Nice little cafe in the Cantor Arts Center. Good food, very convienent. The menu has vegan and vegetarian selections. I had a delicious vegi salad with tofu. It was very nice. Sandwiches looked good too. Overall recommend.
(4)
Logan V.
Cool Cafe coffee spills. The top of the cups don't seal. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad coffee. Just don't plan on walking anywhere with it. I hope my rating is fine for such a piddling comment. Just thought the world wide yelp should know.
(3)
Kenneth R.
A large group of us walked over for a Saturday lunch. The long line moved amazingly fast. I got a roast pork sandwich ($11 + tax), and I liked it. The sandwich was fairly small, but it came with a tasty salad (which was also small). The accompanying photo shows what the plate looked like. The sandwich was a little expensive for what was served. A larger, or cheaper, sandwich would have triggered a fourth star. As others have said, the setting is magnificent. One can sit outdoors for much of the year; the view of the sculpture garden is uplifting. The presence of a museum, basically in the next room, is also a big plus. The Cool personnel were efficient and friendly. We now come to the espresso portion of this review. Two of us got back in line to order double espressos ($3 each). The ground coffee used to make the espresso was seriously stale. Further, the pour was too long, so that the coffee was over-extracted and a bit thin. All we could do was add some milk. That was enough to save the day for me, though my companion in this activity felt that his cup of espresso required half-and-half for the resuscitation.
(3)
Laima K.
Cool Cafe is cool. Cool cafe is fun. They have good food. Every time I visit Stanford for a museum exhibition or a play, the Cool Cafe is there to feed me. I have had some great meals here. Once they had a cream of mushroom soup. It inspired me to make my own creamy mushroom soup at home. Luckily I had been to a baby shower recently where we had to taste blended baby foods and try to guess the flavors, I didn't do so well at guessing the baby foods but i learned a lot of things, for example how to guess ingredients of a creamed soup. I made it at home and I think it came out pretty well. But I digress. The cool cafe has cool staff and tasty food. It is not the cheapest but also not the most expensive. Slightly more expensive than other college cafes but i guess this is Stanford and you have to expect that kind of thing. I wouldn't come here for food alone, but anytime I am at Stanford I come by and try it. They change menu frequently which is nice if you're a regular. Also the outdoor seating is nice. You can sip your beer or wine and eat sandwich while looking at some cool Rodin sculptures in the museum garden.
(4)
Diane A.
I stopped at Cool Cafe at the Cantor Arts Center for a late lunch after a meeting in the area to enjoy the sunshine on their outdoor patio. There is currently construction going on right next to the cafe, but once that's gone it will be better. I ordered a Cobb salad at the counter. At $14.00 I was thinking it was really pricey! They gave me a number, and I sat at an umbrella table on the patio. I was surprised when the salad arrived at my table. The salad was presented beautifully. All of the components of this salad melded together so deliciously - fresh mesclun greens tossed with honey mustard vinaigrette, layered with thick, crisp pieces of bacon, sliced avocado, beet cubes and Point Reyes blue cheese chunks. Nice portion of chicken flavored with a tasty marinade was arranged next to the salad. The salad came with a two pieces of French bread. I've had my share of Cobb salads over the years and this has to be one of the best. Although it place was pricey, I absolutely think it's worth the money to get locally sourced, organic food in a beautiful setting. The museum is open until 8 pm on Thursdays, so that means the cafe is open until 7:30 pm that day. Great for a nice meal and date at the museum.
(4)
Andrew J.
Excellent quality lunch on a sunny afternoon. A great outside space for the kids to run and play-an asset for all parents who want to enjoy their lunch.
(5)
Erik L.
Before you come to eat here, you should take a moment to reflect, like the Rodin sculptures scattered about who are all thinking, "Why? Why eat here in spite of all these yelp reviews saying it's overpriced and bland?" You should consider this too. It still gets 3 stars from me because it does nothing wrong at all so there's nothing to deduct from an average rating. As I had my Arnold Palmer and panini, I realized this might be one of the most forgettable meals I've experienced in a while. But the fact that I'm dwelling on it now means it somehow stuck quite vividly in my mind. This is a clever achievement. So maybe in a way the Cool Cafe is art, a veritable extension of the museum itself.
(3)
Ashley W.
This little gem is located at the Stanford art museum and was great for lunch! I was surprised by how fresh everything tasted and how quickly our food came out. I had the half sandwich and salad combo for around $10. The chicken curry sandwich was yummy and the salad and dressing was fresh and delicious. Parking is kind of a pain, but once you find a spot, this little place is well worth it! They give you a number, and you take that to your table (inside or outside seating available). Can't wait to go back and try another item off the lunch menu. Museum is also free to go through, and I hear it is great.
(4)
George R.
The spinach soup is amazing! Really great texture and amazing scenery for a study /hangout with a friend. Just wished they could connect with the customers. However the staff are very polite none the less.
(4)
Kaori M.
Just a typical American lunch place. Nothing special. Sandwich, drinks, just those kinds.
(3)
Jane A.
KINDA COOL CAFE (3.25 stars) Headless statues with missing limbs and dangling penises while enjoying a cup of soup. * FOOD, ok * PRICE, kinda out there * SERVICE, good * AMBIANCE, campus cafe Decided to venture around and enjoy lunch in a not so expected place to have lunch on a Saturday afternoon in the summer. The Cool Cafe is located near the FIne Arts building - expect to see some art. I thought it would be "cool" to have lunch with art at a "cool" cafe. Well, today's art was interesting. Not sure if I like eating my soup and looking at these sculptures. LOL HEFFER-STYLE STATUS. CORN AND RED BELL PEPPER SOUP ($6.50) - comes with two pieces of bread. Okay, it sure hells doesn't sound so good. However, it actually was pretty good. I was thinking a cream soup with corn and bell pepper when ordering but when it was served.... it wasn't even like that. It was all pureed. The texture was smooth and the color was light orange (yellow + red = orange). And it tasted very good and healthy. I'm just not sure if it was worth $6.50. Alot of the items on the menu were kind of pricy for a cafe on campus, don't they know STUDENTS ARE BROKE?! I've discovered other places to eat on campus that were half the price of the items at this cafe. Will I be back? Maybe. Until the next review....
(3)
William B.
I've been told that this is the best place to eat on Stanford's campus. Unfortunately, that's true only of "good food" or "reasonable prices" aren't your highest values. The food is pretty good if substantially overpriced. My asparagus with green goddess dressing was $11. A salad with actual protein was several dollars more, and none of these salads are large. And the asparagus itself didn't knock my socks off. But if things like "charm" are your highest value, I can see why you'd come here. There's a lovely, quiet, patio overlooking the art museum's sculpture garden. You can stare absently at the Rodins (although they are a little too far away to get a really good look at them), soak up a little sun, and remember why you moved to California. Those are lovely ways to pass an afternoon, even if I wouldn't normally mix them with an overpriced asparagus lunch.
(3)
Cat H.
Cool Cafe is one of Jesse Ziff Cool's restaurants and she strives to serve only fresh, in-season, organic and local ingredients. Cool Cafe overlooks the Rodin sculpture garden on Stanford campus, and is a wonderful place to be on a sunny day. There is outside seating and picnic tables on the lawn. While we were visiting the Cantor Art Museum, we stopped by the cafe for lunch. Prices are slightly higher, but you're paying for premium ingredients. I ordered the grilled chicken sandwich which had: chicken, bacon, lettuce, avocado and chipotle mayo. The chicken was flavorful and juicy. The sandwich was a good size and just enough for lunch. We saw a lot of families while we were there; seems like a great place to have some lunch and relax while you're visiting the Stanford campus or art museum.
(4)
Margaret M.
My husband and I are long time fans of the Cool Cafe and looked forward to having lunch there today prior to touring the Cantor Center. It has been one of our favorites even when we don't go in tothe museum. Though I went in with the intent of ordering the grass fed burger (which my husband did) the Diestel Turkey Sandwich on Cranberry Bread with Cheddar and Avocado caught my eye and that's what I ordered. To say I was disappointed is an understatement. The sandwich was dry, and there was more flavor in the cranberries in the bread than in all the other ingredients combined. To add insult to injury, the sticky scoop of flavorless quinoa added zlich to my dining experience. Thankfully, a bite of my husband's pretty good burger made me feel a little better. He, too, received the flavorless quinoa scoop. At $10 and $12 dollars respectively, these sandwiches were underwhelming. With one bag of chips and 2 non-alcoholic beverages, our lunch was $31. A tad pricey for mediocrity, especially when one has to stand in line to order. I'd hate to think that Jesse Cool is resting on her fine reputation and letting quality slip at this gem of a location
(2)
d s.
The sandwich bread was so old and dry I had to ask for mayonnaise just to digest it. They made no offer to replace the dish or try new bread. I asked to speak to a manager and there was no one on site. The head waitress scolded me for not insisting on bettering the meal vs asking for mayonnaise. The attitude was very much we don't care about your issues and there is no one here who cares. It's sad I've been coming here for years for work meetings with colleagues but no more!
(2)
joyce l.
All organic, local and sustainable ingredients. WINnING!!! this is a wonderfully hidden gem on the Farm. i'm going to surprise my DH with a lunch date. we'll check out the museum first, find the Thinker, then head over to the COOL cafe for a chillaxing lunch on the patio, alls the while admiring the statues of rodin. i might even have to wear my fancy sunglasses and make like a tourist in europe ;) had the cobb salad which is artfully presented. love love love 5 stars all the way!!
(5)
Samantha K.
Nice cafe by the free art museum at Stanford University. The Rodin Garden, the trees, the outdoor patio tables, and the indoor table area all make this a unique experience. Its within about a 10 minute walk from both the Quad area on Stanford University as well as Stanford Medical Center. So its a great place to go if either part of Stanford or just visiting for the day. The food is good - albeit sandwiches are priced a bit higher than other sandwich shops. They are good though, but priced higher - I guess its because of the surroundings. Staff is friendly. So if at Stanford and in this area ok to go to - but I would not go out of my way if just looking for a good sandwich shop.
(3)
Michelle W.
What I liked about Cool Cafe: Nice to have a fresh-made food restaurant in a museum. I appreciate their reliance on local organic food. Green Water. The Quinoa Salad The orangic ketchup made with agave nectar- this was the star of our meal. What I didn't like about Cool Cafe: All of the other food we had. Soup of the day (some sort of squash) Mushroom Burger. The soup was bland. The burger was pastey. All in all a disapointment.
(2)
jazzy l.
Great outdoor place to sit and get some tan. $2.44 for a cup of coffee. Free parking in Lot A on the weekends. Overall great cafe outdoor place to sit.
(4)
Elieke D.
Farmers Veggie Wrap: YUM! lots of mushrooms, hummus, soy beans, & lettuce. Fresh Squeezed Lemonade: oh so refreshing and perfect for the hot summer day! It was exactly what I was craving! Fresh squeezed lemons with a hint of strawberry. -They did get one of our orders mixed up with another table, but were quick to fix the mistake. +Fast service +Lots of seating options +I highly recommend the outside seating next to the sculpture garden. It's a great change of scenery compared to your typical cafe.
When I use to work around the corner & craved a burger, this is one of 2 places I sauntered on over to. Delicious burgers & I venture to guess that the rest of their food is pretty darn good too. Except I'd always order their burger. Hmmmm. I think I need to check out the museum....work up an appetite & get me a burger. ;-)
(4)
Fie M.
Food is O.K. The service O.K. Menu O.K.
(3)
Marilyn Y.
This seemed like a perfect place to meet my husband for lunch or coffee, a short walk for him, but feeling farther away with it's sculptures and garden landscape. However, the cafe doesn't live up to what I expect of a museum cafe. Something is missing. When you walk into the cafe, it seems cold and sterile and institutional, quite the opposite of what you would expect. within an art museum. However, the outdoor tables look inviting. Next glance up at the menu and find overpriced items to choose from. These items are made with fresh organic ingredients and includes soups and salads. I think $10.00 for a small salad or sandwich is on the high side. This might be okay if the food was exceptional, but it isn't. My roasted beet salad was not well made. The goat cheese was placed in large clumps, the beets tough and there was too much spice on the walnuts, overwhelming the delicate flavors of the other ingredients. My husband had the Chicken Curry sandwich, which he liked but thought overpriced. We have eaten here previously and had a similar experience. For a cafe that sells itself as a healthy and fresh "cool" place among the sculptures, it is decidedly not what it suggests. Fresh and organic yet prepared poorly is a waste. Cool Cafe, take inspiration from your location and rise from the bland mediocrity with a little more attention to detail and love.
(3)
Richard G.
This is my goto place on the Stanford campus. Its a nice little place overlooking the Rodin sculpture garden and grassy area. Great to come on a sunny day. We sit outside with iced tea. The food comes out slow. I get the chutney chicken salad sandwich and soup...just nice and tasty. My friend gets the cobb salad. The food is mighty tasty. Items are about 9-15$. This place gets crowded, come early. Food**** decor**** service, there is none, they just bring your food.
(4)
Kes D.
Service: not very friendly, sorta pretentious almost. Food: pretty tasty, but expensiveish. The selection is pretty much similar stuff to other places on campus- salads made with spring mix, panini, etc.- perhaps a bit more inspired with more local ingredients. Only particularly unique thing I saw was gazpacho. And a big "whaaattt?": our nutburger had tomatoes on it that still had the _sticker_ on it. I of course didn't notice until too late because it was buried in the sandwich. I should've checked to see if it was organic like advertised. :P Ambiance: crowded. Very casual business lunch place maybe, not a standby.
(2)
Fred T.
Right at the Cantor Art Museum and Its a place I have been wanting to try for some time so we gave it a shot. I only had the burger (my two friends had the same) and an Iced tea. The burger made with grass fed organic beef was quite tasty. Its not really a complaint but the Point Reyes Blue Cheese overpowered most of the rest of the burger, even the meat and Ill go with cheddar next time.. Seating was a a challenge and the service while friendly was slooooow. Not a place it seems if you are in a hurry. Also it was a bit pricey.
(3)
Jeanne S.
Yes, it's beautiful. The location is unbeatable, overlooking the Rodin Sculpture gardens. The food is just mediocre. This place gets a lot of hype for the location and the organic food but when it comes down to it, it's just not that tasty!
(3)
Stephanie W.
This place is bizarre. The menu always looks really good, but the food is just alright and the service is non-existent. I've been here a handful of times, and have never really been impressed. Besides mediocre food, Cool Cafe just takes FOREVER. Even though there were only 2 people in line in front of us, we waited 10 minutes before placing our order, and then waited another 25 minutes for sandwiches and salads despite the fact that the place was empty on a Saturday. Overall, it just gets a pretty "mehhhh" three stars.
(3)
Margaret C.
This is a great place to take your mom on a sunny afternoon at Stanford. I found their shitake mushroom burger to be pretty delightful. It's pretty pricy, but Cool Cafe does their best to communicate to you that you're paying for some pretty premium ingredients. After lunch, it's great to take a little walk around the Cantor and see what's new.
(4)
Min L.
I love this place. Some of my best memories from college are here... sipping uber good hot chocolate and talking grand plans with a friend, discussing a research topic with a professor. As a Stanford tour guide back in the days, I always referred people to come here for lunch. The fresh and organic meals, lighting of the space (which faces the Rodin Sculpture Garden), fast and friendly staff, and overall intellectual and artistic ambiance strike this establishment as unique and _wonderful_. The hot chocolate is one of the best I've had on the West Coast. Lunch-wise, the half sandwich and soup is my fav (pic: flickr.com/photos/minliu… ). Eat in and enjoy the meal with a good friend. It made many of my days :)
(5)
Sushi S.
If you find fancy-pants organic food cool...
(4)
Jack S.
I had lunch with Patrick Keating here. You don't know who he is, but I promise he's way cooler than you or the eponymous Cafe. This place has a lot going for it. The (vaguely) seasonal menu, waiiter service, and organic ingredients make you feel like you're at some pretentious california yuppy place, in a good way if that's possible. But the surrounding art makes for quite an atmosphere. It's just far enough away from the main part of campus, and sufficiently free of students, to make you feel like you've escaped it all. And, not that it matters at a restaurant or anything, but the food is excellent. On the downside, it's pricey and doesn't fill a voracious aspiring fatman like me up.
(4)
Geoff D.
The Cool Cafe has become a favorite daytime date spot for my wife and me. Its casual indoor/outdoor location here in the Cantor Arts Center is tough to beat... and the salads and sandwiches from Jesse Cool meet the same high standards she sets at Flea Street Cafe and JZ Cool Eatery. We used to come here regularly for leisurely weekend lunches when we were just two; it is also one of those rare places that still works for us with little kids, as the large adjacent lawn and scuplture garden provide a fun but safe place for them to frolic while we relax.
(5)
Kristine D.
The Cool Cafe lives up to its name---attached to the Cantor Arts Center the place enjoys a very cool location overlooking the Rodin Sculpture Garden. Everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) on the menu is organic, range-free, grass-fed and kept away from syringes and steroids, which made it seem odd that the asparagus in my spring vegetable sandwich tasted like it was out of a can. Is it possible that my many years on chemically produced vittles has left my palet unable to discern when things are more natural? Ok, I'm off topic... all-in-all, the Cool Cafe is nice as an ocassional treat. It is pricey but, it will make you forget for a time that you're on a college campus and have you believing your in a trendy little bistro in Paris, NYC or some re-created street scene in Las Vegas mega casino (I'll leave that up to your imagination.) Go early ---- the place fills up fast and the line to order will stretch the length of the restaurant.
(4)
Jeremy H.
The grass fed burger!!!!! Nuff Said. Everything is so fresh here! I have only eaten the burger on 3 seperate occasions, but it's why I go.
(5)
Janel Y.
I love this place on a sunny day. You can eat fresh, Californian cuisine as you read a book or watch the kids run around on the lawn. Food prices are a bit hight, but I think what you're getting is worth it. It's also close to the Rodin Sculpture Garden which is a nice area to check out some of Rodin's pieces. If I want a nice, chill place for "me time," this is definitely the place I'd venture to.
(4)
Karina Q.
I had high expectations, even though a well-eaten friend of mine said it was not that worth it and for the same price, she'd rather go to St. Michael's Alley. I am no longer a doubter in her culinary wisdom. I was working on a laborious 40 page essay on Iran and decided to make Cool Cafe (open until 8 on Thursdays) the venue for my essaying that day. Alright. It's pretty. I love the light streaming in. The patio looks nice (unfortunately, my laptop's lack of battery life tied me to indoors). It's got lots of windows and just very "cool" and "California." First, I had the homemade lemonade. While good, I could personally do better myself (and have done better). It was extremely sour and I added the agave nectar on the side table to sweeten it to a palpable level. Lots of ice in the glass, hardly any lemonade. Not worth the 3-4 dollars. Second, I believe I had the chicken sandwich with bacon and some other stuff. Obviously not that memorable, I just remember the chicken being quite dry, the portions being quite small, and myself being disappointed. I proceeded to sit in the cafe and enjoy the ambiance for the next 7 hours, uninterrupted (it was not a busy day for them). Although it got really busy toward dinner, with lots of professionals getting off of work and eating here with their kids. Cute. In the 7th hour, I got a large mocha and a cup of french onion soup with a baguette. The mocha was also bitter and grainy, and definitely not that impressive. The soup was good, with nicely caramelized onions that I could make myself for much cheaper - it was like 5 dollars for a small bowl of soup and a piece of mediocre bread! Note that I'm not a particularly good chef - in fact, the onions were on a piece of failed pizza. Definitely not somewhere I'd go again until I need to escape another day to essay in a cafe, in which case I'll only probably buy a small drink, ask for less ice, pour in the honey, and sit and essay for another 7 hours.
(2)
Allison A.
The food is quite good and all organic but the price is too high even for all organic. The place gets insanely crowded during lunch and the line moves slowly. I really believe that if there were anywhere obviously close to eat most people would take one look at the line and leave (try Byte Cafe 3 blocks away, during the week). The setting is wonderful with the view of Rodin garden.
(3)
jill j.
Best place for a (cheap) date! - FREE art museum! - FREE outdoor art - sexy Rodin sculpture at that! Have your date model next to them (and try not to compare size or anything). - On the Stanford campus, so you can seem all intellectual and stuff. - Tasty (but unforturnately not free) organic dining at Cool Cafe (Jesse Cool, the chef behind JZ Cool and Flea Street Cafe in Menlo Park). I'm partial to their lemonade and the salads, but the sandwiches are great too. - Gorgeous sunny patio to sit on while looking dreamily into each others eyes. There's something just so casual yet civilized about this place. Really, does it get any better!?!? Oh, yeah ... having a new love to take there. :) Perhaps I'll take the oldie but goodie next time.
(5)
T T.
Overall, the food is very overpriced, probably because it's a bit of a tourist trap being right next to the art museum. The food was better than I expected, considering that it is a tourist trap. I had the burger and had bread pudding for dessert. The bread pudding was really delicious, and I generally don't even go for desserts. The burger was very juicy and came with brussels sprouts on the side, which were a bit greasy but full of flavor. Service was a bit slow.
(3)
Katharine A.
Similar menu to the JZ Cool Cafe in Menlo Park. It is nice to eat here on a sunny afternoon right next to the Rodin Sculpture Garden. I had the green goddess green bean salad and it was delicious, but it was a bit pricey.
(3)
Rob C.
tries really hard with the fancy sounding ingredients who doesn't want organic this, free range that, or natural ____ needless to say, it works. everything sounds better than just a turkey sandwich, (maybe they use it to try to justify their high prices) the chipotle roast park sandwich with avocado spread and slaw was tasty on a toasted panini -- you can tell this sandwich wasn't premade and sitting around ambiance is great with the sculpture around, so another campus eatery that is decent
(4)
K M.
The Cool Cafe gets the prize for the worst named campus eatery (though the Axe and Palm did give it a run for its money), but it manages to overcome this sizable handicap with its ambiance. The food is good but not memorable, and like everyone else says it is a bit expensive. Also the lunch line can be a little out of control. That said, the floor to ceiling windows and ample outdoor seating are divine, the lawn it looks over is perfectly manicured and prime for an impromptu picnic, the sandstone building warm and pleasant. A great place to read or study and ignore the rest of the campus.
(4)
Melanie C.
By far my favorite place to eat on campus. And surrounded by the Rodin sculpture garden, right off of Palm Drive? Can't beat it. All-organic, super fresh comfort sandwiches, salads, soup, etc. From Jesse Cool. Had one of the paninis -- roasted asparagus, goat cheese, sundried tomato pesto, spinach and creamy green goddess dressing. Phenomenal. YUM. Served with red cabbage sauerkraut and roasted potatoes. So good. Next time maybe the rocky freerange chicken, bacon and point reyes bleu sando... Only open for lunch... except on Thursdays when dinner goes til 8, I think.
(5)
Superduperpooperscooper T.
Free wifi of course (Stanford) Mexican hot chocolate! (A+) Black and White cookies (A) Lemon bars (A+)
(4)
Masami H.
When I lived in Manhattan, I used to love the rooftop garden at the Metropolitan museum in the summertime. In California, this is as good as it gets, the Cantor museum's Cool Cafe has great organic food, has both indoor and outdoor seating and is open to the public so you don't have to visit the museum to go there (although the museum admission is free.) With the lush garden and nice picnic tables on the grass, this is a kiddie friendly place and I bring my puppy to the garden area to romp (they are not allowed indoors but have access to the grassy area.) Perfect for brunch, lunch, coffee/tea... it's a destination to check out if you're looking for a nice place to sit outdoors on a sunny day :-) You'll find me there a few times a month :-)
(5)
Katie R.
This cafe is a perfect combination of simple beauty and delicious, healthy food. It is bright and cheerful, with good service. I had the turkey sandwich, which was delicious, and their offerings are simple, but all of it looked great. They had good coffee, too, and coming from a Peet's lover, that's saying alot! The best part about this spot, is its surroundings. There is something surreal about lunching, under the eyes of the Rodin sculptures and the other Burghers.
(4)
cacao g.
Cool cafe is one of the best place to have a leisurely Sunday brunch from the madding crowd in the city or as close as University Ave. This place is a sister restaurant of Flea Street Cafe in Menlo Park, all the ingredients used in both places are local fresh organic products. I really enjoyed sitting outside at the patio, smelling fresh air and grass in a calmly casual atmosphere on sunny nice afternoon. I highly recommend that if you shop at Stanford shopping mall, instead of eating a lunch at the mall, just walk 5 minutes or drive 2 minutes to the Cantor Museum. Cool cafe is right here. Defenitely stop by the Arts Museum next door after eating brunch there.
(5)
Matt S.
Imaginative, organic, and satisfying food!
(5)
Courtney E.
What a gem of a cafe on Stanford's campus!! My mouth waters when I think about Jesse's Favorite: heirloom tomato, avacado, fried egg, arugula, mayo, honey mustard on toasted organic white bread (ask for wheat). It's soo amazing, every fried egg sandwich I make will be benchmarked to this. Strawberry lemonade was a little sour, but nevertheless, fresh and plenty pink. The long wait is daunting, as is finding a seat on the patio, so I opt to get my order to go and perch myself under a tree or on a stretch of lawn for a picnic. The perfect lunch, Wednesday through Sunday. Dinner til 8pm on Thursday!
(5)
Mike B.
The prices are high, but you're paying for quality and all-organic ingredients. The burgers are delicious...one of the best in the area. Everything is fresh and organic - right down to the sodas. Jesse Cool is the owner, and she's all about using the freshest ingredients she can find. I've also enjoyed the pork sandwich (which I think is no longer on the menu...need to verify that). And the chicken is good, yet slightly dry. The lines can get ridiculously long, as it takes a while for this tiny kitchen to keep up with the demand (hey, Stanford...expand the building for them). And tables can be hard to come by (have someone save a table while you order). But...I'm telling ya...the food is worth it. A terrific option for lunch at Stanford.
(4)
Rosalind C.
The best place (and the priciest) to eat on campus. It's nice to sit next to the Rodin sculpture garden, but the cafe is situated such that you won't actually see the sculptures from where you are sitting unless you are on the patio. If you come, come for lunch - the prices are reasonable for the quality of food. The chef's salad is quite good. Dinner is just as good, but the incongruence of eating high quality food in non fine dining atmosphere is just a little strange. I don't know how to explain it - its just that the food is so good, you expect the surroundings to be much nicer. And when you can't see out the windows, the place really loses its charm. Combine the lackluster night ambience with the higher pricing, and I just don't know if I can recommend coming here unless you plan on going to a play at Memorial Auditorium right afterwards. Be warned - Cool Cafe is closed for lunch on Mondays and Tuesdays.
(4)
Richard C.
4 stars just because it's such a unique location and has such a great feel to it. Food? Fine, no big deal. It's the location and feel that I like.
(4)
Durif M.
We went there on a weekend brunch but the place was packed. A bit on the pricey side, but for sure their food is good. Parking and seating may be a bit of a hassle during the peak hours.
(4)
Brad P.
What a great place to get away from it all, in the haven of an idyllic campus setting. Perfect spot for a healthy, tasty, and cultured meal on a lazy summer evening, or for a lunch and an iced tea. Fresh, organic ingredients galore. Chilled ice water with lemons. This place is high class, and yet campus casual all at once. As mentioned in other reviews here, the grassy veranda is perfect for the kiddos to practice their summer saults under the ever-present influence of the Rodin sculpture garden just an errant frisbee toss away. Fair prices, fresh food, exciting selections. Did I mention they serve beer and wine? Alrighty then. Make sure you pay the parking meters, unless you want to make another contribution to the Stanford endowment. NOTE: Keep an eye out for summer music series where you can enjoy free entertainment and culture while you dine. And, don't forget to browse the free museum on your way in or out.
(5)
Victoria D.
A line of at least twenty people watched my coworkers and I in envy as we sat out on the Cool Cafe patio overlooking the Rodin Sculpture Garden. The only way to secure a table for lunch is to get there at least a half hour before noon to avoid the mob. The sandwiches and salads are well-crafted with fresh, organic ingredients. My chicken sandwich included bacon, grilled onions, sundried tomatoes and bleu cheese which complimented the chicken quite nicely. I washed it all down with freshly squeezed strawberry lemonade. We all shared a molasses cookie and a chocolate cheesecake cookie for dessert. Quite yummy and worth the trek out to the Cantor Center.
(4)
Chris K.
I agree with the observations of others, this is a great place to go to avoid the crazy mall and downtown, poseur-heavy scenes. Went there for lunch two Sundays in a row! My favorite has to have been a lunch combo of a half of an egg salad sandwich with a moderately-sized bowl of shitake soup. Delicious, and filling. Just about everything's organic and is high cuisine takes on traditional dishes like a buffalo meatloaf sandwich and a risotto sweet cream torte. Yum! P.s. Oh, and apparently they cater! P.p.s. I really have had good luck with art gallery restaurants--the cuisine at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and the National Gallery in DC is quite good, definitely a large step up from burgers and hotdogs.
(5)
Mel L.
Too pricey even for Palo Alto area given the portion and ingredients in their dishes, e.g. turkey sandwich with couscous. Other Palo Alto restaurants serve dishes with organic ingredients as well. I prefer the other restaurants' dishes.
(2)
Glaciala A.
I really liked the chicken chutney sandwich, it was tasty. However, I wish there could be something that connects the dryness of the bread to the tasty chicken part. However, it seems a bit expensive for a sandwich without anything else like chips, etc. Went at lunch time on a week day, and it took about 35 minutes for the food to be ready.
(3)
Hao L.
3.5 stars really. I had lunch with my team at Cool Cafe at the Stanford Cantor Arts Museum today. Aside from the nice veranda al fresco dining, or the ability to eat amidst the Rodin sculpture garden (and the Gates of Hell), I thought the food was great (chef's combo, $9, cup of French lentil soup with a rich tomato base and half of a wild seafood salad sandwich containing spinach and aioli on whole-wheat bread), they also do catering. Chef Jesse Cool also owns Flea St. Cafe and JZ Cool Eatery in Menlo Park. Everything is local, organic, seasonal, sustainable, and delicious! The cutlery is biodegradable. The sugar is organic, from Sugar Land, TX (ok, that's not local). The wines and port are organic as well.They only do dinner on Thursdays. UPDATE: Diners at the Cantor Center for Visual Arts at Stanford University can now kick back with specialty martinis, in addition to organic beers and local wines. Though the cocktails are available during the cafe's regular daytime hours, things really heat up on Thursday nights from 5 to 8 PM, when dinner is served. Address: maps.google.com/maps?f=d… Menu: cooleatz.com/cool-cafe/c…
(4)
Peter F.
Ever thought about eating at the gates of hell? Here you can. The food is quite good, simple service (no waiting for the waiter, you order/pay, they bring the food), and great ambiance of the museum. I think the deserts are the best part of the meal. Top 5 lunch spot in my view for the southbay.
(5)
Matthew S.
Cool Cafe isn't the cheapest place to find lunch at Stanford, but it's the highest quality. The food is all orgainic, sandwiches and soups and salads. The smoked trout sandwich is tasty, and the burger is the best on campus. If you work on campus, it might behoove you to call your order in and pick it up, as they do attract a lengthy lunchtime line. There's moderate seating, which fills up quickly. This isn't a problem in the spring/summer, as you can always enjoy your meal outside amongst the sculptures.
(4)
Dana b.
I was there last year, so they may have changed service staff, but i was given ok service, I did find the food ok and nothing to rave about.
(3)
Janet H.
The food is wonderful, but not worth the price or the attitude. The atmosphere is arrogant, cold, sterile and unwelcoming. I apologize already for not being a Stanford grad, although I worked there for eleven years and am a longtime PA resident and contributor to the arts!
(2)
Blake H.
Great outdoor seating cafe! I love their burgers, salads and lattes. Best place at Stanford to sip on a latte!
(4)
Larry C.
This goes against how I was raised. If we're trekking to a day of museum hopping (think Planetarium, MSI and Shedd Aquarium), the last thing on your mind is budget priced gourmet food. If you're midwestern, you're thinking sack lunch. If you're on a field trip, I was thinking of taking Kevin Muck's sandwiches too (he was a bully that would take the nerdy kids food). Eating with the California sun on your shoulders during a noon outing 5 minutes from University Ave is a *treat* Decor- 9 Service - 9 Amenities - 9 Ambiance - 10
(5)
Nancy W.
Like another recent poster, I ordered the chicken chutney sandwich... which couldn't have had more than one ounce of chicken on it, meaning I was left hungry. One of the staff, bussing tables, asked me how I'd liked my sandwich, and I politely told him -- and received no response at all, other than a blank stare. My companion had only a slightly better time with her chicken/bacon sandwich. We sat outside and enjoyed the view out over the garden towards the mountains and wished we had ordered something else.
(2)
luba g.
The location is amazing. The food is pretty great. The coffee is fantastic. The sweets are pretty good. The day they start serving Handley Pinor Noir will be the day I change my rating to 5-stars. Their service used to be pretty slow but the last time I went (this past weekend) they were quite speedy. Seafood salad sandwhich is sub-par in my opinion (though my mom loved it). Love the Chef's salad (?) -- greens, blue cheese, bacon, beets, egg, etc. Love the cobbler + REAL cafe macciato (espresso + foam). What's better than a killer swim at Stanford Aquatic Center followed by lunch at Cool Cafe and an hour or so strolling around the museum? The location is divine.
(4)
Hazel Grace D.
Dining al fresco at the Cool Cafe is a simple luxury not to be missed. On a lazy Friday afternoon you might find me and my little puppy, Duncan savoring our delicious slow food under a tree and on the grass or enjoying cappuccino or perhaps a glass of sauvignon blanc to get the weekend started early... everything on the menu is great, be adventurous!
(5)
Anthony L.
uh, did I go to the right place? After seeing that this was the most highly-yelped venue in palo alto I had to check it out. Cool Cafe is a museum restaurant. Yelp reviewers promised much more, but what I got was a museum restaurant. Went on a sunny sunday afternoon. Place was empty, sterile. Sandwiches were fine, a bit pricey (in my mind, nothing different from any other museum restaurant. Certainly not a "brunch" place, and our sandwiches were just kind of organic-meh. Not really inspired, but ok. About as good as whole foods, and just as expensive. Paid 10 bucks for a ham sandwich You can't even SEE the Rodin sculptures from the patio, so all these reviews about looking at sculptures are just misleading, if not outright lying-- the sculpture garden is separated by a large wall from the grass area that the patio overlooks. Maybe its nice if you've never been to Stanford and Cantor before. I don't think this place is BAD, its just a museum cafe, not a miracle
(3)
Ana M.
For someone who works on campus, this cafe at the museum is a treat (i.e. not an everyday hang out) on a warm day. I typically order the flavorful Chutney Chicken Salad and a cookie. Don't miss the huge cookies, people! I always take a stroll through the amazing collection of art before going back to work.
(4)
Joy C.
A bit pricey, but yummy food. I got the chutney chicken salad sandwich, which was delish with a hint of curry. Fresh ingredients and gorgeous setting, especially on a nice sunny day.
(4)
amanda c.
The food is tasty and organic. Great place to eat on a warm sunny afternoon. The reason they get a 3 instead of a 4 is the portion sizes are way too small. I'm a small person and I don't eat as much as the average person. If I think the portion size is small, then something is seriously wrong here.
(3)
Rebecca J.
This is a perfect place for a Sunday lunch. The atmosphere is artsy, relaxed, and the surrounding are beautiful! Their food is fresh daily and very eclectic. I haven't had a thing there that i don't like. After lunch you can stroll around the Cantor Arts Museum.
(4)
Takaki K.
Their spring mix is really great. Sandwitches are good too. Sure it's overpriced (~$10 for lunch w/o drink), but you get to pretend like you are an art snob. Do check out the museum, too. It's one of the better modern art museums I've been, and it's free!
(4)
babsie g.
Eating at the Cool Cafe must be complemented by a trip to the Cantor Arts Center (yes, I'm a long time member so I biased). The museum is open late on Thursday nights, what a perfect date or personal outing adventure. Go check out the rotating contemporary exhibit (and the antiquities of course) and then treat yourself to a glass of wine (from the local Santa Cruz mtns of course) and an organic (DELICIOUS) meal. The best part is that you can sit outside to enjoy this all and look over the Rodin sculpture garden.
(5)
Melinda D.
Sitting at one of the patio tables is one of my favorite spots for lunch on a sunny day. Located at the Cantor Arts Center on Stanford University campus, the caf overlooks the Rodin Sculpture Garden. There is a large grass area where my children love to run while we wait for our lunch to arrive. The caf serves fantastic soups, salads and sandwiches (my favorite is the egg salad with capers on a baguette).
(5)
Claire O.
My go-to on-campus eatery when I have out-of-town visitors and want to show them the best of Stanford! The location, if you can score a lunch table out on the patio, is unbeatable (cypresses and a Rodin sculpture garden). The food is consistently fresh (they make a point of sourcing local and organic ingredients) and delicious -- I particularly like their curry chicken salad sandwich. Certainly not the cheapest option around but a decent value (compared to other on-campus eateries) given the quality of ingredients used.
(4)
David T.
A mediocre experience. The menu board prominently featured the special of the day, which was half of an egg salad sandwich with arugula salad. I ordered that, but the distracted person behind the counter couldn't seem to get it. What could be simpler than ordering the special of the day? Anyway, I repeated my request several times, but of course when my order came it was not the special, but rather just the egg salad sandwich. The food runner was rather flummoxed when I pointed out the mistake so rather than causing some serious panic I settled for that. And after all that I must report that the sandwich was probably the worst egg salad sandwich I have had in recent memory. It mostly consisted of rubbery egg whites with a little yoke in a boring curry sauce on very inappropriate bread. I would rather travel from Palo Alto to Bakesale Betty in Oakland if I wanted an egg salad sandwich.
(2)
J C.
fresh ingredients and nicely prepared. On a sunny day, the atmosphere is relaxing and a great way to pass the time. Check out the Rodin sculptures nearby!
(4)
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Address :Cantor Arts Center,328 Lomita Dr, Ste 200
Stanford, CA, 94305
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : No Caters : Yes
Jerry M.
Nice little cafe in the Cantor Arts Center. Good food, very convienent. The menu has vegan and vegetarian selections. I had a delicious vegi salad with tofu. It was very nice. Sandwiches looked good too. Overall recommend.
(4)Logan V.
Cool Cafe coffee spills. The top of the cups don't seal. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad coffee. Just don't plan on walking anywhere with it. I hope my rating is fine for such a piddling comment. Just thought the world wide yelp should know.
(3)Kenneth R.
A large group of us walked over for a Saturday lunch. The long line moved amazingly fast. I got a roast pork sandwich ($11 + tax), and I liked it. The sandwich was fairly small, but it came with a tasty salad (which was also small). The accompanying photo shows what the plate looked like. The sandwich was a little expensive for what was served. A larger, or cheaper, sandwich would have triggered a fourth star. As others have said, the setting is magnificent. One can sit outdoors for much of the year; the view of the sculpture garden is uplifting. The presence of a museum, basically in the next room, is also a big plus. The Cool personnel were efficient and friendly. We now come to the espresso portion of this review. Two of us got back in line to order double espressos ($3 each). The ground coffee used to make the espresso was seriously stale. Further, the pour was too long, so that the coffee was over-extracted and a bit thin. All we could do was add some milk. That was enough to save the day for me, though my companion in this activity felt that his cup of espresso required half-and-half for the resuscitation.
(3)Laima K.
Cool Cafe is cool. Cool cafe is fun. They have good food. Every time I visit Stanford for a museum exhibition or a play, the Cool Cafe is there to feed me. I have had some great meals here. Once they had a cream of mushroom soup. It inspired me to make my own creamy mushroom soup at home. Luckily I had been to a baby shower recently where we had to taste blended baby foods and try to guess the flavors, I didn't do so well at guessing the baby foods but i learned a lot of things, for example how to guess ingredients of a creamed soup. I made it at home and I think it came out pretty well. But I digress. The cool cafe has cool staff and tasty food. It is not the cheapest but also not the most expensive. Slightly more expensive than other college cafes but i guess this is Stanford and you have to expect that kind of thing. I wouldn't come here for food alone, but anytime I am at Stanford I come by and try it. They change menu frequently which is nice if you're a regular. Also the outdoor seating is nice. You can sip your beer or wine and eat sandwich while looking at some cool Rodin sculptures in the museum garden.
(4)Diane A.
I stopped at Cool Cafe at the Cantor Arts Center for a late lunch after a meeting in the area to enjoy the sunshine on their outdoor patio. There is currently construction going on right next to the cafe, but once that's gone it will be better. I ordered a Cobb salad at the counter. At $14.00 I was thinking it was really pricey! They gave me a number, and I sat at an umbrella table on the patio. I was surprised when the salad arrived at my table. The salad was presented beautifully. All of the components of this salad melded together so deliciously - fresh mesclun greens tossed with honey mustard vinaigrette, layered with thick, crisp pieces of bacon, sliced avocado, beet cubes and Point Reyes blue cheese chunks. Nice portion of chicken flavored with a tasty marinade was arranged next to the salad. The salad came with a two pieces of French bread. I've had my share of Cobb salads over the years and this has to be one of the best. Although it place was pricey, I absolutely think it's worth the money to get locally sourced, organic food in a beautiful setting. The museum is open until 8 pm on Thursdays, so that means the cafe is open until 7:30 pm that day. Great for a nice meal and date at the museum.
(4)Andrew J.
Excellent quality lunch on a sunny afternoon. A great outside space for the kids to run and play-an asset for all parents who want to enjoy their lunch.
(5)Erik L.
Before you come to eat here, you should take a moment to reflect, like the Rodin sculptures scattered about who are all thinking, "Why? Why eat here in spite of all these yelp reviews saying it's overpriced and bland?" You should consider this too. It still gets 3 stars from me because it does nothing wrong at all so there's nothing to deduct from an average rating. As I had my Arnold Palmer and panini, I realized this might be one of the most forgettable meals I've experienced in a while. But the fact that I'm dwelling on it now means it somehow stuck quite vividly in my mind. This is a clever achievement. So maybe in a way the Cool Cafe is art, a veritable extension of the museum itself.
(3)Ashley W.
This little gem is located at the Stanford art museum and was great for lunch! I was surprised by how fresh everything tasted and how quickly our food came out. I had the half sandwich and salad combo for around $10. The chicken curry sandwich was yummy and the salad and dressing was fresh and delicious. Parking is kind of a pain, but once you find a spot, this little place is well worth it! They give you a number, and you take that to your table (inside or outside seating available). Can't wait to go back and try another item off the lunch menu. Museum is also free to go through, and I hear it is great.
(4)George R.
The spinach soup is amazing! Really great texture and amazing scenery for a study /hangout with a friend. Just wished they could connect with the customers. However the staff are very polite none the less.
(4)Kaori M.
Just a typical American lunch place. Nothing special. Sandwich, drinks, just those kinds.
(3)Jane A.
KINDA COOL CAFE (3.25 stars) Headless statues with missing limbs and dangling penises while enjoying a cup of soup. * FOOD, ok * PRICE, kinda out there * SERVICE, good * AMBIANCE, campus cafe Decided to venture around and enjoy lunch in a not so expected place to have lunch on a Saturday afternoon in the summer. The Cool Cafe is located near the FIne Arts building - expect to see some art. I thought it would be "cool" to have lunch with art at a "cool" cafe. Well, today's art was interesting. Not sure if I like eating my soup and looking at these sculptures. LOL HEFFER-STYLE STATUS. CORN AND RED BELL PEPPER SOUP ($6.50) - comes with two pieces of bread. Okay, it sure hells doesn't sound so good. However, it actually was pretty good. I was thinking a cream soup with corn and bell pepper when ordering but when it was served.... it wasn't even like that. It was all pureed. The texture was smooth and the color was light orange (yellow + red = orange). And it tasted very good and healthy. I'm just not sure if it was worth $6.50. Alot of the items on the menu were kind of pricy for a cafe on campus, don't they know STUDENTS ARE BROKE?! I've discovered other places to eat on campus that were half the price of the items at this cafe. Will I be back? Maybe. Until the next review....
(3)William B.
I've been told that this is the best place to eat on Stanford's campus. Unfortunately, that's true only of "good food" or "reasonable prices" aren't your highest values. The food is pretty good if substantially overpriced. My asparagus with green goddess dressing was $11. A salad with actual protein was several dollars more, and none of these salads are large. And the asparagus itself didn't knock my socks off. But if things like "charm" are your highest value, I can see why you'd come here. There's a lovely, quiet, patio overlooking the art museum's sculpture garden. You can stare absently at the Rodins (although they are a little too far away to get a really good look at them), soak up a little sun, and remember why you moved to California. Those are lovely ways to pass an afternoon, even if I wouldn't normally mix them with an overpriced asparagus lunch.
(3)Cat H.
Cool Cafe is one of Jesse Ziff Cool's restaurants and she strives to serve only fresh, in-season, organic and local ingredients. Cool Cafe overlooks the Rodin sculpture garden on Stanford campus, and is a wonderful place to be on a sunny day. There is outside seating and picnic tables on the lawn. While we were visiting the Cantor Art Museum, we stopped by the cafe for lunch. Prices are slightly higher, but you're paying for premium ingredients. I ordered the grilled chicken sandwich which had: chicken, bacon, lettuce, avocado and chipotle mayo. The chicken was flavorful and juicy. The sandwich was a good size and just enough for lunch. We saw a lot of families while we were there; seems like a great place to have some lunch and relax while you're visiting the Stanford campus or art museum.
(4)Margaret M.
My husband and I are long time fans of the Cool Cafe and looked forward to having lunch there today prior to touring the Cantor Center. It has been one of our favorites even when we don't go in tothe museum. Though I went in with the intent of ordering the grass fed burger (which my husband did) the Diestel Turkey Sandwich on Cranberry Bread with Cheddar and Avocado caught my eye and that's what I ordered. To say I was disappointed is an understatement. The sandwich was dry, and there was more flavor in the cranberries in the bread than in all the other ingredients combined. To add insult to injury, the sticky scoop of flavorless quinoa added zlich to my dining experience. Thankfully, a bite of my husband's pretty good burger made me feel a little better. He, too, received the flavorless quinoa scoop. At $10 and $12 dollars respectively, these sandwiches were underwhelming. With one bag of chips and 2 non-alcoholic beverages, our lunch was $31. A tad pricey for mediocrity, especially when one has to stand in line to order. I'd hate to think that Jesse Cool is resting on her fine reputation and letting quality slip at this gem of a location
(2)d s.
The sandwich bread was so old and dry I had to ask for mayonnaise just to digest it. They made no offer to replace the dish or try new bread. I asked to speak to a manager and there was no one on site. The head waitress scolded me for not insisting on bettering the meal vs asking for mayonnaise. The attitude was very much we don't care about your issues and there is no one here who cares. It's sad I've been coming here for years for work meetings with colleagues but no more!
(2)joyce l.
All organic, local and sustainable ingredients. WINnING!!! this is a wonderfully hidden gem on the Farm. i'm going to surprise my DH with a lunch date. we'll check out the museum first, find the Thinker, then head over to the COOL cafe for a chillaxing lunch on the patio, alls the while admiring the statues of rodin. i might even have to wear my fancy sunglasses and make like a tourist in europe ;) had the cobb salad which is artfully presented. love love love 5 stars all the way!!
(5)Samantha K.
Nice cafe by the free art museum at Stanford University. The Rodin Garden, the trees, the outdoor patio tables, and the indoor table area all make this a unique experience. Its within about a 10 minute walk from both the Quad area on Stanford University as well as Stanford Medical Center. So its a great place to go if either part of Stanford or just visiting for the day. The food is good - albeit sandwiches are priced a bit higher than other sandwich shops. They are good though, but priced higher - I guess its because of the surroundings. Staff is friendly. So if at Stanford and in this area ok to go to - but I would not go out of my way if just looking for a good sandwich shop.
(3)Michelle W.
What I liked about Cool Cafe: Nice to have a fresh-made food restaurant in a museum. I appreciate their reliance on local organic food. Green Water. The Quinoa Salad The orangic ketchup made with agave nectar- this was the star of our meal. What I didn't like about Cool Cafe: All of the other food we had. Soup of the day (some sort of squash) Mushroom Burger. The soup was bland. The burger was pastey. All in all a disapointment.
(2)jazzy l.
Great outdoor place to sit and get some tan. $2.44 for a cup of coffee. Free parking in Lot A on the weekends. Overall great cafe outdoor place to sit.
(4)Elieke D.
Farmers Veggie Wrap: YUM! lots of mushrooms, hummus, soy beans, & lettuce. Fresh Squeezed Lemonade: oh so refreshing and perfect for the hot summer day! It was exactly what I was craving! Fresh squeezed lemons with a hint of strawberry. -They did get one of our orders mixed up with another table, but were quick to fix the mistake. +Fast service +Lots of seating options +I highly recommend the outside seating next to the sculpture garden. It's a great change of scenery compared to your typical cafe.
(3)C A.
Came here after a nice visit to the museum exhibits. After my meal at this café, I was instantly not a fan. I ordered their lamb burger which was awfully dry and flavorless, it wasn't worth the 15 minutes I had to wait for it--maybe that's how long it took to thaw! Very disappointing place, not recommended. Pack a lunch and picnic outside of the museum instead.
(2)Kathi H.
When I use to work around the corner & craved a burger, this is one of 2 places I sauntered on over to. Delicious burgers & I venture to guess that the rest of their food is pretty darn good too. Except I'd always order their burger. Hmmmm. I think I need to check out the museum....work up an appetite & get me a burger. ;-)
(4)Fie M.
Food is O.K. The service O.K. Menu O.K.
(3)Marilyn Y.
This seemed like a perfect place to meet my husband for lunch or coffee, a short walk for him, but feeling farther away with it's sculptures and garden landscape. However, the cafe doesn't live up to what I expect of a museum cafe. Something is missing. When you walk into the cafe, it seems cold and sterile and institutional, quite the opposite of what you would expect. within an art museum. However, the outdoor tables look inviting. Next glance up at the menu and find overpriced items to choose from. These items are made with fresh organic ingredients and includes soups and salads. I think $10.00 for a small salad or sandwich is on the high side. This might be okay if the food was exceptional, but it isn't. My roasted beet salad was not well made. The goat cheese was placed in large clumps, the beets tough and there was too much spice on the walnuts, overwhelming the delicate flavors of the other ingredients. My husband had the Chicken Curry sandwich, which he liked but thought overpriced. We have eaten here previously and had a similar experience. For a cafe that sells itself as a healthy and fresh "cool" place among the sculptures, it is decidedly not what it suggests. Fresh and organic yet prepared poorly is a waste. Cool Cafe, take inspiration from your location and rise from the bland mediocrity with a little more attention to detail and love.
(3)Richard G.
This is my goto place on the Stanford campus. Its a nice little place overlooking the Rodin sculpture garden and grassy area. Great to come on a sunny day. We sit outside with iced tea. The food comes out slow. I get the chutney chicken salad sandwich and soup...just nice and tasty. My friend gets the cobb salad. The food is mighty tasty. Items are about 9-15$. This place gets crowded, come early. Food**** decor**** service, there is none, they just bring your food.
(4)Kes D.
Service: not very friendly, sorta pretentious almost. Food: pretty tasty, but expensiveish. The selection is pretty much similar stuff to other places on campus- salads made with spring mix, panini, etc.- perhaps a bit more inspired with more local ingredients. Only particularly unique thing I saw was gazpacho. And a big "whaaattt?": our nutburger had tomatoes on it that still had the _sticker_ on it. I of course didn't notice until too late because it was buried in the sandwich. I should've checked to see if it was organic like advertised. :P Ambiance: crowded. Very casual business lunch place maybe, not a standby.
(2)Fred T.
Right at the Cantor Art Museum and Its a place I have been wanting to try for some time so we gave it a shot. I only had the burger (my two friends had the same) and an Iced tea. The burger made with grass fed organic beef was quite tasty. Its not really a complaint but the Point Reyes Blue Cheese overpowered most of the rest of the burger, even the meat and Ill go with cheddar next time.. Seating was a a challenge and the service while friendly was slooooow. Not a place it seems if you are in a hurry. Also it was a bit pricey.
(3)Jeanne S.
Yes, it's beautiful. The location is unbeatable, overlooking the Rodin Sculpture gardens. The food is just mediocre. This place gets a lot of hype for the location and the organic food but when it comes down to it, it's just not that tasty!
(3)Stephanie W.
This place is bizarre. The menu always looks really good, but the food is just alright and the service is non-existent. I've been here a handful of times, and have never really been impressed. Besides mediocre food, Cool Cafe just takes FOREVER. Even though there were only 2 people in line in front of us, we waited 10 minutes before placing our order, and then waited another 25 minutes for sandwiches and salads despite the fact that the place was empty on a Saturday. Overall, it just gets a pretty "mehhhh" three stars.
(3)Margaret C.
This is a great place to take your mom on a sunny afternoon at Stanford. I found their shitake mushroom burger to be pretty delightful. It's pretty pricy, but Cool Cafe does their best to communicate to you that you're paying for some pretty premium ingredients. After lunch, it's great to take a little walk around the Cantor and see what's new.
(4)Min L.
I love this place. Some of my best memories from college are here... sipping uber good hot chocolate and talking grand plans with a friend, discussing a research topic with a professor. As a Stanford tour guide back in the days, I always referred people to come here for lunch. The fresh and organic meals, lighting of the space (which faces the Rodin Sculpture Garden), fast and friendly staff, and overall intellectual and artistic ambiance strike this establishment as unique and _wonderful_. The hot chocolate is one of the best I've had on the West Coast. Lunch-wise, the half sandwich and soup is my fav (pic: flickr.com/photos/minliu… ). Eat in and enjoy the meal with a good friend. It made many of my days :)
(5)Sushi S.
If you find fancy-pants organic food cool...
(4)Jack S.
I had lunch with Patrick Keating here. You don't know who he is, but I promise he's way cooler than you or the eponymous Cafe. This place has a lot going for it. The (vaguely) seasonal menu, waiiter service, and organic ingredients make you feel like you're at some pretentious california yuppy place, in a good way if that's possible. But the surrounding art makes for quite an atmosphere. It's just far enough away from the main part of campus, and sufficiently free of students, to make you feel like you've escaped it all. And, not that it matters at a restaurant or anything, but the food is excellent. On the downside, it's pricey and doesn't fill a voracious aspiring fatman like me up.
(4)Geoff D.
The Cool Cafe has become a favorite daytime date spot for my wife and me. Its casual indoor/outdoor location here in the Cantor Arts Center is tough to beat... and the salads and sandwiches from Jesse Cool meet the same high standards she sets at Flea Street Cafe and JZ Cool Eatery. We used to come here regularly for leisurely weekend lunches when we were just two; it is also one of those rare places that still works for us with little kids, as the large adjacent lawn and scuplture garden provide a fun but safe place for them to frolic while we relax.
(5)Kristine D.
The Cool Cafe lives up to its name---attached to the Cantor Arts Center the place enjoys a very cool location overlooking the Rodin Sculpture Garden. Everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) on the menu is organic, range-free, grass-fed and kept away from syringes and steroids, which made it seem odd that the asparagus in my spring vegetable sandwich tasted like it was out of a can. Is it possible that my many years on chemically produced vittles has left my palet unable to discern when things are more natural? Ok, I'm off topic... all-in-all, the Cool Cafe is nice as an ocassional treat. It is pricey but, it will make you forget for a time that you're on a college campus and have you believing your in a trendy little bistro in Paris, NYC or some re-created street scene in Las Vegas mega casino (I'll leave that up to your imagination.) Go early ---- the place fills up fast and the line to order will stretch the length of the restaurant.
(4)Jeremy H.
The grass fed burger!!!!! Nuff Said. Everything is so fresh here! I have only eaten the burger on 3 seperate occasions, but it's why I go.
(5)Janel Y.
I love this place on a sunny day. You can eat fresh, Californian cuisine as you read a book or watch the kids run around on the lawn. Food prices are a bit hight, but I think what you're getting is worth it. It's also close to the Rodin Sculpture Garden which is a nice area to check out some of Rodin's pieces. If I want a nice, chill place for "me time," this is definitely the place I'd venture to.
(4)Karina Q.
I had high expectations, even though a well-eaten friend of mine said it was not that worth it and for the same price, she'd rather go to St. Michael's Alley. I am no longer a doubter in her culinary wisdom. I was working on a laborious 40 page essay on Iran and decided to make Cool Cafe (open until 8 on Thursdays) the venue for my essaying that day. Alright. It's pretty. I love the light streaming in. The patio looks nice (unfortunately, my laptop's lack of battery life tied me to indoors). It's got lots of windows and just very "cool" and "California." First, I had the homemade lemonade. While good, I could personally do better myself (and have done better). It was extremely sour and I added the agave nectar on the side table to sweeten it to a palpable level. Lots of ice in the glass, hardly any lemonade. Not worth the 3-4 dollars. Second, I believe I had the chicken sandwich with bacon and some other stuff. Obviously not that memorable, I just remember the chicken being quite dry, the portions being quite small, and myself being disappointed. I proceeded to sit in the cafe and enjoy the ambiance for the next 7 hours, uninterrupted (it was not a busy day for them). Although it got really busy toward dinner, with lots of professionals getting off of work and eating here with their kids. Cute. In the 7th hour, I got a large mocha and a cup of french onion soup with a baguette. The mocha was also bitter and grainy, and definitely not that impressive. The soup was good, with nicely caramelized onions that I could make myself for much cheaper - it was like 5 dollars for a small bowl of soup and a piece of mediocre bread! Note that I'm not a particularly good chef - in fact, the onions were on a piece of failed pizza. Definitely not somewhere I'd go again until I need to escape another day to essay in a cafe, in which case I'll only probably buy a small drink, ask for less ice, pour in the honey, and sit and essay for another 7 hours.
(2)Allison A.
The food is quite good and all organic but the price is too high even for all organic. The place gets insanely crowded during lunch and the line moves slowly. I really believe that if there were anywhere obviously close to eat most people would take one look at the line and leave (try Byte Cafe 3 blocks away, during the week). The setting is wonderful with the view of Rodin garden.
(3)jill j.
Best place for a (cheap) date! - FREE art museum! - FREE outdoor art - sexy Rodin sculpture at that! Have your date model next to them (and try not to compare size or anything). - On the Stanford campus, so you can seem all intellectual and stuff. - Tasty (but unforturnately not free) organic dining at Cool Cafe (Jesse Cool, the chef behind JZ Cool and Flea Street Cafe in Menlo Park). I'm partial to their lemonade and the salads, but the sandwiches are great too. - Gorgeous sunny patio to sit on while looking dreamily into each others eyes. There's something just so casual yet civilized about this place. Really, does it get any better!?!? Oh, yeah ... having a new love to take there. :) Perhaps I'll take the oldie but goodie next time.
(5)T T.
Overall, the food is very overpriced, probably because it's a bit of a tourist trap being right next to the art museum. The food was better than I expected, considering that it is a tourist trap. I had the burger and had bread pudding for dessert. The bread pudding was really delicious, and I generally don't even go for desserts. The burger was very juicy and came with brussels sprouts on the side, which were a bit greasy but full of flavor. Service was a bit slow.
(3)Katharine A.
Similar menu to the JZ Cool Cafe in Menlo Park. It is nice to eat here on a sunny afternoon right next to the Rodin Sculpture Garden. I had the green goddess green bean salad and it was delicious, but it was a bit pricey.
(3)Rob C.
tries really hard with the fancy sounding ingredients who doesn't want organic this, free range that, or natural ____ needless to say, it works. everything sounds better than just a turkey sandwich, (maybe they use it to try to justify their high prices) the chipotle roast park sandwich with avocado spread and slaw was tasty on a toasted panini -- you can tell this sandwich wasn't premade and sitting around ambiance is great with the sculpture around, so another campus eatery that is decent
(4)K M.
The Cool Cafe gets the prize for the worst named campus eatery (though the Axe and Palm did give it a run for its money), but it manages to overcome this sizable handicap with its ambiance. The food is good but not memorable, and like everyone else says it is a bit expensive. Also the lunch line can be a little out of control. That said, the floor to ceiling windows and ample outdoor seating are divine, the lawn it looks over is perfectly manicured and prime for an impromptu picnic, the sandstone building warm and pleasant. A great place to read or study and ignore the rest of the campus.
(4)Melanie C.
By far my favorite place to eat on campus. And surrounded by the Rodin sculpture garden, right off of Palm Drive? Can't beat it. All-organic, super fresh comfort sandwiches, salads, soup, etc. From Jesse Cool. Had one of the paninis -- roasted asparagus, goat cheese, sundried tomato pesto, spinach and creamy green goddess dressing. Phenomenal. YUM. Served with red cabbage sauerkraut and roasted potatoes. So good. Next time maybe the rocky freerange chicken, bacon and point reyes bleu sando... Only open for lunch... except on Thursdays when dinner goes til 8, I think.
(5)Superduperpooperscooper T.
Free wifi of course (Stanford) Mexican hot chocolate! (A+) Black and White cookies (A) Lemon bars (A+)
(4)Masami H.
When I lived in Manhattan, I used to love the rooftop garden at the Metropolitan museum in the summertime. In California, this is as good as it gets, the Cantor museum's Cool Cafe has great organic food, has both indoor and outdoor seating and is open to the public so you don't have to visit the museum to go there (although the museum admission is free.) With the lush garden and nice picnic tables on the grass, this is a kiddie friendly place and I bring my puppy to the garden area to romp (they are not allowed indoors but have access to the grassy area.) Perfect for brunch, lunch, coffee/tea... it's a destination to check out if you're looking for a nice place to sit outdoors on a sunny day :-) You'll find me there a few times a month :-)
(5)Katie R.
This cafe is a perfect combination of simple beauty and delicious, healthy food. It is bright and cheerful, with good service. I had the turkey sandwich, which was delicious, and their offerings are simple, but all of it looked great. They had good coffee, too, and coming from a Peet's lover, that's saying alot! The best part about this spot, is its surroundings. There is something surreal about lunching, under the eyes of the Rodin sculptures and the other Burghers.
(4)cacao g.
Cool cafe is one of the best place to have a leisurely Sunday brunch from the madding crowd in the city or as close as University Ave. This place is a sister restaurant of Flea Street Cafe in Menlo Park, all the ingredients used in both places are local fresh organic products. I really enjoyed sitting outside at the patio, smelling fresh air and grass in a calmly casual atmosphere on sunny nice afternoon. I highly recommend that if you shop at Stanford shopping mall, instead of eating a lunch at the mall, just walk 5 minutes or drive 2 minutes to the Cantor Museum. Cool cafe is right here. Defenitely stop by the Arts Museum next door after eating brunch there.
(5)Matt S.
Imaginative, organic, and satisfying food!
(5)Courtney E.
What a gem of a cafe on Stanford's campus!! My mouth waters when I think about Jesse's Favorite: heirloom tomato, avacado, fried egg, arugula, mayo, honey mustard on toasted organic white bread (ask for wheat). It's soo amazing, every fried egg sandwich I make will be benchmarked to this. Strawberry lemonade was a little sour, but nevertheless, fresh and plenty pink. The long wait is daunting, as is finding a seat on the patio, so I opt to get my order to go and perch myself under a tree or on a stretch of lawn for a picnic. The perfect lunch, Wednesday through Sunday. Dinner til 8pm on Thursday!
(5)Mike B.
The prices are high, but you're paying for quality and all-organic ingredients. The burgers are delicious...one of the best in the area. Everything is fresh and organic - right down to the sodas. Jesse Cool is the owner, and she's all about using the freshest ingredients she can find. I've also enjoyed the pork sandwich (which I think is no longer on the menu...need to verify that). And the chicken is good, yet slightly dry. The lines can get ridiculously long, as it takes a while for this tiny kitchen to keep up with the demand (hey, Stanford...expand the building for them). And tables can be hard to come by (have someone save a table while you order). But...I'm telling ya...the food is worth it. A terrific option for lunch at Stanford.
(4)Rosalind C.
The best place (and the priciest) to eat on campus. It's nice to sit next to the Rodin sculpture garden, but the cafe is situated such that you won't actually see the sculptures from where you are sitting unless you are on the patio. If you come, come for lunch - the prices are reasonable for the quality of food. The chef's salad is quite good. Dinner is just as good, but the incongruence of eating high quality food in non fine dining atmosphere is just a little strange. I don't know how to explain it - its just that the food is so good, you expect the surroundings to be much nicer. And when you can't see out the windows, the place really loses its charm. Combine the lackluster night ambience with the higher pricing, and I just don't know if I can recommend coming here unless you plan on going to a play at Memorial Auditorium right afterwards. Be warned - Cool Cafe is closed for lunch on Mondays and Tuesdays.
(4)Richard C.
4 stars just because it's such a unique location and has such a great feel to it. Food? Fine, no big deal. It's the location and feel that I like.
(4)Durif M.
We went there on a weekend brunch but the place was packed. A bit on the pricey side, but for sure their food is good. Parking and seating may be a bit of a hassle during the peak hours.
(4)Brad P.
What a great place to get away from it all, in the haven of an idyllic campus setting. Perfect spot for a healthy, tasty, and cultured meal on a lazy summer evening, or for a lunch and an iced tea. Fresh, organic ingredients galore. Chilled ice water with lemons. This place is high class, and yet campus casual all at once. As mentioned in other reviews here, the grassy veranda is perfect for the kiddos to practice their summer saults under the ever-present influence of the Rodin sculpture garden just an errant frisbee toss away. Fair prices, fresh food, exciting selections. Did I mention they serve beer and wine? Alrighty then. Make sure you pay the parking meters, unless you want to make another contribution to the Stanford endowment. NOTE: Keep an eye out for summer music series where you can enjoy free entertainment and culture while you dine. And, don't forget to browse the free museum on your way in or out.
(5)Victoria D.
A line of at least twenty people watched my coworkers and I in envy as we sat out on the Cool Cafe patio overlooking the Rodin Sculpture Garden. The only way to secure a table for lunch is to get there at least a half hour before noon to avoid the mob. The sandwiches and salads are well-crafted with fresh, organic ingredients. My chicken sandwich included bacon, grilled onions, sundried tomatoes and bleu cheese which complimented the chicken quite nicely. I washed it all down with freshly squeezed strawberry lemonade. We all shared a molasses cookie and a chocolate cheesecake cookie for dessert. Quite yummy and worth the trek out to the Cantor Center.
(4)Chris K.
I agree with the observations of others, this is a great place to go to avoid the crazy mall and downtown, poseur-heavy scenes. Went there for lunch two Sundays in a row! My favorite has to have been a lunch combo of a half of an egg salad sandwich with a moderately-sized bowl of shitake soup. Delicious, and filling. Just about everything's organic and is high cuisine takes on traditional dishes like a buffalo meatloaf sandwich and a risotto sweet cream torte. Yum! P.s. Oh, and apparently they cater! P.p.s. I really have had good luck with art gallery restaurants--the cuisine at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and the National Gallery in DC is quite good, definitely a large step up from burgers and hotdogs.
(5)Mel L.
Too pricey even for Palo Alto area given the portion and ingredients in their dishes, e.g. turkey sandwich with couscous. Other Palo Alto restaurants serve dishes with organic ingredients as well. I prefer the other restaurants' dishes.
(2)Glaciala A.
I really liked the chicken chutney sandwich, it was tasty. However, I wish there could be something that connects the dryness of the bread to the tasty chicken part. However, it seems a bit expensive for a sandwich without anything else like chips, etc. Went at lunch time on a week day, and it took about 35 minutes for the food to be ready.
(3)Hao L.
3.5 stars really. I had lunch with my team at Cool Cafe at the Stanford Cantor Arts Museum today. Aside from the nice veranda al fresco dining, or the ability to eat amidst the Rodin sculpture garden (and the Gates of Hell), I thought the food was great (chef's combo, $9, cup of French lentil soup with a rich tomato base and half of a wild seafood salad sandwich containing spinach and aioli on whole-wheat bread), they also do catering. Chef Jesse Cool also owns Flea St. Cafe and JZ Cool Eatery in Menlo Park. Everything is local, organic, seasonal, sustainable, and delicious! The cutlery is biodegradable. The sugar is organic, from Sugar Land, TX (ok, that's not local). The wines and port are organic as well.They only do dinner on Thursdays. UPDATE: Diners at the Cantor Center for Visual Arts at Stanford University can now kick back with specialty martinis, in addition to organic beers and local wines. Though the cocktails are available during the cafe's regular daytime hours, things really heat up on Thursday nights from 5 to 8 PM, when dinner is served. Address: maps.google.com/maps?f=d… Menu: cooleatz.com/cool-cafe/c…
(4)Peter F.
Ever thought about eating at the gates of hell? Here you can. The food is quite good, simple service (no waiting for the waiter, you order/pay, they bring the food), and great ambiance of the museum. I think the deserts are the best part of the meal. Top 5 lunch spot in my view for the southbay.
(5)Matthew S.
Cool Cafe isn't the cheapest place to find lunch at Stanford, but it's the highest quality. The food is all orgainic, sandwiches and soups and salads. The smoked trout sandwich is tasty, and the burger is the best on campus. If you work on campus, it might behoove you to call your order in and pick it up, as they do attract a lengthy lunchtime line. There's moderate seating, which fills up quickly. This isn't a problem in the spring/summer, as you can always enjoy your meal outside amongst the sculptures.
(4)Dana b.
I was there last year, so they may have changed service staff, but i was given ok service, I did find the food ok and nothing to rave about.
(3)Janet H.
The food is wonderful, but not worth the price or the attitude. The atmosphere is arrogant, cold, sterile and unwelcoming. I apologize already for not being a Stanford grad, although I worked there for eleven years and am a longtime PA resident and contributor to the arts!
(2)Blake H.
Great outdoor seating cafe! I love their burgers, salads and lattes. Best place at Stanford to sip on a latte!
(4)Larry C.
This goes against how I was raised. If we're trekking to a day of museum hopping (think Planetarium, MSI and Shedd Aquarium), the last thing on your mind is budget priced gourmet food. If you're midwestern, you're thinking sack lunch. If you're on a field trip, I was thinking of taking Kevin Muck's sandwiches too (he was a bully that would take the nerdy kids food). Eating with the California sun on your shoulders during a noon outing 5 minutes from University Ave is a *treat* Decor- 9 Service - 9 Amenities - 9 Ambiance - 10
(5)Nancy W.
Like another recent poster, I ordered the chicken chutney sandwich... which couldn't have had more than one ounce of chicken on it, meaning I was left hungry. One of the staff, bussing tables, asked me how I'd liked my sandwich, and I politely told him -- and received no response at all, other than a blank stare. My companion had only a slightly better time with her chicken/bacon sandwich. We sat outside and enjoyed the view out over the garden towards the mountains and wished we had ordered something else.
(2)luba g.
The location is amazing. The food is pretty great. The coffee is fantastic. The sweets are pretty good. The day they start serving Handley Pinor Noir will be the day I change my rating to 5-stars. Their service used to be pretty slow but the last time I went (this past weekend) they were quite speedy. Seafood salad sandwhich is sub-par in my opinion (though my mom loved it). Love the Chef's salad (?) -- greens, blue cheese, bacon, beets, egg, etc. Love the cobbler + REAL cafe macciato (espresso + foam). What's better than a killer swim at Stanford Aquatic Center followed by lunch at Cool Cafe and an hour or so strolling around the museum? The location is divine.
(4)Hazel Grace D.
Dining al fresco at the Cool Cafe is a simple luxury not to be missed. On a lazy Friday afternoon you might find me and my little puppy, Duncan savoring our delicious slow food under a tree and on the grass or enjoying cappuccino or perhaps a glass of sauvignon blanc to get the weekend started early... everything on the menu is great, be adventurous!
(5)Anthony L.
uh, did I go to the right place? After seeing that this was the most highly-yelped venue in palo alto I had to check it out. Cool Cafe is a museum restaurant. Yelp reviewers promised much more, but what I got was a museum restaurant. Went on a sunny sunday afternoon. Place was empty, sterile. Sandwiches were fine, a bit pricey (in my mind, nothing different from any other museum restaurant. Certainly not a "brunch" place, and our sandwiches were just kind of organic-meh. Not really inspired, but ok. About as good as whole foods, and just as expensive. Paid 10 bucks for a ham sandwich You can't even SEE the Rodin sculptures from the patio, so all these reviews about looking at sculptures are just misleading, if not outright lying-- the sculpture garden is separated by a large wall from the grass area that the patio overlooks. Maybe its nice if you've never been to Stanford and Cantor before. I don't think this place is BAD, its just a museum cafe, not a miracle
(3)Ana M.
For someone who works on campus, this cafe at the museum is a treat (i.e. not an everyday hang out) on a warm day. I typically order the flavorful Chutney Chicken Salad and a cookie. Don't miss the huge cookies, people! I always take a stroll through the amazing collection of art before going back to work.
(4)Joy C.
A bit pricey, but yummy food. I got the chutney chicken salad sandwich, which was delish with a hint of curry. Fresh ingredients and gorgeous setting, especially on a nice sunny day.
(4)amanda c.
The food is tasty and organic. Great place to eat on a warm sunny afternoon. The reason they get a 3 instead of a 4 is the portion sizes are way too small. I'm a small person and I don't eat as much as the average person. If I think the portion size is small, then something is seriously wrong here.
(3)Rebecca J.
This is a perfect place for a Sunday lunch. The atmosphere is artsy, relaxed, and the surrounding are beautiful! Their food is fresh daily and very eclectic. I haven't had a thing there that i don't like. After lunch you can stroll around the Cantor Arts Museum.
(4)Takaki K.
Their spring mix is really great. Sandwitches are good too. Sure it's overpriced (~$10 for lunch w/o drink), but you get to pretend like you are an art snob. Do check out the museum, too. It's one of the better modern art museums I've been, and it's free!
(4)babsie g.
Eating at the Cool Cafe must be complemented by a trip to the Cantor Arts Center (yes, I'm a long time member so I biased). The museum is open late on Thursday nights, what a perfect date or personal outing adventure. Go check out the rotating contemporary exhibit (and the antiquities of course) and then treat yourself to a glass of wine (from the local Santa Cruz mtns of course) and an organic (DELICIOUS) meal. The best part is that you can sit outside to enjoy this all and look over the Rodin sculpture garden.
(5)Melinda D.
Sitting at one of the patio tables is one of my favorite spots for lunch on a sunny day. Located at the Cantor Arts Center on Stanford University campus, the caf overlooks the Rodin Sculpture Garden. There is a large grass area where my children love to run while we wait for our lunch to arrive. The caf serves fantastic soups, salads and sandwiches (my favorite is the egg salad with capers on a baguette).
(5)Claire O.
My go-to on-campus eatery when I have out-of-town visitors and want to show them the best of Stanford! The location, if you can score a lunch table out on the patio, is unbeatable (cypresses and a Rodin sculpture garden). The food is consistently fresh (they make a point of sourcing local and organic ingredients) and delicious -- I particularly like their curry chicken salad sandwich. Certainly not the cheapest option around but a decent value (compared to other on-campus eateries) given the quality of ingredients used.
(4)David T.
A mediocre experience. The menu board prominently featured the special of the day, which was half of an egg salad sandwich with arugula salad. I ordered that, but the distracted person behind the counter couldn't seem to get it. What could be simpler than ordering the special of the day? Anyway, I repeated my request several times, but of course when my order came it was not the special, but rather just the egg salad sandwich. The food runner was rather flummoxed when I pointed out the mistake so rather than causing some serious panic I settled for that. And after all that I must report that the sandwich was probably the worst egg salad sandwich I have had in recent memory. It mostly consisted of rubbery egg whites with a little yoke in a boring curry sauce on very inappropriate bread. I would rather travel from Palo Alto to Bakesale Betty in Oakland if I wanted an egg salad sandwich.
(2)J C.
fresh ingredients and nicely prepared. On a sunny day, the atmosphere is relaxing and a great way to pass the time. Check out the Rodin sculptures nearby!
(4)