A visit to San Mateo may not be on your radar. But it should be. We travelled there in the summer 2023 to visit a dear friend of ours and fell in love with the place. We saw ourselves living our best lives there. In a different life, we would live there. Everyday was sunshine, rainbows, and happiness.
Am I exaggerating? Maybe a bit. But overall, we loved our trip and think you should visit San Mateo if you have the chance. The following is a travel guide to San Mateo through our eyes.
San Mateo Overview
For those who do not know, San Mateo is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States. It sits on the San Francisco Peninsula about 20 miles (32 km) south of San Francisco. The city borders Burlingame to the north. We decided our best retirement selves would love living in Burlingame. Hillsborough is to the west. San Francisco Bay and Foster City are to the east. And Belmont to the south. If you are not familiar with San Francisco geography and this means nothing to you, don’t worry! I typed the words and they mean nothing to me. Geography isn’t for everyone, my friend.
Fun fact: I went to Foster City in 2013 to visit that same friend. Most of my memories from that trip are drinking wine, eating soup out of the can, and getting sunburnt. I feel as much love for Foster City as I do for San Mateo. Maybe it’s the city itself. More likely it’s the company I keep. Either way, the Bay Area has my heart.
Facts?
San Mateo has a Mediterranean climate. It is known to have warm, dry summers and mild, damp winters. This is really all I need to know. Warm summers and mild winters sound like a dream compared to our current home.
The city is known for its rich history at the center of the San Francisco Bay Area. Some of the biggest economic drivers for the city include technology, health care and education.
The area is beautifully ecologically diverse. There is a variety of natural habitats including mixed oak woodland, riparian zones, and bayland marshes.
Visit San Mateo (Our 2023 Experience)
We visited in the height of summer and experienced only sunshine and bright blue skies for the entire five days we were there. Due to its proximity to the Pacific Ocean and gaps in the mountains that surround the city, there can be gusty afternoon winds that bring fog toward San Mateo in the late afternoon through early morning in the summer. We didn’t experience any of this during our time there.
We loved the beautifully preserved walkable downtown. There are historic buildings from the 1920s and 1930s. Some date as far back as the late 1800s. To make the downtown even more enjoyable, they pedestrianize some of the streets in the summer. This enables local cafes, restaurants and bars to increase their patio capacity and provides a more European feel. It all comes back to those Mediterranean vibes for me.
Outdoor Life
Outdoor and nature enthusiasts have lots to explore in San Mateo. There are the Crystal Springs Reservoir and San Andreas Lake nearby, two bodies of water on the San Andreas Fault. Countless trails take you alongside the bodies of water and through diverse habitats. These include the state’s oldest laurel tree and old-growth Douglas fir forests. If you’re lucky you will spot wildlife. You may spot a rare bald eagle. But more likely you’ll see deer.
For more outdoor options, consider hiking through grasslands and meadows to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain. There you will have unparalleled bay views at Laurelwood Park. Coyote Point Park, a rock outcropped peninsula, is another option. It’s home to several amenities including CuriOdyssey, an interactive science museum and a small native animal zoo.
Water enthusiasts will enjoy Coyote Point Park. It’s a great location for windsurfing and sailing. There are also trails for walking and bicycling. As well as picnic areas when you need a rest.
Central Park is considered to be San Mateo’s signature park with a baseball field, tennis courts, sculptures, picnic areas, playground, Japanese tea garden, recreation center, miniature train, rose garden and the San Mateo Arboretum. The Japanese tea garden was created to commemorate sister city Toyonaka, Japan.
Food
Fieldwork Brewing
A craft brewery founded in Berkeley. We visited their outdoor beer garden the first afternoon we arrived in San Mateo and it couldn’t have been a more fitting place to set the vibe for our next few days: laid-back, sunny weather, good music and good people. The drinks weren’t bad either. I had a raspberry vanilla beer slush and it is the only way I will be drinking beer from now on. Imagine a slurpee/slushie consistency with the taste of raspberry vanilla ice-cream and a hint of beer. It’s delicious, tell the world, this is the way forward. They are also home to the first sour that I thoroughly enjoyed and could have continued drinking all day.
The Barrel Bistro and Wine Bar
Serving Italian inspired, Californians’ favorite dishes (according to the internet). We went here for appetizers, more specifically sides, as my friend raved about how good everything was. We were seated at an outdoor table in the pedestrianized block and had a lovely time. The service was great and the food tasted amazing. We tried fried brussel sprouts, garlic bread, and chickpea bites.
Clay Oven
This was our dinner spot for the first evening, a branch of a modern-style Indian chain known for its tandoori dishes & lunch buffet. My friend ordered hers medium, and not to be outdone I also ordered my curry “medium”. Dear reader, I made a grave mistake. My mouth was so on fire I could barely eat it despite it being delicious and me drinking all the red wine to combat the burn. Everything we had was delicious. We tried all the naans and the chana masala and vegetable curry (that I still had for days due to it’s spice level and me being unable to eat a lot of it in one sitting).
Mendocino Farms
For our last night in San Mateo we ordered in after a long day of galivanting and sightseeing. We tried Mendocino Farms, a casual place specializing in creative gourmet sandwiches, soups & salads, made with local & seasonal ingredients and lots of options to suit every dietary restriction or preference. I had the tofu banh mi with kale salad.
Costco & Trader Joe’s
A special shoutout always needs to go to Trader Joe’s when Luke and I are in America, and this time to Costco.
I could and will wax poetic about my love for TJ’s (as we’ve now taken to calling it since we are on such familiar terms) and San Mateo was no exception. We created a delicious makeshift chili soy chorizo peanut butter sauce stir-fry. It sounds weird, but trust me when I tell you, it will change your life for the better.
Costco gets special mention for their beverages that fueled our days and our nights.
Notable People
Some of you may be wondering if anyone well-known comes from the quaint city of San Mateo. I wondered it too, so I looked it up and give to you the only two famous people from San Mateo I have both heard of and cared about:
- Michael Trucco, an actor, who played Uncle Coop on the hit teen drama One Tree Hill. I recently re-watched all 9 nostalgic seasons of that show and although it’s not without its issues, I can confirm it’s still an over the top heartwarming gem.
- Merv Griffin (1925–2007), television personality, creator of Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune. I recognize his name and know I’ve seen it splashed across productions, but really only included him here for his connection with the late, great Alex Trebek.
Did we convince you to visit San Mateo? Let us know in the comments section below.
