- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Lil' Biscuit House - CLOSED
Categories: Restaurants Southern Restaurants Barbeque Event Planning & Services Caterers Southern, Barbeque, Caterers [Edit]
55 37th AveSan Mateo, CA 94403
(650) 372-9898
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
125 reviews for Lil' Biscuit House
Review Highlights
"Pulled pork is a favorite dish of mine."
(in 47 reviews)
"Fried chicken was fabulous and so were the ribs."
(in 56 reviews)
"and their awesome mac-n-cheese."
(in 15 reviews)
Loading...
125 reviews in English
-
Review from Lance H.
San Francisco, CA
8/18/2010 1 Check-in Here
I had pulled pork with a side of biscuits and gravy. The pork was soft and moist and the slaw they put on top was just the thing to have with it. The biscuits were just fine, but the gravy was awesome--it tasted like real pan gravy. I get so tired of crappy canned gravy on this dish and the Lil Biscuit folks got it just right.
The place was clean and orderly and the service was friendly. They also serve a Platinum blond ale made by a Belmont brewer, Devils Canyon. That's good stuff too.
Gotta go back for the cowboy burger! -
Review from phillip w.
San Francisco, CA
1/4/2011
Lets just say the biscuits are this establishment are not actually little. The food is kind of a southern style with items such as fried chicken, biscuits and gravy, ribs, etc.
Food is on the heavy side so expect yourself to fall asleep after consumption.
Fried chicken was good, but some pieces were dry.
Biscuits were nice but these things were like cakes and you would get quite full after eating one of these.
Cole slaw was refreshing but nothing special.
Ribs were pretty good, pretty tender.
Mac and cheese was not bad either, pretty straight-on.
Overall the place is not bad, its got a nice edge going for it but maybe a few changes here and there and it could really pick up. -
Review from Matt G.
6/3/2010 2 photos
With a little excitement blended with the nice San Mateo weather, I had high expectations in coming and dining here.
I had the Three Fried Chicken Meal. For $11.00, I get three pieces of Fried Chicken (Breast, thigh and drumstick) with a biscuit and two sides. I chosed Fries and Biscuit with Gravy. The Chicken was battered to a crisp and tasted pretty good. But my sides were a huge downfault. My biscuit didn't taste home-made and tasted like a piece of bread I get in the Bread-aisle in the supermarket. The gravy was too thin and watery. The fries were ok, but nothing too spectacular.
My meal: http://www.yelp.com/bi...
I also down my my meal with a $1.50 Iced Tea with free refills.
Drink: http://www.yelp.com/bi...
My Visa was accepted for my subpar meal.
After my dining experience, my assumption was feared for the worst. Because of the restaurant's nostagic and rustic-feeling, I might give this place another chance and try something else from the menu.Listed in: Matt's tale of San "Matt"eo
-
Review from Christine L.
Honolulu, HI
5/13/2010
Ate dinner here tonight for the first time after hearing 50/50 reviews on the place. Was really feeling like bbq and didn't wanna trek to Armadillo Willy's in FC.
The food was okay. I had heard rave reviews on the mac and cheese but honestly it tasted like Kraft to me. Not very cheesy, and more like buttered noodles. The slaw was creamy but also had an odd vinegary taste in the background, almost like someone had accidentally knocked in a cup of red wine.
I had the fried chicken and baby back ribs. The ribs were really yummy, and their bbq sauce is really fantastic. But the fried chicken was off. Very thick crunchy coating atop a piece of very fatty chicken. I was disappointed. Also the biscuits that came with our meal were cold and a little stale.. For dessert we tried the smores which are really great. You get to raost your marshmallows at the table. Pretty cool idea.
All in all the food was okay, but for the price I was expecting more flavor. -
Review from Durif M.
Foster City, CA
9/13/2010
Excellent clam chowder and great service.
This is a good old American diner, their clam chowder is really good, but the biscuits (as in their name) were just OK. I'd go there for the clam chowder, quick drinks, and some sandwiches/burgers for a casual dinner. -
Review from Brando Calrissian ..
Sunnyvale, CA
2/21/2007
I had to drag my friend out of the house to eat here. I'm fairly new to San Mateo so I'm still trying to find all the good local food.
I have many complaints about Lil Biscuit House. The easiest thing for me to do is create a list.
First the price. I'm happy to pay for good food. The slogan printed on the top of the menu is about home cooked food so I was happy to pay the relatively high prices.
I ordered something they claimed was "Chicken Pot Pie." HA I call shenanigans. This was nothing more than a bowl of creamy chicken soup with a pre baked round biscuit placed on top. This was so disappointing considering even diners serve real pot pies.
I can understand that different folks have different strokes but the Cole Slaw was like drinking straight vinegar. Why doesn't the cook try the food before serving it?
I love baked beans. I love baked beans in a can! Sometimes late at night I microwave a can of baked beans for a snack while watching infomercials or cartoons. I DO NOT like to pay high prices for a small portion of what was obviously canned beans. There is no way "home cooked" beans would have the consistently and sweetness mine did.
Pulled pork is a favorite dish of mine. I'd rather have the pulled pork at Armadillo WIllies or Texas Raodhouse than here. Try to understand what I'm saying - the pulled pork at Lil Biscuit House tastes like the same stuff you would get at a chain store that is saturated in overly sweet bottled BBQ sauce.
To summarize I feel the prices are way to high for what is essentially food you would have at a company picnic. The service was fine and the food tasted fine but there is no reason to eat here. -
Review from Lolia S.
San Francisco, CA
3/5/2008 3 photos
The place has a homey, old-time country feel with red & white checkered tablecloths and comfy booths. The owners must have a thing for roosters. Old b/w pictures adorn the walls. I thought it was cute that they have a make your own S'mores dessert. Prices seem average for a BBQ joint.
The starters are mostly fried (e.g., toasted ravioli, onion rings, hush puppies). Entrees and sandwiches feature plenty of meat, sauce and gravy. If you're a vegetarian, you can basically only have the soup and salad. I don't think you can order the sides separately. They come with the entrees and sandwiches.
I ordered the pulled pork sandwich (with sauce on the side) which comes with fries - or you can substitute the fries for a side of your choice for the same price ($10). I opted for a cup of soup. The cream of cauliflower soup with pesto was homemade, thick and very heavy on the cream. It resembled gravy and was barely edible. Canned soup is better. The pulled pork sandwich was decent - plenty of tender pork. I wasn't too keen on the sauce which was overly sweet and smoky (didn't taste homemade). I've never liked mayonnaise based coleslaw and theirs tasted slightly pickled. It didn't seem that fresh. I liked the soft & fluffy round bun though.
I wouldn't rush back here but am still curious about their biscuits. My co-worker thought the biscuits and gravy looked like vomit - ha ha.Listed in: Restaurants close to downtown…
-
Review from Chuck k.
9/24/2006
One other person and I had the pulled pork, which we both thought was below average. The meat was decent, but the sauce was very bland. I also had some garlic fries which were crispy but cold. The mac and cheese was good.
My GF got a seafood dish (mussels, crayfish, scallops, shrimp and crab). The crab was bland, the crayfish bad, the mussels average, and scallops were good. She also didn't like the sauce it came in, but to be fair, they created it special for her as she couldn't eat the cioppino.
Mom and Grandma both got chicken and ribs which they ate, but weren't that excited about them.
They did have nice crispy beer battered onion rings. And our server was eager to please and attentive. They will start selling beer and wine on 9/24/06.
They don't have brisket (my fav) so that was one strike to start with, perhaps they're going for the Carolina experience.
A pretty disappointing experience. And a little pricey for BBQ, about 80 bucks for 5 people. -
Review from Laurin A.
San Jose, CA
10/19/2006
I can officially scratch this one off of my list of places to eat.
I was not extremely impressed, although I really wanted to be. I ordered the fried chicken platter that you get with two sides. My two sides were the mac and cheese and hush puppies. The chicken was pretty good, the mac and cheese was disgusting , I'm a total mac and cheese snob, and this stuff was basically American cheese melted over shell pasta. The hush puppies were good... I mean, it's pretty rare that you can find hush puppies in Cali. When you first get there, they bring you out a basket of biscuits to eat... complimentary. These weren't the best biscuits I've ever had, but not the worst.
The place is clean and the staff friendly. -
Review from Lawrence T.
Mountain View, CA
1/31/2006
This little non-descript find is a family treasure. Opened in September 2005, they serve home style cooking at very reasonable prices and sizeable portions. The fried chicken was crispy and juicy inside with a fantastic crust. The two sides i got were the mac n cheese and the spinach with bacon bits which rounded out the meal nicely.
The owner at the register also helped serve and set our table with paper napkins. The place was crowded with families but there was not a problem in finding a table.
I highly recommend this place for some great comfort food.Listed in: Can you deep fry that?
-
Review from Karen M.
Brooklyn, NY
5/26/2006
Delicious! What a welcome addition to the Peninsula restaurant scene! I went there to try out the side dishes and was pleasantly surprised. I'm quite a comfort/soul food/low country food fan and this did not disappoint. I thoroughly enjoyed the hush puppies (yum! where else can you get hush puppies around here?) the mac n cheese (rich and creamy) and the mashed "taters". Sides run $3 a pop. You can eat here or take out, and there is a parking lot around the corner (turn at the corner where the South Hillsdale Animal Hospital is).
BTW I would not have found out about this place without Yelp. Thanks yelpers! -
Review from Fancypants X.
San Francisco, CA
8/3/2009
"We're on our way, we're on our way to the lil' biscuit house!" gotta love the southern twang of a cowboy on a horse heading to "...the lil' biscuit house!"
Try:
- the "make your own s'mores" dessert. Enough for two people.
- biscuits- they are crumbly & are meant for an overload of butter & honey
- the fried chicken- it's really good, crispy outside, breast portion is plentiful, tastes great with their hot sauce. 2 pieces with 2 sides for $9- can't beat that with a bat.
Skip:
- the beans- there's something in those beans that don't leave a good taste in my mouth (and it almost leaves a coating of grease/fat/lard on my teeth- really gross.)
- cajun shrimp pasta- i think it's one of the more expensive things on the menu ($14) & isn't anything to write home about.
I don't know why they've gotten such bum reviews; I'm giving them brownie points for:
- food that is tasty & tastes homemade
- lots of parking
- hardly ever a wait to be seated
- comfortable, laid back, totally non pretentious
- wait staff has always been efficient, fast & friendly -
Review from Earl G.
11/8/2008
This place is off the beaten El Camino path, so what brought me and my homeboy Joel in was their sign for $4 fried pickles. (and a pickle - t.i.)
Sat right up at the bar and they had the Thursday night football game on, money. They only have two beers on tap. One tap's handle was in the shape of a revolver. Lol, I suggested they should make it Steel Reserve 211 beer just because both 211 and the revolver will f__ you up.
Their pound of hot wings for $8 ain't bad. I can't really say I've ever had sucky hot wings though.
I'm going to have to come back to try their chicken fried steak and s-mores. Oh yeah, they also serve soju cocktails here. lol wtf? Just like Sesame street, one of these things doesn't belong.Listed in: Driving down El Camino and…
-
Review from Frances H.
Seattle, WA
9/17/2007
Here's the thing about mac and cheese, people: it's a very subjective thing. I loved the mac and cheese. My mother hated it.
They get the extra star for the service. When we went, they were holding their First Annual Hot Wing Eating Contest (*shudder* I hate competitive eating!) but nevertheless, their service was excellent. (Oh, and speaking of hot wings, LBH's are delicious.)
One thing was that they were pretty pricey for the amount. But what really got me was the fact that it is not Southern food -- it's just BBQ with fried chicken and pot pie thrown in there in an attempt to seem Southern... Also, the spinach and bacon bits SHOULD be collard greens and ham hock. Jesus. -
Review from paul c.
San Francisco, CA
5/14/2007
Admittedly, this place has a lot to work on if it hopes to stay in business, including service, price and operation. There appeared to be only one server/hostess working. The wait for everything was too long, including 20 min for a draft, albeit cheaply-priced, beer.
Luckily for us, the wait ended with my friendly Pale Ale ($3.25!) and some comfy, down-home goodness. Nothing outside the box here--just a bit of home cooking on a city block. I devoured my rib-eye, as I was craving a simple steak like I make at home, which may prove to be the demise of the place. My choice of "Mashed Taters" were just OK, and the sauteed spinach appeared to be fresh but a bit too wet.
The fried chicken proved to be a good choice and was seasoned just right (lightly.) The large pieces of chicken remained moist, as most things do when deep-fried.
My suggestion: Take out and your own six-pack. -
Review from Judy C.
San Mateo, CA
7/27/2007
Ugh. Nothing I hate more than overpriced, sub-par food that makes me spend time in the bathroom afterward. If that many Mama's in the South can make it well, why is it so hard for a restaurant?
One extra star because the staff is nice, and service was good. -
Review from kim n.
9/4/2007
Not sure why it's so damn hard to get good BBQ in the area. There's only a handful and unfortunately Ma Pinkie's closed not too long ago. However I think LBH is still pretty decent for the BBQ craving. It's a pretty small operation and one thing I'll give them is they do have character. For what you pay for you also get a lot of food. I went for the brisket entree that came on Texas Toast and a biscuit. Since biscuit was on the name of the establishment I also got a side of biscuits and gravy and hush puppies to boot. My co-worker went for the pulled pork which also was on the toast and biscuit. His sides were corn on the cob and mac&cheese. We also started with the potato skins and we both ended up taking half our food back with us for another meal.
Luckily it was nice in the shade so we sat outside at one of the folding tables and noticed the clientele were mostly large men who probably can pack it away. The wait staff were pretty friendly and we also got to witness them unloading the van in which they carry their ingredients, which all looked fresh. 3.5 stars. -
Review from David P.
1/26/2008
Came here as part of my frustrating search to find some decent barbecue around here. Bye, Redneck Earls': its been nice knowing you. Later, Ma Pinkies. Nice try Micha's. Good riddance Armadillo Willy's (unfortunately at this writing, just wishful thinking)!
I had the baby back ribs and my wife had a pulled pork sandwich. My ribs were on the dry side. I asked for some extra barbecue sauce. It was nothing to write home about. Not especially complex, spicy or even hot. Sort of just a honey ketchup. Cole slaw and beans sides were decent. No especially creative sides like sweat potato something or other. Washed it down with a Devil's Canyon Brewing Co. Silicon Blond which helped take the edge off of my disappointment.
The mac and cheese my kids had was first rate. Their accommodating of the kids was really first rate with little Etch a Sketches and crayons as well as some extra attention now and then.
Overall, atmosphere very friendly and generally attentive.
Not being from the South, I can't say much for the authenticity of the biscuits. They seemed okay, I guess.
Sigh. I must continue on my quest. I'm open to suggestions.Listed in: Bay Area BBQ Round Up, Dining with Kids Mid-Pennisula
-
Review from lynnie p.
Richmond, CA
2/16/2008
I have been craving fried chicken for the longest time and I just couldn't bring myself to go to KFC - especially since I put it on my boycott list a year ago when I found out that the 2-pc meal I used to get was actually 2000 calories. That's right - 2000! I'm not one to count calories, but when you find out that your little lunch is supposed to be your intake for the entire day, you look at that piece of dark meat a little differently.
Our friend busted out her I-Phone and said that this place was close and it had fried chicken. I'm down to try anything. Parking was super easy and there was no one in the restaurant when we got there. The waitress was friendly and gave her suggestions when we asked. To try a bit of everything, I ordered the 3 meat combo - pulled pork, fried chicken and ribs. The meal came with choices for 2 sides - I picked french fries and baked beans. I tried my friend's mashed potatoes and mac n cheese sides. Nothing was spectacular. The chicken was so-so, as were the ribs. What stood out for me was the pulled pork. It was really good. However, it didn't hit my fried chicken craving so I am still on the lookout for the best fried chicken out there. -
Review from Amy K.
Foster City, CA
11/12/2009
My coworkers and I decided to come here for lunch due to the proximity to Romolo's where you get the best cannoli's. The reviews were okay, but we actually really liked it. It wasn't a good sign when we came in around 12:30 on a Wednesday and we were the only people there.....it's lunchtime so it should be full, like most other BBQ joints during lunch.
We ordered the following:
1) 2 piece fried chicken with mac n cheese and cole slaw
2) half rack baby back ribs with biscuit and gravy and cole slaw
3) pulled pork sandwich with biscuit and gravy and fries
4) And we shared an order of hush puppies
The hush puppies were delicious...and the order was a good size....maybe 6 or 7 golden brown goodies. They came with a creamy spicy ranch type sauce and tartar sauce.
I really liked my baby back pork ribs, biscuit with white sausage gravy and cole slaw. The ribs were super tender and the meat just fell off the bone...just as it should. The "bark" on the ribs were flavorful and not too thick and hard....perfect. It was tasty without the bbq sauce, but their bbq sauce was just how I liked: sweet, dark, thick and a little tangy.
My coworker's pulled pork sandwich was a good size and the pork was juicy and tender and it came with garlic texas toast and fries. She really liked her entree.
My other coworker said the fried chicken was a little bland and had more of a broasted taste and texture than fried. She also liked the cole slaw. Other yelpers said the mac-n-cheese was not really cheesy, but it tasted pretty creamy and cheesy....better than I thought.
I would definitely come back and try some of the beef dishes. They definitely have the pork done right. I actually like this place better than Armadillo Willy's.
Our waitress was young but very friendly and nice. You get a lot of food for the price. My half rack with the two sides was enough food for 2 meals.....not bad for $14. -
Review from Justin M.
San Mateo, CA
2/28/2008
It's a lot easier to get a seat since they added another section of tables. Parking is still problem at certain times.
I met the owners Mom my first visit and she was really nice and told me the history of the place. The waiters are all helpful and and do a good job.
The chicken fried steak is alright, but the fried chicken is perfect. All the sides are good and nice healthy portions. I also tried the ribeye steak and will try that next time!
Bob and Marty always go just to drink and stare at the pictures on the walls. -
Review from Ted W.
Redwood City, CA
11/30/2009
We had a great 1st-time experience at this restaurant.
Sheena was an excellent hostess/waitress. She was very friendly and helpful with suggestions and descriptions of the various dishes.
The day we were there the soup of the day was Chicken Chowder and that was really tasty. Collectively, our party ordered Fried Chicken, Pulled Pork, BBQ Ribs and I can't remember which sides everybody got, other than Cole Slaw, but I recall that we were pleased with our choices. The Fried Chicken was pretty good, but since that's my Pop's favorite dish, I'll let you know that his preferred location for it is Hard Knox Cafe in the City. -
Review from Kaio T.
Fremont, CA
8/18/2007
Wow people are really tough on this place.. i thought it was decent.. similar to ArmaDillo Willy's they have bbq brisket and ribs. I thought it was a good departure to eating this kind of food.. if you are an Armadillo fan.. then you may like coming here for a variety..
I had beer and their open faced roast beef sandwich.. i liked it.
People that had their salmon enjoyed their food..
Now come on.. this place isnt that bad! -
Review from eliza k.
Redwood City, CA
3/4/2009
This is one of the first places we went to when we moved here. Boy, do I regret that, what a bad first impression for the area loL
Went here on other people's Chicken Fried Steak reviews and I'm sad to say it was definitely noooooo good. I'm from Texas where we are weaned on CFS and this was awful/blah. I didn't even finish it after taking it home, and thats with nothing to eat in the fridge since we had just moved in!! Husband got chicken wings and same reaction. Everything here was blah/barelyok)
If you want CFS, I would suggest broiler express(see my reviews), just for a basic Grandy's fix and if you want REAL CFS, get out of Cali. -
Review from Chad H.
10/3/2009
An average bbq place. The food is nothing really special, but not terrible. I liked the ribs, but wasn't blown away. The mac and cheese lacked that cheesy flavor that I love. And the place is a bit pricey for bbq.
I can't really recommend this place unless you are absolutely craving bbq. -
Review from Andrea B.
11/15/2009
This was another http://restaurant.com try......
The atmosphere is a little strange, part farmhouse, part cowboy, part modern, part misc decor.
Service was okay.
Biggest disappointment...hmm...this place is a BBQ place, but they were out of ribs...then they were out of lemonade....
We ordered the three meat combo, but only two of the three meats were available so it was fried chicken and pulled pork. Fried chicken, pulled pork, biscuits and gravy, were 3.5 stars. They put the coleslaw on top of the pulled pork, never seen that before. Fries were 2 stars, little mushy. My daughter really liked her chicken pesto sandwich.
Street parking was easy, prices are okay, much better using http://restaurant.com certificate.
Overall food was fair, everything else was just okay at best.
Dont think I will eat here again. -
Review from Chris G.
Belmont, CA
6/2/2011
Great concept, but the food is just missing a little bit of flavor. It's not quite as comforting as comfort food should be.
-
Review from Boola B.
San Mateo, CA
8/13/2008
This one's a toss-up between one or two stars. Definitely qualifies as a local dive and probably a good place to go if you want to break up with someone.
I wanted to like this place. Really. But the food just wasn't that great. Biscuits - dry, tasteless.
Slaw - bleagh! Lotsa mayo and vinegar; tasted sour rather than tangy. Improved with black pepper but not much.
BBQ sauce - did they water this stuff down from the dregs of a bottle? Drippy watery mess.
Mac 'n cheese - tepid yellow goo devoid of any flavor
Texas toast - one word...SOGGY. Not good eats.
Pulled pork - the best part of the meal
Staff was helpful, beer selection decent. But the food is the main reason not to come back again.
Eh...NEXT. -
Review from Gwynne C.
San Mateo, CA
3/17/2010
This was my second trip to Lil' Biscuit House, and will probably be my last, sadly.
The appetizers were tasty, we had the wings and toasted ravioli. The hush puppies were ok - not anything to shout about.
We ordered the 'special' pulled chicken, and the ribs. When the entree came it was pulled pork and pulled chicken. I asked the manager (who walked the food) to check to see about the ribs, and he never came back. 5 minutes later we flagged down the waitress (who was really very friendly and awesome the whole time, incidentally) and she insisted that we had ordered the pulled pork. The point I should have made but didn't (I have some politeness standards, afterall) is that there would have been no good reason for us to order two different pulled meats. So she brought some ribs to the table (when we were done with the rest) and then ended up charging us for them! For their mistake! *sigh*
I'd been here once before and had a lukewarm experience all around, but thought I'd give it another try 6 months later. This time I was even less happy with the food. And for the price, it really should have been better.
Positives:
Service was very friendly
Good range on the menu
Appetizers were delicious and hot
Cheddar beer soup a winner
Local establishment
Negatives:
The food; biscuits and gravy were bland, mac and cheese was really pasty and horrible, pork was dry, coleslaw was served on top of everything despite not being listed on the menu.
Price (We paid $65 for 2 people splitting one entree and appetizers.)
Inattention to details with our order and choosing to charge us for their mistake.
I sincerely hope that when you try the Lil' Biscuit House you have a far superior experience to mine. Let's just say I won't hold my breath. -
Review from Joseph B.
Foster City, CA
9/30/2008
Used to be much better. Apparently recently they've expanded and must have gotten rid of their old chef. Months ago I would have given this between 3-4 stars. But now, the food was at best bland, and at worst potentially poisonous. We had the fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and cole slaw. The chicken was cooked well, great fry without being greasy, good internal texture and temperature, but no flavor. The batter tasted like flour. That's it. Flour. The cole slaw just tasted bad. I stopped eating it because I wasn't sure if it was rancid or not. The mashed potatoes were the best part of the meal, still not a lot of flavor, but more than the chicken.
Overall, I just can't recommend this place. They were better a while back. As it stands, if it came down to a choice between Lil Biscuit House and KFC, I'd have to choose KFC. -
Review from MiKA D.
4/13/2008
Went here tonight for dinner. We ordered the fried chicken and seriously, whoever is frying these suckers up need to drain the oil because it left a thick pool of frying oil from the chicken and the oil cogulated right on the plate. DISGUSTING!
TIP: Leave fried chicken on a rack and wrap it in paper towels to soak up the oil.
I could not eat another piece of my 2pc fried chicken dinner. I ordered the mashed taters and the cucumber tomato salad as sides. They were alright. Nothing to rave about.
I asked for a side of their house bbq sauce and it was so watery. How could coat your ribs, pulled pork items with this crap?
Biscuits were tough as hell.
It was pretty ridiculous. I'm never coming back here. It's overpriced and not worth the try. Believe me. -
Review from Geomar R.
7/3/2008
I have eaten here a couple times for lunch with a few coworkers. The food is great, but the prices for lunch are higher than usual. The service is great, but it can be slow at times. I usually order the pulled pork entrée ($12) with mashed 'taters and baked beans. I'm not a huge pork fan, but this restaurant made me a believer. The pork melts in your mouth and drenching it with their bbq sauce takes it to another element. The mashed 'taters and baked beans are satisfying as well. I also recommend ordering the hush puppies. At $4, you receive a generous amount with a ranch dipping sauce and some type of spicy thousand island sauce, which I really love.
My coworker ordered the chicken fried steak and it was huge. There were 2 huge pieces that covered the whole plate drenched in gravy. The fish and chips had to be the biggest portion I have ever seen. It's like the meal was made from one fish and 10 potatoes. From their perspective, they enjoyed their meal. I'll try the chicken fried steak next time.
You get what you pay for. The food is expensive for lunch prices, and since the food is cooked fresh and from the soul, it may take time to receive your food. Expect to be in the restaurant for at least 45 minutes and good luck with parking. -
Review from Brandon T.
San Mateo, CA
1/29/2008
If you like barbecue and really large portions of food, Lil' Biscuit House isn't a bad way to go.
The barbecue chicken and the ribs are two of the better options on the menu, and are done quite well. The item that got me to make return visits to this place, though, was the fried chicken, which is crispy and very flavorful.
The restaurant likes to mention their award-winning clam chowder quite often, and it is really good, but the downside is that it's not on the menu regularly. Considering that it's award winning, I would have hoped it would be a staple on the menu.
The reason why the rating isn't higher is because some items on the menu are not that great, so it really depends on what you order. I've tried the pulled pork, and I was really not impressed by it. Also, the hush puppies, which were arguably one of their best side dishes, were pulled off of the menu as a side dish and made an appetizer. Considering how much food they give you with each plate, there is just no way I can justify ordering an appetizer on top of a meal that I can barely finish as it is.
This wouldn't be a complete review without mentioning the biscuits. Get them warm, and they're delicious. -
Review from Jeremy R.
San Francisco, CA
8/12/2008
Sorry yelpers ... guess I should have listened....
Went there for lunch .... it's was alright .. not bad but not the best.
The fried chicken was good... not great.... I think if I made it myself at home it would taste very similar... not a whole lot of seasoning on it just kind of plain.
The biscuits were just ok ... not that flakey really ...
the mashed taters tasted like they may have been fake....
the service was good.... the girl was nice.... the food was just medioce.
I doubt I will go back ... if I'm gonna eat somethinig this bad for me ... it needs to taste WAY better.
I am still on the hunt for GREAT fried chicken :( -
Review from Yvonne K.
Belmont, CA
12/31/2009
This is an excellent little spot to get your BBQ on! The biscuits are baked fresh there daily, and I love the mac 'n cheese! My favorite thing there has got to be the BBQ pulled pork. Served on texas toast, the pork is tender and cooked to perfection with cole slaw on top. While at first glance the prices may seem a bit high, just wait until you see what you get for the money. The portions are HUGE! You could split the pulled pork and still be totally stuffed walking out the door.
I have also used Lil' Biscuit house to do a catered event. They were fabulous! When doing the planing, I was working with the owner, Patti. I told her what our budget was, how many people we were expecting, and what food we wanted to have. She was fan friggin tastic! She made it all happen, and the set up was beautiful! Five stars for their catering services. -
Review from Vivian L.
San Mateo, CA
5/23/2009
Came here for lunch one afternoon to check out this bbq place. It was very warm outside but we really wanted Q. I had the 2 meats entree with baby back ribs and pulled pork. It also came with 2 sides so I got the biscuits with gravy and the mac and cheese, all for$15. I knew I was getting a lot of food so the price didn't bother me since I knew I would have another meal out of it.
I thought the ribs and the pulled pork were both very good. Both meats fell off the bone and were juicy and flavorful like they were cooked and smoked for many hours. At first, I was looking for the bbq sauce on the table and then had to ask our server. She said it was the cup of sauce looking stuff that came with my food. The reason they get a 4 star is because they make their own bbq sauce it was like no sauce I've ever had. Normal sauce like Armadillo (just trying to compare it to something local) is thick, this sauce had a more complex flavor to it. It was a little tangy and it was very thin and watery like in consistency which threw me off at first that this might be the sauce.
My sides were ok. The mac and cheese didn't seem to have much flavor or cheese. I got 2 biscuits smothered in white colored gravy with bits in it. It was good but since I couldn't finish it, I had to take it home and it was a little mooshy.
I want to go back on Fri night to try their beef brisket and also save enough room for the $5 smores you cook at your table. That looked really cool but due to our full stomachs and heat wave outside, we couldn't fit them in.
The atmosphere was cute. Very country bbq in a backyard setting. Our server wasn't the best though. We were the ONLY ones in the place and still it was hard to get anyone's attention so don't expect 5 star service there. -
Review from Frank C.
Belmont, CA
1/18/2010
OK, this 4-star rating is a blend of a 3 from me and a 5 from the kids.
This is a great kitschy place serving delicious, unashamedly unhealthy food. We didn't help things by ordering the full rack of ribs, the fried chicken platter, and the pulled pork dinner platter.
First off: what worked --
- Attentive, friendly, personal service. No server-droids here!
- Generously meaty rack of ribs with a tasty BBQ sauce -- no "where's the meat?" experience with this rack!
- Tender fried chicken
- Great comfort-food sides: mashed potatoes, mac-and-cheese, baked beans with big chunks of rib meat, a great chicken vegetable soup, and their eponymous biscuits smothered in a sausage-rich gravy.
- Cute decorations: read all the amusing signs and took a look at the the photos.
And then what work, garnering the 3-star review from me --
- Texture on the pork dishes, especially the pulled pork, which was a little tough and stringy. Having tasted what can happen when you just throw the pork in a slow cooker and let it go all day, the pulled pork was quiet stringy.
- Not enough flavor on the chicken. It seems like they brined it given the relatively tender chicken breast portion -- but maybe without enough salt or sugar in the brine? Anyway, the chicken was bland and flavorless (though great texture as I mentioned above).
Despite my criticism, the kids couldn't get enough of everything. They couldn't even pick a favorite dish because they declared everything yummy (though the boy did complain of the BBQ sauce numbing his tongue -- but he yells "spicy" at the most mild of sauces, so that's just the way his taste buds are wired).
We'll try it again, as the food really was a few flavor kicks away from being really good. As it was, it was ok with potential. -
Review from Doug W.
San Francisco, CA
3/26/2007
After having a taste of Midwest food after a short stint in Missouri, I was happy to find out about this place after hearing about it from my brother-in-law.
I'm not a fan of fried chicken (which is what this place is really known for) but I have had the fried shrimp (which was good) but I'm a bigger fan of the biscuits (with honey!) and their awesome mac-n-cheese. Their toasted ravioli is also very yummy.
My partner is not a fan of meat, and he was happy that Lil' Biscuit House had tons of great sides which he was able to get together as a meal. Mmmm! -
Review from Gnat H.
San Mateo, CA
10/15/2007
Ribs ribs ribs RIBS RIBS RIBS. RIBS! Get the RIBS! This is one of the only places that I have been both a) able and b) unwilling to stop pulling every single shred of substance off each bone. Deeeeeelightful!
Also yes to the jalepeno hushpuppies, biscuits, and the cute little quiz cards at each table to keep you entertained while waiting for RIBS.
I'd give the place 5-stars, but everything else I've had has been not up to the same quality as the RIBS. The mac and cheese seemed off for my cravings, the pulled chicken/pork tasted like bottled BBQ sauce over plain meat, and the western-style burger, with onion ring and BBQ sauce, was too tall to get my mouth around, thus forcing the comedy of having the patty squirt out the backside of the bun onto my plate. Hrm.
So I've learned my lesson: stick with the RIBS, and don't wander around the menu! -
Review from Jeremy L.
3/15/2010
When I think BBQ, I imagine giant portions and great flavor. I had great flavor from Lil Biscuit House, but didn't feel like I got belly busting portions. Flavor is great, but if you have small portions of greatness, it doesn't always satisfy.
I got myself the 3 meat combo with Pulled Pork, Pulled Chicken (because they were out of ribs), and the Fried Chicken. Two sides included, which were Mac and Cheese and Mashed Taters. Man, no fiber! The Pulled Pork was amazingly moist and with the sauce, it was golden! The Pulled Chicken was surprisingly moist as well, but that's probably from the smothering of sauce. Fried Chicken was good, but disappointing size didn't hold itself up enough. The sides were simple, but filled me up enough.
I could say that Lil Biscuit House's quality is up to par, but my expectations for big portions made it a slight disappointment. It's probably just me, but the portions might work out for others. Parking shouldn't be an issue, but there are other restaurants in the area that shares those spots.
