Mateo

French restaurant · Whittier

Mateo

French restaurant · Whittier

1

1837 Pearl St, Boulder, CO 80302

Photos

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Highlights

A stylish spot on Pearl Street, this Provençal bistro serves locally-sourced French cuisine and boasts a delightful wine selection, perfect for relaxed dining.  

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1837 Pearl St, Boulder, CO 80302 Get directions

mateorestaurant.com
@mateoboulder

$$$ · Menu

Reserve

Information

Static Map

1837 Pearl St, Boulder, CO 80302 Get directions

+1 303 443 7766
mateorestaurant.com
@mateoboulder

$$$ · Menu

Reserve

Features

delivery
takeout
dine in
wifi
Tap to pay
reservations
payment credit card
outdoor seating

Last updated

Mar 4, 2025

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@exploretock

"Opened in 2001 in Boulder, Colorado, Mateo is a Chef and Owner operated restaurant, featuring simple dishes with local ingredients inspired by the Provence Region in Europe. The wine list focuses on small batch French and Italian Varietals and compliments the seasonally changing menu. The space is bright and streamlined revealing a clear, uncomplicated aesthetic."

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Kei Izawa

Google
Very nice food preparation and pleasant ambiance. Not too formal but with many good elements to enjoy the food. It is one of the casual mid-high end restaurant. Maybe not fancy but great place to go.

John Hames

Google
Boulder's multi decades of experience in fine dining !! Charming location with outdoor seating right on Pearl Street. There is plenty of street parking in front or half a block south on 19th. This icon has had long-term management and a staff who clearly enjoys working at Mateo. Delightful drink menu with unexpected selections. Plan on ordering food again and again when you experience what they offer. Highly recommend the Tomato Bisque, my favorite I've ever had. My evening meal was poulet frites, chicken served with fondue and hand cut frites. If you are burned out on chicken, please consider this dish! Organic slow cooked pan seared, it is unforgettable. Salad was delicate, absolutely fresh. Fries came out hot, this mael takes about 20 minutes. Lemon tart to finish, went nicely with the last sip of the recommended white wine in photos.

Holly Bees

Google
We had a poor experience here. The service was slow despite being not that busy. Server walked by the bar 3x without grabbing our drinks and we eventually got them ourselves. Food was just ok. My salmon and sauce were cooked perfectly and delicious but my partner's steak frites was not, apps were nothing to write home about. The whole menu lacked creativity and classic French staples. The art in this restaurant was atrocious and generally the decor was dated. The whole place seems in need of a refresh, especially the bathrooms. It had been a 100 degree day so we opted to eat inside but it was warm and stuffy. Overall, this place is marketed and priced as a 'nice' or 'fancy' restaurant and it is neither. Wishing I had spent my date night elsewhere.

Barbara Makowski

Google
Came here for dinner after reading about it being one of the best places for dinner. We were not disappointed! The weather was great so we sat outside- much quieter and less crowded than indoors. Our server told us about the specials of the day that we’re not on the menu, and needless to say, half of our meal was from specials, and the other from the everyday menu. We ended up getting the Burrata and French Onion soup with Gruyère as the first part of our meal. They were both delicious and the perfect size, leaving us satisfied, but definitely hungry enough for the main course. Speaking of, our main dishes were the Lamb Bolognese and the Mussels. I was not a fan of the pasta, but my dining partner loved it. The mussels were the star of the night, though. There was quite a lot of them and the taste was immaculate! I recommend this for anyone visiting Boulder and looking for a place to eat out (it was very reasonably priced as well)!

Paul Younis

Google
A solid French bistro style restaurant. It's super busy so things can be a little chaotic in there. The food is delicious, the steak frites was delicious, they use a lot of pepper on the steak, which made a good crust . The bread and cheese were decent, I wish there was a little more of each cheese but it was enough to get a few bites each. The mussels were tender, delicate and full of flavor. For somewhere so far from the ocean I'm glad to see the they tasted fresh. Whilst it's not kid friendly, I would not say it's unfriendly. I do not think there is a kids menu. So consider that if you are bringing kids. I'd definitely go again.

Cynthia Sass

Google
Better than ever.. My experience here in years past has been “like a box of chocolates“… But there is a new captain at the helm, Matt Yule, and what used to be the case of “you never know what you’re going to get“ with service and quality has become a consistently awesome experience, time after time. This is now my shamefully frequented go-to neighborhood spot where I can count on consistently stellar service, great food, and a wine list that never fails to impress (pro tip: ask for Griffin; wine-guide-extraordinaire who’ll never steer you wrong).

Jared Mcclendon

Google
Thoroughly enjoyed everything about this establishment. So glad that my fiancé and I found this spot, not only is the atmosphere comforting but the staff was so kind, helpful and made us want to come back even before we had received our dishes. The food was delicious and prepared beautifully, will definitely be back in the times to come! Sadly it was a bit dark by the time we got the entrees so the photos aren't as clear but trust and believe, it was exquisite.

Joyce Im

Google
I feel like the portion of desserts were bigger than the meal which I didn't mind at all, but overall foods were super tasty, the chicken was tender and I liked the crispy and hot fries. And you should definitely get desserts here. The service was nice, too

Michael B.

Yelp
We had a lovely dinner here last night. Beautiful patio seating (we were in the section at the back, which may be a bit nicer than the part of the patio closer to the street). The shade and cool breezes far overcame the heat of the day. The three of us shared the cheese plate to start--an ample amount for our group, with a small loaf of bread, several cheeses, apple slices and some jam. Two us has the poulet frites for the main course and the other had the lamb pappardelle. Excellent, tasty choices! For dessert we shared a molten lava cake with ice cream on top. So good! Would definitely recommend Mateo over most, maybe all, of the restaurants on Pearl in Boulder. We'll definitely be back!

Catherine V.

Yelp
My parents wanted to treat me out while visiting me at college to dinner at this urban sit-down restaurant specializing in French cuisine and a fine selection of wines. Every item ordered tasted incredible. The food was hearty while remaining light at the same time. It is definitely a great place to go when you feel like indulging. I will say that bill was a little more on the more expensive side for smaller portions but the ingredients were really fresh! Thanks mom and dad! Overall, yummy food with friendly staff.

Marty D.

Yelp
Last month we saw extensive postings on the windows of Mateo. These postings detailed extensive listing of nonpayment of outstanding taxes, and non payment of employees as the reason for the restaurant being closed. It was closed for quite sometime. Then the restaurant opened up.... and very recently Mateo has been closed again. The sign posted on the door basically apologized for the fact that the restaurant is closed indefinitely. Each time I stood reading the note on the door, various patrons would stop by attempting to go in. Invariably the owner was sitting by himself inside, seated at the community table lights off. Mateo is a local staple.... the constant closing is very sad. Perhaps another owner might be interested in buying the restaurant. Maybe this is already in the works. Does anyone have any updates regarding the status of Mateo?

Morolake T.

Yelp
Came here on a Friday around 7. We decided not to make reservations because there were so many open the night before. Mistake. It was packed. The wait was supposed to be 40 mins, but seats at the bar opened up after 20. Highly recommend hanging at the bar--Griffin is a super talented bartender and so welcoming. Ordered an old fashioned --excellent zesty flavor! We started with the fromage, mussels, and nuts. There's not enough bread to consume all the tastiness! The cheeses were creamy and delicious, pairing well with the honey and jam. We ended up asking for extra bread because the mussel broth was so on point. My entree was the duck which sat on sliced asparagus and Brussel sprouts. The duck had an excellent crisp on the skin and whatever sauce they cook the asparagus and Brussel sprouts in is eeeeeverything. I will warn if you are in a rush or scheduling a first date, this is not the spot because it'll take some time to kind of get started on a busy night! Definitely a good place to take your time and enjoy your meal.

Julia K.

Yelp
We came here for lunch birthday last week. The lamb Ragu $25, is so delicious. The pasta was Al denté, and the lamb had a tint of mint taste. My colleagues ordered their salads and they looked delicious.

Cindy C.

Yelp
Food was really good, and the place was small and intimate. Kind of felt like we'd discovered a "find" on the lower end of Pearl Street. The services was also good, which made for a nice evening.

Nancy H.

Yelp
Not so happy with this place! When I came in I was finally greeted after about 15 min by waitress who informed me that they had no soup, no pate and no nuts. She said she had one order of mussels left and since that was one of the reasons for our visit I said and I okay I will take that! Ten minutes later I had to flag her down about the mussels and she informed me no mussels! Not impressed at all!

Cynthia S.

Yelp
Spoiled rotten! Finishing act after an epic meal? Matt Yule's delivery of the world's best apéritif... green chartreuse Merci beaucoup!

Alisa J.

Yelp
I really wanted to rate this place 5 stars especially after my experience before the pandemic. I went there for first bite Boulder a couple weeks ago and although the food was good I wasn't blown away. I wouldn't say that the restaurant was too crowded or busy but for some reason it took forever for our entrees to come out after the appetizers. And then they brought out the desserts as we were eating the entrees and our table was over crowded. My corn soup for the appetizer was not hot and that was a disappointment. We got the polenta cakes and filet mignon entrees. The polenta cakes were good but the tomato's and olives on top seemed like it just came from a can and the cakes were not crispy. The waitress didn't ask how we wanted the steak cooked which we noticed when they brought it out and brought us a medium to well done steak. In my experience a filet mignon is always cooked medium rare which made me come to the conclusion that the steak meat is not fresh. The desserts were a home run though! Absolutely amazing and if I just had dessert it's 5 stars. The waitress we had was amazing. She was personable and attentive. Our water glass kept getting refilled with still instead of sparkling though which I was not a fan of. All in all, the food was nothing special except for the desserts, the appetizers were good I just wish my soup was hot. The service was good and I could tell they were trying a lot but unfortunately I also felt like they were understaffed and stretched thin. This is a cute French restaurant on Pearl street that I recommend but if you're looking for more fine dining I recommend elsewhere.

Veronique C.

Yelp
I had not been to Mateo for a while and a few days ago, my daughter and I decided to have lunch there as we wanted a taste of France without the travel part. I really like the atmosphere with the white tablecloth, the beautiful bar and interesting art on the walls. Service was attentive and our water constantly refilled. We first shared the charcuterie plate; the prosciutto was delicious, the salami fine (I wish they offered something less boring), the pate the size of a big olive (they might as well skip it, it's so ridiculously small), and the toasted bread was good. My daughter enjoyed a croque monsieur (I like that they make the outside of the sandwich crispy with cheese) and my salade Niçoise was good (don't get too excited about the egg, they just sprinkle about a quarter of one hard boiled all over). As for drinks, don't go to Mateo for beer, the selection is very limited; after all it's a Provençal restaurant and more of a wine place, it's just too bad you can't find a glass under $14. To be fair, it seems to be the price you have to pay in the area these days. We had a very pleasant lunch and I'll certainly go back!

aelita l.

Yelp
Amazing food and service, we like the intimate atmosphere and location. I would love to be back next time i am in town. Wine selection is great as well.

Michael C.

Yelp
Wow! Drove by Mateo last night and this place has been SEIZED by the government, most likely for failure to pay taxes. Sad to see any business close. Restaurant survival, especially in the last couple of years, is extremely difficult.

Shannon B.

Yelp
The food was excellent, service was great once we were served, unfortunately our table cloth was filthy as were the menu's and there were a billion flies inside. It's a bad time of year for flies but they need to have fly traps set up.

Lucy W.

Yelp
This has been one of my favorite restaurants in Boulder, and I'm happy to be able once again to eat indoors. The food is uniformly excellent, and just what I'm craving a lot of the time. BUT ... They need to offer vegetarian options! I've had to forgo choosing Mateo on multiple occasions because I've been dining with vegetarians. While saying "the kitchen will accommodate any dietary request" is well and fine, people like to look at a menu and see what's available. It's very strange to me, in a place like Boulder, that this isn't understood. And the type of food served--French/Mediterranean--has loads of vegetarian possibilities! Also, something relatively new that I've noticed the past two times I've been, is a really inexperienced waitstaff. They have, like, teenagers waiting tables and running food. Nothing against teenagers! But they're clearly not professional waitstaff, or even mature. (Examples from just one recent dinner: Not knowing what ingredients are in the food; not knowing anything about the wine; bringing food to the wrong tables multiple times; hanging out at the bar area instead of watching their tables; instead of providing new silverware, asking diners to take their used silverware from salad and appetizer plates to save for the entree; looking annoyed when flagged down to answer a question, etc.) Definitely not what you'd expect at this kind of place, and it wasn't my experience in the past. I'm tempted to give just 3 stars for the above two reasons, but I really want Mateo to survive, and to thrive! I'm cautiously optimistic that it will rally and become, again, what I know it can be. C'mon, Mateo!

Isabelle E.

Yelp
The worst service I've ever experienced. We waited 50 minutes for a waiter or waitress to come to our table to take a drink order. It was not busy, there was ample staff, and the manager filling up waters said it had even been a slow day. They were not attentive or friendly. We decided to stick it out and wait since we were hungry and it would've been hard finding a dinner reservation at the last minute, plus we typically love the food. The food is usually amazing, but this time it was not that great. Steak was overcooked and chewy, chicken was rather dry. No longer somewhere I consider as being worth the money, but I definitely used to love it here! Bummer for sure. Such abysmal service we won't be returning sadly!

Cg H.

Yelp
Worst meal I have had in years. I had the chicken. It was fried, greasy, and the meat itself fatty and low quality. Should have sent it back to the kitchen but we were celebrating my friend's birthday so I pretended it was good. Some people at our table had the duck Confit. The duck and chicken presentations were very poor and portions did not make up for it. Not beautiful like you would expect for the price or from a nice European-style restaurant. The wine was excellent and the butter lettuce was fresh and beautiful. The desserts were average. The French fries were greasy and I don't know what they were trying for. Looked like they tried to make them crispy but they just overdone. The wait staff was kind and caring, but they seemed inexperienced for the most part. They were nervous and trying hard. They really struggled with the bill when one person in our party offered to pay for a $100 bottle of wine and asked for a separate check just for the wine. Nice art and atmosphere. It was surprisingly busy . I will not go back to Mateo. Super disappointing for the price and for the anticipation.

Mary B.

Yelp
We didn't have a dinner reservation and it was packed when we arrived for dinner, but the 45 minute wait was well worth it. The service was cordial and accommodating. My husband and I shared the burger and pan-roasted chicken entree...both were juicy and delicious! The wine spritzer was the best I've ever had. Can't wait for a return visit next time we're in Boulder.

Zoe Z.

Yelp
The restaurant Mateo's is great! I've been there a few times with my family and it's always been a pleasure. Last time I was there I had a really lovely server named Sarah. She was so chill and cool. I'll definitely be eating here next time.

Jamie L.

Yelp
I met up with a friend from the Honey Pot next door and whilst it was late and Mateo's kitchen was about to close, Aidan said "don't stress, come on in" which we were kind of bloody well thankful for as we were STARVING! A great wine and liquor selection, and the Lamb Bolognese and Duck Konfit were spectacular. Wonderful service by Aidan, Annabel, and Leo and they even let me stay inside whilst I waited for my Uber for 25 minutes as it was absolutely pelting down outside. 1st time here and we were very impressed. See you again soon.

Pat R.

Yelp
Moules - I ate at Mateo on Oct. 10 with a group of 12. It was listed as fine dining but most of the folks had hamburgers. My Moules were very good but did not include fries as most places do. The drinks, wine and cocktails seemed overpriced. The service was very slow but only one waitress was waiting on 12 people. I much prefer Brasserie 10 10 for fine dining.

Georgia W.

Yelp
The food has been, and was, amazing but honestly this was the worst service I've ever had. It started off with the hostess texting on her phone as we were trying to check in for our reservation. When we sat down she grabbed us some waters, but spilled one on a member of our party. It's a mistake, it happens, but the way she promptly fled the scene and never returned to our table was odd. 20 minutes after spilling the water on us, I saw her in the corner giggling and sharing a very intimate hug with her (maybe) boyfriend (who was another waiter). Pretty unprofessional but not shocking considering the entire staff looks to be under the age of 20. We sat there twiddling our thumbs for a while before we were able to flag down a waitress who seemed to be carrying the entire restaurant on her back. She took the drink orders of 2/4 of our party members, left, and didn't return until she came to take our entree orders. She didn't even notice that she didn't take the rest of the party's order. So, we had to flag down the bartender. When the bartender took our order she asked to see our IDs.... The drinks were nonalcoholic.... After we got our drinks I watched as the manager swiftly jogged up to one of the waitresses and said "hey you dropped this" ... it was a bow from her hair... the two shared a laugh and moved on. Just thought this was weird and kinda gross so I felt like I'd ad this in. I have no idea who was serving us because we had to flag down literally every person on staff multiple times any time we needed anything. After we got our food, we were ghosted. I needed a spoon for the broth of my moules but I knew that wasn't going to happen so I just gave up. We ran out of water 10 minutes after the food was set down, so we just sat there, thirsty, until the check came. The table next to us had the opposite problem I guess. The waitress asked them if they wanted refills and they said no, the manager proceeded to bring them over anyways. The couple expressed how they said no, so the manager threatened to just take a knee and chug them himself. We could not have slapped our card down faster when the check came eons later. My god, for that price? Please be for real...

Brad M.

Yelp
Food is outstanding. This is not what I would consider a French restaurant. More like Italian or new American. Not withstanding I truly enjoyed everything.

Nancy C.

Yelp
Two words: Lobster raviolo. I was expecting little stuffed ravioli with small pieces of lobster mixed with ricotta cheese, so imagine my delight when I saw it was more of one large, meaty chunk of lobster wrapped up in a doughy skin. (I guess raviolo is singular, but that slipped my mind at the moment.) Yum! It was flavorful, succulent, and creamy. My only lament about this dish was that there weren't two ravioli. I also quite enjoyed the grilled shrimp and scallops with the pate, especially since I was seriously craving seafood. My husband ordered the very ordinary steak frites, and he was disappointed that he didn't order the lobster like I did. *snickers * We had a tough time choosing just one dessert to share. We ended up getting the seasonally-appropriate egg nog panna cotta with a peppermint and candy cane ganache, as well as the chocolate-coffee creme brulee. Two very different desserts...two very good choices. Mateo is a great choice for a special date or celebration-- I know we're excited about going back!

Michaela S.

Yelp
Oh my goodness the service at this restaurant is unbelievably poor. We waited 25 mins for our drinks then the waitstaff finally came. We saw our waitress once during the whole dinner experience. At one point we just had to go get our own drink order from the bar as it was sitting there already poured. This is our second visit, same thing happened before. Food is ok, they try to be upscale but it's super salty and not inspired, basic. Probably our last visit. Too bad it could be a nice place.

Manny M.

Yelp
Poor service. Had a party of 20 outside and it took over 3 hours before the food arrived. When they delivered food we still had no utensils. Preplanned a set menu and when we arrived they had no idea!

Tabitha W.

Yelp
Our table was ignored for 30 minutes so we left... When we arrived we ordered appetizers & told the waiter we were still deciding on drinks (mentioned we would get a bottle of wine but still deciding). Someone else dropped off our appetizers, and then ~30 minutes went by without anyone even coming by to check on us. Keep in mind they were not busy! We tried flagging down waiters but we were in the way back and no one seemed to notice us. We were going to have a full meal but ended it there, we had to go to the bar to close out. We still tipped 20% but when letting staff now what happened we got dirty looks. Shockingly bad service for what is supposed to be a nice restaurant.

Bill G.

Yelp
An extraordinary kitchen led by a talented and experienced chef. Superb quality of food prepared with a sensitivity to the ingredients and experience with European continental cuisine. Best French wine selection in Boulder. I'll be back!

W. T.

Yelp
Oh Mateo.......how I wish you could live up to your promise! Great location and patio. Stunning wine list. Big talk about being 'Frenchish". You are just so wildly inconsistent. Sometimes that burger is a near two meal wonder and sometimes it is a wimpy little onion-less sad imitation. Sometimes the Lamb Bolognese has mint. Sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it has freshly grated parmesan, Sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes the pasta is cooked properly, sometimes it isn't. Sometimes the Salade Nicoise is sublime. Sometimes it is wilted, disproportionate and disappointing. Sometimes those fries are world class, sometimes they are dry and inedible. Get it together and maybe I'll be back

Claudia S.

Yelp
Best brunch In Boulder Loved the steak and eggs and the French toast with bananas The mimosa was perfect as well I will come back again!!

Jeff G.

Yelp
Mateo is a beautiful restaurant and I really wanted the food to match... but it didn't. I had the tuna which was bland and expensive. My fries were cold. I was done with the tuna by the time the waitress asked if all was ok. She did quickly bring more fries but never came with ketchup or asked us again. No one refilled water glasses either. We were there on a Monday night and it was about 2/3 full and seemed to have plenty of front of house staff so an excuse of overly hectic environment which was provided didn't fly. Side note, my wife had the burger and said it was pretty good. The combination of being expensive, lack luster food and poor service means I won't be going back.

Renee C.

Yelp
A very nice French restaurant in boulder, the service was slow but they were busy, food is a little expensive but it was all pretty good. the bartenders are great and will make you amazing cocktails. The dessert menu is also pretty good. Except for the slower service it was pretty good! The fries are great!

Richard O.

Yelp
Mateo is very consistent. The service starts when you enter and continues throughout your stay. The menu is excellent and the food is delicious.

Sai S.

Yelp
Hey maybe I just don't like "french" food but this was really bland. I wouldn't go here and spend my money again. Where told 2-3 dishes where missing as well at lunch. Disappointing.

Charlotte W.

Yelp
Have had wonderful takeout experiences before but this time dining in with my family was below sub-par. Upon sitting down the hostess spilled water all over me and my jacket as she tried to balance 4 glasses for our table (also we were the only table who had mason jars? Everyone else had professional glassware). Our waiter was extremely hard to track down and only let half the table order drinks and didn't refill waters. Overall vibe of the staff was unprofessional. In order to get extra silverware or dipping sauces, we had to notify the servers at least twice. At the end of our meal the waitress threw our check down before plates were cleared. Weird

Colette C.

Yelp
They have started offering Sunday brunch and breakfast again. The food was excellent and the service was outstanding! The hollandaise sauce was some of the best we've ever had and the shrimp and grits were terrific. Although I usually use cream in my coffee, this coffee is best black! We'll be back!!

Z B.

Yelp
Love Mateo! So good. Delicious food, good pricing, super high end service if you get Griffin, the sommelier - he raises this place to the next level! Mateo's been a solid staple of delicious french-inspired cuisine in Boulder for many years. Wonderful place for date night, friend night, or even just brining a book to the bar while you enjoy a delicious burger. I highly recommend.

Alex B.

Yelp
We got seated quickly on the patio, but when we try to order we were told "our supplier left us high and dry today" so many of the appy and entree items weren't avaialble. The same with the beer choices. As another reviewer mentioned the paper menus were covered in grease. The outdoor seating was great until a tarp on top of the pergola dumped a bunch of water right in the middle of our table. Thankfully a couple that was getting ready to leave let us take their table away from the drip zone. Service was good for our shared appy and first entree. 20 minutes after we finished the entree the server asked us if there was anything else she could get us, and we had to remind here we were still waiting for our second entree. At the end of the meal the maître d' finally came over to apologize for the missing menu, items and water spilling on the table and told us he had to leave, but that the staff will take care of us. We thought maybe a comped dessert but instead were brought the full bill. We are locals and have eaten at Mateo before but will be avoiding it in the future until we hear things have changed

Ali F.

Yelp
Being one of only three restaurants in Boulder that accepts reservations for brunch, we should have been wary to begin with. My best friend got married last Saturday, and again, as this was one of the only places we would be guaranteed to have brunch, we chose this as our starting point for wedding day. We had reservations for 6- the bride and bridal party, and the mother of the bride. The menu looked amazing, the atmosphere was chic and classy, and it seemed like a great place to start our day before getting hair and makeup done for the wedding. There's a reason they take reservations. It's because it is a terrible restaurant and they're trying to get people in the door. We walked in for our 10 AM reservation and were sat, but completely ignored until about 10:15. There was water at the table, and about 3 other tables in the entire restaurant, yet we waited a solid 15 minutes before the gossiping bartenders noticed that we were there and managed to wrangle a frazzled server over to our table. The server was CLEARLY very new. She spoke quietly, didn't know the menu, and disappeared for long stretches with no explanation. We were told they were out of pancakes (after the bride had ordered pancakes 10 minutes earlier) at 10 AM AT A BREAKFAST PLACE, only to be tole 10 more minutes later that "she was mistaken" and they did indeed have pancakes. Everyone was disappointed in their food- for a French restaurant, their croquet madam was basically a thick grilled cheese, and when asked for additional mornay sauce (which is on the sandwich), we were told that they didn't have any extra because all of the sandwiches are pre-made. This was a crappy place to start a wedding day- oblivious server, indifferent staff, mediocre food that was largely cold. I'm surprised this place has lasted this long in Boulder, and I doubt it will last much longer.

Ken H.

Yelp
I'm not sure what the attraction is, we ordered wine and appetizers with some out of town friends. I could have eaten the entire cheese/meat plate and gone on to have dinner. Small pours, small portions. There's better out there in town. Sorry guys, ya missed the boat here. Ken Hutchison 720-425-2407

Paris W.

Yelp
This review could be summed up in three words: Epic. Happy. Hour. In both quality and quantity, I've never encountered better. The menu is extensive in terms of options, and the portions are generous. Often happy hours are a choice between little pre-dinner nibbles, drink specials, or discounted entree portions. Mateo delivers all three deliciously - from olives and nuts, and a well-portioned charcuterie plate to a mouth-watering burger and frites to die for. We were in town with our eighteen year old daughter. So, the icing on the cake was that Mateo's is welcoming to kids. So, our whole family was able to enjoy their spectacular happy hour. Now we need to go back for dinner!

Michael M.

Yelp
I can't say enough great things about this restaurant. Everything from the moment we walked in to the time we walked out the most friendliest staff I've ever met. Donnie the general manager was by far the best guy ever. If I have anything to suggest the cauliflower soup and the risotto was epic. Don't forget to order the bananas Foster's with the homemade ice cream. He will not be disappointed.

Jessie May K.

Yelp
We were seated at 6:20 pm. Didn't get our dinner until 7:50 pm. My risotto was flavorless, salad was ok but nothing worth noting, and my husband's burger, while cooked as requested, was a weird chewy texture. Service was attentive so that's what the 2 stars are for, but probably won't be back. For the price of our dinner, I wish we would have gone to Oak.

Scott J.

Yelp
Very very sad that one of Boulders best has gone downhill in every respect. We were there to celebrate a double B-day - the apps arrived without incidence, and the mussels and charcuterie were very good. Then my daughter asked for a cup of coffee and the our server said that the coffee was "luke warm" and offered some hot water with lemon as a replacement. Two of the six dinners were the steak frites ordered rare and medium rare respectively. Not even close regarding the temperature, and the cut of meat was sub grade ???? mystery steak. The steak lacked any grill marks and showed up all curled up, probably thrown on the flat top with a bacon weight. Basically inedible. Then the server tried to take a half eaten plate of food off the table twice, felt very rushed. Lastly, we ordered two lava cakes for dessert and 15 minutes later the server brought out one lava cake and one Keylime pie. She explained the kitchen screwed up and it would take another 10 for the right order.... no thank you on the Keylime pie. Worse $300.00 plus dinner I have ever had in Boulder.

Karen H.

Yelp
WOW! What happened?! This place use to be great. The staff turnover is difficult. They do not know the wines. Worse, my risotto was inedible. We left the dessert. How do you mess up brownies? The owner was sitting next to us, SOS, you are drowning.

E G.

Yelp
We've consistently supported this establishment through Covid. The summer patio is lovely. The inside ambiance is enjoyable too and a local scene. The menu doesn't vary much and if you don't eat meat it's quite limited. There are 4 red wines by the glass and the beer menu I'd give a 1-star. Despite the limited options for food and beer they've been out of staple ingredients for the entree a few times and out of 1 of 3 beers since last summer. The service has been good most times though the last year but this last time we were unimpressed overall. We will continue to go back but will take a break for a while and hope they come back to the quality of service and freshness of the food that we've experienced in the past (and during Covid).

Kristen R.

Yelp
Went here for the first time last week for my parents anniversary. The waitstaff were all very nice, the menu is a little limited but the food is decent. Having said that, we waited 40 minutes for our entrees while watching 3 tables who sat after us get their food. It was very warm that day (98 degrees) and while I'm sure they had their a/c on, we were all sweating. Add that to waiting an extraordinary long time for our food and, needless to say, we were all getting a bit cranky. They cram a lot of tables into a small space so that effected the perceived stuffiness of the restaurant. Finally, a lady, who we assumed was either the owner or manager, spent a good 30-35 minutes sitting and chatting with the couple next to us, obviously regulars and friends. While it's great she has such a good relationship with this couple, it reflected poorly on her neglecting any other table or issue that occurs constantly is running a restaurant. Plus, she was very loud; not sure if she was drunk or just her personality. Regardless, it was a less than stellar experience from that standpoint. Again, the food is good, but won't be going back anytime soon.

Julie G.

Yelp
It had been years since I had been to Mateo and our recent visit didn't disappoint. It was a holiday celebration for my mom and I and it felt like it thanks to our wonderful server, Jack and his great suggestions. The food was fabulous - mussels were probably a bit on the spicy side for my mom, but we both still enjoyed immensely. The bourguignon was a perfect choice - guided by Jack's recommendation, cooked and seasoned perfectly. Although I wish our shared mussels and bourguignon would have come out staggered so we could have enjoyed both at their perfect temp, I know that's pretty common for a tapas style place and had I thought to ask I'm sure they would have accommodated. Jack introduced me to a wine that had us all talking about perfect pairings making the dinner even more fun and festive. Their specific take on a tiramisu was delightful albeit not typical. I highly recommend going to Mateo, and I hope we don't wait so long until we go there again ourselves.

Natasha S.

Yelp
Was visiting from out of town. Great meal!! Had the steak frites and a delicious glass of house red wine. Service was excellent

kelly M.

Yelp
Great food and service. The mussels are hard to resist. Variety of appetizers and wine.