service coming from the owner herself. It's sad that she would speak to her customers this way. read more

Rude. Restaurant empty on a Wednesday. Got a ton of attitude about how they "don't take walk-ins". Not sure how anyone was supposed to know that. read more

JC Bruno is an amazing restaurant tucked in San Bruno. Their restaurant is amazing for all I have to say! Great Italian dishes which more that I could ask for.. The pasta... The Calamari.. Even El Lomo Saltado! Congratulations to JC Bruno and Juan Carlos for also bringing out his guitar for any special occasions. -Eat Well everyone! read more

The food was delicious the portions generous. The restaurant is well appointed clean comfortable and welcoming. It was a great find. Family owned and operated the woman taking care of the customers was friendly and helpful. If I lived in the Bay Area I would eat there regularly. read more

Finally tried this spot out in June. We did make reservations since that is what shows on their site but during our dinner, a big party came in without a reservation and were able to sit and eat. But good food and service. Bit pricey but the food is delicious. read more