25th Avenue is the west side's own main street. A stretch of family restaurants, salons, and shops that grew up as a neighborhood commercial district in the 1930s, and still runs on the everyday spots that keep a neighborhood ticking.
San Mateo Local lists 109 local, independent businesses in 25th Avenue, San Mateo, from restaurants and shops to everyday services. Nobody pays to be listed.
San Mateo has a downtown, and then it has 25th Avenue, the corridor locals have long called the city's second downtown. The Beresford area around it was annexed in 1929, and in 1937 Axel Johnson of the San Mateo Investment Company laid out the 25th Avenue commercial district to serve the new Beresford Manor homes going up nearby in Tudor, Mediterranean, and bungalow styles. The strip grew up with a vintage, mid-century look, anchored by legacy businesses, most famously the Manor Theatre, which lit up 32 West 25th Avenue from 1941 to 1982, where generations of kids caught summer movies. It is an office building now, but the building still stands. That vintage look is part of why Hollywood came calling: in October 2011, the Gerard Butler surfing movie Chasing Mavericks (then titled Of Men and Mavericks) dressed the strip up as 1980s Santa Cruz, transforming storefronts like Wes Liquors and closing 25th Avenue between El Camino Real and Flores Street for the shoot. It told the true story of young surfer Jay Moriarty and the legendary Mavericks big-wave break.
For decades this two-block stretch between El Camino Real and South Delaware Street was a full neighborhood shopping street. Retail has thinned since, some stores moved on to the malls, but the biggest change came from underneath it: the 25th Avenue Grade Separation Project. Conceived in 1999 and finished in September 2021 at a cost of nearly $206 million, it raised the Caltrain tracks, lowered the road, and rebuilt the nearby station, finally ending the old traffic backups at the crossing.
Today 25th Avenue bridges past and present. Old-school Italian restaurants like Luceti's, on the street since 1984, share the block with vintage record shops, nail studios, barbershops, and newer boutiques. It never lost its neighborhood feel, and it is still where the west side eats, shops, and runs its errands.
Edomae sushi carrying on the Sushi Sam's legacy, serving the area since 1988.
Hunan and Mandarin home cooking; regulars cite the garlic eggplant, green onion pancake, and crispy noodles.
Family-run Lebanese kitchen known for lamb shanks and mixed grills.
Specialty coffee bar with Asian-inspired signature drinks like black sesame and miso caramel lattes.
Decades-old neighborhood diner-style coffee shop serving all-day breakfast to local regulars.
Long-running British pub open until 2am with karaoke four nights a week, trivia, live bands, and award-winning fish and chips.
A Vietnamese spot specializing in Northern-style pho served with wide rice noodles, plus vegetarian pho options.
A casual pizzeria open late with a two-slice-and-soda deal available all day and night.
Family-run, old-school Italian on 25th with a lively bar and live jazz. Serves pizza, veal parmesan, gnocchi, and tiramisu.
A family-owned traditional Italian restaurant open since 2001, serving dishes like cannelloni and gnocchi alongside cocktails and wine.
A halal Mediterranean spot known for lamb gyros, kabob plates, hummus, and garlic fries at reasonable prices.
The 25th Avenue outpost of Cruel Donuts, with donuts plus house-made Asian ice cream like taro.
Neighborhood sushi spot on the 25th Avenue strip for nigiri, rolls, and Japanese plates. A local favorite.
From-scratch Japanese comfort food on 25th Avenue, known for chicken katsu curry and chicken nanban.
Yakitori and skewer izakaya with QR ordering, wagyu, gyutan, and Japanese small plates.
Yunnan-style Chinese in the former Hunan Mifen space, known for its viral chicken-and-rice dish.
Mandarin-style Chinese known for big portions and value, orange chicken and chow mein.
Shanghainese kitchen known for xiao long bao soup dumplings and classic Shanghai dishes.
Neighborhood coffee shop with cooked breakfast and brunch on West 25th Avenue.
Music lessons and dance classes for kids and adults.
A 5,000-square-foot record shop since the early '90s, buying, selling, and trading vinyl, CDs, tapes, and gear.
An eclectic consignment shop on 25th Avenue carrying vintage clothing, jewelry, leather goods, and secondhand finds.
A third-generation family-owned florist operating in San Mateo since 1933.
A Mexican supermarket with a bakery, meat counter, and an in-store taqueria known locally for its dollar tacos and pupusas.
A longtime independent aquarium and fish shop on South El Camino, with freshwater and saltwater fish, tanks, and all the aquarium supplies.
A thrift store and donation center with secondhand clothing, furniture, and household goods.
A neighborhood barbershop that has cut hair in San Mateo for over a decade, open Tuesday through Saturday.
A nail salon offering manicures, pedicures, and hot stone treatments in San Mateo.
A locally owned San Mateo nail salon offering manicures, pedicures, and spa nail services.
A neighborhood barber offering classic cuts and styling six days a week.
A nail salon offering manicures, pedicures, and spa services on 25th Avenue.
A self-serve dog wash and full-service grooming shop two blocks west of El Camino.
A dry cleaner offering organic cleaning plus more than thirty years of tailoring and alterations.
An acupuncture clinic on South El Camino Real.
A neighborhood dog and cat grooming shop near 24th Avenue, around for years.
A dog grooming shop off Edison Street, open long hours every day of the week.
A boutique Pilates studio on 25th Avenue offering STOTT Pilates in private one-on-one and duet sessions, plus pre- and postnatal training, by appointment.
A acupuncture and integrative medicine practice in the 25th Avenue area of San Mateo.
A longtime family auto shop run by John and Gabe, known for honest, efficient work on Hondas and other Japanese cars.
A family-owned auto body and collision shop, praised by locals for honest quotes and quality work.
109 local, independent spots in 25th Avenue, San Mateo, and the list grows every week.
25th Avenue has a mix of local restaurants, shops, and services. Browse them above, or ask a local for a pick.
No. Nobody pays to be listed, and there are no chains. It's an honest guide, not an ad platform.
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