5 Coffee Shops near the Palo Alto Caltrain Station

One of my favorite things to do is to discover pedestrian-friendly, transit-accessible locales that are packed with dining spots, shops, opportunities for people-watching, and places to enjoy a cup of coffee, perhaps while people-watching. If this sounds like you, then Downtown Palo Alto is also your idea of a perfect destination to explore the day

The Palo Alto train station is located near the intersection of El Camino Real and University Avenue, which serves as the main street of downtown Palo Alto.

After leaving the train station, I came across 2 coffee shops, across the street from each other and 2 blocks from the train station.

The first coffee watering hole is the ubiquitous Starbucks. We are all familiar with the menu, however, what stood out to me was the unique architecture.

I could not find much information on the web, but it has a strong mid-century architectural feel. Would my Palo Alto readers be able to elucidate me on the history of the building? Was it originally a bank with a semi-detached lobby, or was it more recently built to give the site that mid-century feel?

The photos below are from one of my favorite websites: starbuckseverywhere.net. The author is this site, Winter, has a very admirable mission to visit and photograph every Starbucks worldwide. Below are his photographs of that particular Starbucks at 151 University Avenue.

Above are images from Winter. "Starbucks Palo Alto--University and High" Photograph. July 31, 2023. Accessed September 4, 2024 Check out his website:

Verve Coffee Roasters

After crossing the street, I enjoyed another cup of coffee! This time, an iced decaf Americano from Verve Coffee attracted a large crowd to its bright indoor space and patio.

The coffee was exceptional, and it seemed like customers were there to socialize, in contrast to the Starbucks on University Avenue, where most people seemed to be working remotely on their devices. This coffee chain from Santa Cruz was bustling, offering a lively indoor area, a sunny patio, clean restrooms, and the finest decaf Americano I had during my trip! Verve Roasters is located at 162 University Avenue.

Next on the walk up University Avenue is Blue Bottle, located at 456 University Avenue At 6 blocks from the Caltrain station, Blue Bottle is located in a semi-open arcade/lobby of the former Varsity movie theater, built in 1927. Blue Bottle It is one of the most aesthetically striking coffee houses I have seen in California and a great example of adaptive reuse, in which an existing building is repurposed for a different use than originally intended, with the preservation of architecturally significant details.

Blue Bottle shares its space with Hanahous

a co-working space where you can reserve an individual seat or you can reserve a group working area. Interesting concept. Comment below in the rectangular box if you have tried Hanahous or any other co-working space.

Next on the walk up, at 506 Univeristy Avenue is Joe and the Juice, a Danish-based coffee chain with about a 60-store footprint in the United States.

They offer an extensive coffee menu hence the Joe part of their title, along with juices and sandwiches. The interior design seems more avant-garde than either Starbucks or Philz, with black walls with high ceilings. It is spacious, indoors and out, with a shady patio conducive to chatting with friends or people-watching the comings and goings on University Avenue.

On the way back to the train station, I turned around and headed back the way I came on University Avenue. I made a left on High Street, right by Verve, made a right on Forest Ave, and came across Philz Coffee at 101 Forest Avenue, about 2 short blocks from the Caltrain Station. A San Francisco-based chain, founded by Palestinian immigrant Phil Jaber and his son.

Interesting fact for coffee "aficionados"--Philz does not serve any espresso-based drinks. All of their drinks are pour-overs. Philz had a bright and spacious interior with two outdoor seating areas. There is room to spread out and work or chat leisurely with a group of friends By the way, I recommend the Jacobs Wonderbar pour-over with extra oat milk!

I hope you enjoyed reading about my coffee and transit-based explorations of downtown Palo Alto! It is a delightful downtown, pedestrian friendly, with interesting places to live, dine, and work and play, and checks off all the boxes of a walkable environment, accessible by regional rail, foot, and bike. Comment below in the rectangular box at the bottom of the blog if I need to visit any coffeehouses in Palo Alto on my next visit!