Palo Alto Cafe — Restaurant in Palo Alto

Yesterday was my first visit, but I've driven by often. The thing I always notice is how CROWDED (read: busy) the café is, which generally speaks well of a restaurant.

When my friends and I entered, I was surprised to see no lines, so we were able to order right away. As we were only there for drinks, I wasn't able to sample anything off their food menu, but the pastries (scones, cookies) looked tasty, and their sandwiches sounded good.

As to their beverages, they have an assortment of coffees (hot and cold), teas (same), smoothies, and fraps. What we had was good old iced tea. We were given a choice of with or without lemon. I opted for the lemon slice, then took my tea to the side to fix it. I was surprised to find the tea was already somewhat sweet. Usually, I need four or five stevia sweeteners, but I only needed two yellow packets. And, can I just say, that was probably the best iced tea I've had in a LONG time? Honestly. I didn't think to ask what blend of tea or whether it was freshly brewed, but it was tasty, perfectly blended for iced tea, and the lemon slice added just that perfect spritz of citrus tang. Their tea hit the spot.

As to prices, well, we're talking about Palo Alto, so prices are usually higher than in, say, Mt. View, but you have to remember: Palo Alto rent is NO joke, so prices will be higher to accommodate skyrocketing city rent. As it was, for us, three iced teas (not terribly large, just average) cost, total, $8.99. So, three bucks for an average-sized iced tea? Well, I wouldn't make a habit out of it, but once in a while--absolutely because, as I said, it was GOOD tea.

As to the service: quick, friendly, and with a smile. I've worked in such an environment before. As packed as it was, staff is usually flagging, having dealt with all sorts of customers (generally rude, dissatisfied, and in a hurry), but the woman who greeted us (didn't catch her name) had a big smile on her face when she greeted us. She gave us a moment to decide, took our orders, asked if we wanted lemon, quickly whipped up our teas, and served us, directing us to the straws and sweeteners.

All in all, it was a good first visit, and I was satisfied with everything, start to finish. Even just sitting outside to enjoy our teas over conversation was pleasant.

My only criticism would be with the straws. They utilize the paper straws, which, to me, are laughably absurd because they force you to drink quickly lest your straw get soggy and unable to last for any duration. Which, unfortunately, was what happened to me: I wanted to drink at a leisurely pace and was met with a soggy straw that wouldn't allow me to finish my drink unless I opened the lid and drank without it, which is what I was forced to do. I prefer drinking from a straw but had no other option since I wanted to finish my beverage.

Still, good visit. I recommend this café and look forward...

OK, why would I give the Palo Alto Cafe 5 stars? I mean coffee is coffee right? Sure. And coffee taste is an individual thing. At PA Cafe the roasts tend to be on the dark side. I like that. Maybe you will too. In fact, I really like the decaf as they manage to make a very full bodied and flavorful one. Not everyone does (Starbucks decaf is sorta yuck I think).

But I don't give the 5 stars just for the coffee. The service here is also good with regulars always working the bar. I like how they do a latte, just the right amount of foam (ok that's also individual preference) and not to hot (ditto). They are also agreeable to making your order the way YOU want it - half calf, non-fat latte for me.

The reason I give PA Cafe 5 stars is for the neighborhood ambiance. In my experience there is no where else in the PA, MP, MV area where you find locals who happily greet one another (and you after a few visits), are eager to chat, may read you some poetry, or ask about your family and are actually interested. Its a home away from home. Compare this to the uppity scene at most mid-penn places (Borrone for instance) and you will see why the PA Cafe is special and worthy of 5 stars.

On the other hand, if you don't care about that sort of thing, then you will find the same faceless experience at the nearby Starbucks that you do at any Starbucks anywhere in the world. To each...

You can tell when you walk in that this is a well-established fixture in Palo Alto. The breakfast menu is limited, but the food is made fresh and the ingredients were whole and healthy. And the coffee is very good, which makes sense since they advertise coffee from around the world and have a big roaster sitting off to the side.

The veggie omelet had a good number of veggies and was accompanied by a bagel and a cup of fruit. Although I was hungry I couldn't finish it all. They are generous with the coffee, and I also needed a to go cup for that. The seasoning on the omelet was pretty tame, but they provide salt and pepper, along with Tapatio got sauce to spice it up for those who like a little more flavor.

The counter service was courteous, and attentive, and our orders...