First, I had the impossible burger with grilled onions and a great house sauce. I had the fries which are like mini baked potatoes cooked perfectly. They are similar to steak fries but better. You can only order using the QR code and I had some trouble so the server helped me. She was so nice and helpful I was able to put in my order. The restaurant is spotless and the bathrooms were very clean. They have a great hidden bar downstairs. It is hidden in a bookcase. I don't drink but it looked great. I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

It is unique in some of its food and most of its beer, but it's over-priced and over-rated. Flavor: 3 Value: 1 Service: 4 Ambience: 4 It is a single, very large dining room with many picnic-bench-like tables providing a communal feel for most diners - although there are a couple corner booths/tables. The menu is expanded compared to when it opened, and they now offer complete entrees. Their beer menu is massive and full of really unique finds. Unfortunately, their serving sizes are meh, and you pay a premium, even for the Peninsula. This is sort of the opposite of the original stated purpose of this place: a German-style bierhall for good ales and good sausages. It is insane to charge $14 for a mediocre sausage with small sides; the entire point of sausage is that it is a cheaper way to get flavorful meat. I had the classic frankfurter (pictured), and wow, it was...just so underwhelming. It tasted like a Ballpark Franks brand hot dog! My friend had the currywurst, and that was excellent; my other friend with us had the spetzel and paid extra for the fried egg on top. It was....alright? It tasted like pasta with an egg on it - nothing to write home about. The radler was refreshing, and the black lager was delicious. The beer selection is great, and I might stop by again for a pint (or half-liter, as they call it) someday. However, there is no way I would buy food here again - it's just comically overpriced for the portions, flavor, and selection (especially with other haufbraus in downtown San Mateo). read more

Wursthall - German Near Me - San Mateo, California

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This is one of the best spots in downtown San Mateo for drinks! Their food is really good and their selection of beers are fairly extensive. I've tried a variety of their sausages and they're all really tasty, and so are the sides that they come with. I love how easy it is to order (everything is through toast so you pay as you go through a QR code) and the food comes out pretty quickly. We also love the patio seating so we can bring our dog. It's also spacious so great for larger groups. read more

Great place to eat and hang out while drinking beer and enjoying downtown San Mateo. Bier Bratwurst: 3/5. Because this place is known for their sausages, this one seemed like a good choice. And since they partner with Ditmers in Los Altos for their meats my expectations were pretty high. While I liked the mustard, sauerkraut and bread, the brat was too fatty for my taste. Next time I would have something else. A Pretty Great Seared Chicken Sandwich: 4/5. My wife ordered this one and she clearly out-ordered me (damn!). The chicken tasted very fresh, was very moist, and had great flavor thanks to the herb rubbing (thanks Herb!), shoestring potatoes, and umami mayo (thanks mom!). It all came together really nicely. Haus Potato Salad: 3/5. Large portion and was pretty good, but I would like to try their other side options next time. read more

Our first visit to this establishment and a bit of a disappointment upon opening out take-out meal (at home). We were SUPER excited to dive into our meal only to find a hair in on our boxes. Although the meal was good we were a bit tainted by first impressions. read more

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This was my first time here, and I suspect that our experience was atypical...but overall, we were left underwhelmed. We went with my in-laws who unfortunately struggled with the QR code-menu ordering. They had questions about the menu, but as there were so few servers around, their inquiries went unanswered and we left our orders to chance. The drink selection is great btw, no complaints on that end. The food was good. And again, considering that there was no one walking around checking in on us, thank God, 'cause I shudder to consider the prospect of needing to flag someone's attention that there were issues with the order. The condiment station was out of mustard, again, couldn't flag anyone to alert to them to this. Overall, solid 'MEH read more

The atmosphere here is nice and efficient because you just use QR codes on the table to order and pay. However, I ordered the Porchetta Wurst and did not like it. The rosemary flavor was too strong for my liking. The potatoes and Korean chicken sandwich were better, but also didn't blow me out of the water. Ordered: Porchetta wurst - 5/10 Thrice cooked potatoes - 6/10 Kenji korean chicken sandwich - 7/10 read more

Wursthall - Porchetta Wurst w potatoes - German Near Me - San Mateo, California

Over the weekend I took my father in law out for dinner for his birthday with the family. We dined outdoors since we have young kids. Overall the staff was very accommodating for everything we asked - specific seating, questions about the menu, beer options etc. I ordered the chicken schnitzel and it came out great! I received three large pieces. Plenty for a meal or two. Overall we had a great outdoors experience. I hope they're able to keep the tables outside long term even after the pandemic. It really makes it feel like an outdoor beer gardens. read more

Wursthall - Chicken schnitzel - German Near Me - San Mateo, California

I've been here twice. The first time, I split the impossible doner kebab with my friend because we were told it was sharing size. If either of us had actually been hungry, it definitely wouldn't have been enough, as there wasn't very much of the "meat." And I didn't think it tasted very good. The second time, I had a chicken schnitzel and it was HUMONGOUS. The plate was so covered with food that it was actually made it hard to eat. The chicken was cooked well; fried and delicious. The place is good for big groups. But if you get a seat at one of the big tables, you'll be sharing a bench with people from other parties and you'll all need to coordinate if you want to scoot it closer. read more

Wursthall - Chicken schnitzel - German Near Me - San Mateo, California

Easily the best restaurant we found in our four days to the Bay Area! Wursthall is incredible in their meat skills, amazing brats that are rich, full of flavor, and done just right to give a twang and enjoyable bite. I've never had any sort of German fare on this level which says something coming from German and Swiss on both parents. I had decent expectations coming here on my good friends recommendation and got blown out of the water. The beers are quite decent, nothing amazing like some we have in the midwest, Chicago's Moody Tongue and Indianapolis Centerpoint breweries for example, but plenty easy to drink and offering strong variety. I really love seeing dark stuff on nitro and bright fruity ales from the same wall. I'm still mesmerized by the indulgent texture of the brats here, simply award winning stuff. My house crafted lemon slaw was unique and extra tangy, fit perfect with the meats. I sampled quite a bit of the menu between all five of us and cannot fault a dish. Service and atmosphere as casual, friendly, and accessible like California does best. We all had good times and highly recommend Wursthall! read more

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J. Kenji Lopez Alt started this place. The bratwurst is good but what keeps me coming back are the pretzels they make and the cheese sauce.

Really lovely way to spend a sunny weekend afternoon- lots of picnic tables outdoors. Very efficient system of ordering online w QR code menu. Food was delicious WAY better than what one expects at a beer hall. I showed craving a fresh pretzel- did not disappoint. The Wurst looks kinda awful but tastes fantastic lol Staff were responsive & friendly. Definitely coming back again. read more

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Sweet baby Jesus, I've waited months to post this review to the 'this place has been in the news lately so we wont allow you to post reviews' bull. Came here on a Sunday around lunch time and we were seated at the bar immediately, we could have waited for a table (~15 min they said) but we were too hungry. We got the deviled eggs (actually only one, so two halfs) and a pretzel not to die of starvation until our main arrived. Pretty good, spicy, had a kick to it (the egg, that is). Me and my boyfriend both went for the cheeseburger with the potato salat and oh my god it was DELICIOUS! Best burger I've had in the bay area. Since we came here, every time we try a new burger place we ask ourselves how does it compare to Wursthall, cause that is the bar right now! Spoiler alert: nothing we tried, even remotely, compares to this place. read more

Wursthall - Cheeseburger - German Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Recommend the Chicken Schnitzel is worth it. service was great. I went on a Sunday noon so it wasn't crowded. it's normally at 75% full house every time i Walked by read more

First timer here. Ordered the Bier Bratwurst and it's good! Porky and tasty. The thrice fried potatoes tasted as if they'd been frozen for a while. I much prefer the fresh potato salad. The Pastrami and Swiss Bratwurst was also good. Neither brat was so amazing that I'd order them again...I'd be open to trying other menu items. The chopped salad is excellent! read more

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I do not understand all the bad reviews. Sure, sure - this is NOT an "authentic wursthaus" it isn't trying to be, so stop grading on that be a normal Yelper - would you? Kenji Lopez..cool dude from Serious Eats and other thing like the Sporkful Podcast guest appearances. I loves me a sausage in any form. We ordered the Chedder brat (served on an "east coast" style split and gilled bun (yeah baby!) - They said they get them from La Boulangerie in SF. The brat is served with a teeny portion of potato salad - a little more qty would have been nice. We also go the signature item - the Korean Fried chicken thigh on the cornmeal waffle. (served with a side salad). Both items were very good - if a little pricey. It was 5pm on a Saturday - will say that they should give the restrooms a clean up between the lunch and dinner rush. (Note from Later on: another Yelper told me that Kenji had made a statement about people wearing MAGA hats were not allowed in - which is likely the cause for the saltier reviews. Frankly I agree with his position, but he has since apologized) read more

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Came here with 3 of my friends without a reservation and were seated immediately. We all ordered from our phones individually and were served pretty quickly. I ordered the impossible burger with thrice fried potatoes. The other vegetarian option was a Beyond Sausage. I don't really like ordering beyond burgers or sausages at restaurants, but the burger was really tasty and flavorful thanks to the toppings. The fried potatoes were super crispy and delicious. All of my friends also enjoyed their dishes and loved the potatoes too. read more

Wursthall - Impossible Burger - German Near Me - San Mateo, California

Two Pretzels and Two beers for one First time trying their pretzels and they are to die for! The dough has perfect texture and no "yeast" taste, the skin was crispy. They come with whipped butter and honey. It was heavenly especially with a cold beer! It was a perfect hang out spot with perfect drinks and snacks! read more

Wursthall - German Near Me - San Mateo, California

Service was great! Hot dogs were huge and yummy! I love the cleanliness and the atmosphere! read more

Wursthall - German Near Me - San Mateo, California

I have wanted to try this place for a long time because it's Kenji's restaurant and I watch his videos all the time on YouTube! I finally got to do outdoor dining recently. They took over part of the parking so there's a lot of space outside for safer dining. We tried a few items and overall I thought the experience was just okay. I probably wouldn't come back here necessarily as my first choice, unless someone wanted to try this place. -Kenji's hot chicken bites: too much of the powder on each bite. Slightly spicy. The ranch looking sauce tastes good though. The powder is incredibly red so I'd recommend eating with a fork -porchetta bratwurst: very juicy and is served on a toasted piece of bread. I actually am not a huge fan of sausages and bratwurst in general but I thought this was pretty decent. It had a lot of savory flavors that was nice. My friends and I shared the bratwurst so I had a third of it, which was enough for me! -smash burger cheese burger: not bad, although in my experience gourmet burgers don't give that much more satisfaction than say a $5 in n out burger or something. Maybe I'm a burger pleb? We also got potato salad and some preserved lemon slaw. The lemon slaw was ok although I think in general slaw is very stringy so I'd rather have something else though. Flavor was unique. I thought the potato salad was pretty good. They gave us thin potato slices in an oil mixture. Flavorful! read more

I think the quesadilla is my favorite thing on the menu. I also like the pastrami sausage and kolsch beer. We came as a party of 10 and got a long table upstairs without a wait on a Friday night! read more

Used to be really good. Went there tonight and was extremely dissaponted with the drop off in quality. Chicken schnitzel was completely unseasoned and the smash burger was dripping in black grease. Very disappointing. read more

Tried the Korean fried chicken and the bier bratwurst with sauerkraut topping. The fried chicken was crispy but was over breaded while the cornbread waffle was a bit on the grainy side and very dense. The bier bratwurst was pretty big and a decent size. One brat per person is more than enough food. There really isn't a need to have any other apps or side dishes especially if you are drinking beer too. Pretty good beer selection. It's a bit weird that the table for two has the giant mustard bar which takes up way too much space. read more

Wursthall - Korean fried chicken - German Near Me - San Mateo, California

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This place has been on my bucket list since learning about and watching Kenji's videos and it did not disappoint! The space was instantly inviting once you walk in - lots of light and seating, and it just felt very clean and modern. You order by scanning a QR code and sending the order to the kitchen yourself. The digital menu was intuitive to use and it had detailed descriptions of each item, which is always helpful. Everything was delicious - from the Korean hot chicken, the bratwursts, and the mac and cheese (I forgot what it's actually called already haha). An unexpected standout was the thrice fried potatoes as they were so crispy on the outside while still maintaining a light and fluffy texture inside. There was also a large variety of beers, sours and ciders to choose from - both of what we got paired nicely with the food. I'd definitely come back! read more

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Great sausage and fried potatoes. Great selection of beer. The place is clean and nice. Staff was friendly enough. Pricing is as expected for a specialty restaurant in San Mateo. read more

We got take-out from this place tonight. We ordered online and it was ready right on time. Everything was packed Covid-safe. We got the pretzel with a spicy cheese sauce which was ok, the amazing thrice fried potatoes, potato salad which was ok, bier bratworst sausage sandwich which was good, the smashed cheeseburger $17 was a fan favorite, chickpea and carrot salad side which was ok, dilly cole slaw which was ok, deviled egg which was odd sort of vinegary. It was on the pricier side but not outrageous. It was worth going to and I would recommend it if you want to have a buffet for a manly man's birthday. The crab was from Whole Food not from the place and was incredible! haha The salad was from Natural Foods in Castro Valley. YUM! read more

Wursthall - Sandwiches - German Near Me - San Mateo, California

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We dined inside, but the outdoor patio felt really cozy. I wasn't in the mood for their signature wurst sub so got a salad instead. Tried a bite of the Kenji's fried chicken sando, and it was totally : the crust was unlike that of any other fried chicken sando I've had before - spicy, nutty, and and very crunchy. Friend was totally impressed by it. Ordering through Toasttab was seamless. Would come back for their beers and wursts next time! read more

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Agree with most reviewers here that this is an awesome spot with tasty food and a great interior setup, for just slightly too much money. I understand that quality ingredients cost more and the area is expensive, but the prices are the sole reason I would not return, and would prefer to have a meal elsewhere. Perhaps I am not the target market for this concept. The wursts are all interesting and tasty, and the plate is enough to feed the average mildly hungry guy. The spaetzle was the highlight of the dinner for me - it was crispy and crusty in the best way, and buttery and savory. Pretzel is pretty standard; it is not worth the cost. The whipped butter was tasty, however. I had the fried chicken, which was a delicious in a fun and unique way. The double fried chicken has a very crunchy crust, and the savory waffles also come out quite crunchy. The sweet/spicy sauce is a great complement to the dish. Make sure to eat it up before the crunchy textures dissolve into mush from the liquid components. Overall, a fun and unique spot to come if you have a bigger budget. read more

Wursthall - Crispy and crunchy fried chicken! Unique and delicious. - German Near Me - San Mateo, California

TLDR: wide selection of beers with rotating featured beers. Atmosphere: social environment where you can share long wooden tables I wouldn't recommend getting food here to be honest. Their specialty is beer and 1L steins. I enjoyed their coffee stout. I did order food however, the smash burger is $17. It was tasty , the potatoes were great and the salad was mediocre(saw some leaves that were shrivelled). Pro-tip: order the steins for best deals on beer. It's like 3 beers in 1 ($14). read more

Wursthall - Smashed burger with potatoes and salad - German Near Me - San Mateo, California

Great place in downtown San Mateo to meet up with friends for a drinks and food. There are plenty of long tables and several flat panel televisions mounted playing sports. Unfortunately, the TVs are mounted facing the entrance, so if your back isn't facing the door, you won't be able to see the TVs. The sausage party is 6 chef's choice sausages served on a bed of sauerkraut. We also ordered the bacon fried potatoes. I enjoyed the Amber red ale Westfalia from Fort Point in San Francisco The server can split the bill evenly among everyone in the party on their iPad/table and swipe credit cards right the table. There's plenty of street parking. read more

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highly recommend! Great food and good service! I order the bier bratwurst with a side of fried potatoes. They are both to die for! This place is a complete self-order type of place, but I had questions about the beers they offered and a waitress helped me carefully and offered several tastings. I'd return:) read more

Wursthall - Bier bratwurst and a beer that has "saison" in its name - German Near Me - San Mateo, California

So delicious!!! Perfect to do a takeout for a picnic. Although the outdoor seating there would also be amazing to enjoy a beer or two at. The smash burger was extremely juicy and the slight acidity from the potato salad complemented it so well. The deviled eggs were rich and gives a great punch as an appetizer. Would definitely come back to enjoy the outdoor seating instead of doing takeout next time! read more

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Burger was great and ambiance was great but the potato salad was sub par. The wine I got was good too read more

Wursthall - Burger and potato salad - German Near Me - San Mateo, California

Ambiance is great, love the big screen TVs to catch the game. Nice beer selection, would not go for the food. Schnitzel was very dry and rubbery, spaetzle was spicy (why?), and currywurst tasty like hot sauce not curry. read more

Cute, clean, nicely-designed indoor beer hall. I was walking by the area and bookmarked. Fast forward to Oct 3, Oktoberfest! Posting it today, 1) because I want to post it early in October due to the monthlong holiday, and 2) take a little break from writing yelps about Italy! The menu is small, and not filled with most of the traditional German items, sigh. Instead, it's a German-inspired, modern menu -- mainly sausages, a handful of sandwiches (a chicken schnitzel sandwich, a burger, a grilled cheese), sides (spätzle, fried potatoes, potato salad), and one dessert. They don't have many of my favorite things (rouladen, sauerbraten, goulash, currywurst, jagerschnitzel, dumplings, plum or apple strudel, black forest cake). The bier (beer) list has 25 types of drafts ($9-$10), from local to Belgium to German, so enticing, many I must try. It's very loud and lively, now you have the complete picture. THE ORDER: =========== The Berger, and author of BEST BURGERS in LA (available on Amazon), must try the CHEESEBURGER! Served with amazing potato salad (perhaps my favorite ever), and one of the side salads I ever had! [$18, 4.0 stars for the burger, 5.0 stars for the potato salad, 5.0 stars for the side salad]. $16 sausages with buns, potato salad, and side salad...but...I ordered them ala carte and they are $9 and served with wonderful fresh sauerkraut. Wild Boar [$9, 5.0 stars] -- amazing flavor, juicy, cooked to perfection, lean. Cheddar Bratwurst [$9, 4.0 stars] -- a little drier than the other, not very cheesy at all, good...but not great. SERVICE: ========= I was seated at Shannon's table. Young, German descent, lived in Berlin, full of passion, a great Wursthall promoter and spokesperson. Being that she was part of the original staff, she could speak to the 3.5 star ratings and why, and what they've done to address. Perhaps overpromotion, long waits, long service -- but not the food. These things have been fixed with learnings and normalization with time. She was awesome, great customer service, responsive, efficient. Oktoberfest! Oktoberfest? ==================== Alternative music in the background, no decorations, seemed to me the standard fare that any old day makes. No Oom-Pah-Pah, no piped overhead German music. Downer. But a great energy and vibe exude, and made up for this sin. I'll be back with my lederhosen on, and I'll bring my own German band. read more

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This place definitely looked and felt like a beer hall when I stepped in - the overhead lights strewn through the room made the space look bright and inviting, and the communal tables and benches could accommodate a lot of people. My friends and I ordered a large number of dishes to share family style - the pretzel with black pepper honey butter side, deviled eggs, Kenji's fried chicken, schnitzel, and the cheekily named Sausage Party (a chef's selection of 6 sausages served on a bed of sauerkraut and with a side of potato salad), which was made all the more tasty by the variety of mustards made freely available and within arm's reach. There being 6 of us, some of the dishes clearly weren't originally made to be shared (esp the creative fried chicken & waffle) but we made it work. We each got our own beers (my nitro oatmeal stout was the mildest bit sweet and incredibly smooth going down) and the crew was generous about bringing waters. The staff was also great about stopping by to clear our dishes and make sure we were taken care of. As the rainstorm continued outside, I couldn't help but feel an incredible sense of hygge being in such warm and friendly ambiance. Wursthall with my friends wasn't just Saturday dinner, it was a whole delicious experience. read more

Wursthall - The Kenji's Korean Fried Chicken - with scallion cornbread waffles - German Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Me: "oooh! I want a Hot Italian!" Hubby: "Ha, too bad you married a German ... sucka" Being married to a German ain't that bad, really :p (I'm kidding, husband!) and going to the motherland every year enables me to have an authentic meal. For the foodie skeptic in you, your first question might be: "is the food here authentic German?!" no, it's not. (it's so much better than the newly opened Radhaus in the Presidio though) But the team at Wurst Hall ensures a similar experience with a varied beer list, hefty sausages, Bavarian pretzel (they'd never serve this with black pepper honey butter in Germany) and some California inspired salads on the menu. Hubby was excited to see a nice selection of Euro beers on the list and even an alcohol free Erdinger which he got since he was driving. Under the "Wursts" section, you'll encounter the closest "authentic" bratwurst in the Thuringer, which is a combo of pork and veal. It doesn't have a snap like the ones I've had in Berlin, but still delicious nonetheless! There are also other choices like an al pastor (stuffed with pineapples) and cheddar bratwurst (super cheesy and squirts at first bite! LOL) My Hot Italian was all pork goodness with onions, garlic and fennel. I topped this with their coarse ground brown mustard and it wasn't too spicy for my taste. All wursts are $14 and come with a mixed green salad or opt for the potato with is closer to a German version than American one. Like the biergartens in Germany, the long tables here are for communal seating. If you just want a pint and a pretzel, there are also bar seats available. I liked our experience at Wurst Hall, although docking off a star, because our server could've been friendlier. She did not smile at all and that's the wurst! read more

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Spaetzel was good and large portion. The pretzel however was tough and about half the size as the one we had previously. Not at all worth the $7 read more

Wursthall - Pretzel with black pepper honey butter. Way smaller than expected and not soft at all. Expect better for $7. Ketchup packet for scale - German Near Me - San Mateo, California

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What gets me about this place is that the force you to order on your phone, require a tip, and then are slow to deliver beers which can be poured in seconds. And they are way overpriced. Hard pass. read more

Great vibe use the QR code place your order add a brew and use Apple Pay the tip will be automatically added. Food comes out pretty fast to. I had the hot Italian with potato salad definitely hit the spot and washed it down with a 21st amendment IPA read more

Wursthall - Italian Hot and a 21st amendment IPA - German Near Me - San Mateo, California