Hobee’s Stanford

A gluten free menu with vegetarian options that includes, bread, pasta and pancakes. Plus, I can bring my best four legged friend to brunch on the patio.
What’s not to love? The service, at least on the patio, can be really slow. We’ve been forgotten, twice in one visit and finally had to go inside to order after waiting an hour. They did bring the puppy water along with ours though, so it’s not all bad. Just be prepared for a two hour lunch when you arrive and you’ll be fine.

My husband and I decided to go to Hobee’s in theTown and Country Shopping Center based on the Unilocal reviews. BAD choice! We arrived about 1:45 and had to wait forever to be seated, the place was not busy and several wait staff walked right by us with no acknowledgement whatsoever.
We sad down and it took another extremely long time to get someone to take our order. I ordered the Embarcadero Salad, which was nothing special and it had way too much of everything except lettuce.
My husband had the Salmon Benedict. It was dreadful. Salmon was in
small chunks, dried out and the sauce tasted like chalk. No one ever checked in
on us. While we were eating, a couple came in with a baby and small child, they
sat down and no ever attended to them. As we got up to find out where our bill
was, they left without ever being helped.
While at the register paying, a waitress was telling the woman who was taking our
money about she and a fellow customer got into an argument about something or other.
I read some wonderful reviews, that’s why we went. I realized that location will be
closing in the coming months. Maybe they just don’t care anymore. It’s sad, the
customer service was horrible, the food horrible and not to mention the place was
filthy. That should have been my first clue. Shame on me but double shame on
you guys! It doesn’t say a lot for the other locations. I will never eat at a Hobees
again.
M

This location is closing because they lost their lease– get there and enjoy the yummy food and great service before they close their doors in January :(

Great place if you’re just lookin for a good breakfast and nothing fancy or out of this world. Coffee cake is a must but it’s HUGE!!! Seriously, who eats all that? Maybe this is why there’s an obesity problem in America. Anyway, I think they should offer it in a smaller portion. I end up wasting so much!

Slow indifferent staff. Ask for more iced tea, she brings water to a different table. Location closing in Jan. food was ok though.

Sadly, Hobee’s in Town & Country will be closing in Jan 2013. Here’s the link to an article about the restaurant’s planned closing from the Palo Alto Online/​Weekly:

On our first morning in Palo Alto we quickly searched for a restaurant that we could walk to for breakfast. My wife found Hobee’s in the Town & Country Shopping Center just across El Camino Real from Stanford University. From the front of the restaurant it appears to be very small and most tables I could see were filled. In actuality all you can see from the front is a small room but there is a much larger room in the back, which is where we were seated.
In one quick glance at the menu I knew exactly what I was getting. I don’t eat omelets or eggs, so I was immediately drawn to the section of special hashbrowns. There I found a listing of six different loaded hashbrown offerings. I went with the Cal Browns, which are topped with chicken apple sausage, mushrooms, tomato, green peppers, Tomato-​Basil sauce, Parmesan, Jack and Cheddar cheese ($ 7.95). You can optionally have the special hashbrowns topped with an egg for an additional $ 1.50. The hashbrowns are «country-​style» chunks and not shredded, but that actually works better with all the toppings that were served with it. I loved this dish and wish that more restaurants would offer something similar.
My wife went with the Pruneyard Ommie, which was stuffed with turkey bacon, mushrooms, spinach, red onion, Swiss cheese and topped with Sundried Tomato pesto ($ 9.75). Though I did not try a bite, I’m told it too was very good. All omelets are served with a choice of their world-​famous blueberry coffeecake, toast, or hashbrowns. Wisely she chose the blueberry coffeecake, which was just as awesome as it sounds. It came served warm with a monstrous scoop of butter on top. Though many items at Hobee’s are geared towards a healthy crowd, this is not one of those items. However I would not recommend skipping it.
Our service was quick and friendly. The food was great. I would definitely not hesitate to visit again, or to try one of their seven other locations, if I were to travel back to the San Francisco Bay area again in the future.

Meh is right! Came in for lunch and was not impressed one bit. Service was forgetful. The food was mediocre. The interior looks like it is in need of a thorough cleaning. I chose the Los Altos quesadilla, which wasn’t horrid. but the iceberg lettuce tasted like it had insect repellent sprayed all over. Maybe try another location, this one is out for me!

The breakfast was good but served quite cool. That worked for the spanish style Eggs Benedict, but not for country potatoes.
But, do yourself a favor, and take a trip to the bathroom before you are seated, not after you have eaten… as others have reported, the tour of the non-​public areas of the restaurant is scary.

Want a brunch that is a mere one step up from Denny’s but costs three times as much? Hobees may be the place for you.
For the decade that I lived in Palo Alto, I found myself begrudgingly compelled to meet at Hobees on far too many occasions, usually orchestrated by a Palo Alto native convinced that the «nostalgia» they feel from their years of Hobees subjection would translate into a positive dining experience for outsiders.
Wrong.
Look, I’m sorry — I’m not from Paly, so I can tell you objectively that without the nostalgia-​colored glasses, the food here is boring, mediocre, and expensive.
The «famous» blueberry coffee cake is sickly sweet and sits like a brick in your stomach. The pancakes are lackluster. The eggs are nothing you can’t make at home at a third the price. Everything tastes like it’s been doctored with too much sugar and salt to make up for the fact that the ingredients they start with just aren’t very good.
I will admit that the service here is super nice. But seriously, no amount of niceness makes up for boring food.
So, if you grew up near Palo Alto and love love LOVE your Hobees, more power to you, but if you’re from out of town, I encourage you to take the glowing «nostalgia”-steeped reviews for this place with a grain of salt.

Looking for a high-​quality, organic and healthy meal where parking is free and entrees are all under $ 13? Check out Hobee’s near Stanford for dinner. Everyone knows about their famous omelettes and brunch specials, but nobody knows that they serve dinner (probably because they have 9 locations and half of them serve dinner, so I can see the source of confusion).
Want a salad? Get the mahi mahi salad: perfectly soft textured mahi (normally it’s dry) on a bed of mixed greens. It’s a large plate and delicious all around.
Looking for a sandwich that won’t make you feel like you injected lard into your bloodstream? Order the rainbow trout sandwich. It’s a perfect blend of a light fish on a patty with the right amount of fruit fixin’s.
Hungry after a morning workout session? Pick the Positino Pasta: a blend of pesto fettuccine with a succulent chicken and veggies.
Vegetarian? The «not quite chorizo» tacos are awesome. They taste just like meat with a great blend of spicy chipotle mayo sauce, but are actually tofu. Very filling.
The service is amazing as well. Always tentative to refill your waters and serve you with new plates. Junior and Maria were both very nice.
I recommend it!

Went today with some friends. Went specifically because of their gluten free menu. The menu looked small at first, but there is a second side. Fantastic selection — salads, pasta, funny face pancakes (yes, I was tempted to get this!)
Person 1 — some chicken quesadilla (not gf, of course) that came with what appeared to be lots of goodies like black beans, sour cream, avocado.
Person 2– not picky 9 year old girl — large fruit plate, eaten in its entirety, and a piece of blueberry coffee cake (barely touched). Obviously not gf.
Person 3 — aka my dining partner, b — embarcadero salad from the gf menu. Lovely salad with chicken, apples, nuts and a nice dressing. Would order it again for sure. «dressing was light, yet satisfying, and the salad is refreshing. And it came with blue cheese!» orange tea, it was good, but quite strong. Wouldn’t order again.
Me. Large fruit salad which came with an odd strawberry yogurt that tasted like cinnamon. Grapes, strawberries, blackberries, cantaloupe, honey do and pineapple. This wasn’t on the gf menu, but our nice waiter said he would make sure with the kitchen they could keep this safe! Oh, I also got an order of country potatoes with cheese, but they weren’t flavorful at all, and I’d skip this next time. The red iced tea was okay but oddly heavy with what I was eating.
Overall — great place, gets packed, large menu, nice gluten free menu, will be going back for sure! any other celiacs care to join us?

Back when I used to live on Stanford campus, this was my favorite breakfast place. On weekends it would be packed, but they had self-​serve coffee, tea and OJ set up outside for you to sip while waiting for a table. The tea was great! «Hobee’s famous cinnamon orange tea.» I miss it. I also miss their coffee cake! When I moved to New York, a friend once had a sheet of it sent special delivery through the mail just so I could have my favorite cake!
This Hobee’s holds a special place in my heart and memory of Palo Alto.

We went for breakfast on a beautiful September day, driving through the contrast that is east Palo Alto (similar to Los Angeles ghettos) across the bridge into the main area near Stanford (think Beverly Hills cresting on the commercial area of Santa Monica Blvd.). We parked and walked to Hobee’s, one of the many little places to visit in a cute outdoor shopping/​dining area.
We only waited about 20 minutes around lunchtime on Sunday and were seated at a small table near the kitchen. I looked around at the unique décor, a friendly mix of Americana and sustainability – images of apples on the lights, small wall lamps looming over potted plants (vs. fresh cut flowers) on the tables in clean but well-​used condition. I then looked at the menu, which was a bit too large to promise great food, with a mix of breakfast and brunch dishes and pasta and such things. I ordered the BDBIT ($ 6.50), which included two eggs (standard eggs, but notably not greasy, a nice plus for the health conscious), hash browns (1-​star, as they were really just chopped potatoes with no grease or seasoning or crisp of any sort – empty starch experience), and a big f***ing piece of blueberry crumb cake (4-​star, HUGE and very moist and flavorful; my only improvement would be to add a layer of sugar crunch to the middle, for it is mostly the bready part). I also shared the high-​protein pancakes ($ 6.75), which were not amazing, but given they were some version of healthy, were surprisingly light and kid-​friendly. For syrup, you get Aunt Jemima-​style (and one flavor, IHOPers), not the good stuff; however, I have yet to go anywhere that actually serves real maple syrup, at least not for a premium.
All in all, the food was nothing to write home about, but this is a place where, if you like splurging on breakfast despite its low at-​home cost, you come for the experience. And, by experience, I mainly mean ambiance, for the servers are fine but not the most amazing, happy, attentive or friendly; they just do nothing wrong. If nothing else, get a piece of the crumb cake to go ($ 2.25), perhaps with a complimentary coffee that you serve to yourself outside (vs. paying $ 2.25 for a bottomless cup inside).

This isn’t my favorite Hobee’s location for its no-​frills ambiance, but I like that it’s open for dinner. September has been cool because of the «Kids Eat Free» promotion. I love kid-​friendly restaurants. As soon as we walked in, they brought our son a plate of fruit made into a happy face with whipped cream.
It was cute and a very nice welcome. They also gave him crayons and paper for coloring.
If you have a less picky kid than mine, the kid menu is excellent. My 5-​year-​old typically doesn’t eat off the kid menu because he can eat more than one pancake, and being a «carbetarian,» (vegetarian, minus most vegetables and fruit) that’s about all he wants. No «Happy Face Pancake» with fruit and whipped cream for him. He pushed it aside — not a big fan of fruit or whipped cream. I was happy to eat it for him.
I’m sure it’s a hit for lots of kids. It’s nice that the pancakes are Hi-​Protein Honey Whole Wheat — and they taste good. Gotta get protein into the little buggar somehow.
I enjoyed the Spinach & Mushroom Lasagna — it was super cheesy and delicious. My husband had the Mendocino Chicken Sandwich. There are lots of things on the menu that we like, from the healthy stuff to the indulgent and famous Blueberry Coffee Cake.
I grew up eating Hobee’s food and I’m a fan.

Hobee’s is the place that taught me that restaurant omelets did not need to be dripping in grease. Thank you Hobee’s! In addition to the omelets, they have a variety of creative burgers.
Nice intimate location in Town & Country Village just across from Stanford Stadium. This location is also listed as «Hobee’s California Restaurant» 855 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA 94 301.
Can’t beat the blueberry coffee cake!

I’ve only had dinner here and the breakfast menu looks interesting; however, my dinner (the bbq burger with gouda) just wasn’t good. The steamed vegetables that came with it looked and tasted like they came out of a frozen vegetable bag.
The only reason they didn’t get one star is because the breakfast menu is enticing me back.
The service was good.

I like exploring the Town and Country Plaza and Hobee’s was our next place to try for breakfast /​brunch.
Like what the stars say «Meh, I’ve experienced better.»
They offer complimentary coffee out front.
First, our server acted like he hated life and that we were a road bump in it. I was a little confused with the wording on their menu regarding the combination of a breakfast item, he did not try to explain it to me, but gave attitude as if I was the dumbest customer of the day.
Second, food was mediocre and presentation was average.
GOOD:
* BLUEBERRY COFFEECAKE — nice BIG slice, not too sweet.
OKAY:
* THE EYE OPENERS — 2 farm fresh eggs, served with «Country-​style» hashbrowns, and your choice of Blueberry Coffeecake or toast and one choice: ham /​chicken apple sausage /​pork sausage /​steamed veggie /​turkey bacon /​chorizo
— everything was average, the turkey bacon was dried out almost jerky like
* WAFFLE WITH FRESH FRUIT — the waffle was limp and chewy (like the frozen ones I buy from the supermarket and nuke in the microwave.) BUT, the fruit was sweet.
I was very sad with my first experience at a Hobee’s, I’m not inclined to visit their other locations.

Over-​rated, over-​priced. Even the coffee cake, which is supposed to be to die for, is blasé.
One other reviewer wrote: «Mediocre diner food for breakfast at above-​mediocre prices» — dead on. Veggies taste canned, coffee is terrible. But location location location = the only reason to eat here.

When I visit our usual Hobee’s on Rengstorff I feel like I am stepping in to a happy place. Stanford Hobee’s felt like I was imposing on a harried parent who hadn’t had a chance to sweep the food off the floor in over a week.
We came in for dinner because we had a 2-​for-​1 coupon and this Hobee’s is actually open Sunday evenings. I wish it weren’t. The floor was off-​puttingly filthy, with a fresh layer of contemporary scum overlayed on deep stains. I had a Florentine served on undercooked English muffin with cold mushrooms. At least they poached the egg right. Wife’s burger was overcooked and dry. Coffee was bitterer than on Rengstorff. Service was good.
There was a notice posted next to the cash register advising staff to purchase supplies from Sysco rather than another supplier because Sysco is usually cheapest. Why does that need to be on the wall? Who is being entrusted to order supplies if they don’t know to comparison shop? The message to me is that this restaurant has a broken chain of command, and is sufficiently desperate to contain costs that they won’t be ripping out that awful carpet any time soon.
I shall return. .. to my happy place. I wish you better luck with the next customer, Stanford Hobee’s. /​d