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.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
Joy Wang
My go to place for breakfast
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Patrick Drenker
The best breakfast in town! Julie (the owner) is the best and nicest person.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alex Mitchell
The kind of small-town diner you dream about. Julie knows every customer’s name and order. I can’t recommend it highly enough!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
DaDa SwaN
My first to visit Los Altos and I recommend here. The food is good and all the staff is very nice ❤️
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Eric Grafstrom
Just a classic diner with wonderful owner. Can’t ask for much more can’t you?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
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.
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.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 4
Xiuming Chen
Sketchiest business located in the middle of a high end neighborhood. So weird.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
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.
Service: 1
Nicky Y
0 STARS — do not eat here. Check all the 0-star negative reviews, they are real!!
Summary: Village Pantry advertises one thing online and delivers something far worse and far more expensive. The food is under-prepared, service is unhygienic and dismissive, and the owner Aisu Wu was publicly rude and insulting. I paid $42 for just two people and left feeling cheated and disrespected. Below are the three catastrophic failures from one single visit. No receipt, all-cash money handling, filing an IRS complaint for potential tax evasion.
1) Misleading, dishonest pricing — “advertised” menu ≠ reality: Their online menu (Google listing, etc.) shows lower prices. The printed menu they handed me contained much higher prices. Examples from my receipt/menu: every omelet listed at $19 (not $14 as shown online), sliced bananas $4, single egg $3, sourdough bread is extra $1(!!), and an extra $1 to get a plate. These aren’t small discrepancies — they are active bait-and-switch pricing. Your bill will be at least $21 per person for the simplest breakfast. This is consumer-unfriendly and deceptive.
2) Appalling food hygiene & preparation: They served me an unwashed fork and knife, I had to ask for replacement. Then, the staff forgot the toast that was included with my $21 omelet — I had to ask again and received no apology. The “fries” were raw, basically potato chunks that had only briefly touched oil; the “fruit” plate was six meager melon pieces. For the prices charged, this is shockingly unprofessional.
3) Rudeness and humiliation from management: There are no signs indicating restroom/wash basin; when we asked, the owner pointed rudely without direction and then repeatedly adopted a condescending tone. After paying with cash (we handed over $42) my friend left a tip; I did not. The owner loudly barked at me: “STAY HOME AND COOK YOURSELF!” — in front of other patrons. That level of public humiliation and abusive language from an owner is unacceptable.
I have filed a complaint with IRS for them not providing receipt and doing all-cash expensive payouts from clients without proper record. Government will look into this.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
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!!
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.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
My go to place for breakfast
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The best breakfast in town! Julie (the owner) is the best and nicest person.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The kind of small-town diner you dream about. Julie knows every customer’s name and order. I can’t recommend it highly enough!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My first to visit Los Altos and I recommend here. The food is good and all the staff is very nice ❤️
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Just a classic diner with wonderful owner. Can’t ask for much more can’t you?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
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.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
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.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 4
Sketchiest business located in the middle of a high end neighborhood. So weird.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
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.
Service: 1
0 STARS — do not eat here. Check all the 0-star negative reviews, they are real!!
Summary: Village Pantry advertises one thing online and delivers something far worse and far more expensive. The food is under-prepared, service is unhygienic and dismissive, and the owner Aisu Wu was publicly rude and insulting. I paid $42 for just two people and left feeling cheated and disrespected. Below are the three catastrophic failures from one single visit. No receipt, all-cash money handling, filing an IRS complaint for potential tax evasion.
1) Misleading, dishonest pricing — “advertised” menu ≠ reality:
Their online menu (Google listing, etc.) shows lower prices. The printed menu they handed me contained much higher prices. Examples from my receipt/menu: every omelet listed at $19 (not $14 as shown online), sliced bananas $4, single egg $3, sourdough bread is extra $1(!!), and an extra $1 to get a plate. These aren’t small discrepancies — they are active bait-and-switch pricing. Your bill will be at least $21 per person for the simplest breakfast. This is consumer-unfriendly and deceptive.
2) Appalling food hygiene & preparation:
They served me an unwashed fork and knife, I had to ask for replacement. Then, the staff forgot the toast that was included with my $21 omelet — I had to ask again and received no apology. The “fries” were raw, basically potato chunks that had only briefly touched oil; the “fruit” plate was six meager melon pieces. For the prices charged, this is shockingly unprofessional.
3) Rudeness and humiliation from management:
There are no signs indicating restroom/wash basin; when we asked, the owner pointed rudely without direction and then repeatedly adopted a condescending tone. After paying with cash (we handed over $42) my friend left a tip; I did not. The owner loudly barked at me: “STAY HOME AND COOK YOURSELF!” — in front of other patrons. That level of public humiliation and abusive language from an owner is unacceptable.
I have filed a complaint with IRS for them not providing receipt and doing all-cash expensive payouts from clients without proper record. Government will look into this.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
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!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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