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San Mateo’s beer hall-inspired restaurant Wursthall, co-founded by renowned cookbook author J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, announced Monday that it will permanently close Sept. 27. Wursthall has been in the downtown area since 2018, but according to co-owner Xian Choy, “the concept has kind of run its course.” He cited both a post-pandemic decrease in foot traffic in downtown San Mateo and a national trend toward lower alcohol consumption.
“We’ve noticed that people don’t hang out and drink beer quite as much as they used to, and it’s just hard to make the numbers work long term,” Choy said.
The current primary owners of Wursthall, Choy and Tyson Mao, had asked for a rent reduction and were not able to come to a lease agreement with the building’s owner, Choy said. The new tenant will likely be turning the space into a Korean restaurant, according to Choy.
Founders Lopez-Alt and Adam Simpson are no longer part of the ownership team, with Lopez-Alt stepping away from the business after moving to Seattle in 2022. The bierhaus offers a variety of bratwurst and beers, German specialties such as chicken schnitzel and a few fusion options, including a quesadilla made with sauerkraut and mustardy hot sauce.
As for Wunderbar, the cocktail bar located within Wursthall’s basement that opened in late 2021, it’s likely staying. Choy and Mao hope to sublease from the new tenants and keep Wunderbar alive and nearly identical to what it is now.
“We’re not over the finish line with that, but we’re close,” Choy said.
Wursthall will not be hosting a goodbye party, and nothing from a customer’s perspective should change in the last four weeks, according to Choy.
“I think the big takeaway from this is that we’re really sad that we’re breaking up our staff,” he said. “A lot of them have been here since day one.”
Wursthall, 310 Baldwin Ave., San Mateo; 650-931-4282, Instagram: @wursthall. Open Tuesday to Thursday from 4:30-9 p.m., Friday from 3:30-9 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
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