I came here just recently with a coworker for lunch. We both did the lunch specials which allow you to pick two different items.. I went with the mediterranean salad and the penne pasta in alfredo sauce. The portions were pretty big and I left super full. My coworker ordered a caesar salad and the meatball sandwich--this was also very large!! It is cut into two pieces, but you will definitely be in a food coma should you decide to finish it all (we did). Other options to choose from where soups and some type of cauliflower dish that sounded interesting. Seeing as this is located in downtown San Mateo and close to work, I would definitely come back to try more items on the menu! read more

So unassuming but my favorite spot in the area! great drinks at a super reasonable cost. The garlic knots are TO DIE FOR and the staff is seriously the best. Very attentive and kind. You can't find service like this anymore so I love this spot! read more

This restaurant has gone way down hill. Ordered minestrone and a small Caesar salad. Daughter ordered the seasonal rigatoni special. Husband ordered fettuccine Alfredo. Delivery was relatively quick. My food was inedible. The soup tasted like someone opened a can of cheap tomato sauce and added some undercooked pasta and undercooked frozen vegetables, no flavor at all. The salad was equally unappetizing. Mostly, it just tasted like lettuce. A sprinkling of croutons, no cheese and a bland dressing. Tasted my daughters rigatoni and it was seriously undercooked...not al dente at all....chewy and stiff. I will never order from them again, nor will I go into the actual restaurant. read more

I remember when they provided good service. I understand covid pushed a lot of restaurants to reduce staff and to use touch less payments. Even though the food was good a dine out experience is something you will not get here. Be prepared to waive down your waiter if you want a refill in your drinks or a to go box. It's sad that the staff would be behind the bar talking instead of paying attention to the tables. I guess the standards have been lowered. read more

Praise for Randale Conner. My girlfriend and I visited Tomatina last night. 1st time dining in in ages. Greeted by a nice girl (forgot her name-sorry!), sat, scanned menu and ordered. Randale was at the bar. He was very friendly, cheerful and him and the waitress were hustling. Lots of to go orders. As we started to eat, a homeless man came in. He went straight to the bar, starting talking to Randale, some words exchanged. I couldn't hear exactly what was said, with masks on. I thought he was asking for some food. Then I hear Randale say, excuse me what did you just say?! More words, then homeless guy rambling. Randale tells him promptly he needs to leave the restaurant. He had to repeat himself several times. He left and Randale looked shaken. He came over to our table to apologize for the commotion. He said the guy called him the N word several times. He had to wipe away tears from his eyes as he spoke to us. We were horrified. If we had heard the man say that, we would have promptly gotten up and said something in his defense. Then, Randale said something upsetting. He said in all of the cities he's worked in the Bay Area, he's never had as many issues as in San Mateo. My girlfriend and I were shocked and saddened by that comment. It's a very diverse town, but I'm also a white woman. Easy for me to say. He then went about his business, in good spirits to help others. We went up to him after we finished eating to check on him. I really hope he gets recognized for his management skills and how he handled himself. I did send an email to corporate too. It's hard enough during these crazy times, but then have to deal with blatant racism far too often on top of that. Thank you, Randale. As for the food, secondary in this situation. However it was delicious. We ordered the garlic rolls, cuz duh they are always delish and the baked penne bolognese. Yum yum. I hope you visit Tomatina soon and give Randale some love. read more

Went there the other night, food was subpar at best, bread was sliced, it was a joke. But the worst was the bidder stacked our dirty dishes on the table in front of us. I have to say I have never seen this happen on a restaurant before. Will never go here again! read more

The garlic bread is amazing -highly recommended. I really like the tomato soup. The pasta was good too. However, it was nothing extraordinary. Ordered the pesto pasta. The lunch special is a great deal (only weekdays I think). The ambience and service are average. read more

We came in to have a quick lunch which ended really well considering how under staffed this place was. We were greeted by a young lady which ended up being the host the bartender and our server kudos!! I didn't think to grab her name but she was great! Thanks for the great recommendations for my daughter and her picky self lol!! We will be back for sure! read more

Pretty big portions and great flavor. The shrimp campanelle had an amazing smoked Gouda sauce that everyone loved when they tried it! Friends were saying it was the winner of the meal. Our server was also incredibly friendly and really lovely to talk to! read more

Tomatina - Shrimp Campanelle - Italian Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Excellent customer service from Eric! Definitely Handled business. Thank you again! Their seasonal pumpkin cheesecake is to die for. Not too sweet just divine!! read more

Pretty basic Italian fare with less than acceptable service at times. The cocktails are hit or miss and off balance. The wine list is adequate. It's also a place where families come in droves - so expect a side of screaming children with your pizza. Oddly enough, when I feel like a bowl of pasta, this place is on the list - since Coppa closed. read more

Had lunch here with the girls and it was great. We are so tired of Japanese and Mexican food which is predominant in downtown San Mateo. We had a group of 6 and service was fantastic. We shared an appetizer of calamari. One feedback is less legs and more body. We barely had any body pieces! The aioli was creamy rich and yummy. We were diving into that sauce more than the red marinara like sauce. Everyone ordered a pasta dish except me. I am still on my keto diet. I had the chicken piccata and substituted the spaghetti for Brussel sprouts. Our dishes came out quickly and hot. The portions were so big everyone needed a doggie bag. The chicken was moist, and the two vegetable sides that came with mine were generous. The prices were reasonable and I loved the service. Would def come back here to try more things esp when I am not on my keto diet. read more

Tomatina - Chicken piccata with Brussel sprouts instead of spaghetti - Italian Near Me - San Mateo, California

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We have supported Tomatina all thru the pandemic but the last time we were there I ended up with food poisoning from the lasagna. I called the manager, Randale, who was not there the next day and left a message to call me which he didn't do, so I called him 2 days later. His answer to me was I ate the same thing and was fine and then proceeded to tell me what the time frame for food poisoning to set in was, which was incorrect anyway. He could have cared less. I left a message for Darren who is Tomatina's Business Customer Service person twice and have never received a call back. read more

Terrible experience. Half empty restaurant, tons of staff and we were told it would be a 30 min wait. Poor management and rude staff. This place needs a change. read more

I really love the Alameda Tomatina and was excited to try the San Mateo one. My husband and I ordered the Chicken Parm, Lasagna, and Garlic rolls. The tomato sauce was sour and the chicken tasted frozen and old. The bread was hard and not fluffy and delicious like the Tomatina in Alameda, what a disappointment!!! :( I will never get food from this location ever again! Bleh. read more

The baked ziti was amazing, totally hit the spot on a cold day! Waitstaff was friendly and attentive. Will definitely be back.

Went to dinner here before work. Food was delicious and the pricing was just right. Lorenzo took care of my friend and I. Excellent service. I recommend the bruschetta, chicken parmigiana and tiramisu read more

Very uninspiring food. Ordered a seasonal pasta, and I felt I could've done better myself. I'm not a great cook. My friend was also not impressed. Wines are cheap, though we didn't order any. Maybe it's a good place to share a pizza and some drinks. read more

I came here for an event and the service was spot on. I tasted a fusilli pasta dish, a meat pizza, a veggie pizza, and the Greek salad. The Greek salad was my favorite because it was nicely dressed and I have been loving salads lately, so it was my preferred dish. Tomatina is a great place for get togethers (both large and small). The food suits a wide range of palates and they have happy hour menus, catering menus, and a good variety of foods to satisfy any food restrictions. They also have TVs for sporting events. read more

We had a good first time visit. We even got free bread, score!! Will definitely be back to try their pizza & lasagna. read more

Tomatina - Italian Near Me - San Mateo, California

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My first time eating here, my wife's second, and friends give it so-so reviews. We went for Sunday dinner at 6pm and it was empty but they sat us in the back near the restrooms and kitchen dirty plate drop off?? The food was pretty good, the ceasar salad was bland, dressing tasted like mayo and no croutons and powdered parm cheese. Cheese pizza was tasty but sliced really weird so we had squares in the middle. Our pasta dishes were devine, the cheesecake was still partially frozen so we knew it was NOT fresh. NO bread and oil/butter offered. Maybe tucking us way in the back we were forgotten? We will try again some day. read more

Newly opened Tomatina, which claims to have fresh food and excellent customer service, drowns in a puddle of oily disappointment. Visiting this place for the third time and I'm not impressed: the food is too oily, service is not attentive, nobody cares. No wonder that despite great decor and central location there are very few people dining during the lunch hour. I had Shrimp Capelini noodles in white wine douse and what I got was a plate of olive oil with some noodles and a few shrimp. This is unacceptable especially because this is the most expensive dish on the menu. It didnt look like Chef Jose Martinez cared too much about my dish either even when I send it back to the kitchen. A waiter asked me if I want anything else, without bringing a menu or proposing any alternatives. Since I had a limited timeframe I couldn't spend another half an hour waiting, but nobody cared anyway. Mike Loftus, General Manager, wasn't concerned at all, never approached our table. Next time I'll dine elsewhere. read more

Tomatina - Smilin' Creamy Tomato Basil Soup - Italian Near Me - San Mateo, California

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I came in looking to get some pasta for my lunch, the waiter recommended me one. When the food arrived it was rice with shrimp! Totally not what I wanted, I told the waiter I didn't like it, he said oh, well... I didn't eat it, finished my beer , paid and walked away... Really fell like $30 whent down the drain, I'm still hungry I guess now I gotta go get food somewhere else.. Stay away from this place, shitty service read more

Tomatina - Stay away, shitty service - Italian Near Me - San Mateo, California

Went in with my grandma on July 17th around 1PM. Did not get any proper service at all. The male server took us to the table and went back to his computer eating his own food........I asked him for water twice in the span of 15 minutes and he completely ignored us after acknowledging he'll get us water. We decided to leave after 15 mins sitting there after he ignored my attempt to ask questions about the menu! Honestly felt extremely disrespected and discriminated throughout the entire 20 mins experience.......Won't be coming back anymore read more

Everything I ordered are great especially the rigatoni pasta and their original flatbread. A staff for our table was attentive. Each table is spacious and good for a family dinner. Tiramisu was big and enough for two people. Salmon flatbread has bunch of green and can substitute for salad. Will try lunch time. read more

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Got the $40 dinner , very good meatballs with spaghetti!!!!! Salad was really good !!!! The garlic rolls were amazing !!!! We will order from here again !!!! read more

I was out decently late one night and realized my dinner choices were evaporating. I slipped in here literally a few min before closing. Sat at the bar and ended up getting taken care of by the awesome bartender. It's interesting how much difference your experience can be when you have a good server take care of you. I saw that the over was still burning hot so I got a pepperoni pizza and an iced tea. Fairly solid pizza and my tea was refilled several times. However it was the awesome conversation with my bartender that made the night. Rare to find great servers and I hope Tomatino knows how good their bartender is. read more

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Stopped by here on a Sunday afternoon! It wasn't super busy, but seemed like the restaurant was understaffed. We did not have an actual waiter, a couple different women came and served us. At times it seemed like they were ignoring us while still serving the tables near us (not making direct eye contact, asking us if we needed anything else, clearing empty plates, etc ...) The food was okay! Nothing special. Large portions, mild flavor, and came out in a timely manner. I ordered the pasta with meatballs, the sauce tasted like it had TONS of butter in it. My friend ordered the cheese ravioli with creamy pesto and thought it was good, but not amazing. read more

Food was ok but not authentic or even close. Waitresses were horrible. Asked for water four times and eve got it. Asked to get the cocktails we ordered twice before they made them but they left them sitting on the bar for five minutes before my wife had to get up and get them herself. Waitresses seemed to not care at all. Would have been one star but the bus boy ended up coming through when we asked for anything and though the food was cold it would have been pretty good if the waitresses had brought it out when it was ready. We will not be going back. This place won't last long. read more

Great and tasty food. The salmon was delicious. The teramisu is killer. Ceasar salad with anchovies is one of the best ones I have had in a longggg time!!!! read more

Came to this location a few times. Food is very good. I typically order a pasta with tomatoe cream sauce with chicken & shrimp. The bread is very tasty. The staff are very friendly, and they seat you promptly. Great place for families read more

Gave it a 2nd shot tonight. Eric was our server and he was awesome awesome awesome. He was spot on and took great care of us. The food was great and consistent. Eric is truly responsible for my change of heart. Will be coming back again. read more

Really fancy place down town San Mateo , has all different types of food at really to me at least cheap/ decent pricing . Kinda of a Italian place with all fresh food , good fast and kind service with my waiter berry . Has foods from pizza, sandwiches , pasta , and lots more .. Definitely going to come back with a bigger groups , love the place read more

Tomatina - Italian Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Good place to grab a bite if you're in the mood for pasta. I would recommend the garlic rolls as a starter. I don't remember what my dish was called but it had kale, shitake mushrooms, and sundried tomatoes. I substituted the penne for angel hair and added some alfredo sauce (at a cost). It turned out nicely! One of my friends did not enjoy her linguine and clams/salmon because it tasted too fishy, but the waitress was quick to swap it out for a new dish. read more

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This is the place you go for Italian food when you really have no other option. Pizzas are better than the pastas and overall it is better than Olive Garden, but only by a hair. Service was good and staff friendly enough. Food came out fast and hot. read more

This was my family's first time to go to a restaurant in over a year because of the pandemic. I was impressed by their use of technology to aid social distancing. Essentially, you scan a QR Code with your phone, and then you order online via your phone. You also pay and tip in advance which is not my preference as I like to reward good service, rather than tipping first and hoping for the best. (Wasn't an issue though, as service was good) The food was also good, and this would normally be enough for us to re-visit. However they have an issue with their front door which means they cannot close it when they are open. It looks like a type of concertina style door?? The result of which is that it was bloody freezing in the restaurant. When we asked if they could close the door, we were told it was broken. Even the bartender was wearing a coat while working, and I do not blame him. Perhaps this won't be an issue in the summer, but in the meantime please fix the door. read more

There's nothing like big bowl of carbs to warm up your night and then put you in a food coma so you can sleep like a baby after a long day. I was feeling something meat-y, cheese-y and carb-y and the Penne Bolognese totally hit the spot. I'm not usually a huge fan of tomato sauce, but this was pretty good. It had a pretty generous amount of sausage and vegetables mixed in with the pasta and it was topped off with delicious mozzarella cheese baked on top. I ate only about half of it, but was happy to take the leftovers home for the next day. Overall, it was a very good and satisfying meal - exactly what I wanted for that night. read more

Tomatina - Penne bolognese - Italian Near Me - San Mateo, California

After growing up with Tomatina in Alameda I was ecstatic to hear that they were finally opening a location on the Peninsula! My friend and I came to the grand opening where they offered a free three course meal. I assure you my review will not be swayed by the fact that my meal was free but a restaurant willing to do such a thing must be very committed to their customer service. Everything we ordered was mostly delicious except the gnnochi could have had less tomato sauce that deprived from the taste of the dish. I cant remember our exact dishes but the fish cake was perfect. The tomato sauce it came with was perfectly seasoned so the appetizer was one of the definite highlights of our meal. For dessert we had the bread pudding that our waiter recommended and it was probably the best dessert i've had in a long while. Overall the location is still working on training it new staff but they offer spectacular customer service regardless. Its a great family friendly Italian restaurant that wont't break your wallet with reasonable portion sizes. A must try! read more

Tomatina - Italian Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Ambiance 5 stars Wine selections and choices are amazing. I always get the 3 side dishes for $13.00 and am satisfied. Their eggplant caponata delicious especially their homemade pita bread! Quality all around! Great place for date night! read more

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This place is beautiful, The way they have the restaurants set up is gorgeous. So that set the bar a little high when you first walk in, after being seated we were handed menus and we were left sitting there for about 15 minutes before any waiter or waitress got to us. Once we did get a waiter to pay attention to us we ordered drinks and they immediately walked away but I did have questions about the menu. When I finally got the opportunity to ask questions I need to do about the menu due to dietary restrictions the waiter did not know the answer to any of them. So she had to go back-and-forth in between the kitchen and our table asking questions and getting answers. Realizing that what I wanted to do was apparently too complicated for Tomatina I decided to go with a simple salad. Now I wanted to personalize a pizza because that is something that they do but instead of marinara sauce and cheese I just wanted pesto as the sauce on my pizza and for some reason this was a completely huge ask of me. In addition a small personal sized pizza is $12.25 I believe and any additional toppings is $1.75, it is a bit ridiculous that arugula is the same price as salami as a topping, and a personalizing a veggie pizza is way too expensive for the food quality. I will say though that the beet salad was really good but is a vinaigrette, beets and spinach so can't mess that up. The rest of the food that other people ordered looked mediocre. Overall service was sloppy, waiters unprofessional, food super overpriced, and not a great dining experience at all. Lastly when they brought coffee for one of my friends for dessert the milk jar had this funny surprise on it. read more

Tomatina - This is on the milk jar they brought us for our coffee - Italian Near Me - San Mateo, California