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    JC Bruno Restaurant

    4.3 (241 reviews)
    Closed 5:30 pm - 9:00 PM

    JC Bruno Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    JC BRUNO RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - JC Bruno Restaurant

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    Linguini Lobster Pasta
    EM H.

    I have been eyeing JC Bruno for years and finally got to check them out on my birthday this year, April 24, 2025. I booked our reservation via text messaging Marcela. The process was easy peasy. I did ask about vegetarian options for DJ, but it wasn't a big deal that she didn't get back to me on the matter since DJ still eats fish and meat on occasion. We arrived on time for our 7 PM reservation, easily finding parking right in front of the restaurant (street parking only, no private lot). JC Bruno's venue is thoughtfully decorated with bright yellow booth seats that pop out in the warm tones of the dining room. The restaurant, which offers indoor and outdoor seating, was very clean and well kept on the night of our visit. Below are what we had for dinner: Bruno House Salad ($11.50) - Mom omitted the Caramelized Onion from her salad which she shared small portions with the boys. Everyone thought that the simple salad was good. Roasted Beet Salad ($13.50) - DJ thought that this bowl of greens with beets and eggs was nice. Chicharron De Pollo ($16.50) - V liked this starter. The pieces of chicken were very tasty. I did wish that they were a bit crispier, though. Lomo Saltado ($34.00) - YUMMY! Z and I split this main for our appetizer. Mom found this dish so delicious that she said that she will order it for her entrée next time. Z agreed. The plate was pretty filling that even with sharing with Mom and V as well, I felt pretty full and could barely touch my main course. Atlantic Salmon ($29.50) - Excellent. DJ said that the fish was moist with a crispy skin. I didn't see any Saffron Roasted Cauliflower as an accompaniment. The salmon was sitting atop THE BEST mashed potatoes I have ever tasted. My immediate reaction to tasting the potatoes was, "Wow!" I was blown away by a single taste of the truffle creaminess. Linguine Lobster Pasta ($34.00) - The boys and I ordered this enjoyable bowl of noodles for our main dishes. The chunks of lobster were substantial in size. The creamy sauce made this dish a bit rich. I did wish that the Truffle Lobster Bisque flavour came through more. Not sure if there was saffron, but that's what I tasted with a tiny bit of heat from the Peruvian spice(s). Special of the Day Black Squid Ink Seafood Pasta ($39.00) - Mom thought that this was a very nice bowl. The portions of seafood were very generous. As a birthday treat, Marcela served to me a complimentary plate of PANNACOTA W/ RASPBERRY COULIS and HOMEMADE BREAD PUDDING WITH VANILLA ICE CREAM, topped with a lit candle, for dessert to share with everyone. What a warm and hospitable way of treating a celebrant. Both of these items are $9.50 each, so the sweet gift was very generous. Marcela served us amiably and warmheartedly. Her reception is like a friendly hug. In fact, I almost hugged her goodbye, but since it was our first time meeting, I didn't want to weird her out. I am so happy that I finally made it to JC Bruno where we had a delightful small family dinner celebration. Even Mom said that she was happy that we went here, already planning to order the Lomo Saltado at her next visit. I think we found our new favourite neighbourhood restaurant.

    Menu
    Carol C.

    Food was excellent I would recommend and will return to try other entrees. Single restroom for women and one for men. Dessert- crème brûlée was good Lava cake had sold out so must be popular. Street parking only - meters

    WC C.

    I had an AMAZING dinner here last month ! Everything was DELICIOUS - the fried calamari was CRISP and not oily , and all the dishes had just the right balance of flavors. Plus, the staff were super friendly and service was top-notch! Definitely a must-try spot for foodies !"

    Jen F.

    This is long and detailed - skip to the bottom for a short recap. JC Bruno has been on my "must try" list since they opened. My husband made a reservation for Valentine's Day weeks ago and placed our order for our entrees over text to the owner. The Valentine's Day menu (attached to this review) was $150 per couple. We ordered the beef tartare, braised short ribs, and grilled fillet mignon. When we arrived at the restaurant at our reservation time, the owner couldn't find our reservation. Each table had customized placards with the names of each couple with reservations, which I thought was a sweet, personalized touch. Staff seemed a bit frantic when the owner Marcella went to the kitchen to ask others if there was a table for us, but Marcella returned to us, seated us in the middle of the restaurant, and placed someone's personalized placard at another table. She also asked my husband to text her to show her that we do have a reservation and for our order. No apologies were given and our complimentary glass of champagne that was apart of the Valentine's Day menu was put at our table by a waitress. The champagne was great, I wish that the waitress poured the glass at our table so we could see the bottle but it was poured in the back. Our amuse bouche and beef tartare was placed at our table a few moments later. The beef tartare was just ok - it seemed like it was prepared in advance since the meat was browned already and didn't taste fresh. After we finished our starters, we waited about 25 minutes and were never checked up on - our water carafe and champagne glasses were empty. A staff member walked by our table and asked if we've had our salad yet. We said no and they brought it over at the same time as our entrees. The braised short ribs were advertised to come with rainbow carrots which is why my partner ordered it over the filet mignon. He enjoyed his dish and loved how hot the short ribs were. My filet mignon was good but it was just warm - as if it were sitting out for a bit under a lamp. I enjoyed the truffle mashed potatoes, I think they went well with the steak and broccolini. I mentioned earlier that our water carafe and champagne glasses were empty. We were never offered to see a beverage menu or given any more water. I noticed other tables were offered wine options but nobody ever stopped by. After waiting another 20-30 minutes after we finished our entrees, someone came by to take our plates and never asked if we needed anything. 10 minutes after that, another server came by and asked if we ever got our entrees. Dessert was brought out - I loved the passion fruit panna cotta but yet again, we waited another 25 minutes for the check while each server had great conversations with other guests. Too many details above? Here's the short version: The service wasn't great, which made it a disappointing experience overall. It became clear to us that regular customers were favored over new customers. At $150, getting checked in rather than just dropping off dishes is expected and our entire dining experience was over 2.5 hours because of how infrequent the service was. We're a quick walk away, so we were excited to come back and make this our go-to spot, but I wouldn't go back or recommend it to others because of our experience.

    Adam L.

    The food was actually incredible, the salmon, salad, and the lava cake were comparable to some Michelin restaurants I've been to.

    Appetizers, salads, floral

    I recently found myself planning a last- minute work-related celebration for my husband, with just more than a week to get it set. We were expecting about 45 or 50 friends and colleagues to join us in a comfortable, nearby, intimate place with appetizers and drinks where folks could circulate and socialize. I called around to a number of places in or near San Bruno, and either they were booked, their menus/structures were rigid, they were too pricey or the atmosphere was loud, with no private space. But JC Bruno turned out to be a great match! Marcela, co-owner, and wife of the chef, answered the phone directly, and was super helpful. She made her restaurant privately available on the date, a Monday, when they are typically closed. She helped walk me through establishing a budget that worked for us, created a menu with a perfect variety of appetizers and salads, and was willing to provide drinks on a consumption basis to help us with our expenses. She rented some cocktail tables and used her regular tables to create the perfect space on their private patio for guests of all needs - older folks he needed to sit, and younger folks who would rather stand and walk around. She even let me do the floral to help us save a little. Marcela and her husband were very welcoming, the buffet was beautiful, the wine and beers were great quality, and the space was intimate and classy. All of our guests had a wonderful time, and still talk about what a lovely event it was. Afterwards we even had leftovers they thoughtfully packaged, and sent home with us. I highly recommend JC Bruno for private events, and I learned that they cater as well. Based on the service and flexibility, I would absolutely use them again in the future. I also enjoyed dining there once in the past and look forward to going there again for another nice meal in the future.

    Fried chicken
    Stephanie P.

    This restaurant was everything and more than what we were expecting. The owner and her staff do an amazing job of greeting, seating customers, running the floor and getting the food to table while it's hot! The dining area is nice and welcoming. We will definitely visit again whenever we are departing or arriving in SFO airport since they're looking less than 10 mins from it.

    Well done ribeye
    Janice A.

    Really pretty venue. Staff were friendly. Came here for an event and they ran out of steaks. I know it's not the restaurant's fault bc it's based off what was ordered for catering. My steak came out pretty well done. As much as I hate well done steak the flavor wasn't too bad. It was just dry. I was offered a chicken, or should I say baby chicken based off the size. I'm guessing maybe it was a game hen? Tried to ask for more bread which was not available. The best thing here I would say was the bread. Butter was not room temp or warmed which was disappointing.

    Rack of lamb
    Jesse S.

    It's been far too long since me and the wife have had dinner here. Certainly a place where you call to make sure they have seats. More than once we have come in only to be turned away because they didn't have any seats left . So call and make reservations. We started off with an appetizer of escargot and wonderful escargot in dipping sauce. I also had a glass of house Merlot. The house special was squid in pasta with seafood. Oh this is very yummy. I got the seafood bouillabaisse. For dessert we had the chocolate lava cake with ice cream. This is a must come to a restaurant just come enjoy the music, the food and the company. Perfect.

    Rack of lamb  and Seafood special
    Clayton B.

    You take one bite and go HOLY SH*T thats the best food i ever ate The rack of lamb was so GOOD it makes you thrilled that your not a vegan ‍ I SWEAR BOBBY FLAY‍ was back their cooking because that food tasted like I was eating at a Michelin Star restaurant the best food i've ever had the place is family owned and they take the best care of their customers try the rack of lamb try the whole damn menu the pasta is homemade the seafood is incredible the bread is homemade this place is so underrated its a bart ride from the san francisco airport its right next to the bart station you can walk there !!!! the best restaurant ive ate at in the bay they chefs and staff are amazing and the ambiance is great and really quaint

    We've been trying to check out JC Bruno for years but never had a chance until recently. The ambiance was cozy and charming and the service was attentive. And most importantly, the food was delicious and unique. It wasn't your standard dishes which we liked. Highly recommend the Patatas Bravas (it has octopus), the seafood pasta with squid ink pasta (the special at the time) and the rack of lamb. Bread pudding topped it off. Prices were on the higher side but the portions were good. And these days, things are expensive anyways.

    Scallop with lobster tortellini

    Food was great! It was the right flavor; not overpowered by sauce and salt. We tasted the freshness of the ingredients. I will return and try different food on the menu.

    Many stuffing in there.
    Tirintorn C.

    First time visit here and gonna be last. Only 1 lady as server. Sat for almost 10 mins and waited to order. Only ordered the crab cake to try and beer. All menu are so pricey. So decided to try just that. 20 mins passed No water serve until I had to ask when she dropped the beer. Then the crab cake came $17.50 for 2 little pieces that smaller than the forks!!! I never ever seen crab cake this small. Thought for the price will be in good size. Inside has many stuffing in it so not all crab. Then another lady from the kitchen came out to serve the bread and butter, she had 2 baskets, she was walking to my table to serve but the server lady yelling at her in other language that not English , I think Spanish. Then that lady walked back to serve another table and looked at me and walked back to the kitchen. That is super rude!!! I'm not sure what she said but can tell she said don't serve my table! One star for the decoration looks nice.

    Crab Cakes

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    9 months ago

    Hidden gem! Really homey feel but with high level cuisine. Best escargot I've had. Excellent lobster ravioli, rack of lamb, and sea bass.

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    Page 1 of 7

    JC Bruno Restaurant Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - JC Bruno Restaurant

    Does JC serve solo diners?

    Please call 650.270.9023 with any questions. Thank you!!

    Hi! I have a $75 JC Bruno gift certificate dated 6-7-21. Just wondering if I am still able to use it? Thanks.

    Gift certificates don't expire unless indicated by the merchant or if it's purchased through a third party like Groupon. I'm pretty sure you will be able to use it -- just call JC Bruno to confirm.

    Do you have live music on Saturday?

    Hi, The music is on Friday’s.

    Where do you find parking?

    Hi Raymond, Thank you for reaching out.… Read more

    What is the Corkage fee?

    When I was there, they didn't have one, but I don't know if that was due to not having their beer and wine license yet.

    Who distributes your seafood?

    $30 per 750 ml bottle. Up to 2 bottles

    How do I make reservations? Phone number is personal cell with a full mailbox.

    I experienced the same making a reservation for 2, but was able to get through on the second try. When we arrived, we told the hostess that we had a reservation, but she did not refer to any reservation book and just seated us.

    What's the price range?

    Entrees Feom $18-$35 very well worth it

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