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    Clawesome

    4.7 (37 reviews)
    Closed 12:00 pm - 9:00 PM
    Updated 1 month ago

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    Today's bounty
    Anita T.

    Cute claw machine arcade! Pros: Colorful, attractive- kids were going wild as soon as we rolled up Nice toys, including labubu boxes and Sanrio stuffies I personally liked that the claw machines only had a couple items in there at a time, fewer bunched together animals . If the stuffy is the right size / shape and not too heavy, the game is totally winnable. We spent 25, walked out with 5 pretty cute stuffies Cons: Payment system can be confusing- needs you to download their app and you can only buy set increments Parking in the area can be congested, this is in the heart of downtown

    Kids stool!
    Chris K.

    Clawesome is such a fun new addition to downtown San Mateo. We came on a Friday night and it was packed, but in a good way, the energy was super fun! The girls (ages 7 and 1.5) had the best time and were winning a ton of stuffies. Honestly, they didn't want to leave. I really loved the fact that it was reasonably priced. $25 got you 90 credits, and each most games were 3-5 credits. The owners, Leann and John were awesome. They walked us through their app, the new store and the reward promo they've got going right now. Leann spent time watching our girls play and would go out of her way to help them, even opening the machine to toss in the prize as a win. That was so sweet. I also love that they have a little stool so the younger kids can reach the machines on their own, plus a bunch of smaller claw machines with super cute prizes. And they even have a photo booth set up that's completely free right now, so definitely take advantage while it lasts! And the prizes overall are legit: Pokemon, Marvel, Hello Kitty, even blind box labubus! Such a great spot for all ages definitely recommend giving it a try!

    Jeymmie P.

    Came here on a Friday night and it was full!!! A great addition to downtown! Perfect location! So close to a lot of restaurants so you can come after you eat or while you wait to get your table. The machines are winnable. My 7 year old won six stuffies and my 1 year old won two. I'm pretty sure everyone in the place had prizes in hand and so many people left happy. They have a mobile app that can be used as a game card - very easy to tap and play and reload. Also reasonably priced - $25 for 90 credits. Most machines are 3-5 credits and machines with the larger prizes are around 7-9 credits. The prizes are the best I've seen in any claw machine. They have blind boxes (labubus and mickey and friends), stuffies, keychains, Pokemon, Disney. All very cute. Customer service was excellent! One of the owners, Leann, was so sweet. There were a few times that she saw us so close to winning and she gave us a few free plays until we won and also just opened up one of the machines and gave our daughters a stuffy. You can tell the owners opened this place to see people have fun. They were genuinely happy for anyone that won a prize. So fun! We will probably be visiting often!

    grace m.

    Kids had a great time here after getting absolutely crushed at Round1. This was a great redemption option for them and they had such a great time. The owners were super kind and would help move things around if it was hard for the kids to get what they wanted - even a big Labubu! Highly recommend if you want a fun afternoon followed by good food downtown after!

    Alex N.

    Went here on a whim and had an amazing time. The prizes are super cute and most importantly, the staff is great My gf and I were able to win a giant snorlax plushie. Then another family won a giant squirtle plushie a few plays later haha + payout rate is great + plushies are cute + friendly and attentive staff + good location for families

    Kimberly N.

    Love this addition to downtown San Mateo. Parking can be difficult on the weekends just because it is surrounded by many restaurants. I didn't like the app too much, especially since you can only buy credits in certain amounts like $25, 35, 50, 100. $25 would get you 90 credits and each game cost 5 credits. Also, they have very few plushies in the claw machines, pretty difficult to win. The game attendant was helpful.

    Free stickers!
    Vinny G.

    The machines were set to "win-able". The first machine we played we won at 2nd attempt. Second machine we played we won 1st attempt. So the place definitely wasn't cheating your money (experienced players know how it is). The photo booth pricing was not set up yet so all the printed photos were free. We were not too greedy we only took three photo sets lol. It is a few stores down from Taishoken ramen so if you have to wait in line for your table, this is a good place to visit while you wait. We even got some free stickers!! It was GOOD TIMES!

    Steph T.

    I randomly stumbled into Clawsome after brunch with a friend and I'm so glad we did! I spent maybe 30 minutes here and walked out with a TON of prizes (and I have zero coordination, so that says a lot) The vibe instantly reminded me of the claw arcades in Japan and Seoul, super clean, bright, and fun, with machines that actually feel winnable. The owners, Leann and John, were both incredibly kind and helpful. They have a promo for new customers where you download their app and get 10 free coins to start. The app lets you tap to play each machine which is so convenient. They also helped me swap one of my prizes for a different color without any hesitation. If you're into Labubus, they actually have them! The boxed ones are authentic (love that) and the ones outside the boxes are just display. Points for transparency Also, there's a complimentary photo booth which is so cute. Overall just a genuinely fun experience. 10/10 highly recommend to stop by if you're in the area.

    Winning!

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    10 hours ago

    it sucks waste of money and also THATS ASSUALT I think it's a horrible entertainment it really just sucks

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    5 months ago

    This place is super fun. All the games are amazing and it reminds me of my time in Japan.

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    Ask the Community - Clawesome

    Is the app required or are there cards for little kids?

    Hi Nate! Great question. App is NOT required. We also offer cards at no additional cost.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - Clawesome

    I went to Clawsome on Saturday and I got 2 plushies one labubu and one wild but cutie !

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    No words feel quite strong enough to describe my experience at Gama Ride. From the moment I walked…read morein, I was genuinely impressed. The space is incredibly clean and thoughtfully designed. I had never seen an arcade or entertainment venue quite like it before.What completely surprised me was the ice skating rink inside the arcade. My jaw literally dropped, and i immediately turned to my friend asking if we could go. It's such a unique and fun concept that immediately makes the place stand out. They also had a bowling area and spot with pool tables. The perfect place that has everything to do there. The staff were all welcoming, upbeat, and clearly excited to be there, which made the whole experience even better. We decided to grab some food, and I was honestly blown away. This was not typical arcade food at all. Everything tasted fresh and high quality. I ordered the sliders and fries, and they were seriously delicious. I would come back just for the food alone. Gama Ride is the perfect place to hang out with friends when you're looking for something fun to do, but it would also make a great date spot. Between the atmosphere, the games, the ice rink, and the amazing food, it's a place I'm already looking forward to visiting again.

    Gama Ride is one of my new favorite arcade spots and a great place to spend time with friends,…read moreloved ones, or even on a date with your significant other. It's located on the opposite side of the skating rink and is easily accessible. I love that the arcade is spread across multiple areas and floors instead of being one large flat space. The different levels make it fun to explore, and you're always curious about what other games are waiting upstairs or around the corner. I also noticed several games I hadn't seen before, including The Voice karaoke room, which was a fun and unique touch. There's also an entire floor dedicated to billiards, priced at $5 per game, which I really enjoyed. They offer food and alcoholic drinks, making it easy to spend a few hours here without needing to leave. The space was well-maintained and clean, which I truly appreciate. Parking in the plaza is plentiful and convenient.

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    Kids always have a lot of fun here for parties and youth group outings. The post-game scoresheets…read moremake for good chatter. Convenient location off 101 and Brittan. Staff are friendly and the place is in excellent condition.

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    I sent in a proposal asking for specific games and pricing, as well as corporate graphics and…read morewraps, and included the location of the event. Despite the website and all socials stating they service the West Coast and listing Seattle, WA and Portland, OR both as one of their cities, they emailed back stating that Washington was out of their service range. I emailed a screenshot of their website and asked if that was another company or perhaps only certain games, and was told the following: "For your information, our office and warehouses are located in San Francisco, CA. While we do serve the Washington, Oregon, and Nevada areas, please note that due to the extended travel distance, our minimum one-day rental for events in Washington is $18,500 plus delivery." Needless to say, I would not suggest using them.

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    Took the kids here for a little adventure during inclement weather. They had a blast…read more First things first. I recommend doing the waiver online. You'll have to sign again at the register, but it will save you a bunch of time when you arrive. Ok...for our experience. It can feel a little overwhelming when you first arrive if you haven't been there before. Having people walk in, with their own helmets, acting like they own the place will have anyone unsure where they should go or do when they first arrive. The staff make it feel very welcoming and friendly. After I finished check-in, I felt like the people with their own helmet. Tyrez helped me at check-in. He was patient, professional and friendly. When I say patient, I mean PATIENT! I had four kids with me and when it came to head covers alone, he got everyone what they needed even though I had to prompt the kids multiple times to come to a decision. We got there, but it was rough and Tyrez was amazing throughout! He even explained everything to me so that I wouldn't be caught off guard by anything and wouldn't end up frustrated...or at least that is how it felt. Next, know this. When they are running adult races, it's loud in the track area. Because I work safety, I have my watch set to alarm me when the sound exceeds the OSHA permissible exposure limit. It went off a lot. So, I measured the sound. It can get above 100 decibels. That's loud. Not as loud as a rock concert or fire truck siren, but it will make it difficult to have a conversation. You may want to consider ear plugs...or ear buds with noise canceling. The races are run very efficiently and they alternate between youth and adult groups. One safety feature the do great is that they are never on the track, together, at the same time. Safety seemed like it was well managed. When impacts happen, they throttle down the carts, to ensure everything is safe. One note though...and I see this as a huge positive...they let you RACE! Yes, they pay attention and focus on safety, but they don't scold or stop because of a little inadvertent contact. I was truly impressed by the balance they maintain there. In my group of four, two were a little scared and didn't race all the races we purchased (I bought the SpeedPass for each and it seems like a really good package for first timers), but they were amazing at helping me re-assign them to the others in our group. Luis helped me there and again, he was patient with me and helped ensure we got everything transferred correctly. He also answered all 5,000 of my questions throughout our visit. No, not really 5,000, but there were a lot. He was amazing! If I had any criticism at all, it would be for the game area. Many of their games weren't working because of a network error. It was disappointing for me, but it hit the kids hard. They should have someone dedicated to that area as it was never empty while we were there. I would imagine that having all working correctly would result in increased revenue. Overall, we had an amazing adventure there today and Tyrez and Luis were part of the reason why. Their track team was the other part...I just wasn't able to get their names. If you're looking for a new adventure, this is an amazing way to spend a Saturday!!!

    I wasn't able to ride the kart because of a major problem I noticed: the wait time. The wait time…read moreis terrible, and they need to do something about it. Whatever they are doing now, they need to stop. And do something new It was my first time here. We arrived at 4:43, and when we got there the place was almost completely empty. We bought two adult races and one junior race, totaling $193, which I don't think is worth it at all. The cashier told us the junior race would be about a one-hour wait and the adult race would be about a 30-40 minute wait. They also said we would ride before the next junior race and that they would call our names. We waited about 50 minutes, and somehow 3-4 races finished, with people being called in before us even though they arrived after us. When they called the adult racers, a family who had been in front of us when we bought the races got called, but we didn't. After that race ended, the junior racers were called, but our junior racer wasn't included. That's when we realized we were supposed to be in the previous race, according to what the cashier had told us. We asked how much longer it would be, and they said another 20 minutes. We waited again--this time about 40 minutes--and still not a single one of our names was called. We asked yet again how much longer it would be, and the employee said he honestly didn't know and that people sometimes wait up to 8 hours, which I find very hard to believe. At that point, we were fed up and asked for a refund and left. In my opinion, waiting over 2 hours for maybe a 30-minute experience is not worth it. One employee even completely ignored me when I asked about the wait time--he looked at me and then ignored me. There is also nothing to do while waiting. You could play the crappy arcade games and that will only keep you entertained for 20-30 minutes, plus they cost an extra $15 or more. The track also seemed small, and the food is expensive for low-quality frozen food.

    Clawesome - arcades - Updated May 2026

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