Mike's Diner Bar Palo Alto

Very nice pizza, pasta and Italian entrées restaurant. The atmosphere and feeling is that of a friendly and high quality neighborhood restaurant. The food is very nice, and so are the wines and the service. Everyone in the family (age 6 to 55) were happy. We will come back!

Mike’s has been closed since I moved to Mountain View, so it was interesting to go as someone who hadn’t been. My wife had gone as a child and remembered the original place. The service was good, we needed reservations even though it was a soft opening. Food was all tasty especially the Eggplant Parmesan, crisp any cheesy without being slimy, oily, or too heavy. Pizza was good, although the crust was a little thick.

WOW !!!! The food was so gorgeous and delicious OMG I was so happy 😭😭 the service was wonderful and the food didn’t take too long ! The pear salad we got was sweet and refreshing and not overdressed; the pasta was warm and cozy; the brussel sprouts were well seasoned; the burratta and tomatos were light and yummy; the Cristina pizza was a perfect balance of the ingredients and I kept going in for more! Everything was so yummy I was truly blown away !! 100% recommend :)

Mike’s in Palo Alto is now CLOSED. I will miss this place. I’m now a huge fan of the Steve Smith British Breakfast Tea from Oregon. 🫖Gonna have to order some online! The breakfast special bacon 🥓 and sausage are excellent. Great place to watch a game. 🏀 Mike it’s essential you bring back the heated plates to keep the food hot. 🍽 Carley is a wonderful server! Hey, how about some live bluegrass music 🎶 on Sat/Sun mornings with breakfast?

Great place to take kids. Spacious and clean, lots of amenities like water cups with lids, crayons, appetizer bread basket. Decent food for the adults, though I wish there were veggies on the entrees and it was slightly pricey for what it was. Our kids loved their food!

I've been coming here for years. I'm enjoying it even more after the recent update and expansion. Mike's offers quality upscale dining with great service and delicious cuisine. Staff is accommodating and friendly. Prices are reasonable relative to the area and quality.

It’s nice and quiet place. The place takes in reservation before hand. The food is awesome. They do allow modification to your food. The hospitality is awesome. The broccoli omelette was great. The decor is nice.

Great local restaurant for a casual family brunch or dinner. Located right in the heart of Palo Alto midtown, Mike’s cafe (original) was been locals favorite for a long time. Now with alcohol license added and a new color scheme (red) Mike’s diner is becoming a great bar to grab a drink with old friends!

This was a good classic diner with a lot of space. Good for a no wait brunch. I guess it's closed now

Local spot that recently reopened for weekday lunch serving standard diner fare in addition to lots of sandwich and hot food options. The tuna melt hit the spot! Plenty of seating. A welcomed option for sit-down group lunches in Midtown Palo Alto where there aren't a ton of options for something a step up from Subway and Sanchos

Please see my previous reviews for Mike's Cafe, the same owners and business, but renamed and vastly remodeled into the adjacent former hardware store! A beautiful building, seating is in booths and tables and at some tall stools and tables near the bar area, there is a wine bar and in the original Mike's Cafe there is additional seating, in sight view of the open kitchen where outstanding chefs prepare the food. When we arrived, a young gentleman (Seveh?) seated us at a table for two as we requested. It was not very busy on a Sunday at 11 am, but we found out that people arrived after we were leaving. There is still outdoor dining and I did see heaters for cold weather. The parking area is as it was before the conversion, but there are two handicap parking spots near the front entrance (instead of one as before). There is a small parking lot in back and some parking parallel to the side street (it's on the corner of Middlefield and this side street). When I used to come for lunch in years past, people would park the length of the short residential street or walk across from the small shopping center on the opposite side of Middlefield. Ellen, one of the owners, became a friend when I used to go there for lunch and talk with her, and she made a point of coming over from her home today to see and talk with us. Soon after we were seated, Jose came over and asked us about beverages - we requested ice water, and a Coca Cola for my son, which was brought promptly to the table. Jose's demeanor was calm and with just the right amount of friendliness, and care for our requests. A lovely woman (I didn't ask her name, sorry) came to our table a couple of times until my son decided he wanted the pancakes with strawberries and blueberries, and requested no powdered sugar. He really enjoyed them. After thinking about several dishes, I settled on the Mike's (Portola) Special, which is two eggs any style (scrambled for me), two crisp bacon, two pieces of Italian sausage which I shared with my son, country potatoes, fresh fruit which consisted of slivers of cantaloupe and halved strawberries, and two buttermilk pancakes with butter and syrup. Next time I will skip the pancakes, as the plate you can see in "part 1" was just the right amount of food, delicious and perfectly cooked. I usually request ketchup for my potatoes but they were so good I didn't bother. The butter for our pancakes was in thick pats that were just the right consistency for spreading. Knocked it out of the part as far as I am concerned. I did take the pancakes from my meal home, but it was almost too much food! Jose kindly put them in a to-go box (paper with a slip in clasp that wouldn't stay closed - will ask for a piece of tape next time). Our beverages were refilled before we had to ask. At the end of the meal, I went to the restroom area, which has a large foyer area in front of both M and F doors and another door. When I entered the women's there was a huge amount of space, enough for several rollators or a couple of wheelchairs simultaneously navigating, which was amazing. There are two regular stalls to the right as you enter, and one handicap stall to the left. Everything was in order and extremely clean and beautiful. Probably the nicest restaurant bathroom I've ever used. You may have heard that Mike is looking for support to remain open - he was one day late with the rent to the site owner due to a family medical emergency, and I urge you to tell everyone you know to patronize this wonderful neighborhood restaurant! Many others in the area have closed, and the people who live here, as well as the people who drive 30 miles like I did today, will be very happy that Mike's stays here for years to come!

Always a good meal at Mikes. There are lots of choices in the menu, most days have a special. Everyone always tries something new because it sounds good!! I usually get the beet salad which has tons of red and yellow beets in it with feta. Service is always on point. They come for refills and checks a few times during the meal. And the environment is spacious. There's a bar, but it's divided by a small wall. It's not usually noisy, but when children are in the place, it can get loud. There's another room off the bar, which was the original restaurant precovid. 8/4/23 update: come to support Mike's. The landlord may kick him out because he was one day late with rent, due to a family emergency. The food is great, there are daily specials that are just brilliant.

If you Hispanic you're not welcome here! We got our table just to be ignored by our waiter for 2hrs. Everyone around us got their food.and we never event got someone to take our order. I didn't realize time had passed due to a good conversation. FINALLY they send someone else to take our order. That's when I ask to speak to the manager just to be ignored AGAIN for the 2nd time.I never felt so discriminated.DONT COME!!!!!

Grew up going to Mike's Cafe but hadn't yet had an opportunity to come by after the renovation! Happy to report that Mike's Diner Bar retains all of the delicious flavor and charm of Mike's Cafe but brings in a gorgeous new interior, lots of space, a full bar, and new menu options. We called a few days prior to a birthday celebration, requesting a table for 22 (not an easy feat!) and the team at Mike's was calm, cool, so kind, and collected. We had our party in the back room, which was spacious and quiet. The food was delicious--we ordered nearly everything on the menu and our favorites included the pizzas and the rigatoni vodka. For the area, this restaurant is more than affordable and great overall, great value. We will be back soon!

Solid neighborhood restaurant in midtown. We tried the branzino, burger, and Brussels sprouts. The fish was fresh and came with nice crispy potatoes.

This is a popular local spot, and with good reason. While it's not cheap, the interior has a good vibe--casual but nice, suited to families and groups of friends. We had no issues with the service, which was friendly and very reasonably prompt. We have been here for dinner twice and both times we were impressed by the pasta. It's a bit softer than al dente which is perfect for me, and the flavors are good. We also tried the Thai salad special and the beef was grilled PERFECTLY, though I could have wished for a bit more to the salad underneath. Still, love the bread rolls and pasta! Do note there is a 5% surcharge added to the bill.

Had a kids cooking class scheduled across the street mid afternoon. Figured we could all eat lunch together before the class. This place was perfect for our large group of chaos. Our waitress was kind and patient and able to get our order for 14 correct. The kids left full and happy and it kicked off a great rest of the day.

No one at the front door to greet you. Seat yourself ?? Witness took a while to greet me and take order. BLAT TOOK 40 minutes to receive. Portion small Avocado very thin slice. Couldn't even taste it. Fries small portion.

We came here for brunch on a Saturday. Service was incredibly slow. When we walked in, a lady behind the bar told us to wait. She spent a few minutes putting clean wine glasses away before she seated us. Then she disappeared. Someone came to ask if we wanted water - we asked to order, but apparently he didn't take orders. Overall, it took 20 minutes between entering the restaurant and having our order taken. The food was pretty good. It took a while to get the bill too. When we saw it, there was a mandatory service fee that we weren't informed about. With the bad service, we decided to deduct it from the tip. I saw later on my credit card bill that they had changed the tip amount! But I didn't keep the receipt so I couldn't dispute it :( So yeah, the food was pretty good. But between being ignored and the credit card fraud, I can't recommend it.

This is a perfect place to go for lunch or dinner with friends -- or on your own. The food is really good and reasonably priced, the service is friendly and flexible, and the ambiance is relaxed and neighborly. No parking problems. and the tables are well enough spaced that the noise level -- so high in most local restaurants that we stay away -- is bearable. I personally don't like to have video screens going in my line of sight, so I sit where I can't see the football or basketball or baseball game. But I've never been there when the sound has been on, so this is really a minor comment.

I love this place! The food, ambiance, and service are great. Their outdoor patio is beautiful. I love their grass-fed cheeseburgers which come with homemade ketchup and aoli dipping sauce for the fries. Prices are good for this area. They also have gluten-free pasta and pizza on their dinner menu.

The people working there were all very nice. The Crab Benedict was delicious. The price was very reasonable

A "new" favorite neighborhood spot. My co-workers and I come here all the time now - it's perfect for any time of day and has a full bar for when you just have to have an evening cocktail. Clean and cozy, good food, friendly staff, lots of room - what more do you want? I'm always happy to come here. Unassuming sports bar/diner (nothing in your face). Well done Mike's!

Honestly nothing special at this restaurant. The food is a regular American quality and dishes. Lots of carbs. The ambiance is nice with the restaurant being newly renovated and the servers are nice and young

Nice quiet atmosphere, friendly service and good food. It was much nicer than I expected with it being a Diner.

My family and I were in the area and decided to give this place a try. I ordered the skirt steak, my husband ordered the baked rigatoni, and our daughter ordered cheese pizza. All of it was delicious and tasted like real quality food. We will definitely be back!

Make sure you make Mike's one of your regular spots! Great bar with big screen to watch sports. Great variety of cocktails, beer, & wine The food is so delicious, comforting and high quality. We had the chicken picatta, Fisherman's Stew, and shared the bread pudding. All were great with plentiful servings. Mila (sp?) is WONDERFUL! She's energetic, cheerful, attentive and handled the dining room expertly. Great Friday night date!

As others have said, we really wanted to love this place. And we did, just not the food, and the food has got to be good. The calamari was soggy. The pizza was soggy. The rolls and butter were delicious! If the bar could be raised to that level for the rest of the food, I will give them five stars! Wonderful service. Nice drink selection. Casual, fun setting. I would try it again.

Who would've thought the best homemade pasta are available blocks away from our house in Midtown Palo Alto. Our absolute favorite is their mafalda bolognese We always order this one and literally lick the plate. Other pastas are fabulous too. We really feel like their pastas are absolutely the best in town and wish more people would try this long time neighborhood staple with newly transformed ambiance and a full bar with friendly staff. We also always take our dog with us and they have plenty of outdoor seating with heated lamps. Give this place a try!!!

I wanted to have a nice lunch with my mom, son and my grandchildren (two toddlers). I made a reservation so we had a guaranteed table and would be able to feed the grandkids fairly quickly. A larger party came in before us and the restaurant was short staffed. We waited for over an hour for our food to be served. We had to ask for our drinks several times, they didn't have the ingredients for one of the dishes and then the table next to ours was served before us even though they came after us AND ordered probably 20-25 minutes after we did. Then the food came and it was not great and certainly not worth the wait. The waitress did take some items off the check , but in the end we paid $75 for terrible food and service.

The restaurant looks new and clean, with lots of large windows bringing in natural light. They take large groups, which is rare for a restaurant in the area. I came here for brunch and the menu has a little bit of everything: pancakes, waffles, egg benedicts, salads, hot chocolate, mimosas, etc. I wouldn't say that the menu is creative or interesting, but for a neighborhood diner and bar, the offerings are enough. I had the crab cake benedict; there seemed to be a lot of breading in the crab cake (1 star off), but otherwise, I enjoyed the poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, and English muffin. I came with a large group, and service was still attentive and accurate. Overall, Mike's is a solid neighborhood diner and bar if you are looking for a casual meal.

I really wanted to love Mike's. I was a fan from long ago, and when I heard the place had reopened with more space and new decor, I was excited to try it. I love the new decor. Lots more tables. They line the walls, which prevents the sensation I had previously that I was part of the next table's conversation and they were part of mine. Service was attentive and quick. But the food was just ok. I missed some of the old dishes , the simpler ones, like the BLT or the salad Nicoise. And I still wish they'd add some acoustic tiles. It was loud even though there was hardly anyone there!

Last Friday Night a Friend and I went to Mikes ..It was My Friends First Time There and She was looking Forward to it because of How Much I Talked About It!Lisa The Server Greeted Us like Ee Were Old Friends(She is Wonderful!) My Friend Ordered The Fish and Chips,I ordered The Thai Salad.My Friend LOVED The Fish and Chips and The Thai was Amazing!My Friend loved The Atmosphere and The Warmth,Friendly People That Work There!Plse,If You Haven't-Check Out Mikes -You WON'T Be Disappointed!Support Lval Owned Restaurants!

Great spot for lively atmosphere, good service, and quality diner food. We like sitting at the bar!

Wonderful dinner + great ambience + friendly people. My son had the cheese pizza. And we had the chicken piccata + fish chips. Chicken piccata was our favorite.

Tried this place with the family for Mother's Day having heard great things. Unfortunately I must say I would not recommend this place to absolutely anyone. First impression the waitress immeditly was crass and rude with attitude. We asked a simple question about wine and gave us attitude while saying "There is a paper" I couldn't give two shits about that paper if I asked you I expect you to know. When my mom asked if they served baked potoes again as if she was annoyed for some reason told us she had fries or mashed potatoes. We are simply asking a question don't need to make us feel stupid. When the food came the mashed salt with a side of mashed potatoes was inedible, I do not know how you don't taste your own food let alone competely mess up mashed potato lol. The skirt steak was pathetic, zero flavor and cooked well even tho it was asked for medium. The veggies were fine not hard to boil and add butter tho. My mother in law had the chicken which also had zero flavor. Maybe spare some of the salt you use in the mash on some of the rest of the food.

When I came to write this review, I was surprised by how low of an overall rating Mike's has. I had dinner here last week and found the service and food superb. Our waitress was friendly and conversational. We ordered the burrata, baked rigatoni, and arugula/prosciutto pizza. Everything was amazing! The tomatoes were fresh, the baked rigatoni had a yummy sauce, and the pizza was crispy and flavorful. The portions were also large, and we had a lot of leftovers to take home. I would definitely come back and try their other pastas and pizzas- it was difficult to decide on just one each.

We had dinner at Mike's recently to support a locally-owned neighborhood spot. Unfortunately it was a disappointment. There was one (!) waitress for the entire restaurant, which had at least 14 tables occupied inside and another 3 or 4 outside. So not her fault that it was slow and we had to go the counter to get the check and then back up to pay. And that there was no check in. But about the food. We had fried chicken, Chinese chicken salad (special), and a sausage pizza. The fried chicken and pizza were meh. Edible but after a few bites you weren't sure why you should keep eating. All the dishes were incredibly salty and since we couldn't get the waitress to get more water, it was somewhat tortuous. Very thirsty and not very satisfied. I am surprised by the very positive reviews. A rare circumstance where I must beg to differ with my fellow Yelpers. This restaurant is just not good.

Mike's is back!!!! This once small eatery was truly the only real sit down location in Midtown. However, after a looooong renovation they have reopened........... We waited a bit for the new restaurant hubbub to die die down and gave them a try. cutting to the chase it was a 3.5 to 4 star kind of evening with ALOT of potential upside that will have us come back. It would have been a solid 4.5 were it not for an errant app and some issues with the salads. Allow me to explain. First off the new Mikes has a pleasing modern feel to it with lots of wood, and a simple yet elegant feel. Service despite being busy was on point and quite solid. Not a single issue here with that. Were in in the back and the open kitchen made things a bit loud but not unreasonably so and those are the tradeoffs to that kind of arrangement. That being said I Love an open kitchen The food: Ahi Tuna Crudo: Oy Vey this one was no bueno. The tuna was way way overcooked. Which is an oxymoron as Crudo in Italian means raw, not cooked to death. To be fair the description said seared and we ordered it, but rare at least not medium well. Aside from the tuna the rest of the ingredients were fresh and tasty individually, but together they did not work as a whole. It ended up being a too sweet overcooked mess. Bruschetta Pomodoro: Nicely done. The bread was toasted nicely (but to quibble I myself would have preferred a bit more char) and held up to the tomato, basil, olive, and garlic. It was in perfect balance. The briney/savory tomato played perfectly with the crispness of the basil. The garlic was applied with a deft touch and you knew it was there but it did not overwhelm the dish. Nicely done Prosciutto and melon: Who does not like this dish? Maybe a sociopath??? But nevertheless, the classic paring of the salty and savory Prosciutto with the sweet crisp taste of the melon was heaven. The melon was perfectly ripe (firm and sweet) and danced together with the Prosciutto like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers Mixed Green Salad: The greens were fresh, but the dressing was way too sweet. The Ricotta Salata tried in vain to offset the sweetness but just could not manage it. In this case as with the next the dressing let the dish down. Caesar Salad: Look its like we are moths and there is a flame. We see it and we have to order it. In this case we were left wanting. The greens again were quite fresh. I had them hold the hard boiled egg and there was a generous amount of shaved parm on the dish. But again the dressing was meh. Not enough acid (there was not even a hint of lemon) and little if any anchovy taste (look I get that people may hate them but if that the case DON'T order a Caesar) and really tasted like thin mayonnaise. The other issue we had with the salad's is that the plates arrived warm to the touch. That's not a recipe for success with salads IMHO The Main's (This is where Mike's really shined) Halibut Special: OMG this one was good. The halibut was fresh and perfectly cooked. Flaky and that right balance of dry/moist. It had a green sauce that was vaguely reminiscent of a proper chimichurri that played off the richness of the fish perfectly. The roasted tomatoes added an sweet acidy taste to the dish. The squash and other veg were perfectly cooked and roasted corn provided a sweet smokey counterpoint to the fish and sauce. it was perfect. Grilled Salmon: Again perfectly cooked for our tastes. The salmon had the same green sauce that the halibut had and it worked well balancing the rich salmon. The carrot coulis added a nice bit of sweetness and had a bit of a rich acid bite to it. The spinach added a nice earthy element as well. The wild rice was was a great addition. It added a earthy nutty flavor to the whole affair. Veal Scallopini: Another well executed main. In this case it was scaloppine al limone. The veal was tender and the lemon sauce perfectly cut the richness fo the veal. My son said it was quote 'Fire" which apparently is teen speak for really good. The artichokes added a salty element to the dish. The side veg rocked. The carrots, haricot vert, and fingerling potatoes were perfectly cooked. Beer: The Peroni was reasonably priced, on tap, and each time served in a new and properly chilled glass. Nuff said here The service and the mains were the reason I rounded up to the 4. With some tweeks, I see no reason why this new(er) and most welcome addition to Midtown cannot up its game into the 4.5 to 5 star real. Heck the ability to pay corkage (I did not check but I am assuming), quaff a bottle of wine and walk home makes it a perfect spot for me.

Mike's Cafe in Midtown Palo Alto has reopened (its a soft opening period right now) after a remodel and expansion. The dinner menu is mostly Italian food and they have a full bar too. It's a locals only type of place, people generally don't travel long distance to be here. We ordered a lot of food because I arrived starving, starting with the eggplant parmigiana ($13) starter which was almost meal sized! My dining partner said it was the best version of eggplant parmigiana he has ever had, he loved the thin slices of eggplant and the cheese. The pear salad ($15) was wonderful, a nice balance of sweet and acidic and a perfect size for two people sharing. I was looking for more vegetarian main meal options and we struggled before deciding to get a pizza because we can get pizza locally all over. But the Capricciosa pizza ($20, ordered minus the ham) was a fabulous meal I would get again - topped with baby artichokes, mushrooms, kalamata olives, oregano, and a great cheese. Something about the taste of this pizza made it special, and the portion was large enough for 2-3 people. We split a pineapple daiquiri, it tasted more like a martini and arrived in a martini glass. It was a decent drink but definitely something that could be improved upon. A person sitting next to me ordered a margarita with salt and it arrived in a martini glass with no salt? So maybe the bar is still too new. The interior of the restaurant is rustic farmhouse and the exterior is mid century modern, I like that it feels more open and cleaner. However this remodel could have been an opportunity to capture those cool mid century vibes. The back dining room exposes the open kitchen area, and depending on what is being cooked (ie seafood) which sometimes it smelled. They added AC so no more sweltering hot dining in summer like the old days I need to explain that I remember going to Mike's Cafe in like 1995ish when it was primarily sandwiches and burgers, so I felt like I came in with low expectations. Looking forward to brunches here too in the future. I love seeing local businesses thrive and grow, and I imagine this one will continue to do so.

Mikes is a gem. Great Italian food with (or without) gluten free options. This is our favorite local restaurant and we eat here once or twice a month. Affordable and yet classy. Great salads. Great small pizzas. Great pasta dishes. Truly gourmet quality. Staff is friendly, too!

Loved the space, the service, and their good. Something got everyone, honestly. Our waiter was amazing with our party of 12. Lots of space. Great parking, too.

Craft cocktails in midtown Palo Alto. What more needs to be said? I'm so happy to see Mike's reopened, and taking things up a notch, this might be game-changing! The two of us stopped by Saturday to check out the beautiful new space, including that huge wall of spirits (where the hardware store used to be!). We tried a few of the cocktails and they were delicious! The Cordial Camper is an old-fashioned-ish made with High West Campfire, smoky and just sweet enough. The Black Forest Daisy with muddled blueberries and Monkey 47 gin was a refreshing mix of fruit and herbs. So good. We also tried the Rising Sun with Suntory Toki -fine but not as memorable as the others. But, did I mention: Craft cocktails In midtown PA!!! This reminds me (optimistically) of how the food scene on California Ave started to revive when the University area just got out of control. Maybe now that there are two Michelin starred restaurants on Cal Ave, the new new place to be is ....midtown? Let me hope.... We ate at the bar too: fried calamari, Brussels sprouts and a kale & sausage pizza. All were very good. The pizza could have used less cheese and more time in the oven, and the calamari could have used more time in the fryer. The sprouts cans on a red-hot cast iron serving dish, it was awesome.... Honestly, we weren't fans of old Mike's, their food was always oddly undercooked to me. I hope this doesn't continue to be the case -or maybe I'll just have to ask them to make everything extra crispy for me, the next time I'm there. I have to go back, there are craft cocktails in midtown Palo Alto now!

Wow, read about this place a few months ago and am glad we went. Lillian and I shared the crispy brussel sprouts with sprouts and then delicious pizza. Cannot say enough about the this place! It is nice to see such a great place with great service. We may have to make this our date night go to--Max was an amazing server!!

Potatoes are cheap ! These potatoes wanted to make me throw up ! They were soooo salty not funny. The veggies were good. The piccata chicken soso. Too big a serving. Save on the chicken. Give us decent mashed potatoes not box potatoes. The skirt steak was great. Make sure it's rare

Food wasn't good at all. They made a mistake on our order/food and tried to blame it on us. Not too sure how to describe the owner. I was speechless when I spoke to him. He was condescending, arrogant, and unreasonable. Learned in life that it's useless trying to reason with people like him.

I highly recommend Mike's! It's a great neighborhood restaurant that is in our regular rotation. Happy they are now open again after Covid. They use only high quality ingredients farm fresh, and you can tell with each plate I've tried. We were here for dinner last night I had the skirt steak which came with grilled veggies, mashed potatoes and onion rings (who doesn't like onion rings with there steak!) so good. There portions are also very generous. All the wait staff is super friendly and accommodating and It's always fun to bump into the owner Mike who is typically there most nights. Hit up Mikes for your next night out!

I just returned to Midtown Palo Alto after 21 years. I am interested to see the newer restaurants and businesses here to enjoy. My brother offered to buy dinner since it was just my birthday so Mike's was my choice. We had a good dinner in a very relaxed atmosphere.! We both had Shrimp Scampi. It was very tasty! Great service from the waiter and servers.!! The bar looks perfect for happy hour and sports events. Maybe this will be my local go to place....... Mike came over and told us some history of the building and his long restaurant business in the area. Thanks Mike.!!

Best place, by far, in Midtown- food, servers, (really all staff, but special recognition to Nate and Carly), ambiance and ownership are all really wonderful.

Excellent service and food. This was probably our 6th time In the restaurant. My family had dinner last night, where there was a party of 60+ in the back of the restaurant. The staff was very accommodating and placed us at our table promptly. After our main courses had arrived, we realized that the party back in the restaurant created a massive drama as they did not want to pay for the reservation $ and called the cops on the owner. The funny part is after the cops arrived, the party ended up paying their bill as they should be. The owner managed the situation very well and kept his calmness and professionalism. At one point, ten adult customers from the party were verbally abusive toward him. Staff and the bartender offered us a complimentary dessert /drink for the inconvenience the party caused in the restaurant as I was worried that the party might get violent seems like all of them were very drunk (not judging, lol) Anyways we will be back as we love their famous salmon dish. Advise the owner, don't do business with shady customers that are trying to hurt and take benefit from local businesses in Palo Alto. Recommendation to others - try their Ceaser salad with salmon

Came to the area for some work meetings and ask one of my local contacts where to eat that is not crowded and they suggested this spot right away. Got here and was greeted with a smile and got seated in less than 3 minutes. Server was quick to the table and had water for all of us right away. This was great :) some of us came in after a long meeting and a lot of talking. I went on the Salad Chicken Cafilia and I have to say it was really good :) Shredded cabbage, chicken bites, nuts and Asia dressing - all in right the correct portions in my opinion. One of the other people in our party ordered the pizza and it looked great. The Burger also looked juicy and cocked to the perfect medium :) I know I am here only for a visit but I will come back here next time.

Had lunch at Mike's recently to see what the remodel accomplished. While the place looks great, I really think the neighborhood had hoped for a more comfortable drop in kind of place. This one has some glitz, but not a lot of character, so that's disappointing. I gather Mike is now going to add a happy hour (I heard he hadn't wanted to) but it's only from 5 to 6, which is a bit ridiculous. My friend and I had the pear salad and the cobb salad. Both were good and I'd have them again. No drinks, no dessert just two salads for $34 plus tips, so the price is not a deal and not exorbitant. Service was pleasant. Lots of complaining about the dinner prices on Nextdoor.com, but again I think people were hoping for a comfortable drop-in kind of place with the comfort food we used to get at Mike's in the past. If I want a really good Italian meal, I'm not going to go here - too many other better spots. Like others, we would have enjoyed a cheaper, more neighborly kind of place.

I used to eat here way back when while I worked in the area. I also remember the Menlo Park one too. Both was More for the breakfast fare. Now I remember this locale being closed for a while. Cut to present day they have taken the hardware store adjacent too. Bigger menu, bigger space. Midtown has gotten more happening now. So much so that the cops showed up! Outrageous parking and the playing of rock music? So crazy solid fried calamari, pastas and a tasty olive oil cake. Great to see a local business come back again. Just watch out for the fuzz!

Well. I've been waiting and waiting for them to open. I'm a huge fan of the old Mikes, and frequent Portola Kitchen quite a bit. Went to Mikes for Sunday brunch. About 2 weeks after they opened. I ordered a pizza. Expecting the same awesome pizza as PK. Nope. They don't have a true pizza oven, so would not order that again. Meh. Not great at all. My sister had an omelette which was very dry. My mom ordered the bacon waffle which came out black and overdone. Had to send that back. Service was mediocre at best. Our food took forever to come out. The server literally came to our table 5 times to tell us our food was almost ready. I stopped believing him. I hope it was just opening pains. I really want this place to be good.

As we wait for our entree, we couldn't help ourselves with singing the praises of the newly opened Mike's Palo Alto. While the rustic industrial restaurant was PACKED, we found a seat at the full service bar where we enjoyed their Black Forest Daisy, a combination of gin, elderflower liqueur, lime and blueberry and their Midtown Mezcalita, with mezcal, lime, hibiscus tea and rimmed with a spicy salt. Both were delicious. We started our meal with their Pear Salad that had just the perfect amount of raspberry vinaigrette and delicious calamari which could've had another lemon wedge. We are awaiting our grilled wild salmon entree with carrot coulis, fresh veggies on a bed of wild rice and spinach. Excellent, friendly service, too! Update: Salmon entree was delicious yet couldve been served with leon wedges, which we promptly received when asking.

Very nice job on the expansion, remodel, and upgrade, Mike's! Very nice space inside. The economics of opening a mid-scale farm to table restaurant in Midtown PA are difficult. We live in a wasteland of fast-casual places that keep employee count down. This place is priced fairly for the excellent food and experience it serves -- which means $$$. I tried lunch. Really good butternut squash soup of the day. Extra smooth and it tasted like it was made within the hour. Meatball sandwich was also very good. A bit more refined than a typical one due to things like the delicate panini toasted bread and the saucer of marinara for dipping. Nice amount of melted cheese on it. Fries were a solid A-, (maybe an A+ with grade inflation). The service and staff were great, but don't expect them to gush all over you.

My husband and I were so excited to try Mike's after it re-opened, and we were pretty let down. Tldr; food was meh, service was meh, and overall the experience did not justify the price. First, the bread. First basket was cold to the touch and wholly underwhelming, second basket was warm and had olives (we think) in it. Why the inconsistency, but not a big deal. Second, the service. We just had sort of strange interactions with our waitress where we'd ask a question and she'd just walk away. This happened a few times and we were just sort of left confused about why the communication was so awkward. Third, the soup. We got the minestrone soup as an appetizer and that was honestly the best dish of the night. Tasty, a little lukewarm which was strange, but we would order that again. Fourth, the pesto pasta. It was so oversalted and oily that 1/3 into my dish, I had no desire to keep eating. Really disappointed. Fifth, the fig and prosciutto pizza. It was meh. The prosciutto looked like it had been slapped on top, and the pizza over at Pizzeria Delfina is much better. For a soup and two entrees (not even specials!) we paid $65 post tax and tip. Very meh and we will likely not be back.