38th Floor Bar

Awesome place! I had my husbands surprise birthday here last weekend. Greg and Zack took the best care of us. From the moment I emailed the bar to ask for help in planning I got a response right away from the owner Greg. He was so kind and helpful. Even with the heavy storm we were able to enjoy the night on their beautiful patio. I was able to buy drink tickets at a great price and all the staff were really kind to myself and my guests. The DJ was awesome and played great music. The bathrooms were also really clean which you don’t get often. I highly recommend this place and I wouldn’t if I didn’t honestly feel they are that great!

Drink was watered down and bland
When the owner, who was bartending, asked me if I liked my drink I told him my honest opinion and he just turned around and walked away. This place may have been featured on the tv show «Bar Rescue» but what this bar really needs to be rescued from is that attitude and poor mixing skills of the owner.

If you’re on the Peninsula, this bar/​lounge is somewhere you SHOULDN’T go. First off, I came here with friends and family for a graduation party to get kicked out 2 hours later… The owner of 38^th floor was being super rude to my cousin who was waiting to use the bathroom because he thought my cousin had said something to him, which was not the case. That night ended as fast as it started…
So I go back to 38^th floor bar two weekends after with a different group of people but the owner remembered my cousins face from that night… Before we all got there, he deliberately went on the microphone and told security guards in the lounge to watch out for her and my cousins, and that any wrong move they make they were going to get kicked out… Not to mention that one of the security guards refused to let me in using the excuse that my ID didn’t look like me, like seriously? Never have I had the problem of getting into any bar, lounge with my ID… I truly feel like the owner is racist and discriminated against us, so In result of that I will make sure NONE of my family or friends support that business EVER again…
And lastly, Mandala before it was 38^th floor was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much better. DONT GO HERE IF YOUR LIFE DEPENDED ON IT, YOU’RE BETTER OFF AT THE IRISH PUB RIGHT NEXT DOOR… And their MUSIC sucks!!!

I’m obsessed w Jon Taffer & Bar Rescue, so had to check out 38^th Floor after watching the episode. Small, dark & trying a little too hard to be swanky inside. The owner was bartending on a quiet week night. He was super friendly, warm & engaging (even shaking 2 cocktails at once w a smile)! Ordered a cocktail, the Transamerican something. Elderflower, vodka, grapefruit. Well balanced, a little small, $ 12 ($ 10 during happy hour). Glad I stopped in, you can tell the owner takes pride in the place & service. But was just missing that special something that makes you want to come back to a bar.

This place is tricky. One night I went they had no issues with my outfit (I dress cozy) and one night I was with 6 gorgeous ladies and they were tripping on my hoodie and said no entry. I didn’t drop my nightlife status on them but still? I mean, do I look like a gangster? No. Also I don’t know what happened but the old — bad crowd is back. Place needs some general direction from someone that knows how to run a 650 area code venue. They need a proper ent director too. Music was silly.

If you live on the peninsula, this is the perfect SF experience without having to go to SF. The 38^th Floor Bar has ambiance, good music and great drinks. The menu options are bountiful and you won’t go wrong with any of them. (Trust me, I went down the list.) It’s perfect for girls night, boys night or date night with ample indoor seating or outdoor seating on the heated patio.
DJ’s are top notch with an ongoing rotation of people on the wheels of steel so you can come back multiple times for a unique experience.
Greg (owner) has an on point crew where drinks are made fast, service is friendly and you won’t go home broke. Well, maybe you will because they are that good. But that’s on you, amigo.
The crowd is always friendly and people are chill and definitely have a good time — even parking isn’t an issue.
If I have to give 38^th Floor a «ding», it’s due to limited dance floor space — such that there really isn’t any. But people who need to shake what their mother gave them find a way, so it’s all good.
As far as the bar scene goes, 38^th Floor is definitely at the top. (Pun intended, deal with it!).

Nice décor and even better smoker-​friendly open back room.
Unfortunately the service was atrocious. My experience was ruined by one person only: the bartender. He was so unfriendly from the second we walked through the door. No smile, no effort to crest any sense of welcoming. Seriously aggressive demeanor and unprofessional towards his patrons. He also kept running to the decks to tell the DJs to change the genre or turn down the volume right when they would gain momentum. Too bad. Lots of potential for this bar but greatly lacking in the hospitality department. Maybe hire and properly train a staff with some personality.

DO NOT GO HERE FOR A GOOD TIME. My friend and I decided to stop by for a drink. My friend had a query about the change he was given, the bartender was rude, and short with us both. After a few minutes of questioning his change he told us to leave and threatened to call his «people». We felt very threatened and intimidated. This is not how guests at an establishment should be treated. Go to the swinging door, better music, better setting, much nicer staff.

Horrible service. Weak drinks. I asked for a martini with vodka and a liqueur. It was the same as one of their menu drinks without the soda water so the bartender told me my drink was going to be short (as in less than full). Really??? Manager had a major attitude and tried to shut down the bar early because he wanted to go home. Overall just stay away.

I’ve had good AND bad memories at the old Mandala Lounge, but will always have a soft spot for it. I was looking for a place to meet up with a couple friends for an early birthday celebration. I decided on 38^th Lounge for old times sake, and to check it out after the revamp!
I love what they did with the space to show scenes of SF. The new cocktail menu looked great too. And I enjoyed talking to the bartender as well, who i told I hadn’t been there since spring 2012, making me feel a little old! I enjoyed my refreshing raspberry Ketel One cocktail.
I’m sure there’s a lot of ladies who miss Adam from his Mandala days, have no fear ladies, he occasionally guest bartends there. Good music and they still kept the great patio. It can get a little stuffy in there though. Parking can be a little right here but 38^th Floor Bar is still a great option for a lounge in San Mateo.

We were in the Cupertino area and had always talked about trying to go to some Bar Rescue bars, the old cliché that most people do that go to the places that have been ‘rescued.’
Being a Thursday night there weren’t many people there but I wouldn’t say they were dead. The first thing I noticed was how clean and crisp this place was. I’ve read a lot of reviews about places that have been rescued before and the owners and employees go right back to their old ways but this place is doing very well. The outdoor area is very snazzy and a great place to kick back.
It seems as though not much has changed from the show which is awesome. The theme is great in my book and the LCDs behind the bar are a great addition to immerse you in that theme.
I’d say the only bad thing about this place from what I saw was the location, this area at night especially on Thursday when it wasn’t as busy doesn’t exactly boast safety. Overall though a great place and would come again!

I’ve never been here when it was Mandala Lounge… But hey I’m a huge fan of Bar Rescue, so when my sister mentioned she wanted to check this place out after her birthday dinner, we were all for it!
There was sixteen of us on a Friday night, we got here and found an almost empty bar (there were three other groups there)… We all had high expectations considering it was featured on a bar renovation show! Anyway, the décor is «city themed» and they have several screen of SF live stream I guess. Nice touch, but this place is a lot smaller than we thought. Also don’t let the name fool you… it is NOT on the 38^th floor! We also asked them how much a bottle was since we planned on staying for awhile, but they were charging almost $ 300 for a bottle of Henn… Uhmmm??? yea no thanks!!!
PROS:
+ good music
+ decent price drinks/​shots (it was $ 9, unless the bartender was just flirting with my friend and hooked it up) haha
+ Outside patio seating with comfortable seats.
Overall, 38^th Floor fell short of our expectations. One of the first thing I said when we walked in was «They should have hookah here»… since it was so dead on the Friday night and it would’ve been nice to chill, drink, and have hookah specially in the patio area. Maybe they will in the future, but for now I don’t plan on returning any time soon, or would I further recommend it to my friends.

I have to give the new 38^th floor bar a 1 star. I guess its mainly because Mandalay Lounge used to be my local bar, and went you went in, everyone knew your name. Sort of a cheers. Now, to Greg and his new bartenders, you are just dollar signs the minute u walk in the door. They automatically give u a $ 20 tab on a soda, don’t allow customers to sit on the outside couches, and don’t serve hookah. Yes, they have matching costumes, and Greg does a great job of making small talk with everyone, but in the end, they lost all their hospitality. If you’re looking for a bar in the area go next door, to Swinging door

I’ve been there twice since the bar rescue show. Which was what they needed, I work at in the building on corner of 25^th & would refuse to go in there before. The first time I went there it was a lot of fun, bartenders were nice, good change of pace for them.
The second time i went was after work, we got there a little early– right when they opened. Bartender was nice. We migrated to the back patio as it got a little darker, the owner offered to turn on the heat lamps, and come to find out they were out of propane tanks. He seemed irritated, and stormed out of the bar to go buy some. It was Friday night so, luckily we went early enough so he had time to go get some before their Friday night rush came in. The bartender in the mean time came back to check on us, and apologize, which we didn’t make it a big deal to begin with, but I felt like he was apologizing for the owners attitude.
I would definitely go back and try it again. Hopefully the owner will have updated his *must have at all times check list* so he doesn’t get so worked up right before his busy weekend lol

Beer drinkers will be disappointed. Nothing on tap and all crappy bottle selections with nothing local.
Disappointing.
On the plus side, the renovation was nice, and the bartenders seem to know how to make drinks.
I still can’t get over how they have nothing on tap and all crap beers in bottles… seriously, I’ve seen better selections on airplanes.
If you are a beer drinker, this is a 1 star place.

38^th Floor is such a nice upgrade from Mandala Lounge! I had visited Mandala Lounge a handful of times before & last night decided to try the upgraded & new version of the bar, & let me tell you I was not disappointed!
Arrived just before 10 on a Saturday night to a relatively crowded bar. My friend & I were able to grab seats at the bar right in front of the menu. We tried several drinks: The Marina Green, the Top Floor & Golden Date. All were great, but I enjoyed the Marina Green & Top Floor the most.
Bartenders are super friendly & made us a couple of drinks of their own creation that were just as good.
My only complaint are the prices of the drinks. 12 $ for some? It’s like you are at a bar in SF but you’re only in SM! They are really sticking with the whole SF theme in that sense as well.
Overall, good drinks, friendly staff & great ambiance but be prepared to spend a lot!

I’ve never been to the old Mandala Lounge but 38^th caught my eye on Unilocal because of the Bar Rescue renovation.
I came here one night to meet up with my friends. I was early but went in to see if anyone was there before me. First thing I noticed was all the swanky people, and I felt super underdressed in my flannel and flip flops haha. I ended up going next door with my friends first then came back here later at night.
The crowd was significantly younger later in the night! Bouncers also stand outside for ID check later — they’re friendly and my friends talked to them for awhile. The drinks were expensive but definitely lived up to the price because they were so strong. I don’t think they had any beers on tap, just bottles or cans, unless I missed something.
Overall, not really my type of bar but it’s definitely new, modern and bumpin’. I didn’t get to check out outside but it sounded busy!

Very nice bar (particularly for the neighborhood). The bartender/​owner was very accommodating to make my wife a custom «mocktail» with ginger and mint which she enjoyed. My G&T was also quite good. Nice ambiance in the front and the back area is great to hang-​out in. I don’t go to a lot of bars but I could see myself returning to this place.
We were lucky to try this place out the night before it is featured on the TV show «Bar Rescue» (you can read about it on the bar’s website). I wish the owner lots of success.

Dragged a bunch of my friends here right when it opened to avoid the crowds and check out our first ever «Bar Rescue» bar. This place is clean, comfy and the outdoor area offers more room if you feel cramped by the inside.
We sat at the bar and were greeted by the owner himself who made our drinks efficiently and offered some suggestions. We mentioned the show and he was open to talking about it. He’s a chill guy and I’m glad we had the chance to meet him.
We don’t go to bars very often, so I don’t have much to compare this place to, but we had fun. BOGO free drink with Unilocal check-​in is a great deal that will only last as long as they have Pinnacle vodka so make use of that deal soon!
Bar Rescue Premier Party will be April 12^th! Wish I could go, but I don’t live in town anymore.

The old mandala lounge…
The newly remodeled 38^th floor is remodeled and more of a city vibe.
All up to date even the back patio has nice lounge chairs.
Shots are $ 12 (ridiculously expensive)
Everyone is really friendly!
Not somewhere I go to much because there not much around the area.
I’ve noticed it mainly attracts the older crowd.

This place is awesome! Drinks, bartenders, music, the vibe …
They recently subjected themselves to the cigars of Bar Rescue and made a 180 degree turnaround. It really paid off. Watch them on Bar Rescue on March 29^th.