The Van’s Restaurant

Why should you read through this review? Because this review is from a 22 year old’s perspective haha. Let’s get started. First of all, I have a huuuuge soft spot old school/​semi-​historic eateries. I just love the ambiance even the fact that the majority of the patrons are old enough to be my grandparents.
Note: With this being said, my own parents love this place and would give it 5 stars.
Me on the other hand came here with my girlfriend for a quick lunch date. The food was good but not spectacular. However, I feel like we might not have ordered right. We shared the burger, the calamari appetizer, and the salmon cake.
We also noticed that there was a slight musty, wet smell. Obviously, the restaurant is quite old but for some reason, the smell just didn’t fit into the restaurant’s décor. And believe me when I say that I actually dig the musty smell of some restaurants. It’s like you’re breathing in history, with a side of flapper and a Frank Sinatra zest. I don’t know what I’m saying anymore… Anyways, I’d love to come back here with my parents but it’s probably not the most ideal lunch date location for the younger group.

Having known of Vans for years while back visiting my husband and I thought we would try and really treat ourselves. All the items on my plate, pork chop medallions were slightly warm at best. And the cranberry sauce that would have certainly added to the chips was missing. My husbands thick porkchop was much better and his plate was much warmer. My martini did have lots of olives. Never again, can now say be then done that.

One step above cafeteria food at a retirement home… nice retirement home, but still. The brussels sprouts were cooked to mush, pork medallion entrée tasted like it was plated from a chafing dish and my lemon meringue pie was more like whipped marshmallow on lemon custard. Wait staff did hustle, but timing of food was slow as well. I know this is an iconic location which might have passed for good food post WWll but we live in an area with so much more to offer.

This deserves a 5 star for service! I love how cozy it feels when you walk into the restaurant. It’s a little tight but it gives me a feeling of warmth!
We had made reservation so we were seated really quickly, but it didn’t look like a long wait for the other parties. Our server was super nice and very polite. He showed us the favorites and his recommendations and took care of us real well. Only thing was that our appetizer came out at the same time as our entrée. I don’t think it’s his fault, but would have been nice if we had appetizers first!
We ordered the steak medallion, rack of lamb and filet mignon. We also ordered the jumbo stuffed mushroom. That was delicious and a must! I would say skip the steak medallion. It wasn’t flavorful and it feels like a simple dish that a new cook like myself can accomplish. The lamb was tasty but I wasn’t sure what the green side was! It was like a pickled green. Not sure and the color was super strange. Regardless it tasted fine. I think the winner of the night is the filet mignon! That was soooooo good! I’m drooling talking about it. It had nice charred marks and it was very flavorful! I absolutely loved it! I thought the sides paired really well with the dish. Although I would trade in the onion fries for more veggies!
The kids also ordered their own meals from the kids menu and it came with a dessert! They absolutely loved it!
I definitely would come back here and maybe next time try the prime rib or chicken. Oh and of course get the mushrooms again!

Woahhhhhh! My mouth is drooling with just the thought of eating the pork chop that I JUST ate like 30 seconds ago… So delicious ! The whole plate delicious. And great views.

Went there for lunch.
I was expecting much higher end food considering the dinner menu, the reviews and the price.
Van’s menu at lunch is basically akin to an overpriced dinner’s menu.
The food was ok but very bland, which i think is to target the mostly retired clientele that eats there at lunch time.

The Van’s Restaurant is a restaurant that I have been going to since I was a child. The entire bay area is changing all around us, but The Van’s is old school, and always brings back great memories. The food is fantastic. The meals are large and tasty. The service is top notch, what you would expect in a Fine Dining Restaurant, but it is okay to wear your jeans. Bring your Mom and Dad there, and bring your kids there. Visitors from out of town will never forget it. Who ever goes, is going to enjoy the food. The view, well it is simply the best view in San Mateo County. If you are planning a party, or have a dinner or lunch meeting to plan, The Van’s knows how to do it right at a reasonable price.

This is a very nice place. I love the views from the restaurant, and the service is attentive and professional. I came for my sister’s birthday, and the restaurant was very understanding about our slow process of ordering.
The food was delicious! I ordered the lasagna, which was huge, the bacon wrapped prawns (rich with flavor), and the lemon meringue pie, which was a little too sweet, but good all the same.
I look forward to coming back. This place isn’t too expensive, and the location is wonderful!

The food here is next to heavenly, I’ve never had a filet mignon done any better– ever! The service is always great and the location is beautiful! Great for any occasion, it’s a tiny bit on the expensive side but you’ll definitely get your money’s worth and have options for you if you’re not willing to pay too much. The drinks are always done perfectly, the only time I ever had an issue with my food they corrected it right away and no attitude what so ever. Definitely my favorite restaurant!

I haven’t been here in sometime now, but it is a nice place. My only disappointment is that the ribeye steak sandwich has been taken off the menu. Other than that, very nice place to eat.
Wayne

It’s a family tradition to come to Vans around the holidays. We had a great time, wonderful meals, and good service. I ordered the Genese stuffed pork chop with pesto… SO good! The Christmas decorations are so festive! Overall we had another great experience! Thanks Vans!

i booked the company holiday party at the van’s. loring was super easy to work with & very accomodating with our menu changes. david was our server & did a great job covering the entire room.
with 16 guests, we had a private room off the bar that had an incredible view of the bay. the christmas decorations were spot on & helped make everybody feel festive! okay, the yummy cocktails helped, too!
i’ve planned a lot of company holiday parties & this one was the best one. the food, drinks, and service were excellent! i didn’t hear one complaint.

Only had cocktails @ the bar, but I’ll be back soon. Single malt scotch with one cube can’t be screwed up, but attention to that one detail can be crucial. Service was a little slow, but most of the patrons where regulars and known by name, so i know that they take precedence. Oldish, steakhouse style décor and beautiful views of the Bay. Will be taking someone special soon. But i better be wowed! Or at least get drunk.

Came here for my birthday dinner with friends and I quite enjoyed the experience.
It has a unique vibe. Kinda old school, but I was raised on places like this, so it’s nice to know that there are still a few left. With corporate business taking over every corner of the country it’s nice to know places like this still exist. The design of this place was quite quirky as it seemed as if it was a Japanese restaurant at some point, but now it’s not. There is also a view here so that’s pretty awesome as well.
Food was good, but slightly overpriced for the quality. Still good, but it doesn’t have the punch you would expect for the price. Still, everything I had was great. From calamari, to lamp ribs, it was all very good.
They did kinda squish us a little too tight and we were literally shitting shoulder to shoulder. Plus, the waitress was initially kinda weird, but relaxed by the end.
Overall, a nice little place in Belmont, and would like to try it again when I’m not as intoxicated as I was last night.

Loved the food and the view. It was unfortunate that they forgot to serve my complimentary birthday cake (it was a tad sad to see the neighboring 2 tables getting birthday cakes but not me).
Having said that, our server was nice and attentive. I enjoyed my filet mignon and the bf loved his chicken Alfredo linguine.
I will definitely be back.

Third time dining at Van’s! The food had always been acceptable/decent…albeit nothing exceptional.
Decided to splurge on the $ 49.95 Cowboy Steak. Van’s menu has a section describing the doneness of steaks. After ordering the steak medium rare, it basically arrived «seared on the outside» and raw inside! Three servers confirmed that the steak wasn’t any where near medium rare. The pathetic part of the dining experience is when the two servers suggested that the steak be taken home and cooked to our preference!!!
There are many other acceptable dining options in the area… especially when a replacement is not offered when a meal is not properly cooked.

King sized food for king sized appetites. Well portioned and reasonably priced.
Jumbo Sausage & mozzarella stuffed mushrooms are huge and can easily transition from an appetizer to a small meal if your not extra hungry.
The mini corn dogs: pretty much what you’d expect. Cooked to bright yellow which is correct however I’m biased in that I like my corndogs a little overcooked to an almost brown for that crispiness in the batter to stand out. Surprisingly small, about one bite each.
‘Cornish’ Game Hen roasted with wrapped with bacon. Served with a classic mushroom & cheese risotto & roasted mixed vegetables. — Perfectly cooked with what I thought were giant mushrooms actually being potatoes cut to look like mushrooms. Well played Van’s.
Unfortunately haven’t had a chance to try their desserts due to everyone in my group being too full. This is unacceptable and I will correct this on my next trip.
Old school atmosphere with an incredible view on a clear day (rare due to location). The service on my two visits so far has been immaculate.
Will update review on my next trip: I bookmarked the prime rib but I need to prepare myself as I’ve seen pictures and it does not look for the faint of heart.

Neighborhood restaurant has spectacular view with old timey feel.
Extra star for sheer number of TVs in bathroom.
Salad was wildly overdressed. Made my eye twitch eating it. Ask for dressing on the side.
The prime rib is a mountain of meat. Like the adults couldn’t take this down. And that’s the ¾# cut. Holy moly.
Veg lasagna was OK.
Skip the split pea.
French onion was great.
Banana white chocolate «pie» was tasty but not a pie. More like pudding with texture pieces.
Service from Charlie was fantastic.

We were back to celebrate for the umpteenth time. All was as expected. The NY Steak was even better than it’s very good reputation. We all remarked on its taste and aromas.
Enjoy!

Based on the meal that we had last night, I would have to say that The Van’s Restaurant offers old world flavors at new world prices. And that is not necessarily a bad thing.
It is perched on a steep hillside and does offer a panoramic view. The view could be dramatically improved if they turned down some of the restaurants interior lights, especially the light strips that follow the contours of the inside of the dining room. Ask any decent photographer and they’ll tell you that lighting the inside of room when it’s dark outside will cause the windows to reflect the light and make the outside less visible.
I had made
reservations for 8pm and we arrived at 7:59. We were immediately seated at a corner table. Menus were presented, water, bread and butter served and an offer to take drink orders made. I didn’t catch our servers name but he was a taller gentleman with a neat pony tail. He was attentive to our needs and checked back with us regularly. Service was spot on.
We ordered:
Fried Calamari — (5) — panko battered and deep fried and served with cocktail and tartar sauces. the breading was well seasoned and the frying oil at the right temperature. no greasiness at all.
Creamed Spinach -(5) — great flavor, texture and appearance.
Bacon and Cheese Macaroni — (3) — to my tastes, this was a bit less successful though one of my dining companions loved it. there definitely was a large amount of bacon and cheese on the shell pasta which drove up the sodium levels. this dish was not a traditional mac & cheese started with a béchamel which would have made the texture creamier.
All of the entrees were served with choice of potato or rice and seasonal veggies. The two steak dinners also got what was advertised as Onion Strings but appeared to be close relatives of Onion Rings (the thin hand battered kind). All of these sides were done quite well.
One of my dining companions had the Signature Bone-​in Cut Prime Rib, rare. I tried it and thought it was perfectly done. He thought that it was under-​seasoned (he’s the one that loves sodium bombs), undercooked and had way too much fat.
Our other dining companion ordered a New York Steak, medium rare — (5). She loved it. It was tender, juicy and had the distinct beefy flavor that she was looking for.
I had the Beef Rib Steak ‘Cowboy Style’, medium rare — (5) — My steak was perfectly seasoned, reasonably marbled and extremely flavorful. There was more fat on the bone than I would have preferred but you do need fat to flavor the beef. What you don’t need is to pay for fat that brings up the weight of the steak. Still, I would order it again to see what the consistency is.
For dessert:
we had a Pina Colada something — (4) — I can’t remember the proper name or description but it was pretty good without being overly sweet.
we also split a Brown & White Sundae — (4) — this one was a bit sweeter. neither dessert blew our socks off but they were okay for polishing off our meals.
The one point of weakness that saw was the coffee. I didn’t order any because they served Farmers. I did get a latte that I found disappointing. It was too light in color, light in espresso flavor and not nearly hot enough. I would rather pay a higher price for a better bean served at the right temperature.
Total cost including tax, excluding gratuity was about $ 225. Yes, we did have plenty of leftovers.