Sprout

About Sprout

Sprout, also called Sprout Cafe, is a casual restaurant at 168 University Avenue in downtown Palo Alto. It presents itself as a healthy option built on fresh, organic and locally sourced ingredients. The website lists this as its only location. It says it offers vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options. The menu marks dishes to help diners choose.

You can eat in, take food to go or order ahead online for pickup. Weekday hours run into the evening, while Saturday is a daytime service. Breakfast and brunch dishes sit on the menu alongside the lunch and dinner plates.

Salads and sandwiches

Salads are the core of the menu. You can build a full or half custom salad yourself or pick a house salad. Named salads include a Caesar Classico, the Wildroots, the Nutty Rooster, a Steakhouse, the Davy, a Southwestern, the Rocky, a tofu salad, a Tuna Nicoise, a falafel salad and the Sorrento.

The sandwich side covers a burger, an Impossible Burger, a Rancher Steak sandwich, a chipotle chicken sandwich, a salmon club, a Green Goddess, a turkey avocado and others with short names like the K.H.C and the Giza. For a sit-down plate, the entree section lets you choose a protein such as pan-seared chicken, sous vide hanger steak, pan-seared salmon or coriander and fennel crusted ahi. Each comes with two sides from a list that includes broccolini, ratatouille, mac and cheese, turmeric basmati rice and mashed potatoes.

Small bites include avocado toast, tater tots, fries, cauliflower, pork potstickers, sesame tofu and summer rolls. Soups range from Asian chicken noodle to curry red lentil, tomato bisque and a seasonal butternut squash. The website also mentions smoothies and grain bowls.

Breakfast and brunch

Sprout's menu has a full breakfast and brunch section. Benedicts come in three versions called the Maverick, the Chelsea and the Dutchmen. Omelets include a California omelet, a chorizo omelet and a vegan egg omelet. From the griddle there are moffles, including an ube moffle, along with brioche French toast, a bananas Foster French toast and a lemon-ricotta French toast. Specials include a cardamom coffee bun, hanger steak and eggs, short rib chilaquiles, a chicken and waffle called the K-Bomb, shakshuka and huevos rancheros. A vegan short rib chilaquiles covers plant-based diners. Mimosas and sangria are on the drinks list, along with beer and wine.

Dietary notes

Most dishes carry dietary labels for vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free choices. An asterisk on many of them marks items that can be adjusted. The menu does not spell out its abbreviations, so confirm with the staff if you have a strict diet or a serious allergy. Several soups, salads, the Impossible Burger, the vegan omelet and a mango chia pudding are among the labeled options. Kids have their own menu with items such as chicken tenders, a cheese omelet and grilled cheese.

Who it suits

Sprout suits a quick weekday lunch near the University Avenue offices, a light dinner or a group with mixed diets. Because you can build your own salad and adjust many dishes, it is a practical pick when someone in the party avoids gluten, dairy or meat. Families get a kids menu. The brunch dishes make it a Saturday morning option too, since the cafe opens at 9 a.m. that day.

Dessert is simple: tiramisu, a brioche bread pudding, mango chia pudding and fruit. Drinks lean healthy, with juices, teas, lemonades and kombucha alongside hot chocolate.

Tips for visiting

Sprout is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. Its website does not list Sunday hours, so call before a Sunday visit. For office lunches, the catering page covers meetings and private gatherings. Gift cards are sold online. If you want a coffee drink afterward, Yummy Future makes robot-brewed matcha and espresso a few doors away. Our downtown Palo Alto guide covers the rest of University Avenue. See our brunch guide and our vegetarian and vegan guide for more ideas.

Location and getting there

Sprout is at 168 University Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301, in the Downtown area of Palo Alto. Our Downtown guide covers what else is around.

The Palo Alto Caltrain station is less than a quarter mile away, a walk of a few minutes.

Parking: street spaces and city garages with posted limits (see parking in Palo Alto).

Hours

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

What is nearby

• Yummy Future, cafe, under 0.1 mi
• Verve Coffee Roasters, cafe, under 0.1 mi
• T-Mobile University Avenue, shop, under 0.1 mi
• Palo Alto Bicycles, studio or gym, under 0.1 mi
• Starbucks University Avenue, cafe, under 0.1 mi
• Lytton Plaza, under 0.1 mi
• University Avenue, under 0.1 mi
• Cogswell Plaza, 0.1 mi

Other restaurants nearby: Onigilly (under 0.1 mi); Sweet Maple (under 0.1 mi); Pho Ha Noi (under 0.1 mi); Arya Steakhouse (under 0.1 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 Sprout Cafe official website; Sprout Cafe menu. How our listings work. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Frequently asked questions