4290 Bistro & Bar in Palo Alto, CA

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Telephone:	+1 650-628-0145
Website:	www.cabanapaloalto.com
Address:	Crowne Plaza Cabana 4290 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA, 94306
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:	1.1 miSan Antonio 1.2 miCalifornia Avenue 1.3 miLouis & Colorado
Categories:	American (Traditional) Bars

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Takes Reservations	Yes
Delivery	No
Take-out	No
Accepts Credit Cards	Yes
Good For	Brunch
Parking	Private Lot
Bike Parking	Yes
Good for Kids	Yes
Good for Groups	Yes
Attire	Casual
Noise Level	Average

Music	Background
Good For Dancing	No
Alcohol	Full Bar
Happy Hour	No
Coat Check	No
Smoking	No
Outdoor Seating	Yes
Wi-Fi	Free
Has TV	No
Waiter Service	Yes

Today

Today	6:30 am – 9:00 am 11:00 am – 2:00 pm 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm Open now
Local time (Palo Alto)	7:48 PM Friday, June 13, 2025

Business hours

Monday	6:30 am – 9:00 am 11:00 am – 2:00 pm 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Tuesday	6:30 am – 9:00 am 11:00 am – 2:00 pm 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Wednesday	6:30 am – 9:00 am 11:00 am – 2:00 pm 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Thursday	6:30 am – 9:00 am 11:00 am – 2:00 pm 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Friday	6:30 am – 9:00 am 11:00 am – 2:00 pm 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Saturday	6:30 am – 9:00 am 11:00 am – 2:00 pm 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Sunday	6:30 am – 9:00 am 11:00 am – 2:00 pm 5:30 pm – 10:00 pm

Description

Specialties

Brand New Seasonal Menu at 4290 Bistro & Bar by Charles Crossley, our new Executive Chef.

Our new Summer menu features contemporary American brasserie-style cuisine with an emphasis on «Farm to Table» freshness, using only local and seasonal ingredients prepared in an simple, unpretentious manner. American cooking — food that is simultaneously sophisticated and approachable, familiar, yet new. Some of the highlights include Tomato-Pernod Bisque, Baby Gem «Caesar», Grilled Artichokes with cous cous, BBQ Shrimp and cheddar grits, Tuna Nicoise Salad, and many other tasty treats.

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner served daily, Bar and Lounge service also available daily so choose what suits the most, come and see us today!

History

Established in 1962.

Known then as The Palo Alto Cabana Motor Hotel it opened in 1962 during the height of the Golden Era of California Style, Doris Day, was one of the hotel’s original owners together with developer and Managing director, Jay J. Sarno.

Celebrity names such as Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra and members of the Beatles were common entries on the hotel’s guest list. According to Palo Alto Times on Sept ember 1^st 1965, England’s weary Beatles slipped of Palo Alto’s Cabana Motor Hotel by 1.5 ton rented truck this morning and sneaked aboard a London-bound jetliner all to the dismay of nearly 500 restless young fans.

Purchased in 1966 by Peninsula resident and famed hotelier B.B. Patel, the hotel has now been spectacularly renovated with no small detail overlooked. In keeping with the history preservation of this land-mark, the Crowne Plaza Cabana has 16 of the original Italian Cypress trees planted in 1962. These trees have now grown to 35ft. into long U-shaped at the entrance driveway.

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20 reviews of 4290 Bistro & Bar

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S. T.

Place rating: 4
Sunnyvale, CA

Ate here for Mother’s Day brunch. The price for the Mother’s Day brunch buffet is $ 54.95 per person. What I thought was pretty crappy was that they charge you tip automatically before you are seated — you don’t really get a choice on how much you want to tip. I was charged 18% tip on the amount AFTER tax, which I also thought was crappy. Isn’t tip supposed to be based off the subtotal, before tax? That seems to be the standard in other restaurants — when they offer a tip suggestion amount on the bill, it’s always calculated before sales tax.
All in all, the grand total for my 3 person family was $ 211.54. $ 164.85 subtotal, then tax, then 18% tip based off of the subtotal after tax.
Personally I don’t even think the service warranted an 18% post-tax tip — it was okay service, not spectacular. I had to ask multiple times for water refills which I really shouldn’t have had to do – and they didn’t seem too busy either. One time I even saw a waitress glance at my table as she walked by, where I had an empty water glass, but she didn’t say anything. The waiters weren’t that friendly, but they did ask every now and then if everything was okay. I feel like they just kinda did the bare minimum — asking every now and then if you’re doing fine.
The food was good, not amazing, but good. I wish they had lobster here! But everything else was pretty tasty. Overall, I would come back here, but the hefty price tag is kind of turning me off from it. The only thing that really bothers me is that the tip amount is decided for you before you’ve even been seated and that it’s charged on the total after sales tax. Other than that, it was a pleasant Mother’s Day brunch. Lovely atmosphere and very cute decorations!

Mike W.

Place rating: 1
Palo Alto, CA

The service at this 4290 Bistro &Bar restaurant sucks. My family made a reservation for Mother’s Day brunch two weeks in advance. When we arrived on time today, we were asked to wait for 15 to 20 min and still no info. when we can get seated. We have to ask the manager again to get seated. The assigned table was terrible because it was at the direct main entrance with a lot of traffic and noise. When we asked the manager to get a better and quieter table, the manager showed «Take it or Leave it attitude». Moreover, we have only 3 people and were still charged 18% gratitude in advance for this lousy service. We were very unhappy about the terrible service. We then asked for the refund and then left. This restaurant ruined our family celebration for Mother’s Day. It sucks! We will never come back to this restaurant again.

Stephanie J.

Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA

We had a wonderful Mother’s Day brunch here. The service was great, the atmosphere was elegant and the food was outstanding. We would highly recommend this place to others and will definitely come back for their brunches again.

Ryan A.

Place rating: 5
Hayward, CA

We ate her for Mother’s Day. The Mothers Day Sunday Bruch was very good. They had all kinds of fresh food items, all were well prepared. I loved the prime rib, pork loin, omelette maker was good too. Then they had a salad bar, ravioli’s, and a nice setup for kids too. I would love to go back and take my wife there next year too.

Janna T.

Place rating: 5
Washoe, NV

My family of 8 adults and 2 babies enjoyed a wonderful brunch at the Crowne Plaza today for my step dads birthday. It was absolutely great and I want to share our out of the ordinary experience with you.
So that you can appreciate it, first I have to tell you «what went wrong.» Since we are a large group with two babies going anywhere takes extensive planning. Several weeks ago we all decided to have brunch together so I called the crowne plaza Palo Alto and made reservations for 7 + 2 babies. They took my name and number, we had a few laughs and I hung up and let everyone know that we were scheduled and to mark their calendars. Well, my grandmother decided to join us so last week I called to add another person to our reservation. The girl I spoke to couldn’t find the reservation anywhere! Being that I have two babies, I get a little scatter brained so I hung up, looked through my phone to make sure I called the right place and conferred with my family about the time and place. Once we all agreed that I was calling the right place, I called back and made another reservation. The girl I spoke with was super super nice and told me she would make sure my reservation was put in the correct reservation book and that everything was taken care of. Yay!!!
So, flash forward to today and I am sure you can see where this is going… We show up on time and our reservation is no where to be found. :(However, the f&B manager, John Araujo went OUT OF HIS WAY to make it right. He took such good care of us that the Birthday boy was none the wiser to the fact that there was even a problem. John was courteous and kind, brought us mimosas while we waited and earnestly offered to make it up to us. I really felt like John cared that we had had troubles and wanted to make it right, It made all the difference. He routinely checked on us and made sure our brunch was great.
We really enjoyed our food and service and the $ 30 price tag is a good deal. After today, I feel confident that John is going to take care of their reservation snafus, but you may want to confirm your reservation anyway, just to be safe.

Norman I.

Place rating: 1
Honolulu, HI

I experienced severe food poisoning after eating a steak for dinner at this restaurant recently. My wife called to talk with the hotel manager and he said they would reverse the charges for the expensive steak, but that was not done. We will never return to this restaurant for dinner after this experience. No wonder the restaurant was empty when we arrived at about 7PM.

Laurie L.

Place rating: 4
Martinez, CA

The burgers here are incredible ! Order the sweet potato fries they are excellent! The wait staff is fantastic and friendly. It was a mid week early dinner so there was no one really in the restaurant. One person in our group had ordered her burger well done and it was still pink. They quickly brought her a brand new well done burger. Great service and great food!

Craig I.

Place rating: 4
San Francisco, CA

For $ 30 this brunch buffet is not bad. Not a fan of their cold crab, but the shrimp cocktail was ok. They had an omelet and waffle station which was really nice. Then the basics, bacon, sausage, pancakes, french toast, a chicken and roasted pork and a fish. Small assortment of desserts and about 5 different salads/slaw. Fresh fruits, cheeses and some deli cuts.
Wasn’t very crowded which was really nice. I’d go back for the value.

Audrey C.

Place rating: 3
Los Altos, CA

Pretty good Sunday brunch. I’m still on the fence of how I compare it to the Sunday brunch at the Westin up the street… as a result, this gets a 3.5 star rating.
For what it is, the variety of the Sunday Brunch at 4290 Bistro & Bar is not bad. It’s a champagne brunch, which makes it a plus. However, the lighting in the dining room is very dim. If it weren’t for light coming in from the nearby glass windows, you almost wouldn’t know what time of day it was. It almost reminded me of eating at a Vegas style casino café, late night. It didn’t entirely bother me; however, that is a sticking point that would prevent me from bringing my parents to try out the brunch.
There definitely was plenty of food options to choose from whether you’re looking for a salad, pastries, fruit, breakfast foods, lunch foods, seafood (crab legs and shrimp cocktail) or dessert. There’s a station for eggs (any style) and Belgian waffles. The breakfast part of the buffet included pancakes, roasted potatoes, bacon, sausage, french toast, blinzes, and eggs benedict. The lunch part of the buffet included fried rice, steamed vegetables, a chicken, beef, and fish option. Everything was delicious, well prepared and beautifully presented.
Aside from the dimly lit dining room, the other thing that I was a bit disappointed with was the service. We made a reservation, at least a week in advanced, and when we checked in at the hostess table, the table wasn’t ready (even though the dining room was nearly empty) so we had to wait a few minutes before being seated. Then, our first server was quick to offer us orange juice/mimosas. When I asked to also get water and coffee, he forgot, until I asked him again 5 minutes later. Then that server disappeared. In order to get any coffee or water refills (forget OJ/mimosa refills), I had to flag down another server. Bottomless mimosas would have been a great way to start off my Sunday, but it just became too much effort to keep flagging down a server. I’d rather enjoy the conversation with my friends than to look around for a server walking by.
Slightly disappointed… but worth possibly trying again…

Tita M.

Place rating: 5
Los Altos, CA

Brunch on Mother’s Day! Great food and excellent service. Definitely commended from the Executive chef –Brian Hill to the servers. We were impressed on the selection of food: different sushi, seafood-oysters, large shrimps, Alaskan king crab legs, smoked salmon; different kinds of salads; omelet station; craving station and hot entrees. Forgot the full long table of cakes and sweets. A new place for us to go back for a brunch. Price is reasonable! BTW, the kids had their own selection of food… how creative is that!!!

Jeff S.

Place rating: 1
Happy Valley, OR

This review is purely for the Mothers Day Brunch. I’ve actually eaten here before during there early bird 3 course meal for under $ 20 and it’s pretty legit. But the Mothers Day Brunch…
1^st off, you need a reservation as it’s packed. Price was freaking over $ 50 per person (they include tip and tax). They usher you into the grand ballroom where the buffet is lined up in the middle.
Why the brunch gets 1 star:
Service:
Blows. Absolutely sucked. I think we got our Champagne refilled a grand total of twice during the hour and half we spent eating here. We had to ask the waiter four times to bring us water. They just don’t care.
Food Quality:
Seafood:
Nothing special. Tiny crab legs, tiny oysters, and clams. They had peeled shrimp which was actually the right size, but they also had a sign for Sashimi, but instead had vegetarian sushi lined up. They didn’t even have California rolls.
Breakfast Buffet:
Not bad. Not amazing either. Your normal breakfast items along with some specialties like French Cheese Rolls and eggs Benedict.
Carving Table:
Roast beef was dry. Took a few bites gave up. Omelet was whatever, nothing special inside. I didn’t even bother trying the honey ham.
Desert Table:
Looked life the Desert table at Safeway.
Ambiance:
While you could eat in the restaurant, or sit outside, we elected to sit in the ballroom near the buffet tables. It was like sitting in an airport waiting lounge, loud as heck with screaming children running around and people running amuck. The grand ball room was dim, and the ambiance was… suck ass.
Bottom line:
Yes, I know this hotel is suppose to be a 4 star posh hotel in middle of Palo Alto, but come on, for $ 55 bucks a pop you could at least pretend to try. I honestly could get seafood at a Chinese buffet for 50% that would equate to the same quality, or take my mom to Dennys, spend $ 30 bucks and get equal quality food, with probably the same Ambiance, and better service. Nothing is good here, you will leave feeling unsatisfied and completely robbed.

Noel M.

Place rating: 4
Milpitas, CA

A new addition to the Sunday Champagne Brunch rotation. There’s no carving station but they make up for it with incredibly fresh salmon, crab, shrimp and oysters.

Tanya R.

Place rating: 3
Los Altos, CA

I’ve been to 4290 Bistro for the last three Easters. I keep going back because it was great, but this year definitely did not live up to my expectations.
I reserved online thru Open Table and had to enter my credit card at that time. When I arrived, I was told that that only held the reservation — wish they would have charged it because checking and paying took FOREVER. There was only one group ahead of us, but somehow it took about 10 minutes to ring that group up.
We then followed the host to our table — but the server could not find our table. He had a map of the dining layout but couldn’t find where we were supposed to be. He finally just seated us at an empty table that was too big for our party of 5. The table could accommodate 8 – 10, so it was difficult to talk with the people on the other side. I later saw our table — it was on the complete other side of the buffet. I’d suggest that the person seating customers actually be trained on how to read a map. It was quite the uncomfortable start to Easter brunch.
Next, the food. It seemed like the choices this year were a bit limited. As a vegetarian, I usually love buffets because there are so many different things to taste. Many of the salad dishes had meat in them, even the green salad on the buffet was only offered with Caesar dressing (anchovy). I finally found a plain green salad with a different dressing at the kid’s table which was nice. Besides the few vegetable options at the salad table, the menu seemed carb-heavy. Even the meat-eaters in my group thought the same thing.
In the past they have had a sushi/sashimi table that offered some vegetarian rolls. This year only california rolls were offered.
The best thing was they definitely kept the champagne flowing. Since it took a while for our server to get to us, we asked that she just leave a bottle so we wouldn’t have to wait for refills. She gladly obliged, and actually dropped another bottle off later.
The price was pretty steep — 4 adults and 1 senior ate for $ 266. I don’t think that this brunch was worth that price. The non-holiday brunches are about $ 30 — choices are not as extensive but definitely worth the price.
As I said, this has been our regular Easter buffet, but next year we may look for something else. An annual brunch should be a very special dining experience, and I don’t think that this one measured up.

Pamela C.

Place rating: 5
Milpitas, CA

Their Sunday Brunch is Awesome! The Easter & Mother’s Day Brunch is FANTASTIC! It is a bit pricey, but well worth it! There’s enough food to feed all of Africa, and the wait staff, are friendly, courteous, helpful, and very accommodating. We’ve never had lunch or dinner here, just the brunch, but we’ve come back every year for 5 years now. I hope they maintain the standard they’ve set. I absolutely recommend 4290 Bistro & Bar for Sunday Brunch! YUM-YUM!

Jenny L.

Place rating: 3
San Francisco, CA

This can be a popular spot for happy hour for drinks and appetizers, but nothing stands out here. Whether you order a glass or wine or a plate of the fish tacos, the food is simple with no frills to remember.
The staff is helpful and friendly for good service. Plus, you get wifi access to lounge in the bar or watch TV. The décor is somewhat bland, but bright enough to keep you awake. Parking is ample in the front and back lots.

Nick J.

Place rating: 1
San Mateo, CA

You can earn the right to charge $ 15 for Mac & Cheese and $ 17 for grilled artichokes, if and only if the food you produce is spectacular in taste and presentation and your service is impeccable.
4290 Bistro has not earned this right, but they do it anyway.
I had the grilled artichokes. And by «grilled» I mean «burned to a crisp and mostly inedible». The outer layers of the artichoke were of course completely inedible, and the inner layers were tough, chewy, and bland. The couscous might have been edible if it had been warmed a little.
Service was mediocre. Took forever to get our check, and then took forever for them to come back for it. Wasn’t worth the expense. Poor value.
Now my stomach is upset, and I wish I had eaten something that might normally qualify as ‘food’ instead of ‘refuse’. Yuck. Just… ugh. Yuck.

Athena S.

Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA

Review for their Sunday Champagne Brunch — $ 30 a head & very WELL worth it too…
Excellent service. They all really were stellar.
Delicious and very fresh food, it’s not as elaborate as the Hyatt Sunday brunch but it definitely has plenty of options to put you in food coma if you indulge. Beware. It’s easy to do here.
My cousin, brothers and sisters-in-law were unanimously impressed. With the 9ers game on and Fleet weekend, we were happy this find wasn’t busier, as it likely has potential to be.
I’m not particularly huge on buffets, but am huge on the ones that focus on quality v. quantity.
Breakfast basics plus a rockin omelet station, awesome cheese blintzes and fruit galore– check
Lunch goodies — check
… including some mean prime rib, really yummy fresh salmon, blackened BBQ shrimp, cold shelled prawns/cracked crab, veggie quiche, chicken breast, and a plethora of salads that clearly were made that morning, not yesterday’s buffet leftovers as some hotels get away with.
I think we’ll be taking my parents here next time.
Beautifully renovated space, nice curb appeal and very cool pool area in case you’re thinking of staying there — it looked surprisingly modern and very aesthetically pleasing.
If you’re a group of 6 of more, reservations also recommended.
*Only downfall — there is a beautiful piano in the dining area void of a player. They’re in the process of hiring someone, apparently, as their regular guy died :(

Meg P.

Place rating: 3
San Francisco, CA

This review is for the Sunday Brunch only, as I’ve never been there for any other meal.
Their brunch offerings can be divided into 2 big groups: the breakfast items and the lunch items. The breakfast items include all the usual stuff you would expect to see: bacon, sausage, roasted potatoes, omelet station, cereal/oatmeal station, and my personal favorite, Eggs Benedict. I think their lunch entrees change periodically, but they always have a fish entrée, chicken entrée and beef entrée, plus rice and veggies, and a salad bar. And they have a dessert station for those that just need that extra dose of sugar after a meal. The food is good, not great, but if you’re hungry it certainly hits the spot.
But one thing I love about this place is their excellent customer service. The first time I came here was the day after my wedding, and between my and my husband’s family, bridal party, friends and one freeloader, we had maybe 30 people in our entourage that were hungry and needed some grub. On a whim and with no reservations, we decided to check out the brunch here since we were staying at a hotel across the street, and that hotel had no brunch. I had sent 2 of my bridesmaids ahead to make sure they had space to accommodate all of us, and when my entire group finally got there, the restaurant manager personally came out to greet us and show us to our tables.
The next time I came here, it was just the hubby and I, but the customer service was still top notch. When I was checking out the Eggs Benedict from their breakfast items, one of the servers approached me and told me that he would go get a fresh batch from the kitchen, since the batch that was on the buffet station had been out for a while. I appreciate that kind of service, especially since he didn’t have to go to the trouble of getting a fresh batch; I would have gladly just picked one out from the batch that was already there.
So the moral of my story, 4290 Bistro, is that your servers deserve a raise.

Y c.

Place rating: 4
CA, CA

Try the early dinner specials. 3 course meal for $ 12.95! Portion is ok.

Kim N.

Place rating: 3
South Bay, CA

back in the day, the Cabana had a rodizio. It’s too bad it didnt last but at least they tried an interesting cuisine. Cut to present day, they’ve opened 4290 Bistro which is a much safer and reserved offering. Standard California fare with some modern twists. I just wanted a bacon cheeseburger and some fries. Well I can say that they do a decent job here. I actually got my burger correctly cooked medium rare here. You have no idea how many times places have f’d this up. Good fries with parmesan too boot. Now the ambiance isn’t really much to look at as it was pretty empty but service was solid and friendly. Again you’re in a hotel so take it as what you will. 3.5 stars

4290 Bistro & Bar

Palo Alto, United States