Rise Woodfire Pizza & Rotisserie

Winner

Rotisserie chicken and prime rib slow roasted over wood-burning spitfire.

Rise Woodfire makes wood-fired cooking the common thread between pizza night and a rotisserie dinner. At the historic San Mateo train station, this family-owned restaurant offers pizzas, slow-roasted chicken, and prime rib, with sides that make it easy to build a shared meal. We like the combination because it gives a group several satisfying directions without losing a clear identity. A Margherita pizza can join a whole rotisserie chicken, while starters such as jalapeño cheddar cornbread, burrata, and wood-fired wings add variety to the table. Macaroni and cheese, vegetables, and sauces such as chimichurri or Peruvian aji offer ways to customize the spread. Homemade pies and signature cocktails extend the comfort-food theme. For downtown San Mateo dining, Rise's appeal is the warmth of familiar dishes brought together by the oven and spitfire.