The Best Comfort Food in San Jose

Comalito

★★★★★ 4.8 (53)

"Came for dinner and were super happy we did! Party of 3. We had revueltas and calabazas pupusas, yucca fries, and 1 ensalada. The ensalada was packed with fruit and was amazing. The pupusas were loaded up and delicious, and the yucca fries were great. The server was super kind and attentive. Can't wait to come back and try more."

Zhangliang Malatang

★★★★☆ 4.4 (239) • $$

"I was slower to the malatang excitement because I was nervous that mala meant only spicy but there are plenty of other non spicy soup options. Concept is: you grab a bowl, choose your raw foods, and a soup base and the workers will heat up your personalized bowl. From Zhangliang specifically, my trustworthy food friend recommended the tomato soup and it's a mix of broth and creamy tomato soup which was flavorful and refreshing. As for the add in options, each malatang place is a little different but classic things to try and what I always get would be any meat you like, fish balls, tofu, fun leafy vegetables, different mushrooms, and thick clear noodle if you like chewy noodles. Zhangliang Malatang had many fresh add in options, yummy soup options, and I'm excited to visit again."

Mama’s Papas

★★★★★ 4.8 (35)

"The food here is amazing!They have a physical location at Birdhaus for a few months, and it's highly worth your time to stop by.I popped in just to try out a new place, and I already know I'll be coming back.The kalua pork quesataco is incredible. Unlike most kalua pork dishes I've had at other places, this pork was tender, juicy, flavorful.It's 100% a must-try!"

Nippon Curry San Jose

★★★★☆ 4.2 (10)

"Really good Japanese curry! This is located in a food hall and I wasn't expecting much. Definitely was pleasantly surprised! Ordered the Pork Katsu Curry and the Japanese Potato Croquettes Curry. Both were delicious and had so much flavor. The packaging here is top notch since everything stayed hot & crispy. Highly recommend if you're craving Japanese curry."

Great Bear Coffee

★★★★☆ 3.9 (683) • $$

"Super cute & cozy coffee shop in Downtown Los Gatos. Great service, amazing menu (I got the non caffeinated rose & saffron tea), and great seating. Also, their hours are fantastic - always a plus when a coffee shop stays open in the evenings! Street parking may be difficult but you can park at near by lots scattered across Downtown Los Gatos & walk over."

VinoVero

★★★★★ 4.8 (83)

"One of the best meals/experiences we've had in LG. Excellent food, great ambiance, awesome service and the owner is heavily involved in the flow of the restaurant. I highly recommend this place!"

Swing Shift

★★★★★ 4.7 (66)

"Very creative restaurant serving a variety of cuisines! American, Chinese, Indian, Irish, Mexican and more! It's all fused in this restaurant cafe. I wanted to order more than I did just to taste everything. All items in my order were made with good quality ingredients and care. Very delicious! I ordered the Siu Mai dumplings, Tandoori Chicken Wings and the 5-spice Pork Belly Fried Rice. All were flavorful according to the entree's cuisine.The Siu Mai dumplings are generous accompanied with soy dipping sauce and lots of scallions, this is a hearty treat. The Tandoori Chicken Wings were char grilled and juicy, bigger than average wings, cooked perfectly. The rice is really good and the 5-spice Pork Belly chunks I loved. The egg on top is cooked beautifully, lovely presentation. Cute cafe in San Mateo. Definitely will return to try some other entrees. The burgers look really good and juicy, too!Give them a try! Unique menu with cuisine for all tastes!"

Diner Japonica

★★★★☆ 4.4 (343) • $$

"Diner Japonica transitioned to take out only and really focuses on bento boxes, donburi and Japanese curries. Their simple and affordable menu while not fancy is exactly what it's advertised to be--Japanese comfort food.I love their salmon teriyaki, shrimp katsu and sashimi bento. It comes with a small side salad, rice and Japanese potato salad. It was pouring rain today and I called in the order which only took 15 minutes to prepare and was totally satisfied.Again, don't expect it to be fancy but it delivers that simple Japanese comfort food I often crave."

YAYOI

★★★★☆ 3.7 (883) • $$

"I didn't know what to expect of this restaurant as I walked here from my hotel. But I was impressed. It seemed very traditional Japanese in the menu. I ordered the Katsu Curry, a salad and a side of Salmon Sashimi. I also had an iced matcha green tea.Everything met or exceeded my expectations. Service was quick and helpful. The ordering is done through a tableside tablet. That was easy.All in all it was a great choice."

CAFFE:iN - Santa Clara

★★★★☆ 4.2 (198)

"Love Caffe In! My go to spot is the union city location, but love how there's one in Santa Clara now. If you never had the toast, get it! The crème brûlée was yummy! I love their teas and the icys. Lots of variety from savory to sweets."

Blue Plate

★★★★☆ 4.2 • $$$

"The patio in back with a glass of wine and warm focaccia bread out of the oven with trout deviled eggs was my SF sanctuary"

Homeroom

★★★☆☆ 2.8 (5)

"Didn't taste the same or same quality as the one in Oakland. A bit disappointed. I will be going back to the original one for sure."

Mr. Digby’s

★★★★☆ 4.2 (185) • $$

"Arrive at 11:15am for bunch on a Saturday. Service was great, everyone was friendly and helpful. The menu has changed from 2 weeks ago / from what I read online but it didn't matter because there were many options especially if you share. The little gem salad was delicious, fresh, and the presentation was so bright and colorful. I tried a bit me of the fried chicken, it was superb. The French toast and waffle were great as well. Iced matchas with foam topped it all off. I will for sure be back!"

Curry Hyuga

★★★★★ 4.6 (977) • $$

"I had some time to spare before my NOC shift and I wanted to grab some grub so here I am.I ordered the signature katsu curry w/chicken cutlet. The curry has very delicious and complex flavors. It paired really well the chicken cutlet. The portion sizes are also pretty huge and it comes at a reasonable price. I've never tried Japanese curry before, but I can definitely say after today that I'm a fan.The service here was decent. The food arrived pretty quickly and my waiter came back often to refill my water. The restaurant is kinda small inside but at the time I came there was only one other person eating. For parking there are a lot of paid meter parking nearby. Try it out if you like. :)"

Break Your Fast

★★★★☆ 3.8 • $$

"This place is a hidden gem. The service was great, food was delicious and ambience was very cozy. Our fav was the patty melt! I'll be back again."

Chicken Paddy

★★★★★ 4.8 (43) • $$

"I did not know what to think of Chicken Paddy. I just noticed it randomly pop up on Doordash and decided to order it because everything sounded really good. I went to the ghost kitchen located in North San Jose by the airport to pick up my order. I have been in love ever since. I have tried 3 of their entrees and each one has been absolutely fantastic. The high price is totally worth it because the portions are big and the food is practically gourmet. You get what you paid for and you'll have enough for lunch and dinner.I have tried, the chicken tika masala, the mushroom chicken and the soy garlic chicken. Let me first start off by saying, the Korean cream corn is probably the best corn I ever had. I kept on saying wow for every bite. I think I will order a side or 2 of them tomorrow because I can't stop thinking about it. All of the sauces for each dish has so much flavor and all of the vegetables are sauteed with some kind of spice or sauce and has so much flavor to them. I look forward to trying more of the bowls and the drinks as well. Thank you Chicken Paddy for coming into my life and hopefully you can stay around for a long time!FYI, you can order it through Uber Eats and 949rufffood.com, the ghost kitchen."

Castillo's Mexican Restaurant

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (564) • $$

"I love coming to this restaurant They are very friendly and welcoming. I can't wait to try this evenings special is Chicken Pazole. I am truly amazed! Thank you so much!) we have been here several times and I have loved it every time. I am so impressed with the servers. Small team but lots of love and care. !! Definitely will come back."

Red Chili Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.1 (524) • $$

"Man of man! I truly only have positive things to say about this restaurant! I had heard that they have really good wings and as a wing enthusiast, I had to give it a try! Some people may be a bit hesitant at the sound of fish sauce wings but these are truly the best wings i've ever had. They came out perfectly crispy and sauced. They even top them with I think are fried garlic chips to give it an additional crunch! This place is a 10/10 without a shadow of a doubt!"

Boltiful Fresh Kitchen

★★★★★ 4.7 (227) • $$

"What a cute name.. Boltiful! I found this spot nearby me on Yelp, and I got takeout from there twice so far. Both times I got the terriyaki bowl, which was very yummy, big portions, and a good mix of things. You got the protein, vegetables, and carbs. I love the spicy chili mayo sauce. Staff is friendly and fast. The place looks clean and vibrant. I definitely would come here again when I want a yummy and pretty healthy lunch. :)"

Zhangliang Malatang

★★★★☆ 4.2 (327) • $$

"Quality of ingredients and freshness is excellent. The broths are amazing. A must visit for any Asian food fan."

ParkStone Wood Kitchen & Taps

★★★★☆ 3.9 (8)

"We came to the restaurant after receiving free entree coupons due to check in issues with Avalon Hotel. We were lucky to have Daisy as our server because she was amazing. Very attentive to our needs. She made sure we had our drinks filled as we waited for our food and was apologetic for the mishaps. The food was good, but my boyfriend and I ordered the avocado toast and got guacamole toast. The menu says that it's fresh smashed avocado but instead we got a thin layer of guacamole spread. Thankfully it was good with the egg cooked our way, but was unexpected and not true to the menu. We also had ordered bacon to go with it and it never came. Again, Daisy was apologetic and made sure it wasn't on our bill, but it was disappointing considering we already had expected avocado and got guacamole. If you're staying at the hotel then not a bad place to get food. The place is nice but also for Daisy and make sure you get your order right."

O2 valley

★★★★☆ 4.1 (112) • $$

"We were in Palo Alto visiting our daughter at work. During her 3pm lunch break, we happened to pass by this Taiwanese restaurant as we were strolling along University Avenue. This was the ideal spot for us as we were planning for a quick bite at a counter service place with snackable items.Simply furnished, this eatery has posters of their featured menu items and a curios or "timely" ChatGPT generated art that AI might perceive of O2 Valley. I failed to take a photo of said framed image. For drinks, we got the Taro Milk Tea, Oolong and my Lemon Green Tea. I chose 25% sweetness, no ice with aloe mixed in. It was a weird & bitter tasting refreshment as I thought the tea to lemon ratio was out of whack. I finished it anyway. It was an acquired taste kind of drink, I guess. For eats, we shared the Garlic Popcorn Chicken, Hundred Layer Tofu and Crispy Tofu. The latter being unseasoned definitely needed the sauce that came with it. I spiced up this same sauce with the excess garlic bits that came with the chicken. We also happened to see our fellow Yelp Elite from Sacramento, Belinda. She was in town also to visit family. That's one happenstance we wouldn't have thought to happen this Saturday afternoon. We would've tried the generously portioned bento boxes if we were that hungry. A reason to return."

The Post

★★★★☆ 3.6 (444) • $$

"Cute place for a birthday lunch! I met a friend and loved the decor inside and had outdoor dining. Comfort food with tons of options of Chicken and Waffles, Burgers, Fries, etc. I ordered the Bacon and Ham Quiche with a side salad. It was so good with buttery crust with tons of veggies and ham on a pomodoro sauce. My friend got the Croque Monsieur with a fried egg on top with melted cheese and savory ham. I loved the presentation of the food. Our waiter did a great job of answering our questions and bringing out our food quickly. We enjoyed a piece of flan and fruit for my birthday! Prices were average and tons of parking behind the restaurant. I want to go back and try out a cocktail!"

HoM Korean Kitchen

★★★★☆ 4.1 (961) • $$

"Ordered at 9:30pm on a Friday - service was quick but they were out of water and toasted white rice. They also said they were out of glass noodles even when I saw clearly that they had glass noodles. The white rice was also dry. An odd experience."

Bungalow on Rose

★★★★★ 4.5 (86)

"Easy street parking right across from restaurant. Nice decor in restaurant. Comfortable seating for group of five. Every one else was gone by the time our dinner got underway. Large party enjoyed the food. Included tiger prawn spring rollsGarlic green beans,(vegan) sauce not veganPork and crab dumplingsVeggie rolls (vegan)Pad Sew Ew shrimp noodlesBbq chickenNam KaiBranzino fried fish whileClay pot Japchae (vegan)Whole party really enjoyed the dishes and still some left overs. Service was good since we were the only party remaining on a Tuesday night. There are four plant based dishes on back of menu. No cocktail drinker. When is it ever inexpensive eating out."

The Mochi Donut Shop

★★★★☆ 3.8 (130) • $$

"I love that this Mochi Donut Shop has soo many food options. They have mochi donuts, Korean corn dogs (one even covered in hot cheetos!), filipino rice plates, filipino banh mis, and more! I also love their flavored tots. Their mochi donuts and corn dogs never disappoint and the staff is always friendly!"

Rise Woodfire Pizza & Rotisserie

★★★★★ 4.5 (93) • $$

"Eyes on the RiseThe sister restaurant to Burlingame's Rise Pizzeria, Rise Woodfire is a mom-and-pop done good story. It all began with by a local couple who had a passion for making pies the proper way, using a wood-fired oven. Housed in the former Piatta Italian location, they've renovated it from white tablecloth Italian, to a rustic local neighborhood joint that just happens to sling wood-fired pizzas and also happens to have a killer bar. This The Good:*Reservations via OpenTable *Great service*Not only do they use their wood oven for Pizzas, but they also use it to cook several other items like Prime Rib and Beef Ribs--both of which aren't available until after 4 p.m. Next time, Gadget!*Full bar with local craft brews on-tap*Grass-fed Beef Meatball app was superb. The marinara was delicious and the meatballs were cooked to perfection. *Pizza was delicious. The dough had a nice chew, the ingredients were distributed well, and the crust had a nice char from the oven. They make a damn fine pie. *I don't recall much about the Kazbah bowl other than Carissa enjoyed it. I'd ask her for more details but she's hurrying me along right now so we can eat dinner. (:The Meh:*No outdoor seating for the time being but it looks like it's in the works. *Located in a large outdoor shopping center so there's plenty of parking abound, but this center can get quite busy and turn parking into "quite the tenses." If you don't mind walking, I recommend parking by the library/park. The Ugly:*They don't have a BYOP (Build-Your-Own-Pizza) option on the menu, so if you're building a pie for a picky teenager then you have to pick one of their presets that has the closest toppings and then add and subtract accordingly. But, as it's SoP in her pizza world, taking off an ingredient doesn't save you money but adding them on will cost you. And adding on a few things can inflate the price of the pizza well-over 50% very quickly.Conclusion: Tasty pies in a great ambiance. I'll be back for the Prime Rib! :)"

The Happy Hound Diner

★★★★★ 4.7 (3)

"Best burger in town! Also, they have amazing shakes, tots, dogs, etc... just go, it's awesome!"

Tamari Authentic Georgian Cuisine

★★★★☆ 3.9 (224)

"Came here for Valentines Day brunch with another couple. Had this bookmarked for years and came across it when my friend called, and we decided to meet half way. It was quiet when we walked in a 1230. One other couple arrived for lunch. Perhaps it is more of a dinner place. We had the two quails, combo appetizer (they made everything in heart shape), traditional cheese, both beef and lamb dumplings. Everything was delicious ! I would definitely come back."

Kahoo Ramen

★★★★☆ 3.6 • $$

"Grew up coming to Kahoo Ramen...first time visiting in 10+ years. I'm glad they survived COVID.I was sad that they updated their menu to phase out their simple shoyu/shio ramens.Two of us ordered:-karaage $9.95, the fried chicken here is still really delicious, must order-yakioni mentaiko $5, crispy rice was good-black garlic miso ramen $14.95, ramen was ok. Not the biggest fan of miso ramen, but not too many options on ramen side nowDefinitely a great spot to eat! Excited to be back to try their other apps/a la carte items.Parking is super tough in the plaza."

YAYOI

★★★★☆ 3.6 (771) • $$

"Came during lunch on a weekday and was seated right away. We were given a tablet as soon as we were seated and I love this concept. We can peruse the menu (with pictures) and ordered at our own leisure. Gone are the days when you had to flag down a server or wait forever to put your order in. We ordered the Omaze Don, Wagyu Yakiniku and Salmon Carpaccio. Everything we ate was so delicious and flavorful. The Omaze Don was similar to a Korean Bibimbap, a lot of various toppings mixed together with rice. It was very tasty and filling. The Wagyu Yakiniku was so flavorful but a bit greasy for my liking. It didn't stop me from finishing my plate though!The salmon carpaccio tasted sooo fresh and very well seasoned - would definitely order a plate for myself! When you're ready to checkout, you check out on the tablet and pay at the front! The whole process from start to finish was so seamless and made for a pleasant experience!"