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Foster City was built in the 1960s on filled bay marsh as a planned town. Its dining reflects that plan. There is no Main Street. Restaurants sit in shopping centers with big parking lots: Metro Center near Highway 101 and Route 92, a strip along Beach Park Boulevard at the south end and Edgewater Place beside the lagoon. What you lose in charm you gain in parking. A few of these places are worth the 20 minute drive from Palo Alto on their own.
This guide names only places we confirmed on their own websites or chain location pages in early November 2026. We describe what each menu offers and the hours posted online. Price notes are our rough read of posted menus. For the lagoon, Leo J. Ryan Park and the Bay Trail, see our Foster City town guide.
Where Foster City eats
- Metro Center, at East Hillsdale Boulevard and Metro Center Boulevard, holds Chez Xue, Crumbl and Tpumps beside big stores and office towers.
- Beach Park Boulevard, in the south of the city near Belmont, has a small center with Akizu and Bellini Bistro side by side.
- Edgewater Boulevard runs past Edgewater Place and the lagoon, with Cookiez by Sara and other small shops.
- Bridgepointe, just across Route 92 in San Mateo, adds barbecue and seafood chains.
| Place | Address | What it serves | Price (our read) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chez Xue | 1000 Metro Center Blvd., Ste. A | Chinese, pancakes, noodles | Moderate |
| Crumbl | 1000 Metro Center Blvd., Ste. D | Cookies | Inexpensive |
| Tpumps | 985 E. Hillsdale Blvd. | Boba and tea | Inexpensive |
| Starbird | 1141 Triton Dr. | Chicken sandwiches | Inexpensive |
| Falafel Tazah | 780 Alma Ln. | Halal Middle Eastern | Inexpensive |
| Cookiez by Sara | 969 A Edgewater Blvd. | Cookies | Inexpensive |
| Akizu Sushi Bar and Grill | 1457 Beach Park Blvd. | Sushi and Japanese plates | Moderate |
| Bellini Bistro | 1465 Beach Park Blvd. | Italian | Moderate |
| Armadillo Willy's | Bridgepointe, San Mateo | Texas-style barbecue | Moderate |
The one to drive for: Chez Xue
Chez Xue at 1000 Metro Center Boulevard calls itself Foster City's most celebrated Chinese restaurant. Its menu leads with a green onion pancake that it says is over an inch thick, made to order from flour, water, green onions and salt and served with a house chili sauce. The noodle list includes Shanghainese scallion noodles, spicy Changsha noodles and braised green bean noodles. There are also handmade pork potstickers, wontons and a beef wrap with braised shank. Most dishes on the posted menu fall between $12 and $25.
Two house rules stand out. Chez Xue is a no-tipping restaurant: it adds an 18 percent service charge for dine-in and 7 percent for takeout in place of tips. Its menu also asks parents to keep children seated and lists past charges for damage. The site lists lunch and dinner every day with a break in the afternoon. It takes reservations through Resy. Our Chinese food guide covers Palo Alto options.
Sushi and Italian on Beach Park Boulevard
Akizu Sushi Bar and Grill
Akizu at 1457 Beach Park Boulevard has served sushi, sashimi and Japanese hot dishes since 2007. Its online menu lists starters such as tuna poke at $17.95, salmon kama and hamachi carpaccio. The site lists Monday as closed. Tuesday to Friday it serves lunch from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. Weekend lunch starts at noon and dinner at 4:30 p.m. It also caters office lunches. See our sushi guide for Palo Alto choices.
Bellini Bistro
Bellini Bistro, two doors down at 1465 Beach Park Boulevard, serves Italian lunch and dinner. Its site lists lunch Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dinner starts at 4:30 p.m. on weekdays and Saturday and at 4 p.m. on Sunday, running to 9 or 9:30 p.m. It takes online reservations and hosts birthday and anniversary parties. Our Italian and pizza guide has more.
Quick meals
Falafel Tazah at 780 Alma Lane is a small local chain with branches in Redwood Shores and San Carlos. It says it uses only halal meat and chicken with fresh produce. Its site lists Foster City hours of 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, with online ordering. Our falafel and shawarma guide covers Palo Alto.
Starbird, the chicken sandwich chain, lists a Foster City shop at 1141 Triton Drive for pickup, delivery and catering. Palo Alto has its own branch on El Camino Real, so this one is mainly useful if you are already in Foster City.
Cookies and boba
Cookiez by Sara at 969 A Edgewater Boulevard bakes cookies in small batches. Its best seller is chocolate chip made with real butter. Rotating flavors include a Biscoff white chocolate cookie. It opens at noon and is closed on Monday, though its site gives two different closing times, so check before a late visit. It also sells boxed assortments for gifts.
Crumbl runs a Foster City shop at 1000 Metro Center Boulevard, Suite D, a few doors from Chez Xue. Its page lists 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday and until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. For tea, Tpumps is in Metro Center Plaza at 985 East Hillsdale Boulevard. It lists 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Our boba and tea guide covers shops near home.
Just over the line at Bridgepointe
Armadillo Willy's has smoked Texas-style barbecue in the Bay Area since 1983. Its site points diners to its restaurant in the Bridgepointe Shopping Center, just across Route 92 in San Mateo. The menu covers brisket, ribs, pulled pork, tri-tip and chicken with hearty sides. The company closed its Blossom Hill, Sunnyvale and Santa Clara restaurants on June 17, 2025, so this is now one of its closer branches to Palo Alto. California Fish Grill, a grilled seafood chain, also lists a San Mateo branch in the same area.
A sample Foster City food crawl
- Noon: Lunch at Chez Xue. Split a green onion pancake and a plate of noodles. The service charge is already on the bill.
- Early afternoon: Walk to Tpumps in Metro Center Plaza for a tea, then drive five minutes to Leo J. Ryan Park for a lap of the lagoon.
- Mid-afternoon: Pick up a box of cookies at Cookiez by Sara on Edgewater Boulevard.
- Dinner: Drive south to Beach Park Boulevard for sushi at Akizu or pasta at Bellini Bistro. From there, Palo Alto is about 20 minutes south on Highway 101 outside rush hour.
Getting there from Palo Alto
- Driving: About 15 miles north on Highway 101, about 20 minutes off-peak. Exit at East Hillsdale Boulevard for Metro Center. Beach Park Boulevard is a short drive south through the city from there. Parking is free at every center.
- Caltrain and bus: Ride to Hillsdale station in San Mateo, a two-zone fare ($6.25 in October 2026, $6.50 from January 1, 2027). SamTrans route 251 starts near the station and loops through Foster City. Our Caltrain guide covers tickets.
- Rush hour: Highway 101 through Redwood City and San Mateo slows badly at commute times. A weekend lunch is the easiest trip.
Good to know
- We list only places confirmed on their own websites or chain location pages in early November 2026. Many Foster City restaurants post no website of their own, so absence here does not mean a place has closed.
- Akizu is closed on Monday. Chez Xue closes between lunch and dinner.
- Hours come from business websites and can change without notice.
- Check menus online for allergens and dietary options.
Frequently asked questions
Does Foster City have a downtown restaurant street?
No. Foster City was planned around shopping centers. Most restaurants sit at Metro Center near Highway 101, along Beach Park Boulevard in the south and at Edgewater Place by the lagoon. Each center has parking, so driving between them is easy.
Is Chez Xue a no-tipping restaurant?
Yes. Chez Xue's menu says it adds a service charge in place of tips: 18 percent for dine-in and 7 percent for takeout. It is a Chinese restaurant at 1000 Metro Center Boulevard, known for green onion pancakes over an inch thick.
Where can I get sushi in Foster City?
Akizu Sushi Bar and Grill at 1457 Beach Park Boulevard has served sushi and sashimi since 2007. It is closed on Monday and serves lunch and dinner the rest of the week, according to its website.
Is there a bakery or dessert shop in Foster City?
Yes. Cookiez by Sara bakes cookies at 969 A Edgewater Boulevard and Crumbl has a Foster City shop at Metro Center. Tpumps pours boba tea in Metro Center Plaza on East Hillsdale Boulevard.
Can I take transit from Palo Alto to Foster City?
Yes, with a transfer. Ride Caltrain to Hillsdale in San Mateo, a two-zone fare, then take SamTrans route 251, which loops through Foster City. Buses are not frequent, so check the SamTrans schedule first.