Had to get a short garage key duplicated, and the KeyMe kiosk wouldn't accept it, so I came in during my lunch break, and Sarco was very friendly and helpful and upfront about the price. No one else was in the store so he was done in less than 5 minutes and I was out the door in 5. $6 including tax for the key duplication. I would come back again. read more

I have never had a bad duplicate key from Sarco's - much better than Home Depot or other places like that. You pay a little more but you don't have to return when you key doesn't work the first time. read more

Fast and professional when it came to getting a new duplicate key for my Honda CR-V. Very helpful in giving options for a buttonless key or just transferring the transponder fob onto a new blank shell. He also gave suggestions to reduce the chances of having the key break again. Great work and even saved me over $100 in comparison to going to a Honda dealership read more

Selling my house and realtor said it's imperative to have a working front door knob. We enter through the garage so key to front door is long gone and the knob set is 63 years old. So I got one at Home Depot. Won't work cause the distance from the knob to edge of door is longer than modern knobs. Went to Sarco's and explained the problem. He said he has those in stock for the older homes. TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY NINE DOLLARS from Schlage. So I called Schlage to see if I could get it any cheaper and they said I could buy a normal knob set and then buy the 5" extender kit. Total cost for the Schlage products from Amazon $26.54 with free shipping. Now I like to support local privately owned businesses but he definitely tried to rip me off. As a locksmith he should know about this extension kit. I'll never step foot in there again! read more

Sarco is very friendly and patient. He will explain things in a gentle manner even if you have many questions. He is very respectful of your time. Sarco asked me to text him pictures of the house doors and locks. He even came out for a free evaluation. You can get the cost in writing. Prices are very reasonable. He will even bring out a binder that will show a range of locks from simple to intricate. read more

I had my broken Lexus car keys copied here. They suffer from a weak design and break near the base after a few years. After 1 month despite being very careful to hold the key near the base when turning it cracks started to appear in the new key Sarco sold me for $95. After 3 months the new key completely fell apart. I went back to Sarco to ask for it to be replaced, and even offered to pay part of the cost, but Sarco refused to do anything but charge me full price for a new key copy. I expect that his stock of Lexus blanks is cheap Chinese crap, and old, and they break easily, but this is no way to treat a customer. read more

I've used the guys around the corner for some time. No complaints with them. Have seen Sarco's shop for years in front of Trag's though never when I needed him. Thot I'd give him a try to duplicate my car ignition. He was charming and agreeable from the start. Knowledgeable, patient, moderately-priced. He made double-sure the new key worked for the car, even as I was ready to drive away without checking. As a small businessman, I know how important it is to make a good impression the first time around. Sarco more than succeeded. read more

I moved into a new place and my GPS was taking me to all these hardward stores which are no longer in business. I found Sarco's! The owner is sweet and fast when he's making the keys. read more

Needed to make an extra copy of keys that Home Depot couldn't copy. Went in and out in less than 2 minutes.

Mr Sarco could not have been nicer. He showed up on time to our scheduled appointment to re-key the new house we just bought and took care of everything quickly from his mobile vehicle. Super convenient, reasonably priced and the special care you only get from long time, local small businesses these days. read more

CALL AHEAD BEFORE VISITING!!! I have used them in the past. However, This is a review of their hours of operation. I have visited Sarco's three times in the past six weeks to get some keys copied. Each time I have been, on a weekday, during normal business hours, they have been closed. One time was for a graduation, another time I can't recall, and today I see that they're closed for "summer vacation" for the next few weeks. SO FRUSTRATING! This is not an ad for this business, however each time I have ended up at San Mateo lock works instead where they are super nice and do a great job. I will never, ever waste my time driving to Sarco's again, and if you are in a hurry and set on using their service, I would call ahead to make sure they are open. Otherwise, don't bother. Their priorities are elsewhere. read more

This place is a joke. Called multiple times, sent pictures (per the request of Sarco's Locks) of the locks required to change..... no response. Gave them one more shot at returning the call..... you know what happened. LockWorks in Redwood City drove to San Mateo, CA to do the job. read more

Randomly closed for no reason, not open reliably during normal hours. Call beforehand to ensure that they're open to avoid wasting your time. read more

I have been a customer of Sarco's for at least 10 years now. The owner of the business runs the shop and is very professional and nice. When I went in there, he knew what I needed and got me solutions quickly. I have also changed locks at my house and he came whenever it was most convenient for me. This was certainly a plus for me. Other businesses pushed me with their schedules and not mine. He did a superb job on the locks. He was very prompt with his appointment and made sure to clean up after the job was complete. I have had no problems with them ever since he installed them. I would highly recommend Sarco's any day over the other competitors out there. Sarco runs a fast, reliable, and dependable business! read more

Sarco's Lock Works - Keys & Locksmiths Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Needed to change out my locks quick. Great service. Reasonable prices. Been there for years. They're surrounded by all these new eateries. Probably a matter of time before rising rents is going to drive them out. Support these small businesses. read more

Sarco's is friendly and remarkably fast--I've made key copies with him several instances and each time, he completed the task right then and there. His rates are very reasonable as well. Thank you! read more

Went to Home Depot and wasted my time, that place is just a bunch of monkeys humping a football type of bad... Sarcos took care of me like grandma takes care of a hunger. Made my motorcycle keys as well, he was making a copy from a bent master but his copies work better than the original ever did. read more

The owner of this small locksmith runs down the stairs with a smile the instant you open the door. He is extremely fast and knowledgeable, and when I left, I felt like a special and valued customer. There is a large selection of keys and services here, including many modern car and vehicle keys that normally have to be duplicated at a dealer. There is also an impressive array of safes and a beautiful selection of hardware for your front door, in many different and elegant styles far surpassing the quality of Home Depot or Lowe's. I wished very much I had a large order of corporate keys to make, as I wanted to give this store and its owner much more business. The store is easy to get to - right on Baldwin from El Camino (just to the N of downtown San Mateo) and go to the end on the right. read more

a gem of a small business in downtown San Mateo. excellent service, honest and lovely. Do your research online but come here to get all your door key/lock needs. It is hard to beat a caring, knowledgeable live person who charges reasonably. read more

This guy is waaaaaay cheaper than the other locksmiths in the area. He was prompt and thorough. I highly recommend him!

Based on my experience 5-star rating for the following: 1) professionalism 2) customer service 3) promptness, accuracy and efficiency of service 4) great selection 5) short service time, I was in and out in less than 10 minutes 6) they are so good, I was recommended by another locksmith! (This last point speaks volumes as to their work) read more

Amazing, super fast, pleasant and great customer service. Thank you.

Fantastic, full-service locksmith, key smith and all-around superior service-oriented gentleman/owner running the place. I highly recommend Sarco's for any locking need. read more

Great service! The elder man that helped me was very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable of their stock and what would work best for me when duplicating my key. They had a decent selection of fun keys - those with hearts or happy faces on them. Unfortunately, their selection of other styles was lacking, hence 4 instead of 5 stars. I recall San Mateo Lock Works to have a more diverse selection with keys that could light up to open doors in the dark - which is what I wanted. Unfortunately, San Mateo Lock Works was closed on Presidents Day so I went to Sarco's instead and am still happy with my experience there. I was in and out in a flash! read more

Sarco's is in my home town and I always want to support local businesses. The owner made my 10 keys in no time at all. Very friendly and it was a pleasant experience. All the keys fit perfectly. Thank you Sarco's! read more

Sarco helped me duplicate a set of car keys that other folks have been unable to do. He has a large inventory of key blanks and made one for me immediately, and then special ordered a FOB key for my vehicle as well, which came in less than a week later. All in all, he saved me a trip to the dealer, which saved me at least $100. Plus, I really appreciated his prompt and professional service. Highly recommended! read more

It's cool, friendly people like Sarco running independent businesses that make downtown San Mateo a special place on the Peninsula. I've always gone to Sarco to get new sets of keys made - when I switched apartments, when people are coming to stay with me for an extended period of time - and he's always fast, pleasant, and helpful. When my friend moved into the same building, I recommended she go to Sarco to get her extra keys made - and I would recommend him to anyone! read more

Great service. I was in and out fast and got what I needed. 4 stars for way above average service. I reserve my 5 stars for "whoo-I'm feeling flushed, I'm so impressed!" service. I only needed keys and I don't go in there daily, so It's hard to get a good feel for the place...but like I said..."Way above average service". I'd definitely go again. read more

We just hired Sarco for the 2nd time and will always go to him first for anything lock related. He has years of experience and is super nice to work with. Also big props to Sarco for being so patient with my husband, who was seriously geeking out over locks and really enjoyed learning from him. :) read more

I needed a duplicate key for a closet. A regular hardware store didn't have the template for the key, but Mr. Sarco did, and took care of it immediately. read more

I discovered this place while I was shopping for a piano next door. Sarco is a nice guy, extremly knowledgeable and helpful. I bought a lock and duplicated a key in less than 5 minutes. Price is reasonable - comparable to home depot or lowes. read more

We recently moved to our new house and asked Sarco to come and fix the locks for us. He asked for details about the locks beforehand so that he is well prepared for the job when he is there. We made an appointment and he was right on time. Took care of the job in few easy minutes. Very professional and reasonably priced. read more

Sarco is the kind of guy you can depend on. He'll take the time to talk to you about your needs and come up with a good solution even if its not in his best interest. read more

Very fast, friendly service. Got two keys made in less than 5 minutes. They have a huge selection of key blanks and several options for key identifiers. I would definitely go back to Sarco without hesitation. read more