This was a spur of the moment trip. I wanted to take my hungry kids for burgers without having to go into The City. I yelped this place and saw the 4-stars - that rating raised our expectations. The Grill was average. Not bad, but not better than average. I could've done better at home, but part of the treat for going here was to keep myself from cooking and still enjoying a 4-star meal. read more

City Grill - Cheeseburger. - American Near Me - Pacifica, California

I can not say enough about how great this restaurant is. The service is outstanding and they are super nice (especially the wonderful lady working the front of house). Considering the prices, the food is delicious and they give large portions. They really take the time to assemble your sandwich/burger neatly and evenly (something that most places ignore- especially when giving take out). I could not recommend a local small business restaurant any more than City Grill. P.S: Burgers, BLTA's, Club, and Pancakes are awesome read more

Not the best food in the world, but definitly good enough place for when you want to take the night off cooking, and the staff are great!

Food is sketchy but edible. Lousy atmosphere and not too clean looking. Definitely not fresh food!!! Chicken piccata with a heavy white gravy? No!!! Go somewhere else! read more

Staff is very friendly. Cindy is wonderful, loves her regulars and loves to catch up. Food is good. Great portions.

I really enjoy bringing food home from City Grill. There are times when simple comfort food just hits the spot and the have it! I have enjoyed their burgers, grilled chicken sandwiches and they make me a special version of their club sandwich and it's always spot on. The staff is always very friendly and accommodating. read more

My favorite restaurant to go in Pacifica is just a hop, skip and jump away -- CITY GRILL. Weekend breakfasts, the place is busy, the service is special as the staff and owner, Cindy always greets her patrons with a smile and her staff remember our favorite beverages. My favorite breakfast is either the Rancher special which is 4 slices of crisp bacon, 2 eggs any style you want, 2 pieces of toast and a half-plateful of their delicious "home fries" which are actually house potatoes, always cooked to perfection. My other favorite breakfast is their #7 omelet which is spinach, mushroom and cheese but I always forego the cheese. I've had omelets without cheese at other restaurants and the omelet is dry but the 3-egg omelets I get at City Grill always come out light and moist. This comes with a half-plate of either hash browns or home fries but the home fries (house potatoes) are the only potato I order; and includes any type of toast you like. Their iced teas are always freshly-brewed and flavorful and I get mine with a lemon slice. The Rancher special is about $8 and the omelet about $8.50. For all that food that I always have to bring home leftovers, it's a great deal. Great food, affordable prices and great service! read more

City Grill - Hearty Breakfast! - American Near Me - Pacifica, California

First of all let me say that the reviewers that gave City Grill 1 or 2 stars are incorrect.. My wife and I have eaten at City Grill at least every weekend for the past 4-5 years. Sometimes going back the same day for another meal. It has always been consistently great!! I am a native San Franciscan, born and raised, but I have also lived in Pacifica for about 25 years. Needless to say, I always believe in getting good food for a decent price. In these hard economic times there are many Bay Area restaurants that still try doing things the old, archaic way...assembly line style...get 'em in, pretend to be warm and then slap the bill on the table before you've finished your entree. Not at the City Grill. The owners and the staff are friendly, warm and courteous. Now the food... So good! Their breakfast is typical American fare with eggs, omelette's, bacon, french toast, etc., etc., etc, It always comes out piping hot and fresh, served by a friendly, attentive member of the staff. I recommend the omelette's. They are made huge and chock full of ingredients. If you order a ham and American cheese omelette...it will have more the enough ham and cheese just waiting to burst out of the eggs. Their specialty is the home fries that accompany most of the breakfasts. They are also freshly prepared with onions and spices. Yum! The lunches and dinners are also delicious. Again, this is common American fare. If you're looking for fancy...go to an overpriced San Francisco restaurant... I've had most of everything on the lunch menu and all their sandwiches are piled high with meat, cheese, veggies, etc., etc., etc. Every lunch comes with your choice of potato salad, cole slaw or french fries. I recommend the fries. It's a huge portion of thick-cut fries that I can never finish and they are cooked they way fries are supposed to be...not greasy. They serve a tasty cheeseburger with two slices of cheese (if you want cheese) and plenty of fresh veggies to top it off on a fresh bun. This place serves beefsteak tomatoes and iceberg lettuce with their burgers, not some wilted Romaine lettuce or tasteless tomatoes. They are always cooked to order. It's not uncommon to have a meal there and watch burgers flying out the door for pick-up. By the way...you get the same amount of food with take-out as if you were dining in. Also, try their club sandwich. It's delicious and chock full of meat. The dinners are a bit pricier, but let me tell you what you get... You start with a homemade style soup, then a dinner salad (made with all the afore mentioned veggies), and then the entree which includes a fresh baked potato or rice, fresh steamed veggies (broccoli, zucchini and carrots) which is accompanied by a fresh basket of bread and butter. Here's a few I recommend... The roasted tri-tip is perfection on a plate. At $14.95 it is a steal. The meat is always tender and cooked the way you ask for it and you get a huge pile of meat!! The prawn skewers are also great, but you have to ask for it by name because it's not on the menu (only a seasoned CG veteran would know this). They are always big, juicy and grilled piping hot. I am very leery of eating seafood at a restaurant, but not at the City Grill. Their meatloaf and chicken teriyaki are good too. My wife especially likes the prawn scampi and salmon. Now on to the drinks. The coffee is always fresh and they serve it all day. The ice tea is fresh brewed with a lot of ice, not the Nestea crap that comes out of a fountain. Most places you go, the ice is melted in your cup before it hits your table and you have to ask a disinterested server to bring you a cup of ice that may get to your table when they're damn good and ready. They make the best shakes that I have tasted in a long time. It's not vanilla ice cream with whatever flavored syrup you ordered. If you order a chocolate shake...it's made with chocolate ice cream. If you order a strawberry shake...it's made with strawberry ice cream. They are consistently thick, but not so thick you can't suck 'em through your straw. The downside is that it takes a little longer to prepare than your average pull-from-a-premade McDonald's tap. Believe me it's worth the few extra minutes and they give you all the excess malt that was made. What makes this place special is the service. Everything is cooked to order and they bend over backwards to satisfy every request. Cindy and Dennis, the owners, are committed to keeping the quality food at a reasonable price. You will never see them or their staff without a smile or a warm "hello". If they can, they will meet you at the door and open it with a friendly feeling as if you were part of their family. In fact, I am wheelchair bound and some one always helps my wife to pull the wheelchair out of the trunk of our car and wheel me right to our waiting table. Lastly, they can tend to get busy. Don't get pissed and leave. You'll be sorry..... read more

Great food and friendly atmosphere! I recommend the chicken fettuccine alfredo and clam chowder. I've also had the burger and fries and milkshakes which are also pretty great. Fast service and big portions. If you're in Pacifica and want a quiet and nice family friendly place to eat, this is the place for you! My family and I don't come too often but when we do, we're never disappointed. read more

City Grill always has good service. You get both soup and salad with an entre and big portions. Their food is always really good. Their soups are home-made and we think they have the best Clam Chowder in the area. Its a great place to take the family. read more

My breakfast was fine, but I don't know that I'll be coming back. I had a spinach, mushroom, onion and cheese omelette. It was good sized, but it had hardly any cheese. It came with home fries/potatoes, which were pretty good. The omelette was $7.95 + tax + tip - which ends up being a $10 breakfast - without coffee! I thought it was a bit overpriced for what it was. I guess I'm used to going to breakfast places where my meal is truly YUMMY. I might give it a chance again, but it's clear across town from where I live and I personally don't think it's worth the drive. If I lived close by, I might try it again. read more

Friendly, good chicken terriyaki, onionrings, soup and hamburgers... but steer clear of the desserts. This is the fav restaurant of my boyfriends brother and we eat there many times with him. All of the appetizers and entrees I've had are good, but the few times I've seen any desserts its obviously frozen junk ordered from some cut rate factory. I would rate lower except that food actually made there and the service had always been very consistent, a rarity in pacifica. Also their soups range from very good to excellent. Would rather they completely axed their dessert menu with just scoops of ice cream than what they currently have. read more

Solid home style cooking in the South end of Pacifica. The staff is great. Very friendly. Efficient, too. Prime rib dinner is good. If you're in Pacifica, and in the mood for old school food with friendly service, look no further. read more

I stopped in here last Friday since it was late and I needed to find a last minute meal. I ordered the steak and coconut shrimp special. This was a very good value for the money. The meal included a salad and clam chowder. The bread was warm and fresh. Overall the meal was filling and the service was good. I would recommend giving this place a try! read more

I have come to this restaurant three times and every time it has been a disappointment. The first time I ordered a vegetarian hamburger. The patty was dry and hard. The second time I ordered a salad that came with turkey. I am a vegetarian so I gave the turkey to my friend. The rest of the salad was tasteless. It was basically lettuce with onions and carrots. The third time (and this was the worst) I ordered a vegetarian sandwich. It was mainly carrots and lettuce with a couple of pieces of cucumber and a couple of pieces of slices mushrooms. there was no mayo on the bread or anything to give it any flavor. It was basically a lame salad in between two pieces of dry bread. But then the worst part of it all was that I ordered fried zucchini sticks and on one of them there was a HAIR! omg...I will never go back there. The service is good and the lady who waits on the table is friendly, but the food is terrible. I don't see how this place can have four stars. read more

This is one of those very charming "mom and pop" restaurants.I went for lunch yesterday. I was warmly greeted. A menu showed up and I had a great lunch with soup, salad, and shrimp on a skewer. This came with excellent vegetables that were properly cooked. I had a wonderful time and would recommend this restaurant to everyone! read more

A nice local option for us. We like the burger, fried chicken, and chicken sandwich. Wish the fries were consistent. Sometimes they are under cooked. Breakfast is also pretty good. Food is prepared quickly and the prices aren't too bad either. read more

This is a neighborhood restaurant with good food and service. I took HWY 1 to go from San Mateo to Pacifica and it was pleasant drive on a beautiful day. Will go there again to try some other dishes. read more

Family favorite. You always get exactly what you expect. No fuss. Great burgers (hidden gem in Pacifica if you ask me). Best Fries ever (and they give you a pile of them--- dangerous!). Service can be a little slow with drinks, check, etc... but always friendly and easy to flag someone down. Quiet spot, no wait, solid diner food. It's nothing fancy, but it's still great :) read more

This place has the feel of an old-fashioned "greasy spoon," which I definitely appreciate in these modern times of chain restaurants in a lousy economy. There's no kids menu, but the staff are ready for kids to arrive, equipped with white place mats and crayons. Our daughter got a footlong hotdog and fries for $5.50, and it was enough food for a starving adult. The reuben sandwich was great, but the salad left a little to be desired. My wife got the veggie burger, which was your typical Boca, but it got the job done. We'll definitely return for inexpensive, filling fare! read more

City Grill has become a Friday night tradition between myself and my fiance. We love clam chowder night! The owner and staff recognize us and treat us very well. After reading some of the reviews I just had to write my own. As far as them getting orders wrong, It happens no matter where you go, people make mistakes. I was a waitress for 10 years and made plenty of mistakes (humans tend to do that) If you are looking for a high end "meatloaf" then this isn't the place for you. If you are looking for a homey place where the staff is friendly then this is the place. I happen to like the food there. My fiance and I live down the street so its very convenient and the parking is great. I just love a place that knows my order before I sit down. Go City Grill! read more

Best burger! They city grill burger is consistently delicious. $9.50 and includes sautéed onions mushrooms, bacon and avacado. They also have great America diner style breakfast but I always go for the burger. read more

Even if I'm not looking for fancy place to eat but more for convenience, I still won't return to this place. Nothing appears freshly cooked but more like Costco. I could have done that (but better!) at home. Avocado burgers had not ripen avocados. The burger was thin and the bun had melted butter on it, which made it very greasy! If you are in San Mateo, try apple fritters!! Best ever! read more

Imagine eating a nice, home cooked meal in your grandmother's kitchen (assuming you like your grandmother). Now, imagine getting to eat that meal right in the comfort of the back of the valley at City Grill. Their chicken teriyaki is delicious and is my go to entree. My family always enjoys the steak sandwiches. Each entree comes with salad AND soup for a cheap price. Service is friendly and keeps us coming back. Keep up the good work City Grill! read more

So we tried the City Grill, our experience was great!!! Our food was delicious, everyone in our family love the food. I have one picky eater in our family and he special loved it. We always struggle to figure out where to have breakfast. Not anymore, we found the spot everything from how clean it is and how friendly the staff is. We would definitely go back read more

Excellent pretty much every time I come here. Their burgers and shakes are particularly excellent. The service is also reasonably quick. Make sure to watch out for the specials too they're exceptional. read more

I took my family for the day to the Ocean. We thought we would have a nice dinner and found this place on Yelp with three stars. So, we though let's try it. My wife and 4 year old shared fish n chips. This plate looked like you got it from the frozen section at your local market. They ordered drinks at 1.95 for a can of diet pepsi. After we got the check we were ready to get out of there. If I can sum it up in one word.....GARBAGE!!! read more

Excellent food - especially their soup. Excellent people - hey there Cindy and Dennis! Warm and friendly atmosphere. We are there at least once a week! read more

My wife and I eat here once or twice a month, and the food is consistently good. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served here, and the place is good for all 3. The restaurant is clean and family owned. What I like most about the dinners is they come with Both soup and salad. (how often have you wanted both and had to pay extra). Dinners range from around $10-20 depending if you order spaghetti or prime rib. They also have a good variety of chicken, and seafood. You don't see the kitchen from the seating area, and they do serve beer and wine. This place is hidden in the back of Pacifica, but is worth finding read more

I am a us army soldier and i called this place for mothers day. I was not only appalled by the way i was treated but a bit offended. I was hung up on by the lady taking calls and when i tried to call back for the manager no one would answer my call. When they finally answered my call the lady said that the manager was not in and hung up on me again. read more

I'm local and have a strong preference to try and keep as much of my business in the community as possible - but good grief this place served one of the worst AND most overpriced meals I have ever had the displeasure of eating. I had dinner there yesterday and the meal was horrific and grossly overpriced. (BTW - I should probably have been warned off by all the health code violations posted in the window, but see point #1 - I was trying to support our local places.) Anyhow my wife and I tried their special and one of their burgers, along with an appetizer and all were some form of horrible. Their rib-eye steak special (~$24+tax+tip) was a small, fatty, thin, tasteless, fried steak. (Think the kind you can buy at Safeway for $2) Also the Veg that came with the steak tasted as if it had been fried, though it wasn't supposed to be - somehow it was covered in oil. The jalapeno poppers appetizer had no flavor - how long those must have been sitting around getting freezer burn to have NO taste I am afraid to imagine. And probably the best part of the meal was the burger - it was overpriced but not as awful as the rest. On the positive side - the french fries were actually decent. Nice texture and good crunch / warmth to them. Though this meal set me back almost $50. I could have gone to a really tasty place - instead we ate here and quite literally were almost ill due to the nastiness of the food. read more

OK, I have never had a dinner here, That being said, they make a really good grilled chicken sandwich. Comes with cheese, avocado, bacon, and fries for 10 bucks. I skip the hamburger bun and have them put it on rye bread. read more

We became locals 4 years ago and originally started coming here for their cheeseburgers and fries made to order. We have since found a few other items that are honorable mentions, such as their Boston clam chowder (all of their soups are good.), prime rib and their rancher's breakfasts. Don't be afraid to ask about how a dish is prepared or for your dish to be slightly tweaked (e.g. if you want more cheese on a particular dish, or if you are looking for your prime rib to be a little more marbled, etc.), as they seem to be very accommodating in that way. The new owner is gracious and very attentive to her customers, just as another reviewer has said, and I agree. The new management continues to improve upon their menu by offering new breakfast and dinner specials, which speaks to their desire to improve the dining experience for its clientele. If you are looking for great homemade food and genuine customer service with a smile, give City Grill a visit. It may soon be habit forming! read more

It is hard to say anything really nice about this place except it at least appeared clean. I ordered a Caesar salad, which the waitress asked me if I wanted thousand island for. She obviously did not know what a Caesar salad was. It ended up having way too much pepper on it. My son had the spaghetti and meatballs, which had almost no flavor. It was kind of like watered down unseasoned tomato sauce poured over spaghetti and processed meatballs. I was glad he only ate a bite of the processed meatballs. I couldn't even stomach his left overs. He also had a small side salad with olive oil, which you'd think couldn't really get screwed up except the waitress tried to charge it as a full sized dinner salad instead. The only nice thing about being there was the company I was with. Other than that, I'm not ever intentionally going back. It's too bad, cause I would really like to see some good business in the little park mall that it's in. read more

I used to frequent City Grill a few years ago when I lived in Pacifica and after moving away and now moving back to Pacifica I decided to try City Grill again. It was just as good as I remember! The decor is not the fanciest but the food is great diner food with big portions. They also have many menu items with avocado and are not skimpy on the avocado portion as you get half an avocado. The quality of the food is great and they have lots of items to choose from. I love their breakfast (served till 3pm every day)! My husband once ordered the double burger and it was way too big but he couldn't stop from eating it all. read more

The breakfast is pretty good, quick and cost effective. They did, however, mess up my order not once but twice. So i have to knock off a star. overall it was a good experience and i will be back. read more

My family and I have gone here for years! Their prime rib is a family favorite. We come here just for it. Decent prices and delicious food.

Great neighborhood diner. Good Hamburgers an decent Prime Rib. Good prices also. Very friendly Asian family. I go 4 times a month.

What a yummy place!!! The beef and barley soup was delicious. Everything we ordered was good. Will definitely be back when we're in the area. read more

My hubby and I have been coming here since the beginning of April and have been back here about twice a week. Their breakfasts, lunch and dinners are great. We have had their prime rib which was very good. They will serve it exactly the way you ask (rare will be rare....medium-rare will be medium rare...). The rib-eye steak was great...the shrimp & onions were great...everything was great. Their burgers were huge with a lot of fries (nice and crispy and moist inside). The portions are huge. The vegies, though, tasted like it was made with their deep fried oil. But the veggies were perfectly cooked, not overcooked & mushy. Dinners come with soup and salad. Prices are reasonable especially for the amount of food you get. The service has always been great. We especially love the service we get from Cindy. Always pleasant and attentive. We will continue going back. read more