Paul Martin's American Grill - San Mateo

Review summary

1. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   San Francisco

   1 review

   2.0

   1 review

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 2

   I rarely write reviews but for a $300 dinner, I expected much more and felt compelled to write one. The food was not great. We ordered the Mac n cheese - which was recommended by our waiter - and what we got were noodles in a bland, brothy cream sauce. Had 2 bites and gave up on it. I ordered a filet mignon - medium. I cut into it and even the edges were deep red/purple. Translation- it was rare / almost raw. The waiter took so long to come back around that I focused on eating the veggies while the rest of my family enjoyed their dinners. It was not a busy night. He finally made his way back around us and I had him take back the steak to cook it more. Not a huge deal, it happens. But when he finally came back, he now had my steak on a tiny bread plate with the one piece of asparagus that I hadn’t gotten to earlier. It was just sad looking. A $60 filet sitting on a bread plate with 1 piece of asparagus. Ok, fine, I am hungry so I cut into it and thankfully it was cooked to the right temperature. But as I ate it, I was totally disappointed by the lack of flavor. No salt / seasoning on it. Tasted like a cheap cut of meat. As with most people that like steak, you enjoy a nice glass of red wine with it. This is a total wine snob comment, but c’mon use some decent stemware for your wine. The stems, the rim, the overall thickness totally detracted from the nice glass of wine I ordered. Sorry, but not worth $300 for a family of 4.
   

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2. V

   Valerie

   San Francisco

   7 reviews

   5.0

   7 reviews

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We dined here for the first time for my hubby’s birthday. We started with the smoked steelhead dip, delicious! For entrees, he had the shrimp tacos & I had the lobster roll. We were both delighted, so good! Dessert was butter cake with vanilla ice cream & fresh strawberries & blueberries - it was amazing! We were so stuffed. We loved our server, Taylor. She added to the fun, she was very kind & so attentive. She presented my hubby with a slice of chocolate with a candle! Overall the restaurant & staff are inviting with really nice ambiance. We will definitely be back.
   

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3. DL

   DomL

   San Francisco

   4 reviews

   2.0

   4 reviews

   Dined 5 days ago

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 5

   Went for wife's dinner. Wrote that on the reservation but it was never acknowledged. Atmosphere and ambiance was nice and was excited to try the food. Unfortunately the food was lackluster. Deviled egg starter had a filling that was weirdly sour. It just didn't taste right to us. The Caesar salad was uninspired. Lettuce was not crisp enough, seemed old and not chilled. The dressing wasn't creamy enough and tasted off. My wife said the Caesar salad we make at home with trader joes salad bag was better. The lobster roll didn't have enough mayo and celery was in the mix. This didn't allow the lobster to shine. The pieces of lobster didn't include any tail meat, but rather the thin meat from the legs. Wife's favorite off the evening was the Lemon Drop cocktail was she loved. Service was good. Atmosphere was good. Cocktail was good. Food was bad. Will not be back.
   

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4. M

   Mari

   Los Angeles

   1 review

   3.0

   1 review

   Dined on February 15, 2025

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 3

   To start, seating table was bad and price level on the app is false. Second, we ordered the top steaks cooked well done and received them rare. Third, for the price of the restaurant, the service was very slow for a top end steak house.
   

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5. S

   Simone

   San Francisco

   3 reviews

   5.0

   3 reviews

   Dined on February 15, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   The food and service were exceptional - and on such a busy night as Valentines! We always love going to the bar and dining at our neighborhood favorite Paul Martins.
   

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6. C

   Chris

   San Francisco

   12 reviews

   5.0

   12 reviews

   Dined on February 15, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Beautiful restaurant. Great service and delicious food. Limited food menu which made for easier choosing. Drink menu was extensive. I would recommend for sure.
   

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7. M

   Melanie

   San Francisco

   13 reviews

   2.0

   13 reviews

   Dined on February 15, 2025

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 4

   Entree came before salad so we returned. Had to return my cocktail cause it did not taste good at all. It sounds like we are accustom to returning food but we are not. This might be the only time I’ve returned a cocktail for being undrinkable. Asked if we wanted dessert before we finished our entrees. Forgot to remove salad from bill. My chicken Parmesan was bland and not worth the price. The short ribs were good. Presentation, service and taste was not worth the price.
   

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8. M

   Melissa

   San Francisco

   1 review

   4.0

   1 review

   Dined on February 9, 2025

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   A place to go to for a quick dinner, a little pricey for the quality of food. Steak was over cooked, shrimps were over cooked. Server was good. Overall a 4 star experience
   

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9. S

   Steve

   Ottawa

   1 review

   4.0

   1 review

   Dined on February 6, 2025

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 3

   Dinner and drinks in a booth for three was very pleasant. Book ahead, can be a busy spot. Seafood pasta was great! Beef dip - large serving on very fresh baguette was delicious. Server was excellent. 4.5 for sure in San Mateo next to Hillsdale Mall. Lots of free parking.
   

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10. B

    Brenda

    VIP

    San Francisco

    37 reviews

    4.0

    37 reviews

    Dined on February 6, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4

    We were seated quickly, despite having only half our party present. The server brought water and didn't return til everyone was seated. She was quiet but efficient. The food was mostly good, but my chicken parmesan was subpar from the first bite. I felt it must have been left over from the previous night and just rebaked, since the first bite was hard and dry. The pasta was al dente at least. Other entrees faired better: brick chicken, cheeseburger, and steak frites. My son had the butter cake, which didn't disappoint. It was nice of the server to bring out both complimentary desserts for two b'days at the table. We boxed the cheesecake to go. Other than the disappointing chicken parm, the evening was quite nice.
    

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