Delicious food and generous portions, perfect for sharing! This modern Filipino restaurant has a great mix of traditional flavors with a contemporary twist. We ordered the Inihaw na Pusit (Jumbo Squid) and Pancit Canton. The jumbo squid was incredibly tender and marinated perfectly with a flavorful soy-based sauce and spices. It was definitely the highlight of the meal! The Pancit Canton was also good--packed with ingredients like Chinese sausage, squid balls, pork, shrimp, and a variety of veggies. While it was tasty, I think I'll try something a bit more unique next time. Overall, very flavorful and well-prepared dishes. Definitely worth a visit!

Was craving Filipino food so here I am. I came in and ordered the crispy pina cocktail, the crispy pata, and milky ice buko pandan. The cocktail was pretty good. It had a good balance between pineapple and alcohol to it. The crispy pata which was highly recommended, tasted amazing! It was very crispy and moist. The buko pandan dessert had to be my favorite item on the menu. It was very milky and creamy. The service here was good also. The waiter was good at giving recommendations and was very nice. The restaurant itself gives off modern tropical vibes. This restaurant serves modern upscale Filipino food. Definitely worth a try. Try it out if you like. :)

This is my 3rd or 4th time here - the food is still awesome!! We walked in with a party of 2 on a Friday night at around 7pm with no reservations, and were able to get seated immediately at the bar. Service was great and at a reasonable pace for a crowded Friday night. I believe some of the open tables were for reservations only, but honestly the bar is pretty spacious so I didn't miss getting a table. The standouts for me tonight was the Sizzling Bulalo, which is a seasonal special. The meat is so tender and cuts easily with a spoon, and the gravy is heavy but in a good way. Definitely a craveworthy hearty entree and pairs surprisingly well with the garlic rice in my opinion (flavors weren't overwhelming, I thought it was just right) Highly recommend the Halo Halo as a meal closer, I get it every time and it always hits the spot! The veggie and broth Sinigang was unfortunately a rare miss - last time I got it we had it with the beef ribs, which turned out to be too heavy so this time we thought it would be smarter to get it with just the broth and veggies. However, the soup came out super sour, definitely more concentrated than last time. I wonder if it has anything to do the additional meat helping absorb more of the acidity. If you're ordering this wiht the veggie and broth only option, be aware that it might come out acidic so try to balance it with rice just in case. Overall the vibes are great, this place is perfect for fun group dinners as almost every plate can be shared family style. I'd highly recommend trying this out if you are craving a hearty modern Filipino meal!

A higher end Filipino spot that would be a great date night option! I've walked past this place many times while in downtown San Mateo and it's always bustling. So I finally made a reservation online on Opentable and made it in! The restaurant is beautiful and had high ceilings with a cool bar. So if you want drinks, they have lots of interesting Filipino inspired options! We had the Lumpia (entree), Jumbo Grilled Squid, and Bangus Sisig. The lumpia was delicious and lightly fried. We inhaled the lumpia without feeling like we just had so much oily food. The squid is marinaded in a flavorful soy sauce base that also comes on the side for extra dipping. The Bangus Sisig (milkfish sisig) was on the Specials menu, so if you like a different take from pork sisig and like fish, milkfish is a unique and tasty option!

I always love coming back here when I crave for some filipino food. Nice ambiance and great food. Tried their crispy pata, crispy tadyang, kare kare, and sisig in the past. Yesterday we decided to try something different. We ordered for sugba kilaw, jumbo squid, and tortang talong. We loved the sugba kilaw - tuna in vinegar topped with grilled pork. The jumbo squid was a bit of disappointment as it seemed like it needed a bit more time cooking. Looks cooked from outside but still wet inside. The tortang talong with banana ketchup was almost good if it wasn't for the hair i found in it. The manager offered to give me a new one. But yesterday's experience was not as good as before, sadly. Shout out to our nice young server who recommended me the espresso martini. It was good.

After a day at Half Moon Bay beach, my large Filipino family and I decided to cap off the evening at Avenida. The staff quickly accommodated our group on the front patio, dog and all, with just a short 15-20 minute wait. Pros: - Attentive staff with great allergy awareness (food allergy menu available) - Picturesque outdoor seating - Tasty, authentic Filipino dishes Cons: - Steep prices - Some dishes took longer to arrive We sampled a variety of classics: 1. Kare Kare: Rich, not overly sweet, with generous meat portions. 2. Bulalo: Savory, beefy broth that hit the spot. 3. Pancit Bihon: Flavorful with perfectly soft noodles. 4. Tortang Talong: Smoky eggplant complemented by a tangy ketchup. 5. Crispy Pata: Flavorful but slightly chewy, and arrived fashionably late to the party. Avenida delivers on taste and ambiance, making it a solid choice for Filipino cuisine in a more upscale setting. However, the hefty price tag gives me pause. While the food is delicious, it doesn't quite reach the creative heights of spots like Abaca. Think of it as Max's slightly fancier cousin. Bottom line: If you're craving Filipino flavors with a view and don't mind splurging, Avenida fits the bill. But for regular Filipino food fixes, you might find better value elsewhere. It's a treat-yourself kind of place rather than an everyday haunt.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

My friends and I decided to share a few dishes to get a taste of everything, and here's my ranking from favorite to least favorite: 1. Pork Sisig with Egg The pork sisig was the standout dish for me. It was wonderfully fatty and flavorful, served on a sizzling plate that kept it hot and added a nice bit of crispiness to each bite. The egg on top added a creamy richness that brought everything together. 2. Lumpia The lumpia were a close second. They came out piping hot and fresh, with a perfectly crisp exterior. They were delicious and made for a great appetizer. 3. Sinigang with Beef Ribs The sinigang was pretty standard. It had the right balance of sourness, but there wasn't anything that made it stand out compared to other versions I've tried. 4. Spicy Garlic Wings Unfortunately, the spicy garlic wings were a letdown. They were a bit too dry, and the seasoning didn't quite pop the way I hoped it would. We opted to sit outside, as the restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor seating options. The outdoor area was comfortable, and it was a great choice to enjoy the nice weather. I was also impressed with the attentive service; our waiter frequently checked on us and made sure our water glasses were always filled, which I really appreciated.

Wsup my yelp nukka....aye, this spot rihht here, its actually not bad tho. Farrelz... I mean i only seen it thru the ig hype before..u know, them influencers tryna spit they game on the hype here but after actually trying their food here ...some of its on point. Right off tha bat tho, its downtown san mateo off 3rd ave. That means parking is all badd depending on the time you go there to eat. This restaurant is located on a corner of a busy intersection. When you walk in, that ambiance scene is pretty cool...kinda provincial, kinda mid scale eatery, kinda bistro, kinda homestyle kitchen. Its open atmoshere makes for a very casual feel with no boogie. So we came to celebrate a birthday. Food was preordered so as I walked up to a large banquet already going in, the food was all on display, ready to just dig in and plate up. ****SEE PHOTOS FOR LOOKS AND DESCRIPTIONS**** Listen...listen...this place is not bad at all. Is it the best filipino food, not uf youre comparing it to your family cooking, is it an option, of course. There will be some yhings a filipino will not enjoy as far their flavor but there will be food here that your table will enjoy. Being that there isnt many filipino food restaurants out here to easily enjoy, if youre in the peninsula area, hit this place up.