Starbird

About Starbird

Starbird is a fast-casual chain built around crispy chicken. Its Palo Alto restaurant is at 2515 El Camino Real, Suite 102. The company was founded in 2016 with the goal of reinventing the traditional fast food experience. It was created through a collaboration between Aaron Noveshen and The Culinary Edge. It now has locations across California plus a few in Colorado, Illinois and Washington. Most are in the Bay Area.

The brand's pitch is that fried chicken can be lighter and more interesting than the usual fast food version. Starbird says it uses all-natural chicken that is never frozen and raised without antibiotics. Each piece is hand-breaded in a secret blend of gluten-free flour and spices and fried to order. Vegetables are hand-chopped, roasted and pickled in house. The kitchen makes 11 sauces from scratch every day.

What is on the menu

The menu is split into tenders, sandwiches, salads, wraps, nuggets, wings, sides, sauces, drinks, treats and a kids menu. Some of the regular items:

• Tenders: classic with your choice of house sauces, Nashville hot with pickles and Greek yogurt ranch, lemon garlic and sweet Thai glazed. Most are marked gluten-free.
• Sandwiches: the Big Star with tomato, lettuce, pickles and Star Sauce, the Starbird 2.0 with avocado mash and pickled red onion, the Nashville HotBird and a barbecue bacon sandwich.
• Salads: a chicken chop salad with avocado, corn and cotija, an elote chop salad, a Thai chicken salad and a crispy chicken Caesar.
• Wraps: the same salads rolled into grilled flour tortillas, added for summer 2026.

Limited-time items rotate through. Recent ones include a Honey Chili Crisp sandwich and tenders with ginger aioli and a Honey Crunch salad and wrap. Grilled chicken, called Charbird, can stand in for the crispy chicken on salads and sandwiches. A lettuce wrap can replace the bun. Menus change often, so check the online menu for current items.

Gluten-free and plant-based options

Because the breading uses gluten-free flour, many tenders and salads carry a GF label. Starbird calls the breading gluten-friendly rather than certified gluten-free. Sandwiches and wraps also come on brioche buns and flour tortillas. People with celiac disease should review the nutrition and allergy information on Starbird's website before ordering. For vegetarians, Gardenbird is a crispy plant-based protein that can replace the chicken in any menu item. There are also Gardenbird tenders and a Gardenbird sandwich.

Ordering and catering

You can order at the counter, order ahead online for pickup or get delivery through Starbird's own ordering site and third-party partners. The Palo Alto location page links directly to online orders and to catering. A loyalty program gives a $10 reward after your first order when you sign up.

Catering covers boxed meals for one, such as a tender box, nugget box, salad box or sandwich box. Larger platters and packages serve 8 to 15 people with sandwiches, tenders, a chop salad and kettle chips. The Hen House package combines all three for a bigger group. Starbird also lists a fundraising program on its website.

Who it suits

Starbird is built for quick, casual meals. A tender box or sandwich is quick enough for a work lunch, while the chop salads and wraps give lighter choices. Families can mix kids meals, nuggets and fries with something spicier for the adults. Groups with a vegetarian can swap Gardenbird into any menu item. The many GF-marked items help diners avoiding gluten, with the caution noted above.

Tips for visiting

The Palo Alto Starbird is open from 10:30 a.m. every day, until 10 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 9 p.m. on Sunday. The long hours make it an easy quick dinner on El Camino Real. It suits a fast lunch, a family meal with picky eaters or a team order. For more inexpensive meals around town, see our cheap eats guide. Our food and drink hub covers the bigger picture. Our vegetarian and vegan guide lists more meat-free options.

Location and getting there

Starbird is at 2515 El Camino Real, Suite 102, Palo Alto, CA 94306, in the California Avenue area of Palo Alto. Our California Avenue guide covers what else is around.

The nearest train stop is the California Avenue Caltrain station, about 0.3 miles away. That is roughly a 8 minute walk.

Parking: street spaces and city garages with posted limits (see parking in Palo Alto).

Hours

Hours from the business's own website, checked October 29, 2026.

What is nearby

• Fambrini's Cafe, cafe, under 0.1 mi
• BMO Palo Alto, service business, under 0.1 mi
• Citibank El Camino Real, service business, under 0.1 mi
• WilmerHale, firm, under 0.1 mi
• Wells Fargo California Avenue, service business, under 0.1 mi
• College Terrace Library, 0.2 mi
• Bowden Park, 0.4 mi
• Peers Park, 0.5 mi

Other restaurants nearby: La Bodeguita Del Medio (under 0.1 mi); Izzy's Brooklyn Bagels (under 0.1 mi); Namaste (under 0.1 mi); Ramen Kowa (under 0.1 mi). Browse the full restaurants list.

Before you go

• Popular dinner spots in Palo Alto fill up on Friday and Saturday nights, so book ahead where the restaurant takes reservations.
• Many kitchens close earlier than in big cities. Plan to order by about 9 p.m. on weeknights unless the posted hours say otherwise.
• If you have allergies or dietary needs, call ahead or check the current menu on the restaurant's website.

About this listing

Checked October 29, 2026 against Starbird Palo Alto location page; About Starbird; Menu; Catering. How our listings work. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

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