Ada's Cafe — Restaurant in Palo Alto

I absolutely love Ada's Cafe for so many reasons! The atmosphere is cozy and welcoming, with charming homey decor that makes you feel right at ease. The food is consistently superb — fresh, flavorful, and thoughtfully prepared — and the service always exceeds expectations. The staff is kind, attentive, and genuinely caring. Everything is spotless and well-maintained, which adds to the overall experience.

We’ve been loyal customers for a long time, and I truly enjoy treating my family and friends to this special place. The prices are very affordable, and the staff is always happy to help you make the right choice — especially if you have dietary preferences. There are plenty of delicious vegetarian options, which I really appreciate. Also there are tables inside and outside and there are always fresh flowers on each table. It adds caring to the cafe vibe! 🌷❤️

I also really love the eco-conscious values Ada’s promotes — from offering free coffee grounds for organic gardening enthusiasts to the opportunity to purchase plants right at the cafe. I picked up three cherry tomato plants on my last visit, and now I’m eagerly waiting for the harvest!🍅

Most importantly, I deeply admire Ada’s mission of empowering and providing meaningful opportunities to employees with disabilities. It’s truly inspiring, and it makes supporting this wonderful cafe feel even more special.

I’d highly recommend Ada’s Cafe to anyone looking for a warm, delicious, and community-minded place to enjoy a great meal!

In my earlier review 4 months ago, I forgot to highlight one of Ada’s greatest strengths: no matter how busy it gets, every new customer is welcomed with such genuine attention that you instantly feel like royalty. That kind of care is rare, especially in a café located right next to the Palo Alto Library, where the mix of moms with kids, students, and older guests could easily make the place hectic. Instead, Ada’s makes everyone feel seen and appreciated—a true gift in our busy lives.

As for the food, the quality remains superb! This time we enjoyed our favorite mini frittata muffins along with new treats—gluten-free lemon bars and a plum coffee cake. Both sweets were beautifully served with a little container of whipped cream, a thoughtful touch. We paired everything with smooth decaf lattes and couldn’t have been happier.

If you’re looking for an oasis of warmth, kindness, and delicious food, take my advice: visit Ada’s Café. You’ll leave feeling both satisfied...

As others have said, this place is a gem. I've lived here all my life and we've never had a cafe in this park which I can walk to for my house; amazing. What's more of their pastries are quite good and I have both complaints about the coffee service either. They can be a little slow but it's for a good cause they employ adults with differing needs or other challenges. They're hot sandwiches on croissants look good, I'll try that next time. They have grab and go sandwiches which were great for taking to the park that's next to the building. It's also nice that you could take a study break from the library by just stepping outside. There are fresh flowers on all the tables outside resting in mason jars, and inside are clear cappuccino mugs hosting artfully planted succulents;I liked being able to see the layers of soil and rocky bits for drainage. There are cute pillows on the long half booth / bench seats. It's a place for the charming vibe which is pleasing enough already, and then one notices rule compostable draws lids spoons stir sticks, even the plastic cups and lids are ALL biodegradable (metal utensils available). I can't tell you how happy this makes me. And another thing.... They have chips and cookies and pastries, naturally, but what I did not necessarily expect was the healthy alternative snacks like GEM or another vitamin gummy snack substitute. Just standout. I often am overloaded by sugary options that just make me feel sick, that won't be a problem here though. So happy...

If y’all don’t know about Ada’s, y’all should — because they got one of the BEST coffees around town. They are locally sourced and get the most organic beans, and make the BEST pastries. And best of all, they are a 501(c)3 non-profit social enterprise running in the heart of Palo Alto. I work at Cubberley not far from Ada’s, so I have been coming by often and supporting.

A big shout out goes to Kathleen, the owner and founder of Ada’s Cafe — she’s absolutely humble and very caring at every customer. She goes above and beyond in support of not only the neurodivergent community, but also for the communities in need in Palo Alto.

I ordered a 16oz latte with whole milk on a Friday — and they honestly served it with SO much love and so much belonging. It truly felt like I was at home, but 10x better. The beans had flavor, and the whole milk wasn’t overly saturated. I also appreciated how much love and consideration they put in the croissant sandwich as well, because the ingredients were fresh and not too sweet or too salty at all.

It is located next to the Palo Alto Library, and they do close early at 4pm. There is limited indoor seating, but there is a variety of things you can choose from. I would definitely recommend supporting a local business like Ada’s and having your bestie brunch...