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City in California, United States
Photo: TravelerNickR, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Menlo Park is a suburban, tree-lined community in San Mateo County midway between the major cities of San Francisco and San Jose. Menlo Park offers visitors easy access to Stanford, Palo Alto and Silicon Valley. It is best known for its old-fashioned train station and downtown, and for being the home of venture capital and Meta (formerly Facebook). It also encompasses the USGS Headquarters, Veterans Administration Hospital, SRI Campus, and portions of the Stanford University campus, including the Stanford Linear Accelerator (SLAC).
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Enjoy a walk (between the historic railroad station and the equally historic Camp Fremont Park) along Santa Cruz Ave, Menlo Park's old-fashioned commercial district. You can shop, have a coffee and a snack, or a meal at an outdoor table, do some thrifting at the second hand stores, admire the boutique furniture shops and art galleries along the way.
The Menlo Park train station depot was built in 1867 and expanded with Victorian-era decorative features in the 1890s to serve the opening of Stanford University. This is the oldest railroad passenger station in California.
formerly Facebook
A stronghold squeezed between the freeway and the Bay, Meta's headquarters neighbor the less-privileged Belle Haven area of Menlo Park. The large, iconic thumbs-up sign has been replaced by the Meta logo. On the other side of the sign, cloaked by the trees, you can still find the rusting logo of Sun Microsystems—the defunct tech company, once hailed for its advocacy of open-source software, which used to be headquartered here until its acquisition by Oracle in 2010. Back then, the offices used to be nicknamed "Sun Quentin", due to their resemblance with the prison of San Quentin in the North Bay.
SLAC
A state-of-the-art physics research faculty, SLAC is run by Stanford University for the Office of Science of the US Department of Energy. SLAC is also home to the world's longest building. SLAC offers public and private tours of the facility. For public tours, there is a signup sheet online. For private tours contact the public affairs office.
USGS
The USGS has a large office in Menlo Park where visitors can see various geology-related exhibits. Allow one hour for the self-guided tour. See this page for additional information. You can also obtain detailed maps before setting off on an expedition to a remote location.
More than just a scenic art and craft shop, the Allied Arts Guild is a historic and architectural gem. Founded in 1928, it is a complex of 20+ artist studios, fine art galleries, shops, a restaurant, and several beautiful formal gardens. Designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, it is used as a venue for both public and private events. A portion of sales proceeds are donated to a local children's hospital.
On Sunday morning, there's a farmers market with fresh foods from the local area. You'll find fresh produce, nuts, breads, pastries, meats, seafood and flowers. Live music is typically provided.
A music and event performance space providing live music and entertainment to the Peninsula region. The venue holds about 500 patrons and hosts a wide range of music, film, and special events programming.
As a biking hub, Menlo Park has excellent rail and bike trail connections with other cities or destinations in the region. Bike rides can be combined with CalTrain or taken from Menlo Park to Stanford (2 miles), Palo Alto (3 miles), Woodside (6 miles), Mountain View (8 miles), Los Altos (8 miles), or the classic and more hilly Portola Valley Loop (16 miles).
Nice place to take a break, enjoy a cup of coffee, or a bite to eat, or some reading under the tall coastal redwood trees at historic Camp Fremont Park. The history of the park is described by informational displays at the entrance.
During the summertime Menlo Park puts on a series of free concerts in the park. Local bands play a variety of music. A gourmet grocery across the street, Draeger's, sells sandwiches and picnic fare. Pizza restaurant Amici's is also a popular choice for take-out among summer concert attendees.
A pleasant place with trails and bay views to walk, bike, watch birds and bring children to explore local nature.
National sandwich shop chain. Offers good low cost options.
A bay area chain that serves bagels with cream cheese and eggs. The bagels are made onsite and are often fresh from the oven. The seating area is limited so it's better to get bagels to go.
Casual eatery serving a range of housemade bagels & toppings, coffee, bagel sandwiches, salads & drinks.
Trader Joe's is perhaps the least expensive option for buying a meal in Menlo Park.
Serves Salvadoran style tacos, pupusas, quesadillas, burritos, and tortas. The freshly made pupusas are worth the trip. Limited seating, mostly it's a grab-and-go kind of place.
Casual pizza chain offerings.
Longtime favorite for Chinese take out food.
National pizza chain founded at this restaurant location in 1959.
A Menlo Park favorite for coffee, breakfast and lunch. It has a big indoor/outdoor seating area that spills out onto the plaza and El Camino Real. The food is a California-style and tends towards being healthy.
Hearty American breakfast foods with generous portions in a family-style atmosphere.
Cocina Mexicana
Family run, relaxed and colorful setting with indoor or outdoor seating.
Generous portions and classic breakfast plates like omelets, scrambles, eggs Benedict, waffles and pancakes are available all day.
Serving coffee drinks, pastries from the bakery and special breakfast plates.
A 1950s style hamburger joint. It has big booths, a counter, neon signs and car references. There's lots of seating so even when it's busy it's easy to find somewhere to sit down. The food is American staples- hamburgers, grilled cheese, milk shakes, and french fries.
Great Mediterranean food with an emphasis on Turkish cuisine. The falafel and hummus are local favorites.
Family run restaurant serving Sicilian-style food in a comfortable and intimate setting.
Fine Italian dining indoors or street side on the patio.
High quality Indian vegetarian and meat dishes, appetizers, breads and sides available for the dining room, patio or to go.
This is where to get your Jerk Chicken & Beef Oxtail, Curried Goat, Barbeque Spareribs, Jerk Tofu and Coconut Curried Tofu.
An upscale coffeeshop. Has a variety of espresso and pour-over coffee options and a selection of breakfast treats and lunch options. During the day it can be hard to find a spot and there are a lot of people working on laptops.
A Parisian patisserie serving coffee, breakfast, lunch and very fancy French pastries. The food is rich and the atmosphere cozy. There's outdoor seating for warm afternoons. It's a good spot for a special treat, a date or an intimate conversation.
Upscale sushi restaurant close to the Menlo Park train station.
High end supermarket with gourmet hot and cold deli items, sandwiches, salads, sushi, barbecued meats, and other delicacies. Can be taken to go, or eaten in Camp Fremont Park.
Thin crust pizza is the main attraction here, but salads, pastas and sides are also offered.
One of the two great French restaurants in town. It has a dark, cozy vibe with a large bar. It can get very busy and sometimes there's a wait. Has outdoor seating.
California comfort food. The name is a portmanteau of California (CA) and Menlo Park (MP). If you want to eat at somewhere that's uniquely Californian, this is the place to do it. The food is fresh Californian fare and is accordingly expensive. Has outdoor seating.
The other French restaurant in Menlo Park. It's bigger than Bistro Vida and has a more lively bar. The atmosphere is friendly and bright. Has outdoor seating.
Local star chef, Jesse Cool, has been serving local and sustainable California cuisine here since 1980.
An upscale coffeeshop. Has a variety of espresso and pour-over coffee options and a selection of breakfast treats and lunch options. During the day it can be hard to find a spot and there are a lot of people working on laptops.
Serving pour over and espresso drinks with pleasant outdoor seating.
Classic European cafe serving breakfast, brunch and lunch with indoor and outdoor seating.
Famous for their custom hot and cold, pour over coffee options. Baked goods and light lunch fare are also available.
Local coffee shop serving Sightglass coffee. Relaxed ambiance inside with plenty of seating. They have your typical coffee and espresso drinks as well as pastries and a music collection on vinyl LPs.
Offering freshly roasted beans, coffee, espresso and snacks in a relaxed and pleasant space.
Worldwide coffee chain offers signature drinks, beans and light meals as well as convenient bathrooms and wifi. Indoor and outdoor seating available.
A California-native chain of a coffee places. This shop on Santa Cruz Ave was the 2nd store established by Mr. Peet after founding the company in Berkeley in 1966. It's a good place to get a snack and people-watch with big windows that look out onto the street in one direction and onto a park in the other.
If you're looking to have a drink somewhere nice British Bankers Club is hard to beat. They have two bars, one inside and one of the roof. The inside one is a long wooden bar with big windows surrounding it. California is a casual place but it's not uncommon to see men in a tie or women in a dress. The rooftop bar serves oysters and ismore relaxed. Even when Menlo Park is hot the rooftop bar is still an oasis of cool.
Craft cocktails, wine and local beers are served along with burgers, pasta and vegetarian options.
Fresh, innovative craft beer styles available from 24+ taps.
A French bistro with a dark and cozy vibe. Has extensive street-side seating outdoors.
Upscale contemporary California-style cuisine and cocktails with pleasant indoor and outdoor seating options.
In the Park James Hotel
Cozy hotel bar with a beautiful indoor/outdoor patio.
Family friendly sports bar and restaurant serving sandwiches, burgers and fries. Features many TVs and a casual patio strewn with peanut shells. Open late.
This contemporary and stylish inn is a unique presence amidst the charm of historic downtown Menlo Park and the Palo Alto area.
closed for renovation as of July 2023
It's two miles from downtown, with cottage-like rooms with private mini-patios and gardens and complimentary deluxe breakfast bar.
A luxury hotel that offers 123 guest rooms, resort amenities, 12,000 square feet of meeting and event space, a full-service spa, outdoor swimming pool and an on-site restaurant.
On the border of Palo Alto next to Stanford Shopping Center and close to Stanford University.
Upscale hotel featuring a restaurant and bar called Oak + Violet.
A landmark and one of the last independent bookstores on the peninsula. It features a large selection of literary, tech-y, science-y, and local interests as well as best sellers. Kepler's is a frequent stop for many authors on book tours.
Freshly baked loaves of bread, giant cookies, scones, muffins, savory and sweet pastry items are offered at their storefront.
Buy and sell your used books here.
A specialty spice store. You can get spices, salts and dried herbs from all over the world.
An independent toy store offering a wide range of products for children from newborns to adults.
Non-profit thrift store for pre-owned clothing, housewares and more.
American Cancer Society
A non-profit thrift shop featuring furniture, art, clothing, housewares, books, DVDs and other household items.
The Shop offers used clothes, housewares and accessories, with all proceeds benefiting the Junior League
Upscale, European-style modern furniture, lamps and home accessories.
The Design District is a selection of more than 20 retail stores, interior designers, art galleries and architects.
Menlo has an abundance of specialty rug shops along Santa Cruz Ave: Stephen Miller Gallery, The Rug Center, Istanbul Rugs or The Oriental Carpet.
By automobile
Primary access by car is via CA-82 (El Camino Real), US-101 (Bayshore Freeway) or the more scenic I-280 (Junipero Serra Freeway). Access from the East Bay, is via CA-84 and the Dumbarton Bridge.
By rail
Perhaps, the easiest way to get to and from downtown Menlo Park is by using Caltrain.
By bus
By plane
Menlo Park is roughly equidistant (about a 30-minute drive) to the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and the San Jose Mineta Airport (SJC).
Menlo Park has an appealing and very walkable downtown area that is centered along Santa Cruz Avenue.
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San Jose · International · SJC
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