4.5 stars really! Lovely and lively. I've been a few times, by myself and with friends, and it's great either way. I've been with just me and a book on a weekday (pre dinner time) and it was lively but not distractingly so. Drinks are fairly strong and the interior is nicely decorated. Another time was with a friend and we spent maybe two hours talking and catching up. There's a good mix of people: colleagues grabbing drinks after work, first dates, friend dates, older folks, young people, etc. -- it's a nice combination of people who come in. Staff is welcoming and they don't rush you to order or try and kick you out. Lovely! read more

Was excited to try this place but their host(?) needs to change his attitude otherwise they're going to lose more customers. Half our group arrived first and sat at the bar. When the remaining 2 showed up, we got a lecture that we're technically not allowed to stand at the bar because everyone needs to have a seat. We were one seat short. Aren't we at a bar? I've literally never heard of this in my life. When a table opened up, we headed over because we figured they could transfer our tab since this is a bar after all. Instead, the host said in the most sassy, rude (and unnecessary) way, "Uhm excuuuse me???" And rolled his eyes. He then proceeded to tell us that we are not allowed to change seats and are only allowed one seat/table for the night, which were the bar seats we were at. So I guess that means technically we can leave, then walk right back in to get the table big enough to accommodate our group? Make it make sense. If it wasn't for his unnecessary attitude, we wouldn't have been so upset and would actually want to come back. But now we no longer feel comfortable ever coming back. As someone who has worked in customer service for many years, I am shocked we were talked to this way. Someone working in customer service shouldn't have such an attitude! read more

Nice spot to grab a drink of 2 when in the area. We had just come from AYCE sushi down the street, so just needed a place to walk it off & enjoy some cocktails. They had comfortable couches & lounge chairs for us to relax on. I enjoyed my Irish Whiskey Old Fashioned. They probably need another bathroom though, as 1 gender neutral option isn't enough for a bar lounge I would think. read more

I went on a Friday night. Made reservations online through Tock, but when I got there they did not ask for my name but still sat me. Place was pack during their soft opening. The good: the decor of this place is extremely inviting and reminds me of SF bars. The drinks are very beautifully presented. Staff was really nice. The bad: My drink was overly sweet. Waiter recommended the Paloma but it was way too sweet, I had to let the ice water down the drink for it to be bearable. It's not made of grapefruit juice but rather grapefruit cordial (syrup). So maybe it was my fault. The other two drinks my partner ordered were just ok... The waiter's shift ended and he didn't tell us (I only knew because I seen him leave) and I felt like the bartender who took over took a while to check up on us. I gave it 4 stars because I believe the place has potential and this is just their soft opening, so they're still working out the kinks... read more

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I went on a date here on a Wednesday night and this place is so cute! Ambiance: 5/5 If it's for a girls night out or after work drinks or date night, the vibe is so nice. The music is at the right level where you can get lost in a conversation but faintly hear it playing. The lighting is put at the perfect dimness to not overpower the decor. Decor: 5/5 Honestly, I'm a tad biased because I love peacock blue/teal. The designs along with furniture/decor is tastefully done. Not too overpowering but worked with the layout. Libations: 5/5 I love whiskey and scotch. So I tried the Baller Manhattan and Flight Risk (from their Signature cocktails/House Classics menu) Baller Manhattan - Whistle Pig Rye, Vermouth Blend, Bitters. Tastefully done and each time you savored a sip, your tastebuds heightened. Also, it was garnished with cherries - new fave! (If you do not enjoy whiskey/scotch, this may not be for you) Flight Risk - James E Pepper Rye, Amontillado Sherry, Nardini Amaro, Bitters. Our attendant recommended this drink and she hit it on the nail! (Forgot her name but she has perfected the cat eyeliner!) This drink complimented the previous one as it was a bit milder. Overall, I'm definitely coming back with more friends! read more

Fogbird - Inside Fogbird - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

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The bar itself is super cute, love the decor. When we arrived they said the wait was 90 minutes so we went to grab ice cream next door. When we came back we got seated and started checking out the menu. I'm not sure if it was cause it was the end of the night or what but our server was so rude. We went around to order drinks and my husband was last and while he was about to order, she just walked away. He didn't even get to order his drink. We waited for quite some time and got our drinks, my husband finally got to order his at this time. When we got our check, we were looking at it so we could figure out who we would be sending money to and how much since we put it all on our friends card, and the same waitress came back and just grabbed the check from us. The drinks were pretty good but the service we receive was just not it. read more

I came here for the first time ever with a group of friends almost two months ago. It was a weekday evening and we wanted to try this place out before dinner. We were seated at a table against the back wall and the place was full of patrons already at around 6pm. The interior is simple but cozy with red brick and warm wood furniture throughout. The bar pretty much occupies all of the right side of the hallway shaped space. Our friends had arrived about 20 mins before us and they were still waiting for their drink. It wasn't too long before I realized that the poor young lady was the only staff on the floor taking orders and delivering them to the whole place. I ordered the La Quinta Lemonade and it was ok, a bit pricey for what I received. I'm not sure I would come back in the future, and especially if they only have one waitress during the evening hours. read more

happy to see so many great cocktail places open up in downtown san mateo. Wunderbar at Wursthall and now this place! Went early when they open at 4pm and there was plenty of seating. Ordered the Angry Bird - rum drink that tastes like a pina colada or a batida Also ordered the Oaxacan After Midnight. Nice citrus notes, smoky, more Spirit forward. They care about quality, you can see it in how the ice cube doesn't even have bubbles in it Will be back! read more

Love the vibes here, really chill and quite expansive drink menu. Tried out the La Quinta Lemonade, and that was pretty good. read more

Fogbird - Drinks - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

Get your drinks from the bartender, Liz. She'll hook you up with something unique. A true creative that lives what they do. Liz made the best extra dirty, extra spicy vodka martini with some special additions. read more

This is the space that was formerly Tiki Lounge, which I frequented a lot years ago. So it was a little bittersweet to see Fogbird, but at the same time it makes sense for the change. There was this clarified drink that was awesome, it incorporated some chai spices I believe and it was super good. I did see there was an old fashioned...for $18. I understand inflation, cost of living, the tech money in the peninsula. But I'm sorry, why is Redbreast 12 being used in an old fashioned? Maybe I'm just an old school whiskey/scotch guy that prefers spirits like Redbreast to be neat, but that's just me. All in all, the drinks were good from the new kid on the block. Cocktails are a bit steep, in my opinion, but the place is still worth a try. read more

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We arrived and we were the first ones on the wait list so they said start outside and we will get you in first when something opens up. We ordered drinks and while we were drinking we saw others getting seated. We checked the wait list and our name was gone. So we finished our drinks and left. Disappointed since it was so cold outside. read more

I really hate giving businesses bad reviews because I really root for Bay Area business owners and want to see them thrive, but I have to say, I was so incredibly disappointed and annoyed by the way my friends and I were treated when we tried to enjoy the experience at this lounge. A group of about 10 of us came here after attending a show at Hillbarn not too far away and walked in to ask about the possibility of getting seated. The hostess informed us that it wouldn't be likely, so we decided we'd just order drinks and hang out standing and keep an eye out on possibly scooping up a seat. We all drove separately, so we came in chunks and waited there as others in our party arrived, but by the time the last of us got there, the hostess came over and told us we couldn't stand there and were likely not going to be able to get seated. She had no ounce of sympathy, warmth, friendliness. Nothing. She was, as a matter of fact, a bit rude, very cold, and made me personally feel like I was beneath her. Like that Pretty Woman scene where the sales ladies snub Julia Roberts. That was the exact vibe this lady was putting out and I was not having it. Feeling incredibly judged and unwelcome, we all decided to leave. Left such a sour taste in my mouth and had to leave this feedback. read more

Last week I went to Fogbird with two friends and we were very excited to see such a chic bar open up in San Mateo! We went around 6:30 pm on a Friday and it was crowded which was surprisingly since it was dinner time so we were seated by the bar first. The service was great because they remembered to eventually move us to a table so we could be more comfortable and they were constantly asking us if we needed anything else (more drinks and water). The ambience was great and we enjoyed our experience at this bar. We ordered 3 of their signature drinks and they were all delicious. The bartender was very kind and adjusted my drink as I wanted a Moscow mule with a hint of grapefruit. The only thing is that I wish the space was bigger so there could be more tables for people. When we were leaving there was a line so I'm assuming there will a wait if I was to go at prime time. Overall, I highly recommend checking out this bar for a fun Friday or Saturday activity with your friends! read more

Fogbird - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Husband and I went for drinks to Fogbird on a Saturday night. We loved the interior (though i thought the lights on the bar were too intense and could be made dimmer for a more cozy/classy setting). There was plenty of seating and the server was super duper sweet. We were hoping to get some food but we reached after the kitchen closed - the server was nice enough to say that we could bring in food from outside (which was awesome because now we could hang out at this cool spot for longer). We tried 5 cocktails among us and the fav was swan song. The cocktails were pretty stiff and felt like they were made with great ingredients. I did think some of the drinks could be colder but overall definitely a great addition to SM downtown! read more

I've been here 6-7 times and try different drinks each time. Their cocktail options are quite extensive and I've never been let down on balance, flavor, and presentation. Fogbird is the perfect place to start or end a night out. read more

Fogbird was very delightful! It's in San Mateo downtown so parking is relatively easy--plenty of lots around (closest one is the Main St. lot I believe) which is free after 6pm or all day Sundays. The decor and ambience are refreshing and warm. We really like that they listed credits in their menus for all of the designers and suppliers of their space/goods. Drinks were absolutely great and despite being a crowded and busy space, everything came out reasonably quickly. Fries were also surprisingly good? Definitely recommending this spot and would love to come back again! read more

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Stopped by without reservations early on a Friday evening. I called ahead to see if they were pet friendly and they are! Awesome!!! Sat in the window and had a great time. Sam helped us out and she was awesome! Drinks were strong and delicious, I had something with blueberries and it was tasty!! Ambiance, service and the appetizers are all great! We will be back! read more

Fogbird - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

Dani was the absolute best and very accommodating to my pregnant wife and I on a FRIDAY NIGHT. Thank you Dani for the N/A drink recommendatios. We will be back because of the entire staff. The drinks came out super fast as well as the food. 4 people working and all super attentive and efficient. Thank you for the great service/experience! read more

I had the Wimbledon drink and it was so good! The ambience was nice if a bit loud (but it didn't also have loud music playing which is a huge pet peeve of mine) and the service was excellent. Our waiter (Danny I think?) was really nice and made sure we were taken care of Definitely coming back here. read more

Drinks taste really good we will definitely come back and try more drinks from the menu! Our drinks were ready within 5 mins so it was pretty quick. We really like the wallpaper and the layout of the bar. read more

Fogbird - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Great vibes, good food (albeit a bit overpriced), fast service! Not too busy and on the quieter side as it goes for places like this. Great spot to meet up with friends after work / before dinner. I'd come back here. read more

Treated my cousins to some nice cocktails after dinner here! Loved the vibe and the servers were very nice. It's definitely an intimate spot with dim lights and everyone either seated at the bar or cozy tables. I thought the drinks were pretty nice, strong, and tasty. I really loved the look of the bar and the minimalistic but classy decor. read more

Fogbird - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

Like several others mentioned, I really wanted to love this place. The vibe was awesome, and the drinks were so pretty! But even upon initial review of their cocktail menu nothing particularly stood out. And things just went downhill after I ordered two of their drinks. Literally undrinkable. Pricey, imbalanced cocktails. Try elsewhere. read more

Cute bar! Walked over to Fogbird while waiting for a restaurant to seat my group. We all got 1 drink each and sat in a group couch area. The staff were attentive and drinks were okay. It was clean and pretty cute inside too! read more

Fogbird - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

Noticed a new cocktail bar opened on South B Street at the old Tiki Bar in San Mateo, so my friend and I decided to check them out. I arrived around 10pm on 12/8 and left our phone number and name under James with the waiter. We were told the wait would be 15 minutes to be seated and that they would give us a call to come back when they are ready to seat us. After going to a neighboring bar and fast forwarding towards their closing time at 12am, we never received a call back after roaming around the area. What's the point of having a waitlist if you're not going to look at it, it's just easier to seat people as space opens up or offer the bar. I'm not sure if they review or open their waitlist for outsiders, but I guess they only welcome their friend to their space as the owners stated. Was definitely harder than getting into Fogbird on a Friday night than a popular nightclub. read more

Been to Fogbird a few times now and it's always a good time. They currently have a special menu of Lunar New Year drinks in addition to their regular items. Their milk punch is quite good. As to be expected with San Mateo downtown, they get busy during peak hours and their prices are $15-$20 for one drink pre-tax/tip. read more

This place is a gem! Super chill atmosphere and beautiful interior. My friends and I were welcomed warmly by one of the bar tender Nick. He was super sweet. We elected to seat by the bar and we were taken cared of nicely. Another bartender Christian greeted us kindly at the bar and took our drinks and food orders. He was super friendly and very knowledgeable of what's on the menu. We didn't wait long for our drinks and appetizers to come too. Drinks were well made and the food tasted good. We had a relaxing time and enjoyed the ambiance. Highly recommend this place and will definitely be returning to this gem of a place! read more

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Cute spot to have a drink. Their cocktails are interesting. Nice vibe here. Very convenient location with lots of restaurants nearby.

Cool atmosphere, good food, and great service on the coolest street in downtown San Mateo! (What more do you want in a bar??) I was here with customers and colleagues and Sammi (bartender) took great care of us. Definitely trust her recommendations (if Sammi is there) otherwise ask for the signature cocktails, well worth the price! read more

Fogbird - Like old times signature cocktail, a great (new) take on a classic old-fashioned - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Very delicious drinks in downtown San Mateo! The menu is categorized by different cocktails/ spirits and even breaks down more light refreshing drinks vs more spirit forward. Great spot for after work drinks! read more

Fogbird - Back Left: The Land of Eternal Spring Front Left: Swan Song Right: Birds of Paradise - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

By now those who knows me knows I love to eat and drink. Especially happy hour drinks and eats. I also love nice drinks and ambiance. But what really dislike is service that is not up to par or overwhelming service to the point where it is annoying. Yeah so back to my review. So I was invited to hangout after work with my coworkers, why? Because it's what I do and I'm always there to chill. Word of mouth was that there's a new bar/lounge in San Mateo so WTH, let's go check it out. It's a Tuesday yes a Tuesday so what. Who doesn't drink on Tuesdays? Arrived at 4:30pm and it's about 1/3 full to what seems like many post work peeps with somewhat business attires so I guess they're here to wind down and relax. Seated and perused the menu for a few minutes maybe 5 mins. Menu is pretty simple but many varieties of cocktails so it definitely needs time to go through and think about what you want to order especially for the price of each cocktail. Like on their description, many crafted cocktails that seems too fancy but this place looks like it was created to accommodate the higher end of clientele to come and relax. After putting our order in, it takes about 10-15 minutes to start getting our cocktails. With the first three cocktails arriving first and the the second three coming in about 4-5 mins later really boggled our minds. The drinks came out in many different fancy glasses but for the price of each cocktails, it was really a small amount. The flavors was there and good but it sure didn't knock me off my seat. Second round we decide to order their $9 beers. Nothing fancy but some some local crafts form Oakland. Overall this is a nicely decorated bar that is spacious and open but could definitely use some improvements in service and drinks. After many attentive services we asked for our check and upon receiving the bill, we was notified that a 20% gratuity will be added to our tab due the fact that we was a party of 6. Our entire table was shocked to hear of this considering that this is a lounge/bar and not a RESTAURANT. I mean you're just serving us beers and cocktails with some bar bites. I don't think it was necessary to automatically include this charge. Overall : Drinks was good, service was way too attentive and annoying, automatic gratuity was not necessary, ambiance is good. Sorry not sorry but i will not be coming back here and I'm sure my fellow foodies and bar hoppers feel the same. Best of luck and hoping the owners will see this and make some changes. 6 Cocktails 4 Beers 1 Flatbread Total : $190.68 read more

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I came here with my friends one night after dinner and initially had planned on going to another spot, but came back here instead after finding out how crowded the first spot was and I'm glad we did. The service and bartenders here were near perfect! I had an old fashioned and a savannah sour. I feel like you can never go wrong with an old fashioned and the savannah sour was something different! It consisted of a bertoux California brandy, rainwater Madeira, apricot liquor, orgeat syrup, and lemon. I normally drink whiskey sours and this one I would say would come as close as can be to a whiskey sour on the menu without it being a whiskey sour. I'm not a brandy or alcohol connoisseur but I thought the drink tasted delicious. Ambiance was nice, the bartenders were chill and even offered us shots for my group. This is super cool lounge to hang out and chill with an extensive cocktail and drink menu. read more

Fogbird - Savannah Sour - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

This used to be one of our favorite cocktail spots until last nights experience. Over the last year the service at the bar has gotten worse and after last night I don't feel comfortable returning to this establishment. When we first arrived it seemed full so we asked if we could grab a drink at the bar and put our names down to wait for a table. The host/server seemed annoyed with us from the moment we walked in. Since it was going to be a long wait for our group size which we totally understood we decided to just grab a quick drink at the bar since we loved the cocktails here. My husband said it felt like servers were purposely bumping into him because we were sat at the end of the bar where the drinks were coming out. We order our drinks with the male bartender and we see multiple drinks being sent out thinking he needs to make those drinks first before getting to ours which was fine. The bartender then walks to the back and I assume he's grabbing something he needs to make our drinks. A female bartender comes up and asks if we need anything and we tell her that we already ordered our drinks with the other bartender. We wait a bit then asked if the original bartender was returning and she said he went on his lunch break. We were shocked, how are you going to take a drink order, not tell your partner, and just walk away knowing that customers are waiting for their drinks? We decided after that point to just leave. As previous servers / bartenders I could never imagine treating customers this way. We felt like we were an inconvenience to them for trying to grab some drinks. If you're too busy to service customers then don't seat us in the first place. We left feeling like we did something wrong when all we wanted was to grab a drink. read more

I found this place on a whim after doing a quick search on Yelp when a friend of mine said she was in town that same day. We walked in without a reservation and were seated immediately. This place is so cute. I love the wall paper and decor. Our server and the bar tender were friendly and attentive. The drink menu is super unique. There are a lot of combinations I've never seen before or tried. It helped me step out of my usual drink comfort zone. The food looked good, but I didn't try any while I was there. I wish I could have tried more than two drinks, but I guess that means I'll just have to come back. :) read more

The service here is really good. We made a reservation and we promptly seated when we arrived. We sat by the large front windows and had great lighting. The staff here were so friendly and our waitress made great recommendations. The Bougainvillea was my favorite cocktail here, it reminded me of a mojito. The sangria was good and so was the milk punch. They also have a decent selection of alcohol free cocktails that use actual non alcoholic spirits rather than just removing the alcohol and serving mixers and soda water/lemonade. read more

Indoor modern ambiance Outdoor seating + great weather Selection of delicious signature cocktails Awesome service, Thank you Kassie read more

Fogbird - Bougainvilla$15.00 Pacific Paloma$16.00 - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

We accidentally slipped in during the soft opening but couldn't be more impressed. The ambience was great, cocktails were delicious, and and the proximity to Caltrain is ideal for waiting out the next train. read more

Fogbird - Yum! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Mateo, California

Couldn't get any service, or acknowledgment while I was patiently waiting in front of the sign that says please wait to be seated! So we left and we won't go back! read more

Great drinks and ambience, but touchy service with attitude, specially the guy with the face tattoos.