Kingfish Restaurant
| Address: | 201 S B St, San Mateo, CA 94401, USA |
| Phone: | +1 650-343-1226 |
| Site: | kingfish.net |
| Rating: | 3.8 |
| Working: | 4:30–9PM 11:30AM–10PM 11:30AM–10PM 11:30AM–10PM 11:30AM–11PM 11:30AM–11PM 4:30–9PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 8
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Chris Allen
Something happened to this place. Went here with some friends for a farewell dinner and received THE WORST SERVICE EVER. Time from first step in to finally leaving was almost 2.5 hours seriously. The server completly neglected us since we we a small party with no alcohol purchased and he probably preceived us as a small tip. So he spent ALL his time with other tables. We then asked for the bill and we did not get any reaponse for almost 25 mins. We then asked for a manager. We literally asked almost every buser, server, or anyone else with a black shirt and they all said they would get him. Finally some other server came to our table posing as a manager asking if we needed help and we said no no no we want a manager. Like he was covering for his buddy. The way they handled this was childish. We finally got up and went to look ourselves! We finally found someone and it was disappointing to hear their apology. I will not be coming back here and I recommend you not to go either. If you are not a big party or not a group ordering alcohol forget it these servers will neglect you. Go to somewhere way better like The Town in San Carlos for example. Better service, better food, and the manager isnt sitting around downstairs while their servers are running the show.
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Evan Adams
It was ok, but I think it is one of those places that tries too hard. The food is very average and overpriced. We had happy hour wine (the Chardonnay, meh) andd the lobster sliders. The lobster slider was really heavy on tarragon and red onion, no mayo, extremely light on the lobster. I dont think they understand what a lobster roll is. A lobster roll needs mayo! And a buttered roll!! It was very disappointing and borderline inedible. Then we had the duck spring rolls. Ok, sure, its duck confit, but it was the equivalent of two small egg rolls cut in half for $18. Please. Also, they had cilantro on them and that was not mentioned on the menu. I am of Nordic descent and think cilantro tastes like soap so I couldnt eat them. Dungeness crab cakes were decent but not worth the price and didnt have enough aoili on them. Chicken club was good, but after a few bites seemed greasy and I was over it. Should be on sourdough bread, not a bun. We would not go back it just wasnt good enough for the cost and it really just is trying too hard. Needs to simplify.
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A Private User
The food, what little there was of it, was good. But be prepared to go to McDonalds after! I ordered the sea bass with vegetables and mashed potatoes. When it came, I asked where the vegetables were and they were hidden under the small piece of sea bass, and there were only 4 small slices of them! Two other people at my table ordered asparagas and got 2 small pieces and 3 small pieces respectivly. From the time we sat down to the time we ordered dinner was an hour! It took 45 minutes to get the first order of drinks. After dinner was finally served the waiter disappeared for an hour. When he finally showed up, he said he had gotten busy. Not in the room we were in, however! The busboy was much better than the waiter. It took another 1/2 hour to get the deserts. The service was terrible and if I had been taking care of paying the bill, I would have NEVER tipped him the 20% that he got. The atmosphere is very nice, but for what you pay, the service should be MUCH better.
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A Private User
You walk in and immediately smell clams that are steaming with that awesome aroma of garlic and white wine and you see someone madly shucking oysters and even rolling sushi rolls at the marble Oyster Bar, this place has it all. No other restaurant offers such a broad range of delicious food. Their fire grilled artichokes are tasty, their Tuna Tartare is the best EVER! We all shared appetizers and had the best time, oh yeah the Dungeness Crab Poppers, kinda like crab cakes were the best we had ever had, nothing can come close! We all had different entrees and while we know they have unbelievably fresh fish, flown in daily, we all had steaks this time. The grilled Ribeye with Heirloom tomatoes and this tasty vinaigrette was to die for. Their Skirt steak is always an easy choice but, their SlowCooked pepper crusted Prime Rib was off the charts!!! Love this place and the prices arent bad either.
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Karen Herbert
Absolutely wonderful restaurant! The staff could not be more welcoming and accommodating; the food is excellent; portions are incredible and the prices offer an amazing value! We were there for a recent birthday celebration. A personal favorite is the warm cabbage and bacon salad and yet, for the first time also ordered the skirt steak which was perfectly cooked , so tender and absolutely delicious - it has been added to my list of "must order!" My son had the ahi tuna and claimed it was the best ever! The only complaint I could register is that the menu is too enticing - it is too hard to decide what to have. We will return. Kingfish has become our restaurant for any and all special occasions - or simply the place we will go when we want an excuse to go out. So convenient to the San Mateo theater - it is perfect for a before or after dinner meal.
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A Private User
Id give Kingish 4.25 or 4.5 stars if that were an option. Every once in a while service is a little slow or something goes a bit wrong (they once served us hurricanes with NO ALCOHOL in them?!?!?) but I really enjoy it. The food is consistent, theres lots of elbow room, and the drinks are yummy. Portions are moderate and pricewise its reasonable. I go for steak, usually, but my friends usually eat fish, and reports are excellent. Basically, Kingfish has the basic good standard of quality and service that I wish other similarly priced (and more expensive) restaurants in the Bay had. In an ideal world itd be three stars (and in reality it would be in many other cities), but the thoroughly underwhelming dining scene around here pushes it considerably higher.
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Ty Lim
Ill start off by saying that the only reason why Im not giving this place 1 star is because Kiara, our waitress, was absolutely superb--the exact opposite of the food. She was super nice and incredibly attentive, which definitely made up for the lackluster food. We ordered the gumbo and jambalaya and I have to say that I have never been more disappointed with a meal than this one. The gumbo tasted more like chili with rice thrown in it than actual gumbo. The jambalaya was completely lacking in flavor, with the exception of the tabasco sauce that I added just so that it wouldnt be so bland. Overall, while the presentation was nice, the flavor of the food itself couldnt come close to matching it. As a result, I dont think Ill be returning here any time soon.
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Kalen Fu
Theres a parking structure across the street which is.convenient. Went here for a baby shower and appetizers were serves in their second floor bar area. Facilities were good and it was surprisingly large, with a second floor as well as a basement. The appetizers were good. Had sliders, potato skins, asparagus, skewers and another item or two which I dont recall. I liked what was provided but seeing as how it was all appetizers, I cant comment on the level of entrées. Ambiance was nice. Walking in and seeing a fish bar. I would describe the furniture as cozy and I noticed on several occasions that the pictures they hung were childrens drawings. Overall, though it was for a baby shower, I liked my time there.
