Village Pantry

This is my favorite local breakfast and brunch spot. I like to order their breakfast quesadilla and California burger. They use organic veggies in their dishes and real maple syrup with their pancakes and waffles. Their menu items are a bit more expensive and I don’t mind paying for the quality.

Very wonderful owners. The atmosphere is beautiful and the service and food is fabulous 💕! Nice place to walk afterwards to burn off some calories 😁. Definitely coming back 😺🔙!!! Thank you my friend 😊.

We are in Palo Alto because my dad is having open heart surgery at the VA down the street. My mom and I needed to grab a bite before our nerves completely took over, so we searched for breakfast nearby and decided on Village Pantry after seeing a photo of their chicken fried steak. It looked amazing…and it absolutely was. From the moment we walked in, we were greeted by the owner, Julie, with the warmest smile. She immediately apologized that it was cold inside because their heater had gone out, but she had already brought in space heaters and even moved one closer to our table to keep us warm. She was kind, attentive, and smiling the entire time. I’ll admit, the eclectic decor and unique bathroom setup initially caught me off guard. But don’t let the charm and quirks of the building fool you. The food was phenomenal, and the customer service was truly something special. There was only one other customer there, a regular, and it was clear this place is deeply loved. The walls are covered with photos and Christmas cards from families who have been coming here for decades…locals who have become family to Julie and her staff. I ordered the chicken fried steak, and it was exactly what I had hoped for. I haven’t had one that good in decades. The gravy was absolutely drool-worthy. Everything is made fresh. Nothing frozen! And Julie comes in early every morning to hand-slice the hash browns herself. My mom had eggs, hash browns, and crispy, mouth-watering bacon. Even the sourdough toast was outstanding. Julie asked why we were in town, and when we shared about my dad’s surgery, she prayed for him and gave us a heartfelt blessing. To top it all off, as the regular customer was leaving, he stopped by our table, told us he was praying for my dad’s heart surgery, and wished us a Merry Christmas. I teared up. Moments later, Julie came over and told us that he had paid for our meal. I completely welled up. That kindness meant more than words can say. Especially on such a heavy and emotional day. It was exactly the kind of thing my dad would do for someone else, which made it even more meaningful. As if that wasn’t enough, we packed up our leftover toast and bacon to take back to the hotel since we don’t have much there. Julie actually ran out to our car to bring us forks and napkins. She reminds me so much of my mother-in-law …always making sure everyone is fed, comfortable, and cared for. If you want delicious food in a place that truly feels like home, please come here. We hugged Julie before leaving because it genuinely felt like we were meant to be there this morning… like it was exactly what we needed to get through a very difficult day. Village Pantry took a hit after the pandemic and doesn’t see as much foot traffic as it deserves. Please support this place. Just go. You won’t regret it. 💛 Sincerely, A new customer turned lifelong customer

Village Pantry is a lovely spot with a warm, cozy atmosphere and a true neighborhood café feel. The food is always fresh and delicious, especially the breakfast options, and the coffee is consistently great. Friendly and attentive staff make it an easy place to relax and enjoy your time. Definitely one of my favorite places in Los Altos.

Irina Antonova

Village Pantry is a lovely spot with a warm, cozy atmosphere and a true neighborhood café feel. The food is always fresh and delicious, especially the breakfast options, and the coffee is consistently great. Friendly and attentive staff make it an easy place to relax and enjoy your time. Definitely one of my favorite places in Los Altos.

Ali Bertolina

We are in Palo Alto because my dad is having open heart surgery at the VA down the street. My mom and I needed to grab a bite before our nerves completely took over, so we searched for breakfast nearby and decided on Village Pantry after seeing a photo of their chicken fried steak. It looked amazing…and it absolutely was. From the moment we walked in, we were greeted by the owner, Julie, with the warmest smile. She immediately apologized that it was cold inside because their heater had gone out, but she had already brought in space heaters and even moved one closer to our table to keep us warm. She was kind, attentive, and smiling the entire time. I’ll admit, the eclectic decor and unique bathroom setup initially caught me off guard. But don’t let the charm and quirks of the building fool you. The food was phenomenal, and the customer service was truly something special. There was only one other customer there, a regular, and it was clear this place is deeply loved. The walls are covered with photos and Christmas cards from families who have been coming here for decades…locals who have become family to Julie and her staff. I ordered the chicken fried steak, and it was exactly what I had hoped for. I haven’t had one that good in decades. The gravy was absolutely drool-worthy. Everything is made fresh. Nothing frozen! And Julie comes in early every morning to hand-slice the hash browns herself. My mom had eggs, hash browns, and crispy, mouth-watering bacon. Even the sourdough toast was outstanding. Julie asked why we were in town, and when we shared about my dad’s surgery, she prayed for him and gave us a heartfelt blessing. To top it all off, as the regular customer was leaving, he stopped by our table, told us he was praying for my dad’s heart surgery, and wished us a Merry Christmas. I teared up. Moments later, Julie came over and told us that he had paid for our meal. I completely welled up. That kindness meant more than words can say. Especially on such a heavy and emotional day. It was exactly the kind of thing my dad would do for someone else, which made it even more meaningful. As if that wasn’t enough, we packed up our leftover toast and bacon to take back to the hotel since we don’t have much there. Julie actually ran out to our car to bring us forks and napkins. She reminds me so much of my mother-in-law …always making sure everyone is fed, comfortable, and cared for. If you want delicious food in a place that truly feels like home, please come here. We hugged Julie before leaving because it genuinely felt like we were meant to be there this morning… like it was exactly what we needed to get through a very difficult day. Village Pantry took a hit after the pandemic and doesn’t see as much foot traffic as it deserves. Please support this place. Just go. You won’t regret it. 💛 Sincerely, A new customer turned lifelong customer

Arne B

This is my favorite local breakfast and brunch spot. I like to order their breakfast quesadilla and California burger. They use organic veggies in their dishes and real maple syrup with their pancakes and waffles. Their menu items are a bit more expensive and I don’t mind paying for the quality.

Lucky Rae Gomez

I LOVE this place as much as I LOVE bacon!! The food is consistently fresh, perfectly cooked and delicious. This is a spot for regulars and that speaks for itself. Great patio for brunch or lingering over coffee and a puzzle. The Village pantry is a definite go to for me!!

A nice neighborhood breakfast place. I wanted something homey and this fit the bill. We were greeted at the door and they arranged a table for 5. We requested coffee and after a little while, we ordered food. We ordered an eggs benedict, eggs with ham and bread, blueberry pancakes and corned beef hash with eggs, with side of hashbrowns. We all liked the hash browns, it was crispy. The other food was fine and we filled up. Service was nice and they checked when we needed coffee refills.

The food tasted good but I wouldn’t say great. Really good hash browns. Lot of breakfast varieties. The bread toast is simple and the best, tasted fresh and perfectly crispy.

Cozy little local restaurant. A good place to start you weekend day. One of the limited places that can do free-style omelet. Hash brown taste good too. Seem like they are there for many years. A little bit expensive for that environment. Staff there are not that friendly and hear them ask their new guy to do things not nicely.

Chelle T

A nice neighborhood breakfast place. I wanted something homey and this fit the bill. We were greeted at the door and they arranged a table for 5. We requested coffee and after a little while, we ordered food. We ordered an eggs benedict, eggs with ham and bread, blueberry pancakes and corned beef hash with eggs, with side of hashbrowns. We all liked the hash browns, it was crispy. The other food was fine and we filled up. Service was nice and they checked when we needed coffee refills.

Swetha Valluru

The food tasted good but I wouldn’t say great. Really good hash browns. Lot of breakfast varieties. The bread toast is simple and the best, tasted fresh and perfectly crispy.

Shao

Cozy little local restaurant. A good place to start you weekend day. One of the limited places that can do free-style omelet. Hash brown taste good too. Seem like they are there for many years. A little bit expensive for that environment. Staff there are not that friendly and hear them ask their new guy to do things not nicely.

Jesse

We went for breakfast, me and my wife on a Sunday Then we ordered our breakfast and we ordered the two orange juice we asked if the orange juice was fresh squeezed. They said yes it was and then when they brought the orange juice, it was not fresh squeeze 100% and the glass was dirty and the silverware was dirty so we were kind of disgusting so we returned it and then the breakfast came and it wasn’t really that great and they put in the potatoes on the side and they put the eggs with the French toast together. My wife ordered salmon Benedict and the eggs weren’t cooked right and the salmon didn’t taste good. It looked like it was old and she didn’t enjoy. She didn’t actually finish it and we told the owner that and she didn’t care anyways it’s time to check out, we asked for the bill and I put in a credit card and the owner came in to check us out the owner herself And she said oh sorry we don’t take cash didn’t you read the menu? this was our first time in this restaurant so I said OK no problem. I’ll go get the cash and keep in mind. The bill was only $41 so I said I asked my wife to come along with me. She goes no she has to sit here as a hostage in case you don’t come back I said well you don’t trust us ,She goes no if she leaves I call the police. she threatened us to call the police, which is really weird. She was very very obnoxious and rude and we’re never coming back. and I will tell everybody not to go there ,and it was dirty.

We came here on a wednesday for lunch. Although we've lived in Los Altos for more than 2 decades we had never ventured into this long-standing business. I can see that it has a local following with deep-rooted relationships based on the customers who came to sit at the "bar" and friends who just popped into share goodies with the principal server/owner. We enjoyed the hashbrowns. (very crispy) The prices are reasonable for the breakfast diner menu options. The Joe's scramble was a bit dry/overcooked. Service was very friendly. Beware that the last booth on the right has a very effective standing heater under the table that can overheat you after 30 minutes.

Nina V

We came here on a wednesday for lunch. Although we've lived in Los Altos for more than 2 decades we had never ventured into this long-standing business. I can see that it has a local following with deep-rooted relationships based on the customers who came to sit at the "bar" and friends who just popped into share goodies with the principal server/owner. We enjoyed the hashbrowns. (very crispy) The prices are reasonable for the breakfast diner menu options. The Joe's scramble was a bit dry/overcooked. Service was very friendly. Beware that the last booth on the right has a very effective standing heater under the table that can overheat you after 30 minutes.

We had brunch here and both of us developed diarrhea shortly after the meal. We ordered omelettes, and this raised concerns about food hygiene and food handling practices.

The food was tasty but the Louisiana scramble was definitely not a 3 egg scramble. The El maximo grande burrito wasn’t grande by any stretch of imagination. The corned beef hash was primarily potatoes with a sprinkling of ground up corned beef. The tea was cold. When i sent it back it came back microwaved and I was told that so sent it back a second time. And the menu is hand scribbled, totally illegible. So i think we were grossly overcharged. I should have checked.

Jiayu Li

We had brunch here and both of us developed diarrhea shortly after the meal. We ordered omelettes, and this raised concerns about food hygiene and food handling practices.

Venita De Souza

The food was tasty but the Louisiana scramble was definitely not a 3 egg scramble. The El maximo grande burrito wasn’t grande by any stretch of imagination. The corned beef hash was primarily potatoes with a sprinkling of ground up corned beef. The tea was cold. When i sent it back it came back microwaved and I was told that so sent it back a second time. And the menu is hand scribbled, totally illegible. So i think we were grossly overcharged. I should have checked.

We were scammed at this place. We ordered a $18.50 special, a breakfast dish that was $15, a stack of pancakes at $5-8, an OJ for $3, and a fruit cup for $4, amounting to a total of about $50. Even including about 10% tax, the total should've come out to be $55. Instead, we got a bill for $65 with illegible handwriting, no clear indication of how the numbers add up, and not including tip -- it's like what the other reviews say, they count on newcomers feeling reserved about arguing over the bill. I'd warn off anyone thinking about going, and I would not go back again.

I would give her 0 stars if I could. Our family lives nearby and we were very excited to finally try Village Pantry to see if it could be a nice regular place to eat. When we arrived, we procured 2 high chairs ourselves because no one asked if we needed anything for our 1 and 2 year olds. Not sure if today was atypical, but it was highly understaffed. Although coffees came out on time, no one was coming to take our order for a long while. When a member of my family finally asked if someone could come and take our order, because we had been waiting for a while, to who was possibly the owner and main person taking orders, she replied “okay, well then stop talking and give me your order,” in an exceptionally rude tone. When we began listing the items, she hurriedly said “okay, fine, that’s all?” And quickly tried to remove the menus from our table even though we had not even completed our order for our table of 4 adults and 2 children. We had no problem that she was taking her time taking photos for a group of people who it seemed she knew personally seated nearby, but a simple “sorry, here I am” would have sufficed. Instead she was incredibly rude. We will never go back there again. Do not recommend due to the owner and lack of responsibility for good customer service. Also, cash only…

I'm very confused about my experience, and wish I had read the most recent reviews before coming here. It seems the price is about *double* what the menu says, in-person or online. And they only take cash or Venmo. The waitress hand-scribbles things that are hard to read, then I guess... Assumes people will just pay it? Other recent reviewers said the same. I should have sat and asked her to go through each line item but didn't. For two people, just standard brunch, it cost $75. Serving sizes were much smaller than other American diners eg IHOP. I can't tell if the price is purposely deceptive. I felt bad enough about it instinctively though to write a negative review. Taste was fine! I was surprised there was only one hot sauce and one ketchup bottle for all the tables lol, it kept getting whisked away to other tables.

Should have checked the reviews before me and my friend went there. The woman there gives really poor service. 1. Outdated pricing on google map. 2. We had to ask for change silverware, obvious stains, more looked like food residuales on the knife. 3. I said three times i chose fruit with my Sandwich. She kept saying ok fries. My friend had to say it out loud to her no he wants fruit. 4. I was looking for restroom, i said hi excuse me. I haven't asked my question yet, and the woman just pointed to her side at a door without a single word or looking at me. By the way it is a tuny door without any sign!! So i had to ask again oh is that where the restroom is? She said yes. Kind of give me the feeling dont bother her....5. Cash or Venmo transaction only restaurant...6. I paid for my food with cash, and i didnt ask for change, not much change anyway. And my friend had to use Venmo. He send the Exact Amount of Money on his bill, and the woman questioned us: oh you send the exact amount? No tip? My friend was like well it is a little bit pricy than we thought. And then the woman said: It's Los Altos everything is expensive. You should just stay at home and cook for yourself! ! ! She sounded like we didnt pay for our food at all! This is not acceptable!!! They should put a sign outside their store, no matter how bad everything is there, customer has to paid tips by extra cash or venmo transaction, otherwise stay at home and cook for yourself. They should make it clear for customers.

0 STARS - don't eat here. Check out all the 0-star bad reviews for rudeness and filthy utensils, they are true!! Village Pantry has one menu price posted online and sends something far inferior and higher priced in reality! It is under-cooked food, unhygienic and rude service, and owner Aisu Wu being insulting and offensive in public. I spent $42 for two individuals and got scammed and insulted. These are the three spectacular fails within one visit alone. No receipt, all-cash cash handling, filing an IRS complaint for suspected tax evasion. Deceptive, fraudulent pricing: "advertised" menu is not what it is: Online menu (Google listing, etc.) is cheaper. Printed menu they gave me had much higher prices. Actual examples from the real menu: each omelet priced at $19 (not $14 online), sliced bananas $4, single egg $3, sourdough bread extra $1(!!), and an additional $1 to have a plate. These are not superficial inconsistencies, they are live bait-and-switching. Your bill will be no less than $21 head for the bare essentials breakfast. This is user-hostile and deceptive. Deplorable food hygiene & preparation: They gave me a dirty knife and fork, I needed to request for re-issue. Then the staff skipped over the toast that came with my $21 omelet: I needed to request for it again and no apology was provided. The "fries" were raw, actually slices of potato that had been in touch with oil for but a split second; the "fruit" platter contained six thin slices of melon. For the amount paid, this is terrible amateurish. Rudeness and humiliation by the management: No "wash basin" or "restroom" signs, when I inquired, the owner crudely motioned without pointing, and then continued to speak condescendingly. When I paid cash (we left $42) my friend gave a tip; I did not. The owner shouted at me in public: "STAY HOME AND COOK YOURSELF!" This kind of public humiliation and profanity by an owner is inappropriate. I have complained to IRS for failing to render receipt and making all-cash high-value payments from customers without due record. The government will take action on this.

Mary Ma

We were scammed at this place. We ordered a $18.50 special, a breakfast dish that was $15, a stack of pancakes at $5-8, an OJ for $3, and a fruit cup for $4, amounting to a total of about $50. Even including about 10% tax, the total should've come out to be $55. Instead, we got a bill for $65 with illegible handwriting, no clear indication of how the numbers add up, and not including tip -- it's like what the other reviews say, they count on newcomers feeling reserved about arguing over the bill. I'd warn off anyone thinking about going, and I would not go back again.

Jackie Wu

I'm very confused about my experience, and wish I had read the most recent reviews before coming here. It seems the price is about *double* what the menu says, in-person or online. And they only take cash or Venmo. The waitress hand-scribbles things that are hard to read, then I guess... Assumes people will just pay it? Other recent reviewers said the same. I should have sat and asked her to go through each line item but didn't. For two people, just standard brunch, it cost $75. Serving sizes were much smaller than other American diners eg IHOP. I can't tell if the price is purposely deceptive. I felt bad enough about it instinctively though to write a negative review. Taste was fine! I was surprised there was only one hot sauce and one ketchup bottle for all the tables lol, it kept getting whisked away to other tables.

J J

Should have checked the reviews before me and my friend went there. The woman there gives really poor service. 1. Outdated pricing on google map. 2. We had to ask for change silverware, obvious stains, more looked like food residuales on the knife. 3. I said three times i chose fruit with my Sandwich. She kept saying ok fries. My friend had to say it out loud to her no he wants fruit. 4. I was looking for restroom, i said hi excuse me. I haven't asked my question yet, and the woman just pointed to her side at a door without a single word or looking at me. By the way it is a tuny door without any sign!! So i had to ask again oh is that where the restroom is? She said yes. Kind of give me the feeling dont bother her....5. Cash or Venmo transaction only restaurant...6. I paid for my food with cash, and i didnt ask for change, not much change anyway. And my friend had to use Venmo. He send the Exact Amount of Money on his bill, and the woman questioned us: oh you send the exact amount? No tip? My friend was like well it is a little bit pricy than we thought. And then the woman said: It's Los Altos everything is expensive. You should just stay at home and cook for yourself! ! ! She sounded like we didnt pay for our food at all! This is not acceptable!!! They should put a sign outside their store, no matter how bad everything is there, customer has to paid tips by extra cash or venmo transaction, otherwise stay at home and cook for yourself. They should make it clear for customers.

Nicky Y

0 STARS - don't eat here. Check out all the 0-star bad reviews for rudeness and filthy utensils, they are true!! Village Pantry has one menu price posted online and sends something far inferior and higher priced in reality! It is under-cooked food, unhygienic and rude service, and owner Aisu Wu being insulting and offensive in public. I spent $42 for two individuals and got scammed and insulted. These are the three spectacular fails within one visit alone. No receipt, all-cash cash handling, filing an IRS complaint for suspected tax evasion. Deceptive, fraudulent pricing: "advertised" menu is not what it is: Online menu (Google listing, etc.) is cheaper. Printed menu they gave me had much higher prices. Actual examples from the real menu: each omelet priced at $19 (not $14 online), sliced bananas $4, single egg $3, sourdough bread extra $1(!!), and an additional $1 to have a plate. These are not superficial inconsistencies, they are live bait-and-switching. Your bill will be no less than $21 head for the bare essentials breakfast. This is user-hostile and deceptive. Deplorable food hygiene & preparation: They gave me a dirty knife and fork, I needed to request for re-issue. Then the staff skipped over the toast that came with my $21 omelet: I needed to request for it again and no apology was provided. The "fries" were raw, actually slices of potato that had been in touch with oil for but a split second; the "fruit" platter contained six thin slices of melon. For the amount paid, this is terrible amateurish. Rudeness and humiliation by the management: No "wash basin" or "restroom" signs, when I inquired, the owner crudely motioned without pointing, and then continued to speak condescendingly. When I paid cash (we left $42) my friend gave a tip; I did not. The owner shouted at me in public: "STAY HOME AND COOK YOURSELF!" This kind of public humiliation and profanity by an owner is inappropriate. I have complained to IRS for failing to render receipt and making all-cash high-value payments from customers without due record. The government will take action on this.