Where to eat in Hayward

Hayward sits across the bay from San Mateo, a short drive over the San Mateo Bridge. It is a big, working city of about 163,000 people and one of the most diverse in the country. The food follows. Downtown, a few walkable blocks around B Street and Foothill Boulevard now hold an Edomae sushi counter, a Latin cocina, two Italian dining rooms and an African restaurant and bakery. Farther south, Mission Boulevard has Pakistani kebabs and a long-running barbecue house.

This guide names only places we confirmed on their own websites or chain location pages in early November 2026. We found several through the Downtown Hayward Improvement Association's dining directory, then checked each restaurant's own site. Price notes are our rough read of posted menus. For the Japanese Gardens, the Hayward Fault walk and the shoreline, see our Hayward town guide.

Where Hayward eats

Downtown Hayward is compact. B Street runs east from the BART station toward Foothill Boulevard and Main Street, which together form the old center. A Street parallels it one block north. Mission Boulevard heads south from downtown toward South Hayward and Union City, lined with family restaurants and small centers. Parking downtown is mostly in public lots and garages behind the main streets.

Downtown dinner

Casa del Toro

Casa del Toro at 1034 B Street calls itself a cocina and tequila house, cooking dishes from across the Latin world with a modern approach and a long craft cocktail list. Its site lists Tuesday to Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. It is closed on Monday. Parking behind the restaurant is limited, so it suggests the lots behind the movie theater. Our Mexican and Latin guide covers Palo Alto.

Mujiri

Mujiri at 22530 Main Street makes Edomae-style nigiri, the Tokyo tradition of lightly cured and seasoned fish over rice. Its signature sashimi and nigiri combinations feature fish such as kinmedai, the golden eye snapper. It serves lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and dinner from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday, closed Sunday and Monday. It warns it may close early if it sells out. Our sushi guide covers Palo Alto counters.

Kansai

Kansai at 954 B Street is a sushi and Japanese restaurant a block from Casa del Toro. It takes pickup orders through its own online ordering page.

Two Italian dining rooms

Buon Appetito at 917 A Street says it makes everything from scratch daily, from breads and pastas to desserts. Its posted specials include a fresh mushroom soup, lamb-filled ravioli with fennel cream sauce at $27.95 and linguine with seafood. It serves lunch and dinner every day from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and hosts banquets.

Acqua e Farina at 22622 Main Street is a smaller Italian ristorante around the corner. Its site lists Tuesday to Thursday from noon to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday until 9 p.m. and Sunday from 3 to 8 p.m. It is closed on Monday and takes reservations by email or phone. Our Italian and pizza guide has more.

Foothill Boulevard: African food and late pizza

Golden Safari Restaurant and Bakery at 22431 Foothill Boulevard serves African food in downtown Hayward. Its menus run from African soups and rice plates to house specials, desserts and specialty drinks. It also caters and takes reservations. African restaurants are scarce around Palo Alto, so this is one of the more unusual meals on this page.

Susie Q's Pizza at 22580 Foothill Boulevard opened in 2020. The family says its mother Susie created the dough in the 1990s from the flatbread her family made in Palestine. The sauce is her recipe too. Its site lists 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, the latest kitchen on this page. It also takes reservations and party bookings.

Mission Boulevard: kebabs, barbecue and bread

Pakwan has served Pakistani and Indian food in the Bay Area since 1999. Its Hayward restaurant is at 25168 Mission Boulevard, with others in Fremont and San Francisco. The menu centers on biryanis, kebabs and curries at counter-service prices. Our Pakistani food guide covers Palo Alto.

Emil Villa's California BBQ at 24047 Mission Boulevard specializes in wood-smoked ribs and meats, homemade pies and sauces and big breakfasts. Its site lists 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day. Our barbecue guide covers smoked meat closer to home.

Farther south, Paris Baguette has a bakery cafe at 29213 Mission Boulevard, Suite B and C. Its page lists 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

Morning coffee downtown

Snappy's Cafe at 978 A Street sits in a historic downtown building. It serves coffee drinks made from locally roasted beans, pastries, sandwiches and smoothies and hosts local performers. Its site lists 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.

A sample Hayward food crawl

1. Morning: Coffee and a pastry at Snappy's Cafe on A Street.
2. Late morning: Drive a few minutes to the Hayward Japanese Gardens for a free walk.
3. Lunch: Back downtown, sit at Mujiri for a nigiri combination (Tuesday to Saturday), or try the African soups at Golden Safari.
4. Dinner: Latin plates and a tequila cocktail at Casa del Toro, or pasta at Buon Appetito. Head back across the bridge after the evening traffic clears.

Getting there from Palo Alto

• By car: Take Highway 101 north to Route 92 and cross the San Mateo Bridge. Route 92 becomes Jackson Street toward downtown. Western Hayward is about 25 miles, 30 to 35 minutes off-peak. From south Palo Alto, the Dumbarton Bridge and Interstate 880 north take about as long.
• Tolls: Both bridges charge only westbound: $8.50 for a car in 2026, rising to $9.00 with FasTrak on January 1, 2027. See our bridges and tolls guide.
• Transit: On weekdays the Dumbarton Express runs from Palo Alto to Union City BART. From there BART goes two stops north to downtown Hayward station.

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