Jeffrey’s Hamburgers is a popular burger joint in downtown San Mateo open since 1997. They also have a location in Menlo Park. They serve American fast food including burgers, hot dogs, fish and chips, salads, fries, and shakes. Seems like every town has a place like this, San Francisco has its Mel’s Drive in..
Why did we dine here? – Fey Restaurant recently opened in Menlo Park. It has gotten positive buzz, so we decided to give it a try. The owner has owned many different Sichuan Chinese restaurants including Little Sichuan in San Mateo and Classic Sichuan in Millbrae. She has built up a fan base and hopefully has found a restaurant that has some staying power.
The restaurant features somewhat neo-classical lighting and decor, probably from China. They have a small parking lot in the back, so you might have to park on El Camino Real.
Left Bank is a Brasserie style French restaurant. They have 3 locations in the San Francisco Bay Area and got started in 1994. They serve seafood from the CleanFish Alliance of sustainable seafood products. Our last visit in September 2012, was to the Santana Row location in San Jose.
Why did we dine here? – Restaurant Mitsunobu is a new restaurant from Owner Chef Mitsunobu and Executive Chef Aoki. They serve “traditional Japanese cuisine inspired by California.” Kaygetsu was located here previously. This restaurant focuses on local and seasonal ingredients.
Insider Tip – Lunch is cheaper.
Madera Restaurant is located in the Rosewood Sand Hill Hotel, just across the way from venture capital central. This is a high-end hotel that opened up just a couple years ago. Chef Peter Rudolph used to work at Campton place in San Francisco. He uses a wood-burning grill and explores artfully-crafted, market-driven cuisine of bold flavors. Sustainably harvested and produced seafood and meats. Madera means wood in Spanish.
Gombei has 3 locations for this Japanese restaurant, Menlo Park, San Jose, and Santa Clara. They primarily serve Japanese teriyaki style dinners, Udon noodles, Tofu Hotpots, and Donburi rice bowls. They don’t have a sushi menu. The sashmi they serve is part of combination plates. We tried the Menlo Park location for lunch. They have specials listed on a wall dry erase board. These are usually the best deals and best food.