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Food - Izakaya Ginji, San Mateo, CA

Izakaya Ginji

4.6 (251)
$31 to $50
Japanese
301 E 4th Ave, San Mateo, CA 94401-4008

Make a reservation

A photo of Izakaya Ginji restaurant

Izakaya Ginji

4.6
$31 to $50
Japanese
San Mateo

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 7 times today

About this restaurant

  • Kid-friendly
  • Great for happy hour
  • Lively
Izakaya Ginji, located in downtown San Mateo, is a Japanese gastropub specializing in Yakitori and tapas style dishes. Izakaya Ginji also has a vast selection of rare Sake and unique Beers. For Japanese spirits, the restaurant also offers a variety of Shochu.

We have 10minutes grace period. Please call us if you are running later than 10 minutes after your reservation time.

Due to limited seating, dining is limited to 2hours until further notice.

Please be sure to include your children or your service animal as a head count for accurate reservation!

Also, we are now taking reservations for our INDOOR TABLE ONLY.
***We will NOT accommodate any requests for outdoor patio seating. Reservations are strictly for INDOOR ONLY***

We will be NOT allowing any outside food and drinks.

We look forward to providing you with an authentic Japanese dining experience .

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Japanese, Japanese Speciality, Tapas / Small Plates
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Mon–Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Executive chef
    Seiichiro Nishimoto
  • Neighborhood
    San Mateo
  • Cross street
    B Street
  • Parking details
    Street parking and nearby parking garage - free after 6PM.
  • Public transit
    Cal Train and bus.
  • Additional
    Beer, Corkage Fee, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Concierge
AI Beta

Our AI assistant, Concierge, is here to answer your questions about this restaurant.

Reviews

OpenTable reviews from verified diners

Reviews from people who have dined at Izakaya Ginji.

4.6

4.6
(251)
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.2Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • San Francisco Bay Area

    Kid-friendly

  • Peninsula

    Kid-friendly

  • Peninsula

    Lively

251 Reviews
  1. Cary

    San Francisco35 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    You can't go wrong with anything on the menu. Try all the skewers! Chef Sei does a wonderful job

    Is this helpful?

  2. Elana Gold

    San Francisco2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on October 11, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always friendly and welcoming- only downside (and also an environmental upside)- digital menus, although they have paper ones by request. Such a friendly place, we always feel welcome- the charcoal morsels were off the hook good, and such a wonderful staff!

    Is this helpful?

  3. Carla Gold

    Exclusive66 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on August 23, 2026

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    I had only been here once before and it was for lunch. It is a verry different vibe during Happy Hour. We had 5:30 reservations and I was very surprised that it is such a family restaurant. Father with baby pacing back and forth during dinner and another baby howling away for the first 20 minutes or so - lots of babies. The servers were pleasant - but it was HECTIC. It seems the waitress wanted us to use our phones to scan the code to see what was available to order. Sorry - I'm old school - I want a hard copy menu. So - she brought us one and then proceeded to tell us everything that was no longer available on the menu. Checking cocktail menu, we were hoping fora glass of wine. No such luck - only beers, sake and assorted spritzers. Very frustrating. The waitress said since there was a wine bar next door they stopped serving it - that made no sense to me. So - as the waitress was frantically dashing back and forth - it was very busy - we finally got our order in. I had brought a sheet of paper with me for suggestions as to what I wanted to order. She basically grabbed the sheet and sort of rushed us into ordering what I was only considering. This is not my type of place. I may go back for lunch - but between the howling babies, the lack of wine and the very rushed service - it's not me. On the plus side - Better Takoyaki, you will never get anywhere - best ever! Everything we had (which was pretty basic - as there was no time to ask questions or review a menu) was quite good - The tempuras shrimp - fresh oil, light better - very well done. Another exceptional dish was the Soft shell deep fried crab - lovely presentation. I could have used a little more flavorful sauce - but it was good. A little disappointed with the tempura sweet potatoes - I was expecting big beautiful slices - what I got were little skinny deep fried strips. They were very tasty and would be great with beer. Food is great - atmosphere RUSHED, Servers really super busy.

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  4. Cindy

    San Francisco6 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on July 3, 2026

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Haven’t been here for a while. Foods taste completely different, only few YAKITORI options on menu. Ordered the meat ball, has no taste at all. fried burdock was soaky. Overall foods were very disappointed.

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  5. M-L Gold

    San Francisco85 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on May 16, 2026

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Food was slight under seasoned. But the space was kinda cool.

    Is this helpful?

  6. David

    San Francisco1 review

    4.0

    Dined on April 26, 2026

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Very enjoyable. Food always good. Service excellent. Keep us returning.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Takahiro

    San Francisco1 review

    5.0

    Dined on March 27, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The professional service and the quality and variety of the food are both excellent.

    Is this helpful?

  8. Karen Gold

    San Francisco5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 8, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Authentic and delicious food. Very kind and friendly hostess.

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  9. Cary

    San Francisco35 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on January 24, 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Over 20 years coming here. Will never stop supporting this family and their wonderful food

    Is this helpful?

  10. Elaina

    Tahoe2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on December 6, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had a wonderful birthday dinner there! The food was delicious and well priced. Service was excellent

    1 person found this helpful

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Japanese, Japanese Speciality, Tapas / Small Plates
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Mon–Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Executive chef
    Seiichiro Nishimoto
  • Neighborhood
    San Mateo
  • Cross street
    B Street
  • Parking details
    Street parking and nearby parking garage - free after 6PM.
  • Public transit
    Cal Train and bus.
  • Additional
    Beer, Corkage Fee, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

FAQs

For an easier, quieter visit head there early, around opening (about 5:00 pm) or during the afternoon happy-hour window (around 4–6:30); guests report getting seated right away on weekday early dinners and when they arrive at opening. If you prefer a livelier night, later evenings and weekend dinners tend to fill up.

Izakaya Ginji has a cozy, authentic Tokyo-style izakaya vibe, dark-wood decor, Japanese art, and an open grill/counter where you can watch yakitori cooked over Binchotan charcoal, creating a warm, buzzy spot for shared small plates.

Yes, Izakaya Ginji is welcoming to families: multiple guests call it "kids-friendly, " families report children loving items like the salmon teriyaki rice plate and agedashi tofu, and the restaurant asks that you include children in your reservation head count.

Yes, Izakaya Ginji is often recommended for date night, praised for its cozy, inviting atmosphere and attentive service.

Tuesdays are a great choice, several guests report getting seated right away and enjoying a relaxed, prompt dinner on Tuesday evenings.

Some dishes are generously portioned, guests specifically call out the karaage and the chicken liver pate as generous serves.

Smart casual is the guide, aim for polished but relaxed attire rather than anything formal.

How FAQ content is generated

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. San Francisco Bay Area
  4. Peninsula
  5. San Mateo

Make a reservation

A photo of Izakaya Ginji restaurant

Izakaya Ginji

4.6
$31 to $50
Japanese
San Mateo

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 7 times today
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