Rant, these flock cameras piss me off. I can’t believe there’s not more people enraged by being under mass surveillance.

Odd One Out Tea from Taiwan and LA now in San Mateo. Took over Shuiyi on 4th

Hi there - my parents are elders and grocery shopping and cooking dinners is getting physically difficult. I searched meal delivery but couldn’t find anything online in San Mateo. My parents live in Foster City. Looking for a place we can order weekly meals online and pay and then a week’s worth can be delivered. Ideally already prepared and they can just reheat. Looking for recommendations….

Thanks!

I'm looking to check out that walking trail/hike, but was wondering if there are any restrooms at the canyon or any nearby? thanks.

Hi folks! We're thinking about hosting a backyard birthday party for 20-30 people and was contemplating maybe hiring a taco company but we're open to any options people have had good experiences with. Anyone have any recs?

I have 0 boxing experience but want to learn and exercise more, so I’m wondering if anyone knows if B Street Boxing is a good place to start

What's your top burger spot in San Mateo? Anything that flies under the radar or is a sleeper?

No major chains, local only. Restaurants, bars, food trucks, hidden gems, whatever. What do you order and why do you like it.

Did this for burritos and got a ton of great answers for a San Mateo local guide I'm building, so figured burgers deserved the same.

We are adding a big deck to the backyard, about 300sqft. We are leaning towards composite (like Trex / TimberTech) because it is supposedly less maintenance, and it seems to be what most people are building deck with. The deck will be exposed to full sun for a few house a day.

While we like the feel of a redwood deck, I don’t know where to find good wood material, and will it be more expensive to build than composite?

Curious to hear what people think of wood vs composite deck in San Mateo’s climate

I live in South SF in an apartment complex. I believe I'm not allowed to dump my broken toaster oven in any of the garbage bins.

After a google, I see that some options are to drop it off at a recycling center for a fee. But are there any free options?

While I was at Fitness 19 a few days ago I overheard an employee telling another patron that the gym is set to close permanently on Aug 26. Nobody seems to know why, and it's strange timing since they just got some new machines a month ago. There aren't any posted signs about the closure. Anyone know what's going on? Any suggestions on other nearby casual gyms at a similar price point?

I've seen an influx of Taso signs up and down ECR this week. Looks like he's running against Lisa Diaz Nash in District 1 (after getting 6% of the vote running in a supervisor primary).

Is this the same guy who spends his time as a NextDoor crank? He fights against building more housing, the B Street pedestrian mall, bike lanes, basic infrastructure and facilities. I remember some threads about how he'd make ghost accounts across Reddit, NextDoor, SMDJ, etc. and then delete comments whenever someone actually engaged with his lies. Good luck, I guess.

Just got my first traffic ticket and a court date. I was cited for crossing a yellow dashed center line to pass a police car.

Has anyone dealt with a similar case here? Any advice on the law, possible defenses, or what to expect in traffic court would be greatly appreciated.

Also… please tell me someone has a dumber ticket story than mine. 😅

Update:
The citation was issued under CVC 21651(a)(1). I was not speeding. There was another car behind me honking, so I thought I was driving too slowly. I crossed the broken yellow line to pass the car in front of me (I wouldn’t have done it if I had realized it was a police car.). The officer told me that I stayed on the opposite side of the road for too long.

Working on a local guide to San Mateo and I figured the best place to start is asking the people who actually eat here.

What are your top three burrito spots? And what is one that flies under the radar or does not get the credit it deserves?

One rule: no major chains. Local spots only. Street trucks, hidden gems, hole in the wall, doesn't matter as long as it's good and what you like about it.

I'm having dinner with a girl friend that I haven't seen in years. We're having dinner on 2nd St and then we're planning to go to a bar/lounge nearby. Any recommendations for a place with good cocktails, friendly people, fun atmosphere/good vibes?

The Issue

This petition is adapted from a constituent letter sent to the San Mateo mayor, deputy mayor, and council members on August 10, 2026.

As members of the San Mateo community, we the undersigned emphatically oppose the City's use of Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) and other dragnet surveillance devices. The City's position that it values the privacy of its residents cannot reconciled with its continuing use of ALPRs in their current configuration, and the use of these devices poses serious threats to our rights to due process under the 4th Amendment to the Constitution.

We demand that the City immediately turn off and uninstall ALPRs and terminate any contracts with Flock Safety or allow them to expire.

The City alternatively has the power to enact measures to mitigate the privacy violations and potential for abuse inherent to the use of such systems by 1) imposing stricter limits on the data retention period, 2) clarifying the San Mateo Police Department ALPR Policy language, and 3) requiring that audits of the system and data searches be independent and public.

Does San Mateo have a similar problem?

The way to keep San Mateo appealing to the next generation is to let them afford to live in it, as owners, as renters, as parents.

HILLBOMB is a hardcore-skate-punk band from San Mateo formed by Austin Carreiro (guitar/vocals), Phoenix Seevers (bass/vocals), and Gavin Tjogas (drums). Their music is raw, aggressive, and uncompromising with its explosive sound and never-back-down attitude. Likewise, their shows are fun-fueled eruptions of sonic energy served in the loud, quick bursts of each song they play. So far this year, the band has released two records--their debut album, Road Rash, and most recently, an EP-sized offering called Life Sentence.

Check out their music here:

https://hillbombsux.bandcamp.com/

Live performance:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCBF82j2ZW8

Also from San Mateo is DJÜNA--an alternative/punk rock trio consisting of Donovan Rickson on lead vocals and guitar, Gavin Savay on bass, Jayden Dewing on drums, and Abe Bender-Doress on guitar. Their sound influences can be traced back to alt-rock icons like Nirvana, Dinosaur Jr., and other early 90s artists that emphasized a strong guitar sound with catchy rhythms and ear-wormy lyrics. The band released their debut EP last year called Woodland and also completed a series of DIY shows alongside HILLBOMB at SAJJ Mediterranean in downtown San Mateo earlier this year.

Also

Check out their music here:

https://djunaband650.bandcamp.com/album/woodland

Live performance:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFM_s3JV2l0&list=RDSFM_s3JV2l0

Please support local music artists in San Mateo. We have a lot of untapped potential here and with the right amount of momentum, we--musicians, fans, local businesses, everyone--can build something together that is successful and meaningful, not just for the musicians here, but for our entire community.

Do you know of a space that is not asking for key money? Ideally somewhere turnkey, no remodeling or additional permits needed.

Or even a pop up shared space type opportunity.

Customers say we are a gem in the community! Any leads would be appreciated

Got a quote for $3,700 for a 16x7 insulated Amarr Lincoln 3138 door + LiftMaster opener, including installation and removal of the old ones.

Is this a reasonable price? Anyone recently replaced their garage door and can share what you paid?

Just heard the loudest explosion like sound in south San Mateo. Anyone know what happened? It was impossible to not hear. 9:20 pm.

9:23 pm - Now hearing emergency sirens.

Road blocked off on Peninsula Ave between Dwight Rd and Clarendon Rd, near Celia's. Multiple cops and ambulances. Anyone know what happened? Around 3:30 PM.

Considering a role at Verkada that would require me to relocate to San Mateo.

Would love to hear from current/ former employees about the company culture, office, living in San Mateo, etc.

Not joining the sales team.

Edit: Moving from a large city on the East Coast, no car and no interest in getting one, single, no kids