Potato Guys, San Mateo [+]
May 05 2025
Potato Guys is a potato-based fast food place in Downtown San Mateo and fairly new. Feels like a chain but I don't think it is which kind of makes it rather polished for an independent small restaurant.
There are three entrees you can get: Angus Burger, Fried Chicken Sandwich, Spicy Chicken Sandwich. I had the Angus Burger ($11 at the restaurant, $18 as part of a combo). Lots of ketchup/mayonnaise mixed sauce and tastes like a good fast food burger and just fine for the price.
Various fried potatoes are the main draw. Four types: Original Fries, Curly Fries, Tater Tots, Waffle Fries. I don't see the appeal of the first two since you can get normal and curly fries at many places. Regular ($5) and Large ($7) sizes. Combo comes with regular and along with the burger I couldn't finish my tater tots (an off day for me I guess).
Six flavors: Cajun Style, Chill BBQ, Tomato, Cumin BBQ (has peanuts), Seaweed Pepper Salt, Sweet Corn (has dairy). These are dry powders that are added to a container with your potatoes and shaken so you get your potatoes already flavored. I had sweet corn which made it slightly sweet and no corn taste (but corn sugar by itself doesn't taste like corn). Christopher Sr had cumin bbq which had a slightly peanut flavor at the end. In both cases the tater tot natural flavors and the cooking oil were dominant.
They also have these random appetizers: New Orleans Style Chicken Wings, Butterfly Shrimp, Chicken Nuggets, Cheese Sticks, Onion Rings, Fried Sweet Potatoes, Fried Chicken Wings, Takoyaki (deep fried octopus balls). Didn't try any of them.
Standard fountain drinks (combo comes with a 16-oz drink). They also have mango, pineapple, or lemon slushies (you can get them in the combo for +$1 which I regret now).
You order up front and they'll call your number when it's ready. Since it's all fast food it comes out in a few minutes. Not sure how slow it is when they're busy as my brother and I went there about 1345 before a movie. There's a big television upstairs on a random movies channel with subtitles no sound and I appreciate that it was on mute. Place is clean with tables both inside (mostly upstairs) and outside.
Overall a nice experience and I'd have no problem going back, though since it's so typical American sort of food it's not really my first choice of food.
There are three entrees you can get: Angus Burger, Fried Chicken Sandwich, Spicy Chicken Sandwich. I had the Angus Burger ($11 at the restaurant, $18 as part of a combo). Lots of ketchup/mayonnaise mixed sauce and tastes like a good fast food burger and just fine for the price.
Various fried potatoes are the main draw. Four types: Original Fries, Curly Fries, Tater Tots, Waffle Fries. I don't see the appeal of the first two since you can get normal and curly fries at many places. Regular ($5) and Large ($7) sizes. Combo comes with regular and along with the burger I couldn't finish my tater tots (an off day for me I guess).
Six flavors: Cajun Style, Chill BBQ, Tomato, Cumin BBQ (has peanuts), Seaweed Pepper Salt, Sweet Corn (has dairy). These are dry powders that are added to a container with your potatoes and shaken so you get your potatoes already flavored. I had sweet corn which made it slightly sweet and no corn taste (but corn sugar by itself doesn't taste like corn). Christopher Sr had cumin bbq which had a slightly peanut flavor at the end. In both cases the tater tot natural flavors and the cooking oil were dominant.
They also have these random appetizers: New Orleans Style Chicken Wings, Butterfly Shrimp, Chicken Nuggets, Cheese Sticks, Onion Rings, Fried Sweet Potatoes, Fried Chicken Wings, Takoyaki (deep fried octopus balls). Didn't try any of them.
Standard fountain drinks (combo comes with a 16-oz drink). They also have mango, pineapple, or lemon slushies (you can get them in the combo for +$1 which I regret now).
You order up front and they'll call your number when it's ready. Since it's all fast food it comes out in a few minutes. Not sure how slow it is when they're busy as my brother and I went there about 1345 before a movie. There's a big television upstairs on a random movies channel with subtitles no sound and I appreciate that it was on mute. Place is clean with tables both inside (mostly upstairs) and outside.
Overall a nice experience and I'd have no problem going back, though since it's so typical American sort of food it's not really my first choice of food.