Fiero Caffe is a unique place where you see regulars who have their daily coffee/espresso and chat with the owner- a little community. Then you see others who are sitting down for hearty meal (omelette, pasta, sandwich). All of the food is good there. We have had practically everything on the menu, whether it is one of their pastas, an entree like salmon or chicken, and even the pizzas, which as of this writing, they no longer offer. Oh, and of course, great espresso drinks. You walk up to the counter and order, they give you a number and you sit down. Food is delivered to you cooked to order. This is a place where you understand that you enjoy your meal and espresso, not that you are in a hurry to work and need to use a mobile app. Seating both inside and outside. Generally well maintained as they turn over tables. One of my favorite places in the peninsula. Only wished they open for dinner but then that could change everything. Owner is great! read more

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A small chill cafe with indoor and outdoor seating....feels like the menu is more of a Italian restaurant....but a great place for breakfast.... People go there talk, relax, bring their kids, dogs, etc..... Seating is first come first serve....but they weren't overly packed for a Saturday about 10AM. I got the Vegetarian Omelette with no cheese.... It was pretty tasty and the latte was really good as well....Nothing to complain about... I'd come back read more

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What a wonderful, hidden gem! From the moment you walk in the door you are greeted by the owner and he makes you feel not only welcome, but appreciated for being there. We came in on a rainy weekday for lunch and they were bustling with business. Prices are about average for the area with most pasta dishes right at or just above $21. Food is all cooked to order, so allow some time for that. It was so nice listening to people who clearly are regulars come in an interact with the owner with such warm greetings. The food was fantastic. The fettuccine must be homemade, it was perfect. The portions are big enough to share (unless you have a mighty appetite). Definitely adding Fiero Caffe to our regular rotation and so we can try their breakfast which looks amazing too. read more

Fiero Caffe - Menu as of January 2026 - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Mateo, California

This is a very cute neighborhood cafe. You order at the counter, they give you a number, and you find a seat. It's great to sit here and just relax / slow down. I got the spaghetti carbonara which was a pretty large portion. It had a great creamy flavor but I wish they put more pancetta. read more

Fiero Caffe - Spaghetti carbonara - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Mateo, California

They have a wide variety of food here, would have loved a bit more breakfast items but it was still good! Cute indoor seating, very homey vibes. It is a quick service where you order and pay up front and then grab a table. Food was well made, good portions for sharing. There's some parking in front or right around the corner in the residential neighborhood. read more

Fiero Caffe - Salmon - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Food and service were great, everyone was so friendly! Generous portions, we will definitely be back! read more

Great food great service love the ambiance. Love to see how it's always so busy. You can't go wrong with the Penne Salmon and the Chicken panini the BEST!!!! Can't forget the Bruschetta and A latte! Delicious always! read more

Fiero Caffe - Bruschetta, chicken panini & Penne Salmon Pasta! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Mateo, California

Nice little place for a bit of old Italian pasta! Would go back. Not cheap but what is these days.

Fiero hands down has my favorite pasta ever- my boyfriend and I order the rigatoni and the carbonara all the time and it just hits. The carbonara is so creamy and savory with the pancetta, and the rigatoni has this creamy tomato sauce that is absolutely perfect. The portions are pretty large too, I'm always full after eating here. I've also had the paninis and omelettes which are also delicious for something lighter. I've had the hot and iced coffee as well- the cappuccinos and lattes are amazing. I'd skip the iced coffee, which is a bit watery. I love how rustic and simple the menu is, but there are also plenty of options for pasta, eggs, omelettes, paninis, etc. The seating inside is also so cute- there's a little room in the back with a big window facing a garden, and the outdoor patio is really nice too. Huge plus is that it's dog friendly, even inside! It's definitely more of a casual spot which I love, and the owner (I'm assuming) is always so friendly when we come in! You pay upfront at the register, then sit down and wait for them to bring you your food and drinks. Fiero is an all time favorite and I'd definitely give the pasta a try if you're downtown for lunch! read more

Fiero Caffe - rigatoni, smoked salmon panini, side of fries, italian omelette, iced coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Nice cafe vibes with lots of sunlight peeking in and a small area for outdoor seating. It was very busy and my friend said business is usually good here. We waited 30 plus minutes for food during weekday lunchtime. They completely forgot about my friend's coffee order which we reminded them when we eventually received our food. Service is very lacking. The owner is not warm. You have to stand in line to order food first before seating yourself. read more

Fiero Caffe - Rigatoni Boscaiola. Average - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Mateo, California

not pictured: bruschetta it was devoured before my camera had a chance to capture it. the flavor on it was INSANE. I even ate the scrap tomatoes and lettuce off of the plate. very tasty, a must! not pictured: salmon on a bed of spinach, barely wilted, with capers. you could taste how fresh the fish was, cooked perfectly, with lemon drizzled on top this was great too. pizza: we added the pepperoni for an upcharge. the crust was thinner than my bedsheets, and somehow didn't fall apart even when I almost burned my fingers and mouth eating this as fast as I did. carbonara: not nearly as salty as I anticipated: in the best way! very light and creamy sauce, not overpowering at all. gnocchi: pillowy soft, pesto was amazing too! this sauce might be my favorite pesto of all time :) will be back to try the meat sauces/red sauces next time, and even the breakfast too! side note: bathroom was clean (can only speak for the women's bathroom), water dispenser for self-serve water, small fridge with sodas and italian soda in the back, great seating areas and we lucked out with parking in front ($0.50/30 minutes) read more

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2/19/24 Zach and I stopped by Fiero Caffe for brunch. We always drive by it on El Camino and finally decided to check it out. We were able to park right in front. When we get there, you order, pay and then get a number and sit down. Here's what we got: - Smoked salmon omelet + large coffee (his) - Vegetarian omelet (mine) The owner/manager told us that the food would take 10 minutes to come out and he was true to his word. There's nice homey and cozy vibe to the caffe. The omelet is fairly large with lots of cheese and veggies (smoked salmon for him). The bread that came with it is soft and not rock hard. The salad is a little bitter, but a nice contrast to the very savory and cheesy taste of the omelet. Just a note, there are no free refills for coffee, you'll have to shell out $1. We liked the food and the atmosphere. As we were waiting for our food to come, we saw various pasta dishes that looked super good. We will definitely be back to try those out. read more

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I had no desire left to go back to that place. Food was okay, although there isn't much to choose from. The owner needs some manners ; he was rude and discriminatory and seems to be selective about his customers . read more

I arrived early for a medical appointment at Sutter and looked for a place to get coffee within easy walking distance. Fiero Caffee was hopping at 9:30 am on a Monday, with locals awaiting lunches to go, and others enjoying breakfast. I was salivating as I read through some of the special pastas and paninis on their menu. Since I needed something to go, I settled on a delightfully light almond croissant and a double macchiato. As I was crossing El Camino, I couldn't resist breaking off a piece. Someone waiting at the bus stop must have noticed the look on my face as I savored the bite and gave me a knowing smile as I passed. The owner was both warm and efficient --it was easy to see the restaurants well run. I wish we had a place like this in my neighborhood! I'll be back for lunch the next time I'm in town! read more

My partner suggested Fiero for coffee and we were shocked by how long the wait was to order, but it made sense being 11am on a Sunday. We got a chance to see the food being delivered to tables and everything looked phenomenal. The coffee was exceptional. I ordered a hot mocha and it was easily the best I've ever had. It wasn't syrupy and sweet, it tasted like it was made with a real deep rich chocolate. It gave the espresso a nice depth and allowed me to appreciate the flavor. I will definitely be back when in the area. read more

Small neighborhood joint. Service is nice, but no clear signage as to order first or seat myself, as well as utensils. Omelet is kinda sad; the salmon needs some acid, so onions or tomatoes would have gone a long way. The sides were a tiny piece of bread and five pieces of potatoes. That's downright pathetic. I'll try their entrees next time and will hope for better results, if there is a next time. read more

Great food. Great service nice cafe environment. Simple menu with high quality food. Easy parking

Biggest issue with this place is the owner. He discriminates with customers who aren't his favorite. While the food tastes great, the portions are very small. Overall the owner needs a huge ego check. read more

View from the back window you can see the creek. Nice view as you eat. Warm pizza oven. Sandwich ok. The pasta is where it's at. I liked my Bolognese better than the pesto my wife got read more

If you call in to place an order, instead of saying they're busy, they'll put you on hold indefinitely.

Five stars for sure! One of my regular places to go to. Lately they added to the menu a pizza and it's amazing (I ordered the marinara with anchovies). They keep the menu simple . They're not changing it very often. I love the fact that the homeowner is always there and working, and you can really see how he loves his business and his customers. read more

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First time here and I'm highly impressed by the food,vibe and prices are super reasonable! Had schnitzel & spaghetti and i freaking loved it! Can't wait on going back in here already Highly recommended read more

Fiero Caffe - Schnitzel & spaghetti - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Mateo, California

Ate lunch much next door and decided to drop in for a quick espresso - well it's a restaurant, and they had just closed. Oops! He curtly said we could get some coffees and drink outside as they were cleaning the inside and people were still hanging out outside. Stoked he was willing to make a few espressos and a latte to go. The espresso was sized like a doppio, and the flavor was good, but thinner and more volume than I wanted, not as strong tasting as I would like, but he didn't overdraw it. This is just their style. Grateful he let us get coffee, but since we had real cups for the espresso, we 5 stood around a table for 2 outside (the only open table) finishing our piping hot espressos - so it took a few minutes, and we were sort of clouding a party of two at the next table - Sorry! So sorry! Well happy to finally try the espresso at this place. Check hours before you come, totally reasonable that they would close at 2pm. My bad! read more

Fiero Caffe - Espresso - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Mateo, California

Cute brunch spot off of El Camino and 2nd near Downtown San Mateo. Personally ordered a macchiato and cinnamon bun, and my brother ordered their omelette. I love the sizes of their coffees because they're the perfect amount of coffee and not too much sugar. The cinnamon bun was tasty too. My brother eats a lot and was able to scarf down the omelette pretty quickly. As far as price and portion, I think the portion size of the omelette might have been fairly smaller than expected. Might be for those who don't have a large appetite - not necessarily a bad thing, but we're people who love to eat hahaha Service was good, a lot of folks behind the front desk everyone looked happy. The gentleman who served our food and rung us up was very kind too. The ambiance the restaurant seemed very family-friendly, and I will have to bring my family back for our next visit. read more

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From other reviews I know this is an unpopular opinion but Fiero Cafe was just meh. Came for brunch. Their menu for is limited. If you want something breakfast like, they have maybe 4 omelettes, one basic egg dish, and some pastries (if you're lucky). Coffee menu is also small and very basic. Had the Sicilian omelette. I could have made the same thing at home. Nothing special about it, lacked flavor, very mediocre. I actually wanted something else on their menu but they didn't have it. Place was packed but we got a table, although it was an uncomfortable high top. Cashier was not very nice, seemed like she didn't want to be there. They forgot to bring my friend's drink. My friend's spaghetti and meatballs also looked very mediocre but some of the other pasta dishes people were getting looked better. Maybe you just have to order the right thing here. read more

Fiero Caffe - Spaghetti and meatballs - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Food is good but wished they had more selection for breakfast Omelettes with ciabatta can use butter on the bread The mocha was ok. Fast service and not too busy on a Wednesday read more

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We've driven by this place so many times and finally got a chance to try it. This is a cute local Italian restaurant with breakfast/brunch, pasta, panini options available. They are only open till 2pm, so no dinner. It's the place you can get pasta for breakfast with no one judging. Omelette was decent with some greens and a piece of bread. We tried both the Sicilian omelette and the bacon and cheese ones. Since almost every table got pasta, we caved and ordered spaghetti with fresh clams. It's one of the specials that day, and it was really yummy. The owner seemed really nice, we will definitely come back sometime to try other pasta dishes. read more

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One word... AMAZING The owner is so helpful, the food is delicious, and the restaurant is cozy and has a wonderful Italian smell. My personal favorites are the rigatoni and spaghetti and meatballs, though I have not tried their pizza yet. If you are at all on the fence about going to Fiero Caffe, 100% go!! read more

Holy Mamma Mia! My partners and I made a trip to Palo Alto to go watch shopping however we needed some fuel and stopped by Fierro Café. The place was open and welcoming and very clean. As we were walking in there were a couple of tables with the plates still on them, which is totally fine because it showed us that the food is delicious as the plates were completely clean of whatever fine cuisine was on them. I ended up ordering the eggplant Parmesan. The explosion of flavors was beyond any type of Italian that I've ever tried before. If you find yourself in this area, you must stop by. Highly recommended. read more

Something light and refreshing for this day. We had 3 sandwiches: (chicken) and (pesto), bruschetta. We also ordered fish - just okay though. My pesto sandwich is with goat cheese and it tasted good. I love my iced latte as well. read more

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My friend and I came here for brunch. The cafe is tucked away a block from downtown San Mateo. The inside is spacious and has window seats overlooking a garden. The cafe has an Italian theme. The coffee was strong. I ordered the salmon salad (which had mixed greens). I'm not the biggest fan of arugula but if you do like it you will enjoy the salad :) the employees were friendly. I asked for eggs on the side for extra protein. Parking is a bit tricky to find as there is only a small lot. Depending on the time you can get a walk in and do street parking. Overall great place to checkout if you're in the area! read more

Fiero Caffe - Salmon salad and omelette - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Mateo, California

I've been coming to Fiero for their coffee for the past year and a half now because the lattes are always consistently good and so much cheaper than the other coffee shops in San Mateo! Today was the first time I've tried their pasta, and it is so delicious. Such a local gem with the cutest, friendliest owner. read more

Fiero Caffe - Rigatoni - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Mateo, California

Great location, easy parking but very small portion sizes. Our basic omelettes came in 30 minutes even the venue was empty. Owner is not a nice person and discriminates against certain individuals. Ambiance is cramped and kitchens does not look clean. Unlike other venues you have to pay FULL price every time you ask for a coffee refill. If you are in downtown San Mateo for coffee or breakfast, there are much better 10-12 venues where you can get your money's worth. read more

Hands down the best Italian food I've ever had, and I've tried many big name Italian restaurants in the bay area from San Mateo to the Coast. Nobody beats Fierro. Their Fettuccine Alfredo is AMAZING! I've tried their spaghetti and meatballs, chicken parmesan, paninis and they're all on point. The owner is always there (much respect) and it really shows in the food quality, and service. Love this place. read more

The place is cute and the atmosphere is great for a cafe. However, the Owner took my order never smiled. I ordered the egg omelette I got it 25 minutes later. It has half or a small scrambled egg on arugula one small slice of bread and six flat pieces or an orange. This was for $15.50. The cost of the food can't be more than $1. It was not an omelette. I was very disappointed. The cappuccino was outstanding. My biggest problem was the value for my money. read more

Awesome little Italian place. Came while visiting a friend and I will definitely make the drive up from San José again for this place! The owner was so nice, the food so incredible. Simple but excellent ingredients, making for wonderful Italian meals. Incredible espresso also! read more

I've been coming to this location since it was the Coffee Critic, 20-30 years ago. We love Fiero, which has now been there for some years. My husband and I live about a mile away and it is our favorite outing to walk over to Fiero for breakfast, lunch, or coffee, usually sitting outside. We are thrilled with the new pizza oven and we sometimes share a Margherita pizza and mineral water for a really low cost lunch; other times, we treat ourselves to pasta (love the pasta Fiorentina), an omelette, or panini. The staff is lovely and looks out for us well. There is sometimes a wait because it is so popular. When the owner is rushed off his feet he doesn't stop to chat, but he runs a great operation and we are so happy Fiero is in the neighborhood! read more

Outstanding neighborhood Italian restaurant! Hours of operation are very limited(7am to 2 pm). Excellent breakfast/brunch menu options, and espresso drink selection. $10 mimosa Chianti, Pinot Grigio. I recommend their spaghetti with fresh clams, prawns, tomato, asparagus in a garlic wine marinara sauce. Really loved their eggplant parmigiana: peas, mozzarella cheese in a light tomato sauce. No pasta, but absolutely delicious! Great selection of teas, coffee, and espresso drinks! read more

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Great food, good service, busy but not too busy/loud (I was able to study). Lots of seating options and lovely Italian staff. Will be back! read more

Fiero Caffe - Carbonara - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Mateo, California

One unique thing about this restaurant is that you can order spaghetti for breakfast (without getting any strange looks). My breakfast consisted of a plate of spaghetti and a hot latte. It's an odd combination I have to admit, but its a delicious one. The spaghetti was well made. I never been to Italy, nor can I claim what an authentic spaghetti supposed to taste like, but I really enjoyed it. The pasta had a nice chew, the meatballs were sufficiently seasoned, and the tomato sauce was balanced. I appreciate it when a simple dish is made well. The latte was great. It was exactly what I was looking for that morning. Good milk texture, strong coffee, and hot. Service was friendly and I wasn't asked to tip anywhere. You simply place your order at the counter, pay, and find a seat. There are no touch screens where you have to make a moral decision in front of anyone, nor is there a spot on the receipt to write down any additional amount. I would definitely go back for another plate of spaghetti. read more

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