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Stanford Research Park covers about 700 acres of low office and lab buildings off Page Mill Road, Hanover Street and Hillview Avenue. More than 150 companies work there. Yet the park has almost no public restaurants, because most tenants run their own cafeterias for staff. For anyone visiting for a meeting, an interview or a day of work, lunch usually means a short drive or bike ride to the park's edges.
This guide groups the closest options by route. Every linked business appears in our business directory, which lists hours as each place published them in October 2026. Hours vary and lunch hours change more often than dinner hours. For a client lunch with booking and timing advice, our business lunch guide covers the sit-down rooms in more depth.
Inside the park
The closest thing the park has to a town square is The Hub, at Porter Drive, Hillview Avenue and Hanover Street. Its address is 3215 Porter Drive. Coupa Café runs a coffee shop there that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The park lists its hours as 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays. It is the only walk-in public cafe in the middle of the park. Our Stanford Research Park guide explains The Hub and the companies around it.
Everything else inside the park is a company cafeteria. Those are generally open only to employees and their guests. If you have a host, ask whether you can eat with them. It is often the fastest lunch you will find.
How far things are
| Starting point | Closest food strip | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Page Mill Road at Hanover Street | El Camino Real at Page Mill | About 0.5 mile |
| Page Mill Road at Hanover Street | California Avenue | About 0.7 mile |
| Hanover Street at Hansen Way | El Camino Real, 3200 to 3400 block | About 0.5 mile |
| Hillview Avenue, south end | El Camino Real near Arastradero Road | About 1 mile |
Distances are straight-line estimates. Page Mill Road and El Camino Real are wide and busy, so allow a few extra minutes to cross on foot.
El Camino Real at Page Mill Road
Page Mill Road runs from the park straight down to El Camino Real, where it becomes Oregon Expressway. The corner and the blocks just north of it have the quickest counter lunches. Most of these are fast, so they suit a 30 minute break.
- Chipotle: burritos and bowls at 2675 El Camino Real, open until 11 p.m. daily as listed.
- Starbird: crispy chicken tenders, sandwiches, salads and wraps at 2515 El Camino Real.
- Fambrini's Cafe: a daytime cafe with all-day breakfast, big salads and a garden patio.
- Panda Express: American Chinese bowls and plates at 2310 El Camino Real, open from 8:30 a.m.
- Topi: a cake and dessert shop for a team birthday or a client thank-you, with online orders at least two hours ahead.
The College Terrace neighborhood sits just west of this stretch. Our College Terrace guide covers the streets between the park and campus.
El Camino Real near Hansen Way
Hansen Way runs from Hanover Street to El Camino Real through the middle of the park. Where it meets El Camino, the 3200 to 3400 block has a cluster of sit-down kitchens with more variety than the Page Mill corner.
- INDO Restaurant & Lounge: Indonesian and Southeast Asian shared plates, with lunch from 11 a.m. and dinner after a midday break.
- Tie Mu Zhen: Inner Mongolian lamb dishes plus a menu of Sichuan plates, open for lunch and dinner daily.
- Yutori: a Japanese cafe, konbini and market by day, with a hot deli until 3 p.m. and dinner some evenings.
Yutori lists extra parking in back. INDO takes group requests online.
The Hillview and Arastradero end
Hillview Avenue runs along the park's southern side toward Arastradero Road. From there, the nearest food is on El Camino Real near Arastradero and Charleston roads in Barron Park. It is about a mile, so most people drive.
- Celia's Mexican Restaurant: a sit-down Mexican restaurant from a small Bay Area chain, with a lot and street parking.
- State of Mind Slice House: a family-run pizza shop selling slices and whole pies, including gluten-free.
- HolyShred: a fast-casual Thai restaurant that opened in August 2026, built around high-protein noodle and rice bowls.
- Starbucks at 3885 El Camino Real: the only Palo Alto Starbucks with a drive-through, opening at 4:30 a.m. on weekdays.
The Bol Park bike path links the Hanover Street edge of the park with Barron Park and Arastradero Road. It makes a pleasant bike ride to this end of El Camino. See our Barron Park guide for the area.
California Avenue for a longer lunch
California Avenue is the closest real restaurant district to the park. Its car-free blocks run from El Camino Real to Birch Street. Beyond the sit-down rooms in our business lunch guide, these are quick and casual:
- Kali Greek Kitchen: pitas, rice plates and salads, open 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. daily as listed.
- Ramen Kowa: miso, tonkotsu, shoyu and vegetarian ramen plus Japanese curry rice.
- Lotus Thai Bistro: a family-run Thai restaurant with lunch specials and office catering.
- Izzy's Brooklyn Bagels: a kosher bagel bakery open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., with catering for meetings.
Our California Avenue guide has more on the street.
Parking and getting there
Parking inside the park is controlled by each tenant, so do not leave your car in a company lot to walk to lunch. Drive to the food instead:
- El Camino Real: many places sit in small strip centers with their own lots. Read posted time limits.
- California Avenue: street spaces and surface lots are free for two hours. The garage at 350 Sherman Avenue is free for three hours outside permit areas. Our parking guide has details.
- By bike: the park says more than 1,000 people bike in each day. Mike's Bikes runs a repair shop at The Hub.
Good to know
- INDO, Ramen Kowa and Lotus Thai list a break between lunch and dinner. A 2:30 p.m. arrival may find them closed.
- Chipotle, Panda Express and Starbird list continuous hours through the afternoon.
- Izzy's, Lotus Thai and Kali Greek Kitchen offer catering or online ordering for team lunches. Our catering guide lists lead times.
- Hours vary. The hours above are as published in our directory in October 2026.
Feeding a team
For a group of ten or more, ordering in is often easier than moving everyone. Izzy's Brooklyn Bagels offers catering for meetings. Lotus Thai Bistro has a catering line. Chipotle takes catering orders online. Fambrini's asks for 48 hours' notice. Check each directory listing for current menus and lead times.
If you are in town for meetings
Visitors on multi-day trips often stay along El Camino Real, a short drive from the park. Our guide to hotels along El Camino Real lists them; you can compare hotels near the Research Park for your dates. Staying close means breakfast on El Camino and a five-minute drive to the first meeting.
Frequently asked questions
Are there restaurants inside Stanford Research Park?
Very few that are open to the public. Most food in the park is in company cafeterias for employees and their guests. The main public option is the Coupa Café coffee shop at The Hub, 3215 Porter Drive, which the park lists as open 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays.
Where is the closest lunch to Page Mill Road and Hanover Street?
El Camino Real near Page Mill Road is about half a mile away. Chipotle, Starbird, Fambrini's Cafe and Panda Express are all on that stretch. California Avenue, with dozens of restaurants, is about 0.7 mile away.
Where can I eat near Hillview Avenue in Palo Alto?
From the south end of the park, El Camino Real near Arastradero Road is the closest strip, about a mile away. Celia's Mexican Restaurant, State of Mind Slice House and HolyShred are there, along with a drive-through Starbucks at 3885 El Camino Real.
Can visitors eat in company cafeterias at Stanford Research Park?
Generally only as the guest of an employee. Each company sets its own rules. If you have a meeting in the park, ask your host whether the cafeteria is an option before you plan lunch elsewhere.
Is there food open late near Stanford Research Park?
Chipotle at 2675 El Camino Real lists hours until 11 p.m. daily. Jack in the Box at 2280 El Camino Real lists its drive-thru and lobby as open 24 hours. Zareen's on California Avenue serves until just before midnight, with take-out only after 11 p.m.