Burlingame
Burlingame is a city of 31,000 people (2020) in California's Bay Area on the Peninsula. This suburb of San Francisco is known for its numerous eucalyptus groves, and walkable downtown area.
Understand
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Burlingame is found north of San Mateo and south of Millbrae and the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) along US Highway 101. It is home to 11 airport hotels, all within roughly a ten-minute drive from SFO. These hotels often host smaller conferences and conventions. The town's proximity to SFO and the concentration of airport hotels have made the city a frequent airline crew layover location. One doesn't encounter quite the airline crew layover scene like Narita's, but it's present.
Three areas within Burlingame will be of greatest interest to visitors.
- The Bayshore Area: Hotels and a handful of restaurants along the shore of San Francisco Bay.
- Broadway: The quaint older section of town. Interesting shops and family owned restaurants. Immediately off of US-101.
- Burlingame Avenue: The more commercial side of town, with high end shopping and a variety of dining options
Local information
- Burlingame City Council website
Get in
By car
From US Highway 101 north or south bound exit Broadway Burlingame (Exit 419B). From US101 north bound, exit Anza Boulevard (Exit 419A) for direct access to hotels and amenities on Airport Blvd. From Interstate 280 exit Trousdale Drive (Exit 40).
By bus
SamTrans serves travelers visiting Burlingame with their 292 bus line. The 292 connects Burlingame to San Francisco Airport with a stop at the Millbrae BART & Caltrain Stations. Travel time from SFO to Burlingame can vary from 15-25 minutes depending on the time of day and traffic.
By train
Caltrain serves two stops: Burlingame and Broadway. Peak service times can offer trains as frequent as every 20 minutes. Off peak hours may be served as infrequently as every hour.
- 1 Burlingame station, 290 California Drive. Immediately adjacent to downtown-like Burlingame Avenue.
- 2 Broadway station, 1190 California Drive. Weekend and holiday service only.
Metered parking spaces for private vehicles are usually available at both stations.
Caltrain connects to BART at "Millbrae" station, about three miles (5 km) north of Burlingame.
By air
San Francisco International Airport (SFO IATA) is ten minutes north of Burlingame along US-101.
Downtown Burlingame (intersection of Burlingame Ave and Lorton Ave) is a 10-minute ($25-35) taxi ride from San Francisco International Airport.
Get around
Having a car or bicycle is most convenient. Due to Burlingame being bisected by US101, visitors staying in one of the airport hotels may find themselves feeling slightly sequestered from much of the town's offerings. Even so, Burlingame is fairly easily accessed on foot if one takes advantage of the SamTrans 292 bus. Pedestrian–friendly features and good weather for most of the year make getting around safe and easy.
By car
- Metered and street parking is available throughout most of Burlingame. Most meters allow for credit card payments.
- Railroad level crossings for the Caltrain line: Drivers should take care as signage and traffic signals are not always clear, and even locals are frequently confused. Motorists can easily find themselves inadvertently stopped on the railroad tracks. The intersection and level crossing at Broadway, California, and Carolan Ave is especially prone to this problem and is considered the most dangerous along the entire Caltrain line. Frequent traffic enforcement operations occur at this location, and motorists can be issued a ticket in excess of $400 for infractions.
By taxi or ride-share
Taxis have become less plentiful in Burlingame, although you may be able to find one in-front of bars and restaurants during the evening. Ride-share services such as Uber and Lyft are usually available within a few minutes of request. Understand that ride-share services charge more for trips to the airport.
By bus
SamTrans serves Burlingame with 2 bus lines. Both lines interface with the Millbrae BART and Caltrain Station a mile or two north of Burlingame. During peak weekday hours busses can run as frequently as every 20 minutes. Off-peak, the bus may only run once an hour.
- The 292 bus allow for an easy connection of the Marriott, Hyatt, Bay Landing, Holiday Inn Express, Hampton Inn, and Vagabond Hotels along Old Bayshore to the Broadway and Burlingame Ave commercial centers as well as SFO airport.
- The ECR bus follows El Camino Real north-south connecting Burlingame Avenue with Broadway and with the Burlingame Plaza Shopping Center.
On foot or bicycle
- The Bay Trail is an easy and pleasant way to walk from the northern most end of the Bayshore Area near the Bayfront Park, to the Southern most end near Coyote Point Recreation Area. It is only briefly interrupted near the intersection of Broadway, Old Bayshore and Airport Blvd.
- There is a pedestrian footbridge as well as an overpass with sidewalks and crosswalks over US101 which connects the Bayshore area to Broadway. Take care when crossing the street at either end as traffic moves quickly in a complicated set of intersections involving on and off ramps from the freeway.
- Cyclists can avail themselves of an expanding map of dedicated bike lanes throughout the town. Note that traffic exiting the freeway moves directly into residential and commercial streets, and may not slow to the posted speed limit as soon as they should. Take care when negotiating the US101 overpass.
- It may take 35 minutes or more to walk from a Bayshore or Airport Blvd located hotel to the Broadway commercial area.
- It is important to note that it may take 30 minutes or more to walk between the Broadway and Burlingame Ave commercial areas.
See
- Live Jazz. Live music, especially jazz can be found most nights in Burlingame. Max's restaurant and the Broadway Grill frequently feature music.
Do
- Bay Trail (along the San Francisco Bay). Walking path from the Bay Front Park, at the Millbrae/Burlingame border, to the Coyote Point Recreation Area, at the Burlingame/San Mateo border.
- 1 It's - It Ice Cream Factory Shop, 865 Burlway Rd, ☏ +18003451928. Factory shop of the regional favorite ice cream treat.
- 2 Robert E. Woolley State Park, 111 Anza Blvd. Small public park with great San Francisco Bay views adjacent to the Embassy Suites hotel. Easily accessible via the Bay Trail walking path. Limited parking.
- 3 Bayside Park, 1125 Airport Blvd. Park adjacent to the Bay Trail along Airport Blvd. Softball and soccer fields. Dog park adjacent. Limited parking.
- 4 Crystal Springs Regional Trail. Pleasant walk along the upper and lower Crystal Springs Reservoirs. More than 15 miles (24 km) of trails. Access is found at the top of Hillcrest Blvd in Millbrae.
- 5 Mills Canyon Park (Ed Taylor Loop Trail), 2938 Adeline Dr. Scenic loop trail in a lush river valley. Limited parking. Free.
Buy
Shoppers seeking high-end boutiques and galleries will find plenty along Burlingame Avenue. Of particular use to travelers see below.
- 1 The Luggage Center, 1200 Burlingame Ave, ☏ +1 650-477-2251. M-Sa 10AM-7PM, Su 10AM-6PM. Full–service luggage and travel–needs shop.
- 2 Walgreens, 1160 Broadway (along Old Bayshore & Airport Rd). M-Sa 7AM-10PM, Su 10AM-7PM. Easily accessible from airport hotels.
- 3 Burlingame Plaza Shopping Center, Plaza Ln. Shopping center with free parking, two grocery stores, liquor store, UPS store, dry cleaners, banks, hair salons, CVS pharmacy, and Starbucks.
- 4 Weimax Wines & Spirits, 1178 Broadway, ☏ +1 650-343-0182. Closed Sundays. Wine shop renowned in California for its selection of old and new world bottles, as well as a carefully curated offering of value wines that punch above their price point.
- 5 Burlingame Liquors, 1408 Broadway, ☏ +1 650-376-3210. Liquor store with a large selection of mass-market wines, beers, and spirits. Prices a bit higher than average. Open very late.
Eat
Bayshore Area
- 1 Kincaid's Bayhouse, 60 Bay View Pl, ☏ +1 650-342-9844. Offers fish, chops and steak. Nice view of San Francisco Bay and airplanes landing at SFO. Full bar. Pricey corporate-run restaurant.
- Gabriel & Daniel's Mexican Grill, 250 Anza Blvd (directly behind the DoubleTree hotel inside the Burlingame Park Department Pavillion), ☏ +1 650-629-5315. Tu-F noon-6PM, Sa noon-5PM. Mexican restaurant that serves the soccer fields. Popular with airline crew.
- 2 Max's of Burlingame, 1250 Old Bayshore Hwy (next to the Holiday Inn Express), ☏ +1 650-342-6297. Happy Hour M-F 3:30PM-6:30PM. Closes by 9PM most nights. Deli, diner & full bar.
- 3 Mr Teriyaki Sushi, 851 Burlway Rd #900, ☏ +1 650-697-8450. Japanese and Korean cooking. Large selection of sushi. Available for dine-in or take-out. Menu is pricey outside of the lunch specials.
Broadway
- Il Piccolo Cafe, 1219 Broadway Ave, ☏ +1 650-348-4147. This is a quaint neighborhood cafe in the Italian tradition. Offers coffee drinks, wine, beer and a small assortment of food. Café has a nice outside seating area in the front and the side alley.
- 4 Cafe Figaro, 1318 Broadway, ☏ +1 650-344-8277. Intimate Italian restaurant, open lunch and dinner. Reasonable prices, extensive menu choices, and a full bar. Friendly service, tasty filling food.
- 5 Ristorante Rocca, 1205 Broadway, ☏ +1 650-344-3900. Italian.
- 6 Royal Donut Cafe, 1165 Broadway, ☏ +16503483443. Closes 2PM. Mid-century diner. Popular with locals at breakfast. Donuts available as the name implies.
Burlingame Avenue
- 7 La Corneta Taqueria, 1123 Burlingame Ave, ☏ +1 650-340-1300. Su 10AM-9PM, M–Sa 10AM-10PM. Mexican. mains $7–22.
- 8 Stacks, 361 California Dr, ☏ +1 650-579-1384. Open for breakfast and lunch only. This restaurant serves fantastic, if expensive, breakfasts! Crêpes, frittatas, and Belgian waffles are their specialties.
- 9 Tea Plus Noodle, 1100 Howard Ave Unit D, ☏ +1 650-685-1698. Su closed, M–Sa 11AM–8PM. Inexpensive, authentic Vietnamese phở. mains $12–15.
- 10 Twelvemonth, 330 Lorton Ave, ☏ +1 650-443-7111. Tu-Sa 11:30AM-2PM and 5-9PM. Happy hour 2-5PM. Upscale vegetarian restaurant with creative dishes rivaling other top restaurants. Large outdoor lounge area serving drinks and small dishes. Frequented by local corporate office types on weekday afternoons and evenings. $30-50.
Drink
Nightlife is not impossible to find in Burlingame.
- 1 Max's Restaurant, 1250 Old Bayshore Hwy, ☏ +1 650-342-6297. Closes at 9PM. Full bar with live jazz from 6-9PM most nights. Happy Hour M-F 3:30-6:30PM. Popular with locals, travelers, and airline crew.
- 2 Behan's Irish Pub, 1327 Broadway, ☏ +1 650-344-0265. Closes by midnight or 2AM depending on businessN. Popular spot for locals and airline crew. Irish with an accent behind the bar. Beer garden in the back open until midnight. Jukebox.
- 3 Paddy Flynn's, 246 Lorton Ave, ☏ +1 650-344-0284. Irish bar. Open late. Jukebox.
- 4 American Bull Bar & Grill, 1819 El Camino Real, ☏ +1 650-652-4908. Closes by 9PM most nights.. Large sports bar with dozens of TVs and access to nearly any match or game on air. Small kitchen offers very reasonably priced appetizers and plates. Specialty beers on draft.
Sleep
- 1 Crowne Plaza San Francisco Airport, 1177 Airport Blvd, ☏ +1 650-342-9200, toll-free: +1-877-252-1558. Crowne Plaza SFO is 1 mile away from the San Francisco International Airport (SFO).
- 2 Embassy Suites - Airport, 150 Anza Blvd, ☏ +1 650-342-4600. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. All rooms include a living room and separate bedroom with wi-fi, flat screen TVs, coffeemaker, refrigerator, microwave and wet bar. Amenities include complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast, and evening reception, and free airport shuttle.
- 3 Holiday Inn Express, 1250 Bayshore Hwy, ☏ +1 650-347-2381.
- 4 San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront, 1800 Old Bayshore Highway, ☏ +1 650-692-9100, fax: +1 650-692-8016.
- 5 Vagabond Inn Executive Burlingame, 1640 Bayshore Highway, ☏ +1 650-692-4040, fax: +1 650-692-5314. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon.
Connect
- 1 Burlingame Public Library, 480 Primrose Rd, ☏ +16505587400. Public library with free public access computers with high speed internet. Library card not required to use most services. Dozens of current periodicals in a variety of languages. Photocopier. Small cafe on site with limited hours.
- United States Post Offices. M-F open until 5pm. Limited weekend hours.. Burlingame has 3 post office locations: Stanton Rd., Capuchino Rd. and Primrose Rd.
Cope
Nearly every service that a long term traveler might need is available in Burlingame. The exception is consular services, most of which can be easily accessed by travelers staying in Burlingame with a journey on BART to San Francisco.
- Printing, photocopying, notary, and passport photos can be found on Broadway.
- Places of worship can be found on the Burlingame Chamber of website.
- Foreign language periodicals and resources can be found at the Burlingame Public Library.
Stay safe
Burlingame is a very safe place, but commonsense should always be used.
- 2 Mills-Peninsula Hospital, 1501 Trousdale Dr, ☏ +16506965170. Hospital with 24-hr Emergency Room services.
- 3 Burlingame Police Department, 1111 Trousdale Dr, ☏ +1 650-777-4100. 24 hr.
Do not leave luggage or valuables in your parked car.
Burlingame, like much of the San Francisco Bay Area, has suffered a disproportionate level of auto break-ins. These burglaries are concentrated along Old Bayshore Hwy, & Airport Blvd due to their proximity to the freeway. Even if your hotel parking area is access controlled do not assume it is not a target for thieves.
Go next
- San Jose — Caltrain 101 South. About 40 to 70 minutes away by car.
- San Francisco — Caltrain or 101 North. About 15 to 30 minutes away by car.
| Routes through Burlingame |
| San Francisco ← Millbrae ← | N  S |
→ San Mateo → San Jose |
| San Francisco ← Millbrae ← | N  S |
→ San Mateo → San Jose |