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

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

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 - 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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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.

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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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

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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My new favorite spot after moving to the Bay Area such great food, espresso and the employees are always so sweet! It's also sooooo cute inside! read more

We had such a wonderful lunch experience here! The customer service was absolutely amazing -- Eric and the staff attended to all our needs and made our small birthday celebration feel extra special. Great food, fast service, and a nice ambiance. Everything was excellent, and we'll definitely be coming back! read more

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

Wonderful staff and great variety of menu. Love the ambiance and atmosphere and option to sit outside and inside. 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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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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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 - 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 - 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 - 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 - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Let's start with the staff... The staff was super friendly and helpful and that's always a great thing. I got the order to go, but while sitting there had some water and checked out the vibe and surroundings. They have a nice little area to help yourself to water sugar and alternatives for your tea or coffee. I also noticed the adorable holiday mail box for Santa love that for the kids with their family's. The display case of food choices it done so well. Really helps you see what you could be getting. Our order consisted or the croissant breakfast sandwich and mushroom spinach quiche. They happen to be out of croissants so they gave me options and one of them was sourdough. I got it on the sourdough, which I would honestly not recommend. It's good quality bread, but it's way too thick and bread-y ( I know it's not a word but you get it ) Everything was fresh and felt like clean eating but it was lacking in flavor to be honest. Thought it just needed a little salt and pepper on the egg and tomatoes, but it still wasn't anything I'd order again. Maybe an aioli or something would help. Just little something to brighten and pick up the flavor. Just my opinion though. The quiche with the spring mix salad on the other hand was delicious. Dressing was light but flavorful and the quiche as well. Didn't even need salt or pepper. Would definitely get that again. read more

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

Friendly staff. Decent menu size for a coffee bar. Good selection of breakfast items and light lunch as well. Large open space with lots of seating. read more

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Love coming here for a nice weekend brunch. It does get quite busy starting anywhere from 10:30-11AM. If you're in a rush you can always order online for takeout to skip the line and just eat in the nearby park. On a nice day the outdoor seating is perfect for people watching and enjoying your meal. I usually stick to pretty basic breakfast foods, so can't complain about what I got. Would recommend this place for a casual sit-down brunch. read more

Foreigner - Ham and Swiss Croffle - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

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The Foreigner, well it wasn't bad, but the spices and combinations are not for me. When you come take a minute and read the menu and the descriptions, I think I ordered my food too fast and that's why I may not have picked the correct thing for myself. In all fairness, I will say the food was presented well, the decor and ambiance was cool, but I may have picked the wrong food item for myself, so I will not give a negative review since it was likely my fault. read more

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I thought this was okay! Took about 30 mins to come and my food was cold, I'm not sure if it's suppose to be. But they were busy and server was nice, though the food did taste bland? But the atmosphere was nice, I would go back to maybe try something else. read more

Foreigner - Bacon Benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

I can appreciate the model but I'm not a huge fan of table service pricing for essentially self service. You wait in line to order at the counter and from then on out you are on your own until they bring your food to the table. Self serve water and you are at the mercy of successfully flagging someone down if you happen to need anything else. The portion sizes were pretty meager though the quality was good. We had the egg avocado toast and the bacon eggs benedict. The most noteworthy item was the bread they use for the toast which had an artisanal quality to it. Had to go down the street and supplement with some baked goods to fill up right after. Nice ambiance but I'd rather hit up a more traditional brunch place like Sweet Maple or Taste and Glory. read more

Been meeting new friends and having casual breakfast meetings here lately. Turmeric latte seems very good for this season transitioning time. Spinach and mushroom quiche has becoming my go to breakfast. Never disappoints. read more

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Great little brunch spot. This is my second visit and the first time I came at 11:30 and the place was empty. This time I met my gfs at 9:30 and the place was packed! The main dining room was a bit noisy but we managed to snag the last table in the smaller room. Places to sit outdoors if you don't mind the chill. Prices are reasonable and the food was good. We ordered due apple crepe and the tuna melt croffle. The apple crepe was sweet but not a stand out. Chose the tuna melt croffle cuz it looked heartier than the other croffles hahahah. The siracha mayo on top was nice surprise that gave it just a little kick. Didn't give it 4 stars cuz there was an annoying bug flying around. The kind of bug that makes you wonder how clean the place is. read more

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

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We got in a line that was out the door and had a great time! It was my second time here and all of the food has been good, with fresh ingredients and leaving you feeling healthy. Nice casual vibes. A great addition to downtown San Mateo! read more

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Enjoyed an avocado egg toast and a fruit croffle at this very popular restaurant. It was busy busy busy. You have to order at the counter and then your food gets brought to you at whichever table you choose to sit. You just have to place the little round pager on the connector at the table. Both the avocado egg toast and croffle were delicious! read more

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

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Came here on the weekend to catch up with a friend. Despite being busy, our food got to us fairly quickly. Food was absolutely delicious. When you order at the cashier, there have a display of their popular items that are made of wax to give you an idea of how the dish will look. Not only did my food fame out looking like those examples, it absolutely tasted great too. Service was good too. Quick at cleaning up and turning over tables. Very friendly staff and hard workers. Its great for brunch, casual catching up, a lunch break from work and family friendly; dog friendly with their outdoor seating. I recommend and look forward to coming back read more

Service was quick! You order then find a table to sit down at. The coffees are yummy! I am always down to try a new flavors. I ordered the mushroom Gruyère toast and added an over easy egg. There's arugula greatness with it too! The dining area has high ceilings which causes echos so it can get quite loud. read more

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

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It's a wonderful little cafe and working space if that's your vibe. There's plenty of seating everywhere whether you want to work inside, outside, bar, table, whatever your heart desires. The attached room is a big open space that's well decorated so it's pretty nice. Quiche: Get! I thoroughly enjoyed it and each bite was very pleasant. Just a good fluffy and well balanced quiche... i just wish there was more Croffle: Gettt! It was my first time getting this here and the sweet one was amazing! If you have a sweet tooth then I highly recommend Overall, it's a great cafe but you'll be paying a pretty bay area penny for this experience. Food: 7/10 Service: 7/10 Atmosphere: 8/10 Value: 6/10 read more

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

Friendly staff No toaster to toast items Not in the best area/location I have been to a different location and their coffee was good read more