I'm a big fan of yakitori. So when my family recommended me this place I was pretty excited. Honestly this place has really nice decor with a fake sakura petal arch over the bathroom entrance and Asian parasols hanging from the ceiling. Service was also attentive and kind. The food was all very decent. We got the oyster, abalone, and scallops lunch specials and I really liked the oyster! A good amount of oyster and well seasoned. The beef sukiyaki was good and not too salty. The beef tongue and chicken were good but not exceptional. (For yakitori fans, I really enjoy having crispier skin and a stronger charcoal flavor. This one was ok but I much prefer yakitori bar Fremont's texture and taste.) The wagyu beef skewer was really the star of the show. I got a ribeye skewer for comparison and the wagyu blew the ribeye out of the water. Granted the ribeye looked p well done but the juiciness and tenderness of the meats could not be more different. Would def get the wagyu again in a heartbeat (if I was willing to spend haha). Honestly overall thought was this place is great. But not exceptional. I'll def come here if I wanted decent yakitori close by. But most times I would be willing to drive farther for exceptional yakitori (since prices are comparable for these kind of places.) read more

Prime BBQ - Oyster (close front), abalone (far left), scallop (far right) - Barbeque Near Me - San Mateo, California

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This place is a solid Izakaya-style place. The ambiance makes it have a very first or second date friendly and little more on the quiet side when I visited, which I liked. Also a great spot to catch up with friends since it has a pretty good happy hour deal. The servers were nice and acoomadating. Just flag them down when you need something. The food was Chinese style izakaya but saw one or two Japanese dishes on the menu. Everything was tasty. I personally liked the Mentaiko Stir Fried Udon. But all the skewer dishes were solid, I liked the pork belly the most. If you're looking for something fun grab the squid. I had the fried bread and condensed milk for my dessert and it did not disappoint. A plus is there is a karaoke room in the back. I love karaoke and the food is pretty easy to eat while doing karaoke since it's most hand food (skewers). I always find that place that has a karoke rooms usually has knife & fork type food. That makes it hard to sing your heart out. Come here if you have that's what you're looking for! There's a little bit of something for everyone. read more

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Nice clean ambiance, friendly service, and easy to order by QR code at the table. Everyone can order on their own device and it will combine it for the table. They have Lots of meat and veggie options for skewers as well as entrees. My dad got the chicken katsu curry and we ordered a bunch of skewers including lamb, beef, pork belly, chicken skin, and scallops. My favorite was the bacon wrapped mochi. read more

Everyone's been hyping this place up and it's good! Many of my friends got the yakitori and all pieces were fat and big. Worth the price. Their rib eye skewers were really good too, well seasoned. I got their a choy and it seemed fresh! That was my favorite. Their smoked enoki was great as well and haven't seen it be offered elsewhere. I liked how the table had a qr code to scan to order and additional spice powder on the table. Overall great place but too far to go out of my way to eat here since im from the south bay. If you leave a google yelp review you get a free mini ice cream! I got coffee and a mini spoon was inside attached on the cap of the ice cream!! Just show them after! read more

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3/7/24 After coming here for dinner the first time in March 2024, Zach and I returned here again for dinner back in August 2024. Both times we got seated right away with no wait time. The interior is beautifully decorated. Our waitress at the time was dressed up as an anime character which I thought was super cute. There is a QR code that you will need to scan on the table to order your items. You can't pay online though; they will bring you a physical receipt for that. I can't remember how many we ordered in one go, but everything came out pretty fast. There's a wide variety of small bites ranging from skewers to tempura and small plates of udon. Everything we had tasted great. The staff are very attentive so you never have to ask for more water or napkins. The last time we were there, our milk buns were taking an extremely long time (over 20 minutes); not to mention we had a plane to catch...but when the milk buns arrived, one of the staff sincerely apologized and said the milk buns would be free of charge. Looking forward to our next visit here :) read more

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These Chinese skewer places have been popping up around the Peninsula, so for dinner one weeknight, I figure it's time to check it out. Street parking was easy to find on a weeknight. Prime BBQ serves both Chinese skewers, as well as Japanese style yakitori / skewers, and some Chinese/Japanese izakaya style dishes. You order via scanning a QR code at the table...unless they're having some specials, and you'd have to order those with a wait staff outside of the online ordering system. This was the case as we were there when they had their 1-year anniversary specials. | Ambiance | It's a happening spot! It was crowded even on a weekday evening. The restaurant has a bit of a bar/lounge feel with low lighting, music, etc. It felt like they're going for the ambiance of people eating outside by a river, with lanterns and flowers hanging. Cute. | Service | Service was friendly, but they seemed to be slightly short-staff. Overall though, we got what we needed in time and didn't have to wait too long. | Food | Perhaps this would be nostalgic for someone who grew up with this food. I really wanted to like it but we were underwhelmed. - Liked: Tsukune (chicken meatball w/egg yolk for dipping), scallop butter yaki, prime grilled ribeye - OK: Beef tongue skewer, bacon mochi - Did not like: vermicelli scallop with garlic (the scallop was so tiny to be made this way!), soy egg uni, fried eggplant (too much breading), pork neck skewer (I expected thinly cut pork neck meat on a skewer, but this was thick pieces of pork neck meat on a skewer). It's worth noting that if you order a certain amount of food, the wait staff offers free ice cream in exchange for a review written for them as others have mentioned. read more

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Our favorites were the okra, pork belly, prime grilled ribeye, and fried buns with condensed milk. We also liked the wagyu with uni, though it was a bit tough, and the crispy chicken skin and chicken tail (for the cartilage fans!). The enoki was okay but had a strange seasoning mix. Would recommend going later at night, as they are less crowded but still have a nice and cozy vibe. read more

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absolutely love this place. been here a couple times. it's lowkey vibes, pretty decor. very nice staff. i love the ordering on the QR code and checking out on the phone. so simple and convenient. food is awesome. DO NOT SKIP THE WAGYU WITH PINEAPPLE!!! Also love that you can order a bubble tea and/or sake/beer with dinner. Love coming here! read more

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This restaurant was really nicely decorated and had a wide variety of Chinese BBQ, Japanese yakitori, and Japanese main dishes. read more

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First time eating here and I was not disappointed. The food, service, and ambiance were excellent. They had a large menu and the food was Asian/Chinese fusion, all the items were delicious. The prices were not bad and the portions were adequate. Didn't take pictures of food as I didn't have my phone. We ordered Buta Bara, grilled scallops, salt and pepper string beans, crispy pork belly, chicken karaage, grilled eggplant with garlic sauce, and some warm saki. I will definitely return and/or order takeout. Satisfied customer!! read more

Food is heaven here!!!! Sooooooo delicious and service was amazing I'll definitely come again! I'm really piggy eater but wow happy to writing review on first time read more

Prime BBQ - Best dinner ever. Try wagui A5 best of best! I promise - Barbeque Near Me - San Mateo, California

When I usually see restaurant offering fusion of Chinese, Japanese, Korean and offering a variety of dishes from skewers to udon to curry, I run far the other way. There is no way one place can offer such variety and depth that's actually good, right? Well, at first that was sort of the case. During their soft opening, the food was just mid and confirmed my suspicions. Over time we've had it a few more times and they've consistently improved, especially in the skewers department. Their other dishes are still just there on the menu but I would recommend skipping them unless you are craving them and are allergic to skewers or something (the seafood fried rice isn't too bad but you'll have to actually try to mess that up). You get a lot of Chinese style skewers but they do have Japanese ones, too; it's a good mix. And hey, why not throw in some banchan like kimchi, right? The service is generally very good and the place for where it's at in San Mateo is relatively good and not a bad place to enjoy your meal; it passes the vibe check. Overall, while they don't defy the rules of physics and they don't really offer both top notch quality while also having insane variety, considering how many things they are trying to offer, they do a very good job at mostly delivering solid options across the board. While this place certainly won't get you the best skewers in the world nor top notch udon, they seem to do a fairly good job at being consistently good across many of their offerings. Furthermore, they are generally open late and offer something that's hard to come by in this area so big kudos to them for trying and mostly succeeding. read more

Really enjoyed my visit here. The menu has a lot of variety and the meats were well seasoned. The atmosphere is casual but trendy, and the food arrived pretty quickly. Good customer service. read more

Prime BBQ in San Mateo positions itself as more of a yakitori-style spot, and while I enjoyed parts of the experience, it didn't fully hit the mark for me. The chicken thigh skewers were probably the best of the bunch, juicy, nicely charred, and seasoned just right. The tsukune (chicken meatballs) had good flavor but were on the dry side, missing that tender, almost bouncy texture I've had at other yakitori spots. The beef skewers were flavorful but a bit chewy, and the bacon-wrapped items (like enoki mushrooms) had good smokiness but felt more greasy than balanced. The veggie skewers (zucchini, peppers, and mushrooms) were solid, though I wish they had a little more seasoning to bring out the grill flavor. Service was friendly and attentive, but pacing between skewers was inconsistent--sometimes they came out too fast, other times we were waiting long stretches. The vibe is casual and lively, which works well if you're coming with friends, but the pricing felt a little high for the overall quality and portion size. In the end, it was a mixed experience. Some skewers hit the spot, but the lack of consistency kept it from being a standout yakitori destination. read more

Super cute ambiance! The interior is cute and music is chill. Ample parking right outside the restaurant. Food is light and very good! Highly recommend the pork belly, beef tongue, and wagyu if that's right up your alley. My fav veggie skewer is A-choy and tomato! Yuzu sake and lychee sake is the best. Make sure you get the right order! Overall, would come again! read more

Prime BBQ - Yakitori Combo Five - Barbeque Near Me - San Mateo, California

Went here for dinner. Street parking only, but seemed pretty easy to get parking near by. I enjoyed most of the food I got. All the food I got was pretty tasty but I really enjoyed the scallops and the enoki mushrooms.staff was friendly and quick. I highly recommend coming here. read more

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Came on a Sunday after 9pm and there's no wait. We passed by earlier in the day and the wait was over an hour during peak dinner time. Service was very quick and food came out as it was ready. Friendly staff! My favorites were the mentaiko stir fried udon, duck breast, chicken heart, green beans, and grilled whole eggplant. Highly recommend the crispy chicken skin! read more

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TL;DR: Service is fast and excellent. The Food is tasty. We came to San Mateo for a wedding and stumbled upon prime bbq for late night eats. We ordered a variety, prime chicken skins, wagyu with horse radish, Karage, scallop,duck, lamb skewers, tendon. All thr bbq was good, well seasoned and had a nice flavor. My favorites were the wagyu, chicken skins and scallops. What I was surprised is that the tomato was really good. I would pass on the karage and my wife said she would pass on the duck. To me the chicken was tasty, but a little dry and my wife said she wasn't wowed by the duck. Service was quick and friendly. My water cup was constantly full. read more

I came here with a couple friends on a Friday night, we didn't have to wait that long before we got seated, but waiting for the food took quite a bit of time, and the food came out one by one instead of all at once. I really enjoy the udon and is the signature main dish of the restaurant ! The skewers were really good too and I especially like the beef and the pork belly. The eggplant was a little bit underwhelming and didn't have the flavors I was hoping for but overall a great Chinese skewer place that you can come with your friends and family. read more

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We came here for lunch as it's right around where I work. We had the Pork Belly and Shishito peppers, and Beef Sukiyaki. All very good! We ordered like 2 more pork belly's. I took my kids here on a separate visit and they loved the Yakitori Combo Five (garlic shrimp, tomato, pork belly, rib eye, and chicken) all delicious. We also got the chicken udon which was flavorful! Will definitely keep coming in read more

Prime BBQ - Yakitori Combo Five - Barbeque Near Me - San Mateo, California

We discovered Prime BBQ last year following a San Mateo Expo event. We love their skewered meat options (from their pork belly to their bacon wrapped lychee) and their reasonable prices. We also loved their chicken skin appetizer dish. A great place for a variety of flavors while trying to eat a low carb meal. read more

First time here, and I loved it! It was empty when we went for an early dinner around 5:20 on a Tuesday. You use a QR code at your table and place your order on your phone. You can keep adding more items to your order. We came here for skewers, and everything we ordered was great. I also got a lychee lemon tea with crystal boba that I really enjoyed, though it was heavy on ice. I recommend the following items: -Wagyu Steak Serve w/ Wasabi & Sea Salt -Shiitake (Charcoal grilled mushroom w/ yakitori sauce bonito flakes) -Lamb skewers -Chicken skin -Kamo (Charcoal grilled duck breast) Nice ambiance. There's plenty of seating, so this place is good for groups as well. Service was fast. Looking forward to coming back to try more of the menu! read more

Place is fire. Convenient ordering system via QR code, fast and attentive service, and an ambiance that has everything you'd look for - good music, decoration, and chatter. The food was great as well particularly the grilled ribeye skewer and bacon wrapped mochi! Can't wait to come back. read more

Duck is dry Buta bara is the best pork option, juicier then the crispy one! Pork cheek is just like the butabbura, but thicker and juicier! Order a ton of these next time Gristle is so good, crunchy and glaze is great Chicken skin special is awesome read more

Found a new spot in San Mateo. We looked at the other reviews about Prime BBQ and we had to try this place for ourselves and we were not disappointed. We got seated very quickly as we made it before the rush. Very easy ordering process and staff is so responsive and checks in on the guests frequently. The food was great and unique where a lot of their dishes were served on skewers. I especially liked how they prepared the corn skewer one kernel at a time onto a skewer. Felt like that took some effort preparing. The tiny bit size scallops were also amazing too. My personal favorite was the Gyu Don. If you haven't tried this place, you really should if you find yourself in San Mateo. read more

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High quality skewers for an amazing price! We ordered a few different kinds of skewers to test out including rib eye, lamb, king oyster, pork belly, & chicken skin. I will note that these skewers are grilled prior to being served and kept warm at the table. BUT, everything arrived quickly and hot so I had no issues there. I would say this is a fusion between Chinese palettes and Japanese palettes which I appreciated- there's something for everyone here. The menu was extensive so if you wanted appetizers or something more filling than skewers, there are definitely options to choose from. There's also ample street parking since it's a little further off the main streets of San Mateo! Would highly recommend to catch up with friends or date night- lively and intimate ambiance. Added to my rotation of spots in the Bay Area! read more

Prime BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Mateo, California

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4th of July try out this place. Amazing food, will come again. . Like their udon the most. read more

Prime BBQ - Yummy food - Barbeque Near Me - San Mateo, California

If you're a fan of yakitori and skewers, this spot is a must-visit! I came here recently and was blown away by both the variety and quality of the food. Here's what I ordered/recommend: * Mentaiko udon * Scallop butter yaki * Wagyu steak with uni on top yakitori * Pork cheek yakitori * Gyutan (beef tongue) yakitori * Prime house crispy pork belly grilled skewers * Prime grilled ribeye skewers * Pork neck grilled skewers * A Choy skewer * Chives skewer Every single item was incredibly flavorful, perfectly grilled, and served fresh. The Wagyu steak with uni on top was a standout for me--such a rich and decadent combo! The crispy pork belly skewers also deserve a special shoutout; they had the perfect balance of crunch and juiciness. The atmosphere was cozy, and the service was quick and attentive, making the whole experience even better. Highly recommend this place if you're in the mood for some high-quality skewers and Japanese-inspired dishes. 5/5--can't wait to come back! read more

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Came here for dinner with friends, it's super busy so come early or you'll be waiting a bit, especially on weekends! But it's very cute inside and the food is super good. The workers are super nice as well! read more

Prime BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - San Mateo, California

Unique type of restaurant on 25th Ave. Grilled Chicken Meat: 4/5. My favorite here. Very moist and lightly flavorful. Grilled Prime Rib: 3.5/5. Pretty good, but not as good as the chicken. But this was my wife's favorite. Grilled Green Beans: 3.5/5. Needed some greens for this dinner. I liked this more than my wife. Not great but pretty good. read more

Delicious skewers! Our favs - kurobuta sausage, mochi bacon, king oyster mushroom, enoki mushroom, cucumber salad, green beans and pineapple! read more

Love the ambience here. The place is clean and they have a great orderinf. People are nice and food is delishous. These places are becoming popular, but I think this place executes very well. We like the abalone, grilled meats, grilled veggie. read more

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Beautiful decor. Came on a Thursday night and it wasn't busy. There were plenty of yakitori/grilled skewer varieties to chose from as well as some main dishes such as stir fried noodles, fried rice, and udon. Got a good mix and they are all delicious. Lamb was good, but the grilled rib eye was even better, and juicy. Wagyu was not as fatty as expected, but not bad. Pork neck had a really good flavor and has a good amount of fat in it. Scallop was tiny, but good spicy flavor. Can never go wrong with enoki, delicious grilled with a sprinkle of spice. read more

Prime BBQ - Thai tea! - Barbeque Near Me - San Mateo, California

Maybe we caught them in a bad day... Service needs improvement and food was just meh. Came here on the weekend and was seated quickly. It wasn't too busy and there was a decent amount of seating. The interior is decorated nicely with cherry blossoms. Thankfully, you can scan a code and order on your phone. It took a while for our food to come out and it didn't come out all at once. The staff didn't check on us much and we had to ask to get refills on our drinks. The quality of the meat seemed cheap and tasted old, especially for the price. The tendon was tough as was the pork belly which was overcooked. They gyudon was mostly rice and needed more meat. They served 3 sad thinly sliced pieces of salmon in the salmon teriyaki. We left disappointed and will check out other bbq places next time. read more

Was looking for a new place to try with a friend today and stumbled upon Prime BBQ. Really nice joint in a quiet part of San Mateo, with some surprisingly tasty skewers at fair prices! Design of the restaurant is nice, and presentation of the food was great. My friend really liked the Chicken skewers, but I personally loved the lamb and beef skewers!! They also have proper bar inside for those who drink :) Would recommend checking out and having a fun night out read more

Prime BBQ - Chicken Skin Negima White Rice - Barbeque Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Almost all the skewers taste the same. Same sauce? Some skewers are cold. Very disappointed.

Delicious tasty bbq skewers. The service was fast, but the food come out one at a time every 5 minutes, so a lot for 1hour for dinner. Cute decorations throughout the restaurant. read more

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Kids love the Yakitori, I love the Chinese style skewers. Loves the idea of multiple options for delicious foods! read more

Prime BBQ - Pork cheek and pork belly - Barbeque Near Me - San Mateo, California

I enjoy coming here! It's one of the few place on this side of town that I enjoy coming to. It's gotten busier as time goes on. The yakitori is good and my kids enjoy the read more

Prime BBQ - Enoki Mushroom - Barbeque Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Fast service and delicious food. We got izakaya, udon and the tuna collar. Food was hot fresh and delicious. read more

Prime BBQ - Tuna collar - Barbeque Near Me - San Mateo, California

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