Bill’s Hofbrau

Love this place. Come with my family or friends all the time! Wish I lived closer. Food is great comfort food and honestly great prices. Hope they stay around since they are kind of hidden!

I am a huge fan of their turkey open faced sandwich for mashed potatoes! I love their potatoes and macaroni. I recently went with my boyfriend and the tall chef guy that took our order was very nice and attentive! The chef that cut our turkey gave us a generous amount. The girls taking the plates to the woman at the cashier seemed miserable, maybe they need a raise or a day off. I love IPA beers and they had a good selection of them, the bartender was nice and attentive so I gave him a good tip.

Two fisted meal for hungry diners.
Been to the two main Hofbrau style restaurants in the peninsula area and I have to say Bill’s is the preferred choice. Smaller than Harrys, a lesser selection than Harrys, but friendlier and what they do serve, they do it well.
Chicken? Check. Turkey? Check. Sausage? Check. Mashed potatoes with gravy? Check. All the Hofbrau essentials are here. And they have great takeout specials too, the best one being two whole rotisserie chickens, a pint of salad and two baked potatoes for just under $ 20. That’s a lot of food– take that KFC!
The food is delicious, the place is clean, the service is friendly and the prices are reasonable. When you have a hankering for Hofbrau style grub, and have to have that animal protein, and you are in the South Bay area, Bill’s is my first choice. Eat in or take out, you can’t go wrong with Bill’s Hofbrau in San Mateo.

Good thing I didn’t know about this place when I worked in San Mateo (more likely it wasn;t there yet) or I would have eaten there many times a week. The food is great, the portions plentiful and the price is reasonable. The only minus is that it’s just Bill and his wife, so service can be a little slow but it’s worth the wait. I’m going back. I may even have the Senior Special.

Bills Hofbrau has good quality food and moderate prices. I definitely recommend it. It is quick and easy (cafeteria style).
Typically for lunch I order the roast beef plate with mashed potatoes and salad. The taste and quality of the roast beef are good, as are the potatoes and gravy. The quantity is substantial; almost too much for me. The lunch price for the 3 items was $ 14.
The man and woman behind the lunch cafeteria line are always cordial and helpful.
I will go back; been there 3 times so far.

Comfort food, quality food, warm, generous portions, sparkling clean inside. We always have a great meal here. I always get the special of the day and he usually gets the brats with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes. Spaghetti or mac cheese for the kid. One of our favorite spots.

Generous portions of hearty meal, especially if you love meat. They have all sorts of meat, corn beef, roast beef, polish sausages, chicken, all freshly prepared.
The meals comes with free sides of salads and bread. They have specials for every day of the week. Great value for money!
Husband loved the roast beef and mashed potato.

I bought my wife the rib dinner. My wife loves it. My complaint is for a 12.99 dinner you get 5 ribs, 1 side and a roll. I would give it 5 stars if you got another side.

How much do I love Bill’s? Let me count the ways!
1) The portions! You can always except to come hungry, leave full, and not break your wallet.
2) The variety! Bill always has a selection of delectable entrees that satisfy both me and my husband. The pastrami *DROOL*, the short ribs *MAJOR DROOL*. Everything just gives you that warm, thanksgiving full feeling inside.
3) The PRICE! You can’t beat a full meal at an affordable price. You just cannot get better pricing in the Bay Area.
4) The owners! Bill and his wife are the sweetest people you’ll ever meet. They love what they do and put their heart in their food.
5) The pistachio cake! ‘NUF SAID!

This is just what the area needed; great comfort food that’s fast and tasty. You can get items like Turkey Dinners (see pic), meatloaf, bratwurst, and open faced sandwiches. The prices are pretty fair for the area (around 13.50 for dinner with two sides and bread). The place appears to be a family owned and operated business – I suppose that older gentleman dishing out heaping portions of turkey breast was BIll; he kind of reminds me of Dom from Di Fara pizza in BK NYC – he’s slowly and solemnly preparing great food for his regulars without the excessive pleasantries and small talk.
Regarding the food, the turkey was fairly juicy with tasty gravy – I just wished there was a little less gravy on everything (see my pic). I have to honest about the mac n cheese, it was mediocre. Not sure what cheese blend is in it but it was very bland tasting to me. I tasted the cole slaw (when my friend wasn’t looking) and it was really good,
The actual restaurant is a longer space with table top seating; we went around 6 on a Friday and it was not crowded at all. This was somewhat befuddling to me as the food was great and different for the area. The other 2 groups of people appeared to be regulars and older. Bathrooms were clean and the overall place was nice. I’ll be going here again, hopefully to catch the meatloaf and desserts.

A locally owned cafeteria style restaurant serving comfort food is what best described this low key establishment. Different from most restaurants in downtown San Mateo, this place is unpretentious, casual and I will say, family friendly!
All the food was already pre-​cooked, menu options varied… whether you want turkey, ham, roast beef or even sandwiches you can get them here and the food is reasonably priced, and not to mention… the portion is generous!
Most plates are 12.99 (hefty portion) unless you get their daily specials. Roasted chicken is delicious (better than costco, safeway) and flavorful. Roast beef was cooked medium to medium rare and Bill was generous with the many slices you get on your plate. Lots of side selections, though I wish there are more veggie options (other than pre-​dress coleslaw and beet salad) as the «steamed» mixed vegetables were a bit overcooked for my taste and not much of a fan of the butter lettuce, tomato salad.
It’s certainly a local family favorite as people keep stopping buy getting takeout dinners and the dining room had quick turn around. No fuss, no frill, self serve for the most part (but they do have someone busing and cleaning tables).
My hubby loves this place, so we’ll be a regular!

Super casual spot with great, fresh food served by friendly old school peeps in a dining room they keep very well. Can tell these owners take pride in their place and focus on delivering consistent quality.
Counter service with plenty of seating. No frills but nicely done.
Stopped in for a comfort food fast dinner before a movie… and had 6 kids in tow. All found something good to eat including Mac and cheese and spaghetti.
Highly recommend the freshly carved turkey sandwich and the rotisserie chicken.

I fancy myself as a simple meat & potatoes guy despite beginning this sentence with the clause, «I fancy myself».
I really enjoyed my lunch at Bill’s Hofbrau. The menu was straightforward: various cuts of meats (I’m talking humongous slabs of it) and several options for sides ranging from mac & cheese to salads.
I ordered roast beef with gravy and two sides: mac & cheese and coleslaw. This 2-​side combination also came with a roll. The portion size was tremendous and offered a great value money, which I rate highly. However, my issue is that such tremendous quantities of food for lunch makes my sleepy!

This place rightfully deserves a drop in. If you ever need a quick bite for lunch but don’t want to go eat at safeway, this might just be the place for you.
Pros:
— good portion sizes
— food is well prepared
— chicken is actually moist
–very reasonably priced (go with the specials)
Con:
–The roll is cold
— the food is not really garnished well
— the options on sides are all really just cold dishes.
Overall, good for a quick business lunch.

Bill’s Hofbrau is like an updated version of the Chick N Coop on Mission (RIP Chick N Coop). The gigantic portions of meat and carb (I saw fruit salad as a side option but no salads here), the place settings, and the friendly staff behind the counter made me feel like this place has been here forever.
I ordered pastrami and mashed potatoes with rice pudding. I thought I would get a quick lunch, not literally piles of meat. Despite the haphazard presentation and stone age level proportions, the pastrami was tender (falling off the fork) and not that salty. The mashed potatoes and gravy joined the pastrami party and well my stomach didn’t know what to do with itself. The rice pudding was good, too. It had lots of cinnamon sprinkled on in case you couldn’t figure out what this cereal bowl sized portion of rice was.
You’re not coming here for a light lunch. Bill’s offers great deals on chicken and lunch specials. Look forward to coming here when you don’t want more Asian or fusion dinners.

Hofbrau. Why is that when I hear that word I instantly think slabs of meat in a dark dimly lit place? A thick scent of beer, meat, and cigarettes.
Well, Bill’s Hofbrau is not what I imagined it would be. Well lit, no crazy odors, but still delicious meat!
I’ve been in the San Mateo area for a little over a year and I’m just now coming to Bill’s. How ridiculous of me.
Came down and we ordered a corn beef sandwich on sourdough with a side of macaroni n’ cheese and a roast beef on sourdough with a side of macaroni salad. Both were delicious. These are sizeable sandwiches also.
The corn beef was flavorful and tender. Bill works magic with his seasonings. The au jus on the sandwich helped breakdown the toughness of the bread and made everything delicious.
The roast beef was also delicious. Nice pieces of beef dripped in ah jus, with pepper and salt sprinkled over.
Both sides were heart portions and delicious. The macaroni and cheese was dense and creamy. Just how I like it.
All in all, Bill’s is a nice family run restaurant which is the perfect place to bring your family. I look forward to exploring their menu some more, look for more updates and photos!

My boyfriend told me the other night he had a craving for (the famous) Tommy’s Joynt in San Francisco which is pretty far away (we live in Burlingame). I suggested to him that we try Bill’s which is something we had talked about doing and we are now both totally in love.
Bill’s Hofbrau is a straight up neighborhood spot with delicious simple Hofbrau food that doesn’t disappoint. My corned beef was flavorful and moist while my boyfriend loved his roast beef plate. The mashed potatoes, gravy and mac n’ cheese were all spot-​on and the people were friendly.
Additionally this place has great value and you feel like you are getting what you paid for. We can’t wait to go back!

I’ve been here 10+ times and I’ve yet to be let down.
My preference is the ¼ Chicken Dinner w/​a baked potato & macaroni salad. Everything tastes scrumptious and I always feel like I’m having a fresh home meal. The staff is always very friendly and welcoming. Definitely recommend!

The Best place I’ve been to lately: charming classic diner with amazing American comfort food, very friendly staff, and affordable prices! This place makes you forget your worries, and think you’re at your mom’s kitchen.
I had a quarter chicken with mashed potatoes, gravy and salad on the side. Chicken was perfectly cooked: moist inside and crunchy outside, not greasy or fatty. Mashed potatoes were made just right. Creamy texture with no clumps, buttery taste, with gravy perfectly complementing this simple yet desirable dish. Salad was fresh and well seasoned. Too much onions for my taste, but this tiny detail fades away when moist chicken and mashed potatoes meet in your mouth and make you think you’re at you mom’s kitchen.
All this amazing food is fresh and very affordable. A quarter chicken with two sides is less than $ 10!
The diner is tidy, with a daily feature menu highlighting Great Traditional American Food. I’ll definitely be back!

If you like «old-​school» cafeteria-​style dining and listening to «old-​school» singers & songwriting era music while eating your meal, then this is your spot.
This is one of the oldest and cleanest spots in Downtown San Mateo. The old man, operating the restaurant, cooks and serving us meals, is very friendly and treats his customers as a part of his family.
When you enter, you grab a tray. Looking at the menu posted above us, I was craving for Meat loaf. For $ 8.99, you get two fat slices of meat loaf smothered in a tomato sauce, a choice of two sides (I got Macaroni & Cheese and House Salad), and a dinner roll. The Meat loaf slices were thick and very tender. The cheesy pasta was creamy. And the salad was fresh with the customized tangy house dressing.
As I was enjoying my hefty meal, I was listening to that era of classic tunes. I hope you like to listen to Phil Collins or The Carpenters?
People were also having rotisserie chicken from here. I may try that next time.
Credit Cards are also accepted here.