Sandwiches in Palo Alto

Palo Alto takes its lunch seriously. Thousands of office workers, students and hospital staff need something quick and good between meetings. Many of them want it wrapped to go. The result is a sandwich scene that runs from an old-fashioned deli on El Camino Real to California chains downtown, bagel shops at Town & Country Village and sit-down restaurants that turn out one standout sandwich each. This guide covers where to go for each kind.

Every place named here was confirmed as operating in October 2026 through its own website or a verified page in our business directory. Menus rotate, so treat named sandwiches as examples. For bagels and smoked fish in more depth, see our bagels and delis guide.

Quick guide

Delis and sandwich counters

Driftwood Deli and Market, 3450 El Camino Real

Driftwood is a family deli with a small grocery attached. It calls itself an old style deli for Palo Alto, Stanford, Mountain View and Menlo Park. The owner writes on the website that he was an engineer before running the deli and that the best part of the job is getting to know regulars. Every sandwich is built to order and the deli says it is happy to take highly customized requests. The California Club stacks turkey, bacon, avocado, mayo, lettuce and tomato, with Dutch Crunch offered as a bread. There is also an espresso bar, ice cream, indoor tables and a patio. For a group, Driftwood takes sandwich orders of up to 500.

Mendocino Farms, 167 Hamilton Avenue

Mendocino Farms is a California sandwich and salad chain founded in Los Angeles in 2005. Its downtown branch opened on May 2, 2019. When it opened, Palo Alto Online reported that the chain's best-selling sandwich was the "Not So Fried" chicken sandwich, made with roasted chicken breast on ciabatta. The menu rotates seasonally and there are salads, local craft beer and wine. Catering runs all day.

Bagel sandwiches

Boichik Bagels, Town & Country Village

Boichik Bagels began in Berkeley in 2019. Its founder spent years recreating the bagels of H&H in New York, which closed in 2011. The Palo Alto shop in Suite 115 at 855 El Camino Real sells bagel sandwiches with spreads, lox and whitefish salad. It is mostly takeout, with a few tables outside. Weekend mornings bring the longest lines.

Izzy's Brooklyn Bagels, 477 South California Avenue

Izzy's is a kosher bagel bakery supervised by the Vaad Hakashrus of Northern California. It bakes more than 30 kinds of bagels, from plain and sesame to rye pumpernickel. It also makes lox sandwiches, bourekas and knishes. It is the go-to for kosher households and certified event catering.

Sit-down restaurants with a signature sandwich

La Bodeguita del Medio, 463 South California Avenue

The Cuban-inspired restaurant and rum bar, on California Avenue since 1997, puts the Cubano at the top of its sandwich list. Pair it with crispy yuca or a bowl of Cuban black bean soup. Outdoor tables sit on the car-free street.

Nola, 535 Ramona Street

Nola serves New Orleans food in a 1908 building on the car-free block of Ramona Street. Its po' boys come with barbecue pulled pork, blackened salmon, spicy fried shrimp or grilled portobello. Nola does not take regular reservations.

Palo Alto Creamery, 566 Emerson Street

The 1923 diner bakes its own bread and burger buns. Sandwiches include a turkey club, a Reuben, a BLT, grilled cheese, a Philly cheese steak and chicken salad. Gluten-free bread is available. A milkshake on the side is close to mandatory.

Howie's Artisan Pizza, Town & Country Village

Howie's is best known for pizza but makes sandwiches on house focaccia: a chicken parm, an Italian club, the Meatball 3.0, a tuna melt and a four cheese. Nearly everything, including the sausage and ricotta, is made in house.

Cafe panini and bakery sandwiches

• Tootsie's at the Stanford Barn. A small Italian cafe on Welch Road serving panini, pastries and espresso at weekday breakfast and lunch.
• La Baguette, Stanford Shopping Center. An independent French-style bakery that makes breads, soups and sandwiches fresh each day.
• Fambrini's Cafe, El Camino Real. A daytime cafe that grills and marinates its own chicken, tri tip and seafood for its sandwiches. It closes at 3 p.m. and says its garden patio is dog friendly.
• Peninsula Creamery, 900 High Street. A breakfast and lunch counter from a dairy family that has been in town since 1923.

Vegetarian, gluten-free and kosher notes

Most counters can build a good meat-free sandwich if you ask. A few make it easy:

• Vegetarian. Driftwood lists a Vegetarian Delight house special. Nola makes a grilled portobello po' boy. Howie's four cheese focaccia sandwich is meatless.
• Plant-based. Mendocino Farms' opening menu here included an Impossible burger on a plant-based bun and a taco salad with plant-based chorizo. Check the seasonal menu for what is on now.
• Gluten-free. The Palo Alto Creamery offers gluten-free bread for its sandwiches. Ask about shared toasters and prep areas if you have celiac disease.
• Kosher. Izzy's is supervised by the Vaad Hakashrus of Northern California. None of the other counters here states kosher or halal certification.

Late-night sandwiches

Most counters close by mid-afternoon or early evening. Two are exceptions:

• The Melt, Stanford Shopping Center. Burgers, grilled cheese and mac and cheese from 10 a.m. to 3 a.m. daily, according to the chain's location page.
• Nick the Greek, 322 University Avenue. Stuffed pitas and gyros until midnight on Friday and Saturday.

See our late-night food guide for more.

Picnics and office orders

A sandwich is the easiest picnic in Palo Alto. A few tips:

1. Pick up near your park. Driftwood is a short drive from Mitchell Park. Town & Country Village is across El Camino Real from the Stanford campus.
2. Ask for dressing on the side if you will not eat for an hour.
3. Order ahead for groups. Driftwood, Mendocino Farms and Boichik all handle catering. Give at least a day's notice for large orders.
4. Remember the market. The Saturday downtown farmers market lists Wise Sons, the San Francisco Jewish deli, among its 2026 vendors.

Our picnic spots guide covers the best lawns and tables.

Frequently asked questions