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Palo Alto's lunch culture runs on burgers and sandwiches. Office workers grab them between meetings, Stanford students carry them to campus and families order them at diners and counters on weekends. The range is wide: a charcoal burger stand that has fed the city since 1948, a soda fountain diner that dates to 1923, a fully plant-based restaurant, a Cuban rum bar with a Cubano and a kosher bagel bakery.
Every place below has a page in our business directory, confirmed as operating in October 2026 against its own website. Prices are not listed because they change. Menus change too, so we name dishes only where a restaurant lists them.
What to know
A few terms show up on Palo Alto menus:
- Steakburger. A burger made from ground steak. Kirk's uses the name for its charcoal-grilled patties.
- Plant-based. A patty made without meat. Some are branded products such as the Impossible Burger. Others are made in house.
- Cubano. A pressed sandwich of roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard.
- Panino. An Italian pressed sandwich. Panini is the plural.
- Lox. Cured salmon, the classic topping for a bagel with cream cheese.
Where to find them
Burgers and sandwiches are spread across the city. Downtown, the Palo Alto Creamery and The Patio are on Emerson Street and Sprout is on University Avenue. California Avenue has Izzy's Brooklyn Bagels and La Bodeguita del Medio. Midtown has Kirk's on Middlefield Road. El Camino Real has Starbird and Hobee's in the south and Town & Country Village across from Stanford, where Boichik Bagels, Howie's and Wildseed share a parking lot. Tootsies sits in the Stanford Barn on Welch Road.
Burgers
Kirk's Steakburgers, Middlefield Road
Kirk's traces its start to 1948, when founder Bill Sincere opened a small burger stand on El Camino Real. In New York he had liked street vendors who cooked burgers one at a time over charcoal and let customers add their own toppings. Kirk's still works that way. The Steakburger is a third of a pound. Signature burgers add toppings to the same charcoal-grilled base. The menu also covers hot dogs, sandwiches, salads, pizza by the slice and shakes, with a kids' menu and beer and wine. The family business also runs restaurants in Campbell and Santa Clara.
Palo Alto Creamery, 566 Emerson Street
The Palo Alto Creamery is a diner and soda fountain dating to 1923. Its own bakery makes the burger buns. Burgers are one third of a pound and include a cheeseburger, a California burger, the Atomic Burger and a veggie burger. Sandwiches include a turkey club, a Reuben, a BLT, grilled cheese and a Philly cheese steak. Gluten-free bread is available. It opens at 8 a.m. daily and serves breakfast all day.
The Patio, 412 Emerson Street
The Patio is a restaurant and sports bar named for its large outdoor seating area. Burgers and sandwiches make up a big part of the menu, including the Patio Burger, the Bourbon Street Burger, mix-and-match sliders, a Cuban-style pork sandwich and a Cajun fried shrimp sandwich. It opens at 11 a.m. daily and does not take reservations.
Hobee's, El Camino Real
Hobee's is a Bay Area breakfast and lunch chain dating to 1974. Lunch runs to burgers, sandwiches, power bowls and salads. It serves daytime hours only and is closed Monday.
Wildseed, Town & Country Village
Wildseed is fully plant-based, with no meat, dairy or eggs on the menu. It serves a veggie burger and, at lunch, a plant-based chicken sandwich. The menu marks dishes that contain gluten.
Sandwiches
Sprout, 168 University Avenue
Sprout is a salad and sandwich cafe. The sandwich side covers a burger, an Impossible Burger, a Rancher Steak sandwich, a salmon club, a Green Goddess and a turkey avocado. Most dishes carry labels for vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free choices. It takes online orders for pickup.
La Bodeguita del Medio, 463 South California Avenue
La Bodeguita is a Cuban-inspired restaurant and rum bar open since 1997. The Cubano leads its sandwich list. A separate small-plates menu during its afternoon social hours includes a shrimp po' boy and a black bean burger. It is closed Sunday and Monday.
Starbird, 2515 El Camino Real
Starbird is a Bay Area fast-casual chain founded in 2016. Its chicken is hand-breaded in a gluten-free flour blend and fried to order. Sandwiches include the Big Star and the Nashville HotBird. Grilled chicken or a plant-based protein called Gardenbird can replace the crispy chicken in any item.
Bagels and panini
- Izzy's Brooklyn Bagels, 477 South California Ave. A kosher bagel bakery with more than 30 kinds of bagels and lox sandwiches. Its Lox Gourmet Sandwich comes assembled or deconstructed. Open daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Boichik Bagels, Town & Country Village. New York style bagels with spreads, fish and salads for building a sandwich. Open daily from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Howie's Artisan Pizza, Town & Country Village. Sandwiches on house focaccia, among them a chicken parm, an Italian club and a tuna melt.
- Tootsies at the Stanford Barn, 700 Welch Road. Panini, a chicken sandwich on ciabatta and a Tootsies burger, weekdays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Dietary notes
| Need | Where to look |
|---|---|
| Vegan or vegetarian | Wildseed (all plant-based), Sprout (labeled), Starbird's Gardenbird, the Creamery's veggie burger |
| Gluten-free | Creamery gluten-free bread, Starbird's gluten-free breading (it calls it gluten-friendly), Sprout labels |
| Kosher | Izzy's Brooklyn Bagels, a kosher dairy bakery |
| Not for gluten-free diners | Bagel shops. Izzy's lists no gluten-free items. |
Starbird calls its breading gluten-friendly rather than certified gluten-free and its sandwiches and wraps come on brioche buns and flour tortillas, so people with celiac disease should check its allergy information before ordering. Ask any kitchen about cross contact if you have a serious allergy.
Ordering and timing
Almost none of these places needs a reservation. The Patio and Howie's both seat first come, first served. Kirk's, Starbird and the bagel shops are counter service. The busy window downtown is noon to 1 p.m. on weekdays, when offices empty out. Bagel shops are busiest on weekend mornings.
- Order ahead for groups. Sprout and Boichik take online orders. Starbird sells boxed meals and platters that suit a team lunch.
- Mind early closings. Izzy's closes at 3 p.m., Tootsies at 3 p.m. on weekdays and Boichik at 4:30 p.m.
- Go late for burgers. The Creamery stays open until 9 p.m. most nights and 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
For a picnic, pick up sandwiches and walk to a park. Our picnic spots guide and Rinconada Park page have ideas close to downtown.
Nearby in Menlo Park and Mountain View
The Palo Alto Creamery's own sister restaurants extend into both neighboring cities: Scratch on Castro Street in Mountain View and the British Bankers Club in Menlo Park. Both downtowns are a short drive or train ride away, with many more lunch counters along Castro Street and Santa Cruz Avenue. See our Mountain View and Menlo Park guides.
Good to know
- At Kirk's you add your own condiments to the burger.
- Hobee's and La Bodeguita are closed on Mondays.
- Downtown parking has posted time limits. See parking in Palo Alto.
- For more budget meals, see our cheap eats guide.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I get a burger in Palo Alto?
Kirk's Steakburgers on Middlefield Road has cooked burgers over an open charcoal flame since 1948. The Palo Alto Creamery on Emerson Street serves one-third pound burgers on house-made buns. The Patio on Emerson Street has a long burger and sandwich menu with outdoor seating.
Is there a veggie burger in Palo Alto?
Yes. Wildseed at Town & Country Village is fully plant-based and serves a veggie burger and a plant-based chicken sandwich. The Palo Alto Creamery has a veggie burger and Sprout on University Avenue lists an Impossible Burger.
Where can I buy sandwiches for a picnic in Palo Alto?
Town & Country Village has Boichik Bagels for bagel sandwiches and Howie's Artisan Pizza for focaccia sandwiches. Izzy's Brooklyn Bagels on California Avenue makes lox sandwiches. Sprout on University Avenue takes online orders for pickup.
What is a steakburger at Kirk's?
Kirk's founder Bill Sincere had a butcher grind steak for his patties, which is why the restaurant calls its burgers steakburgers. Each is cooked over charcoal and handed over for diners to add their own condiments.
Is there a kosher sandwich shop in Palo Alto?
Izzy's Brooklyn Bagels at 477 South California Avenue is a kosher dairy bakery supervised by the Vaad Hakashrus of Northern California. It sells more than 30 kinds of bagels, lox sandwiches and knishes.