Paul Martin's American Grill - San Mateo Restaurant - San Mateo, CA

Paul Martin's American Grill - San Mateo

Address:
101 Hillsdale Shopping Center
San Mateo, CA 94403

Neighborhood:
San Mateo

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Cuisine:
American

Price: $30 and under

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Paul Martin's American Grill - San Mateo Details

Dining Style: Casual Elegant
Website: http://www.paulmartinsamericangrill.com
Phone: (650) 212-7400
Hours of Operation:

Lunch: M-F 11:00am-3:00pm

Dinner: M-Th 3:00pm-10:00pm

Dinner: F-Sa 3:00pm-11:00pm

Dinner: Su 3:00pm-9:00pm

Happy Hour: Su-Sa 3:00pm-7:00pm
Payment Options: AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Cuisine: American, Contemporary American, Steakhouse
Executive Chef: Vincent Castillo
Dress Code: Casual Dress
Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
Additional Details: Banquet/Private Rooms, Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking Area, Non-Smoking Restaurant, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Personal wines welcome, Personal wines welcome (corkage fee applies), Private Room, Smoking Area, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Getting there

Cross Street: 31st ave/El Camino Real
Parking: Public Lot

A word from Paul Martin's American Grill - San Mateo

Seasonal & Delicious.

With Paul Martin's American Grill, Brian Bennett and restaurateur Paul Fleming have realized a long-nurtured dream to create the restaurant "we've always wished was in our neighborhood."

At the heart of all great food is fresh, local, peak of the season… ingredients. Paul Martin's aims to serve diners the best ingredients with meat raised in a humane and wholesome way, locally sourced produce, the best of both wild and farmed fish, artisan cheeses and cured meats from small local purveyors. The deep California-centric wine list twists and turns, by glass or bottle, through the Golden State's vineyards, with an occasional stop for an Oregon Pinot Gris or a Washington dry Riesling. Behind Paul Martin's elegantly rustic bar is an interesting array of craft beer and spirited cocktails with fresh garnishes. Good times and thoughtful food are a way of life at Paul Martin's American Grill.Continued

Foodspotting photos

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Awards voted by OpenTable diners

Diners' Choice WinnerVibrant Bar Scene
Diners' Choice WinnerMost Booked

Paul Martin's American Grill - San Mateo - Best Restaurants in San Mateo

Diner Reviews

"Too good to be true...had an early reservation and got seated right away. Ashley was nice enough and attentive enough, however, it was not enough to give this review 5 stars. If you are going to promote a Tuesday 3 Course Fried Chicken Special for $22 - you better get it right. Salad was overdressed and mushy - boring; chicken came out 15 minutes later and was boring; ice cream was boring too! The bill was $36 and with tip - put it over $40 a person...for this kind of money we deserve better!"
Dined on 7/29/2014
"The hostess was not friendly. The waiter was very nice, but also very slow. We weren't asked if we wanted second drinks. After our food was served we were not approached again. We had to ask someone to get him and ask for our check. The food is good. I think its a bit over priced, but all and all its good. Wine selection is great and the cocktails are good. It's a nice break from the food court if you are at the mall."
Dined on 7/28/2014
"The food was great, I had the Chimichurri Steak with fries and the wife had the Bistro Burger with fries. Both were perfectly cooked and tasted awesome. The service was very poor. The server would walk by and ask how we were as he kept moving, not really caring what we said. Getting drink refills was near impossible. And I think we should have got bread because we kept seeing it walk by going to other tables, but never did. If it wasn't for the great food this place would have not been worth the price."
Dined on 7/26/2014
"The food was wonderful - second time I've eaten there and very impressed. The waiter was probably new, since he didn't know much about the menu, or bar items (which was surprising)."
Dined on 7/26/2014
"Our reservation was at 6:00, we were not seated until 6:20 and only then because I went and inquired. (there were plenty of empty tables). The food was good but our steaks came way too rare even though thery were ordered medium. Our waiter was very good. So generally a good experience but a little disappointing."
Dined on 7/26/2014
"I've been to the restaurant twice, both times the decaf coffee was stale - asked for a fresh cup, same stale coffee was served. Also, my first visit was with a friend to celebrate her birthday. I expressed that when I made my reservation, and, to my surprise, a dessert was not served to the birthday girl complimentary - not even mentioned. That did not leave me with a good impression of Paul Martin. My husband and I will give it one more chance."
Dined on 7/23/2014
"Food and service both very good. The open design - dining room right next to the bar, is visually appealing, but makes for a very noisy dining room. Go for the food, but don't expect to have a quiet conversation over dinner."
Dined on 7/22/2014
"We had a party of 8 on Monday night, we came for our company dinner. Our server knew little about the menu & the service was extremely slow. Our Resv.was at 7:30 & we left around 10. He didn't take our drink order for a half hour, then our drinks took at least another 20 mins to arrive. The restaurant was out of A1 sauce, we asked for the patio heating lamp to be turned off because it got to be too hot & no one ever came to turn it off. Our appetizer plates were never cleared before our entrees came & we had to ask for them to be cleared. It was very disappointing. I'm not sure what his name was, he was Latin & had a shorter hair cut. He definitely could use a big training in service. The servers should know the menu as well."
Dined on 7/21/2014
"My family and I came here for lunch on a weekday. We sat outdoors and it was beautiful. We ordered calamari (kind of soggy), fish tacos, the bistro burger and the salmon sandwich. All were okay/good except the fish tacos and sweet potato fries were on the salty side. My daughter rated her burger a 9 out if 10 with 10 being the best."
Dined on 7/21/2014
"We used to love this place but dinner service was very disappointing on our last visit. We dined on a Saturday evening . It was not very busy. We had drinks with an appetizer, and ordered dinner. We finished our drinks /appetizers and no one checked on us to replenish or bring water until dinner was served which was a while. We even had 2 people waiting on us. One waiter came back when our dinner was served, to check on the meal. We had to ask for water and wine at this point. By the time our wine/drinks arrived, we were done with meal. It would have been nice to enjoy a glass of wine with our NY Steak ($40) and salmon entrees. VERY Disappointing!"
Dined on 7/19/2014
"We had a very good experience at Paul Martin's. We went with another couple and ordered the seafood platter appetizer which was great. Then we had the heirloom tomato salad and I had the grilled salmon which was fabulous. Our fiends had the cedar plank salmon and some type of meat (sorry; not a big meat eater) he enjoyed it. My husband had the ribs and ate 'em all! Great server was really helpful and smart. Excellent service."
Dined on 7/19/2014
"Jenny was our server and she was awesome. I have 2 small kids n a baby, she was wonderful with them. Made the dinner experience very easy n went smoothly which can be difficult with kids. The food was ok a little bland. My pasta was dry had to ask for more sauce n a lil to much basil. Dessert was really good had the chocolate cake. My mother loved her chicken so maybe the pasta is just not the way to go. I would come back again n try something."
Dined on 7/19/2014
"It started with the hostess asking us to check back in to see when our table was ready instead of coming to the bar to get us. The appetizer was ordered and forgotten. Upon a reminder it finally came about 3 minutes before the meal. It was the butchers board, there were a few slivers of cheese and no crackers/bread provided to spread the cheese on and the prosciutto and salami took over the plate. The main meal was grossly undercooked and when shown to the waiter he took it away. The salmon came back smoking hot and quite obviously had been microwaved instead of providing a new and properly cooked piece. Will not return."
Dined on 7/19/2014
"Our dinner Saturday, while early, wasn't all that. My party's table had some missing items on the plate. The chimichurri steak didn't have the dressing. The salmon plate didn't have dressing on the whatever it was "salad". My tablemates plates looked sloppy. The waiter was fetching the drinks and bussing some of the table. The hostess looked like she was doing a spreadsheet when we checked in. Overall, not the together lovely place we had come to see."
Dined on 7/19/2014
"I enjoyed the food and our waiter, Marcus was great!"
Dined on 7/18/2014
"On this visit, the hostess appeared very ambivalent when we arrived on time for our reservation. Not welcoming in any respect, minimal eye contact, not smiling. Our waiter was fine, but service from the kitchen was quite slow. My soup arrived quickly, but every other dish in our meal took 30mins. My daughter's sweet potato fries arrived at the table cold."
Dined on 7/17/2014
"We had a reservation for 2 for 7pm. The restaurant was very busy. I checked in with the hostess and she said it would just be a minute to be seated. We waiting for about 15 minutes, I then asked when our table would be ready. She asked my name again and then said oh we can seat you now. I think she forgot we were waiting even though we were standing in front of her the whole time. Once we were seated, we then waited about 15-20 minutes before a waiter came to our table to take a drink a order. We waiting another 15 minutes to get our drinks. The place seems under staffed and totally disorganized. Its a shame, I've eaten at the West Lake Village location and had a great experience."
Dined on 7/17/2014
"My friends and I enjoyed various salads and Devil's Food Cake. I had the butter lettuce salad with grilled prawns. The best looking salad was the cobb with hanger steak."
Dined on 7/17/2014
"My wife and I just ate at Paul Martin's in San Mateo for the 2nd time in a little over a month. This visit was just as good as the first, with the food, service, and atmosphere all exceeding our expectations. I really like that the menu one page, and some items change monthly with many things sourced locally. I have grown tired of some restaurants that throw a 32 page book at you for a menu, and 85% of the items aren't good anyway. Paul Martin's does a great job of keeping the choices small but offering a great variety at the same time. Prices are fair; service is excellent; food is outstanding; atmosphere/vibe is really spot on. I think they will do very well if they continue doing what they are doing right now. Keep it up!"
Dined on 7/16/2014
"Food was very good. This was my 3rd time eating here and the food is very consistent. The service was a bit slow but the waitress was nice, albeit forgetful. Banana cream pie was excellent!"
Dined on 7/14/2014
"Wait for our tabe was long but not PM fault, good food, nice cocktails, huge portions."
Dined on 7/12/2014
"We like coming here. For some reason, my husband's chimichurri steak was a little tough but we've had the other steaks before and they are good. Can't wait until the mushroom soup is back on the menu. The strawberry and coffee ice creams were excellent but they are seasonal flavors, therefore not always available. In the past, they've had some wait staff issues but they are working on it. The different people helping us seemed less overwhelmed so were more available to us at our last visit."
Dined on 7/12/2014
"Made 5pm Reservations for 4 on a Saturday night. Sat on the patio. The wait staff was polite, knowledgeable and prompt. Great variety in both drinks and food. My friend loves their Mojito, I prefer the beer and wine. Food choices from small appetizers to large entrees. Perfect choices for children too. Have had the burgers, chicken and rib happy hour meals, as well as the salmon tacos. All were cooked to perfection and very tasty. Even the children's cheese burger was happily and completely consumed."
Dined on 7/12/2014
"We had a wonderful experience for our first dinner at PM's. It happened to be our anniversary dinner too so we were taking a chance by going somewhere I hadn't been before! I had been wanting to try this place since it opened but it would be hard to get reservations in advance as they were always booked. I'm glad I finally got a chance to go and will surely be back. Service was great, the food was amazing and cooked well as well as dessert and the wines! Service couldn't be better. Our waitress was amazing. I can't wait to go back!"
Dined on 7/11/2014
"First time for everyone in our party of five....but won't be the last. Good menu, excellent food and service. Only complaint is even with 7:15 reservations, we were not seated until 7:45."
Dined on 7/11/2014
"Great dining experience! Wait staff was very attentive and front desk hosts were able to get us to our table promptly."
Dined on 7/10/2014
"heirloom tomato salad was great, hangar steak above average, grilled salmon OK. get a booth to reduce noise, they have high backs. corkage fee $10."
Dined on 7/10/2014
"This is a high end mall chain. Not a place I would return too. Very loud. No real vegetarian options. Portions were ample but there was alot of butter on everything. Good service - Cheryl was a great server."
Dined on 7/10/2014
"Hamburger cooked Medium the way I asked and the fries were fresh and with a lite crunchiness. Was hoping to have the flat bread appetizer but heard that its only served at dinner time,will be back for dinner."
Dined on 7/10/2014
"The Tuesday fried chicken dinner was light and crispy with an organic greens huge salad followed with ice cream and home made shortbread cookies. The bistro burger , as always, was excellent. Our server, Devon, was attentive to our every possible need and very available."
Dined on 7/8/2014
"We had a group of 9 and got a small room off the main floor. The setting was great and the service excellent. We'll be back again!"
Dined on 7/7/2014
"was perfect. Not hovering but there if we needed."
Dined on 7/7/2014
"We had a new server who turned out to be fantastic! Meghan was attentive, and did a great job. The food is always good, and we enjoyed sharing our experience with friends from out of town. The manager came over to check in with us to see how things were, which it done every time we dine there, and I think is a great added touch."
Dined on 7/6/2014
"Food was excellent. Friendly & attentative staff. Decor elegant. My 2nd time here."
Dined on 7/6/2014
"Took a friend here for dinner after having many wonderful lunches and dinners here and raving about it to all my friends but was embarrassed and shocked by the lack of good service from our waiter - never got bread, waiter never came by after the order and we needed to get things which were not provided, food wasn't very warm and never got the dessert menu. When I got up to go to the front desk to get the dessert menu myself - they suggested I talk with the manager who profusely apologized and proceeded to turn it into a great dining experience - just like what I was used to. This is THE way all restaurants should handle problems - the manager was amazing and so very professional. I will be returning very soon!"
Dined on 7/5/2014
" the food and service was great, their salmon was delicious with a very nice smokey flavor, great atmosphere, the server was very nice and friendly as well!"
Dined on 7/3/2014
"This was my 6th time to Paul Martin's at Hillsdale. I have never been disappointed by this place until last night. We had a part of 7, so we had to sit outside. It was OK at 5:30, but by 7:30 it was cold. >>>> OUR FOOD TOOK ALMOST ONE HOUR TO ARRIVE. <<<< Our waitress, who was missing in action, never came out to explain why there was a delay, we were just left sitting there. I had to go up to the bar to get a soft drink because our water was not refilled and my wine glass was empty. One member or party went up to find a manager, who then came back and explained there had been a mishap in the kitchen. Okay, but why no one could stop by and explain that before everyone's glass was (not kidding) EMPTY. That's how long we waited."
Dined on 7/1/2014
"Service was slow. We ordered before the table next to us but got our food 10 minutes later and it was cold when we received it."
Dined on 6/29/2014
"Food, great. Wait staff, wonderful and warm. However, almost didn't give the restaurant the benefit of the doubt because of the rude hostess. We had a 12:30 reservation and arrived at 12:25. She told me in a condescending tone she just couldn't seat me and that I'd have to wait until 12:30. You can't see into the restaurant when you're checking in so I thought it might be busy so fine, except why give me an attitude from the start? Well, when we finally got seated, we saw the restaurant was only 1/3 full. Ridiculous. Even if it's restaurant policy to seat parties at the EXACT time of their reservation, don't cop an attitude about it. Be nice...you are in hospitality."
Dined on 6/28/2014
"Dinner was very good. This restaurant is in a shopping mall but is more upscale than your typical mall fare. I've been coming here since it opened, typically for happy hour but it is usually too crowded to find a seat during happy hour. The food is always very good at Paul Martin, especially the short ribs. Ask for a table in Will's section."
Dined on 6/27/2014

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