Local Union 271 - Palo Alto, California

Emilia L.

It's so great to discover a healthy, delicious and beautiful vibe restaurant in the Bay Area. I really enjoyed the bright, surrounded by the greenery plants and the natural light that shines in. The food was great, and they're mostly from local farmers. Lots of healthy options you can substitute and good portions (I had the omelette and it was is enough to feed two). The service is also great, our waitress not only was sweet but also very tentative. Definitely will come back soon to try out other items on the menus.

Please park in the garage on Bryant Street if you can't find street parking.

Andrew H.

Best Place for Dining and Hosting Events – Highly Recommend Local Union 271!

We hosted our wedding welcome dinner at Local Union 271, and it was a fantastic experience. Everyone raved about the food, especially the tacos and brownies, which were absolutely incredible. The staff was amazing to work with—extremely kind, encouraging, and collaborative. They even let us stay past our reservation to ensure no one felt rushed or limited on time. Cannot say enough about the quality of both the food and the people at Local Union 271!

Sina B.

Favorite place in the South Bay: they source local, seasonal, and sustainable ingredients and are offering very inclusive options for those who are plant based and gluten free. The taste of the curry that I had was amazing, flavorful, and creamy, the rice was cooked to perfection. Sitting outside next to the heaters is sweet, just wasn’t a fan of the loud music but all else is 5 stars! Oh and another highlight is that they just use a I ado and olive oil, no unhealthy seed oils.

TheJuliette

I enjoyed atmosphere there a lot, we took two Burgers and they were delicious🥰
The service was excellent!
Very cozy atmosphere in the evening with all the lights around. I really liked that they care about the quality of food ingredients, it’s so rare for restaurants.
Thank you guys! ❤️

Jacqueline H.

This place just always finds a way to disappoint me. I’ve been here a solid handful of times, ordered different items and drinks, and every item is just okay at best. I keep wanting to like the place with the “farm to table” appeal and pretty rustic decor, but the food is so meh. With the exception of the bread. The bread is good.

Today I came in when it was fairly empty and sat at a two person table that was placed so close to the table of 6 next to it…the waiter took my order from behind me. It was just so uncomfortable whispering and trying not to hear everything next to me. So we moved to the bar. Host was super accommodating. Service was friendly and fast. But the Bloody Mary was pretty terrible and the food was a D+. The food is what disappoints every time. I should know better but I keep getting gaslit by the pretty plants and the healthy adjectives on the menu!

Theo W.

Super adorable atmosphere, cute decorations, and tableware. The staff was so incredibly friendly and helpful, so so nice! Really yummy food, I got the poke bowl and it was amazing. They have a wide variety of cocktails and mocktails, and lots of gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, vegan, options. Lots of brassicas and veggies, all around delicious. I wish I could give it more stars!!

Wook C.

The spirit of Local Union 271 is great. High ceilings, natural lights, modern yet cozy decor, with an open kitchen and bar. It almost gives you a mediterranean feel. They kept the layout of the previous brunch place - Union Cafe (?) - but completely upgraded the interior. Great job here.

The menu is also straight forward. American comfort brunch and cafe cuisine, presented in a visually pleasant and upscale manner. Local Union 271 thus should be pretty awesome for a date-brunch or for lunch meetings. It's almost a sure bet.

There are a few downfalls however. First, the tables are just crammed in. It almost feels like a communal dining hall rather than a luxurious getaway. And everyone has to speak loud due to the natural echo of the open space. Please remove one column of tables and that'd do wonders. We were practically shouldering the folks from the next table and could not have a conversation.

Second, the food. Yes, they are presented wonderfully. But when you serve tuna ahi poke, you simply cannot compromise on the freshness of the fish as well as get the sauce balance off. Ahi poke on top of greens is something that is difficult to mess up. Yet, past the presentation, I had mediocre tuna with off-balance sauce. The wasabi paste was really mellow and nice but just too little of it.

Local Union 271 has so much potential. And they really do seem to be trying. Ease up the table density, make sure to better tune your food, and I think there's a hit lined up. As of this writing though, not worth the price.

Kate K.

Food was excellent. Service was slow and they gave away our reservation to someone else. Would recommend if you're not there during a busy time.