Food was very tasty, they sat our large group down almost immediately The food Came out relatively quickly. All the staff we interacted with from the server to the person who greeted us was nice.

Solid place, recommend a reservation because they get busy. You will easily spend $80-100 per person. Yakitori that we tried: Heart Black Angus Beef Bacon Scallop Pork cheeks which was very good Loved their Ginjo Lion King roll and their Ginji Soba 🍜

I really enjoyed my time here! Service was attentive and food was delicious. We enjoyed the special Ginji Lion King roll, the cooked fish plate, and also the skewers. There were several appetizers we had as well that were all delicious. Pitcher of Asahi beer was great. Definitely recommend to others and will visit again when I come back to the area next year.

This place is absolutely amazing. To start with, I really love the online ordering system they use! I've never seen anything like it before. You can sit down and immediately start ordering from your phone with a quick scan of a QR code and BAM! your drinks and starters are on the way. The food is excellent- try the beef tongue soup for starters. Sushi is very high quality. Service is friendly and personable. The sushi chef even came to check on us at one point, to ensure we were getting what we wanted via ordering system. Pricing is very reasonable as well. Every since stumbling across this gem, I've been back many times.

First of all, service was on point! Servers were always available and refilled water toasted several times throughout the evening. They offered complimentary sake tasting before we were seated. All the yakitori were tasty as well as the other dishes. Mentaiko pasta was very rich and creamy. Rainbow roll was fresh and delicious. I can compare with my sacral izakaya experiences in Japan. Prices are much higher than Japan of course.

+6

Yakitori was good. Chicken thighs are so thick and juicy and they didn’t burn the outside. If you’re ordering chicken, keep in mind it’s quite big portion. • chicken thigh (salt) was super good, the flavor was very good. We liked this much better than tare sauce. • chicken & scallion : basically the same thing as chicken thigh with tare sauce, and chopped scallion on it. • Shishito pepper is a good addition to eat with meat. • asparagus & bacon : we probably could’ve skipped this. Hamachi Kama : super good Ika : yummy. They give you a lot. Agedashi tofu : pretty good. (3 pieces) Ume onigiri : ume was good, the rice was a little too warm.

We ordered Japanese curry, unagi don, and several skewers. They are all great. Serivce is great too. -------update---- Chicken cutlets rice and unagi don are way too sweet. Do not recommend.

The biggest fear I have to go to Izakaya place is when the food readiness is slow. This place is incredible, even for a business dinner we feel it’s perfect with the pace, food quantity and atmosphere.

A review on Izakaya Ginji. One of my favorite places to order a cold beer while eating a selection of wonderful delicious skewered meat cuts and veggies. The service is excellent! I have also ordered ramen here. I have to say the broth was well balanced and delicious. My rating 4.6

Update 2/4/21: Their outdoor seating is nice. Clean safe kid friendly spot for lunch. Tofu Okonomiyaki has mountain yam, sweet corn, egg, nice texture. Not a traditional okonomiyaki, but similar flavor profile (smokey umami grilled flavor) good vegetarian option if you remind them to leave off the bonito shavings So clean! Their new Curry Lunch is good. Service is great

Delicious skewers tenderly cooked to perfection. I fell in love with yakitori from this restaurant, learning about many different parts chicken I would have never touched. Some of my favorite being chicken hearts, chicken neck, chicken soft bone , ground chicken and chicken wings. Who knew chicken was this good?! Sashimi are very fresh, and we had Ginji cucumber roll, great!! Visit, ask for today's special and take them . You will leave filled with joy and excitement and the need to return again and again. 5 stars!!

Great food and drinks. Love the set up at this restaurant, great for a group! You order from a QR code but they still have good service.

I enjoyed the beer here, I like it comes with a cool mug. The bbq here is good to try, ramen is wonderful. The interior is a blossom of Japanese culture. The staff is friendly and attentive. Good to come with friends.

This was our first try here and we loved it. Didn't order any sushi and couldn't try everything we wanted to (like the carbonara udon...) but everything we had was delicious and we will definitely come back. Chicken wings, meatballs, and grilled pork were all excellent. Tori Kara Age (fried chicken) was the best I've had in a while.

- Excellent selection of Japanse sake and shochu. - All of the grilled meats were amazing, especially the chicken skins. - The sushi rolls are fine, but if I want sushi, I go to a sushi place. - Good attentive but not overbearing service and most of the staff spoke Japanese as well - Gets lively like a good izakaya so is not a quiet romantic spot.

An excellent very Japanesey Izakaya. Ginji gets very busy on weekend nights, because its good! Plan accordingly. I love the dark ambiance, and especially the delicious meat skewers. A lot of the staff speaks or is Japanese, so its fun using Japanese to order/ chat with them. I've also tried a few types of sake their, they have primarily sake and beer for drinks. Try the skirt steak skewer, its amazing. I also really liked the chicken meatballs.

FANTASTIC skewers, perfectly seasoned, amazing beer. Zach was a an incredibly helpful and knowledgeable server. He recommended his favorite sake and we all loved it so much — it was perfectly smooth, crisp, and not sweet — that we asked to take a picture of it for our own records!! THANK YOU ZACH!!

I recently moved to this area and Ginji has become one of my favorite restaurants. The staff is friendly and very accommodating. The food is always prepared fresh and taste delicious. I love their Chicken with Miso glaze, the Pork Belly and the Buta Bara is to die for!! We've order dinners here often since the quarantine. They have a different menu for take out that did not include my favorite. So, I whinned so much for my favorite dish, that they included it on the menu. I just love this place, soon as the quarantine is over...a celebration will be had.

This restaurant has been gracing downtown San Mateo for a good few years now. It always draws me back. Everyday dining or special occasions, this place delivers. You can get skewers of authentic and delectable chicken parts grilled over wood. So authentic that even the wood they use in the grill is imported from Japan. Look at the menu: besides authentic fare, there are creative takes on old favorites such as Buta Kimchee Carbonara - a rich, creamy and addictive pasta dish, or the Age Mochi Oroshi, chewy little rice cakes fried with a crispy coating resting in a savory dashi broth. Yum. Here's the thing; where other restaurants that have been around for a few years tend to wilt, while the specialties lose their spark, chefs and/or owners persona non grata, etc. --- this wonderful Izakaya just seems to get better and more innovative every time I visit!! The two brothers (one in the back, the other in the front) are still completely hands on, bustling between tables, providing recommendations and making sure everyone is having a great time. Yeah. The service here is great. They have an impressive list of sake and shochu, and are always willing to provide help if the list is too intimidating. They have recently added a selection of shochu cocktails for those who are not so wild about the taste of sake or straight shochu. Also new (at least since my last visit) is an expanded selection of fish dishes. Last night's meal featured the best Toro sashimi I have ever eaten. I also must mention the lollipop chicken. --Best fried chicken in the bay area IMO, and I've tried a lot of fried chicken. I could reccomend just about everything on skewers grilled over Japanese hardwood. That is what an izakaya is truly about, yes? Though I never leave without ordering the thighs, skin (better than bacon!), quail eggs, okra, shitake mushrooms and the delightful onigiri (rice balls) scented so nicely by the wood smoke and perfectly crunchy on the outside. Many people may go to a fancy white tablecloth place for a special occasion, but Izakaya Ginji has been my birthday restaurant of choice for at least the last 4 to 5 (?) years, and will continue to be in the forseeable future. In closing, this is one of my 5 favorite restaurants in the bay area. And no, I'm not exaggerating. Just do yourself a favor and make a reservation before going. This place is popular and can collect a large crowd at the door.

Went here on a bustling Saturday Eve with a reso. Long lines speak to the awesomeness of Ginji. Yakitori is legit, lots of variety and yumminess throughout the menu. Flavors are bold and love the smaller dishes to maximize tasting. Give this place a try.

Seriously one of the best izakayas on the Peninsula! Love their hatsu (chicken hearts - tare/salted) and rebā (liver - teriyaki). The kids and hubs love the buta kimchi carbonara... SO good!

Everything was sooo good! Had a large group party yet staff was very friendly. We ordered quite a lot and were surprised the bill didn’t hurt the bank! Will be back again very soon

Good service, great food!

+6

We absolutely fall in love with Ginji! Not only the food is amazing, delicious, the service is also efficient and just great. We will become regularly customers no doubt!

Authentic place with right vibe and flavor that bursts in your mouth. Really enjoyed all the dishes. Sushi was amazing

We love going here as it really feels like a little slice of Japan! Everything from the super chilled draft beer to the decor and the ordering style whisks you away. Food and skewers are usually really good though we’ve seen some misses with the overdone grilled squid and chicken karaage being super dry. They rotate the skewer selection so there’s always something fun to try!

I kind of don't feel like I can give enough detail with just a 5* rating cause I like more nuance with my reviews but here we go. Food was fantastic. Simply seasoned but in a way that brings out natural flavors. Service slow due to how busy the place was so not really a mark against just a note. Atmosphere is nice with the new renovations. Glad to see the place survived the plague.

The quality of the cuisine and the attentiveness of the service staff are both exceptional. I highly recommend the gyudon, as the combination of rice and beef is a harmonious blend of flavors. Additionally, the beef skewer is a delectable option.

I always get excited when I find a Japanese restaurant that really captures the Izakaya spirit. Besides having a nice, compact setting, the service is always great and the food even better. We've been coming here for years and I never get tired of their skewers. Their sushi and other options are also better than you normally find. Expecting to be a patron for many more years to come

Crowded but yummy :) also love their little sake bottles!

Izakaya Ginji is a must visit when you're in town! I highly suggest dining in since they have a wider selection than ordering to-go, including their delicious yakitori. I've tried almost everything on the menu, and my staple items are ginji salad, mentaiko carbonara, takowasa, yaki onigiri, ebi chili, and my personal favorite is the hojicha panna cotta. Staff is always very kind and the owners are awesome people! As a traditional izakaya should be, their food goes really well with beer and other alcoholic beverages. Will revisit Izakaya Ginji over and over and over again!!

Great skewers, great sake, friendly staff. Nice vibe.

+2

Delicious food, lots of options, easy ordering, nice indoor and outdoor seating, and super friendly and accommodating wait staff. Definitely my favorite lunch spot when I was working downtown. Frequently enjoyed their sushi and sashimi, especially their melt-in-your-mouth salmon sashimi. Also loved their chicken miso katsu, katsu curry, karaage, tempura, lollipop chicken, agedashi tofu, various seasoned fries... the list won't end if I keep going! They have a great menu for sharing lots of different dishes with friends, or enjoying your own entree.

A small cute joint for Izakaya. We enjoyed almost every single dish that we’ve tried from two visits: tapas, salad, skewers are all highly recommended! The skewers are particularly flavorful given the special wood coal they use. They may seem a little short staffed on the service side so it takes a little patience, but not severe enough to impact the overall experience.

Izakaya Ginji is a true gem, cozy and inviting just like the small spots in Tokyo. We immediately noticed the care in each dish: the layers of flavor, the thoughtful presentation, and those subtle, distinct tastes you don’t find at most Japanese restaurants in the valley. The miso pork is insanely good, the daikon salad is fresh and crisp, the wagyu beef skewers melt in your mouth, the fried chicken perfectly crispy and seasoned, and we even tried the spider roll, which was surprising for an izakaya but they knocked it out of the park. Everything far exceeded what we expected from the photos and reviews.

It is a nice izakaya food place. The staff there are very kind and attentive. We were able to get a table and order easily. Came during happy hour so wasn’t too busy either. The ordering was quite quick as you can order the happy hour dishes through the online menu. The skewers you order through the paper. Once we ordered the food came quickly. The skewers were pretty tasty. I liked the chicken skewers and the sausage skewer. We also tried the carbonara udon, and it was nice. The curry fries though, it was really tasty. Almost taste like a poutine. Overall a lot of yummy stuff.

Skewers were juicy, well seasoned and overall yummy. The beef finger and lamb were my favorites. We ordered a lot of the tapa plates and enjoyed most of them, the pork cheeks were very crispy and reminiscent of chicharrones, the karaage chicken comes in very large chunks, and the eggplant(miso nasu dengaku) was nice and saucy. I enjoy pork belly but the buta bara miso glaze was okay. I wish it was more tender. The ika maruyaki or grilled squid is a go to for me, as well as the ankimo. The fried hotate or scallops were nice and crispy with yummy slightly chewy scallops inside. The chuhais were fruity and very easy to drink.

Went out with some coworkers while visiting the area and was blown away with the food. We wended up ordering a lot of dishes which all had their own amazing flavors. My favorite was the Ebbi Chile, but the chicken karaage was a close second. Very cheap beer plus mouth watering food made for a very memorable outing. Friendly staff as well! Thanks y'all!

I really enjoyed the udon and the skewers! The udon is very basic but very flavorful, the seaweed taste very good! The beef skewer is a must try! The meat is so juicy and perfectly done. I also love the chicken thigh and the scallop. Just simple salt seasoning but very flavorful! The staffs were very helpful and kind. I am 100% coming back again. March-2024 I tried the miso katsu chicken! Very crispy on the outside and very tender chicken with flavorful sauce! I will try this again. April-2024 Beef tongue: must try! May-2024 Beef tongue and miso curry chicken katsu June-2024 Beef finger, sushi and shrimp! July-2024 Beef udon and oyster and lunch special beef bowel! Kaisen don and beef udon!

One of the best place to get Japanese food. The restaurant’s inside is decorated in Japanese style culture. It’s very nice, and we instantly fell in love with the decor. The place is always busy, so sometimes the order is a little slow but they always try their beat to attend to the customers. One other things I like about this place is the effort they put in to serve the little customers. See that cute little tiger plate? My baby likes it very much. The yakitori, or skewers, is very tasty, and they have 2 different flavors for you to try. During peak hours, the yakitori might be served a little slow due to high demands of orders. Besides that, the udon also is good, but the don is just so so, but it’s not bad. The desserts are yummy, but it’s too sweet to my liking.

Came in for lunch and expected izakaya but that's not served during lunch..... But we were pleasantly surprised by the food we got off the lunch menu... Shrimp was very good. Big and fresh and crispy. Agedashi tofu is one of the best I have had. Curry was also very good.

We happened to be in the area and we were craving for good Japanese food. We found Izakaya Ginji on Google map. Luckily we arrived early and we were sat right away. They have a paper menu which you mark on for yakitori, which is Japanese skewer. And there is a separate online menu to order other items, food and drinks, on your smart phone. We ended up with about a dozen of various yakitori, sashimi, and other items. We loved the yakitori and everything was very tasty. The place got crowded soon after we sat down. I'd recommend making reservation ahead of time. The service was very good and fast, everyone was friendly and attentive. The price is a bit on the high side. My wife and I ended up over a hundred dollars plus tax and tips. This is a good place for a drink and good Japanese food with friends. Highly recommended.

Really fun place… warm, almost five bar , atmosphere. Really excellent food. I would say the most notable for me was the akadashi miso soup… something i hadn’t had before but was delicious.

This is a great find in downtown San Mateo. The yakitori is excellent! The beef tongue and chicken liver in particular. Great atmosphere and staff. They are all attending their guests in a timely manner. I will comeback here along with my family and friends with me.

This place is expensive, but we thoroughly enjoyed every single dish we ordered. Came here with 4 adults on a Wednesday night, and we had to wait for a table since we didn't have a reservation. Wait wasn't too bad, especially since we started listing our orders while waiting to be seated. Since we listed everything on the piece of paper they gave us beforehand, ordering was as fast and easy. They brought each dish as it was made instead of waiting for all dishes to be ready. This ensured everything came to the table hot and fresh. We ordered grilled chicken thighs, chicken skin, chicken liver, wagyu beef sausages, beef ribs, scallops au gratin, sashimi, rainbow roll, unagi don, agedashi tofu, ebi tempura, and spicy chicken karaage. We also tried the grilled rice balls, which had good flavor and texture. Be prepared to wait longer for the grilled rice balls though. Ours came towards the tail end of our meal, which was not ideal, but we still thoroughly enjoyed every bite. The dragon roll we ordered came last, even after the rice balls. We expected it to come first, but I guess the kitchen was busy. Overall, a great experience.

Awesome place to get Yakitori. It gets busy but I really enjoyed my experience. The staff was friendly and welcoming. They got a good variety of Yakitori for the right price and offer both Tare and Shio flavors.

Sir Kumamon

It is a nice izakaya food place. The staff there are very kind and attentive. We were able to get a table and order easily. Came during happy hour so wasn’t too busy either. The ordering was quite quick as you can order the happy hour dishes through the online menu. The skewers you order through the paper. Once we ordered the food came quickly. The skewers were pretty tasty. I liked the chicken skewers and the sausage skewer. We also tried the carbonara udon, and it was nice. The curry fries though, it was really tasty. Almost taste like a poutine. Overall a lot of yummy stuff.

Eugenie Ooi

Skewers were juicy, well seasoned and overall yummy. The beef finger and lamb were my favorites. We ordered a lot of the tapa plates and enjoyed most of them, the pork cheeks were very crispy and reminiscent of chicharrones, the karaage chicken comes in very large chunks, and the eggplant(miso nasu dengaku) was nice and saucy. I enjoy pork belly but the buta bara miso glaze was okay. I wish it was more tender. The ika maruyaki or grilled squid is a go to for me, as well as the ankimo. The fried hotate or scallops were nice and crispy with yummy slightly chewy scallops inside. The chuhais were fruity and very easy to drink.

Steven Calhoun

Went out with some coworkers while visiting the area and was blown away with the food. We wended up ordering a lot of dishes which all had their own amazing flavors. My favorite was the Ebbi Chile, but the chicken karaage was a close second. Very cheap beer plus mouth watering food made for a very memorable outing. Friendly staff as well! Thanks y'all!

S Duan

I really enjoyed the udon and the skewers! The udon is very basic but very flavorful, the seaweed taste very good! The beef skewer is a must try! The meat is so juicy and perfectly done. I also love the chicken thigh and the scallop. Just simple salt seasoning but very flavorful! The staffs were very helpful and kind. I am 100% coming back again. March-2024 I tried the miso katsu chicken! Very crispy on the outside and very tender chicken with flavorful sauce! I will try this again. April-2024 Beef tongue: must try! May-2024 Beef tongue and miso curry chicken katsu June-2024 Beef finger, sushi and shrimp! July-2024 Beef udon and oyster and lunch special beef bowel! Kaisen don and beef udon!

Judy Margaret Chen

One of the best place to get Japanese food. The restaurant’s inside is decorated in Japanese style culture. It’s very nice, and we instantly fell in love with the decor. The place is always busy, so sometimes the order is a little slow but they always try their beat to attend to the customers. One other things I like about this place is the effort they put in to serve the little customers. See that cute little tiger plate? My baby likes it very much. The yakitori, or skewers, is very tasty, and they have 2 different flavors for you to try. During peak hours, the yakitori might be served a little slow due to high demands of orders. Besides that, the udon also is good, but the don is just so so, but it’s not bad. The desserts are yummy, but it’s too sweet to my liking.

Joyce Lam

Came in for lunch and expected izakaya but that's not served during lunch..... But we were pleasantly surprised by the food we got off the lunch menu... Shrimp was very good. Big and fresh and crispy. Agedashi tofu is one of the best I have had. Curry was also very good.

Stephen Lam

We happened to be in the area and we were craving for good Japanese food. We found Izakaya Ginji on Google map. Luckily we arrived early and we were sat right away. They have a paper menu which you mark on for yakitori, which is Japanese skewer. And there is a separate online menu to order other items, food and drinks, on your smart phone. We ended up with about a dozen of various yakitori, sashimi, and other items. We loved the yakitori and everything was very tasty. The place got crowded soon after we sat down. I'd recommend making reservation ahead of time. The service was very good and fast, everyone was friendly and attentive. The price is a bit on the high side. My wife and I ended up over a hundred dollars plus tax and tips. This is a good place for a drink and good Japanese food with friends. Highly recommended.

Jacob Gunia

Really fun place… warm, almost five bar , atmosphere. Really excellent food. I would say the most notable for me was the akadashi miso soup… something i hadn’t had before but was delicious.

Dnshift & Other things!

This is a great find in downtown San Mateo. The yakitori is excellent! The beef tongue and chicken liver in particular. Great atmosphere and staff. They are all attending their guests in a timely manner. I will comeback here along with my family and friends with me.

Marie Tepman

This place is expensive, but we thoroughly enjoyed every single dish we ordered. Came here with 4 adults on a Wednesday night, and we had to wait for a table since we didn't have a reservation. Wait wasn't too bad, especially since we started listing our orders while waiting to be seated. Since we listed everything on the piece of paper they gave us beforehand, ordering was as fast and easy. They brought each dish as it was made instead of waiting for all dishes to be ready. This ensured everything came to the table hot and fresh. We ordered grilled chicken thighs, chicken skin, chicken liver, wagyu beef sausages, beef ribs, scallops au gratin, sashimi, rainbow roll, unagi don, agedashi tofu, ebi tempura, and spicy chicken karaage. We also tried the grilled rice balls, which had good flavor and texture. Be prepared to wait longer for the grilled rice balls though. Ours came towards the tail end of our meal, which was not ideal, but we still thoroughly enjoyed every bite. The dragon roll we ordered came last, even after the rice balls. We expected it to come first, but I guess the kitchen was busy. Overall, a great experience.

Riley A

Food was very tasty, they sat our large group down almost immediately The food Came out relatively quickly. All the staff we interacted with from the server to the person who greeted us was nice.

Definitely a place I will visit again. Izakaya ginji definitely feels more like a Japanese izakaya with its decor/ambiance, menu offerings, and cutlery. Our group got the Russian roulette style takoyaki (so one of them is filled with really really hot sauce). I actually won't recommend if one member of your party can't handle spicy. It was really hot. I really liked their agedashi tofu too!

A bit pricey but the food is good. The roll was not impressive. I like the chicken skin most.

We didn’t make a reservation therefore taking outdoor seat. Small portion but very tasty!

+4

Friendly wait staff. Food was top notch! Great for tapas. Cold beer and good selection of sake and Japanese drinks.

+2

After being outside and a little cold, their soba noodles were SO satisfying and warm. The tofu was well marinated and had great flavor as well. Definitely interested in coming back to try more things on the menu.

Great menu with lots of options for the adventurous and not-so-adventurous eaters. Ordered the wagu beef and scallops w bacon yakitori... beef and onions beef bowl.. bento with fried fish, chicken, california rolls, and both the miso, and chicken and rice soups. Ordering process was easy and fast via QR or table ticket. Food came quickly was plentiful and delicious. Loved the relaxed atmosphere and the vintage Japanese beer prints on the walls. Would eat here again.

Food was very good but some of the dishes were on the saltier side. Fun place to dine and socialize.

+6

Holiday Bites 💯 With two other long-time and popular izakayas in San Mateo (Izakaya Mai and Yakitori Kokko), I had never had the chance to dine at Izakaya Ginji On a quiet Xmas Eve and with welcome holiday hours, that chance came and I left happy and joyful The strength of Ginji is clearly the high fire binchotan grill and all items chicken Chicken skin, tail meat, and momo thigh with salt are all delicious and even better is the comforting tori zosui or Japanese style chicken soup The corn butter is skippable but the Houjitea panna cotta is delicious 📷 A5 Japanese Black Wagyu $16 / Kawa ~ Chicken Skin Salt $4.25 / Bonbochi ~ Tail Meat Salt $4.95 / Momo ~ Thigh Salt $4.00 / Hatsu ~ Heart Tare $4.00 / Tsukune ~ Meatball $4.25 / Chicken & Scallion Citrus Ponzu $4.95 / Tori Zosui ~ Japanese Chicken Soup $9.25 / Houjitea Panna Cotta $9.00 📍Izakaya Ginji (San Mateo, CA)

+6

Pretty decent place. Nice decor and music. Staff is attentive. Mobile ordering system good (everyone can order on their device and all go to the same check) but UI navigations can be improved. Food is pretty good but rather pricey. We ended up spending ~$75 per person (sharing 1 pitcher of beer)

Lots to choose from. Yakitori is decent albeit a bit pricey and the appetizers (tofu and chicken lollipops) can definitely be skipped. The ramen is passable. Ambiance is interesting. There’s a table near the back of the restaurant that just faces a wall but there is privacy.

+5

I saw the review says it’s too salty if order soy sauce flavored skewer. So for most skewer we ordered salt, but the flavor was too plain. On the good side, you can say it provides the natural flavor of the ingredients…. So the $16 wagyu skewer was very tasty, but the rest of the skewer we ordered were just so so. The rice sausage dish we ordered come with a dipping sauce, which also was very good. On the other side the beef rice was also bland. The restaurant was quite busy, and servers are rushed. One advice to improve the service: no need to ask customers “if I can take your plate” it’s just an empty plate after we finished the skewers. I’d appreciate you could simply take it. Overall it is ok place, I may give it another try since there aren’t many good yakitori place.

Very good izakaya space. 👍 Food are authentic as far as I can tell. The pork curry was a but bland but filling. The karaage was decent. The skewers with tare is a bit sweet for my taste. I will probably try salt next time. 👍 Drink: Oolong-high is decent. Calpis soda is nice. I wish they have lemon sour as an option 👍 Service was pretty good. They misplaced one order but was quick to fix it. Wait time was not too long and everything was clean and pleasant.

We ordered a lot of yakitori. They were all good. My favorite was the chicken skin, tail end, and neck. We also order the Butabara Miso Glaze, Berkshire pork, it was so savory sweet and tender. They kept losing track of our orders, but it must be because they were fairly busy. The customer service was great!

Except for the chicken skin, everything was great.

+4

Amazing grilled meats. A little pricey since it's tapas style, but quality can't be beat. Great for non-red-meat eaters because most grill options are chicken, and many good veggie options.

The ramen was amazing. The broth was rich, salty, savory and full of flavor. The sushi was okay. I was expecting better, but in retrospect it was still fresh and tasty. Not sure why my expectations were so high But the ramen is enough to want to go back. The service was uneven but competent and friendly. I blame the inconsistency on being busy.

Very nice food. Excellent service. Only downside is that's a little hot inside. The price is on the high side but you get what you pay for. We had a table of six so wore the service charge but they were very deliberate in letting us know it was already added in.

Good yakitori, and amazing chicken-based ramen. Service is friendly, but getting the QR code menu and ordering system didn't work perfectly. Once it worked, it was pretty useful and easy to use. I'd go back if invited.

A pure replica of Japanese Izakaya. With interesting selections of pasta flavored with a hybrid taste. Very nicely done.

Overall it’s not a bad place! We ordered the rainbow roll, carbonara udon, chicken cutlet with rice, miso soup and shitake mushrooms. Good: Carbonara udon was really good! Miso soup was good Rainbow roll was good (our rating might be biased as we had some really bad sushi two days ago). Ok: Chicken cutlet with rice was way to sweet Shitake mushroom was ok. The one we had in prime bbq is much better! Service was ok. It’s not bad, but staff were very busy, so they come and go very fast. Food was taking sometime to be served

It's rare that an izakaya spot is open for lunch, but luckily Ginji was. We got a bunch of dishes to share but I forgot to take photos of most of them, oops. The food is pretty good and authentic. Portions are large so because when you order. The torched aji was amazing, definitely get that. Friendly service. They gave us free miso soup because we ordered so much.

I had been here before years ago (pre-COVID), when they used to have physical menus with more selections. I remembered the yakitori being great here so I put in a reservation for 4. That was easy. My partner and I came earlier than our reservation (by about 30mins) but they had our table ready already so we were able to sit down and get away from the winter cold. Shortly after we ordered, our food came. The yakitori was still just as good as I remembered— except the ones I ordered to be seasoned with salt (there weren’t many you could order with the tare (tah-reh) sauce) were PARTICULARLY salty. I felt they were over salted so I had to scrape off what I could (hence the one less star on my review). Overall, everyone enjoyed their food and we had a great time. They even gave us holiday “gift (scratcher) cards” for a free item that you could redeem from the scratcher card if you came back within the next couple months. We’ll likely come back though, not just to use up the scratchers, haha.

Food was a bit hit-or-miss, but the hits were HITS. The sushi was just OK, nothing wrong with it, but nothing to get excited about, either. The Japanese wagyu skewer was amazing and the wife said the gyu don was the best she'd had. Miso soup was a slightly small serving, but had a great flavour. The panna cotta was bizarre. The syrup on top was incredibly bitter, to the point of tasting alcoholic. Good service, good atmosphere, clean. Restroom OK. There's a lot more on the menu to try and we'll be back for a second shot at it.

The skewers are delicious, you must. Everything else ordered so far has been great. I like the order from your phone service, no waiting around or flagging down someone. Fast service. We were able to sit at the bar but apparently reservations are recommended, since they only had bar or outside seating at the time we went, which was pretty early at 5PM on a Friday.

Friendly and attentive service! The atmosphere is cozy and has a sense of place, with Japanese art decorating the walls and food served in Japanese pottery. The food came out quickly and tasted fresh. Detailed food notes below: I ordered skewers with shishito peppers, petite tomatoes, and shiitake mushrooms, all with salt. I wish they had seafood options (e.g. salmon or scallops) and more vegetables. * The tomatoes were juicy and flavorful. There were 4 grape tomatoes per skewer. * The shiitake mushrooms tasted a little dry, and I wish I had ordered them with tare instead of salted. There were 2 mushrooms cut in half (4 halves total) per skewer. * The shishito peppers were solid but didn’t stand out. * My partner ordered the chicken thigh with tare and said it was the best he had ever had. I even gave them some of my rice so that they could scoop up the last bits of sauce/chicken grease. Truly outstanding! Kakiage tamago don - rice bowl with scrambled eggs and vegetable tempura * This rice bowl was delightfully filling although I wish it had more non-rice items. The rice filled perhaps 80% of the bowl, was covered with a modest layer of scrambled eggs, and topped with two pieces of vegetable tempura. It also came with a bowl of miso soup. * The vegetable tempura was the highlight of this dish - it was lightly fried and delicately greasy. Each piece was quite large - perhaps 3 inches in diameter and contained onions and other veggies I couldn’t identify. I wish I could have eaten more than 2 pieces. I’m still thinking about that tempura a day later. * The scrambled eggs were enjoyable but had too many scallion pieces for my taste. The scallions overwhelmed the eggy flavor. * The miso soup was solid but didn’t stand out. Overall, the food was enjoyable and the service made us feel well cared for. The prices are steeper, but I suppose this is downtown San Mateo in 2026. If they offered more seafood and vegetable skewer options, I’d be more likely to return! 😉

Popular Japanese Izakaya with a variety of yakitori skewer options. This place is always crowded so advanced bookings are recommended. Food is of good quality and a bit high price. Expect $75 pp if ordering mainly skewers.

Tasty meat skewers grilled over a charcoal fire, along with a decent selection of beer and sake. Some skewers can sell out quickly, though. Service was subpar, starting with the check-in process that was very disorganized. Tables are small so the plates will fill up quickly if you order too much food.

Loved the vibes of this place and that you can see the lead chef grilling up the yakitori right up at the front. We came on a week night right at dinner time and it was quite busy but got lucky with a seat right away. The waitress was very nice and helped to explain how the menu works. We tried a variety of yakitori, meat and veggie, and a couple items from the full menu. The yakitori was very good, melt in your mouth level and with nice flavoring. It did skew on the smaller size for its price, it only comes with 1 skewer per order. I’m glad we also tried some of the other non-yakitori offerings as well and highly recommend doing so for more variety of food.

Seaweed salad and takoyaki were too salty. Other dishes were okay. I like the deep fried chicken knee. The waitress was nice and friendly👍🏻

We were looking for a good Japanese restaurant in the area, and we came across this one. They had good food with reasonable prices. We ordered through the QR code they provided, which was easily navigable.. Service was ok. In terms of the food we ordered, we ordered the Ginji Bento (not pictured), Bento Box #A, Shrimp Tempura Roll, Tamago Toji Udon, and the Buta Kimchi Carbonara. As for the carbonara, I’d say that it was a little salty for my liking, otherwise good. Solid 4 stars.

Kat

Friendly and attentive service! The atmosphere is cozy and has a sense of place, with Japanese art decorating the walls and food served in Japanese pottery. The food came out quickly and tasted fresh. Detailed food notes below: I ordered skewers with shishito peppers, petite tomatoes, and shiitake mushrooms, all with salt. I wish they had seafood options (e.g. salmon or scallops) and more vegetables. * The tomatoes were juicy and flavorful. There were 4 grape tomatoes per skewer. * The shiitake mushrooms tasted a little dry, and I wish I had ordered them with tare instead of salted. There were 2 mushrooms cut in half (4 halves total) per skewer. * The shishito peppers were solid but didn’t stand out. * My partner ordered the chicken thigh with tare and said it was the best he had ever had. I even gave them some of my rice so that they could scoop up the last bits of sauce/chicken grease. Truly outstanding! Kakiage tamago don - rice bowl with scrambled eggs and vegetable tempura * This rice bowl was delightfully filling although I wish it had more non-rice items. The rice filled perhaps 80% of the bowl, was covered with a modest layer of scrambled eggs, and topped with two pieces of vegetable tempura. It also came with a bowl of miso soup. * The vegetable tempura was the highlight of this dish - it was lightly fried and delicately greasy. Each piece was quite large - perhaps 3 inches in diameter and contained onions and other veggies I couldn’t identify. I wish I could have eaten more than 2 pieces. I’m still thinking about that tempura a day later. * The scrambled eggs were enjoyable but had too many scallion pieces for my taste. The scallions overwhelmed the eggy flavor. * The miso soup was solid but didn’t stand out. Overall, the food was enjoyable and the service made us feel well cared for. The prices are steeper, but I suppose this is downtown San Mateo in 2026. If they offered more seafood and vegetable skewer options, I’d be more likely to return! 😉

Daniel Xue

Popular Japanese Izakaya with a variety of yakitori skewer options. This place is always crowded so advanced bookings are recommended. Food is of good quality and a bit high price. Expect $75 pp if ordering mainly skewers.

Wei-Ai Tai

Tasty meat skewers grilled over a charcoal fire, along with a decent selection of beer and sake. Some skewers can sell out quickly, though. Service was subpar, starting with the check-in process that was very disorganized. Tables are small so the plates will fill up quickly if you order too much food.

Melinda Ng

Loved the vibes of this place and that you can see the lead chef grilling up the yakitori right up at the front. We came on a week night right at dinner time and it was quite busy but got lucky with a seat right away. The waitress was very nice and helped to explain how the menu works. We tried a variety of yakitori, meat and veggie, and a couple items from the full menu. The yakitori was very good, melt in your mouth level and with nice flavoring. It did skew on the smaller size for its price, it only comes with 1 skewer per order. I’m glad we also tried some of the other non-yakitori offerings as well and highly recommend doing so for more variety of food.

Hsin Huei Li

Seaweed salad and takoyaki were too salty. Other dishes were okay. I like the deep fried chicken knee. The waitress was nice and friendly👍🏻

Julia Basina

We were looking for a good Japanese restaurant in the area, and we came across this one. They had good food with reasonable prices. We ordered through the QR code they provided, which was easily navigable.. Service was ok. In terms of the food we ordered, we ordered the Ginji Bento (not pictured), Bento Box #A, Shrimp Tempura Roll, Tamago Toji Udon, and the Buta Kimchi Carbonara. As for the carbonara, I’d say that it was a little salty for my liking, otherwise good. Solid 4 stars.

- Seaweed Salad 3 normal - Hamachi Carpaccio 4 thick slices, not fishy, garlic crunch on top, ponzu sauce, flavorful - Ebi Chili Mayo 4 deep fried tiger shrimp, sweet chili glaze, not spicy, crispy - Buta Bara Miso Glaze 2 deep fried slow cooked pork belly, sweet glaze, too fatty, crispy - Tofu Okonomiyaki 5 great flavor, corn - Agedashi tofu 3 - Soft shell shrimps 4 - Ginji Lion King Roll 5 seared salmon, ask for no jalapeño, spicy, flavorful - Mentaiko Carbonara 4 creamy, fishy cod roe flavor, flavorful - Salmon Carbonara 3 creamy, too little salmon, not flavorful - Chicken katsu curry 4 - Miso soup 3 normal - Salmon Belly Sashimi 5 rich, fatty, fresh - Houji Tea Panna Cotta 5 tea flavor super strong - Mango Pudding 5 real mango (can be a little sour), better than dimsum version Skewers: - Chicken Skin 4 crispy, slightly greasy - Chicken Cartilage 3 no meat, only bone - Chicken Gizzard 4 crispy chewy, soy flavor - Chicken Heart 3 soft chewy, soy flavor - Chicken Meatball 3 soft, ginger taste, medium flavorful - Chicken Scallion 3 medium tender, ponzu sauce - Japanese Waygu 5 rich, juicy - Beef tongue 4 crispy chewy, juicy - Beef ribs fingers 4 very chewy, well seasoned w/ salt - Scallop & Bacon 3 juicy, not flavorful - Eggplant 3 not soft or flavorful

Cindy Lu

- Seaweed Salad 3 normal - Hamachi Carpaccio 4 thick slices, not fishy, garlic crunch on top, ponzu sauce, flavorful - Ebi Chili Mayo 4 deep fried tiger shrimp, sweet chili glaze, not spicy, crispy - Buta Bara Miso Glaze 2 deep fried slow cooked pork belly, sweet glaze, too fatty, crispy - Tofu Okonomiyaki 5 great flavor, corn - Agedashi tofu 3 - Soft shell shrimps 4 - Ginji Lion King Roll 5 seared salmon, ask for no jalapeño, spicy, flavorful - Mentaiko Carbonara 4 creamy, fishy cod roe flavor, flavorful - Salmon Carbonara 3 creamy, too little salmon, not flavorful - Chicken katsu curry 4 - Miso soup 3 normal - Salmon Belly Sashimi 5 rich, fatty, fresh - Houji Tea Panna Cotta 5 tea flavor super strong - Mango Pudding 5 real mango (can be a little sour), better than dimsum version Skewers: - Chicken Skin 4 crispy, slightly greasy - Chicken Cartilage 3 no meat, only bone - Chicken Gizzard 4 crispy chewy, soy flavor - Chicken Heart 3 soft chewy, soy flavor - Chicken Meatball 3 soft, ginger taste, medium flavorful - Chicken Scallion 3 medium tender, ponzu sauce - Japanese Waygu 5 rich, juicy - Beef tongue 4 crispy chewy, juicy - Beef ribs fingers 4 very chewy, well seasoned w/ salt - Scallop & Bacon 3 juicy, not flavorful - Eggplant 3 not soft or flavorful

Do they change the owner or chefs? I visited this restaurant frequently and liked their tapas when I lived in San Mateo. However as of 11/18/2023, they don't have the items from previous menu and new dishes aren't good

Good place to have a chat with friend and enjoy the small portion of grill.

+1

Fun place to eat. Skewers are ok but the selection could be broader, I'd like to see skate, shellfish, beef cuts, and squid added. Also, sushi and ramen are not passable for the real discerning. Overall, good service.

It was OK, service was good. Chicken skin was awesome

+6

Overall everything was okay/decent. Main dislike is that it seemed overpriced for what you are getting. I get it's a "Japanese tapas" place, but i don't think the quality and service live up to the expensive prices. Could be fun for a date but not somewhere I would really go again or recommend to other people. Portions were pretty decent and food wasn't great nor was it bad. It you are really into japanese small plates you can definitely give it a try. The workers were nice but it wasn't anything special. The phone ordering system was pretty interesting.

Service was top notch, even when things got busy (real fast, before 6pm on a weekend). The food was good but not good enough for us to return given the price we paid. Perhaps it was the yakitori that made the meal expensive but our party of 5 paid $300+ (after tax and tips) without ordering any beer.

Reserved a table here for our first visit. Ordered a combination of yakitori, udon and tempura along with beer. Food was quite underwhelming but service was good . The yakitori was almost too charred and I have had far better ones. The grilled shishito pepper were some of the driest vegetable yakitoris I have had. The tamago udon was better than yakitori but on the saltier side. The renkon/lotus chips were tasteless and the ebi/shrimp tempura was not truly Japanese style and had too much thick batter. They have a huge menu, so I am not sure if we ended up ordering the weaker items. i felt it was too pricey for the quality of the food but then this is the bay area. If I am in the area I may give them a second try but would definitely avoid their yakitori or tempura items.

Urvashi B

Reserved a table here for our first visit. Ordered a combination of yakitori, udon and tempura along with beer. Food was quite underwhelming but service was good . The yakitori was almost too charred and I have had far better ones. The grilled shishito pepper were some of the driest vegetable yakitoris I have had. The tamago udon was better than yakitori but on the saltier side. The renkon/lotus chips were tasteless and the ebi/shrimp tempura was not truly Japanese style and had too much thick batter. They have a huge menu, so I am not sure if we ended up ordering the weaker items. i felt it was too pricey for the quality of the food but then this is the bay area. If I am in the area I may give them a second try but would definitely avoid their yakitori or tempura items.

Overall an disappointment maybe because I set my expectations too high. Tried all items from izakaya menu. The thing upset me the most is the 16$ wagyu beef, the beef itself is not fresh, it has gone sour and ruined my whole appetite. They did remove the item from the final check but for izakaya I think it is unacceptable. Other types of meat taste great though, but the charcoal part is a bit too heavy, can taste bitterness for about 50% of the skewers especially the veggies. Won't go there again

The restaurant is dark, and somewhat sad feeling. The waiter didn't know what was in some of the dishes that my wife asked about, but faked it and then acted some what annoyed by the questions. Miso soup was hot and delicious. The serving of chicken cutlet was large, but mediocre quality. I prefer Shiki Sushi.

Ugh. Everyone gets served before our table. Not sure what we did wrong. Food is great. Got some appetizers, highly recommend the takoyaki! Service staff is generally good and attentive; we had our water filled mutliple times.

Service was great. Food came in a timely manner. The food could be better. The food is expensive for what they serve. They skimp out on the portions. Some of the food images in the menu does not look like the actual dish. We ordered an unagi roll and there was barely any unagi in the dish. Sadly, we will not return to this establishment.

Terrible service On 10/29/2025 my girlfriend & I had dinner here. My girlfriend is considered a regular. She often comes with her friends & knows the Japanese waitresses. But I’m African American &! It was my 1st time. I attempted to order a Sapporo beer, but they where out.I asked can I try the other options beer because I wasn’t familiar & I was declined my girlfriend was shocked by the Japanese waiter response after spending lots time & money here. The Latin waitress working there were really nice…

Cory Daniels

Terrible service On 10/29/2025 my girlfriend & I had dinner here. My girlfriend is considered a regular. She often comes with her friends & knows the Japanese waitresses. But I’m African American &! It was my 1st time. I attempted to order a Sapporo beer, but they where out.I asked can I try the other options beer because I wasn’t familiar & I was declined my girlfriend was shocked by the Japanese waiter response after spending lots time & money here. The Latin waitress working there were really nice…

This place is really pushy on timing when they are busy... The waiter just told me that reservation on a table only last for 1h30min. And the waiter will be constantly bugging that they have the table reserved for the next group. Over our 1.5 hr dinner, the waiter brought this up for 5 times. I don’t think it’s the waiter’s problem, guess the restaurant is really greedy... As an Izakaya, this is totally unacceptable, won’t come back. Just forget about just come here and sit down with your friends and chat. Btw, their Food is just so-so, I’d recommend Kokko instead of this place.