Presentation on Map Reviews Nearby

Zen Noodle Bar in San Mateo

4.2 (105) 668 E 3rd Ave, San Mateo, CA 94401, United States

Categories

Chinese restaurant
Noodle shop
Restaurant

Location on the map

San Mateo, San Mateo County, California, US

Phone: +1 650-781-3183
Site: http://zennoodlebarca.com/

Opening hours

Monday:11 AM–3 PM
Tuesday:Closed
Wednesday:11 AM–3 PM
Thursday:11 AM–3 PM
Friday:11 AM–3 PM
Saturday:11 AM–3 PM
Sunday:11 AM–3 PM

Edit info

Total reviews rating 4.2

105 Reviews for Zen Noodle Bar 2024:

Review №1

2023-02-19 04:50:04

This is a solid shanghainese joint. Weird that they dont have xlbs but they do have Shanghai fried noodles, Shanghai rice cake, string beans, beef pancakes, spicy wontons and SJBs. Id have to say all the food was solid with the spicy wontons being a standout. Overall wasnt the most amazing Shanghai food Ive ever had, but on the peninsula this is a solid pick. The decor is odd and looks like it was converted from like a deli. Im guessing most people order Togo. But the service was decent and the server was friendly. Would definitely come back here again.

Review №2

2022-06-22 03:52:06

I was craving black bean noodles and decided to stop by this local shop while I was in the area. You seat yourself and use a dry erase marker to mark the menu.+ Shanghai Style Ja Jang Noodle: DO NOT expect a lot of sauce... This is a pretty dry noodle dish. It honestly didnt taste like black bean sauce at all. It tasted more like a simple spicy minced meat sauce. I wish there was a lot more sauce. This dish wasnt for me honestly.+ Shenjian Bao: I was in awe of how large these were! The biggest pan fried soup dumplings I have ever seen in my life. They looked like cha siu bao!!!! I enjoyed the flavor of the broth, but the quality of the meat was mediocre. The dumpling wrapper was also way too thick and doughy. Not very enjoyable.+ Braised Beef Noodle Soup: Was not a fan. The broth just tasted like tangy five spice powder. The noodles also stuck together and not very enjoyable. Weird enough, they put a hard boiled egg in there? The best part was the braised beef. Very flavorful and tender!

Review №3

2022-04-04 05:02:47

A fairly affordable, filling place to scratch your Asian noodle itch (with extra dim sum options on top!)The beef noodle soup special and pork buns are very filling and done well. While it may not be the most authentic, this place hits the spot for coziness, decent service, and prices around $10-14.Warning: the parking lot is tight, and it may be easier to park on the street during peak hours.

Review №4

2018-01-14 05:55:55

Was craving some warm soupy comfort food and decided to give this place a try. We ordered the beef wrap, the devil’s braised beef noodle soup, and the spicy minced pork noodle soup. The broths were spicy but not overpowering, and very flavorful. Will definitely come back for more!

Review №5

2019-03-23 21:05:30

Prices are fair. Hole in the wall type feel with an open kitchen and friendly service. Cold noodles are great. Buns are hot and fresh. Dumplings are good. Beef pancake thing is a bit too thick and oily for me. Check em out.

Review №6

2023-10-15 15:14:13

Food is great, we enjoyed the beef roll and the mapo tofu.

Review №7

2018-07-15 19:15:17

Fairly inexpensive, and decent. The Ja Jang noodles was delicious, savory. The pork dumplings were decent. The meet and veggies inside the dumpling including the wrap tasted bland in my opinion.

Review №8

2019-03-27 02:21:13

Good prices and good food. Parking in this area is pretty sparse in the actual parking lot during any sort of lunch/dinner hour. Its family style eating so be prepared to share with friends and order a few different things you want to try!

Review №9

2017-04-02 18:27:01

Ive had my eye on this place for its unique twist on dim sum and noodle items. Finally got a chance to come and tried a couple of the items. We got the pan fried pork buns and the chicken katsu noodles.The pan fried pork buns looked super good and the bottom was a nice perfect golden brown, but the actually taste of it didnt fulfill how it looked. The pork was just okay and didnt have a ton of flavor (I guess thats what the sauce is for) and the bun wasnt as crispy as it looked. The chicken katsu noodles were okay as well. The noodles were whatever and the katsu was just alright.Overall, it look better than it tasted, but it was not bad.

Review №10

2017-09-22 17:06:01

Small restaurant. Food is good and not expensive. Came here with the family and everyone liked the food. Not pictured but also very good sesame noodles, and braised beef with rice. Parking lot is kinda small.

Review №11

2022-07-18 16:50:01

Environment was not the best. Otherwise, I find this to be extremely underrated, definitely one of the most authentic shanghai food Ive had in a while! It deserves to be in a better location!

Review №12

2021-11-06 06:35:11

Beef pancake and soy milk were great. The buns and noodles were alright, really oily and not quite spicy. Portions not too large which was satisfying.

Review №13

2023-07-07 02:53:33

The dumplings here are delicious and juicy inside! Would highly recommend coming back! Nice people in the restaurant and they are heart warming folks!

Review №14

2021-05-13 14:28:33

The Bao are so good. Look at them, the presentation is nice but they taste better. I was worried about them getting soggy but everything was packaged well including the Beef Noodle SoupGreat takeout.

Review №15

2022-09-18 17:29:57

The greeting could’ve been warmer, however, the food 100% made up for it. It tastes like they put a magic potion in the rice. The bento box was amazing! Definitely worth the price and an underrated restaurant. I appreciated their efforts in being handicapped accessible as well. Makes me happy knowing my family member would be accommodated if they came here.

Review №16

2022-11-06 20:53:24

Delicious food! I had wonton soup and pan fried buns.

Review №17

2022-06-05 20:13:30

This place hit the spot. The food was fresh, well balanced, and the service was fast too. Id surely recommend.

Review №18

2023-07-09 00:44:46

Amazing place. It would be a highly competitive restaurant even in Shanghai. Im sure Ill come back and try out more dishes.

Review №19

2022-03-30 03:49:18

Nothing fancy but their dishes always remind me the taste of home. The food portion is pretty big. Great for sharing!Bald pan fried buns is a must! (It’s more like a upgrade version of original buns) I also love other steamed buns. They have frozen buns/dumplings and wontons too. With clear instructions they can be prepared easily.Service was good, but definitely hope they could have more staffs during busy hours.I have known this restaurant for about 4 years. It’s always going to be my favorite buns restaurant.

Review №20

2017-02-11 04:55:13

The noodles and dumplings are yummy. Food is on the salty side of things but the flavors are good.

Review №21

2021-08-03 17:24:21

Overall Good beef noodle soup. For me the noodle is too soft.

Review №22

2022-08-25 21:23:09

Zen Noodle has been a staple for our family since moving to San Mateo. Beef Roll, Katsu, dumplings, noodles. You name it. All delicious. Valery and the Team are quite kind and engaging as well. All around great dining experience. Thanks ZN!

Review №23

2019-10-15 06:25:44

Ive only been here once, and that was the middle of the afternoon on a Sunday when craving pork buns. I was hunting for BBQ pork buns and this place popped up, so I walked in to order takeout. I got the pan fried pork buns and the steamed spinach buns.The pan fried pork buns were like extra doughy, extra large fried soup dumplings. They had a little pork meatball inside and piping hot soup. They were not what I expected, nor did they help with my BBQ pork bun craving, but they were delicious in their own right. Flavorful and juicy inside, crispy on the bottom outside, but soft on top. The steamed spinach buns were also tasty, and quite simple. They were more like the texture / shape / consistency of the BBQ pork buns I was seeking, but tender spinach inside. I wish they were slightly more filled, but still satisfying.Ill definitely come back here to try other items.

Review №24

2022-05-10 02:08:59

If I could give them zero star, I would. My wife ordered stir fry beans and it was tasty until she found one strand of steel scrub and hold behold then another! Ever since these restaurants have become mostly take outs, such happenings have become more common. If we were not traveling out of town, I would have filed a complaint with the city. This is ridiculous!

Review №25

2022-01-10 04:25:13

Soy milk and the Chinese donut were great! We ordered vegan dumplings (which were okay), and the server was kind to ask if wed like the entire meal to be vegan.Note: it was a bit cold in the restaurant with the door open.

Review №26

2021-12-19 16:29:37

Order things using an erasable marker on a laminated menu. Food comes out quickly. Favorite is the soy bean milk super fresh and just the right amount if sweetness. I dont like it that sweet. Beef braised noodle soup has really good al dente type of noodles. Broth super tasty! Beef very tender. This is a must get. Beef wrap had lots of ingredients inside and was very tasty as well. Pan fried pork buns has lots of juice inside best to eat when piping hot. Waiter was great asked if we needed bowls to share food for soup dish and refilled water.

Review №27

2019-08-18 21:16:29

This was our second time at Zen Noodle Bar, and it was just as food as the first. We ordered the veggie steamed dumplings, egg and leek rolls, scallion pancake, spicy sesame noodles, and scallion noodles. Everything was delicious, but I think our family fave is the scallion pancake. The service is good, everyone is super friendly, and pretty fast.

Review №28

2016-09-07 06:08:09

The food is amazing! Dumplings are made all in house, dry noodles were on point, and all came in large portions at a reasonable price - particularly in the bay area.I held back on one star because the service left a bit wanting. We waited quite a while to order. When we got noodles with soup, we werent given any spoons. We asked and were given a laddle at first.

Review №29

2019-07-28 21:02:47

I cant believe weve never been here before! We had the scallion pancake, fried silk rolls, dry scallion noodles, and spicy sesame noodles, and everything was delicious! On top of that, it was pretty cheap for a family of four - $33 before tip, not bad for a family of four. Well definitely be going back again!

Review №30

2022-08-21 03:08:23

Delicious food with a variety of vegetarian options. I’ve ordered from here a few times and have always enjoyed it. The parking lot is a little difficult to navigate but the food is worth it!

Review №31

2021-09-02 20:33:40

Amazing well priced Shanghainese food in San Mateo! Everything was so good; we got the ja jang myun, spicy braised beef soup, leek pockets, spicy wontons, dumplings and spicy beef over rice - nothing disappointed. Portion sizes were large and filling. Definitely check out Zen Noodle Bar next time youre in the area 👍

Review №32

2016-08-09 00:04:47

Came in during their lunch break at 3 pm. The owners who served me didnt show any signs of displeasure despite it being 3 pm. Ordered beef stew noodle soup, cold appetizer, and pan fried pork buns. The noodle soup has ramen noodles and sesame seeds init, which is kind of weird at first but above average overall. Appetizer and pan fried buns are on the sweeter side, which I prefer. Service is decent, and food is relatively inexpensive and good. Im a believer.

Review №33

2018-03-25 22:02:01

No frills restaurant with solid noodle dishes. We got Dan Dan noodles, Ja Jang noodles, and pickled veggies with pork noodle soup. The noodles all had a nice texture and all three dishes were seasoned very well. The drunken chicken was really good as well: it was made with good quality chicken meat, not too fatty and not bony at all.

Review №34

2023-05-28 03:57:50

Quiet little spot, hosts were very nice and the price point seemed pretty damn good

Review №35

2018-04-09 18:04:35

Food was hit or miss. We got 3 dishes, 2 of then were good, while the Shanghai fried noodles had too much white pepper. Service is just enough for the setting, not any better. My main complaint was that the floor was disgusting. I dropped a pen on the floor and when I picked it up its wet with dirty water 🤢

Review №36

2023-05-05 16:12:27

Hole in the wall, no frills kind of place. Would highly highly recommend their pam fried pork buns.

Review №37

2022-04-17 00:44:54

The food there is not clean. I dont recommend the place and will not visit there again. I had food poison symptons 3 hours after eating there. I dont feel very comfortable when seeing the condition in the restraunt, but still ordered food there. They have empty boxes laid like mountains in the middle of restaurant. Also they make food in front of the restroom.

Review №38

2023-01-04 05:53:56

Clean and small restaurant with small plates or dishes, dim sum plates, noodles and rice dishes. I liked the fried pork buns, spicy wonton and jajamen.

Review №39

2018-03-06 21:18:09

Great refuge from the cold, wet and windy weather. Rustic atmosphere with feel- so- good food freshly prepared... ahhh, feels like home. Fave was the pork belly soup with veggies and spicey pork. Reasonably price.Note: parking can be a challenge.

Review №40

2022-03-27 21:10:50

Food with disgusting hairs! Dozen of them inside my dishes!Please shut this place down!

Review №41

2022-12-19 07:03:58

Always love there noodles and there mini-wonton soup are the best out a dozen place I try. They dont seem to put MSG into there soup.

Review №42

2017-11-09 18:10:11

I like this spot because its a hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant. You can peer through the counter space and watch them making food in the kitchen; theres barely any separation. If you want to grab a quick meal that isnt too expensive, this is a great spot. You may have to find parking around the corner in the neighborhoods since the lot is quite small and busy.I usually get the dry black bean noodles (jajang mien) here. The spicy wontons were pretty good, but not really spicy, so you may need to add more spicy sauce to it. The fried Shanghai baos casing were too thick, but they were still good and the meat inside was tender.

Review №43

2017-08-30 18:39:19

The food is the absolute best. I seriously eat here 1-3 times a week. Its very authentic yet approachable, and no ones been disappointed that I brought them there (and Ive introduced Zen Noodle Bar to a LOT of friends).

Review №44

2017-03-06 20:21:53

Family run authentic Shanghainese food. Been here on multiple weekdays for to go or dine in. Service tends to be slow since they are understaff, but servers are friendly. The restaurant is usually busy but not packed. Fair price point, tasty food.

Review №45

2019-10-31 20:21:12

Pan fried buns - good! Fluffy bun with crispy bottom, juicy meat inside. 😊😊Zha jiang mian: excellent with generous meat chunks.Scallion oil noodle: nice taste and good firm noodles. Even came with chicken. wish there were more fried scallion.Chili oil wanton: interesting garlic taste. Nice thin layer of wanton skin.Curry chicken rice - like a cross between tomato sauce and Indian butter chicken rice, weird but ok. Had chicken, carrots, potatoes, onions and green peppers.Spiced tofu skin - very sweet tofu chunks. Too sweet 😅

Review №46

2022-03-01 17:56:51

Food is good, price a bit high for the take out place. Ate inside, plates were not clean and worn out. Dusty everywhere, makes me think how clean the cook is. Will not return.

Review №47

2017-09-16 21:47:14

Ironically, Dry. Noodle or meat over rice tastes and looks a lot better than the soups. The soup uses a strange combination that seems like ghetto ramen thats not worth the price, that being said the spicy katsu over rice was excellent bang for buck, and its a simple, safe, staple choice.

Review №48

2022-08-22 14:24:26

Legit Shanghai food, probably one of the best in the Bay area. The owner and chefs all come from Shanghai. Service is a bit slow though.

Review №49

2017-07-29 02:00:34

Family style Chinese food and it tastes amazing and close to home for me. Really well priced too. I like going with at least 3 people, cause then we get to order more variety.

Review №50

2017-12-25 03:27:27

Great food and wonderful service. They are willing to tailor their recipes to the customers request! Nice atmosphere. Lots of younger adults eat there. Its popular on social media.

Review №51

2022-11-29 03:02:23

Friendly family-owned low key local eatery offering lots of authentic snacks, noodles and baos. Been here maybe 10 times already

Review №52

2017-10-07 05:06:29

Please provide vinegar at the table, and get a more meaty hot sauce. The bottom of the shen juan bao could have been crsipier, the spicy wonton could have been spicier, and the jj noodles could have easily been less sweet. Overall, good home cooked food that needs a little tweaking.

Review №53

2022-07-25 02:58:10

Great dumplings, everything we ordered was excellent, and there is a wide variety of options for meat, vegetarian, and vegan.

Review №54

2020-10-28 03:33:52

Love everything on the menu. Their frozen hand made dumplings are our household’s covid work from home essentials.

Review №55

2023-01-28 02:27:46

Nasty please. Service is horrendous. What else I can say on top of that they charge you tip by default like you not going to leave a tip. SMH

Review №56

2018-10-22 01:37:29

The beef wrap and noodles were good, but we heard about the 生煎 being awesome and were disappointed to find that they were basically just 包子 (not authentic at all).

Review №57

2022-01-02 05:46:08

Great shop for Chinese dishes as well as noodles. Right off 101.. Ill drop by on occasion to pick up a za zang noodle which is a sweet soy sauced ground pork dry noodle

Review №58

2019-06-18 02:50:20

First time I ordered from here and the food was horrific. Took 3 bites and couldnt take anymore. There was also an unbearable stench that just stayed as well. Maybe it was just a bad day or something.. Hopefully

Review №59

2019-09-02 02:05:21

Great hole in the wall joint. Good pan fried dumplings and dan-dan noodles. Would definitely go back to try other dishes.

Review №60

2018-10-01 16:18:16

Its ok. Nothing more. The scallion pancake were on the oili bland side, the Ja Jang had mostly noodles and an ok sauce with very, and I mean very, little veg...

Review №61

2019-04-20 00:04:43

Excellent most delicious noodles in the Bay Area! Parking is tight, pickup works best.

Review №62

2020-12-11 21:11:43

Our go to noodle shop. We love the spicy pork noodle bowl so much so that we call this restaurant the usual

Review №63

2019-12-14 21:15:48

They must hired a Writter to wrote those review. They food is salty and taste different, also the server forgot my order.

Review №64

2019-08-31 04:38:43

Combination fried rice was really good. Beef noodle soup was delicious.

Review №65

2022-05-01 20:22:41

Food serving size is too small..the stuffing of the bun is smelling bad, not worth a try

Review №66

2016-11-06 16:46:55

Food is good, price is fair, but parking lot is difficult to navigate in or out, and space is very limited.

Review №67

2017-07-20 15:23:37

Good beef roll. Good selection of noodle but sometimes the noodle is too soft for my liking.

Review №68

2019-09-10 00:47:28

Try their soup dumpling, spicy noodle soup with ground pork/beef, you won’t be disappointed

Review №69

2018-03-10 05:12:50

Very good Shanghainese food. Quite authentic. Order from the board for typical Shanghainese dishes

Review №70

2021-09-28 19:44:29

Food are fine but bit long time to deliver to our table

Review №71

2021-07-17 20:31:03

Great vegan options. Try the tofu fried rice or the vegan dumplings.

Review №72

2016-06-23 02:26:35

Glad theres a new Taiwanese restaurant in the area. Food is good and authentic. It gets pretty crowded already.

Review №73

2019-01-11 04:32:48

Pan fried Pork bun is very nice but the DanDan noodle is a killer 😋

Review №74

2018-02-27 15:38:25

Food is ok. But the 2 times we went we waited very long to have our food. And the waitress have no knowledge of the menu which makes it hard to order

Review №75

2018-04-08 04:25:23

Its good. Cheap, not as good to go . But like anything. Gotta try the pork belly wrap

Review №76

2016-12-18 21:17:45

Excellent noodle dishes and soup. Try the spicy pork dumplings.

Review №77

2017-06-26 23:28:32

Very authentic Shanghai cuisine. Moderately price but the location is average.

Review №78

2017-03-04 23:36:32

Good noodles. The beef roll and the pork buns were good also.

Review №79

2017-11-06 19:48:06

Jaja mien, beef wrap, pork belly wrap, and Chinese doughnuts are awesome

Review №80

2018-06-12 19:36:52

Food tasted good but oily. I also like ice in my water, thank you.

Review №81

2022-09-02 03:30:27

Best Dim Sum! Everything was amazing.

Review №82

2017-10-13 22:52:22

Recommend their pork belly wrap! Best in Bay Area.

Review №83

2018-03-22 00:31:04

Cheap and good value for the price. Good vegan options.

Review №84

2018-02-05 21:57:43

Delicious dumplings and noodles. You cant go wrong.

Review №85

2020-01-06 17:45:37

My favorite for home style Chinese food!

Review №86

2017-01-13 20:05:57

Delicious shanghainese food, good portions and price!

Review №87

2018-01-08 20:50:47

Area is pretty shady but food is delicious

Review №88

2016-09-02 01:06:37

Got delivery from here. Their pan fried buns were solid.

Review №89

2023-04-14 19:59:38

Just great food!

Review №90

2021-01-30 01:13:26

Good food, I like the noodle soups.

Review №91

2019-09-26 20:33:24

Always enjoy their food and eating there.

Review №92

2017-01-07 14:21:56

Delicious authentic Chinese noodle soup

Review №93

2022-01-08 04:19:34

Menu has everything you could want

Review №94

2021-07-15 01:07:29

Potstickers and everything else is great

Review №95

2017-06-01 19:21:42

Delicious noodles! Tried all of them.

Review №96

2018-06-27 18:38:34

Good place for cheap Chinese food.

Review №97

2019-04-25 20:12:30

Great!

Review №98

2018-05-17 20:08:27

Cute and tasty food

Review №99

2017-02-22 03:48:52

Good fresh noodles.

Review №100

2018-10-24 17:33:07

Delicious food!

Review №101

2022-04-10 02:56:36

The pan-fried dumplings were great. Crispy on the bottom but soft on the top!

Review №102

2021-05-02 07:32:36

Its called Zen Noodle Bar, but the noodle is so-so, and the pork chops are not bad; the pan-fry is quite interesting, its thick-skinned buns, and the taste is not bad

Review №103

2019-04-05 01:45:28

From a Chinese perspective, the Chinese food here is very authentic, much better than several nearby Chinese restaurants.

Review №104

2022-06-06 20:40:06

The rice and pan-fried buns are super delicious, I criedSuper delicious food

Review №105

2018-04-14 05:12:42

It would be better if the braised beef noodle system uses Shanghai noodles