I've never eaten here but given the experience with the owner, I will NEVER give him any of my business. I was driving with my grandma, who parked in the lot behind the restaurant, which is available to people going to the bank or any of the nearby restaurants. We must have caught the owner in a bad mood, because he came out swearing at us, calling us "f*ckers," saying we were not allowed to park there. My grandma was completely horrified, and I was beyond pissed. This guy needs some serious anger management classes, and from what I've read about the way he manipulates Groupon, he should be arrested for fraud. He obviously lures people in under the guise of a good deal, and then retracts it. With a million other good restaurants owned by good people, this place will never make the cut. I'd rather starve than give this criminal business. read more

I needed a place to send a group of 20 people for a business dinner and this is the only place that didn't immediately put me in touch with a special events person with a contract and prix-fixe menu. The gentleman on the phone just took down the reservation information and that was it. I didn't attend the dinner but the feedback I got was that they were seated on the outdoor terrace, had good food and service, and overall enjoyed the experience. While it's not a new & fancy Palo Alto eatery, I am so thankful to have found this place and thankful that they did a great job accommodating my needs. read more

The food was very bad. We had the veal parmesan which was the worst I have ever had. The wait person apologized but never replaced or adjusted the charge. I called the manager who was more interested in telling me how good his veal is than listening to my problem or making it right. In this competitive world, why would anyone want to go to this place which features poor food and poor service. read more

Where do I begin with this restaurant? The only reason I made a reservation here is because my mother-in-law wanted salmon, and everywhere else in downtown MP was closed on a Sunday. The service was weird. The server came very frequently towards the beginning, then less and less frequently. The bread: absolute garbage. Room temp, white "sourdough" which hardly tasted or felt like sourdough at all (there was no crunch to the crust, like good sourdough, it was like WonderBred sourdough). The food: my husband's beef bourguignon was blah. The noodles were undercooked, and the beef itself needed more salt and more flavor in general. It also wasn't very tender, it had a bizarre chewiness to it, like it was thawed from frozen, or had been sitting for awhile. My father-in-law's gnocchi (store-bought, I'd like to point out, which is a crying shame for an Italian restaurant!) was undercooked; seems to be a theme of undercooked pasta! The sauce was decent, according to him. My mother-in-law was the only one satisfied with her dish of salmon: it was nicely cooked, and paired with orzo and steamed veggies. However, in my opinion, it was very uninspired. The only thing Italian on that plate was the orzo which was fairly bland. It looked like a cafeteria could have turned out that food. I ordered the tiger prawns (which were NOT tiger prawns, FYI, they are just large-ish shrimp) with bordelaise sauce. Mine was noted to come with "orzo and sauteed spinach". It came with both, but it ALSO came with the SAME steamed veggies that my mother-in-law's dish came with. SO unoriginal, and so uninspired, and SO LAZY. SO GODDAMNED LAZY. The shrimp were slightly overcooked. Also, what's up with French dishes at an Italian restaurant?! Bourguignon? Bordelaise? it's like the "chef" graduated from basic skills class at the local culinary academy and went straight to work. What a fucking joke. The menu was frighteningly too large to be feasible for fresh, local, or rotated often. The menus themselves looked old and food stained, which to me indicated they hadn't changed the menu (neither the items, nor the physical menus! gross!) in awhile. What a disappointment, when the total bill was close to $100 for 4 people. read more

Simply put: the best spaghetti and meat sauce I've ever had!! The portion was big and I even had enough leftovers for dinner the next day. The service was great and the chef came out to check in on us and to make sure we were all taken care of! The food took about 20 minutes to come out which seemed quite long considering how empty the restaurant was. But the drinks were flowing, so it wasn't too bad of a wait! I'll definitely come back. read more

Service wasn't great - food way over priced ; used a groupon and in our bill, we were charged $9 for one tea and soda ... seriously?!? We felt they were overcharging the drinks because we used a groupon ... read more

A stuffy atmosphere with a musty cave - like smell. The spaghetti was absolutely disgusting and the food is overpriced. I guess I was expecting decent Italian food. What I got was garbage. The service was decent, however. read more

My wife and I went there for dinner. The waiter was pleasant and kind enough to turn down the volume on the TV in the main dining area when I asked him. I saw the manager/owner watching it as I was waiting for my wife. I don't know why restaurants have those large TVs as it cheapens the experience but I guess the manager/owner has to have something to watch when he's bored. To start with, my wife and I shared a salad (mixed green lettuces with citrus vinaigrette) which was good but nothing exciting. For entrees, my wife ordered the grilled boneless chicken breast with lemon-shallot sauce, mixed vegetables & grilled polenta, which according to her was ok. She was not impressed. I had the Susan's Downfall: cheese and herb raviolis with Gorgonzola. Mind you, I like Gorgonzola but half-way through it I had enough of the strong taste. I would recommend sharing it with someone if you are planning to order it. The chef ought to think about a plate with half the amount combined with vegetables. When it came time to pay, I presented the waiter with one of those recent $20 for $40 Google Offers coupon. Our total was below $40. We saw the waiter discuss it with the manager/owner. He came back saying that we had to spend at least $40 not including taxes, which is not what this coupon is about. Other coupons require minimums. In this case, the restaurant gets paid by Google no matter if we order $30 or $40 worth of food. I explained it to him and he came back mumbling something about having to charge us the full $40 but that they would only charge us for taxes. I gave him my credit card and he returned saying that the manager/owner had waived the charge for the taxes so we only had to pay for tips. We left a generous tip and on the way out we thanked the manager/owner and wished him a good night. That's when he (the manager/owner) approached us from behind the bar and started lecturing us about how we should be grateful to have been served, that the waiter had been humiliated by the experience with the coupon, that he hopes we never come back. We were stunned by what we were hearing. He left for a moment and when we didn't move (still stunned) he came back and gave us more of it. The only thing I said to him then was "I can see that you are upset. It was not our intention ..." To which he replied "I don't want to talk about it anymore". We left startled but also sad and disappointed by the experience. I had been there for business lunches many times as I work nearby. I won't be back. read more

This restaurant is horrendous! They had some system error and didn't receive my seamless order, which would have been fine, had they treated me with respect when I called to check on the order. They were incredibly rude and didn't care this happened, said I should come there and pay again and that this is not their issue. I couldn't believe it! Avoid this place, they don't deserve your business. read more

Good Italian food and the outside seating makes the entire package complete. The manager and servers are pretty authentic, but the prices are a bit high. Watch out for the sleepy looking server, cause he moves very slow and if you get him, expect a 2 hour dinner. Susan's Melt-Over Ravioli is awesome, if you are a huge fan of cheese. I would recommend this place for an nice business lunch or a casual dinner. read more

So downstairs this place is kind of like a chain italian restaurant but upstairs they have an outdoor patio with christmas lights and whatnot which is cute and romantic. Not quite what my friend and I needed since we weren't on a date but it was a warm ambiance nonetheless. The staff was randomly attentive, sometimes missing in action, sometimes around too much. The food was just okay. My prawn appetizer was pretty good but the polenta was mushy and doused in what looked like canned tomato sauce which ruined the flavor of the polenta for me. I would go there again if it was convenient but it is not a destination trip for me. read more

Some of the worst food I've ever had in the Bay Area. The duck was severely overcooked, sauce was horrendous (tastes like ketchup), linguine with clams was mediocre, but it's not a good sign when the crowning achievement of the meal was that it's "not horrible." God, and the prices were outrageous for what you get. I will GLADLY pay $25 for a well-cooked duck breast and fried polenta, but this is prison food. The only redeeming factor was a very polite waiter who I wouldn't burden with trying to convey the dreadful quality of the meal. read more

It's close by the casa and the Italian food is always spot on. I'm a fan!

Came here with reservations with family for dinner, and we were very disappointed not only by the food but also by the ambiance/decor and service. The inside could use some refreshing, as it felt dated, old and dirty. The food was not enjoyable. I will not return and do not recommend, unless management fixes the food! It's a shame, as this is a great location with potential. read more

Enjoyed a nice lunch with hubby. Bread came warm. Appetizer or mushrooms & artichoke was only okay. Hubby had the braised beef which was okay. I had clam linguini with cream sauce which was very good and had lots of real clams. What really annoyed me was the owner came out and talked with the guests at the other two tables and ignored ours. That was just rude and -1 star. read more

Our latest favorite local restaurant. The food is deliciouso with a great wine list to boot. Not "fine dining" but good enough to go several times a month. You must try the Susan's Downfall Ravioli. read more

Had a girls night out last night and a very pleasant experience at Trellis. I had the Gorgonzola Ravioli and it was quite yummy. I would definitely recommend this place. read more

We just ordered a meal by telephone (during the Corona Virus closure). They did very well. Our meals were superb! And unfortunately, they don't have enough customers. If they don't get more business they will have to close! read more

Ate on the patio with three girlfriends last night - not crowded and they were prompt to turn on the heaters when the sun went down. Food was average/decent but not memorable I ordered a (apple, goat cheese, walnut, soy beans w/lemon vinaigrette) adding albeit a generous portion of chicken added 7$ to the item... steep? The didn't offer to 'refill' our long empty wine glasses and were also slow with the ordering process/water was never refilled. read more

The worst service I have had in a LONG time. I love the patio, the food was decent but not worth a second visit.

I stopped in on Saturday, June 28, at about 7 p.m. I was seated but given no menu. After 10 minutes with no offer of a menu, no water, no bread, nothing, and after the head waiter offered a menu to a threesome who came in several minutes after me, I took the napkin off my lap, put it on the table and walked out. I will return because I have a gift certificate. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't be back for quite a while. read more

We entered the back door by the kitchens and were seated in a very informal room right next to them. It was very loud and we couldn't hear anything anybody at the table was saying. The food was slow and the waiter was very unfriendly and rude even. He completely ignored us except to drop our plates in front of us. No drink refill, no customer skills at all. When we were paying, they lost my mom's credit card. They eventually found it...under a piece of machinery 45 minutes later. The manager came out and tried to smooth things over by trying to butter us up. He didn't even offer a free dessert or anything like a more high-class restaurant would have. I would STRONGLY recommend eating elsewhere. For example around the corner at Left Bank. read more

2.5 stars, but rounded up to three for the great outdoor space they have. Summer on the peninsula is lovely, so it is great to know there is this lovely little spot where you can just chill outside with a glass of wine. I was a fan of the warm bread and the reasonable wine list. I had the Susan's Downfall, which was insanely rich (too rich, in my mind, unfortunately) but my friends seemed to enjoy their dishes a lot, so I suppose I would just order something else if I had an occasion to return. read more

I am not sure what any of these negative reviews are about. We ate here last night and it was delicious. The service was great, the bread they served was AMAZING. I had to hold myself from eating all of it so I would eat my dinner! We shared the warm spinach salad as an appetizer (delicious), and I got the penne vegetable pasta and had them add scallops. The scallops were the best I have had in a long time. My fiancé had the rigatoni with the sausage and he loved it. We also had some great wine with dinner. Overall fantastic dinner and will definitely be back!! read more

We had a nice Christmas Day meal here. The waitstaff was warm, welcoming, and attentive and the food was tasty. They had their full menu available on Christmas as well as some specials. We had a nice time. read more

This is one of my family's favorite local restaurants. It is totally family-owned and operated and you can always recognize the same friendly faces any time you go. The inside is nice and cozy but weather-permitting, you should try the upstairs patio - it is very refreshing and Mediterranean. The food is Italian but a little bit greener and with a little bit more diversity. For appetizers, the beef carpaccio and the fried calamari are consistently satisfying. The apple walnut goat cheese salad is amazing. The endive salad is pretty good too. Entrees are pretty diverse but the veal and seafood dishes truly sing. If you're into pasta, get the bolognese or the Susan's downfall and don't let your eyes deceive you - it is filling. I'm not a huge fan of Italian deserts but Trellis does them pretty well - tiramisu, chocolate cake, spumoni, etc. Great cappuccino too. I would give it a 5 but it's missing that extra bit of zing. Excellent, down home, real Italian kitchen. read more

If you want to get a feel of eating in an authentic Italian restaurant with grape vines around you, this is a place to go.... A good place for a relaxing Friday afternoon meal. Pleasantly surprised. read more

There were two large groups upstairs when I was there for lunch so service was slow and very scattered. The waiter brought me an appetizer with cheese on it although I specifically told him no dairy. For the entree he brought me the wrong item entirely. When I got the item that I ordered the food was good but follow-up service was poor. At the end the waiter kept forgetting to bring me the check although asked repeatedly. My companion's guess was that he had to be a relative of the owner or manager. read more

Its been a long time since I enjoyed italian food this much. The atmosphere was great, food and service were terrific. read more

Went for Valentine's Day. The steak and wine were excellent, as were the desserts. However, service was a bit slow. Also, the decision to limit the menu was incredibly frustrating. I selected this restaurant because of the nice vegetarian options as well as the signature dessert. The Valentines menu had ZERO vegetarian options and they were not serving their signature dessert. Quite a disappointing experience, mostly because of poor decisions regarding the Valentine's Day menu. I'm sure the restaurant is fine on any other day, but I wouldn't recommend this place to friends. read more

This restaurant is very good for customer service. I love the attention they gave me to taste the wine first. The scallops were great, veal parmigiana, the fettucine house special was spectacular. I wish they would give a little more scallops - 3 was not enough - especially for a gal who doesn't like to fill up on bread & pasta. However, I would still go back b/c the customer service was excellent. read more

this place is super boring. i have found myself here multiple times for business lunches. and i find myself staring at the same menu over and over again. everything here is decent and safe. so if you're looking for a decent and safe business lunch, try trellis. read more

Ambiance is pretty with grape vine but the food was bad. I had the Lamb and i think the meat was bad. It tasted like it's been seating in their counter for a few days already. It was that bad. The reserver was rude and doesn't know how to smile. Will never comeback! read more

Mediocre and over-priced. Came on a weekend evening and not many customers here.

Best. Event. Venue. Ever. I discovered Trellis through some friends of mine, who identified this Italian eatery as one of the few restaurants open in Menlo Park past 9pm. Being Italian-American, I'm usually the last person to head to an "Italian" restaurant, let alone recommend one. But Trellis has changed that - the good prices, reasonable fare, fantastic wait-staff and amazing ambience (patio) made for a fantastic late dining experience that evening. And so, when a dear friend asked where I thought he should host his birthday dinner, I extolled the virtues of this restaurant. Mind you, I had a wonderful experience in casual dining with two friends at 9pm on a weekday night (which led to my recommendation), and my friend had a fantastic experience dining there for lunch (before opting for Trellis over a few other local spots). But I am taking the time to write a review of Trellis based on the amazing experience they gave for my friend's birthday - I couldn't have recommended a better location; the staff was fantastic. In setting up the event, my friend spoke directly with the owners, and they were incredibly flexible with respect to the number of guests. My friend was offered the patio (as requested), and also kept a downstairs (indoor) room available in case it was too cold! I also called the owners with respect to the event, as I wanted to surprise my friend with cakes for the occassion. The owners were accomodating and wonderful; they understood, and did a great job in bringing out the cakes, which (of course) had to be my friend's absolute favorite cakes on this planet (Satura Cakes - flourless chocolate mousse). For the party, we dined upstairs on the patio - it was fantastic! The heat lamps are toasty warm, but night air made for great celebratory ethos. The wait staff was fantastic, and kept checking on us every 5 minutes (I noticed our waitress coming over and eyeing our plates/glasses, and only making herself present when she noticed an opportunity to assist us). Our water glasses were never less than half-full, and bread baskets kept full. At one point, the owner himself came upstairs to introduce himself (I recognized him by voice), and was utterly charming and gregarious (molto italiano) - I'm confident in saying we all thought he was simply wonderful. (and he moved over an extra heat lamp because he thought another female guest looked a little chilly :-)) Now, to contextualize my review: I am a snobby 1st generation Italian-American (and we are *very* snobby in the first generation, let me tell you, when it comes to food). I *RARELY* deign to dine at an Italian eatery - for me (and my cousins), "Italian" in America typically means some horrid dried pasta boiled into softness w/sugary "marinara"-like sauce and uber-garlic drowning out the badness. Trellis, however, has never been anything less than good to my snobby palate! I think they do recognize what Americans expect of an "Italian" eatery (e.g., olive oil w/the bread; some pasta dishes w/lots of sauce), but there was so much more to the menu! I thoroughly enjoyed my chicken breast (which was NOT soaked in oil or cheese, but cooked as w/my family). Where the dishes moved from good to amazing were ones I'd identify as being "very" Italian - the carpaccio was incredible! I expected as much, however, because the owner is closer to Italy than I :-)! I speak not of his accent, but his attitude: so warm, so generous, that I was very glad to have recommended his venue. We had a fantastic evening, and the food was great. I hadn't expected fantastic plating (family never bothered to serve *me* with an eye-catching dish), but the food looked *fabulous*! The carpaccio was a veritable work of art, and my mushrooms and asparagus was pretty as well as done properly. As for main dishes: bravo! The food was good that evening (as well as the time I dined there prior), and fantastically priced (as well as the time I dined there prior). In summary: This is my new favorite restaurant to take friends to when they visit me in Menlo Park. I am taking my Italian father, born in Italy (Veneto), to Trellis and introducing him to the owner. I should have written a horrible, nasty review. One that would turn all of the WWW away, so that I could monopolize Trellis. Alas, I cannot - the owner and staff gave us an amazing evening, and deserve all the acclaim I can give. So I, a 1st generation Italian-American princessa, spoiled by my family's cooking, must give 5 stars. Caveat: You want incredible Italian food, you go to La Strada on University Avenue in PA. You'll be served by non-Italians, in a very professional, attentive (and non-Italian) way, w/a bill to match the amazing fare. You want a homey, Italian experience, or to throw a party? Go to Trellis (and leave w/a very reasonable bill). read more

I have no complaints. Delicious well prepared Italian food. Attentive service. Nice atmosphere especially on the terrazzo. Probably the best creme caramel I have had outside Europe. Lovely. read more

My entire department from all over the world is meeting in Palo Alto this week. We went to the Trellis this evening for dinner and everyone loved this place. The food was amazing I recommend the tiramisu for dessert it is this best tiramisu I have ever had and I have had many! The manager was amazing the chef was personable our waiter was the best and I will be back ASAP and recommend this restaurant to all who love Italian food you will not be disappointed! read more

Good service, portion sizes are OK. Good-tasting food, though slightly pricey... but definitely reflected in the $$.

My daughter and grandson treated me to a farewell dinner on Tuesday evening the 22nd of August. We were seated on the patio. The waiter and his assistant were very responsive to our wishes. They explained the specials and didn't rush us. Quickly brought water and a glass of wine I ordered. I ordered the Angel Hair pasta with tomatoes, garlic and basil. Though it was the least expensive pasta dish, it was prepared and presented well, hot and delicious. The sliced sautéed garlic was not overpowering the dish. All the dishes we ordered were brought to the table at the same time and arrived hot. Next time I'm visiting my family, I'll be sure to come back and try some of the other luscious sounding dishes. read more

I'm a Stanford undergraduate and a couple of nights ago, some friends and I decided to go out to Menlo Park for a nice dinner before Thanksgiving recess. As we walked down El Camino Real, we spotted Trellis and looked at the menu they posted outside. That was when Kurt, the restaurant owner, came out and asked us to come inside--that our search was over. We walked in reluctantly because it seemed like a fairly nice place that would be well over our budget. As Kurt ushered us in, he recognized that we were Stanford students (I was wearing a Stanford sweatshirt) and happily told us that they like to treat Stanford students and that he'll be taking off 10% off our bill. We were promptly seated in the back room where the atmosphere of the restaurant was very nice. While we perused the menu, the servers brought us a basket of bread and must I say, the bread was one of the best I ever had. It was so soft and delicious that by the end of the night, the five of us went through three-and-a-half baskets. I ended up ordering the Linguini with fresh Manila clams, baby clams, lemon, white wine and garlic. My friends ordered the Spaghetti al pesto, Fettucine carbonara, and grilled double breast of chicken. The food served at Trellis is decent at best. I got a little taste of each of my friends plates and I must say the Fettucine was the best out of all of them. The chicken breast was a delight as well and my linguini was okay. I was not a big fan of the Spaghetti al pesto but that's because I'm not that into pesto. Overall, the food was unremarkable. The service, however, was very personal and fantastic. We all received separate checks (with 10% knocked off each of our plates) and my meal came out to be just over $16 including tip. This was not bad at all given the service we received and the food we ordered (not to mention the delicious bread again). As we started to leave, Kurt thanked us for dropping by and told us to follow him because he had something to show us. He took us outside and up to the patio. We were amazed at what we saw. The patio was beautiful and I can see myself taking a date to Trellis some time (weather-permitting, of course). He showed us the private room as well and jokingly told us to bring our class over for a graduation dinner. As we left, he thanked us again and we thanked him for bringing us in. The bottom line is: if you're looking for decent Italian food but amazing customer service, Trellis is a great choice. I would love to come back again just to experience their wonderful service. Kurt is a very nice, old man who knows how to take care of his customers. Keep it up Kurt! read more