Attic

This is a gem! The food is super tasty and the restaurant kinda feels like a lounge. Definitely a nice causal spot for dinner. We ordered appetizers first: The ahi poke was really tasty but the brussel sprouts were a bit off — the texture was a bit chewy, but the flavoring was good. The Lumpia were ok — glad i tried them but probably would suggest the wings instead. The glarlic noodles were really tasty, perfect texuure and spice! Although we did not order these, the lettuce cups and the sizzling sisig looked amazing… will order those next time.

2.5 yrs later — Spacious, roomy, reasonable drinks, good HappyHour, HDTV in every corner.
Service is slow, slow, slow… short staff and inexperienced bartender.

I’m a fan of this place, having lived in the area esp and finding a spot that’s chill and has good food. My fave drink is Thai Me Up! Super yummy if you like Thai Iced Tea. Be careful – it’ll get to you after a few glasses! ;) Food-​wise, there’s a lot that’s good here: Beef Salpicao, the Spaghetti with Crab meat (def add the crab meat!) and Adobo Lollipop wings!

Let get this out of the way, I’m a Filipino and I judge Filipino food on a different standard. This is Filipino fusion. It is semi-​authentic but not the real thing. That being said, it is really good.
The restaurant was kind of difficult to find because we had to wade through a crowded bar (the Warriors game was on) to find a small staircase that led to the restaurant. Once we got up, the restaurant itself is very nice. The décor and atmosphere led to a quiet, intimate atmosphere that was particularly appealing.
When it came to the price, I thought it was particularly pricey especially according to the portion sizes we got. Ordering the group entrée, a drink and rice led to about $ 75 (before tax, with 3 people). It said the entrée was for 4 – 6 people but we ate 95% of it as 3 people, and we’re not especially vivacious with our eating.
Now the food. As mentioned we got the «Death by Pork» entrée which included Pork Sisig, Lechon Kawali, Crispy Pata and Sinigang Chicharonnes. The chicharonnes was amazing cause it was different than the regular type. It was light and fluffy and yet crispy. They held such a strong sinigang flavor that those who order it have to beware. The sisig was alright, definitely not authentic but Americanized and alright. The lechon kawali was the star of the dish for me. Little strips of deep fried pork belly is always good and this was not the exception. I do have a complaint that they advertise having a «Mang Tomas» type sauce, but really just say the sauce in «Mang Tomas». No need to be secretive about it. The crispy pata was also decent but after having the other three it lost a bit of it’s luster. In addition, we ordered the garlic rice and the cocunut rice. Both were nothing to brag about in my opinion.
TLDR; Good Filipino FUSION food but a little bit pricey.

Pretty good but it was surprising to be the only Filipino family there, which is a sign that the food isn’t as good as mom’s or tita’s. The staff was friendly but it took a long time to get our food, with an entrée arriving before the appetizer. They didn’t place an order for one of our entrees. As for redeeming qualities the ambiance of this modern Filipino kitchen was cool and the adobo chicken wings were really good. I’d go back for the adobo.

The Attic is 2 floors. The first floor is like purgatory where a bunch of tightly packed, loud drinking souls all smashed up against each other. The only difference between this and purgatory is that these souls are actually content to stay in that in between space with their drinks and apps; I mean wouldn’t you stay if you had an endless supply of adobo wings? The 2^nd floor then is all about Filipino food heaven. Garlic noodles, the aforementioned adobo wings, and all washed down with calamansi juice – I’ll work off some purgatory penance at the bar. I’m taking of a star though for that death by (trough of) pork dish with tough cuts of pork meats. I didn’t enjoy the soggy and tough crispy pata and other pork products that were unMEHmorable.

Came here on a Friday night with reservations, which was a good idea because it was super busy. When you first enter it is a small bar, but there are stairs to the right that you go up for the restaurant. The hostess is on the left of the stairs and we got seated a few minutes after arriving (we were 6 minutes late, too). When we got seated we didn’t receive menus until we asked which is why I deducted a star, but also because the food was just decent. We started with the spiced Thai ice tea that I asked for less alcohol but I still didn’t like it because I am not an alcohol fan either. It was a bit watered down due to so much ice, but definitely was interesting to mix Thai tea with alcohol. For appetizers, we had:
–Adobo wings: a bit on the saltier side but the meat was easy to get off the little drumsticks. Meat was tender and flavored.
–Calamari: one of my favorite dishes of the evening. It has a kick of spicy to it, but not overpowering. They had a lot more calamari pieces of the body than the tentacles which is cool too!
–Brussels Sprouts: I’m a huge fan of Brussels sprouts in general, but the bulbs of sprouts were less flavored than the crispy leaves that were singled out so the dish seemed a bit inconsistent. However the flavor was there for the leaves so I would order again.
–Kimchee fried rice: more on the spicy side than flavor. The rice seemed a bit more bland without the spice which was a bit disappointing.
If I return I would want to try the garlic noodles and crab noodles.
Service was perfect and super attentive aside from the menu part. Overall decent food experience.

mixed drink deals $ 5 – 9 on the chalkboard. My group of friends ordered several varieties but honestly a lot of them taste the same and not too memorable.
Good place for after work drinks. More space upstairs. I didn’t try their food.
Tip: read carefully when you sign for your cc. They swiped my friends and my cards and signed for it but she messaged me a few days later and they charged both transactions on her card and none on mine.

I would’ve given this place four stars… BUT THEY GAVE ME AN EXTRA CHICKEN WING!
Shoutout to Attic for giving me an extra chicken wing. You guys made my day. This place was already pretty solid to begin with, but getting an extra chicken wing was definitely a bonus.
I ordered some garlic noodles, and those were pretty delicious. I definitely don’t regret coming here, although I’m not sure when I’ll get another chance to revisit this place.

Attic is a really cool spot in dtsm. They have a bar downstairs and a restaurant upstairs. My friend and I came for dinner and we have no regrets. We ordered the garlic noodles (ofcourse), chicken wings, and lumpia.
The garlic noodles and wings were SOOO good, no wonder they are attic’s trademark. The lumpia was okay.
The service was really good here! The waiters were all very upbeat and kinda stylish.
Things that bothered me: the table was sticky! Ewwwwwww. Also, there was a very loud, drunk party going on, so it kinda distracted from the nice dinner in the attic I was hoping for.
But overall, I love second floor dining and Attic’s food was on point, so I would definitely come again. Also, they gave us an extra wing so extra brownie points to them.

This review is for the bar only. I had no idea they served food in the Karaōke area upstairs.
It’s loud, cramped, and has typical bar prices.
The drinks can get you drunk if you drink enough of them.
It’s not a special bar, or a lousy bar. It’s just another bar in downtown. I have been in a few times, and walked out to go to other bars after one drink. It’s that kinda of bar. Unless you like karaōke — then it’s a badass joint.
End.

Don’t head to downtown San Mateo too often, but it was a friends birthday, and he decided on this spot, so there you have it. We got here right when they opened so there was no wait at all, which was perfect.
They have a great bar downstairs which is a lot cheaper than the actual restaurant so if you want to save a few bucks, then go down and come right back up. It’s the way of the world. Food is served family style and is quite good. A bit overpriced, but hey, it was good. Service was quick and efficient and the beef rips were probably the best out of everything we tried.
There are plenty of other restaurants I would like to try at some point in San Mateo, so I probably won’t be here again for a long time, but it was worth a taste for sure.

This is a review for the bar/​happy hour ONLY. Happy hour from 4−10PM daily, that’s crazy! It’s amazing b/​c the bartenders are super friendly and the drinks are on point and only $ 5. There’s plenty of seating and it’s never super crowded.
I love that there’s a tv too so it’s easy to get sucked into whatever sport is on. The atmosphere is both intimate and chill. It’s a super nice and fun place to grab a drink and chill with friends!

Mmm Filipino fusion comfort food. I haven’t been to this place for a while so it was nice to come back on a not-​so-​busy Friday night. My boyfriend and I shared two dishes: Long life garlic noodle and Crispy pork binagoongan. Crispy pork dish is «chicharron» with some eggplant and green bean stir fry and ity bity pieces of mango. Yum! We finished that one no problem.
Noodle dish has a spicy symbol next to it but neither of us thought it was spicy. Bigger portion so we got to take that one home once we were satisfied :) Portions are not very big as the dishes are more about presentation and tastefulness. I ordered a Calamansi juice this time around which is a citrus-​like fruit. My drink for 3.25 tasted more like water and sugar with just a little bit of juice flavor so probably will stick to just ordering food next time around.
I love the ambiance of the Attic and that the service is always great. Also love that you can go downstairs after and enjoy a drink in the bar downstairs.

Best idea ever, coming here! My friends and I decided to celebrate a birthday here and we were able to make reservations. We were seated upstairs away from all the bar noise and were offered drinks right away. I got the thai me up which was a nice twist on a thai iced tea. I later on got the cucumber cocktail which was a nice clean finish.
Food wise. everything was communal/​family style so we decided to go crazy and order almost everything. the lumpia, the garlic noodles, the crab fried rice, the lettuce wraps, calamari. etc…everything was so delicious and the service was really attentive. I always try to remember the names. but i write my reviews so late i forget.
anyways, thanks attic! for a great dinner!

Pretty decent location! When we first got here, we were confused because we made reservations at «Attic» and we couldn’t figure out why we basically walked into a bar. Upon asking, we realized there’s a restaurant upstairs. Foolish. I came here on a weeknight with some friends, and we have some sizable appetites, so I got a great sampling of their menu.
Lumpia: Good, but kind of odd that its so long. I’m used to short lumpia (with more crunch!), but this one was good.
Poke: I was craving poke, but this wasn’t really great. Don’t get me wrong — it’s decent. But I didn’t get as much of the freshness from usual poke. Maybe because it was slathered in sauce…
Chicken «lollipops»: Pretty good overall. They shave the meat down the bone a bit, so it makes it easier to eat. Not super special, but if you’re craving a bit of fried chicken, its a good option.
Garlic Noodles: Butter. Garlic. Yum.
Kim Chi Fried Rice: Probably my least favorite of the dishes we ordered. I’m not sure if they just put kim chi on top of the fried rice and called it a day, or what. The rice was a bit bland, and the kim chi wasn’t very present.
Lettuce Wrap: Light, but pretty flavorful. Not a bad choice (we had to order something with veg to combat everything else we were ordering…)
Death by Pig: Seriously worth it. If you want a variety of pork options, choose this. Side note — if your friends opt out of pig for any reason other than religion or allergy, they’re not a keeper. Three kinds of pork, including deep fried pork belly and pork rinds. We got it with the sigsig. Its not the BEST sigsig I’ve had, but its pretty good.
Bread Pudding: Get this. Save room for dessert, and make sure you get this. Its a very small bite, but its perfect to end the heavy meal with. Just a bit of sweetness, and all sorts of good.
The alcohol here was okay, not really spectacular. My friends had an endless amount of their mint non-​alcoholic drinks, so it must be great.
The only minus points I’d have is for what looked like a crazy bathroom line. We waited near the upstairs bathroom for our table, and it was only one bathroom — unisex. There’s a couple more gender-​specific bathrooms downstairs, but you need to go downstairs. It got awkward, as we saw that upstairs line get about 4 deep, and a staffer had to tell folks there’s another restroom downstairs.
Staff here were really friendly and great. They were very attentive, and (if the boss is reading this) ALL DESERVE A RAISE. Yup, the staff is what makes this a 4 star place versus a 3 star.

This place has a cool vibe but in my opinion, is a little bit overrated.
The layout is kind of cool –there is small bar area in the front of the restaurant where you can order drinks and small bites and an extended room in the back for larger groups. Upstairs, or in the «attic» is a cozy restaurant. It is a little bit difficult to order in the downstairs area and the food takes time to arrive. The small dishes are tasty — the noodles and oysters are tasty options.
As for the restaurant, I found it to be pleasant. I ordered the lumpia, crab fried rice, and shaking beef. The lumpia was just OK, nothing special or particularly tasty. The crab fried rice was delicious — we had the crab butter added. It was very moist (maybe extra soy sauce?) but I was disappointed that there was no egg! The shaking beef was also good, but again, nothing that set it apart.

Great place for dinner!
I’ve been meaning to try this place for a long time — specifically for the death by pork. Unfortunately, it was just the two of us dining… and I wasn’t feeling hungry enough to tackle a dish made for 4 – 6 people… so we stuck to some other items instead.
Crab butter fried rice: I LOVE ‘crab butter’, so for me this dish was a must have. It did not disappoint.
Crispy Pork Binagoongan: Good… but the pork belly portion of this was a little dry. My favorite component of this dish was actually the eggplant. So savory and delicious — perfect with the fried rice.
Lettuce wraps: Pass — would get the other 2 dishes instead!
Great place for date night, or for a large group (to tackle that death by pork!)
Will be back.

Came here on a Friday night and it was pretty much full… Was seated at the lounge tables because regular tables were all full.
At first it seemed like a gloomy restaurant but I mean I suppose the name attic makes sense. There’s a bar area on the first floor in which stairs take you up to the main restaurant.
We ordered adobo lollipop chicken for appetizers, crab garlic noodles and some sort of pork, eggplant string beans dish… the adobo chicken tasted like San Tung chicken in SF with the sweet tangy flavor. Which is of course a good thing. The garlic crab noodles were on point even the noodle
To grab ratio was like 90% to 10%. The pork eggplant dish was meeeeeeeh. Pork was like rocks and eggplants with string beans were flavorless and dry. It is definitely on the pricer end for an Asian cuisine but I do enjoy the new dining atmosphere that it creates.
The waiters/​waitresses were attentive. A nice little place located in the heart of San Mateo. Recommended for a unique Asian fusion experience!

Finally got a chance to stop by Attic for a girls Tuesday night out! It’s been collecting dust on my bookmarks for a while, so it was time to blow the dust off and do something about it.
It’s #basic in the lounge upstairs I would say. Nothing impressive and the lounge certainly lacked a lot of things. It’s dark and cramped though its technically spacious. It gets loud, like headache screaming and noise can’t filter out loud up there. The top step when going up WATCH OUT FOR YOUR STEP. You see the sign too late and usually almost eat it right when you get up there. I wasn’t wow’d or impressed by the Attic from all the reviews that I read and from what I’ve heard. It could of just been a bad night since there was only about 2 people working a full house.
We tried:
Long Life Garlic Noodle Bowl (11): It packs some heat for garlic noodles. I enjoyed the texture of the noodles and with each bite, it was spicy then the garlic/​butter hit me afterwards. For the price, the portions were decent and more than enough for two people to share. We decided to take the waiter up on his offer of fresh dungeness crab meat for MP (11). I was HIGHLY disappointed because it was shredded in chunks, not fresh at all. Everybody else had actual crab meat– it was wack and I felt like I was totally ripped off. Not worth the add on.
Lumpia Cigarillos (7.5): I understand the second part of this dish now, cigarillos I guess like cigs because it came with three super long lumpias! It was interesting and nothing special about the dish. Crispy on the outside, filled was good on the inside. Dipping sauce made it a lot better. Good to share with a group, awkward to eat without cutting.
S&P Calamari (11): It was soggy and not crunchy enough for my liking. But I was impressed that they used both the calamari rings AND tentacles. They fry the peppers on the side and toss it in with the dish. It’s a well portioned size dish to share, wish the breading was lighter and crispier.
Pea Sprout Stir Fry (13): This was the highlight of the night! I was surprised there’s more shrimp than pea sprouts from what I expected. It was overly greasy, but the garlic packed a good taste. Fresh enough shrimp and salty pea sprouts. Always good to have some greens at dinner!
Overall, it was nothing special but not a bad place for friends to catch up and hang out. The service to get seated and be waited on is slow, but the food comes out quickly and hot! I suggest make reservations because even on a Tuesday, they were pretty packed.
The bar downstairs is the shining star in all of this! Happy hour DAILY from 4−10pm. SERIOUSLY?! That’s beyond amazing and the cocktail drinks is extensive. Prices are super cheap and the alcohol is there. Bar tender is super sweet and she’s just awesome with drinks. Make sure to tip! It’s a small area, but super cozy and WAY MORE quiet than the upstairs. You can also order food downstairs and it’s actually cheaper. I’ll be staying downstairs in the bar here on out. Plus, they have Taco Tuesday $ 1 from 4−6pm and $ 2 after than (still a steal price).
Come back with a friend for the bar, come back with a group for the lounge. It’s definitely a super chill environment and the drinks are legit.

I went to this place with a couple of friends of mine yesterday just to see if there was a place where they served both food and drinks in downtown. We landed on this spot because of the happy hour deals that they had (prices were actually good for happy hour and it was from 5pm-​10pm). I ordered the tropical tequila with garlic noodles since I was hungry and haven’t eaten dinner.
When the meal arrived, I was a little disappointed. The food portion was kinda small to actually the hunger go away so that’s when we decided to head to another place to eat. The cocktail itself was ok. A little strong for me but one of my friends says that it is fine with her. I guess for the price, it’s ok, just don’t expect much from it.
Overall, this place is alright. I would have to try the restaurant above us to give a complete experience of the place but from just the bar below (Under Attic), I would just suggest just ordering drinks here. It’ll get you buzzing and you can move on to the next bar.