We came here over the weekend to catch up with some friends over brunch. Although we had never gotten around to trying Foreigner before, we were excited due to all of the rave reviews online. Arriving just before noon, there was quite the line going out the window. But thankfully we were able to snag a table for 4 inside despite the packed house. Ordering here is done up front at the register, and you'll bring a buzzer with you to the table of your choice. Utensils, water, to-go containers and napkins are all self-serve between the registers and the dining area. Although initially annoying to have to constantly get up to refill our own waters, this setup did make it easier on us to grab whatever we needed without the need to constantly flag down a server. One of the water jars was out of water when we first arrived, but the staff was quick to refill it when we asked. Everyone seemed to really enjoy their food. But the standout item was definitely the Sexy French Toast we ordered as a shared dessert. Although it looks just like 4 thick slices of toast with a side of butter and fresh fruit, it actually tasted more like delicious banana bread which we all enjoyed. Service was friendly but efficient here. And the full glass setup made it easier for us to look inside upon arriving to see if there were any tables available indoors. read more

Foreigner Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

Came here on a whim after grabbing matcha and coffee from our new fav coffee shop Kaizen in San Mateo. Wanted grab brunch and this place came up on yelp. U walk in, and the thing i didnt know is that ur just suppose to go straight to order at the cafe looking nook. I didnt know that and was waiting around to be seated while others went ahead of me to order. So don't do what i did! I asked if they had a classic benedict with ham and they said they would try to work with me and sub sausage for ham. The lady helping me with the order was so kind and patient and didnt seem annoyed at all at my request. My bf ordered the russian soup. They give u a beeper ur suppose to put on the orange circle on any table. Some tables or buzzers r broken tho but the waiters do walk around and check on it. Our food arrived and i loved my benedict! Flavors were great and loved that i could sub salad instead of potatoes. Their hot sauce is delicious as well! Russian soup was interesting but my bf liked it. I would def recommend as service and food was good! read more

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Casual brunch spot in San Mateo. You order at the counter, grab a number, find a table, and the staff brings your food out. The space feels laid-back and vibrant, and the service was friendly. The food was ok--we tried the Simply Mashed Avocado Toast and the Ham & Cheddar Crêpe. Coffee was mediocre. Overall, it's a nice place to hang out, but not necessarily the go-to spot for standout food or drinks. read more

Foreigner Cafe - Avocado toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

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The lattes and food were delicious! I had the Cajun shrimp toast and yema latte. The toast was full A flavor and the latte was velvety smooth. The ambiance was cozy and the music was low enough to hear my family talk. Food was ready quickly, too. We will be back here soon. read more

If you decide to come, do not order the steak and eggs. I ordered the steak medium rare and got a very well done on the first try so I sent it back. Second try came back just well done. Seems like those are the only two ways they serve steak here. Steak was chewy and lacked any seasoning. First and last time here read more

I've been here too many times to count - the food, service, and ambiance are awesome. Josh and the entire team are all wonderful people. After trying almost everything in the menu, here are my recs: - homemade parfait: sounds simple, but so delicious and one of my favorites. - sexy French toast: the perfect pick if you're feeling something sweet/looking to share! - salmon & eggs Benedict: the smoked salmon is super tasty. - mixed berry lavender smoothie: all the smoothies are pretty good, but this one's my favorite. - fresh squeezed orange juice: refreshing and flavorful! Foreigner is a great place to do work or hang out - the ambiance is unmatched. It's usually really busy, especially on weekends - the line goes out the door. Would definitely recommend checking it out if you're in the area! read more

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As a self-proclaimed coffee addict, one cup is never enough, so I ordered the Barako Flight, which includes the Dolce Barako, Hot Chocolate, and Affogato. Every drink was well-crafted and full of flavor, making it a fun way to experience their coffee offerings. It definitely did not disappoint. A must-try for any coffee lover! read more

Foreigner Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Great food and easy order at the counter. Great breakfast and lunch choices as well as coffees and desserts. Food came out quick and beautifully decorated. Plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Food as fabulous for quick service. read more

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After a bit of boring classes, my partner and I were looking for a place to grab lunch, and we decided on Foreigner Cafe. This place was pretty awesome. Once you enter, you can check out models of all of the food items they offer and the delicious looking pastries ready to order. The cashier nicely helped us figure out our order and we made our way over to an empty table in the adjoining dining room. The beeper system was also really neat. Eventually our drinks and food arrived to our table and we tucked in. The drinks were honestly not that good, but the food was great. The drinks were very much just normal coffee drinks, however the food had a lot of balance and nuance. I would definitely come back here, but maybe just skip out on the drinks. read more

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Food - 5 Service - 5 Ambiance -5 Thank you Foreigner Team! Everything and Everyone was amazing. read more

Foreigner Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Great spot for brunch in San Mateo. Stopped by around 1pm on a Sunday place was busy, but still had tables available. Staff was amazing, super friendly and helped everything run super efficiently. Food was delicious, we shared a couple of plates and everything was amazing. Looking forward to trying more of their menu. read more

Foreigner is a nice breakfast spot in San Mateo that has cafe restaurant vibes. There is a mix of indoor/ outdoor seating and the place was pretty packed around brunch time on the weekends. They've got menu items on display so you can see exactly what some of the dishes look like. You order cafe style and get a buzzer that you can set on any available table and the servers will be able to find and deliver your food. I ordered a couple items. The breakfast croissant and the salmon and eggs benedict. Both dishes were simple, made fresh and the egg yolk was runny. I wasn't a big fan of the pour over coffee, it tasted like regular drip coffee. The matcha wasn't bad and comes with a little latte art. The service was good and overall it's a solid breakfast restaurant. read more

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The kale smoothie was amazing Delicious and not expensive for the size. The nine of us loved the breakfast entrees and they very graciously allowed us to substitute the potatoes for salad. Friendly service and nice outside seating read more

Perfect! Loved the cheese, meat, and salad! Everyone should try it. Also had a blueberry smoothie! read more

Foreigner Cafe - Prosciutto Salad - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

This cute spot is great for breakfast or brunch. I love that they have both indoor seating and outdoor seating. The outdoor seating is lovely because the city planters have beautiful flowers to look at while you're dining. Their menu has a quite a variety of choices and you can customize your tea or coffee with milk and sugar on your own, which is appreciated in this post Covid world where you have to ask for everything. Ordering felt a little chaotic since there isn't much room for the line and you have to scan a QR code to see the menu or you can see examples of the actual food items once you're closer to the cash register, but if you wait to look at the examples of the food you may find a stressful to make a decision quickly enough at the register. Parking is a little difficult since it is in the heart of downtown San Mateo so make sure to account for that in your time estimate. read more

I meet with a client in this cafe. The coffee and pastries were delicious. They bring everything to your table and services was excellent. Love the ambiance. I needed up staying extra time to finish up some work on my laptop with there free wifi. read more

Foreigner Cafe - Vanilla Latte - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

Just like the band this brunch spot really came together and rocked my tastebuds and more. Unfortunately their service left me with a sour note that was slightly fixed towards the end. I ordered their Sexy French Toast and a flight of their Plant Based Lattes. First up was the toast and it delivered the simple sweet taste I was so hoping for. So the flight, I'm going to say it's an acquired taste and if you like flavors like beets and turmeric then I recommend you give this a try. Personally I really enjoyed the flight. I also liked their strawberry Croffle that had just the right amount of sweetness. The atmosphere is lively and the decor is eye pleasing. The service at the beginning was awful but the rest of their crew picked up Her bad attitude. Outside seats are available for that alfresco experience. And that's my take on this breakfast spot, Peace... read more

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Cozy bakery with indoor and outdoor seating. I loved the lamps, plants, and wooden accents inside. We came on a Saturday afternoon and it was packed, but we were able to find a table for 3. After ordering at the register, we received a beeper and were instructed to place it on the sticker on our table, which connects our table with our order. This is the 1st time I've seen this technology and I thought it was pretty cool and innovative! Our order: Café Latte ($5.25): +Drinkable temperature: Hot, but doesn't burn your mouth/tongue +Espresso was strong, yet creamy with whole milk. +Cute latte art Culinary Matcha Latte w/French Lavender Syrup ($6.25): +Drinkable temperature: Hot, but doesn't burn your mouth/tongue +No upcharge for French Lavender Syrup +Strong matcha with fragrant lavender flavor throughout: One of the best matcha lattes I've had! +Cute latte art Orange Blossom Latte ($5.75): +Drinkable temperature: Hot, but doesn't burn your mouth/tongue +Cute latte art -No orange flavor: Tasted like a cinnamon latte vs. an orange blossom latte Lemon Eclipse Tart ($6.25): +Crunchy cookie base, pistachios, and white chocolate with a bright, lemony firm pudding. +Raspberry was fresh and sweet. -Had a tiny amount of raspberry filling in the middle Side notes: 1.) Self-serve infused water, napkins, and utensils. 2.) Restrooms located in the hallway outside. 3.) Limited street parking in downtown San Mateo *Verdict: 4.5 stars rounded up to 5. We had some questions about the menu, and the cashier helping us was patient. In addition, I loved the ambiance, dishware, and vibes. Definitely want to return to try more of their food and drinks! read more

Foreigner Cafe - Clockwise from bottom left: Orange Blossom Latte, Café Latte, Culinary Matcha Latte w/French Lavender Syrup - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Foreigner was a great experience for brunch. There are no reservations, but you order food at the front, take a marker/ buzzer (?) for your table, and they bring food to you. So it is casual, and without table service. Food was excellent and fresh! I got the ham quiche which came with a nice little side salad. When you order at the front, they conveniently have each dish displayed which helps in the always- difficult decision making process of what to order! Coffee was great too. Certainly would recommend this restaurant if you're looking for an easy brunch in the area. read more

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Came here on a saturday around 12:30 and there was no line ! We were also able to snatch a table quickly. It's our first time here and we ordered: morning breakfast croissant- 5/5 It was filled delicious ingredients Salmon eggs Benedict-2/5 it was not the same as the description on the menu. It's not on levain bread but on English muffins. And there was no potatoes! I asked about the potatoes and the server just said no, just salad. The salad was tiny and the hollandaise sauce was minimal! It's not worth the money for this dish!! Very disappointed. La amour crepe -5/5 lots of strawberry and banana. Crepe was good too. Latte flight- 4/5 this is what I came to this place for! I was skeptical after reading all the reviews. But I had to try it for myself. The taste for all of them were not strong . There's not much sugar added either. They all tasted "healthy" and we added brown sugar to make them have more flavors. Overall, I did like them. But the price was a bit steep thus 4/5. They were small and I believe if you get the individual ones, they are bigger. But they look pretty and Instagrammable. I probably won't get it next time when I come. read more

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Such a cute spot in San Mateo! Came here at 9:00 AM on a Monday and there were plenty of tables available. You order at the counter and they give you a buzzer to put on your table for the waiter to bring your food to -- I've never seen this system before! There's lots of seating inside, both near the entrance and in the separate main dining room. I got the Spinach and Mushroom Quiche, and they gave me hot sauce upon request. I loved it -- it was a generously sized piece that had a good amount of spinach and mushrooms, perfectly smooth egg texture without being overly cheesy, and a buttery pastry crust. The side salad is not very big but refreshing. Water is self-serve, and you have to ask for any condiments you would like. Would definitely come again to try other dishes! read more

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Came here around lunch time on a Saturday. Pretty busy which I was expecting. Ordering and seating was quite confusing. They had a sign saying you seat yourself so my friend and I hovered over tables until someone left. Then when we went up to order they tried to seat us but then we said we already had a table. I am totally fine with ordering and having them seat us, it's just confusing if there's a sign that says seat yourself. I wish they made the instructions more clear so we didn't have to hover over tables. The food overall was delicious! My pesto crepe was super yummy and filling. I also ordered the yema latte and it's pretty deceiving at first. I like my coffee not too sweet, but with some flavor and a stronger coffee taste. But when I got my drink the color threw me off at first. I thought it was going to taste like straight milk and no coffee. Quite the opposite actually! The coffee flavor was really strong and not too sweet which I enjoyed. The downside is that I couldn't taste any yema flavoring that they advertised. The inside was super cute but pretty loud so hard to hear the people you're next to. The service was great and everyone was very kind and accommodating. read more

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This place isn't bad, stumbled upon it while going to Backhaus, decided to share the 'all day breakfast', which had big portion. Service was good Ambiance: casual, order first then get seated read more

Was mainly looking forward to the Yema Latte that I saw on the menu before coming over here, but was actually quite disappointed in it. It just tasted like a normal iced latte. However I'm rounding up because my husband's Dolce Barako was delicious in comparison! I wonder if my yema latte wasn't as good as an iced version and could have been better if it was hot like the dolce barako, since the flavor profiles were similar. I wouldn't say the drinks were particularly unique but at least the Dolce Barako was satisfying. They had a lot of food options here also but we were heading to eat somewhere else so we had to skip out on that. The place is very spacious inside, and it's a nice spot to have a casual breakfast or brunch, but don't expect anything super out of the ordinary. read more

Foreigner Cafe - Yema Latte and Dolce Barako - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

Awesome coffee and food!! Found it on our last day in California... or we would have been here everyday for breakfast! They are busy but handle it well... their menu is a case with samples of what you actually will see at your table. Everything was amazing!! read more

Foreigner Cafe - Amazing breakfast!! Food and coffee were awesome!! 5 day visit in California and this is the best breakfast of all days. Highly recommend!! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

This place is sooo crowded when we pass by. We luckily got the seat eventually! The salmon egg Benedict was awesome. The food comes out really quick and tastes good. Recommended for a place to catch up with friends! read more

Thought I was coming to check out a new place but then realized I've been here before when i entered the place. LOL... I'm not a brunch person but I was done with an appointment much earlier than I anticipated, so I decided to find a brunch place to enjoy some quiet time. This is an "order at the counter then find your own seat" type of place. It gets very crowded and competitive to find a table on weekends, so it's really a nice treat to come here during the week to enjoy some relaxing time. I order veggie omelette, mushroom and spinach quiche and chicken tortilla soup. I like all of them! Food quality here is just solid! For the omelette It looks like pancake bc is flat, kind of unique. Quiche is fluffy and moist, not too cheesy which I like. It's very satisfying. I just wish they game me more soup from the chicken tortilla soup. tortilla is very crunchy. How to return in the future. read more

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This is now one of my go to places. It's super cute inside, friendly staff and the food is very pretty and yummy!! Perfect for breakfast.

They have a lot of options for food and beverages. You're bound to find something you like. My favorite thing was the strawberry and jam croffle. The burrata salad was good. I'm not a fan of arugula but my friend liked it. You line up to place your order and pay at the register. You place the beeper machine at your table and they bring the food out to you. The plant based latte flight was a miss. I like that you can try a bunch of them but I was upset since they weren't all good. Some of them were grainy and had grainy foam. I scraped out the foam for one of them. The heavier bits fell to the bottoms of the cups. The beet and spirulina were the group favorites. The bagel was pretty but tasted normal. read more

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Spacious breakfast and brunch restaurant with extensive menu. Sample menu items were beautifully positioned on the display for easy ordering process. You order at the counter and then proceed to the main dining area to grab a table. My friend got Salmon Benedict and I got a French omelette. Both dishes looked great and were equally tasty. I opted for mango iced tea which was very flavorful. Cashier at the counter was pleasant. Quick service for such a high volume establishment. read more

Cozy and casual brunch spot with a wide variety of drinks and food. It was fairly crowded on a Sunday afternoon, but the visual aids placed in the line are helpful for deciding what to order which helps move the line along. Our total came out to $60 which is on the higher end, but the quality and presentation of the food are proportional to the cost. We opted for the vegetable-based latte flight as a more experimental drink option. While the turmeric and matcha lattes were incredibly powdery, the spirulina and beet lattes were interesting and are worth a try. read more

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A bustling brunch spot that's clearly popular, packed with people when we visited. We ordered the eggs and bacon Benedict, which was flavorful and satisfying, and the morning breakfast croissant with a sunny-side egg, sliced ham, and Swiss cheese. The croissant was also delicious, with a great balance of flavors and textures. read more

Foreigner Cafe - Morning Breakfast Croissant - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Great fresh food & coffees made with quality ingredients and super friendly service. Their avocado toasts are so yummy and healthy. Love coming here with my friends whenever we're in downtown San Mateo! read more

Foreigner Cafe - Caffe latte & French toast - yum! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Perfect casual brunch spot in San Mateo! The restaurant is cozy, the staff is very friendly, and the food is delicious. I also appreciated that they display most of their dishes for customers' reference. Here's what I ordered: Mushroom & Gruyère Toast Foreigner's Favorite Mixed Berry & Lavender Smoothie Mojito Latte Passion Fruit Tart read more

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I've been to foreigner twice now and I really like it! The portion sizes are large and it is great to eat now, and take the rest home for later. My favorites are the smoked salmon avocado toast with the massive caper and the ommies! So yummy and the potatoes are really perfectly cooked/executed. I'm not a fan of potato either so it's quite the compliment. Their coffee is strong and bitter and I like it. I will say the only bummer is the wait for the coffee. Both times I've gotten my food long before my coffee which seems odd. read more

Foreigner Cafe - Smoked salmon toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Every time I pass by, there is a crowd and line but for some reason, I am just ok with what I order. The drinks both times have been very off. I tried an earl grey type latte which should be straightforward and hard to mess up but I was convinced I received the wrong order as it tasted nothing like Earl Grey. I have also experienced twice now things that were on the menu that were not available to order making me scramble to pick something else in the moment. The last time was a mushroom type crepe that was very wet. read more

This local restaurant in San Mateo is a cute cozy breakfasts and brunch place. They had a wide variety of dishes from Benedict's, to crepes and quiche. The bacon Benedict was fabulous and a generous portion. Everything was fresh and tasty from the sautéed onions, mushrooms to the sweet bacon. We also loved their banana, chocolate and strawberry crepe. It was a large crepe filled with delicious goodies. The breakfast quiche was ok but I wish it came with toast. The staff was fast and friendly. Their paging system that locates your table is a very nice touch. This is a very nice restaurant. read more

Foreigner Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

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The staff are so friendly. I ordered the dulce barako hot, and ube pastry both are so good. A great place to enjoy.

Aesthetic spot with a great setup, the food displays make choosing easy! The interior is nice, and the service is efficient. You order at the counter, grab a number, and find a seat yourself. The food will be delivered to your table. I tried the Foreigner Favorite and a Red Velvet Latte. Both were yummy, I shared the Foreigner Favorite with a friend. Nice place with good vibes! read more

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Good!! We came at around 12:30 on a Sunday and we maybe spent 15 minutes in line. You order at the register then get a buzzer to be placed at your table so they know where to bring the food. There is ample seating inside and a few places outside. I got the Sexy French Toast. The fruit was nice and fresh. The actual toast was drier than I expected it to be but still had good flavor for the price. There isn't a huge chocolate flavor in the toast either. I would come back to try some of their savory options which also looked good. read more

Foreigner Cafe - Sexy French Toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California