Came by here with the family and was able to sample several of their offerings let me breakdown everyrhing sampled and how it all faired Chicken skin - seasoned drizzled with semi sweet sauce, definitely a must try if you like chicken skin super fried, super crunchy with decent flavor even without the semi sweet sauce A5 wagyu skewer - delicious, buttery slices of beef Primerib skewers - delicious chewey, flavorful, tender we like this so much we ordered another Chicken hearts - sampled and loved this Chicken combo skewers - i think only i appreciated this dish, hearts delicious, gizzard chewy and flavored perfect, slice of the butterflied chicken wing flavorful, and two other cuts of the chicken all was flavorful and delicious Seafood fried rice - sadly not really flavored I would have to passs on this item for next time Seafood noodles - this dish was impressive, almost thickness of udon noodles and seasoned very well, this dish was heavy, definitely sample with more then 3 people House sake served hot was delicious, shares with the wife paired perfect with everything Thai iced tea - delicious sugar bear on top that each of kids drowned and tore apart during drinking The whole experience was delightful definitely come here with friends so you sample a little of everything, definitely will ne back to try more of their offerings Food **** everything we sampled minus the fried rice was delicious Price $$ Service **** helpful and friendly Ambiance **** clean, loud, helpful read more

This is a late review but I had to share our Prime BBQ experience with you all from 12/20/25. Food was yummy!!! The wagyu was pricey but each bite was delicious. The food warmer in the karaoke room is smart to have... since you are there for a while and may graze the food while you sing away. This is the first time I have been to a karaoke room and I didn't think you could have so much fun. We all ended up singing ... There is no charge for the room but there is a minimum charge for food and drinks. They reminded us until we made the bill. Since there were only 8 of us, it felt expensive but you can have up to 12 in the room. But honestly... the fun, food and laughter was priceless! read more

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Food delivery was very fast! Cozy place, not cheap but that was expected. Would come again if in the area, but meat is too salty for just regular meal. read more

Prime BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Mateo, California

The beef quality at this joint was supreme! If you're looking for good high quality skewers, this izakaya will satisfy all your meat cravings! The beef was very tender and well-seasoned, and the lamb was just as good. It was a bit pricey for skewers, but the food was good and hit all the right spots, so go try it out for yourself if you don't believe me. There is also happy hour with good beer pricing, may also be worth checking out. All in all, a great meal and a nice atmosphere! Not too far from the freeway, on a side street. read more

Prime BBQ - More beeeeeef - Barbeque Near Me - San Mateo, California

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The skewers were good, decent price. Skip the chicken karaage though. There was a 5 min wait on a weekend. I'd come back again but wouldnt say it was exceptional but decent. read more

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So much fun! We came right when they opened and the food was good but they were still working out the service side. We've been back a few times and the food has only gotten better and the service is much faster. We enjoy ourselves each time and haven't made it all the way through the menu yet. It's a restaurant that's fun to go to with the teenagers, too - they think it's fun to pick out bbq sticks read more

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Prime BBQ is a GEM!! I am more than excited to find this place. It is so unique to serve both Japanese yakitori and Chinese skewers. I thoroughly enjoyed having choices and having the best of both worlds. The cucumber salad was really great and I definitely will be ordering this everytime I come. The beef tongue was nice and tender. The beef chinese skewers were so good too. I loved being able to have both in one meal. The thai tea was really delicious along with being super cute with the thai tea in a bear shape when served. Service was really nice and friendly. read more

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Came here because it was open late(ish) and needed something after a concert, and it was very satisfying for the late night munchies! I ordered a variety of veggie skewers because I wasn't feeling like meat that late, but they didn't disappoint because the seasoning was great. My favorites were the enoki mushrooms, which were surprisingly juicy, and the okra with the extra seasoning you get on your table. We also got a chicken katsu curry, but it was okay. It fulfills the craving, but I'd recommend sticking to the skewers next time. The restaurant itself is really pretty and gives off the vibe of a nice bar (since skewers are meant to be eaten with alcohol), and the service was pretty good given there weren't a lot of people inside on a Tuesday night lol. Coming back again to try chicken skin and more meaty skewers next time! read more

Prime BBQ - Fish tofu, king oyster mushroom, enoki mushroom, green beans - Barbeque Near Me - San Mateo, California

Big fan of this place. The food is consistently great and the atmosphere inside has a nice relaxed vibe. For appetizers I always go for the crispy chicken skin and the mixed tempura. Both are super satisfying and a great way to start the meal. I usually order the Yakitori Combo 5 because I like the variety of meats and the grilled tomato adds a nice touch. The prime ribeye skewer is a must try. Tender, flavorful, and cooked just right. The crispy pork belly is another favorite that's packed with flavor and has that perfect crunch. Service has always been pretty good. Overall a solid spot if you're into yakitori and grilled skewers. Definitely one of my go to places. read more

prime bbq does both yakitori and chinese bbq but neither very well. if i had to choose, yakitori is slightly better but not by much. their tare is really sweet, probably hasn't had much time to develop if at all. beef tongue was the best. beef uni was overpriced, quality of both beef and uni was middling though uni was briny. nothing of note for the other yakitori. chinese bbq lamb skewers were unfortunately way underseasoned, we had to ask for more salt. meat quality was also just ok. a choy, enoki, and oyster mushroom were more enjoyable. read more

Items in pictures may appear larger than they are!! We paid $120 during happy hour for 2 Thai iced teas, one tiny little wagyu stick with uni, one egg cut in half (tamago) and a scallop butter yaki. When I say tiny I mean "mini brands" small. We decided to just go grab dessert although we were not full at all. We asked about the free ice cream on the way out and the waitress stood at the freezer so we could not open it, she said we must submit a review before we can have one. Literally stood there. That was so weird and awkward! Although I would not recommend this place the scallops were really good and probably the only thing that was worth it like if you're coming here for drinks and appetizers w friends read more

Prime BBQ - Tamago - Barbeque Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Came here on a Friday night for dinner. It can get pack quick especially for dinner prime time since this place isn't super big. But Its still a great place to come with your friends and family. Since my family and i didn't do reservation, we were lucky enough to get the last table before it got busy. They do have a VIP room with karaoke too. This place had a cute decoration of the umbrella and lantern on ceiling. When you get seated, you can start ordering right away since they have a QR code on the tableof the menu and its also where you can order your food. Once you place your order, the worker will come and put a receipt of your food order on or by your table so that way the workers can cross out each time they bring out your food. You can always add more food at any time. Some food come out quick while some can take a while. Almost every food that we ordered were good. Some of the skewers can be a salty but still good while some had a good amount of seasoning. Had couple of their soup, Its more on the sweeter side. They have lots of items on their menu so your bill can go up a lot especially if you order a lot of food and drinks. Will definitely come back here again read more

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Cute and contemporary spot--perfect for a date night! The concept of this restaurant is super fun, and the ambiance makes for a great dining experience. I ordered the beef and lamb skewers, and the flavors were amazing--perfectly spiced with a great balance of fat and lean meat. However, everything was very, very salty, which made it a little overwhelming on its own. Between the two, I personally preferred the beef skewers over the lamb. I took some leftovers home and paired them with rice, which actually made them taste even better since it toned down the saltiness and spice. Overall, great flavors, a cool concept, but a bit heavy-handed on the salt. read more

Prime BBQ - Beef skewers - Barbeque Near Me - San Mateo, California

I'm usually skeptical of yakitori-type restaurants, but this one definitely didn't disappoint. We dropped in for dinner around 5:30 p.m. on a Sunday evening and were seated immediately (2 adults and a little baby). We had our choice of seats and elected to sit towards the rear of the restaurant. First off, the little baby loved leaning back and staring at the umbrellas hanging from the ceiling. It was mesmerizing. Next, the ordering process was through a QR code. The best part, in my opinion, is that multiple people can order separately from their own devices, and the order will sync up through the web service. We ordered about 16 different dishes. My "must-tries" are (1) the grilled oysters, which were cooked perfectly and served with ponzu, garlic, and green onions; (2) the pork neck, which was fatty and savory with a little crunch. It was everything we had wished the pork belly to be, and we were lucky to have gambled on this dish on our third round; (3) the wagyu beef skewer was amazing as expected. It costs the same as three beef ribeye skewers, so it better be good--and it was! Parking was easy to find in the area, and the staff were really friendly. We wanted to try the ice cream waffle dessert but opted for another round of grilled oysters instead. Overall, a 5/5 experience and definitely Yummy Certified! read more

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Really delicious BBQ. Being from Texas, wasn't expecting much but was blown away by how good, dare I say better, their BBQ was

Searched for a late night spot to eat (they close 11:30ish) and had a delicious meal. Got the combo 5 with shrimp- steak- pork belly - a good starter to move into the individual ones - we had the ribeye and wagyu! Everything was very flavorful rich (the beef was seasoned with a bit of spice just fyi). The best part for me was the seafood fried rice. It was fresh, moist and not dry or fishy at all. We shared everything but could have ate it all by myself - it was so good!! Very pleased-definitely returning! read more

Prime BBQ - Ambiance - Barbeque Near Me - San Mateo, California

Found this place in yelp and it didn't disappoint! Came on a Friday evening right before the dinner rush. It was our first time there so we wanted to try multiple things. Our favs were garlic eggplant, beef skewers, a-choy, enoki, and the scallops. Staff were very attentive and the vibes were great! We will definitely be back. read more

Prime BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Mateo, California

The place has ample street parking. Interior is decorated with colorful flowers, parasols and paper lanterns. The Mentaiko stir friend udon with shrimp and yakitori rib eye are my favorites. The eggplant, green bean and enoki mushroom were also good. The chicken skin is crispy. The server was very friendly and made the best recommendations from the menu. read more

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Visited Prime BBQ with my family and we had made reservations in advance. We were seated promptly upon arrival, and ordering through the QR code was easy and straightforward. We got the yakitori combo along with lamb and beef skewers and I liked that they offered a good variety! The food was pretty solid, and the chili powder on the side really elevated the flavors with a nice kick. Service was a bit slow, and it seemed like they were understaffed. Overall, it's a cute restaurant with nice ambience and solid food. Worth a visit and I liked it more than Dynasty BBQ which is another bbq place a few doors down! read more

Prime BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Stopped by on a whim and was not disappointed. The skewers was juicy, and the izakaya beef had that sweet, smoky glaze I crave. Portions were generous and prices are reasonable. Staff were quick and efficient. Will definitely be back to try the roast pork next time! read more

Prime BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Mateo, California

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A fun vibey Chinese skewer restaurant. The lunch menu is only Japanese Yakori and dinner is Chinese skewers (after 4:30pm). Nice service, food arrived quickly. Ambiance is very nice with glowy lanterns and paper umbrellas hanging from the ceiling. Great music playlist! Skewers were very authentic and delicious. Had a smoky spice. Favorites were the lamb and chicken skewers. Definitely recommend if you're in the San Mateo area. read more

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Great spot for BBQ skewers! The meat was juicy and flavorful, and everything came out fresh and hot. Service was quick and friendly too. I loved the enoki mushrooms, wagyu with uni, wagyu with horseradish/salt, and Japanese beef tongue. Perfect place for a casual bite! read more

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Great variety of food and prices! The charcoal beef prime rib was amazing and tasted just like the ones we got in Japan. I also really liked the lychee wrapped with bacon and pork belly yakitori. The organ meats also got the seal of approval from my friend. I love how this place offers a blend of Japanese and Chinese bbq and side dishes. Even the book choy was super flavorful. Meat was good and juicy and very tender! Would definitely come back again. read more

Prime BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Decent izakaya spot with quick service and self ordering via phone but not the highest quality... my favorite orders of the night was the takoyaki but recommend skipping the uni udon and combos since it's more worth it to order individual skewers! read more

Summary: Jack of (many) trades, master of none Details: The long and short of it? If you want Chinese skewers, go down the street to Dynasty instead. If you want those AND yakitori, Prime is an okay choice with plenty of options to suit a whole party's tastes, but know what you're getting into: the skewers are a bit light in flavor, while the yakitori is a bit too heavy on it. Those who've read my reviews over the past year or two probably aren't surprised to hear me call something too salty, but too light is a pretty rare occurrence, so take that as you will! Accessibility: Fairly spacious, and actually more accessible seating options than Dynasty. read more

We stumbled in pretty late because they were one of the only places open late. Glad we did because this place was pretty good. Everything is seasoned great. Service was amazing. The restaurant is really cute and clean. Best of all, food came out quick. Everything we ordered were reasonably priced. I will say, Everything was cooked a little under but we prefer to be under than over. It was a great ambiance, not too loud. There were a pretty good amount of people eating still on a weekday. The parking was readily available. No complaints! Will definitely visit again if im in the area. read more

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If I were only basing it on service, it would be 2 stars. I placed an online order and the estimated pick up time was 35 min, which was no problem bc I was driving from a further distance. I got there 40 min after I placed the online order and the food wasn't ready yet. I still had to wait another 10 min for the food to be ready. If we're following along with the math that's 50 min after the ONLINE order was placed.. it was such slow service and when I was there it wasn't even a dinner rush. I wouldn't come here if I were hangry because it seemingly takes forever for the food to be ready.. The food had me giving it an extra star to make it 3 stars. It was yummy and the quality of the meat was good, but quite overpriced for the small portions. I feel like I should've eaten a meal before this meal. read more

Good ambience and delicious food! Fast service! I definitely recommend this place! I also suggest to make reservation.

Decided to try this restaurant since I've seen people line up to get into in the past. Read the yelp reviews that were a bit misleading to me. Price points were ok. All street parking on this mostly restaurant street location. Cutely decorated interior. We tried it because I thought we'd have some bbq charred yakitori like I've had in Japan. Didn't meet our expectations. Food...delicious marinated cucumber salad, a few good bento box offerings. As someone else's review stated, several items were over salted like the shrimp skewers, or rather bland like the steak skewers. The mentaiko udon had a thick rather strong fishy flavor, beef skewers had no char flavor. Chicken karaage came in rather small pieces, and I've had better. Perhaps I was expecting too much from this restaurant, not quite Japanese or Chinese style . Try it if you'd like a novel concept and appealing fun decor. Service was average, everything we asked for was promptly brought out like an extra bowl or plate so we could share. read more

Came here to celebrate mother's day. We arrived when they just opened. We got seated right away. There are plenty item in the menu. We ordered various items, meat, seafood and veggie. For me the highlight is the fried eggplant and udon. The curry rice is also good. The rest are ok. Typical japanese yakitori. The scallops vermicelli is a bit bland. Pricewise I think a bit pricey but I think it is normal for yakitori. read more

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I came with my parents and sister this time, and they really enjoyed it! My parents have really into skewers lately, so i suggested this place. The items were really flavorful, nothing was overly spicy. Decor is just as beautiful as ever. Service was fantastic! Everyone was so nice! Also love the music choice and it was at the perfect level too! I came on a Friday at 7 and we didn't have to wait. Over fantastic experience! read more

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Good spot if you want variety, as all types of skewers are available here, but nothing is amazing. Great for picky eaters, since there's a lot of options, or for those to want to try and compare. Prime BBQ is on the smaller size, you're seated pretty close to others. Service is not great. Never got a refill on water even though they were in the vicinity multiple times. Staff avoid eye contact and leave as soon as they drop off your food. The best thing here was the chives. :( Everything else was mid. read more

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Found this unassuming place by searching through Yelp. The neighborhood seemed a little so-so (we are just visiting so not certain the safety, just our perception) but just down the street from a fairly built up area. We were quickly seated and ordered via phone. Food was reallllly good. I did prefer the seasoned skewers versus the yakitori. read more

For all intents and purposes, Japanese yakitori style food served with a few Chinese appetizer options. Prices are very reasonable but the quality matches. Flavors are good but the meat and skewer quality are average, with the ribeye and wagyu steak notably disappointing. I did like the agedashi tofu and cold cucumbers. The countertop grill is mainly for display only or for keeping food warm as it's only lit with candles and the main food is cooked in the kitchen. Most items come out closer to room temp and in bulk but the service is fast. Too many options in San Mateo especially closer to downtown. Prime BBQ accepts credit card including Amex. Reservations are accepted but not required. All seating is indoor only. read more

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A really awesome izakaya spot with both Japanese and Chinese style grilled meats. We got multiple variations of the chicken, shrimp, and lamb skewers along with a passion fruit tea and everything was delicious. I liked the pricing and portion size so you can pick and choose exactly what you want without wasting food. We'll definitely be back when we're in San Mateo next! read more

Always love coming here for the chicken and beef skewers. The service is always fast and just a great and easy place to hang out with friends. read more

Now that I finished that serious review on the other place it is time to have some FUN. Like going to this place! I love this place! They have all the grilled meats and food you could eat. They have all the beers and Jack & Coke you could drink. The Jack is in my wife's bag. The Jack & Coke makes me feel like I'm in Tokyo's Piss Alley eating yakitori. I like coming here with friends that I love and getting F_ckedup with them. I love them more if they take me here. I love running into people we know when we come here. Nothing but love! Been here twice within a month and still want to come back. I always left feeling satiated, satisfied, and happy. Everyone else always wants to try something new, but I'm like "no I like going there." I've been trying to figure out what compels me to do a review and now I know. It helps if you really enjoy the experience and you felt like you didn't get enough of it. That's how I feel about this place. Do not fear of the wait time because everything is going to just rollout as soon as you place your order. So enjoy the wait with a glass of wine, beer, or a soda. Talk to some people. Your table will be full of food in no time. I can't say enough about the food and service of this place. You have to try it for yourself. And checkout my pics. read more

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Asian owned Japanese and Chinese skewer place. Nice staff, the Japanese skewers were better than the Chinese ones. My favorite was actually the shiitake mushroom I forgot to take a picture of. The oyster and scallop were good and fresh. Got a free Thai tea with a cute iced bear for leaving a review, good flavor and not too sweet. (kinda sad only his head was left, looked like he was drowning! lol) The Wagyu and regular beef skewers had too many tendons, made it chewy. The udon had good flavor and chewy consistency. Cute setup and ambiance. Nice staff that check up on you periodically. Food may take a little bit to arrive since they need to grill them all individually. Complimentary Kim Chi and seaweed salad. Has a grill to keep your skewers warm. Scan the QR code to order. They are open late and have happy hour! They also give out free ice cream for a Google review. read more

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It was an impromptu late-night dinner at Prime BBQ (Japanese & Chinese yakitori) at around 9:45 pm on a Friday. There was a waitlist kiosk at the front door and our party of 4 was #5. It took about 15 minutes to be seated. While waiting, I admired their high ceilings decorated with Asian lanterns and parasols. When we got to our table, there was a QR Code for ordering. We were hungry and got a bunch of skewers and small plates! PRIME CRISPY CHICKEN SKIN ~ flavor is savory and a little sweet. Never knew crispy skin could taste so good!!! Everyone in our table loved it! Definitely would come back for this! 5/5 DEEP FRIED SHISHITO PEPPERS ~ These were a bit spicy and bitter. No one at our table liked them. Edible, but didn't like the flavor. I scraped the seeds out, so it was a bit better. 3/5 HAMACHI KAMA ~ Tender & tasty flakes of fish. 4/5 YAKITORI CHICKEN COMBO ~ Negima, Chicken gizzard, chicken heart, chicken wing, chicken gristle, chicken meatball. This combo gives you different parts of a chicken! Textures and flavors were great! 5/5 GYU HIRE ~ charcoal grilled ribeye. Good, but not as tender as I would like. 4/5 NEGIMA ~ chicken & green onion with yakitori sauce. Yummy! 5/5 TORI KAWA ~ charcoal grilled chicken skin with yakitori. This was good but the appetizer crispy chicken skin was better, IMO. 4/5 CHICKEN TAIL ~ A bit fatty and greasy with a little crunch! My friends ate it and said they didn't care for it. I guess if you're not into chicken butt, you probably shouldn't order this! 3/5 BUTA BARA ~ Charcoal-grilled Kurobuta pork belly. Can't go wrong with pork belly! 5/5 CHICKEN LIVER ~ I tried this, but I'm not a fan of liver unless it's pate! So I could pass on this one. But our friends liked it. 3/5 OKRA ~ I like okra and this was pretty good. 4/5 SHISHITO PEPPER ~ Actually, this tasted better than the deep-fried ones. 4/5 PRIME HOUSE CRISPY PORK BELLY ~ If you like pork belly, you'd like this one! 5/5 LAMB ~ Lots of seasoning goes into this lamb to cut out the gaminess! 4/5 BEEF TENDON ~ This was soft and chewy as it should be. Very good! 5/5 KING OYSTER MUSHROOM ~ smoky flavor with a good chewiness! One of my favorites! 5/5 What a FUN way to start the weekend! It's like a carnival for your palate with so many textures and flavors! Honestly, thought this was better than the yakitori I had in Japan! Everyone in our party was happy with the food. Some items were great, while other items were not to our liking, but everything here was worth trying! The service was quick and efficient while filling our waters and checking in on us too! WE'LL BE BACK!!! read more

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This place is soooo good, and I love that it's open late. Our group tried a lot of different skewers and all were super yummy, but some standouts were the lamb, the pork belly, and the fish tofu (it's cumin flavored!). From the apps we also really liked the uni egg & chicken skin. Service is super fast and courteous, and parking is ample. 10/10! read more