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    YAYOI

    3.6 (801 reviews)
    Closed 11:30 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated 3 weeks ago

    Order YAYOI Takeout or Delivery

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    YAYOI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    903. "To go" Kara Age
    Amelia R.

    Came here for lunch. Had the Karage chicken. Very flavorful. Great portions. Overall great ambiance and kind staff. Only wish they were a bit more attentive but overall would love to come again.

    Asari Sakamushi
    Cherry H.

    We ordered: *Katsu Toji *Baby Scallop and Masago Hand Roll *Spicy Salmon Hand Roll *Asari Sakamushi *Matcha Iced Milk This spot has a large menu, which means it's a great spot that has something for everyone.

    Chicken Katsu Toji Ju
    Neil Arden D.

    (Downtown Palo Alto) Food: Namban (9/10)- Egg-coated fried chicken steak, topped with sweet and sour sauce and homemade tartar sauce. Chicken was not too crispy but no complaints because the dish was flavorful combined with the salad. Miso soup is on the moderately good side. Needed more flavor. Overall the entire dish is filling Teriyaki salmon (8.7/10)- stir fried salmon and vegetables with teriyaki sauce. Very satisfied with the dish but small salmon portion size which is my only complaint for the price. Salmon was cooked well Chicken katsu(9/10)- chicken was cooked well and was crispy Chicken katsu toji ju (7.5/10) Chicken was not crispy. Maybe it was made that way because of the eggs on top but not really a big fan of this dish Ambience: spacious. Great for small to large groups Service: server was kind. Would ask us if we needed water Price: on the pricier side but food is flavorful Parking: side parking

    Wagyu Niku Udon - very meh
    Lindsay L.

    Food - 3/5 Had the Wagyu Niku Udon, very average. Service - 3/5 Menu was flipped to an open page already and just put on the table as if we were at Denny's. Friendly servers, but not a lot of attention to detail. One of the servers was very clumsy when bringing the food to our table and one bowl nearly spilled on my husband. Ambiance - 2/5 For a downtown Palo Alto restaurant, I expected better. This place was dirty. I got rice stuck to the bottom of my shoe right as I sat down. The table was dirty, the menu was dirty, the dishes were dirty, the beer bottle was dirty, and overall the vibe was very meh. The Christmas tinsel hanging from the wall looked tacky. Overall 2.7/5

    wagyu sukiyaki and hitsumabushi
    Julie M.

    I have a soft spot for YAYOI since I've eaten here for the last ~10 years--while the prices have increased a lot over time, the quality of the food has been consistently good, though not mindblowing. Some of my favorites are: beef sukiyaki, hitsumabushi (eel), and niku udon (less now that Marugame is across the street though...). A bit expensive for what you get, but at least it's pretty reliable. Service used to be pretty minimal interaction with people--I thought it was neat that you ordered on a tablet and it updated with the status of your food (confirmed, being prepared, served). Now they operate like a typical restaurant, no tablets anymore. Restaurant is located on University Ave so lots of foot traffic. There are usually other people in the restaurant, but I typically get a table with no or minimal waiting. The place is pretty spacious and they have bidets in the bathroom! I also have to thank YAYOI for inspiring me to learn how to make oyakodon--it's so delicious and while I can't make it like they do, YAYOI is expensive enough that I'd rather make my budget oyakodon at home :')

    Anh P.

    The food was pricey but not fresh. I guess the only good thing was the mochi. I don't really like both rice bowl

    Lyn L.

    Convenient location right in the mall. Food is ok service is good. They just refilled my tea I had the belly pork sauce. I really like the salad. Large portion yummy dressing. Miso soup is good and they serve with rice and ocean salad. Pork is a bit salty with lots of onions

    Alex M.

    Overall: C // 3 stars I remember when I first tried this restaurant when it opened I had strongly negative memories; given that a lifetime of seven years have passed and I no longer remember what those exact memories were and being bored of all the other options in Downtown Palo Alto, I figured it would be a good time to retry this place. This time around, I went for the Yayoi Gozen, which I was quite satisfied with -- it featured food from an abundance of categories from fried to raw to grilled to slow simmered. The best way to describe the feeling is that it is reminiscent of airplane business class food where it conceptually sounds nice, looks good from afar, and tastes reasonably good if I were in the sky. However, the food also gives off the vibe that it was assembled in an assembly line, which makes some ingredients, particularly the greens, not integrate as one cohesive dish. The salmon sashimi color is a bit off, and the cooked salmon could do better refinement on the cooking. That said, this restaurant has an expansive menu, and it seems to be better than I remember, though I don't think it would be my first choice given the plentiful Japanese options around. Food: -1 Presentation: +1 Price: E Atmosphere: E Service: E Menu: +1 Insta/Yelp/Beli/TikTok: @amei_eats

    Mito I.

    Brief Summary: - Ordering is done by the kiosk. The staff also helps to input the order if you request a paper menu instead of - Indoor seating - An elevated casual dining atmosphere that is also feels welcoming for families with children The restaurant has a calming interior, where the ceiling is tall with adequate lighting, there are dozens of booths, and even a table that could sit more than 10 guests. Since it was just the two of us, we had the choice of sitting near the windows or inside the restaurant. I chose the place away from the windows because it was a hot day, didn't want to sit under the sun and lose my appetite. We both ordered the same dish, which is the gozen lunch box. I noticed that in the gozen I can get a taste of the main dishes in the restaurant, for example the wagyuu sukiyaki. Even though I have a feeling this would take a while to prepare the wait time was not long. My favorite was the salmon in a teriyaki styled sauce. I wasn't expecting the salmon exterior to have a nice crisp. I also loved the renkon radish that was with this salmon dish. Another favorite was the tonkatsu. Crispy and meaty, and the slices were cut into nice bite size pieces. Generally I thought the portions of each plate were perfect to enjoy without getting too full near the end. While I just mentioned this, this is a lot of food for one person. I eat a lot, so this would have been at a normal amount. However, my relative, who has an appetite similar to the majority, she handed some of their pieces to me.

    Salmon Carpaccio
    Lindsey T.

    Great location on university ave but food was a bit lacking. I walk by this place a lot and decided to finally give it a try! Came here on a weekend for dinner and there was still plenty of seating. Service is mostly done via a touch screen machine at the table and food came out pretty fast. We got the salmon carpaccio, a matcha, the tonkatsu, and the sukiyaki. The salmon carpaccio was a pass for me because the fish did not taste fresh. The sukiyaki was decent. The matcha had a very artificial taste and I would not recommend. The tonkatsu was good initially - the edge pieces were tender and fatty. However in the middle, it was pretty dry. Overall I was not impressed with the food.

    Ramon T.

    My friends wanted to catch up with some Japanese food . The quiet and conversational ambiance allow us to chat while enjoying our food . Interior design is clean and reminds you of Japan . Touch screen can be hard to find things on the menu . The teishoku set menu side dish is defaulted seaweed salad . You have to pay for extra sides . Pickles are free. Food was hearty and delicious . I ordered the chicken katsu toji. Chicken katsu was crunchy. The egg added that extra layer of comfort as you chew. Staff was great with the service . Dishes we ordered : CHICKEN KATSU TOJI Chicken cutlet simmered in sauce and egg TERIYAKI SALMON Stir-fried salmon and regrables with teriyaki sauce WAGYU YAKINIKU JU Japanese style American wagyu beef served with rice abd miso soup VEGGIE GYOZA

    Joanne G.

    Very pleasant surprise for a mall restaurant. We were craving traditional Japanese, and we got lucky that we were already at Hillsdale shopping on a weekend afternoon. Not busy and seated right away. Customers order through a tablet at the tables and food is served by waiters/serving robot, which keeps service fast and efficient. We ordered: Yayoi Gozen: seemed like the best value. Came with four dishes-- sweet/savory beef slices, cooked salmon, pork tonkatsu, and salmon sashimi salad-- rice, and seaweed salad. Tonkatsu in particular was savory and tender. Hitsumabushi: eel over rice that can either be eaten dry or with a dashi broth. The eel was cooked well and very tasty. Definitely try eating the dish both ways!

    Front entrance
    EM H.

    First time at YAYOI was with Mom on Sunday, January 19, 2025. She chose for us to check out this place because she saw that they serve sukiyaki, which she was craving. After finding street parking about a block away (Like most downtown Palo Alto places, they do not have a private lot), we arrived at around 5:40 PM sans reservations. The brightly lit restaurant had several available tables, so we were seated without delay. The venue was clean and tidy on the night of our visit. Immediately, we were introduced to the touch screen menu through which customers are encouraged to place their orders at the comfort of their own tables. The germaphobes in Mom and me were not going to touch that apparatus, so we were given traditional menus and gave our orders to a waitress [who entered each item through the tablet]. Below are what we ordered: Hot Tea (Pot for 2-3 for $6) - We chose the Matcha Genmai Cha. While it was flavourful and beautifully green, I didn't taste the roasted popped brown rice as much as I wanted to. For the price, the pot was quite small as well. Whipped Matcha Iced Milk ($4.25) - Nice. GYOZA ($8.50) - Good. CHICKEN KATSU CURRY ($21.90) - Probably one of the heartiest chicken katsu curries that I have ever had. The poultry serving was very generous (big and thick) and was fried to a golden crisp. The curry sauce was thick and dark. You will not leave hungry if you order this dish! WAGYU SUKIYAKI ($32.70) - Mom really enjoyed this bowl of American Wagyu beef hot pot with assorted vegetables. I initially thought that the price was extremely steep, but just now, as I have been writing this review, realized that the beef was wagyu, one of the most expensive meats in the world. YAYOI left a great first impression on Mom. She found the place to be upscale, venue-wise and with their menu offerings. We just were not fans of the tablet menu and ordering.

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    1 year ago

    Came here to celebrate my sister's birthday during Stanford admit weekend! All the sushi was so fresh. The omaze don was a hit.

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    Page 1 of 21

    YAYOI Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - YAYOI

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    Horsefeather

    Horsefeather

    4.1
    (228 reviews)
    0.6 mi

    Horsefeather is a great option in Palo Alto, located in the Town & County Village with plenty of…read morefree parking available. I arrived a couple minutes early for my 7:15 pm outdoor reservation on a Saturday and was immediately sat by the kind hostess even though it seemed pretty busy. The waitstaff were extremely attentive and professional, I appreciated the checking in, and even boxing our leftovers for my friend and I. We ordered the Umami Fries to start, followed by two Miso Linguinis. Everything was absolutely amazing! I have not stopped thinking about that pasta. We will definitely be back when we come up to Palo Alto, highly recommend!

    This was my third visit to this restaurant, and unfortunately, it was a disappointing experience…read more We made a reservation, arrived on time, and were seated. At that point, there were only two other small parties in the restaurant. We were initially seated directly next to a group that was clearly enjoying themselves and being somewhat lively. Since most of the restaurant was empty, we politely asked if we could sit elsewhere. We were moved to another small table, and then asked if we could have one of the empty booths instead. The server said he would check with the manager, but the manager declined, even though approximately 90% of the restaurant was empty. We then placed our order. My wife ordered the salmon, and I ordered the mussels, along with the beet and strawberry salad. When the salad arrived, my wife noticed there were no beets in it. We pointed this out to the server, who said he would speak with the manager. The manager eventually brought out a corrected salad. Shortly afterward, however, the server informed me that they were out of mussels. This was especially frustrating because the mussels were the main reason we chose this restaurant--we had enjoyed them on a previous visit and specifically came back for them. To make matters worse, about ten minutes later, two families with children were seated directly next to us, despite the restaurant still being largely empty. Given the abundance of available seating, it felt unnecessary and made the dining experience less enjoyable. Overall, the combination of the seating situation, ordering issues, and lack of accommodation left us disappointed with what had previously been a restaurant we enjoyed visiting.

    Photos
    Dining area
    Dining area
    Deviled Eggs
    Deviled Eggs
    Umami Fries

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    Umami Fries
    Sweet Maple

    Sweet Maple

    4.2
    (1.4k reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$

    My partner and I went to Sweet Maple on the recommendation of my foodie friend's ex. While I never…read moremet the man, he has incredible taste, because Sweet Maple has the best breakfast food I've ever had in the bay area. Well worth the trip. The two of us were dubious about the Millionaire's Bacon, because it was hyped up to the point where it seemed unlikely that it could live up to the reputation. We were wrong. We ordered the Millionaire's Bacon sampler platter, which is four strips of long, thick pieces of bacon, baked with brown sugar and spices. There is the original, which is brown sugar, cayenne, red, and black pepper, which was sweet, salty, and the perfect amount of spicy. The other slices were orange, cinnamon, and rosemary. My partner enjoyed the orange best, whereas I loved the cinnamon, but we both thought the rosemary was underwhelming. The bacon itself was very thick and meaty with a minimal amount of fat, and was just clearly high quality pork. Truly worth the hype. We also got the bottomless mimosas, which not only had multiple choices of juice (we got raspberry lemonade) but were surprisingly heavy on the champagne. The waiter kept them coming without us needing to ask, to the point where I had to tell him I was done because I was a little too tipsy for breakfast. My partner got the chicken croffle, and was very impressed. I tried the fried chicken (though not the croffle) and it was very well spiced, very crunchy, and well cooked--juicy and tender. I got the big hip, which is deep fried "french toast". I wouldn't call it french toast myself, but it was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and came with fresh fruit, butter, and syrup. There wasn't enough syrup for the entire dish, but I asked our waiter for more and he came back with it in less than a minute. On top of the food being as close to perfect as you can get, the service was great. Several different waiters checked in on us throughout the meal, making sure we were enjoying the food and that we didn't need anything else. The vibes of the restaurant are really enjoyable too. The décor is lovely, the sound levels are very reasonable, and everything was spotless during our visit. Overall, I can't recommend Sweet Maple enough, and I'm kind of glad it's not closer to my house because I would go bankrupt with the amount of Millionaire's Bacon I'd buy on a weekly basis.

    We added ourselves to the Yelp waitlist from outside and were called up within minutes, even on a…read morebusy Saturday late morning. Great start! The host received us warmly, but things slipped from there. Our table was missing cutlery and we had to flag our server down to get it sorted. We asked for a minute to look over the menu since it was our first visit. He did not come back for five minutes, and only because we flagged him down again. When we ordered, he took our request without making eye contact, attention clearly elsewhere in the restaurant. One dish came out. The second did not. Our server never circled back to check on us, and seemingly did not notice that one of us had no food in front of her. After nearly ten minutes, we flagged him down again. He called over from across the restaurant, not walking to us, with a "what?" We had to gesture that my guest still had no food. He came over briefly, confirmed our order, said it was coming soon, and left. No apology. No acknowledgment of the wait. No offer to make it right while one plate sat getting cold. The food eventually came, again with no apology. It was good. But by then, honestly, the experience had overshadowed it. We asked for a manager. Cathy came over, listened, and immediately apologized. She agreed the service fell short, gave us a break on the bill, and handled the situation with real grace. She is the reason this review has any stars at all! For reference, our server's name on the receipt read Mui F. I hope Cathy's conversation with him makes a difference, because Sweet Maple clearly has the food to back up its reputation. The service just needs to match it!

    Photos
    Brunch with friends!
    Brunch with friends!
    Egg Soufflé
    Egg Soufflé
    Egg soufflé with fruits

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    Egg soufflé with fruits
    O2 valley

    O2 valley

    4.2
    (136 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    I stumbled across this place through Yelp and the reviews were too good to ignore especially as…read moresomeone who loves Taiwanese food. Safe to say, the hype is well deserved. I ordered the Stir Fry Basil Chicken Bento and was immediately impressed by how much you get. The portion is generous, especially for the price! It was loaded with protein and served with two different vegetable sides and a hard boiled egg. It feels like a complete, well-rounded meal rather than the sad, sparse bentos you sometimes end up with. The basil chicken itself was the star cause it was juicy, aromatic, and had just the right kick on mild. If you have any heat tolerance at all, I'd say go mild without hesitation. It's flavorful without being overwhelming. Ordering is super easy through a kiosk, my food was ready in about 8 minutes, and the staff were genuinely friendly. The whole experience was smooth from start to finish. I'll definitely be back to work through more of the menu. If this bento is any indication of what else they're serving, I have a feeling everything hits.

    About a 1-1.5: UGH, I really was looking forward to trying O2 Valley out, but the food was just not…read moreokay. They have 2 other locations (Cupertino and San Mateo), and their menu offers Taiwanese eats. Since they were known for their bento boxes, I went for the Popcorn Chicken Bento, aka R4 - The tray came with white rice topped with some weird mysterious meat curry-like slop; the marinated boiled egg was overcooked and had no flavor. The vegetables could have been better, as there were some cabbage leaves that were kind of not washed well and were spotty. The popcorn chicken was just regular fried boneless chicken bites - no flavor, whatsoever, and wasn't sure where the basil and the seasoning was? Such a disappointing experience; it's funny, because there was 1 patron dining in, and there were others picking up items to-go from online ordering. Staff were friendly, and there is a real-time screen of when orders are ready. No dice, O2 Valley. +avoid the bentos +friendly staff +online and kiosk ordering available

    Photos
    #R4 Popcorn Chicken Bento w/ daily sides, soy egg, minced pork rice | $16.28
    #R4 Popcorn Chicken Bento w/ daily sides, soy egg, minced pork rice | $16.28
    #R12 Grilled Eel Bento w/ daily sides, soy egg, minced pork rice | $19.28
    #R12 Grilled Eel Bento w/ daily sides, soy egg, minced pork rice | $19.28
    #R4. Popcorn Chicken Bento

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    #R4. Popcorn Chicken Bento
    Fambrini's Cafe

    Fambrini's Cafe

    4.4
    (1.6k reviews)
    1.8 mi
    $$

    This place is awesome! There was quite a line when we arrived around 10:30am on Saturday, but it…read moremoved decently fast (~15-20 mins) and then the food arrived pretty quickly after we sat down at a table as well. There's a beautiful outdoor area in the back with tons of tables. Even though it was super busy, we still had our choice of a few tables, and the foliage/patio umbrellas make it nice and shady. Our food was also delicious! We got: Prosciutto and egg sandwich - eggs were super light and fluffy, and the sandwich was well balanced and cheesy too! Fat and fluffy French toast - such a generous portion and the berries and whipped cream were so yummy! The toast itself had crispy edges and was super fluffy! They have such a large menu too and I'll definitely be back to try more!

    We had the most AMAZING breakfast here at Fambrini's. We were in town after staying in town for a…read moreconcert and stopped in for breakfast before hitting the road back home. Mid week brunch meant a quieter atmosphere and open seating. After perusing the menu we ordered at the counter before sitting at a table after picking up utensils and water. We ordered Fambrini's Breakfast, Brie & Mushroom Omelette, Crab Omelette, and shares the Lotus Biscoff Pancakes. Everyone loved their egg platters. The eggs were perfectly light and fluffy. I generally avoid omelettes getting scrambles instead because restaurants tend to overcook the eggs. Our dishes were prepared with quality and flavor in mind. I personally had the crab omelette and left no crumbs behind. The potatoes were well seasoned and wish I had enough room in my tummy to finish them off! The drip coffee was bold and delicious not watered down at all! Finally, we shared the 2 stack biscoff pancakes for a sweet finish. The pancakes were bouncy with biscoff sauce and a mound of whipped cream. This was mouth wateringly delicious. I don't have much of a sweet tooth but this was so yummy. This isn't a traditional sit down service but counter staff were friendly and efficient. There is a small parking lot off to the side and there is indoor and patio seating. Come by for a meal and you won't be disappointed! I wish I lived closer so I could taste the rest of their meal. Kudos and thanks for an awesome meal!

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Lotus Biscoff Pancakes/STACK OF 2
    Lotus Biscoff Pancakes/STACK OF 2
    Matcha Latte

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    Matcha Latte
    Joanie's Café

    Joanie's Café

    3.9
    (1.4k reviews)
    1.7 mi
    $$

    In the area, decided to come here after I read some great reviews, it was a sunny sat morning in…read more60s F so not that warm, lots of patio seating with heaters, the place was packed at 11. We waited for about 5 mins for inside seat. Very good vibes and busy. Service was great and fast. Very prompt and gave some friendly advice on what to get. Cups were never empty, coffee and water constantly topped off. Staff working very hard to turn over tables quickly. Food was prepared very quick. Other than Steak was a little bit overcooked (bearable) everything else was excellent. Good size, ratio and portion. Fresh fruits were a fine touch to seal the morning with a healthy start.

    Came by on a Sunday morning and wasn't sure how busy it would be considering there were a lot of…read morepeople around for the California Ave Farmer's Market. However, we parked in the lot and were able to get a seat right away. Despite having a stroller, nobody asked if we needed a booster seat/high chair, so I went to go get one myself... We ended up ordering two of the Joanie's Breakfast Medleys, mine with french toast and chicken apple sausage, and my wife's with pancakes and bacon. Although it was a decently sized plate, I guess I expected a bit more for over $25...the french toast was like two halves of one slice, but the chicken apple sausage and potatoes were good. Coffee was nice as well, and they kept coming by to refill, which was nice and needed. However disaster struck when one of the waiters knocked off a tray from a ledge right by our table. The tray crashed onto our table and spilled water, hot coffee, and creamer all over me, and our under two year old who started crying. I rushed over to check for burns from the coffee, but luckily it was okay. After the clean-up I was waiting to see if anyone might come by to ask if anything was needed, let me know if I could get more food since I wasn't entirely finished, or at least apologize and comp our meal. Unfortunately I didn't get any replacement food, and they brought the bill and mentioned that we didn't have to pay for coffee...$68 pre-tip was a little upsetting after our experience, even though I know accidents can happen... Of course, later on I smelled spoilt because of the creamer/milk that was still on my clothes after walking around the Farmer's Market...lovely...

    Photos
    Joanie's Café
    Hawaiian French toast
    Hawaiian French toast
    Joanie's Café

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    Ethel's Fancy

    Ethel's Fancy

    4.5
    (404 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$$

    Finally made it to Ethel's Fancy and it was every bit as good as people say!…read more Service was excellent from start to finish. Everyone was friendly, knowledgeable and genuinely seemed to care that we were having a great experience. Food was the star of the night. My favorites were the toasted coconut fritters, the yellowfin tuna on koshihikari rice and the lightly cured kampachi. The tuna and kampachi were incredibly fresh, beautifully presented and packed with flavor. The fritters were something I wouldn't normally order but I'm glad we did. They were absolutely delicious. Cocktails were also a pleasant surprise. Creative without being gimmicky and each one was well balanced and thoughtfully put together. What I appreciated most was the attention to detail. Every dish looked beautiful but more importantly everything tasted as good as it looked. You can tell there's real care behind the ingredients, preparation and presentation. Palo Alto has no shortage of great restaurants but Ethel's Fancy stands out. We'll definitely be back.

    The quality of our experiences have gone down over the last few visits…read more On our most recent one, my table thought our server was high because she seemed so out of it. When we asked for recommendations, she didn't really give us any. When our friend asked for vegetarian options, she was pretty condescending. Another server dropped utensils on my partners shoulders twice. They also sent food out to the wrong table. We have celebrated many special occasions here and love the food so we will probably be back. We would love to see better training of staff.

    Photos
    Open kitchen view from the bar seating
    Open kitchen view from the bar seating
    Kampachi Crudo ($26)
    Kampachi Crudo ($26)
    Warm sesame pancake

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    Warm sesame pancake
    Sun of Wolf

    Sun of Wolf

    4.4
    (482 reviews)
    1.7 mi
    $$

    My friend and I visited Sun of Wolf for lunch for the first time, and we had an amazing experience…read morethanks to Angelica. She was incredibly patient in explaining the menu and took the time to describe each dish and its unique features, which was extremely helpful for first-time visitors like us. My friend was interested in a dinner item, and Angelica went above and beyond by kindly checking with the kitchen to see if it could be prepared for us during lunch. The food was great, but Angelica's outstanding service made the experience truly memorable. Her friendliness, knowledge, and willingness to help made us feel very welcome. We will definitely be coming back and recommending Sun of Wolf to our friends and family.

    Every time I have come to Sun of Wolf, I always get top notch service, everyone is so friendly…read more I also like the menu selection and the vibes of the restaurant. On this occasion, we came here on a Friday evening, we had made reservations for 6 of us. I personally ordered the agua fresca-pineapple and the lasagna. We ordered 2 chips and salsa for the table and the others ordered, arugula salad, tacos de carnitas, mahi mahi tacos, hamachi tostadas and drinks such as the spicy tamarindo, mocktail and margarita. Everyone loved their selections. One of my friends ordered the chocolate tart and the chocolate was too rich for my liking but the mousse that accompanied it was soo good, very tart and tropical. This restaurant is on California Ave., no restaurant parking but there is street parking nearby, although not on this street since its closed off to vehicle traffic. There is also a parking lot and a parking garage nearby. Once you eat, you can take a nice stroll down the Ave. Check online for details but once a month, on Thursdays, the city helps to sponsor a Thursday Live events with music, giveaways and games. Even without the Thursday Live events...this restaurant is a must if you are in the area.

    Photos
    Sun of Wolf
    Chips and salsa
    Chips and salsa
    Breakfast Burrito

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    Breakfast Burrito
    Palo Alto Creamery

    Palo Alto Creamery

    3.8
    (1.7k reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    We got the brioche french toast and the corned beef hash!…read moreThe Caribbean french toast sounded really good but I can't eat bananas so I asked them to just add coconut to the brioche french toast. I'd highly highly recommend ordering the french toast that way cuz it was really delicious and flavorful! The corned beef hash also tasted really good and hit the spot. Honestly there were so many options in the menu that looked really yummy, so you could order anything and come out satisfied. The service is really amazing. I asked them to make alot of adjustments for me and the waiter was really nice and accommodating, and the food turned out great! The vibes are really pleasant and it was pretty packed for a Wednesday afternoon. Will definitely come again!

    We've eaten here regularly for nearly two years and have been customers of the Creamery since we…read morewere in high school (40+ years) and the food is usually good but service can be challenging. We always ask for a table with chairs because I have back problems and can't sit in their totally worn booths and the host has never had a problem with that request. But yesterday the regular host wasn't there and we were told they were busy and we had to sit at the counter or in a booth because they didn't want to put us the two of us at a table for four (there were two tables available). We waited for nearly ten minutes and when I asked again if we could sit at one of the tables was almost rudely told no, they were busy. So we left and went to Joanie's on California Avenue. They were also busy but immediately seated us and we had a much better lunch. Sometimes it's good to change things up as we'd forgotten how kind and attentive all the of the staff are at Joanie's and how much better the food was. And both of our plates of food came out hot and perfectly cooked which doesn't always happen at the Creamery. I guess we just eat there for the memories. My husband said none of the staff at the Creamery seem happy except for the host so if we don't see him seating the guests, we'll just go to Joanie's.

    Photos
    Dining area
    Dining area
    BBQ Pork Sandwich
    BBQ Pork Sandwich
    Chocolate cream pie

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    Chocolate cream pie

    YAYOI - japanese - Updated June 2026

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