31st Union

Loved my last date night here with the hubby! Our server was super sweet and attentive. We came right when they opened at 5 on a Friday so it was easy to get a table. Ordered everything on the HH menu:
Fish & chips ($ 5)
Chicken wings ($ 5)
Crispy pork ears ($ 5)
Old fashioned ($ 8)
Moscow mule ($ 8)
Charcuterie ($ 11 for 2) — terrine and some type of salami? — comes with bread, olives and mustard
Cheese plate ($ 16 for 3) — comes with bread, apples, walnuts and honey
Probably could’ve done without with pork ears which are like strips of chicharron. But everything else was delicious! Loved the terrine and cheese platter. They were smart and waited to serve those until after we finished the other dishes. Fish and chips had a bomb tartar sauce and seasoning on the fish was yummy. Chicken was good but I could’ve done without. I was craving cheese and wine and it was so perfect! Definitely recommend. Our server was really attentive and gave solid suggestions.

Ambiance 4 Stars, very clean, hip and cozy
Service 4 Stars, the waitress was very nice
Food 3 Stars, tasteful but nothing wonderful that could make me recommend to friends.
Price 2 Stars, small plate is very small!
In the end turns expensive for a food that was just ok.

I’ll start off by saying this rating is strictly based on service. Came here for a friend’s birthday party with a pretty large party. Everything had been pre arranged and the restaurant had known ahead of time that a little over 20 people would be attending. When I arrived about half of the group was there, but everyone was spread out sitting at all different tables. Turns out they hadn’t prepared for our party ahead of time, and had seated other groups at the tables that were reserved for us. They then needed to wait for about four other parties to clear out before they could seat us all at one table. So ridiculous considering how much my friend had paid to have the party there! We were well through our first few courses and over an hour in before the entire party was able to sit all together. Terrible planning on their part.
I’d maybe be able to overlook this issue if everything else was up to par. However I found a lot of the staff to be pretty rude. A friend and I went to the bar to order drinks a couple of times, and a server who was in the area kept giving us an attitude because we were in her way. Now If you’ve ever been to 31^st Union you’d know how tiny it is in there, and it’s not like we were purposely trying to get in her way.
I’d have honestly given 1 star if it wasn’t for the fact that the food is good. The menu was pre selected but I really enjoyed the quinoa salad, lamb kebabs, tacos, and the fish and chips, which had an amazingly good breading. However I don’t recommend planning any events here or coming with a group of any more than 4 people because they clearly can’t handle it.

The service here is fantastic — attentive waiters and the owner comes around frequently to check on all the tables and chat with the staff.
The atmosphere is very hip and reminds me of a restaurant you would find in a trendy area of SF or San Diego. It has a very chill California hipster vibe geared towards a young professional customer. It’s always crowded around happy hour!
The food itself is also very tasty. It is small portions and a little bit pricey for the amount you get, but you can’t argue that the food isn’t good. I’m willing to pay a little extra for smaller than expected portions of the service is good and the food is tasty! It’s a fun place to bring visiting friends too — just keep in mind that you may need a reservation because the space is not that big and it fills up quickly!

I liked this restaurant a lot. The food was delicious and the atmosphere is very neat. The problem was that it is over priced. The specials are really good and I love their mac and cheese. Something about the Mac and Cheese was so legit I love it. The wine list is nice and reasonably priced. I would definitely go back but this time I would know the price doesn’t match the amount of food.

It was one of those «I need a beer to chill» nights when we came to 31^st Union.
I made a reservation for 2 and was seated immediately. Really enjoyed the cozy environment– weekly specials scribbled in chalk over large blackboards, low hanging dim lights, a great selection of craft beer, etc etc.
For beer we ordered the Almanac Sour and the Almanac IPA. For food we got the Fish and Chips, Lamb Kebab, and the Golden State Spicy Wings.
I’m torn– the food was definitely delicious, but I don’t get why they didn’t have bigger portions on the menu. I was pretty hungry, and if it weren’t for the beer, I think I’d be going down the street to get a large pizza or something lol. It’s understandable that the orders were under the «small plates» section, but I’m paying $ 18 for two skinny lamb kebabs. Despite the portion, the kebabs were tasty. I also really liked the chicken wings.
In the future, if there were a section on the menu that had actual meals, I’d definitely be back, because their «small plates» and appetizers were BOMB :)

Came in tonight with a friend around 6pm and we received really nice service.
The 3 stars are only based on tonight’s food experience because we apparently picked the wrong things off the menu. We both ordered the fish and chips and the fish itself didn’t taste seasoned or salted, the batter was pretty good but the oil wasn’t drained right and paired with the caper aioli (wish it was tarter sauce or something not oil based) we both got pretty nauseous by the time we got home.
We also ordered the Pig ears which were pretty good and the bread pudding that was way too dry/​crispy, not sweet enough and just kind of bland.
I’ve had the lamb skewers before and the yellow tail — both dishes which are a solid 4 – 5 stars just tonight was an off night with some of the dishes.
Will order other things next time and update the review.

Sure, their prices are a bit high for the portion you get. But, there is no denying the service, cool atmosphere, and food quality.
The interior is cool and trendy. Kimmie (sp?) took real good care of us. Thank you! The taste of everything we had was great! Those pig ears and duck confit toast were da bomb? The lamb kebab was outstanding! And, the portion size was fair for the price. That was rare there. Overall, we had a great time celebrating my daughter’s 15^th bday with the family and cousins.

Good ambience and service, happy hour food and drinks were a good value. Out of the bunch, the fish and chips were my favorite. Crispy Pig Ears were good but got tiring after a handful.
If I came again, I’d probably just order a bunch of Fish and Chips.
FISH AND CHIPS!

Moscow Mule– delicious. Really loved it — 4.5 stars
Quinoa salad — so light and refreshing. Highly recommend it — 4.5 stars
Brussel sprouts and cauliflower — really yummy when you add the raises on top — 3.5 stars
Fried chicken special — 3.5 stars
Dark chocolate bread pudding — 5 stars!!! So delicious. I highly recommend it.
Lemoncello — 3 stars. I have had better from Italy.

Small spot on the far side of downtown San Mateo with surprisingly excellent shareable food and great drink options. 4.4 stars.
Food: 4.5, Service: 4.5, Atmosphere: 4
Cost to worth it rating: 3
Eve award: best seared gnocchi
Return worthiness: yes
Highlights:
— Gnocchi: pan fried to a slight char on each piece which gave it a soft to crunch contrast in texture. Loved them. Served with corn and some charred non-​spicy peppers. 5 stars
— Albacore: special of seared fish that same in thick slices and was fresh and delightful served over some well-​cooked beans. 4.5 stars
— Grilled cheese: pieces of thick bread with a solid white cheese and bacon inside. 4 stars
— Waitress: loved her. She was friendly and efficient while juggling a lot plus patient with us 4 girls out catching up.
— Cocktails: fun ones with quality alcohol and mixers. I had one that was a southern rendition of a mule that was great.
— Wine: decent collection and option for choose your own flights of 4 wines which I got.
— Atmosphere: small and lively with a few 2 tops outside. Cool California shaped chalkboard with darts on cities they have wine from.
Midlights:
— Fish and chips: not bad but nothing special. Last to be eaten up at our table. 3 stars
— Desserts: I’m more of a savory gal and these didn’t make me want to switch teams or anything but we’re fine. Brownie was like a thick piece of hard chocolate and bread pudding was a bit dense vs soft was well. 3 stars
— Lemoncello: cool they had their own but extra sweet version
Lowlights:
— Reservations: not on open table and only available online up to 4 people. I’m not a caller so that’s a barrier for me though I understand since they’re so small – turning away walk ins on a Tuesday night.
Didn’t have expectations of the food and wanted to try a new spot. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would come back.

AMBIANCE: 5 stars
Cozy little tapas wine bar in The outskirts of DTSM. Great ambiance, great noise factor, you’ll be able to hear yourselves talk.
FOOD: 3 stars
We had the pig ears, lamb kabobs, duck breast, pork tacos and cauliflower– I wish we had more to chose from as nothing quite stood out.
SERVICE: 4 stars
Attentive, friendly and knowledgeable…

A friend of mines who is our go to for selecting restaurants chose this place for dinner. He made reservations and told us the time & place to be.
There was street parking available, not necessarily across the street but 1 block away, not far at all.
The place inside is small. Maybe room for 50 – 60 max, and the tables are close to each other. If you are expecting super private convo, don’t come here.
Now the good stuff– food. Pretty yummy. We started with the fried pig ears, I’ve never had them so they weren’t my cup of tea, but my friends liked them. The place has mostly smallish sharing plates. An individual with a small appetite could suffice on one item. We couldn’t LOL. The fried chicken was good, great seasoning on the skin, purée it was with was amazing. The lamb kebobs were juicy and full of flavor. The pan fried fish (forgot which one) was perfectly crisp. The chicken wings came in this amazing spicy sauce. Do what we did, dip your bread in that sauce and don’t let it go to waste.
Drinks were decent, expected as made, nothing too special.

Wow what a place and what an atmosphere. Small very cozy place with amazing food and full bar. The dirty martini I had, was perfect. Every food we ordered were so tasteful and delightful. The duck was out of this world. Oh my. I can always come here with friends and order various plates to share. The servers were very helpful. Really enjoyed this place.

I pass by this place quite a few times and I said to myself I would check it out someday…
Here I am during the afternoon with some charcuterie, cheese plate and pairing it with a Moscow mule. Not a bad way to end your early afternoon. Plus, you beat the happy hour crowd.
Downside to this place is no AC or it is just me burning up!!! Second, the sun is beating down on you through the windows from every angle.
Overall, a decent place to grab a small bite and a drink, but not worth it for the price.

Great wine… not many veg food options…
A girlfriend and I came here a couple weeks ago for a drink and wanted something to munch on. We got the mushroom toast, which was yummy, but there wasn’t much else on the menu that interested us; plus, we are vegetarian so that limited our options, unless we wanted a cheese plate or a salad, which we didn’t this evening. We ended up heading elsewhere for more wine and food. LOL.
I liked the wine a lot but the food options were a bit lame. I may return again… for drinks.

31^st Union definitely has got that «it» vibe in terms of décor, ambiance, and swag. But I think there’s still room to improve for the food and the inconsistent servers.
Came here for a girl’s dinner date with a close friend, and we waited about 30 – 45 minutes during prime dinnertime on a Friday night. We didn’t mind waiting, and the host/​house manager was super sweet and attentive to all of the guests waiting outside.
The décor inside is low-​lit but with a modern and «cabin chic» feel with their wooden California map and Americana aesthetic. We shared a few plates: chips starter, cheese plate (3), and a quinoa salad. I thought that even though the chips (literally like Lay’s chips) paired well with their purée dip, they should use real fries instead… I could buy a bag of Lay’s chips for $ 5 at Safeway… and they’d taste just as good and be 30x more in portion size. There is a small selection of cheeses for the cheese board, and we really liked Pecorino (sheep)! It comes with apples, bread bites, and honey. BUT our favorite was the quinoa salad. It was a bit heavy on the lemon, but we loved the fresh veggies that were included.
In all, we enjoyed 31^st for its ambiance… great place for girl talk or even a classy date! It’s a place that you can dress up to eat or go in jeans and a nice top and still be OK. It was pretty loud in chatter noise when we dined on Friday night, so if you want to skip the lines just get there before 6PM!

If the menu don’t appeal to you once you should not cross this off your list just yet. They use fresh local ingredients where the menu changes with the season.
If you’re looking for a place for a quick bite to eat, friendly staff, great drinks, and a place to catch up with friends. this is the place for you.
Their menu is small with the 6 of us in the group, we tried almost everything on the menu and my guy friends were not that impressive to order seconds so they were leaving a little hungry.

Happy in the haze of a drunken hour.
Came here to try their ‘Union Gimlet’ $ 8.00, which is their rendition of a Moscow mule: Hanger One Vodka, Lime Juice, Lavender Simple Syrup, which was right up my alley. We also ordered the HH bar bites: Golden State Spicy Wings and Crispy Pig Ears.
Oh man, the Crispy Pig Ears were ALL THAT and a bag of chips. I was expecting them to be unpalatably chewy and greasy, but they were simply scrumptious. So perfectly golden crisp and flavorful.
+ Happy hour:
5 pm — 6:30 pm Tuesday — Friday
10 pm — 12 am Friday — Saturday
Select drinks and bites for a LINCOLN
+ HH cocktails $ 8, HH beer/​wine $ 5, HH bar bites $ 5
I definitely recommend that you order those damn Crispy Pig Ears (insert heart eyes emoji here). By the way, the bartender is an absolute doll!

31^st Union is more swanky, more hip, and has an added coolness to it, juxtaposing the more modest, conservative eateries of SM. Plus, they have nifty minimalistic décor (which I love btw).
Now, onwards to the food. All the dishes here are tapas-​style & sharable (or not if you choose not to share…) with the rest of your party. Each dish, at max, is enough to feed parties of 3 or less.
The to-try’s:
+ Braised shoulder lamb tacos — The lamb was moist, juicy and not gamey. Fennel, though naturally a very potent ingredient, added a nice touch to the overall herb-​ness of this dish. Tacos were nice and soft. My «favorite» of the night.
+ Crispy pig ears — Have you ever had pig ears before? Don’t gasp, don’t immediately say ‘No’. It’s a pretty common dish in the Chinese cuisine (usually minced). I was very intrigued with this dish because I’ve never had a crispy pig ear before! Imagine eating a fry, but better. It was ultra creamy. Great with the spicy aioli. I suppose I’m just a sucker for all kinds of aioli. Give it a try but please, eat it while it’s still hot off the fryer. Cooled down crispy pig ears are just no bueno.
The ok’s:
~ Mary’s fried chicken — Very moist and well cooked but not very memorable.
The skip:
— Quinoa salad — Literally A (as in 1) roasted carrot and not the so described ‘roasted carrotS’. I love quinoa but holy moly, there was just an overload of it as well as the arugula. Super bland. What lemon vinaigrette?
Other 31^st favorites recommended by the waiter (but not tried by me): grilled cheese sandwich & local smoked mushroom toast.
Overall, 31^st union is a nice addition to the SM food scene. The sustenance isn’t solid but, it’s alright. It’s different… a more modern, fun, and young twist on the American cuisine compared to what the rest of SM has to offer.