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About the Market Square Cafeteria
Market Square Cafeteria is a lunch cafeteria inside Stanford Hospital. It is in the first-floor hallway of the 300 Pasteur Drive building, often shortened to 300P on hospital signs. A Stanford Medicine page places it in front of the emergency department in the main center. It is one of several places to eat across the Stanford medical campus, which sits between the Stanford Shopping Center and the university.
This is not a restaurant you plan a trip around. It exists for the people who spend long days at the hospital: patients' families, visitors and staff. Knowing where it is and when it is open can save a lot of time when you are waiting on a procedure or sitting with a relative.
When it is open
Stanford Medicine Children's Health lists Market Square as a lunch service on weekdays from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., closed on weekends and holidays. An older Stanford Urology page from 2022 listed longer hours, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Hospital food service hours change, so treat the weekday lunch window as the current guide and ask at an information desk if you need to eat outside it.
The older page also mentioned a Market Express snack bar with espresso near the emergency room. It does not appear on the current children's hospital list, so do not count on it. The PERK Coffee Cart, described below, is the coffee option listed now.
Other food inside the medical center
If Market Square is closed, there are other choices close by. The Stanford Medicine Children's Health food page lists these:
- PERK Coffee Cart: first floor of the 300P building, behind Market Square near the Pediatric Emergency Department. Listed as open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m.
- Stanford Health Care Cafeteria: first floor of the newer hospital at 500 Pasteur Drive (500P). Take-out only. Listed as open weekdays from 6 a.m. to midnight and weekends from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Harvest Cafe: first floor of the main building of Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, 725 Welch Road. Snacks, grab-and-go food, coffee and drinks around the clock, with breakfast, lunch and dinner service at set times.
- Vending machines: near the Pediatric Emergency Department at Stanford Hospital and across from Harvest Cafe at the children's hospital.
Families of young patients have more help at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. The same page says each hospital unit has family food bags. The Family Resource Center offers food bags plus coffee and tea. At Harvest Cafe, breakfast is served daily from 7 to 10 a.m., lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and a late-night grill from 7 p.m. to midnight. Food delivery to the hospital address is also possible, according to the same page. Arrange a clear pickup point with the driver, since the medical center has many entrances.
Finding your way
Stanford Hospital is made up of two connected buildings on Pasteur Drive, the older 300P and the newer 500P. Follow signs for 300P and the emergency department to reach Market Square. Self-parking for both buildings is at the Pasteur Visitor Garage, 200 Pasteur Drive, which is open around the clock. Stanford's free Marguerite shuttle also serves the medical area on weekdays. Our guide to visiting Stanford Hospital covers parking, entrances and visitor services. Our Stanford parking and transit guide explains the shuttle and garages. In a medical emergency, call 911.
Tips for families and visitors
Plan meals around the short weekday lunch window. On evenings and weekends, the Stanford Health Care Cafeteria in 500P is listed as take-out only, so expect to carry your meal to a waiting area. If you expect a long day, bring snacks and a refillable water bottle. For a real break away from the hospital, Stanford Shopping Center is next to the medical campus, with more than 140 shops and restaurants. Our Stanford Shopping Center guide lists what is there. For quick meals on campus, see where visitors can eat at Stanford.
Location and getting there
Market Square Cafeteria is at 300 Pasteur Drive, Palo Alto, CA 94305, in the Stanford Shopping Center area of Palo Alto. Our Stanford Shopping Center guide covers what else is around.
The nearest train stop is the Palo Alto Caltrain station, about 0.9 miles away. That is roughly a 21 minute walk or a short bike ride.
Parking: the center's own free surface lots.
Hours
| Monday to Friday | 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. |
|---|---|
| Saturday and Sunday | Closed |
Hours from the business's own website, checked October 30, 2026.
What is nearby
- Stanford Health Care Gift Shop, shop, under 0.1 mi
- Stanford Hospital, practice, 0.1 mi
- Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford, practice, 0.2 mi
- Stanford Comprehensive ENT Clinic, practice, 0.2 mi
- Tootsie's at the Stanford Barn, cafe, 0.2 mi
- School of Medicine, 0.2 mi
- McMurtry Building, 0.2 mi
- Cantor Arts Center, 0.3 mi
Other quick bites and takeout nearby: Pressed Juicery (0.6 mi); Wetzel's Pretzels (0.6 mi); The Melt (0.6 mi); World Wrapps (0.6 mi). Browse the full quick bites and takeout list.
Before you go
- Ordering ahead online or by phone saves time at lunch, when downtown and Cal Ave spots get busy.
- Delivery apps cover most of Palo Alto, but prices and menus there can differ from ordering in person.
- Check the posted hours before a late-night visit, since closing times vary by day.
About this listing
Checked October 30, 2026 against Stanford Medicine Children's Health: food and gifts; Stanford Urology: information and services. How our listings work. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Market Square Cafeteria in Palo Alto?
Market Square Cafeteria is at 300 Pasteur Drive, Palo Alto, CA 94305, in the Stanford Shopping Center area. The nearest Caltrain stop is the Palo Alto Caltrain station, about 0.9 miles away.
When is the Market Square Cafeteria at Stanford Hospital open?
Stanford Medicine Children's Health lists Market Square Cafeteria as open for lunch on weekdays from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and closed on weekends and holidays. An older Stanford page gave longer hours, so check with the hospital information desk if you are planning around a meal.
Where can I eat at Stanford Hospital on a weekend?
The Stanford Health Care Cafeteria on the first floor of the 500 Pasteur Drive building is listed as open on Saturday and Sunday from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., for take-out only. Next door at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Harvest Cafe at 725 Welch Road offers snacks and coffee around the clock.
Is there coffee near the Market Square Cafeteria?
Yes. The PERK Coffee Cart is on the first floor of the 300 Pasteur Drive building, behind Market Square near the Pediatric Emergency Department. It is listed as open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m.
What are Market Square Cafeteria's hours?
Monday to Friday: 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday: Closed.