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About The Melt
The Melt is a fast casual chain built around burgers, grilled cheese sandwiches and mac and cheese. Its Palo Alto restaurant is at Stanford Shopping Center, with the address 180 El Camino Real. It faces Sand Hill Road. The chain lists about two dozen locations in Northern and Southern California and Arizona, from San Francisco and Oakland to San Diego and Tempe.
What sets this location apart is the clock. The Melt lists its Palo Alto hours as 10 a.m. to 3 a.m. every day. Most of Palo Alto's kitchens close by 9 or 10 p.m., so a place serving burgers and fries well after midnight fills a real gap for Stanford students and anyone heading home late.
What is on the menu
The menu centers on what the chain calls MeltBurgers. The location page names several examples: the signature MeltBurger with aged cheddar, a Swiss 'n' Shroom MeltBurger with mushrooms and an Impossible MeltBurger for people who want a plant-based patty. There is also a spicy crispy chicken sandwich.
The menu also includes what the chain calls Melted Classics, along with mac and cheese dishes such as a steak fajita mac. Sides include crispy fries. Hand-spun milkshakes and tomato soup round things out. The chain says it uses all-natural ingredients with nothing artificial. Nutrition information is posted on its website. Menus change, so check the current list before you order.
Seating and service
The Palo Alto location offers dine-in, pickup and delivery. The restaurant says it has a redesigned outdoor patio with views of the shopping center, which is the main seating area on a mild evening.
How to order
You can order at the restaurant, through The Melt's website or through its app. The chain pushes its app and Melt Rewards program, which earns points toward free items and sends birthday offers. The company says ordering through its app avoids the markups that third-party delivery services add. The restaurant also delivers through services such as DoorDash and says it will deliver to the Stanford campus. It also takes catering orders for groups.
About the chain
The Melt's location list runs from Davis and Sacramento in the north to San Diego in the south. In the Bay Area it has restaurants in San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, Danville, Santa Clara and Sunnyvale, plus one in Terminal 1 at SFO. Hours vary a lot by location. Closing times run from 10 p.m. at SFO to 3 a.m. at a few branches, including this one, so check the page for any other branch before a late trip. If you are going to another branch, check its own page.
The Melt Rewards program earns points toward free fries, drinks, shakes, MeltBurgers, mac and cheese and Melted Classics. Members also get welcome and birthday offers and early access to new items. The chain sells gift cards and posts full nutrition information on its website, which helps if you are counting calories or checking ingredients before you order.
Who it suits
The restaurant's own FAQ makes clear who the late hours are for: it answers yes to the question of whether it stays open late for Stanford students. It also says campus delivery runs during all of its operating hours.
The Melt is built for quick, casual meals: a lunch break while shopping, a family dinner where everyone can find something simple or a late snack after studying or a night out. It is not the place for a long, quiet meal.
Tips for visiting
The Melt says parking at Stanford Shopping Center is free in multiple lots and structures. If you are coming from campus, the center is a short bike ride away. Once the shops around it close for the night, The Melt is one of the few places still open, so it is easy to spot from the Sand Hill Road side.
For other options when it gets late, see our late-night food guide and our burgers and sandwiches guide. Our Stanford Shopping Center guide covers the rest of the center.
Location and getting there
The Melt is at 180 El Camino Real (Stanford Shopping Center), Palo Alto, CA 94304, 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 0.4 miles away. That is roughly a 11 minute walk.
Parking: the center's own free surface lots.
Hours
| Every day | 10 a.m. to 3 a.m. |
|---|
Hours from the business's own website, checked October 30, 2026.
What is nearby
- Taro San Japanese Noodle Bar, restaurant, under 0.1 mi
- Hummus Mediterranean Kitchen, restaurant, under 0.1 mi
- Wanpo Tea Shop, food shop, under 0.1 mi
- Pacific Catch, restaurant, under 0.1 mi
- Williams Sonoma, store, under 0.1 mi
- Stanford Shopping Center, under 0.1 mi
- El Camino Park, 0.3 mi
- El Palo Alto, 0.3 mi
Other quick bites and takeout nearby: Wetzel's Pretzels (under 0.1 mi); Pressed Juicery (0.1 mi); Go Fish Poke Bar (0.1 mi); World Wrapps (0.1 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 The Melt: Palo Alto location; The Melt: All locations. How our listings work. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Frequently asked questions
Where is The Melt in Palo Alto?
The Melt is at 180 El Camino Real (Stanford Shopping Center), Palo Alto, CA 94304, in the Stanford Shopping Center area. The nearest Caltrain stop is the Palo Alto Caltrain station, about 0.4 miles away.
How late is The Melt at Stanford Shopping Center open?
The Melt's Palo Alto location lists hours of 10 a.m. to 3 a.m. every day. That makes it one of the few places near Stanford serving hot food after midnight.
Does The Melt deliver to Stanford?
Yes. The Melt says it delivers to the Stanford campus during its hours, through its own app or delivery services such as DoorDash.
Does The Melt have vegetarian options?
The Melt offers an Impossible MeltBurger made with a plant-based patty. Grilled cheese sandwiches and mac and cheese are also on the menu, but ask about ingredients if you avoid meat entirely.
What are The Melt's hours?
Every day: 10 a.m. to 3 a.m..