Cancel

Open app

Search

Blue Sky Café

4.3 (660 reviews)
ModerateChinese
Closed • 11:00 am - 2:30 pm, 4:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Updated 2 months ago

Blue Sky Café Photos

Business Info

BLUE SKY CAFÉ ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Good for groups
Good for kids

You might also consider

Recommended Reviews - Blue Sky Café

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Chicken Chow Mein
John V.

This was the best restaurant we ate at while in the San Francisco area. A small family owned Chinese gem. We had about a 45 minute wait as the dining room is quite small. Maybe only 15 tables? Nothing fancy here but all the food I saw come out looked simply wonderful. We picked a couple basic dishes but they were certainly top notch. I'm no expert but everything seemed very authentic. Delicious.

Only Salt and Pepper Pork Chop is 5/5
Yvonne Y.

We came to Blue Sky last night just for the salt and pepper spare ribs and pork chop, which are usually the dishes we crave. We also decided to try a couple of things we had never ordered before after seeing other tables enjoy them. The beef chow fun looked amazing when we saw someone else order it, so we gave it a try. Unfortunately, it was a bit disappointing. The noodles were on the dry side and lacked the flavorful wok hei and savory taste that I usually look for in a good beef chow fun. It was just missing that something special. We also ordered the Chinese chicken salad because we wanted something lighter to balance out the meal. I was expecting the traditional shredded chicken with lettuce, but instead it came with thin tortilla-style chips underneath. That really changed the whole feel of the dish for me. I was hoping for a refreshing salad, but the chips made it feel more greasy, and the mustard oil dressing was not really my preference. The chicken was also a little dry. I probably would not order this again. The good news is the salt and pepper spare ribs were still delicious, just like we expected. They remain one of our favorites here. Overall, I would stick with the dishes we already know and love and skip the beef chow fun and chicken salad next time.

Hainan Chicken Rice Plate &  Milk Tea Hong Kong Style
Michele T.

Craving Hainan Chicken. Placed an online order and picked up shortly after. Chicken was moist - good with the ginger scallion sauce. Just plain rice, though. HK Milk Tea good complement.

Clams, Sauteed Large Pea Spout with Egg Tofu, salt and pepper pork chops
Crystal H.

We walked in Tuesday around 7pm and had to wait about an hour. This place is sure busy! We ordered Eel clay pot, Clams, Sauteed Large Pea Spout with Egg Tofu, salt and pepper pork chops, and herbal grass jelly. Everything was good. Nothing was overly salty.

Leona V.

My new comfort spot for claypot rice! Also loved the egg tofu w pea shoots. Wait can get up to 2 hours by 5pm on a weekend. Takes 30 minutes for claypot but so worth. Didn't find any bones in the eel claypot Easy to order for your table with QR code. Staff were really friendly and sweet, very obviously an appreciated spot in the community.

Joyce L.

I haven't been back to this place for a few years and thought I should give them a try again when I saw a huge line as I passed through the area. I was here around 5:15pm and the place was packed already. I ended up waiting over an hour for a table. Was it worth it? Not really to be honest. This is a neighborhood mom and pop restaurant. The owner used to be really friendly but I think over time, he's overworked and started to show signs of attitude. Their portion size remained to be large, so definitely expect left over. The price had gone up significantly but reasonably justified. The tofu dried scallop vegetable entree was about $28.95 if I recalled correctly. If you want to save a little, just order the bean sprouts without the toppings.

Indonesian Fried Rice
Mark L.

I'm going to regret writing this review. This place is tiny but apparently very popular. 11:30 and it's packed with line out the door. Any positive review gonna... Oh well... Milk tea. Legit! Better than some HK style restaurant. Indonesian fried rice - Excellent wok air and huge portion. Bake pork chop rice - Be mindful this is not baked pork chop over rice like usual one. This one is pan fried pork chop over white rice. They add a little bit cheese and the sauce actually pretty good, like the better HK 茶餐廳 style. Suggestion? Go with fried rice and use 吉列豬扒 instead of pan fried. Big difference.

4/26 - Chinese Sausage & Preserved Meat Clay Pot Rice
Dexter D.

I wanted my dad to experience the Clay Pot Rice here so I dragged him over from the East Bay. I asked if he'd prefer the Eel or the Chinese Sausage with Preserved Meta and he asked, "why not both?". Because neither Clay Pots comes with very much in the way of vegetables, I also ordered a plate of Buddha's Delight. Additionally, he got a hot milk tea and I got an iced one. Perfect meal with plenty of leftovers! I have one suggestion that might help the restaurant. They have three rows of tables. The middle row consists of two four-tops. Get rid of those two tables and install four two-tops instead. That way, the tables can be pulled apart and single diners won't tie up a four-top and more diners can eat at the same time without having to share tables. Great service, great food. Get there early if you don't want to have to wait for a table. Blue Sky consistently rocks!

Pumpkin with Salted Egg
Amber F.

Authentic Cantonese-style restaurant located on the border of San Mateo and Belmont/San Carlos. Very limited seating, so make sure to get there 10-15 minutes before they open (or you'll have to wait for a table). They also take to-go orders, but they do cut off orders once it gets busy. The parking lot is kinda of a nightmare (narrow, so you have to make 3+ point turns to get out). We ordered 6 dishes for a party of 5. We heard they're known for their Pumpkin w/ Salted Egg and Minced Pork w/ Salted Fish, so we started off with those. We also ordered Eggplant w/ Garlic Sauce, Beef Chow Fun, Salt and Pepper Fish Fillet, and Egg Tofu. My favorites were the Minced Pork w/ Salted Fish (get bowls of rice to go with it, or just order the fried rice version) and the Salt and Pepper Fish Fillet.

Chicken and Shiitake Mushroom Clay Pot
Madison B.

Ambiance: A small Cantonese restaurant with sit down tables and take out available. The tables are decently spaced out from one another but can be a little noisy and crowded during peak hours to eat. Wait time: Take out is roughly 30-40 minutes or slightly over depending on the food you order and could be longer if you attempt to sit down due to popularity and limited space available for dine in. Service: Extremely friendly staff who were both efficient and diligent with dine in guests and managing take out orders as they were ready. Food: Extremely good clay pot rice without feeling overly greasy or heavy on the palette. The chicken tasted fresh and the shiitake mushrooms provided an earthiness to the chicken along with Chinese sausage to bring a slightly sweet flavor balancing out the dish. They do offer two various styles of spicy sauce which both pair well with the clay pots and further compliment both the mushrooms and the Chinese sausage. I would definitely recommend checking out Blue Sky Cafe for good Cantonese food and friendly staff, but beware of potential wait times due to limited seating available if you are in a rush.

Sautéed green beans with tofu
Elly P.

Delicious Hidden Gem! Food: - Salted fish minced pork clay pot rice: Star of the show! This specialty is hard to find, and it did not disappoint! The rice was perfectly crispy which added a multitude of textures. Good portion of tender meat which exploded with both meaty and salted fish flavors! - Salt and Pepper Fish Filet: tasted like asian fish sticks! large portion sizes and light flavoring - Sautéed green beans with tofu: crisp green beans! the cook knew what they were doing, paired well with the tofu Service/Ambiance: - Parking: there is a small parking lot in front, but more parking in the back lot - Service: polite cantonese employees - Seating: only a couple tables, so make sure you come early if you don't want to wait!

Quick break
Cheryl M.

Happened to be driving down El Camino Real and stumbled upon Blue Sky Cafe. I don't often seek Chinese food but when I do, I want Cantonese-style comfort food. Blue Sky Cafe offers a variety of dishes but popular for the crispy-bottomed Clay Pot Rice with a protein or other ingredient on top that melds into the rice as it cooks with a seasoned soy sauce mixture you drizzle over the top. I ordered the chicken, shiitake mushroom and Chinese sausage clay pot. Good flavors here and generous portion sizes and almost as good as the version my "sis" makes when she surprises me! *tear* Also, ordered the salt and pepper chicken wings that were lightly coated with a starch, fried and tossed with green onions and chopped jalapeño. Simple yet satisfying. Place is small and no nonsense with nautical pics with limited seating (2-round table: 8, 7- tables for 2-4 ppl) so you may be sharing a table. Service straightforward and menu/ordering done via your phone using a QR code or if you're an old timer can place your order with staff. Blue Sky Cafe is always bustling as it serves delicious food, generous portions with reasonable pricing in the Peninsula. Expect a wait at peak hours and definitely the weekend. Street and limited lot parking.

Janine P.

"Everything was delicious! I will be back" not greasy at all Thanks to my friend, Anna for introducing me to this place!

See all

10 days ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 month ago

Helpful 11
Thanks 7
Love this 12
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 days ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 days ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 month ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 2
Love this 3
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 1

1 day ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

6 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

6 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

6 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 1

7 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

10 months ago

Helpful 31
Thanks 12
Love this 26
Oh no 1

4 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Cath F.
5
123
44

1 month ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

9 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Helena D.
119
74
637

2 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of K K.
0
25
26

1 month ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 months ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 1
Love this 2
Oh no 4

9 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 month ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

10 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 2

11 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 1

1 year ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0
Photo of Tony L.
314
532
3590

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 1

1 year ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 2
Oh no 2
Photo of Ada F.
597
541
8424

1 year ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

7 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

7 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

7 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

8 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

8 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

Page 1 of 17

Ask the Community - Blue Sky Café

How successful are walk-ins during dinner time?

Me and hubby check in 30 min after opening time for dinner on a weekday and didn't have to wait ! It's our second time here! We came last time for lunch and waited about 45min but was worth the wait😅

How does this place compare to SilverLake on El camino in San Mateo?

This is better but both serve different cuisines. SilverLake is cheaper especially with 3 3-item combo. Silverlake is kind of Hongkong style cuisine and this is China.

How long do I have to wait?

It depends on what time you arrive there. I have seen a minimal wait time when they just open up. They do accept reservations.

Do they have indoor dining yet?

There was a recent post on Nextdoor from a customer who asked the owner this same question. He was told that Blue Sky cannot reopen indoor dining because they were hit with two opportunistic lawsuits for ADA non-compliance, and it would cost… 

View All 7 Questions

You might also consider

Cheung Hing - Beef and tender greens lo mein

Cheung Hing

3.2(433 reviews)
1.6 mi
•$$

Hands down the best Cheung Hing around. Dining here is good because the location is a fair size,…read moreclean and bright. Service is always consistent and the servers are friendly. Recently I stopped to pick-up dinner with the plan to have leftovers. I called my order in and was quoted 40 minutes for my order to be ready. My order consisted of salted fish and chicken fried rice (this location has the best around SF and the peninsula), bitter melon beef, chicken chow mein, Thai style fried vermicelli (my favorite dish here), salt and pepper chicken wings. We also received a complimentary bbq pork fried rice. Everything was fantastic and we had plenty of leftovers for a few days.

San Mateo location, my usual favorite Chinese food…read more Won ton soup - might've been the first time I've ordered it here. Felt like having won ton soup to help a cold and cough. Big won ton filled w pork and shrimp. Bok choy Broth not much flavor, in a separate container since this was a take-home order. Curry Beef Stew I've never had Curry beef stew before, prefer chicken, curry, but for some odd reason, I decided to order this dish. It was underwhelming and I won't order it again. The Curry sauce itself was OK but the big long pieces of beef were somewhat gross, lots of fat. They added plenty of slices to onions and a few pieces of green pepper and Julienned carrots, but that's about it for being called a stew. So I learned my lesson by not sticking to my usual order, and won't order wonton soup or curry beef stew again.

Photos
Cheung Hing
Cheung Hing - Pineapple bun

Pineapple bun

Cheung Hing

See all

Peking Alley - Bean Sprouts, Eggs, Carrot & Chives with Clear Noodles

Peking Alley

3.9(315 reviews)
1.5 mi
•$$

Solid Beijing cuisine with huge portions and a great value. We came for an early Tuesday dinner,…read morethe restaurant was mostly empty but they seemed to be doing a solid takeout business, and more guests trickeled in later. Staff was friendly and checked on us occasionally to make sure all was well. We ordered: - Smoked chicken (5/5): Definitely the star of the night, this was a cold dish perfectly smoked and tender. A large portion that seemed like a whole chicken and a steal for only $23 - Green Beans (4.5/5): Another large portion, well charred with perfect texture. Served with ground pork and a hint of spice - Meatball Clay Pot (3.5/5): the server did say it was soupy but it was probably my mistake as I thought it would be more like the Shanghainese lion head braised meatballs. Instead it was a very simple clear broth with Napa cabbage, small meatballs and a few strands of vermicelli noodles. The broth flavor was extremely mild and the meatballs didn't have much flavor and were firmer than expected. Our Cantonese friend liked it as he felt it was homey and comforting but I felt it was too boring - House Special Fried Rice (4/5): another huge portion, a solid egg fried rice with very large shrimp and some beef. - Pan Fried Beef Buns (2/5): In Beijing these are often translated to Doornail Meat Buns due to their round shape. Extremely juicy, almost like a gravy inside, and generously filled but the beef tasted a bit gamey which may be due to the spices used, but were off putting to us.

Peking Alley has a fun, authentic Chinese menu, but execution could use some work…read more Weekend Specials are available all day on the weekends, not just Chinese breakfast hours. Homemade Soy Milk - 1/5 I think ordering this at dinnertime when the soy milk has been cooking all day was a mistake. It looked fine, but it tasted burned. When I brought attention to it, the server said it was supposed to be that way, denying it was burned and awkwardly joking about it afterward. Unsweetened, so you need to add sugar yourself. Soft Tofu - 4/5 Soft tofu, wood ear, golden needles (daylily buds) in a thickened soup. Looks a bit like hot & sour soup in appearance and texture, but it's neither spicy nor sour. In a few spoonfuls, the soft tofu did taste burned to me, but I could overlook it mostly. Comforting to eat on a cold day. Chive Pie - 3/5 Impressively huge. However, because they are big, thin, and flimsy, you cannot easily eat this as a handheld. Not crispy or thick enough a pancake to hold the delicious eggs & chives filling. Cumin Lamb - 3/5 My friend seemed to enjoy the lamb, but she didn't eat any of the greens, telling me they were for seasoning purposes. I ate the greens, but this dish came out fast and wasn't warm or heated enough. Beijing Mu Shu Pork - 5/5 I enjoyed the taste and texture of this mix of pork, egg, wood ear, cucumber, and golden needles. We were forewarned that this dish doesn't come with pancakes, like typical mu shu entrees do. We received a complimentary shredded potato chilled appetizer (4/5) and warm sesame balls dessert (3/5). Sesame balls seemed overfried. Restaurant has its own dedicated parking lot, so servers are expecting you to enter from the door closest to that. We entered through the street main entrance, which caught them by surprise. Restaurant appears to be a converted house, so you can dine in various little rooms. Restaurant was cold inside. It seemed that one door would not necessarily stay shut. I also don't think the heat was turned up. I felt like all of us were wearing coats. I chose most of the dishes and let my friend order in Mandarin Chinese. The chef came out a couple times to check on us, but primarily interacted with her in Chinese.

Photos
Peking Alley - Cute and cheerful dining area.  This business also does lots of takeout!

Cute and cheerful dining area. This business also does lots of takeout!

Peking Alley - Cumin Lamb, Beijing Mu Shu Pork, Soft Tofu, and Chive Pie - Photo taken 12/6/2025.

Cumin Lamb, Beijing Mu Shu Pork, Soft Tofu, and Chive Pie - Photo taken 12/6/2025.

Peking Alley - Pan-fried minced beef buns inside

See all

Pan-fried minced beef buns inside

Ping’s Bistro - 椒麻脆贡菜Lettuce Stem Salad with Sichuan Peppers

Ping’s Bistro

4.1(114 reviews)
2.3 mi
•$$

So I'm an OG who has lived in mid-Pen for 25 years, grew up with uncles who owned a very popular…read morechinese restaurant in a different state, and consider myself with refined food palate and know where the good local all asian restaurants are. Forgive me PING'S, but I only recently discovered this really terrific restaurants w/a cuisine from a region called Yunnan I had not discovered before. We got a "funghi" (mushroom) dish that the region is known for and it was amazing. The braised pork belly was really well cooked that was tender but not over done. The lastly got a veggie dish called "chayote leaves" that again, I had not even heard of, we decided to try even though the price seemed a bit expensive; it was absolutely one of my new favorite vegetable dishes and hard to describe. They do put alot of red peppers in many of the dishes so if you don't like spicy, it may not be for you. We saw other tables order frog legs and a fish dish looked quite good too, so this is very local Chinese. Lastly, this restaurant was quite busy on a Friday night with long lines and now we know why. Even though they were very busy, the services even more so for a Chinese restaurant was really good and they checked up on us many times. Ping's will be part of our regular rotation of mid-Pen restaurants now going forward. Highly recommend.

We made a reservation for a party of 9 and they gave us a private room which was nice since we were…read morecelebrating a birthday. You order on an iPad and the server will come in after to confirm the choices you ordered. If you like spicy mala food, this is the place to try! Everything we ordered was mild spicy since some people in our party couldn't handle spicy well and it was still kicking but with good flavor! Everything we ordered was honestly delicious. I can't remember the names, but definitely order the full fish soup, the fried rice and and the cauliflower with lotus root. The only downside is the servers mainly speak mandarin and super quick! But they do understand English and the iPad can be converted to English.

Photos
Ping’s Bistro
Ping’s Bistro
Ping’s Bistro

See all

Blue Sky Café - chinese - Updated October 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...