The Patio

About The Patio

The Patio is a restaurant and sports bar at 412 Emerson Street in downtown Palo Alto. It does several jobs at once. By its own description it is a restaurant, a sports bar, a private event venue and a nightlife spot. The name comes from its large outdoor seating area. The bar itself is a selling point too: the business says it has the longest bar in Palo Alto.

The Patio opens every day at 11 a.m. Its website does not post closing times, so check before a late visit. Seating is first come, first served. The restaurant does not take reservations.

What is on the menu

The food is American pub fare with a few Southwestern and Cajun touches. Starters include housemade chips and salsa, edamame, fries or tater tots, chili cheese fries, black bean nachos, a sausage sampler, Patio wings, calamari fritti, tempura cauliflower, a spicy shrimp diablo and a baked Bavarian brie. Soups and salads cover a beef, pork and bean chili, a soup of the day, a Caesar, a beet and goat cheese salad, a Cobb and a Chinese chicken salad.

Burgers and sandwiches make up a big part of the menu. Look for the Patio Burger, the Bourbon Street Burger, mix-and-match sliders, a Philly cheese steak, a Cuban-style pork sandwich, a Buffalo chicken sandwich and a Cajun fried shrimp sandwich. Entrees include mac and cheese, chicken tenders, fish and chips, skewers, street tacos, Baja fish tacos, a quesadilla, pan-seared salmon, a New York strip steak and two pastas. Desserts are a chocolate cake, a vanilla bean cheesecake and mini cupcakes.

A separate small bites menu suits snacking with drinks. It lists chips and salsa, edamame, a mini black bean quesadilla, a basket of fries or tots, a slider with fries, crisp calamari, toasted ravioli and grilled skewers. Vegetarians can look at dishes such as the black bean nachos, tempura cauliflower, a grown-up grilled cheese, a pomodoro pasta and a mushroom alfredo. The menu does not label dishes by diet, so confirm ingredients with your server.

Drinks and happy hour

House cocktails include the Patio Margarita, a Tennessee Sticky Mule, a spiced old fashioned, a drink called The Murder Hornet and a sparkling red wine sangria. The Patio runs a lunch and dinner happy hour with pint specials on draft beers such as Stella, Lagunitas IPA, Blue Moon, 805 Blonde and Pabst Blue Ribbon. A list of featured wines by the glass includes a prosecco, a chardonnay, a sauvignon blanc, a merlot, a cabernet sauvignon and a zinfandel. The website does not list happy hour times, so ask your server.

Sports, trivia and nightlife

Sports fans get 21 flat-screen TVs. The website keeps a sports page for game listings. On Wednesdays from 7 to 9 p.m. the bar hosts trivia night. There is no cover, but each player has a $15 minimum spend. The top three finishers win Patio gift cards. Spots are limited, so arrive early. The Patio also lists DJ entertainment, dancing and karaoke. Its website has a separate club night page for evening events.

Groups, takeout and private events

The Patio hosts private events. For groups of more than 20, call the event team at 650-422-0431. The website's party planning page has more details. For takeout, you can call in an order at 650-322-2575 or order online through the restaurant's online ordering site. Family-size meals are available to go. The bar also sells closed bottles of beer, wine and spirits for takeout and curbside pickup. The Patio also sells its own T-shirts, with proceeds going to the staff.

Tips for visiting

The Patio is a good fit for watching a game with friends, a casual lunch outdoors or a weeknight trivia team. If you want a quieter meal, come at lunch rather than on an event night. Since there are no reservations, big groups should call the event team ahead of time. Our bars, wine and beer guide lists other places for a drink in town. For Stanford game schedules and tickets, see our Stanford sports guide. Our downtown Palo Alto guide covers the surrounding blocks. For a vegan dinner nearby, Tane Vegan Izakaya is on the same street.

Location and getting there

The Patio is at 412 Emerson Street, Palo Alto, CA, 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

• King & Spalding, firm, under 0.1 mi
• Starbucks University Avenue, cafe, under 0.1 mi
• Palo Alto Bicycles, studio or gym, under 0.1 mi
• T-Mobile University Avenue, shop, under 0.1 mi
• Scoop Microcreamery, bakery or dessert shop, under 0.1 mi
• Lytton Plaza, under 0.1 mi
• Cogswell Plaza, under 0.1 mi
• University Avenue, under 0.1 mi

Other restaurants nearby: Evvia Estiatorio (under 0.1 mi); Tane Vegan Izakaya (under 0.1 mi); Rangoon Ruby (under 0.1 mi); Pho Ha Noi (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 The Patio official website; The Patio menus; The Patio events. How our listings work. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Frequently asked questions