I highly recommend this place! My girlfriend randomly just picked this place because we were walking in downtown San Mateo after work. Place was packed but when we walked in there was a table open for us. Pros- The experience: 1. You Should definitely come to this place with someone for the experience (alone is cool too lol) because it seemed perfect for a casual night to grab dinner but also a perfect date night as well (outside seating in the street) 2. Waiter was exceptional! I forgot her name but she was very helpful with the menu. 3. Music was at a nice volume to where it was clear to hear the music but still able to comfortably talk to the person across from you. Even with the packed house, noise was still at a low volume. The Food: There wasn't a dish I did not like. House Mac was a different taste but I really liked it. I expected like Hawaiian Mac salad for some reason but this one tasted different to me. Seemed more refreshing just from the added types of veggies The sushi tacos were really good, but essentially they are just sushi rolls displayed in taco form lol really good flavors though the Guaca-poke was a nice starter, I added salt to mine. It had ahi tuna on top of guacamole. Besides adding salt it was very good! Cons- None yet, will come back to try other things on the menu All in all I loved it, I already recommended my family in San Mateo to try it out if they haven't already. If you are trying to get your stomach full off of one plate for a cheap price do not come here lol but I do say the price does speak for itself in the quality of the food and experience. read more

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We had dinner last night at the San Mateo restaurant. It was a lovely experience, made super great by our waitress, Mimi. She always smiled. Treated us great. I highly recommend Pacific Catch. read more

Pacific catch is always a little bit of everything, w/ seafood as its main cast. Take out is also worth it. Still yummy with all the nutritious fixings. Dining at Pacific Catch, I've only had outdoor dining experience. Heat lamps and tables of various sizes, but none more than 6-8 seaters. It is loud and bustling inside. Lots of variety for all, and margaritas. read more

Pacific Catch - Mexican grill bowl (seared chili-lime shrimp + side of tortilla chips). Yum - Seafood Near Me - San Mateo, California

I've been in the industry before & let me just say this place has to work with the bartenders or at least just martin. it is twice now that i have been taken care of by him and it is now the 2nd time he has done terrible service. First time i thought maybe it was just one of those days but for him to do it again is unacceptable. truly not the ohana spirit we were looking for. Our drinks were last to come out even tho we ordered them before the table's next to us. It is almost like he purposely put us last. He did not have any good attitude towards us nor was he respectful to my wife. What kind of experience do you need to be a bartender here seriously, just anybody? One of the worst services we've had. The food was amazing. it always is, the service the majority of the time is great but i will no longer be going in if we see martin behind the bar. He even had us waiting to close out, if it was not for the waitress who had to remind him about us. read more

The dishes are good, not salty or anything I recommend the steelhead and the watermelon mojito. A nice decent place read more

Pacific Catch - Seafood Near Me - San Mateo, California

We came here for dinner about 5pm. We made reservation on open table.com. We were seated as soon as they setup our table. Social distancing and masks enforced. We ordered calamari and choppino from the menu. Calamari was good and choppino had a clear kind of sauce. I expected a red sauce - Italian style. It was good and different but prefer red sauce. read more

If you don't like salt and flavor this is not the place for you. However, service and ambiance was good.

I rarely leave a review but the food and service was so extraordinary bad that this warrants one. Before I ordered, I specifically asked my server for grilled shrimp like the one pictured on the menu she presented. She suggested the Mexican grill bowl. The shrimp came out pink and tasting barely cooked. I asked if this was grilled, and she says yes with an attitude as if I was delusional. I then ask if this is how they'd grill a steak and she said yes. Again, with same attitude and not willing to admit that the shrimp did not look like the ones on the menu. A manager then comes out and says they are going to grill the shrimp on kebabs. I'm briefly happy that someone has some customer service skills until I literally get the same slightly cooked shrimp BUT on sticks as if they did something different. The shrimp looked raw but we're supposed to be grilled. If this is what grilled shrimp look like please remove the false advertisement displayed on your menu. Probably my worst dinning experience in all of San Mateo and I've lived here for years. read more

The food is super mediocre. The service is subpar. Arrived around 4pm and no one helped us. Entire place was empty. Took over 45 min for my son to get his order, everyone's else's came out in 20 min (how long does it take to fry chicken???). Manager (Calvin) then proceeded to tell me my son was too roudy after he had been waiting for his food for more than 45 min. I would just skip this place. A lot of better restaurants in the area. read more

Went for Weekday Happy Hour Special Food - 3/5. Looks can be deceiving would be the theme here. The platters are very pretty but the flavors fall short. Ribs were tender but the sauce was too thin, barely staying onto the ribs and being a mess to eat. It was on the salty side and could've used some sweetness to balance it out. Coconut shrimp was crispy with a nice bite. The sauce was standard sweet chili, which works well with fried items. Ahi "bombs" were very pretty but a pain to eat. Because of the design, you will eat the inari and poke separately. Eating it separately is also the right move as the light, poke dressing gets overpowered by the strong sweetness of the inari. California rolls were great, and the edamame were good. The pickled vegetable selection was confusing as there are two types of ginger and some cucumber kimchi. I'm not sure what it really is supposed to garnish or pair with as all the items on the pupu platter already have strong flavors. Of the poke & ceviche trio, the original was my favorite. The light dressing really brought out the tuna's flavor with excellent texture on the fish. The serrano version was surprisingly weak in flavor; the aioli was very mild and thick making the light tuna flavor hidden in a heavy, almost tasteless sauce. Ceviche was very acidic, which is by design but there really wasn't any flavor past it. Fish texture was fine but cut a too thin for such a strong acidic marinade. The wonton chips were fantastic adding a soft crunch while the tortilla chips gave the opposing hard crunch. Service - 5/5. Friendly, attentive, and responsive. There was a mistake made by the staff in the pricing of my happy hour platter and the staff member went above and beyond to not just correct the pricing but remove the item entirely for me. I am not aware of their title, but I was surprised that they have such authority to act if it is for customer service. It showed that they have excellent values as a restaurant and am willing to put the customer's experience first. Value - 3/5. Their happy hour menu is fairly priced with most items being in the low 10s and the platters being about $20. It comes with a lot of food and lets you enjoy a variety of what the restaurant has to offer in one plate. Unfortunately, the food quality is not all there, and the large amount of food might become a chore to finish. Service was excellent and the pricing makes it easy on your wallet to give it a try. Parking - Street/Municipal Garage (Metered) read more

Pacific Catch - Pupu Platter - Seafood Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Solid restaurant - extensive menu. Came here with a party of 4 on a Friday night and there was a decent number of tables open. Nothing special about the food, but not bad considering chain read more

Pacific Catch - Butterfly drink - Seafood Near Me - San Mateo, California

Not quite 3stars but really really close in my opinion. Located in downtown San Mateo, they're quite convenient to such much entertainment and a ton of food and dessert options all within walking distance. Now, parking may be a challenge but it's not terribly bad for the most part, except for weekend prime times. They have a great happy hour menu and there is plenty of seating in this large restaurant. I would call their menu partially fusion so it does give you some variety other than your standard classic fish dishes. Pricing is reasonable and portions are a good size. I usually almost always have leftovers to take home. My last experience here(earlier this winter) was during Happy Hour and the waitress was nice, quick and easy to work with. They seem to be able to accommodate larger parties as well which is not that common in the downtown area, at least among the other restaurants that I have been to in this area, which is probably most of them. Pacific Catch is a solid option for a good all around no hassle, casual experience with tasty food. read more

I know Pacific catch is a chain, but I'll Telya their food is always solid. I feel like they've nailed how to put these dishes together. Especially the poke. Also, the service is fantastic and the fire pit in the back has fantastic beautiful ambience. There's a theater right behind the restaurant and you can enter through the back. read more

Pacific Catch - Poke guacamole - Seafood Near Me - San Mateo, California

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I sat at the bar for a couple drinks and appetizers. The drinks were sooo good! The bartender, Everardo, was super friendly and service was very quick! I will definitely be back with friends for more drinks! read more

This is based solely on the presentation/packaging and food of my pick up order. I've never been inside, so cannot talk about the service. I got the Katsu Musubi Roll and the Korean BBQ Steak Bowl. I must have made the right choices for my first time ordering from the restaurant, because it was good! Good job on the cooks for prepping the food well for to-go, because sometimes the food is packed terribly that your food isn't going to make the journey home. Not from the area, but needed a grab and go and was craving some flavorful proteins. The Chicken Musubi Roll with that sauce was so good I wanted to make my own if I could by the sauce from them. Good size pieces, and may be enough for someone wanting to eat a good portion that's still filling. The Korean BBQ Steak Bowl with an wgg on top was really good too, but the star of the dish was the sauce on the Brussel Sprouts underneath. I cook Brussel Sprouts but cannot get them tasty enough to be like oooo I'm going to eat that tonight! So shout out to the flavor and food combinations for both dishes. May come back to try other dishes, but scared it won't be as good and the rating may go down haha. read more

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First time here . Disappointed . The food arrived lukewarm . Never got the outdoor heater as requested . Charged us for glass of wine which we didn't have. Otherwise, the server was friendly. Appetizer sticky ribs was my favorite . Calamari was just ok. Coconut shrimp tasted ok but Was really hard to chew. The yellowtail fish with Asian herb chimichurri was good. Golden sea bass with turmeric was rather tasteless. The kimchi fried rice was ok. The problem with all the food was that it didn't arrive hot ... even though I am sure it was just cooked . read more

Pacific Catch - Coconut Shrimp - Seafood Near Me - San Mateo, California

What was ordered: + Trio Plus - 3 choices of poke/ceviche + Seared Ahi Tataki + Cocktail Shrimp - The ceviches all had their own special flavors but it got to a point where I couldn't tell which one was which. They're worth trying since you can pick your own variety. - Seared Ahi Tataki - this was great! I felt like it was prepared really well and kept its flavor well. - Cocktail Shrimp - Can't really go wrong with this, the shrimp was chilled well so there wasn't any frost bite. + Spicy Tuna Roll - This was definitely a stretch to order here. It wasn't anything spectacular, so I probably wouldn't order this again. + Korean BBQ Steak - My boyfriend suggested this and I thought it would've been mediocre since this is more of a seafood place, but I really enjoyed this! The steak was prepared medium rare and was really tender. The brussel sprouts were my favorite part of this dish. They were grilled perfectly and went well with the sauce. + Crispy Alaskan Cod - This is essentially fish and chips. It didn't blow me away but it did its job. A little on the pricey end though. The service was good, they were attentive and checked up on us every so often. It's on the expensive end considering its seafood that's prepared fairly commonly. I wouldn't say it's a must try but it's something to have when you can't decide on something to eat and you want seafood. read more

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Wife and I have been in this area for 30 years - tasty food options are pretty rare. Doubly so during Covid - some good places are not serving their best food. Pacific Catch, for our two visits, has been serving very very tasty food. First, everything tastes fresh - enough that you note it. Service from server to table sanitizer to manager (thanks, Eric!) - first cabin treatment. Wife ordered the taco meals. If you expected street tacos, step back - these babies are big, flavorful and generous. I had the yellow tail with the chimichurri sauce over the brussel sprouts. Very tasty - might be my repeat meal for awhile. Bums me to see positively worded writeups and 4 stars (and the occasional 1-2 star person that had a bad experience somehow). If we were taking a guest out for dinner, this is where we would take them. Even our grandchildren loved it here! read more

Food was of course the star, the broccoli I (not pictured) wasn't cooked thoroughly and was too difficult for my elderly parents to chew. The service was a little lackluster. I'm hoping to update my review once we go back. I suspect it was due to Covid and getting their bearings back... Food is great! read more

Pacific Catch - Mexican Grill Guajillo Shrimp - Seafood Near Me - San Mateo, California

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My daughter and I went in the other night. She was tired, hungry and it was almost 8p. We got seated nicely, and was asked if we wanted anything to drink. Asked for water but didn't come until mid service when I asked again. We looked at the menu, and then keep looking around. There was no server in sight. I caught the eye of Jeremy who was very nice. He asked if we had been helped and then took our order. He said he would find our server and if he could not, he would take care of us. Our server was Dana. She was very slow. I saw a other table was sat in her section and they got up and asked to be moved to a different location. Food was Good. Our server acted like she had take our order and misheard us when we asked about different parts of our order. The runner for food, could definitely be coached on customer service. No smile as she approached the table, not even a little one. No greeting, just put our food down and left. Same demeanor when she brought our to go order. Probably will got back for happy hours with friends and probably a earlier dinner. Earlier service seems to be key. We love the Palo Alto Location. read more

I usually love Pacific Catch - I highly recommend their salads / bowls, their pokes and ceviches, and the mixed catch. The ribs are usually good as well. Lately, the food's been pretty hit or miss. I went about a week ago - we sat outside at a safe distance from others, on a newly cleaned table. Everyone was wearing masks. We ordered the rib starter, and then each got an entree. All of the food arrived at exactly the same time, which was a lot to fit on our tiny table, and also, felt like they were trying to rush us in and out. The ribs were a complete salt bomb and blew out our palettes. I ordered the cioppino and it just... wasn't good. It was lacking in any flavor, it felt like very watered down tomato sauce, and the seafood was fine but not really anything special. The whole thing cost quite a bit for a lackluster meal and experience. I'm hoping this was just a fluke because I'm normally a huge fan, and I'll still give 4-stars based on my past experiences. read more

We Always have a great meal here! Tonight we sat at the bar area and John the bartender was our server. He always remembers our orders, makes the best drinks, is always friendly and makes us feel welcome! The food was delicious and our evening was wonderful! read more

I was craving some poke with chips, so I went to a restaurant that I knew had it on their menu. Sadly, once I got there, I discovered they were out of poke. You know how it is when you have a craving, nothing else is going to cut it. So I opened Yelp looking for other places in the area that have poke with chips on the menu and came across Pacific Catch and decided to check it out. Upon walking in, it is a very inviting atmosphere. We were promptly seated right next to the fire. How did they know I am always cold? The menu has a variety of selections, from fish to burgers to sushi. A little something for everyone. Along with my poke we ordered a burger and some sushi. By the way, they have several types of poke to choose from. I went with the original. The food came out promptly and the beer was nice and cold. The poke was very flavorful. I love tempura batter! The sushi was amazing too and the sauce on top was spot on. The burger was scrumptious and the fries were perfect. I am so glad I found another place to get my poke fix!. On the way out, several employees thanked us for coming in. It gave me that warm and fuzzy feeling and it wasn't just from the fire. read more

OVERALL: Pacific Catch is okay. They're overpriced for their meals, which are nothing to write home about. Their big save is that they have a nice happy hour with a lot of discounted snack and drink options. FOOD: On my last visit I had a miso soup and the sushi tacos, which I think are meant as a sharable appetizer (you get three small ones in an order). $5 for miso soup is a lot when I can walk to any Japanese restaurant downtown and get authentic miso soup for less. The sushi tacos were also pricey (I think $17) and were just okay. It's a very thin piece of fish on a piece of seaweed with a bunch of sauce and condiments on them. I ordered a mule drink but was given a mai tai. Disappointed that it wasn't what I ordered but it was a good mai tai. SPACE: They have a large restaurant space with a full bar and back indoor patio area. When I went they were serving outside, in the street, which they tried to make nice with string lights and a barricade. It was pleasant. SERVICE: Our server was very friendly and had a good sense of humor. Everyone's meal was brought out at the same time. Water was refilled. Servers wear masks. read more

I used to come here in high school with my friends very often and they would give large quantities of meat and fresh poke. However the last two times that I've been here, it was quite disappointing. I ordered the poke chirashi $23. Although the poke portions were quite fair, the taste of the poke was alright. My favorite out of the three was the salmon avocado, basically salmon and avocado seasoned salt and pepper, thrown in with crispy onions and green onions. The original ahi poke was okay, it was marinated in ponzu sauce and had some chili's to give you a bit of a kick. The one in the left (I forgot the exact name of the poke, but it's the one with Serrano in it) had a smaller portion compared to the other two poles ( as you can see from the picture) it tasted like Japanese mayonnaise mixed with togarashi- nothing super special. I was excited for it because I thought it'll taste like spicy mayo or spicy aioli but it lacked a lot of flavors. My boyfriend said both times that we've been here together, he's had a stomache so I probably won't come back to this place. read more

Pacific Catch - Chirashi - Seafood Near Me - San Mateo, California

We love Pacific Catch and come here often. Their fresh seafood, innovative menu and reasonable prices are always appreciated. But our experience today was particularly positive. Our server, Doug, was friendly, funny, and had a great, positive attitude. All around he made our experience fantastic and left us wanting to come back again very soon! read more

We arrived for an early dinner at 5pm, and sat at a table outside. We really enjoyed this meal: mixed catch fish with a Peruvian tomato sauce, surf and turf, and several appetizers. One of the sides was mashed potatoes topped with crab meat, which we loved. Mimi, our server, checked in frequently and refilled drinks. We plan to come back, this was very good. read more

Yummy and fresh food! I grew up in San Mateo but never had a chance to go. Every time I passed by it, it would be crowded. This time I made a reservation and went with the boyfriend. Guava-rita and their sushi/raw fish are excellent. read more

Pacific Catch - Guava-rita on left and blood orange margarita on the right - Seafood Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Everything was perfect! We dined in there on Father's day and the place was popping! Wont recommend showing up without reservations read more

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It's a solid 7/10. The salads are good, the lobster roll is great, and the menu offers such a variety everyone will find something and be happy. From chicken, steak, sushi, tacos, you name it- its prob on the menu. Last time we went the fish and chips were sooooooo greesy, so that was a slight turn-off. but we will come back again, and ill try one of their other 50 offerings and more than likely be super satisfied. read more

3.5 stars A nice, reliable chain of seafood restaurants, Pacific Catch offers dishes that are simply prepared, fresh, and tasty! There's plenty to like about the food here--coming in for lunch, we had most of the restaurant to ourselves and were started with a small ramekin of complimentary edamame and pretzel Goldfish crackers, of all things. Shortly after ordering, our food arrived to our table all at once--the thick shell of the coconut shrimp was crispy and fried to perfection, and it paired nicely with the sweet and sour sauce on the side. The trio of poke (we picked the California, guacapoke, and cured salmon) was nice, though not the most flavorful poke I've had. We also had the tempura shrimp sushi roll, the firecracker salmon roll, and the mahi mahi taco, which were flavorwise also all on the subtler side. Perhaps my favorite dish (though not by far) was the wasabi ahi sandwich, which was seared ahi tuna on ciabatta-like bread with avocado, greens, and ginger-wasabi aioli! The flavor combination was quite nice, and the savory, slightly spicy aioli complimented the lean slices of fish. Overall, this was a decent meal with fresh, simply prepared seafood dishes from poke to sandwiches to sushi to fish tacos! There were so many things on the menu that looked so interesting to try, and everything comes at a fair (perhaps slightly expensive) price for the quality of seafood you get! read more

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This is one of my go to places for lunch since it's right around the corner from work. Had gathering here last night and food is as expected but the service was great. Israel did a great job with our larger party. The back patio is the way to go for larger groups. You may think it's a bit cold but with the heat laps it's actually toasty and the fireplace was a nice touch. read more

Had reservations for 5 o'clock on a Saturday. Asked to sit outside because we had our dog with us. The food was really good and the service was fast. Our only concern for outdoor seating was that they only had 1 umbrella so the sun was in our eyes for a bit. Other than that everything was great and we will definitely be back read more

Pacific Catch - Mexican Grill Guajillo Shrimp - Seafood Near Me - San Mateo, California

I ordered on Postmates a rare wagyu burger with a poke plate. The wagyu burger was delicious and tasty. It was moist and soft. Wagyu meat tends to dry but the burger was very moist and delicious. The poke was fresh and healthy. read more

Very unimpressed by this place. I've tried their poke trio and their marinated skirt steak hawaiian teriyaki rice bowl. For their rice bowls, you have the option of choosing a type of meat/fish to go with one of the flavors (thai curry, hawaiian teriyaki, korean bbq, japanese wasabi). The rice bowl was so disappointing and so not worth the $17 it was priced at. It was mainly rice and huge chunks of vegetables with barely any meat. You're paying to eat teriyaki sauce over rice, really. Poke trio was ok, nothing out of the ordinary. Service could have been a little better. Everything felt like it took forever. The food... the bill... getting the waiter's attention... I don't think I'll be back. read more

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What a great dinner we had tonight. Out of the other Pacific Catch restaurants around here, this is the best. The food even tasted better, and our fish on the tacos and the salmon bowl were both still deliciously hot. Our server, Eddie, was wonderful. While most servers do the bare minimum, he went out of his way to provide us with great service. He spaced out the plates well and made sure the appetizers got there before the main dishes did, which is not always the case with other places. Plus the staff was friendly and warm. Definitely recommend coming here to the San Mateo restaurant and asking for Eddie! read more

The food (ribs, Brussels sprouts, rainbow roll, West Coast bowl) was delicious but Doug was the highlight of our night. We had an issue with a mojito that was a little too sour for our taste but Doug sweetened it up and it was excellent. He took fantastic care of us the rest of the night and was great fun each time he popped by our table. He was also very patient when we had some payment difficulty with our gift card -- thank you Doug! read more

Met up with some old friends whom I haven't seen in awhile. They chose the restaurant since I was willing to cross the 92 from the East Bay. I forgot how cool of a vibe it is in San Mateo. If you ever come to visit SF you should definitely make a point to visit SM. This was my first time dining at Pacific Catch and I loved it! I was hangry coming into the restaurant and everything on the menu looks so delicious. I chose Fish & Chips because I brake for them. The cod fish was cook perfectly and the outer crust was golden just the way you want them. I also did not have to request malt vinegar! They brought it to the table once I ordered. I'm definitely a fan of Pacific Catch and can't wait to come back and try the fish tacos. read more

Pacific Catch - Fish and Chips - Seafood Near Me - San Mateo, California

Enjoyed another fun and delicious meal at our favorite local eatery! Shout outs to our lovely wait staff, Megan and manager, Jimmy! They always make us feel welcome and well taken care of. Megan is incredibly accommodating, friendly and conscientious! Sitting at her table is like visiting a close friend in their home. She makes everyone feel like family! Thanks for your hospitality and we look forward to seeing you again soon! read more

Really really happy we went to Pacific Catch in San Mateo for my husband's birthday luncheon. A very positive experience all around! Person on the phone was very accommodating in getting our reservation together for a party of ten. Our server Matt was attentive, friendly and engaging - even with our crazy grandsons! He even helped save a table from crashing over from our doggie who got irritated from a couple of squabbling pigeons!! The food arrived rather quickly and was fresh, tasty and generous. We sat outdoors and felt very safe and comfortable, as the street was closed off to auto traffic. It was a perfect family gathering for a birthday celebration! read more