This was a bustling cafe/restaurant and pretty much all the seats inside were taken when I came on a Sunday afternoon around lunch time. However, I was able to easily grab one of the tables they have outside. You order at the counter and they give you a number and bring your food out to you. All of their food options are displayed nicely in their glass case so you can see exactly what your meal will look like when it comes out. They also have your basic coffee shop options as well as some unique concoctions to choose from. I settled on getting the chef's omelette with a side of their chamomile citrus tea. Even though breakfast had technically been stopped at that point, the lady taking my order asked the chef to make the dish for me, which was really nice of her. The meal came out about 10 minutes later, and the colors on the plate all popped nicely. The ingredients went well together and it was the perfect amount of food to get me filled up with weighing me down. While it was tasty and savory, it still felt like a healthy option that I didn't have to feel guilty about afterwards. read more

Foreigner - Chef's omelette - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

Food here is soo good. Self seating. Water dispensers on the corner side and amazing desserts. read more

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This is absolutely one of my top three favorite brunch spots on the Peninsula between Palo Alto and San Francisco! The food is absolutely delicious and the service is also excellent. The variety of menu choices are impressive. And, it does not matter what you order, you can't go wrong. I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Fantastic food and service. I had my wedding reception here! We did not know how it was going to pan out given the current Covid situation... Noryn went above and beyond and we had a amazing, memorable reception. My wife and I decided to keep the reception small and intimate (25-30 people). Foreigner was able to accommodate my party! Noryn has been very responsive from the start. We went back and forth on the arrangements. We agreed on a four course lunch menu. 3 of our guests dropped out and to replace them, she gave all the guests a extra cauliflower dish. The appetizer salad was great. Crack potatoes were so good, barely any left. And that was just the start. Cauliflower was pretty good. Guests had 4 options for entree to choose from (chicken white, dark, salmon, mushroom lasagna). Salmon with wasabi mash potatoes was the highlight. So good that everyone almost licked their plates. Chicken was cooked to perfection. Noryn (the owner) is the queen of potatoes. Wow!! For deserts, we got two tarts. Almond pear tart - my favorite. Nothing was left. Strawberry crumble tart- my wife's favorite. The wine choices she had were on point. Our guests drank a lot ( 13 bottles). She even served beer to a couple guests for free. All our guests raved about food after the event. We agreed to end at 4pm but we stayed much longer and she did not complain. Fantastic service throughout. We could not have asked for a better experience. We have been coming here on and off since they opened and food has always been awesome. read more

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Delicious! Great service and food. We loved the mixed greens salad which came with a balsamic vinegar dressing served on the side of our sandwiches. The turkey blt avocado sandwich was served on a baguette; it was deliciously crunchy and soft, but a little tough to cut through. The filling of turkey, blt, and cheese was awesome. The chicken avocado blt sandwich was also great. It was served on a focaccia that was very soft. A tasty sandwich as well! The coffee was wonderful and strong. We enjoyed our latte and cafe au lait. Fabulous coffee for sure. read more

Foreigner - turkey blt avocado, chicken blt avocado, latte, cafe au lait - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

Food was good. The counter service was just okay. I would pay more attention on customers as it just seems like another high priced deli where you can spend your money. read more

Came here after a yoga class for lunch. I was overwhelmed with all of the options they had out on display, everything looked soooo good!!! I love that their dishes are all so colorful, so many plants! I ordered the morning breakfast sandwich and asked them to make it vegetarian with no cheese, came out delicious! I'm glad they were able to accommodate. Food took a bit to come out but otherwise great restaurant! Will keep coming back to try other items on the read more

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Good food, but the terrible service - especially from the manager and lack of training of his staff, left a bad taste and I won' return. At the last minute they ruined a high tea party I had planned for a friend's birthday. Six of us came here last Sunday for breakfast. Given the prices and location I would not have expected a self serve cafeteria style experience. But given today's environment with staffing, I tolerated it. (I get better service at the Buttercup diner) Anyway since one of the members in our group was having a birthday the following weekend I thought their to their High Tea (they call it a Merienda) would be something fun to do. BIG MISTAKE When I called on Tuesday to inquire about the availability, they told me that despite what the website says, the High Tea is NOT available on Monday, but Wed- Sunday. (Monday would have been our first choice). Then I called on Thursday to make a reservation for Friday. The slightly frazzled lady who took my reservation could not answer any of my questions regarding the menu. She said she would have a manger call me to answer my questions. I was treating my friends so I wanted to be clear about what to budget for. No one called. Friday morning still no call from the manager. I called back and spoke to the same frazzled lady and this time she was able to actually look at the menu and answer my questions. Friday around 11:30 the manager finally calls. But he is calling to tell me that the chef who makes the high tea was out sick ( since Wednesday, not just got sick) and that they never should have taken my reservation in the first place. Had he called me on Thursday, I might not have been so upset - things happen. Had the frazzled lady told me when I spoke to her Friday morning told me the chef was sick, I would have been annoyed but still have time for a plan B. But to call at the 11th hour, with a lame apology, throwing his untrained staff under the bus was unacceptable. We were coming from different parts of the Bay Area and this location was central, especially since SF was crowded with the APEC summit. Thanks for reading this rant. Hope this saves you from making a booking here and being disappointed. read more

Foreigner - Website says one thing, staff said the complete opposite about the availability. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Came here for brunch on a weekday and were able to easily find seating after ordering at the counter. The croque madam and the soup were both very good. The mimosas were a bit pricey, but I can't say I was surprised. Service was nice and attentive. The owner even came around to us and checked on how we were doing and have a quick chat. This is in the middle of downtown and is a nice walk for me, but for those that are driving, parking can be difficult during peak times. We noticed plenty of spots along the street when we came though. Overall, good experience and will come back again. I can see why it is usually a pretty busy spot whenever I walk by. read more

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Came here to try to the latte flight and we ended up getting one of the avocado toasts too because they looked so good. Service was amazing!! Food and drinks were great and the place is so cute and spacious. I'll definitely be back next time I'm in the area. read more

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

Came here for breakfast and lots of variety on the menu. They have samples so you can see what you are ordering. We came here for brunch so we came hungry. We thought that portions would be larger. My fiance and I ordered two items, the biscuits & gravy and the sexy french toast. We ordered more food because we were still hungry. Biscuits & Gravy w/ egg: I had my eye on Foreigner Favorite, but I saw one of the samples with the label Biscuits and Gravy. I almost always order Biscuits and Gravy when it's offered. The biscuits are not like you country style biscuit you find in diners. The biscuits were quite hard even with the gravy poured over them. The texture was almost like a scone. Not sure if that's what they were going for but it definitely threw me off. The gravy had bits of ham in them which is hidden by the flavor of the gravy. I wont be ordering this again. Sexy French Toast: The usage of Banana walnut bread was creative. The whole dish has a ton of sweet flavors. Definitely not your typical french toast. Not even sure you can call it toast since it's not toasted and doesn't have that thick crust texture along the edge. Still a delicious, decorative, and creative dish. Croque Madam: I decided to order this after eating the other two items because we were still hungry. The flavors of this dish was fantastic. The smoked ham and gruyere cheese along with the egg on top just melts in your mouth. The potatoes, onions, bell pepper on the side was nicely seasoned. My gripe with the veggies was that the potatoes weren't cooked crispy enough. The onions and bell peppers had more crunch. I think this place has all the right flavors, but the portions aren't sufficient and the textures are mixed up. read more

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Great location to sit outside and enjoy some good company! Gotta stand in line to order and then you get a number to place on the table. The signs have pictures of places around the world. The food was decent but not super memorable. I got the Mushroom and Gruyère toast with a side salad. read more

Foreigner - Mushroom and Gruyère toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

Really well made food and good service. They just run out of things really fast. I took my team here for a work lunch at 2 and they only had salads and quiches left. Loved the matcha chai though! read more

Was looking for a brunch spot to eat with my girl friends, based on the rating I decided to give this spot a try. From the photos the place looked like a cute brunch spot. It's not waiter service here, you order, find a table and they bring the food to your table. They have a display case of their toast selections, sandwiches and salads. They offer some breakfast options as well, they had some Benedict options. Our group ordered: - salmon Benedict - salmon avocado toast - bacon avocado toast - turmeric coffee - Vietnamese iced coffees The food was great, the toast came with a lot of toppings, they didn't skimp on the avocado, eggs or salmon. The potatoes with the Benedict had good flavor as well. As for the drinks on the other hand, the Vietnamese iced coffee was watered down, not what I was expecting. I had to get another coffee after lunch. My friend didn't enjoy her turmeric coffee either she said it didn't taste great. The service was great the owner I believe saw us struggling to cut our toast so she brought us steak knives which was very nice of her. I knocked one star down for the drinks but overall the food was good. read more

Foreigner - Bacon, egg avocado toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

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In the Bay Area, I've been to several high tea places that are only instagramable. Expensive, but not much tastiness. My own high teas I have at home taste much better so when I came to Foreigner cafe I didn't have high expectations at all. I was definitely wrong!! Their high tea was so delicious. It's the best tasting high tea in the Bay Area, I'm sure! We will be back again. Also, the worker there even offered to take our pictures and she helped set up the table for photos. She's extremely helpful! Thank you! read more

Foreigner - Tastiest high tea in the Bay Area! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

TL;DR: A cute spot with aesthetically pleasing brunch staples. Thoughts: We came here on a Saturday morning and we could tell it's a popular spot! You order at the counter and find a table yourself; the staff will bring out the food to your table. They have both indoor and outdoor dining. We got the Salmon Benedict and Sexy French Toast, as well as the iced Matcha Latte and the iced Dirty Chai Latte. Both the presentation and the flavor for everything are great! Although the meal didn't blow my mind, I would say that Foreigner is indeed a great brunch spot in Downtown San Mateo! read more

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

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This review will be a difficult one because THIS RESTAURANT IS FABULOUS!!!! I'm on a weekend vacation to the bay area and staying at the Marriott wanting to branch out and look for new places I noticed the Foreigner Cafe and saw the reviews and pictures posted by my fellow Yelpers. Still trying to eat healthy I noticed the avocado toast dish and that help me decide to try this restaurant. I have to say that the finished product looked just like the advertised one that is in the showcase and pictures. Very seldom do they match (just think of McDonald's and the fish sandwich) and the flavors of this particular dish are without question the best. Do yourself a favor and step out of your box and try life elsewhere, and by the way...the owner Slav extends his welcome to all Yelpers. Enjoy read more

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Decent food and brunch place. Their smoothies were pretty good but overall pretty expensive for what it is. I got the Healthy Start plate and a smoothie and it was $32 total. The place was also pretty crowded and difficult to find a table. Staff was friendly. I think it's an okay place to go to, but wouldn't go out of my way. read more

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

Was in the mood for a quick afternoon bite and came across this place. Unfortunately, they didn't have many options left. Not sure if it was because we got there around 3P instead of earlier in the day but they're open until late so I don't know. Most of the special dishes and toasts were unavailable. They had waffles and salmon toast (basically lox on toast). Waffles sounded too sweet so I go the lox toast to share with my partner and two teas. My partner and I enjoyed the food and drinks but he was bummed that they didn't have a lot of options. Hopefully next time they'll have more variety. Maybe I'll go next time earlier in the day. read more

Foreigner - Smoked Salmon Toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

What a great place for lunch! Got their smoked salmon and avocado toast and it was absolutely delicious! Loved the capers, onions and sliced hard boiled eggs. Friend ordered the salmon eggs Benedict and enjoyed it as well. Will be back! read more

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We were super excited to come back and try dinner here because our brunch experience was SO AMAZING! But unfortunately our experience today wasn't as expected. Polenta fries - really good, the best thing we had tonight. Super crispy on the outside m, creamy and cheesy in the inside. 5/5 Lemon pasta - this one made me sad bc it had great potential to be a 5 star dish but unfortunately there were 2 grave errors. First, it was so salty! I almost returned it but we waited 35 mins for our meals after the appetizer (which was another downfall). Then the noodles were all stuck together and broken so I couldn't twirl my fork, I think the pasta is handmade but not made properly. 2/5 =( Steak - the meat was tender, the potatoes were crispy and the overall flavor was good but not spectacular! 3.5/5 Maybe it was an off night? We will definitely come back for brunch and try dinner one more time in the future. read more

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

Another great spot for breakfast. Awesome service. Quiche is probably my favorite dish here but everything taste great. read more

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Great coffee, food, and pastries. Casual spot. Perfect for brunch! They have examples of all the food in a glass case near the register, so you can see what you're ordering! read more

This cafe was recommended by a coworker. Honestly was really good and ended up spending $75 on all these items. Drinks were really good! The Ube Puff was much more flavorful than the Nutella Puff. The Nutella Puff was a little underwhelming. The Sexy French Toast was a bit healthier than we anticipated. It was also small for the price that you pay but lead up from the expectation from other cafe goers photos uploaded on Yelp. The croffle had to be one of my favorite items besides the crepe. The staff was super friendly and nice. Since the Sexy French Toast was taking too long, one of the servers offered any complimentary drink in regards to the long wait we had to endure. The complimentary beverage I chose was the Black Mango Tea, asked for it sweetened, honestly so good! read more

Foreigner - $75 worth of items - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

Amazing service, food was so yummy. Highly recommend the smoked salmon toast. The manager was really friendly and kind and we got a table without a wait. The drinks are so good as well, especially for coffee and tea lovers. Would go back here in a heartbeat!! Also loved the decor and ambiance! Things I've tried in the past that are a must.... The cinnamon French toast is Amazing!! It's topped with fresh fruit and it's so good it could double as a dessert. Have also had the avocado toast with egg on top, so good! The quiches I have tried have all been delicious as well! Put this place on your regular dining list and bring your friends because they will love it too! They have indoor and outdoor seating and the line to order food goes quick. A must try! read more

Came here with my friend for weekend brunch. While there was a line for ordering, the line moves extremely fast and there are plenty of seating so wait is not an issue. Me and my friend ordered the Salmon Benedict, Lecso with Poached Egg, euro latte, and the mixed fruit tart. Overall the food was good, but not necessarily special or outstanding. The salmon Benedict is always a classic and you can't really go wrong ordering this. However, I personally prefer English muffin with my Benedict and here they use sour dough bread. The Lecso was a bit cold and watered down, did not have very distinctive taste. I would not recommend ordering this. My favorite out of everything was actually the Euro Latte. It had the right amount of sweetness and was not too strong/light. This is actually the best coffee I've had in San Mateo so far. Overall I would still recommend for the ambience and selection of food, drinks and desserts if you're looking for a quick spot for brunch. read more

Foreigner - Salmon Benedict, Lecso with Poached Egg, euro Latte - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - San Mateo, California

I mean service is nonexistent and you seat yourself but the TLT and nutella croissant were pretty delicious. i'd go back now that i know what to expect. read more

Usually I am not one to give 5 stars on a first visit but Foreigner definitely deserves this one. When walking in there is an outside seating option as well as a cute inside seating. This cafe is perfect for an ig post! You order up front and then find seating. We ordered the avocado toast, egg and thing with avocado and bacon, sexy French toast, Arcadian salad, lemon sponge cake as well as the Farmers salad.For drinks I ordered an iced latte with sugar free vanilla. Everything we ordered was yummy and appetizing. Portions were decent and enough to get you full. I liked that they have both healthy options and unhealthy options. I felt satisfied by the end of my meal and not overly full. The owner came by and you can really tell she cares so much about her business. I love supporting woman owned businesses. Her story of how foreigner came about is also amazing! Service, food and quality were all there. I'd definitely recommend this cafe. I will be back once I'm in town again. read more

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

If you enjoy beautifully plated food and a cute ambiance, this spot is for you! I've come on 3 separate occasions with different friend groups and they've all loved it. There's just something about this place that always brings me back. Right when you enter, they have a huge display of their menu items which are all plated perfectly which makes it super hard to settle for just one! After ordering you get your number and find a place to sit (keep in mind from around 11am-1pm it's hard to find an open table, but after 1pm I've found it's not bad so I'd recommend a later lunch if you wanna time it best). Outdoor seating is really appreciated, and as long as it's not too cold sitting outside is wonderful. Indoors is also great, as there's lots of cute decor to look at while you savor your meal. Staff is always very friendly. I have found them to get busy at the counter sometimes so it may be a delay to place your order at first, but when they deliver your food they also check up on you to make sure you have everything you need. Prices are slightly on the higher side, so I typically only come here with guests for special occasions. It's not enough to break the bank though so indulge as you see fit :) Pro tip: Didn't get a picture of their coffee flight, but the quantity/quality/cost for that is top tier. Highly recommend! read more

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This place is ok. We were there around 10 am and they already ran out of ube puff. Instead got 2 Nutella puffs and it was super dry, not airy , and has a weird taste. It was stale and definitely not fresh. I had the bacon Benedict and it was ok the toppings made the slice bread soggy. However, I like their salad and the barako coffee. read more

Great spot to enjoy some delicious food and snap a few pictures! The food is not only tasty but also beautifully presented, perfect for photos. Don't forget to order a drink--their lattes are especially nice! read more

Decided to try this place for breakfast with my boyfriend as it was suggested to me on Yelp. There was no line when we arrived on a Tuesday morning. I ordered a matcha latte, a fruit tart, the sexy French toast, and the ham & cheese sandwich. The matcha latte was basic and unsweetened, nothing special. The fruit tart was delicious! The sexy French toast was wonderful. It was my first time having banana bread French toast and I think that's a beautiful idea. The size of the serving is extremely small though. If you're expecting thick cut bread you will be disappointed. The slices I received were inconsistent, one was paper thin and another was about an inch thick. Each slice (you get four) only measures about two inches in length, lol. It was good nonetheless. But the other downside was that some of the fruits on my French toast had mold, specifically the blueberries and the blackberries (all of them did, we checked). Note, please check your fruits before serving them to customers. It's not a huge deal to me, but it could be to others. Additionally, the ham & cheese sandwich was suuuuper small. It shocked me because the display sandwich was HUGE. My boyfriend literally said, "This looks like it could be a meal in Smurfs." He finished the sandwich in two bites. Rip off. All in all, we paid about $40 for this experience. I definitely think I'll be back to have the French toast or the fruit tart again when I'm feeling something light, but I won't be buying anything like avocado toast or sandwiches from the display because other reviews say they got completely different-looking items too. read more

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

Came in because my friend had the flight of lattes that looked delicious. I ended up not doing the flight since it was a lot for one person but I will be back to try it. The service here was outstanding. I asked for suggestions and I wasn't rushed into making a decision. The help I got was spot on and I was so delighted to be around someone that enjoyed their job and all the food that they make. Loved the food and my beverage and I will return for more delicious eats and wonderful service. read more

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

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Can not see menu. Don't know what they serve. Seeing just the name of the food DON'T tell me anything.

Food is very good, would recommend. Services is nice, you at the front and seat yourself. The ambiance is very professional and welcoming.

This place is my favorite coffee shop and breakfast joint. Lattes are great, and their breakfast plates awesome. I crush their chia and oats bowl. :) read more

Great tasting food!!! My guests said the lattes were amazing!! We got an ube latte and a latte flight (amazing btw- ube (replaced this for the blue spirulina ), beet, turmeric, matcha. The avocado toast tasted great but didn't look anything like the picture I loved that the workers were Filipino and that the recipes had Tagalog on it! read more

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This place is so good! We were there last Friday on April fool's day and service was excellent - the new manager was kind and took our order AND delivered and bussed our table. She was a one person show - we were very impressed. Sexy French toast had nice presentation with ample fruit and was the dense bread kind - more quality than let's say, Denny's or those bread-y French toasts. Croque Madam was ok - the bread wasn't fully toasted and could've used more bechamel but overall good. I would definitely come back and try the other dishes! read more

Food was excellent, so many choices and the food was fresh and delicious. Yummy coffee drinks served hot and elegant by barista. Fast service considering the place was packed for Sunday brunch. My daughter and I were so impressed with the attentive service and how the food was delivered to the tables with their new, state of the art, RF system so the servers finds the correct tables without those annoying number stands. I will be coming back during the holidays and recommend this place for a cozy atmosphere with delicious, fresh, hot food, served both fast and efficient. 5 stars. read more

4.5/5 Came in with my husband and we both got the veggie scramble. I got the iced soy latte and he got a raspberry tart. Everything with fresh with great flavors. I love the set up of the order at the counter and sit down after with all the food options displayed at the front so you know what you're ordering. Would definitely come back! read more

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

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