This is the cutest bar in San Mateo located across Malatang x Molly tea. Accessible parking lot and…read morestreet parking nearby. We made a reservation since we were celebrating our engagement, and were seated inside quickly. This place gets bustling as the night goes by so probably not the best for those hard of hearing. The drinks were great! I did end up liking the angry bird as well as the fogbird sour I ordered. Beautiful selection of alcohols behind the bar. We ordered the cheese and charcuterie board that came with a lot more than we thought $31 would get us. A lovely assortment of deli, honey, cheese, olives, and mustard + pita. We also got the Parmesan fries (10/10). My only complaint is that I wish there were more food items. Like this would be an amazing place if I could get a full meal not just light bites but that's a personal preference. Our server was very attentive, friendly and helpful with the menu. We would 100% come back.

Great place for drinks and food Great atmosphere and chill…read morevibe Friendly service Highly recommend

Damn, this place is good. Very solid cocktails, but come during happy hour for $11 a cocktail- it's…read morealmost unbeatable. Lee's a really good bartender who made great drinks and service was good.

Location is great. Interior is cool. Bartender was friendly and working hard…read more Drinks -tho based on creative ideas, were simple, uninspiring and overpriced. Music was so outdated that I became uncomfortable listening to music I associate with boring frat bros of yore.

Generous portions, meat cooked to perfection, and the broth was on point…read more Got the Bo Tai Chanh (beef carpaccio) which is one of my favorite Vietnamese dishes and Gao did not disappoint. Must order. Wanted to try every pho on the menu but will have to save it for subsequent trips. Will definitely be coming back plenty of times.

Was missing Vietnam after recent trip there and my local Vietnamese friend decided to take us here…read more This did not disappoint. One of the better Vietnamese food I have had state side. Fairly authentic. Lots of Vietnamese family dinning here as well. Service was really quick as well. They do have a time limit, which I found kind of weird . But given how busy this place is I get it.

Decided to try this place out for a dinner outing with family and was pleasantly surprised by the…read moreexcellent food and wine selection. Our waitress Daniela was extremely friendly and attentive. Service was excellent and food came out quickly. We chose to sit outside and would certainly come back again!

Daniela was incredibly kind and made our experience even more enjoyable. I highly recommend this…read moreplace. Don't miss trying the caipirinha; it's absolutely delicious! I give it a solid 10 out of 10.

Had a great time with Fiona, she was very knowledgeable and friendly. 10/10 service will come back!read more

Fiona helped us out and gave me a perfect drink recommendation. 10/10 service, would highly…read morerecommend

Do you like a dive bar? Do you like to watch the game…read morewithout others blocking the TV? Do you like to find a seat at the bar or near it? Do you like when your shoes don't stick to the floor bc it's actually clean? How about bartenders being friendly and responsive - like that? I do. That's why I keep coming back to bucks. I love the comfort in here. It's never so packed I can't move. It's not so empty I feel weird. I do wish the second room had a pool table and there was food here (pizza, wings, dive bar food) or even a taco truck outside. Otherwise I could easily be here more often. Lol... my liver said that's a bad idea anyways. Im also 99% of the way towards buying a neon sign reading "i don't give a buck" to hang next to the deer head. Tho... my husband has run this past the owner and he didnt seem enthused lol. See you soon, Bucky's!

I am torn with this review because I used to go here when Kelly owned this place and it was super…read morenostalgic with its old school vibes and it was just cool!! And now it's still super cool but now it's all new and still a nice place to go to and super friendly service. But if I had a choice i would most definitely want the old school place back lol

2nd time here, both great experiences. definitely recommend trying both the table grill and…read morecharcoal. Nate was the perfect tableside server, very hospitable and cooked the meat perfectly!

Seymus was a great server!! cooked everything to perfection and was super kind. Highly recommend!!!read more

Absolutely incredible service and food, always a really great time. The ambiance and environment is…read morereally nice as well. My favorites are the torta talong, grilled beef short rib, and pinakbet. Can't beat it!

We arrived just before our lunch reservation. Thankfully it was not yet busy, and we were seated…read morefairly quickly. Seating options include the bar, indoor, indoor patio, upstairs indoor, and outdoor patio all surrounded by Island Pacific decor and atmosphere. Our server, Ace, and the rest of the staff were kind and helpful. We requested mango juice and waters all around. Also ordered Lumpia, Mango Salad, Avenida Fried Chicken, Pork Sisig, Salmon Sinigang, and (of course) both plain and garlic rice. Although we found the sisig dry, everything was well received. We might visit again when in the area again, and we would accept the menu's offer to pay with cash for a 5% discount.

I liked that restaurant. The food and services were great. we will go again tonight…read more Sandra

Service - good Ambiance - good…read moreFood - pretty bad We ordered taco - 3 different types but none had flavor. They were plain (no salt?). Carnitas tasted dry. pescado has no umami. Without considering the price, it's worse than average street side taco. If you came for the vibe - the vibe is good. But sorry restaurant owner, gotta work on the food.

I think it's kind of funny that there is such a discourse amongst other reviews about whether or…read morenot this place is a speakeasy. As a speakeasy enthusiast myself I definitely agree to the fact that it is "hidden" but also it does kinda give corporate vibes a little bit - maybe we can say they "gentrified" the speakeasy experience which is honestly so funny for Palo Alto. But anyways I don't think a classification should stop you from visiting it. The food is actually surprisingly really good. We came with a pescatarian and honestly while the offerings for snacks were a bit slim, every option was really good. I feel like this was the first time where I understood the price even the the quantity is no where close to be desired. One shrimp is like $6 and I was like whoah. Service is definitely more laid back and it's overall just like a more chill atmosphere. I'm fortunate to work nearby so I'll definitely visit this place a few times after work to blow off some steam... And the drinks! Yes they are good! They are also quite strong! Would come back again but also if you're conscious of budget then I'm not sure if you'll find the same value proposition.

Food: 3 / 5 Service: 3 / 5…read more Ambiance: 2 / 5 Let's start off by making sure that we're all on the same page... This is NOT a speakeasy. Using that language sets up an expectation that neither the ambiance nor the vibe is able to live up to. I can only assume that those reviews that commend this place as a speakeasy have never actually been to a real speakeasy and are more accustomed to box restaurants and bars. I sat at the bar and ordered a bourbon neat with a water back. There were three staff members behind the bar, none of them were particularly friendly or outgoing, which as someone who worked in the industry for years is surprising as a new establishment. Even though it was happy hour time, it was a Wednesday the place was less than half full and good servers /bartenders normally add to the experience and help creat a customer base of regulars to sustain business after the "come see" crowd is over. I ordered d' nuts as a snack and they weren't very special, even a bit overcooked / burnt. Maybe this place is exciting for a Palo Alto crowd that doesn't get out much, especially on the stretch of California given the lack of competition. My guess is that after a few months they will be hard-pressed to find a steady crowd.