Kingfish Restaurant Review, San Mateo
Posted by Foodnut.com
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Reviewer: Foodnut.com Kingfish 201 South B Street (@2nd ave) San Mateo, CA 94401 650-343-1226 |
Kingfish is a fun New Orleans/Southern focused restaurant in San Mateo. They had a location in San Francisco but that closed.. The place is prime draw for this sleepy suburb as it is around the corner from the Cinemark Theaters and is one of the few places that stays open late. They focus on using organic, antibiotic & steroid-free meats. Our last visit was in March 2013.
Decor, Vibe – Kingfish’s walls are filled with wild and colorful Southern Folk Art adding to a fun vibe. Couples, families, a more upscale crowd than most restaurants in downtown San Mateo. They have two floors with an additional bar area upstairs.
Kingfish Menu pics
Kingfish’s menu features a wide variety of items, some Cajun, others simply American. They have specials each day.
Kingfish Picks:
Mojito Cubanito ($9.50) – A nice balanced mojito drink with coconut accented liquor. This place clearly knows how to pour cocktails.
Pomegranate Drop ($11) Anti-Oxidant rich!…And Vodka rich too!! Belvedere vodka, pomegranate juice, hint of apple. Not as foo foo as you would think. Pretty strong and good for you!
Boomerang Cosmo ($9) Ultra cool Boomerang Vodka from Australia, Combier, cranberry juice, fresh squeezed lime, served up was good and strong.
Weed Wacker ($9) Jeremiah’s Weed sweet tea vodka, fresh lemonade, topped with Ginger ale, shaken and served up. Recommended by our server, this cocktail is on the sweet side but was balanced and is highly recommended.
Steamed Mussels and Clams ($13) was quickly cooked on an induction plate in front of us. Lots of mussels and clams that tasted great. The sauce was really good, so load up on bread and dip your heart away. Consider ordering some rice to sop up this good stuff.
Scallop Appetizer ($13.95) came with two of the biggest scallops we’d ever had. Cooked pretty well with a nice carmelized coating. They sat on top of a black bean/ Yukon potato cakes. A pretty good dish.
Tuna tartare ($15) number 1 tuna, sesame, shoyu, ginger, scallion, fresh mango puree, taro chips. This dish was recommended by the server and proved to be an excellent recommendation. Fresh tuna, cubed and intermixed with some nice Asian flavors.
Ice cold oysters ($25 for a dozen) included very fresh shigoku, skookum, pearl point, miyagi the Shallot dipping sauce was very tart. We just stuck to the lemons.
Friday’s Special lobster boil with fixin’s ($35) Maine Lobster, brentwood corn, Silva Sausage Co. Spicy Sausage, was an excellent combination. Freshly steamed lobster, definitely hit the spot. We saw several other tables with same dish. This special changed to a lobster ravioli on our last visit.
Saturday and Sunday’s Special – prime rib | au jus – certified black angus | nebraska ($36 for the larger cut) was a pretty large slice of medium rare tender meat along with some asparagus and a large baked potato. This will surely satisfy any meat fan.
Scallops + Etouffée ($29) hand harvested jumbo U-8 scallops, crawfish, shrimp, mahogany roux,served traditionally ‘smothered’ over long grain rice atlantic was recommended by our server and frankly was a spicy dish very similar to the Jambalaya.
Wagyu ribeye ($48 for 12 oz) black peppered and grilled, vidalia onion-potato gratin creamed fresh baby spinach, smoked shallot butter, red wine sauce snake river is extremely expensive but worthwhile. Tender, charcoaly, and cooked just right. The potatoes were pretty rich.
Jambalaya ($22) our famous shrimp, chicken, andouille, mussels, sweet peppers, long grain rice, braised in a spicy shrimp stock is a classic dish and proved to be a decent one too. High on quantity, medium on the heat, lots of shrimp and sausage.
Skirt steak + rings ($25) certified angus beef from Oregon with garlic mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus and onion rings was a popular dish that featured a tender and correctly cooked slice of beef.
New orleans beignets ($8) cafe du monde chicory coffee | valrhôna bittersweet chocolate – the french quarter classic with cafe du monde chicory coffee crème anglaise and valrhôna bittersweet chocolate dipping sauce. Their signature dessert is excellent. Freshly fried and lightly sugared with two contrasting dips.
OK:
Half Lobster and Risotto ($26) included a small steamed lobster along with some dense pea risotto. More vegetarian oriented and not very rich. Truffle flavor lacking.
Pans:
None
Service at Kingfish was slightly above average and friendly. They do not have enough waiters, so there were long pauses between visits. This restaurant is a good place for groups and those seeking a change from mundane suburb fare, without driving to the city. Other nearby restaurants include Osteria Coppa and Vault 164.
Kingfish Overall Rating: 
(Very Good
Come Back? 
| Food Rating: | (Very Good) |
| Service Rating: | (Good) |
| Atmosphere Rating: | (Very Good) |
| Value Rating: | (Good) |
Guide: 0 = poor, 1 = Below/Average, 2 = Good, 2.5 = Very Good, 3 = Excellent , 4 = Extraordinary
| Alcohol: | Full Bar |
| Attire: | Casual |
| Hours: | Mon 1130am-10pm. Tu-Th 1130am-1030pm. Fri 1130am-11pm. Sat 1pm-11pm. Sun 1pm-10pm |
| Parking: | Street |
| Reservations: | Yes |
| Prices: | $9.95 - $30 |
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One Response to “Kingfish Restaurant Review, San Mateo”
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August 20th, 2012 at 12:31 pm
Hmm, will have to try again. I’ve been twice, a few years back, and had some of the worst food ever. I have friends who live near Kingfish and love to meet there mostly cuz they love a good cocktail and don’t care too much about food. (I care about food, a lot.) Maybe there’s a new chef? Next time they suggest I just might say yes.