Came here for happy hour and had a wonderful time! The food is probably some of the best Filipino food I've had lately in the bay. You can tell the quality of the food with each bite. The pinakbet was not skimping on the bagoong and was delicious. The kare kare was tender and the bangus sisig had a perfectly crispy bottom. The high quality of the protein here really makes each dish taste worth the price. The cocktails were also really good, I enjoy the purple jeepney which was an ube based cocktail. They do have smaller sizes for entrees that you can order so you can sample more of the menu. Will be back to try to crispy pata! The service was also very warm and friendly, they first asked if we've had Filipino food before (which we have many times) to see if they could help make any suggestions from the menu. read more

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Bustling on a Friday night - great food and great vibes! We had a reservation for the evening and luckily so, as the restaurant was packed. Located in downtown San Mateo, it can definitely be difficult to find parking, even in the garages. We had to circle around a couple of times until finding a street parking spot. Keep that time in consideration and come early if you have a reservation. The inside has relatively dim lighting and is quite spacy, and there's plenty of seating both upstairs and downstairs. Service was pretty quick despite how busy it was, and the servers were great! We ordered: - hot calamansi tea - thai chili & garlic wings - inihaw na pusit - pork sisig - sinigang - garlic rice The food came out pretty quickly and mostly all at once. Standouts of the night were the inihaw na pusit (super tender and chewy, and grilled with a great char) and pork sisig (super umami and tender). With that being said, was very satisfied with all the dishes, and there wasn't one that left a negative impression. I will say that this restaurant does lean on the pricier end, but there's a great ambiance for good food and conversations with friends. Would come back! read more

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I recently just went to Avenida Restaurant in Downtown San Mateo for a nice sit down dinner + it was sooo yum! There are two parking garages nearby which make it easy to get to. The interior is so aesthetic with a tropical atmosphere and the food did not disappoint! Plus, the portions were extremely reasonable considering their huge portion sizes! My friend + I shared two appetizers and two entrees and we were sooo full even with a full box of leftovers. The servers were also incredibly sweet + gave us great recommendations!! Every single dish was so delicious and flavorful, but if you asked me my favorite dish I would have to go with the Crispy Pata. That's their house special + the menu describes it as "crispy on the outside & juicy on the inside" which was exactly how it tasted! So flavorful, so crispy, AND the dipping sauce was 10/10. Our server recommended to pair it with the garlic rice which was the right combination! If you're looking for a sweet treat to top it off, I recommend the Halo Halo Milky Ice + Strawberry Milky Ice! These are definitely shareable sizes too! What I ordered: Lumpia - Crispy pork & vegetable spring rolls, side sweet & sour sauce ; such a yummy classic + filling was so good!! Tokkwat Lechon Kawali - Crispy tofu, crispy pork belly, fresh red onion, side soy-vinegar sauce ; tofu lovers you will LOVE this!! I could not stop eating the tofu!!!! Crispy Pata - Pork knuckle, crispy on the outside, juicy and tender on the inside ; One of their house specials + I can see why! It was sooo crispy and tender especially with the dipping sauces! Pairs well with the garlic rice!! Pancit Bihon - Stir-fried thin noodles, Chinese sausage, pork, shrimp, squid balls, carrots, cabbage, celery, garlic, scallion ; Couldn't decide on which boodles because they all looked good, but decided to choose these because House Special and it was so delicious! I loved adding the lime on top too! read more

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Two words: crispy pata. I'm a sucker for deep-fried pork and this dish here never fails to impress me. My next favorite is their pork sisig; the flavors are full-bodied and I like that some of the pieces are crispy without tasting burnt. I've also tried their beef kaldereta, lumpia, adobo rice, chicken inasal, and palabok which were all good. I'd skip on the lechon though and get the crispy pata. Their garlic rice could have more garlic intensity as well. Service was fine. Avenida is an upscale Filipino restaurant, so expect to pay more premium prices. Definitely make a reservation because this place gets really busy. read more

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The food here is okay. I would say most of what you pay for are the aesthetics, experience, & service. As a Filipino, the authentic Filipino food is going to be at home or at a small mom & pop's shop. Went here for a second time and got the grilled squid, pancit bihon, & lechon kawali. Shared it with a girl friend so we got half portions which were just enough to have room for dessert else where. They start off with chicharron as a small app/snack. I'd say for Filipino food if you haven't had it tied Filipino food it was good. I just wish there was more flavor to it. The squid was alright, could've grilled one at home. I enjoyed with the dipping sauce and it wasn't chewy. Pancit was mid, wish there was more flavor. The lechon kawali was tasty, however, I get the same thing for a better price at a local kitchen. Definitely over priced. Unfortunately the service was lacking. It took quite a while for our server to come, introduce themselves, & give water. When they first came and said they will give some time to review the menu, we were already ready to order. Then they vanished and we never got checked in on again until all of our food was gone. They cleared the table and gave the check. Surprisingly when I got sat apparently the table next to me were not satisfied with their food so I heard that their check was revised. The ambiance and aesthetics look nice. The drinks looked tasty on the menu but didn't get to try them since we were not in the mood for drinking. Halo halos for desserts but we passed as there were other dessert places we had in mind. Most likely will not come back again. read more

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Been here at least a handful of times, but this past weekend, our experience didn't live up to our expectations. Service was friendly but a bit spotty. Not a huge issue, however, more importantly, the dishes overall just didn't hit the same. (We ordered some of the same dishes we always get here). There was one dish (bistek) that was just too tough and was disappointing. We left at least half of it untouched. It cost $36. On the other hand, the best items were the chicken inasal and Kare Kare. Avenida is great for large parties, and it is a nicer Filipino restaurant for gatherings. However, I don't know if it was a one off. We used to be able to recommend this restaurant without hesitation, however after the last dining experience, this is not longer the case. read more

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Parking is a nightmare but besides that, restaurant is amazing and beautiful. Staff were very attentive, and the menu was very straight forward. Pricing Is definitely on the higher end of things. Crispy pata: 3/5, very very dry Lumpia: 3/5, not crispy and soggy Chicken adobo: 3.5/5 Beef salpacio: 3.5/5 Beef kare kare: 2/5, not true kare kare Pancit palabok: 5/5, amazing must try read more

Avenida Restaurant - Filipino Near Me - San Mateo, California

I would come back again! This place is a fun restaurant for family-style food with creative drinks. I really enjoyed that you had the option of ordering a half versus full plate which made sharing entrees and appetizers particularly enjoyable, especially if someone on the menu caught your eye and you wanted to just have a few bites. The black pandan old fashioned was a very fun drink, pancit bihon a classic that met expectations, and the lumpia exceptional. The tuna in the sugba kilaw was a bit fishy tasting, calling into question how fresh it was. The rest of the dishes we had were fun but just okay. As for service, our waitress was great but the hostess confused our party. Our party of three made a reservation and arrived 20 minutes early. The hostess acknowledged that our table wasn't ready and asked us to wait. During the entirety of the time leading up to our reservation we had eyed an empty table and were ultimately sat at said empty table. It wasn't clear to me why we were not seated earlier. read more

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Avenida Restaurant exceeded our expectations! From the moment we walked in, the ambiance was beautiful, warm, cozy, and inviting, perfect for hanging out with friends or family. The Filipino dishes are on point. From savory Pancit Palabok, flavorful Dinakdakan, to the perfectly Crispy Pata, everything hit the spot. The food was outstanding. Fresh, flavorful and clearly made with care. Huge shout out to Lyanne L for her exceptional service. She was incredibly friendly, attentive, and made us feel well taken care of the entire time. Her positive energy and professionalism truly made our visit even better. Highly recommend Avenida Restaurant if you're craving authentic Filipino food, great vibes, and amazing service. We'll definitely be back! read more

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Food tasted fantastic! Everything was cooked well, and every bite was amazing. Time between ordering and arriving at the table took a bit long. The ambiance and decor were all perfect. We ordered tapas sized plates to share. My favorite was the dinakdakan. The crispy tadyang would have been my favorite, but the order came out with one rib with meat paired with one rib with no meat. Unsure what we were supposed to do with the bone. Other than that, everything was great. read more

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Solid Filipino restaurant that's great for families or larger group gatherings. The ambience isn't intimate, and the table setup feels a bit odd--likely because they move tables around to accommodate big parties. Service was friendly. We tried the lumpia, adobang pusit (adobo baby squid), and pancit bihon. The dishes are on the pricier side, but the portions are very generous and definitely meant for sharing family-style. The food isn't gourmet, so adjust your expectations, but everything was hearty and satisfying. read more

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This is "upscale" Filipino. I will start with my rant first (which according to the server is a non-issue in the neighborhood they're in; but he claims he understands my concern). Here we go - almost $5 for a cup of white rice! NOPE - that set a bad initial impression that I expected the rest of the meal to be awful. Imagine serving Filipino food with no rice - and I don't care if your wealthy clients don't always need rice with their meal. Rice is a MUST with the heart of a complete Filipino cuisine. I end my rant. Now for the AMAZING experience. The ambience is awesome, definitely has the upscale restaurant feel that they're going for. The servers are very attentive and friendly and ensure that you're well taken care of. The place has both indoor and outdoor seating and I noticed a small private area on the 2nd floor as well. We were actually surprised with the quality of the meals. They tasted authentic without being too overpriced or too avant-garde to distinguish themselves that they lose the core of what the Filipino meal should be. Our eyes and curiosity definitely ordered more than what our stomach could handle. My dad joked that he was doing a tasting menu as he tried a bit of every meal to ensure if it is really Authentic. It was also his Birthday! So we're thankful for the staff for allowing us to bring our own cake without charging a corkage fee. Also, we got some complimentary desserts - thank you. For 5 adults - we had at least 10 entrees - yes abundance! But we were celebrating an important Birthday. I will most likely return in the future read more

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Ahhh! Expensive Filipino food, albeit pretty good flavors. Lumpia, baby pusit, sisig, pancit palabok, and pancit bihon, and sinigang. Everything was mid. read more

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Avenida is such a wonderful atmosphere to bring your family and friends into! The portions come in tapas or entree size for you to order. Entree sizes are perfect for a family style dinner. My absolute favorite and go to is the adobong pusit (squid adobo)!!!! The servers and management are a joy to talk to. Cant forget the yummy dessert too. I keep finding myself back at Avenida whenever I don't know what to eat! read more

Avenida Restaurant - Filipino Near Me - San Mateo, California

Absolute gem. Squid ink pasta and beef Avenida dish was so incredible. The only thing I would consider skipping was the calamari (even though the tartar sauce was delicious!) The food was so flavorful and the larger portions were great for three people sharing. The ambiance is lovely and staff was kind. read more

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Had a big birthday celebration lunch at Avenida for my Pinay wife on Sunday. 20 of us were seated upstairs. Definitely a workout for the service staff, bring plate after plate of delicious upscale Filipino cuisine up those stairs. We started with lumpia and tokwa't lechon kawali appetizers right at 11:30, large calamansi carafes all around. A few of us went with some of their over the top libations, ube espresso martinis and pandan old fashions to name a few. The main courses consisted of crispy pata, beef shank kaldereta, pork sisig, pinakbet, and bagoong rice, and one or 2 others. We were barely able to save room for the Derby cake from Mazzetti's (another review necessary) We all had a wonderful time and fantastic meal in such a beautiful restaurant. read more

There's happy hour everyday at the bar and they have good food for a good price. For my drink, I got the mango sticky rice cocktail, it was good just so strong. I got the thai chili & garlic wings, the sisig taco and the lumpia. The lumpia was so good, no complaints there. The tacos are suppose to come with 2, but they only gave me one. I confirmed with the waiter if the menu was wrong and she apologized and brought out the other. The tacos are normal, they're good but I just got bored of them halfway through. The chicken wings were delicious, but I just expected a glaze rather than them being dry. I wouldn't say I loved this restaurant, but I would come back. read more

Avenida Restaurant - Filipino Near Me - San Mateo, California

Came here months ago with a group of friends and our (majority Filipino) group were impressed by how the food here turned out! We came later in the evening (about an hour before closing) and appreciated that staff were up, ready, and patient to seat our group of 5. They were so helpful and food came out quickly! We ordered: - Shrimp gambas: this was my first time having this dish, and I liked that it was full of flavor! 7.5/10 since I have no prior place to compare it to. - Sugba kilaw: DELICIOUS. Standards are high considering this is something my dad makes fairly often. 9/10. - Tinomok: Another dish that I tried for the first time. Laing is among one of my favorite Filipino dishes, so when I saw that this was similar, I had high hopes. Also 7.5/10 since I don't have other tinomoks to compare it to! - Kaldereta: As usual, rich in flavor. The meat was tender and a heavy hitter with the rice. 8/10. - Sisig: Not the best sisig I've had, but fairly good. 7.5/10! - Palabok: Very few places I know get palabok wrong. Yummy and big portions! 8/10! - Calamansi juice: Refreshing and not too sweet! 8/10. The ambiance of the restaurant is definitely more on the higher end side compared to other Filipino places. The place is fairly spacious and has good lighting. This is a nice place to elevate your Filipino food nights out! Be aware that it's definitely a little more pricey compared to other places, but it's well worth the experience considering that the place is on the aesthetic end. read more

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My sister and I took my dad here for dinner. Arrived early to my reservation of 5 but had to wait til my actual reservation time, which is totally fair. The food came in big portions, definitely recommend family style eating. The drinks were strong and worth the price. My favorite dish was the bangus sisig! The lighting was dim but it set the mood of a night filled with good conversation and laughter. Would recommend to give this restaurant a try! read more

Avenida Restaurant - Filipino Near Me - San Mateo, California

Came here for a company event. Food were good but my biggest let down was the ceviche. They added ginger- which was overpowering and destroyed the delicate flavors of the fish. Please fix this. I really love the squid ink rice. The roasted pork was very good too. Everything thing else were pretty good. read more

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Slow service :( Bangus sisig 9/10 - a lil on the saltier side - soft tender milk fish with gingery oniony umami flavor - doesn't have the crunch aspect like in a pork sisig (but I'm ok w that) Lechon kawali 3/10 - feel like I can make this better at home - skin is crispy border line brick - doesn't really have any notable flavors besides the expected porky flavor - meat is soft and crumbly & dry - lechon sauce is carrying Garlic rice 3/10 - isn't the typical garlic rice I'm used to - more like white rice with crispy garlic on top versus fried and incorporated together - maybe I just had high hopes ?? Samantha, our server, suggested the bangus sisig which actually became my favorite dish !! :) she got a little busy but then sat at the host desk answers calls and etc w the host so service was ultimately very slow. It wasn't busy when we went, we were seated immediately. We wanted to try the Turon and halo halo here but it took a long time to get anyone's attention so we decided to get dessert elsewhere. Overall, the vibes were meh. Prices were on the higher end for what we got. I wouldn't say this place is worth it. I'd opt for a mom n pop shop if you want good tasting Filipino food but if you're here for drinks - they do have unique drinks! I'm sure their desserts are good as well. Would I return? Prob not. :( read more

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I have gone here a couple times, usually on a weekend for lunch. It is always packed so we always try to go right at open or after the lunch rush. I go here for the ambience, the location, the food, and the fun Filipino inspired cocktails. The restaurant is huge and very nicely decorated. It looks like a sorta upscale restaurant that you would find in the Philippines. I usually recommend this place to anyone looking for a nicer Filipino restaurant that also taste good. They serve things ala carte so the dishes are for sharing. Everything I had here so far was good, nothing really comes out to me that I hate. I love the creative cocktails. The old fashion is one of our favorites that we always get when we go then we switch around on other drinks to try everything in the menu. Overall I recommend this for a family lunch/dinner, a date, or if you just want to treat yourself for some nice Filipino food and nice vibes. It is pricey but you do get what you paid for. read more

Avenida Restaurant - Filipino Near Me - San Mateo, California

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street parking sucks! BUT there's lots of parking garages, where you can park, so don't pass this place up! Great customer service, from the time you walk in, get seating, order & wait for your food. Edwin my waiter was A1 TY for the convo & giving me some recommendations on what foods, I should try, Some of his favorites. Walked in around 6ish, it was not busy at all, the greeter, checked me in & told me, the only room they have was, Table Top @ the bar, No Problem, because it was just Me Myself & When I was placing my order, Edwin said...whoa that's a lota food Yup! I'm here to Taste Whatever I think I'd like! Everything I got, was Yummy! Beautiful presentation, plenty of food & they all had their own distinguished flavors. A Winner for me is they have HH & the menu looks Great, not to mention the drinks Pricing is a little too steep for some of the items, but I will definitely be back to try some other things on the menu. read more

Avenida Restaurant - Lots & Lots of seating - Filipino Near Me - San Mateo, California

Filipino food in San Mateo!! I'll keep this short and simple: big portions, well made, great taste, and so many cute titas all around! I don't get Filipino food that often, but I feel like you can't go wrong with anything on the menu! Large portions so definitely come with big appetites or with people. They have traditional Filipino dishes, not the most authentic but definitely modern and upscaled which is the vibe of the restaurant. A little pricy, so make sure you bring people that will share and eat family style with you! What we ordered: * Lechon Kawaii * Pancit Palabok * Beef Kare Kare * Sinigang (vegetables and broth only) * Garlic Rice read more

Avenida Restaurant - Filipino Near Me - San Mateo, California

You know that Pixar movie called Ratatouille where the food critic eats something and he's teleported back to his childhood of eating Ratatouille? Well, a similar feeling occurred to me too. The Filipino food transported me to being with my family. Calamansi drink, omggggg tasted so refreshing on a hot day. Vegetable Sinigang, also oh my gosh. This hands down tasted like my family recipe!!! Perfect balance of vinegar. Loved the okra, eggplant, and a healthy amount of veggies! Pork and chicken adobo, saucy and divine. As all well as the garlic rice. Fried bananas with caramel really hit it home too Vibe is ultra luxe cozy. We went on a Saturday and a jazz saxophonist was actually playing and I believe we were there mid afternoon before dinner time. I can't wait to drag my BFF's up the peninsula to try this spot! Service was awesome too! read more

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Omgee where do i start with this place!! Hands down to expectional services food was on point i loved everything we ordered our 2 hour drive from Sacramento was so worth it!! Must try the inhihaw na pusit to die for Thank you for making my birthday a little extra today!! read more

Upscale ish Filipino food that serves yummy comforting meals. For starters we got some chicharron for the table. Tried their adobo rice and squid ink rice. I say the adobo rice is better. Some faves we tried was their kinilaw and crispy tandang or beef ribs. Their kare kare is also very yummy. The bangus sisig was good but I've had better. Overall solid family style meal here and they offer good cocktails read more

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Date: Saturday, April 12th, 2025 Time: around 4:15pm Party of: 6 What: After Lunch Drinks *Spirit Free / Mocktail ($11) x2 *Vaccine ($15) x2 *Tokyo Sour ($19) *Black Pandan Old Fashioned ($17) *Halo Halo Milky Ice ($14) *Coconut Pudding ($7) *SF Margarita ($15) *Canned Coke ($5.50) After having a late lunch nearby, my group wanted one more beverage. There wasn't much open at the time, so we decided head to Avenida. We didn't have any type of rezzie, but it wasn't too busy. We sat at the nig communal looking table int he front. I wasn't drinking at the time, so just got the soda. Yes, I paid over $5 for a can of coke. It was exactly what I expected it to be. The desserts did look pretty. And they comped us the halo halo since we were celebrating a bday. Everyone seemed to enjoy their drinks. I've been here before for food and drink back in 2022. I had a good time. Would definitely consider coming back if in the area. REVIEW #3752 read more

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I've always walked past this place but hadn't gotten around to trying it. Decided to take my mom here for her birthday dinner. We were easily able to make reservations for a party of 6 on a weekday. Upon walking in, we were greeted by friendly staff. The biggest hits were the pork knuckle and squid. Squid was tender and cooked to perfection. Pork knuckle was crunchy, flavorful, and fell right off the bone. The sissig was just ok. I think we all agreed that it was too salty so having garlic rice on the side helped. Great spot for large parties and most things are share ale so you can try their extensive menu. read more

Avenida Restaurant - Filipino Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Today was my second experience at Avenida and I came because I had a craving for some good Filipino food. And I must say as much as my first experience was great, today's just really hit the spot. Another reason is that I took my parents here, since they've been searching for a decent Filipino spot as places close to them and close to where I live are lacking. We ordered the chicken adobo, beef tapa, chicken inasal and chop suey. All of which were excellent and the fact that my parents were pleased was the cherry on top. But other than the food, another thing I love about this place is that I can enjoy a good meal while having a good ambiance and good vibes all around. Now I'm not knocking on the hole in the wall Filipino spots in Daly City that I've been to, all of them have been great too. But if you're looking for some good Filipino cooking in a more lively atmosphere, THIS is the place for you. read more

Avenida Restaurant - Filipino Near Me - San Mateo, California

Came here to have dinner while in the area for work. I came by myself. Let me tell you-bring someone with you. The portions are family style. I ordered lumpia, tortang talong, garlic rice and calamansi juice. For dessert, I ordered turon. Service was great. I like that they provide you with a carafe of water, I drink lots of water. I also asked for ice, which I was provided a carafe of ice. It was perfect. Lumpia was a huge portion for 1 person. They were a good size even after it was cut up. I had to take it to go. I make lumpia at home, so I am somewhat a critic when it comes to it. It had a lot of flavor, and good portion of filling. Nice and crunchy. The tortang talong and garlic rice came out. Talong was big. I don't use ketchup (which is what comes with it). I asked for the spicy vinegar. It was tasty with the garlic rice. Garlic rice was a nice size portion. I ordered the turon to go and took leftovers for the hotel. As I said in the beginning, do not come here alone. Portions are big. Good service, and I want to come and try their drinks with food next time. I would definitely come back. I like how the place is open and not too crowded in placement of tables and booths read more

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This place surprised me! Came here on a Friday night with 13 other people and everything went well without a hitch. (we made a reservation ahead of time - if you have a larger group you can book a private area for 3 hours with a $1250 minimum charge for up to 32 people). The servers were very accommodating and friendly. The portions of the foods are quite deceiving all of the dishes are very shareable between 3-4 people. We tried just about everything. The standouts were the pancit, the crispy Pata, the garlic rice, the sisig, and the lechon. The most disappointing dishes were the lumpia/chicken wings/fried chicken and fries - skip those and get something else. Also tried two of the desserts. The halo halo and pandan ice dessert. Definitely go for the pandan dessert if you like that flavor. read more

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Food was great. Atmosphere was excellent. Service was wonderful. Overall, great experience. Love this place. Will come back. Also, Kenneth is the man, very inviting, warm and funny. read more

Made a reservation for 8 people which the manager appreciated. We arrived early because you can never tell how parking will be in the area. Our table was ready so we didn't have to wait for it. The Christmas decorations and carols were nice and festive. There is a nice cocktail menu featuring Filipino flavors like ube and calamari. The servers were friendly and helpful. The restaurant is nicely laid out and decorated well. Everything we had was tasty and not overly seasoned or oily. The crispy pata is their special and it was very good and a large portion. Sinigang, pancit, Kare Kare were all on point. Garlic fried rice was so good! It's pricey Filipino food so it's almost paradoxical, but I think the experience makes it worth it. And the Halo halo was delicious too! read more

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We decided to come here on a whim for Valentine's Day. Was definitely craving Filipino food today. It's only our second time here and we were excited to try things we haven't had before and/or stick to the usuals. Unfortunately, because of the Hallmark Day, they were only offering a prix fixe menu for the occasion. We were ok with it as it was only $89/couple. The offerings for each course wasn't bad and we were hungry. Here's what we ordered: Appetizer - Lumpia Togue (vegetarian) Main Entree for me: Bangus Sisig Main Entree for hubby: Kare Kare Noodles: Pancit Bihon Lumpia was good! Love the veggies and sometimes I get tired of having lumpia Shanghai all the time. 10/10 Kare Kare: The meat was super tender, but was lacking in flavor. Nothing beats home made, but this did the job. 7/10 Pancit Bihon: this was good. We love pancit Bihon and also because hubby is picky with where we get palabok. 7.5/10 Bangus Sisig: I am pretty disappointed by this one. I am a Bangus Sisig lover and will get it at every restaurant. It's my usual when we go to Isla or Chibog. Even when we went to the a Philippines, I had to get my fix. This, however, was not it. This did not taste like Bangus. The texture and taste, definitely wasn't milk fish. As someone who frequently gets this elsewhere, it almost seems like it tasted like cat fish or some other kind of fish. Bangus has a certain flavor and texture. At first I thought this was tilapia, but it wasn't because I know that taste too. I asked one of the servers if this was Bangus and she assured me it was. She was really sweet about it and said they can take it back if I wasn't happy. I decided to keep it so I can try a little more and see if I was going crazy. It had some kind of after taste to it. Idk what kind of fish it was. In my opinion I don't think it's bangus, because that would be insane to sell something different from what was stated. I hate to be that person, but this is the only Bangus Sisig that I disliked. I barely ate much of it. Took it home because I didn't want to be rude and leave it there. I ended up just tossing it. Had I known this, I would have picked something else. 1/10 On the plus side, our server Toni was super nice and sweet. She made the experience better. Thanks Toni and love your tattoos! I'm sad that this 2nd time around wasn't that great. The first time we had an amazing time and the food was great! Not sure if something changed from 2 years ago. To note, this review is solely from our experience today. Had I wrote this when we first tried it 2 years ago, I probably would have given 4 stars. To the owner: Thanks for the message, Kenneth. It might be worth it to note who you're responding to before sending. My name isn't Margaux and we didn't order adobo. If you want customers to come back, the way you address a review goes a long way. Paying attention to details could help in this matter. If you note above the items we got, you would see adobo is not listed. read more

Avenida Restaurant - Filipino Near Me - San Mateo, California

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My cousin and I are both part Filipino so we really enjoyed eating food we grew up with. We ordered calamansi juice, lumpia, pork belly, beef tapa, pancit bihon, bangus, and kare kare with bagoong, and garlic rice. My favorite was kare kare with bagoong. Their elevated bagoong was sweet like jelly. I thought the pork belly and beef tapa were a little dry. The pancit bihon was just OK. But the kare kare was the best! My cousin and I plan to make this our regular spot. read more

Avenida Restaurant - Filipino Near Me - San Mateo, California

Delicious- this is what summed up our entire dinner evening. It was parents-night out and we all decided it was time to get together again and enjoy a night out in beautiful San Mateo. Avenida was our choice. Parking was kind of challenging but we had great timing when one car pulled out and gave us their spot. Parking was free probably because it was already past 6pm. We were greeted warmly by our hostess and water was immediately brought to our table to satisfy our party of 6. We were seated just left of the entrance in a really nice spot. The decor of the restaurant had that island vibe and the fan blades were shaped as leaves. I was told the building was historical in some way by a friend but they really renovated it nicely. As for the food, we started out with the treviche (shrimp, fish, tuna) as our appetizer along with sugba kinilaw. Both delicious. We followed it up with our main course selections of inihaw na pusit (grilled jumbo squid), pancit palabok, beef shank kaldereta, beef shank bulalo. We topped out our evening with the Calamansi Pie (must try). White rice enough for 6 people. I really enjoyed the flavor of the jumbo grilled squid. It was well marinated and every bite had that teriyaki like flavor. The beef shank kaldereta had the most flavor and even if it had some cheese sprinkled on top, it was hardly noticeable. As for the bulalo, well seasoned and not too salty where the key ingredient of patis (fish sauce) usually provides the traditional flavor. What was a letdown was the pancit palabok. My friend makes a better palabok (malabon style) in where the Tinapa (smoked fish flakes) is the key ingredient. All in all, we had a great time in a relaxing atmosphere that allowed our group to mingle, converse and enjoy a great meal. Having dinner on an off-day like Monday creates this kind of vibe where you don't have to literally shout at each other just to be heard in a conversation because of the presence of larger crowds. Many people out having dinner in the surrounding restaurants as well. The evening was perfect for all! read more

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Decided to try this spot for the first time, while it was my mom's second visit. The ambiance inside is nicely put together. We came to check out both their happy hour offerings and the full menu. The food was excellent, and we loved the complimentary chicharrón. My mom was especially excited to try the halo-halo because of the hot weather, though the portion size seems to have changed. Also, keep in mind that happy hour pricing differs depending on where you are seated. the happy hour specials only apply at the bar and outdoor seating. read more

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We came in around 5:20 PM and started with appetizers, which were honestly excellent 5/5. That was the highlight of the night. No one told us the table had a reservation coming later. After finishing appetizers, we ordered our mains. The chicken inasal was good, but the tuna belly was concerning. It tasted off and made my tongue feel itchy, which is not something you expect from fresh fish. What really ruined the experience was the service. After our meal, our server even gave us a dessert menu, so naturally we thought we could stay a bit longer. Then suddenly another staff member came over and bluntly said a reservation was coming "any minute." No apology, no proper explanation. We were there from 5:20 PM to about 7:05 PM, ordered plenty of food for four people, and were never told there was a time limit. That should have been communicated upfront. And there are still more tables empty. Great appetizers, but poor service and questionable food quality. Not coming back. Service to be honest is something every resto have to work on because even if your food is not so good, atleast people will be happier with the service. read more

My fiance and I were heading back from SF and he reminded me that I suggested this place months ago, so we stopped by. It was a Sunday around 3, and this place was still pretty busy. There was a 10 minute wait for a table, so we opted for the bar. The interior is modern and could work for something casual or a special occasion. The servers were friendly and quick to greet us. It took us a while to figure out what we wanted, but we finally decided to order the Tokyo sour, chicken and pork adobo, lechon, and two sides of garlic rice. We would've ordered an appetizer, but I wanted to hold out for dessert. The Tokyo spritz was soooo good. Honestly, maybe the best cocktail I've ever had. It had a well balanced flavor and I could taste the alcohol, but it wasn't too strong. It was refreshing, sour, sweet, and the egg white gave it a great texture. 100/10 you should order it. I definitely want to try more cocktails here. The chicken adobo was perfectly tender and flavorful. The lechon was also delicious, as expected. Served on the side were some pickled carrots that were slightly tangy, crunchy, and garlicky. Everything tasted so good with the garlic rice. For dessert, I wanted the halo halo but I noticed a maiz con hielo milky ice. I love corn, so we had to get it. I've never heard of this before and I loved it!! My new favorite dessert!! This whole experience was an 1000/10! I think it might be my new recommended go to. Definitely give it a try! read more

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