Kirk's Steakburgers

About Kirk's Steakburgers

Kirk's Steakburgers is a burger restaurant on Middlefield Road in Midtown Palo Alto. It is one of the older names on the local food scene. The company traces its start to Palo Alto in 1948. Today it runs three restaurants: this one, one in Campbell and one in Santa Clara.

The company tells its own story on its website. Founder Bill Sincere and his wife, known as Kirk, moved to California from New York after World War II. In New York he had liked the street vendors who cooked burgers and hot dogs one at a time over charcoal and let customers add their own toppings. With a loan from his mother, he rented land on El Camino Real in Palo Alto, built a small building and found a butcher to grind his steak. The first Kirk's Steakburgers opened there in 1948.

According to the company, early customers included Stanford students, followed later by workers from the area's electronics companies. The business and its recipes passed down through the family. The restaurant still cooks over open charcoal flame, still lets guests add their own condiments and still makes its milkshakes in house.

What a steakburger means here

The name comes straight from the founder's method. Sincere had a butcher grind steak for his patties, which is why Kirk's calls its burgers steakburgers rather than hamburgers. Cooking each one over charcoal, then handing the burger to the customer to finish with their own condiments, copied the New York street vendors he remembered.

The first restaurant stood on El Camino Real. Today's Palo Alto Kirk's is on Middlefield Road instead. The company's own account does not give a date for the move, so we leave it out here.

What is on the menu

The Palo Alto menu starts with what Kirk's calls Original Burgers. The Steakburger is a third of a pound with lettuce, tomato, pickle, onions and Kirk's sauce. The Big Kirk is a half pound on a steak roll. Double versions of both are available, plus a Triple Double for big appetites.

Signature Burgers add toppings to the same charcoal-grilled base. The menu lists an Avocado Bacon, a Smokehouse, a Pineapple Bacon, a Mushroom Swiss, a Jalapeño Bacon Cheddar, a Sourdough Burger, a Bacon & Bleu, a Bacon Cheddar and The Griller.

Other sections cover signature sandwiches, hot dogs, appetizers, pizza by the slice, a lighter side, salads and bowls, sides, drinks and shakes. There is a kids' menu and a separate beer and wine menu. Menus change, so check the current Palo Alto menu online before you go.

How to order and plan a group visit

You can order at the restaurant or through the online ordering link on the Kirk's website. Kirk's sells gift cards through Toast, its ordering system. It also runs a VIP program for regular customers. The company also hosts private events and fundraising nights, a common way for local schools and teams to raise money through a restaurant meal. Contact the restaurant through its website to set one up.

Who it suits

Kirk's suits a casual lunch or an early dinner, especially for families. The kids' menu, the shakes and the add-your-own condiments make it easy for children. It also works for anyone who wants a straightforward burger without a reservation. Diners who skip meat can look at the salads and bowls section, though grilled beef is plainly the point of the place.

The restaurant closes at 8 p.m. most nights and 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, so it is not a late-night stop.

Tips for visiting

• Dress your own burger. Kirk's lets you add the condiments yourself, as it has since 1948.
• Order a shake, which Kirk's makes in house.
• Plan a fundraising night well ahead if your school or team wants one.
• Parking in Midtown is usually easier than downtown.

Kirk's is a good stop on a day spent in Midtown Palo Alto. For more informal meals around the city, see our cheap eats guide. If you are out with children, our Palo Alto with kids guide has more ideas.

Location and getting there

Kirk's Steakburgers is at 2680 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, CA 94306, in the Midtown area of Palo Alto. Our Midtown guide covers what else is around.

The nearest train stop is the California Avenue Caltrain station, about 0.7 miles away. That is roughly a 19 minute walk or a short bike ride.

Parking: street spaces or a small lot nearby; check posted limits.

Hours

Hours from the business's own website, checked October 29, 2026.

What is nearby

• Palo Alto Dental Wellness, practice, under 0.1 mi
• Palo Alto Cafe, cafe, under 0.1 mi
• My Gym Palo Alto, studio or gym, under 0.1 mi
• School of Rock Palo Alto, school or studio, under 0.1 mi
• Luna Dance Studio, studio or gym, under 0.1 mi
• Hoover Park, 0.2 mi
• Seale Park, 0.6 mi
• Bowden Park, 0.7 mi

Other restaurants nearby: Indochine (under 0.1 mi); Sancho's Taqueria (under 0.1 mi); Round Table Pizza (0.1 mi); Caffe Riace (0.7 mi). Browse the full restaurants list.

Before you go

• Popular dinner spots in Palo Alto fill up on Friday and Saturday nights, so book ahead where the restaurant takes reservations.
• Many kitchens close earlier than in big cities. Plan to order by about 9 p.m. on weeknights unless the posted hours say otherwise.
• If you have allergies or dietary needs, call ahead or check the current menu on the restaurant's website.

About this listing

Checked October 29, 2026 against Kirk's Steakburgers locations; Kirk's Steakburgers: about; Kirk's Palo Alto menu. How our listings work. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

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