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Alpine Inn
Categories: Restaurants Fast Food Restaurants Hot Dogs Restaurants Burgers Fast Food, Hot Dogs, Burgers [Edit]
3915 Alpine RdPortola Valley, CA 94028
(650) 854-4004
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11:30 am - 10 pm
Sun 11:30 am - 5:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Drive-Thru:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
146 reviews for Alpine Inn
Review Highlights
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"Heard about the awesome beer garden and super atmosphere." In 23 reviews -
"You cannot beat Zott's on a hot summer afternoon." In 19 reviews -
"in the middle of the palo alto hills." In 8 reviews
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146 reviews in English
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Review from Marit H.
3/13/2012 2 Check-ins Here
This is my new favorite place. We went on Sunday evening, and there were a lot if people 60+, but boy do they know how to have a good time! Lots of socializing, an impromptu music and sunshine paired with decently priced good beer means we are going back soon!
A great place to casually hang out with friends to soak up the sun! Who knew a great beer garden existed in Portola Valley? -
Review from Nene R.
Berkeley, CA
4/16/2012
Yuck. FILTHY, over priced and greasy food.
BAD experience all around....it has potential but no desire to make things better.
Yeah, and watch out for their regulars: drunks and loud people. -
Review from Jesse R.
Sunnyvale, CA
3/1/2012
An amazing place. Half landmark, half great burgers, a third ancient arcade games.
My dad would insist the "locals" called it "Zot's" (he was raised in the Midwest) and my mom (from the bay area) insisted no one called it that... at least not back then.
It seems that six yelp reviews with "Zot's" in it suggest it has been called Zot's, though that doesn't mean the locals called it that.
Well worth the trip. Bike there.. .drive there. Eat! -
Review from Courtney s.
San Francisco, CA
12/5/2011
A great spot to grab a bite and a beer after a long ride. Legs are like jello, thirst is quenching and social hour continues off the bike and onto a bench outside this awesome little spot.
It is by far one of my favorite 'post ride' spots. Just don't drink too many beers if you still have to ride back to your car. I've tried this and it never ends up going very well. -
Review from Menlo k.
Menlo Park, CA
One of several bars that were originally part of stage coach stops that are still in operation in the area. How cool is that?
Really cool old timey feel inside and a nice large outside area.
Not a fan of their burgers, but the chicken sandwich is really good. The "mini pitchers" are rally cool... an on tap quart in a paper cup at a great price. -
Review from Niko Z.
San Francisco, CA
There aren't too many places in the Bay Area where you can eat and drink at a Gold Rush-era roadhouse. Rosotti's is pretty much it.
A rare experience; one not too many people will "get". It's not fancy, the food is just okay, and they don't have Anchor Steam. But the place is awesome. -
Review from Chrissy H.
San Francisco, CA
9/17/2011
HOW IS THIS PLACE NOT 5 STARS?!?!
I'm outraged. This place is a renovated old hotel with an incredible feel to it. There are always motorcycles parked outside, and this is hands down the best burgers and american food I have ever had. It is a classic, and I have been going back to this place for years. I highly recommend the steak burger, double cheeseburger, and grilled cheese. I know, grilled cheese doesn't sound like much, but I've had many a grilled cheese in my day, and this grilled cheese IS REALLY something special.Listed in: Silicon Valley classics
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Review from Jack S.
Poughkeepsie, NY
9/18/2011
This place is kinda odd. It sorta does the "vaguely grouchy" staff thing but doesn't really back it up with a stellar performance on food. At least the outside seating area capitalizes on the locale.
It's nice to grab a pitcher of Sierra Nevada Pale for about $9 and sit out in the beer garden, but the burgers aren't very good. Stick with the fries and beer. -
Review from thedudeabides l.
San Francisco, CA
5/14/2011
Horrible food.
We thought it might be a fun place to check out for some in-a-good-way-nasty burgers. Not even Dairy Queen quality.. more like the county fair fare. Rolls dripping with butter (probably not real), cheap tasting meat (and I've worked at a VA hospital which serves the same govt meat as prisons), cheap ass chincy fries, sodas in cans.
The ladies were as nasty as folks describe. We got the eye roll after asking for milk for our 3 year old.
After dropping a bunch of cash on food for 4, we left after like 3 bites feeling too grossed out to continue.
The only positive is the good cheap beer and cool old school vibe. I thought I might witness Patrick Swayze come flying through the door kicking someone's ass. If it were SF it'd be crawling with PBR-slugging hipsters. -
Review from E. R.
San Francisco, CA
2/1/2012
Do you like to have fun? Do you like to do it outdoors? this is your place. Bring a group or go with a sweetie. It's like a place them Duke boys would go - so put on your daisy dukes! It's a wholesome look in this environment. you might need a driver - drink responsibly. It's a tad out of the way...
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Review from Chuck k.
6/8/2011
A cool building and garden. The food is a letdown.
My burger was boring and a little dry (they didn't ask the temperature and I got it well done). The only cheese they serve is my nemesis American.
The fries were so-so and were probably Sysco frozen ones. Nicely crisped but they had the taste of an industrial fry. And not in a good McDonald's way.
The older lady running the register had some issues with the person in from of me. She had mis-added his bill and was shorting him 3 dollars. It took 10 minutes for her to figure it out. Her daughter, running the bar, was funny and pleasant. -
Review from Jenny I.
Fremont, CA
6/27/2011
I came here for my mom's 45th high school reunion. It was an old shack with a big dusty yard and picnic tables. And I loved it!
Yes, you have to order your beers at the counter. Yes, the food is greasy. It's a beer shack in the middle of the hills, what do you expect?! Love it for what it is!
The crowd was mostly older (and I don't mean just my mom's high school reunioners) but I think it'd be fun to come here and get day drunk with some friends. -
Review from Nicole R.
Redwood City, CA
12/30/2011
If you are looking for a dive in Portola Valley, this is the place. Cash only, pitches of beer, made to order burgers, hot dogs, and sausages, buttered and fried buns, and huge tables that have been carved up by everyone who stops in. Reminds you that the area was not always filled with Silicon Valley yuppies. Remember to get the fries, they are fantastic!
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Review from Nicolas R.
Portola Valley, CA
3/25/2011
Good location. Bad service. Average beer. Horrible food!
Dont even ask for wine and stick to drinking beer. -
Review from Fairmount P.
Palo Alto, CA
1/25/2011
Home of the worst burger I've ever had. They fried the bun in old grease. Why so highly rated? It's just one of those plucky institutions that is perfectly situated, with just the right amount of local charm/indifference to popular whim.
They - or someone on their behalf - make some bold claims, including being the oldest operating saloon in California, being the site of the first internet broadcast, being the site of the founding of many Silicon Valley companies, and...well, those claims are bold enough. If true (or even half true), on the strength of that alone it's worth a trip.
The beer garden is like an outdoor Antonio's Nuthouse set in Portola Valley. Portola Valley is a sleepy rural community with big properties, windy roads, great views, and lots of cyclists. It may be a bit twee to imagine the local residents slumming at Alpine Inn (usually called "Zot's" or some variant thereof). But it's somehow a beautiful thing.
Damn you, Alpine Inn. Your food is inedible but you've wormed your way into my heart. -
Review from Gadi C.
Providence, RI
1/30/2011
After a long bike ride around Arastradero and through Alpine Rd. towards the Pulgas water temple, we stepped into the Inn, bodies shivering, feet aching...
It was all warm inside--temperature-wise and atmosphere-wise. Tables etched with crisscrossed names, posters of bikini-clad girls from the 70s, pitchers of alternative brews, fasty-foody smell of delicious rubbish.
The burger was good--especially because they use what I think is garlic bread for the bun! It gives the whole thing an extra kick. The patty itself was meh--a little chewy-crumbly... should've asked for medium rare.
I really like the fries. Sure, it's all crisp, but mmmm it's so good and healthy for you. Some of my favorite fries ever, even though I'm more of a steak fry fan.
All in all, a hearty experience. -
Review from Jory M.
Daly City, CA
11/30/2011
I love this place - you just don't find many places like this: old, awesome outdoor patio, full of character, slightly scary staff and above average food. I've only ever had burgers/fries from here, so I can't comment on any of the other food, but the burgers are worthy of 4 stars, but the fries.. ohhhh, those lovely fries: 5+ stars. Nom.
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Review from Sasha B.
9/22/2011
This place is awesome. A guy in a grungy tshirt is flipping $5 burgers on the grill, you order a under $10 pitcher, and hang out at outdoor picnic tables. Seriously, what more do you want? Don't forget to ask for grilled onions on your burger- they are amazing!
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Review from Lee M.
Garden Grove, CA
8/29/2011
How many places in suburban California can you buy a $7 pitcher, check the score on the Giants game, walk outside into a shaded yard where a two year old is playing the bongo's to a Grateful Dead cover and dip your feet in a creek to cool off? One - the Alpine Inn. This place is amazing. Yes, it's a bit of a dive. For all the one and two star reviewers, take your bitching back to the City or up to Napa, which you've ruined for the rest of us already. Leave Rissotti's to those who still appreciate a laid back good time. By the way, if you liked your Dad's bbq, you'll like the food here.
The serveice is fine, and if you order with a smile you'll get one in return. A beer bar like they used to be. Check it out. -
Review from Wesley H.
Santa Clara, CA
10/31/2010
My roommate was craving a burger and suggested we go to Alpine Inn which is the place she used to go to a lot while growing up. My cheeseburger was so good that I ended up getting a second one! They don't put their burgers on traditional buns either - but the bread they use is really good. The french fries were average. They tasted like the frozen fries you could buy at the grocery store (just not frozen anymore).
They don't make their hot dogs the traditional way either as they split the weenie in two before putting it on the bun.
If you are not getting beer, then the drink options aren't much. They have coke, diet coke, and a few other sodas but they are only sold in a can.
They do not accept credit cards but at least they have an ATM machine inside for customers that don't have cash on them. -
Review from Archie R.
5/18/2008
As a rule of thumb, I try to only eat at places where there are at least 6 Asians eating there as well.
This bodes well especially when eating in Cupertino.
It helps me avoid crap holes like that Wienerschnitzel at that UNDISCLOSED LOCATION.
Imagine my shock and horror when I rolled into the Alpine Inn??
Yikes. Zero.
That being said, throw me a 2 pound double cheeseburger, a beer, and a live band and somehow I forget about my little Asian rule.
Those goofy bastards are just about the best thing I've got going in this crazy world.
The burgers, not the Asians.
Momentum. -
Review from dana v.
Austin, TX
6/16/2008 ROTD 6/27/2008
No frills beer, no frills burgers, and no frills shaded picnic tables.
I, and my posse of Yelp DYKers, recently hit up the Alpine Inn after a Portola Redwood hike. It was my suggestion, but apparently would not have been the choices of two other DYKers (ahemmm... Gur E 6/16/08 and Amy R 6/16/08).
First off. Yes, these hamburgers belong in the class of American burgers that are borderline-disgustingly greasy. It's a class, it's American, live with it you SF foodies. (I and my damn folklore-foodways certificate say so.) You will feel ill afterwards, but you will feel the same way if you go to one of those damn Brazilian bbq places, too. Be one with your digestion.
- If you are California, -1 for messing with your hips
- If you are America, +1 for high fat-per-dollar ratio.
Second off. Yes, everything ala carte costs extra.
- If you are California, -2 for no avocado/sprouts/pomegranate options
- If you are America, +1 for keeping that extra stuff away from getting in my $5 burger's way.
Third Off. Yes, nature has buzzing flies
- If you are California, -1 for not having bug zap lamps and fumigating the premises
- If you are America, +1 for picnic-style adventures -
Review from Amy R.
San Francisco, CA
6/16/2008
I think this is where the locals go to pretend like they're slummin' it. This place is like a dive bar without the dive bar prices and clientele. I ordered a veggie burger and went outside for a while preferring to feign ignorance and not watch them cook my burger in a cow's worth of charred on meat juice. I paid $5 for what I'd consider a $2.50 quality burger...I paid extra for lettuce and tomato, extra for fried onions (which I also didn't watch them cook for fear that just watching would cause my arteries to explode), and extra for jalapenos that were not actually on the burger, but given to me whole in a little cup.
I really hate cash-only places...especially those that serve food!! I also didn't appreciate the excessive use of disposable dishes. The only reason it doesn't get 1 star is that it's nice to have some greasy food and a beer once in a while when you've been out hiking. I wouldn't refuse to go here if the group I was with wanted to...but I would encourage whoever suggested someplace else. -
Review from Brad P.
Redwood City, CA
4/4/2007
The Alpine Inn -- formerly known as Rossatti's (or is it Rosatti's?) -- is a Peninsula institution.
The tradition of drinking crappy American beer directly out of the quart bottles ($3.25 for a 32 oz. beer?!) is as old as the wooden picnic tables in the beer garden out back.
This place seamlessly integrates old-school bikers (motorcyclists and elaborately dressed bicyclists) and Stanford-type yupsters. Humans from all walks of life can bond over cold beer on a hot day, it seems.
The burgers are surprisingly good (stove-top fried) on buttery grilled buns. The fries are inexplicably good -- if greasy. But, seriously good.
This place is kid friendly with some games in the front, and even a creek to play in that meanders along the side of the beer garden.Listed in: Family-friendly favorites in…
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Review from Alex D.
San Francisco, CA
3/21/2007
I'm reluctant to review this establishment because as with every hidden treasure, you want it to stay relatively hidden. However, as a yelper I owe it to the good people of this site to fill them in on a very local and very unique gem on Alpine Road in Portola Valley.
Alpine Inn, also known as "Zott's" to those who know the rich history of this place, is set apart because of the relaxed atmosphere and because Zott's has the only genuine beer garden in the south bay (that I know of). If you're a vegetarian or a foodie, please don't go to Zott's or review it. However, if you're a person who enjoys an eclectic group of people, hot sun, and a selection of a few but great domestic and foreign beers, then you've made a great find. I bring my friends here to enjoy the soccer moms with a few more miles left in them, plastic pitchers, and greasy fries. Soooo good. -
Review from Jen S.
San Jose, CA
8/14/2007
When I first walked into this place, I got all freaked out. Bunch of homeless-looking dudes sitting on picnic tables with empty forties strewn all around them. Um, I thought I drove all the way down from the city to escape this but whatev. The sun was out, there was a empty picnic table that was mine for the taking, and I had a pitcher of beer. Nothing was going to deter me from my Day Drinking.
A few hours later, I had:
1) A sunburned schnoz
2) Figured out that the bums did not sneak in their forties. The bar actually sells them! Awesome.
3) A nice little buzz going on
4) An empty pack of Parliaments
5) Some new friends who were not, in fact, bums, but retired Stanford professors
6) A Mr. Toad's Wild Ride-style drive home to look forward to
A successful afternoon of Day Drinking if you ask me. -
Review from Yu T.
San Francisco, CA
4/26/2008
Okay, ok, after my binge of burgers lately, I thought I had sworn them off for a while, but I ended up coming here for a colleague's farewell (excuses, excuses ;) ! )
We went here during a weekday lunch. It was nice to sit outside under the trees and chat...
The burgers here are good (I like their brioche-esque buns!), fries are so-so. The thing about this place that is not really my taste is the run-down bar atmosphere. Can't deal with it... I'm not an all-american gal... literally... so I should be forgiven. -
Review from Angela H.
Portola Valley, CA
6/2/2008
I detest the greasy hamburgers and fries here. The only thing palatable is the chicken burger. The beer smells foul and the place is scruffy. Outside you get buzzed by insects.
However, if you want to take some executives to a beer garden that's not your usual corporate hotel it's old California and they'll probably enjoy it. It's a Stanford hangout and on a good cycle route. -
Review from Willis W.
San Jose, CA
2/12/2007
This is definitely dress-down, as far as you can go. But for what it is, it's great.
I'm normally a burger guy, but here I prefer the chicken sandwich. Cheap pitchers of Fat Tire and their strangely flavored fries go very well together. When ordering food and sitting out in the back lot, it's best to give a highly distinguishable, easy to pronounce name, like "Elivs" or "Biff" becauses sometimes when they call over the PA system the orders that are ready, you see everyone at your table go "huh?" -
Review from Jenny K.
San Francisco, CA
5/18/2008 1 photo
I've never been to a place like this and never would have had my boss not taken us here for an office lunch. You pull up to this place and its like an oasis in a dessert...you think you're on a camel....or maybe its like a saloon in the wild west and you're on a horse....but yeah...it's Portola Valley and I'm in a BMW...lol....
This is the perfect place to go on a warm day when you want to BBQ but there ain't no time to go to the market and fire up your own grill. So you come here and order rectangular shaped burgers, fries, and a pitcher of beer to yourself...sit on a picnic table under a tree, next to a creek...and you chill....and then you will realize glitz and glamour cannot compare to the simple things in life.Listed in: SF Tourist
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Review from Lis B.
1/11/2010
Dive Queen here, weighing in on a local favorite, The Alpine Inn, formerly known as Rossotti's or Zott's.
Let's start out with the pros. This place has a looong history, especially among Stanford students, Portola Valley residents, and motorcyclists just passing through, which always counts for something. From the facade of the building (old-timey saloon) to the interior decor (worn, carved wooden benches and curled, faded posters of St. Pauli Girls hanging from the ceiling), this place screams "roadhouse."
And it's cool. Really, it is. They serve Fat Tire on tap and the owners and staff are extremely curmudgeonly and they only take cash and they have a beer garden out back where VCs and biker dudes intermingle. I mean, there just aren't that many places in this country that you can see Teslas parked next to Harleys parked next to horses.
I just really wish the food were better.
Hamburgers are thin, square patties. You need at least a double to create the proper burger/bread ratio with the large subway-type rolls they serve it on. But they're just not that enticing. Neither is the grilled cheese - just a couple of slices of American slapped on to one of the aforementioned rolls and melted on the griddle.
Much better is the chicken sandwich, fried on the griddle and served with cheese. Everything else is extra - onions, etc.. Fries are crinkle-cut, and are plentiful (if you get a large order for $6), but aren't that amazing. In fact, few things here are even decent.
It's odd. I have to compare the Alpine Inn to the two other close by dives in the area - Oasis and Dutch Goose - and the food at the other two is simply in a different stratosphere. Which is too bad, because the ambiance at the Alpine Inn is awesome. So come, enjoy a beer, and relax outside.
But get your grub someplace else. -
Review from Katie C.
Concord, CA
7/11/2010
If you want to get 30 people together to share pitchers of beer and sit outside, this is your place.
If, after a couple of beers, you also want to take off your shoes and take a walk in San Francisquito Creek, this is your place for that, too. -
Review from Wes T.
2/26/2008
I don't know how people can not like this place. The bar tender gave us attitude the moment we walked in the door because it was apparent we were Palo Alto boys that ought to have been somewhere else.
Anyway, this is a little mountain bar that has been increasingly encroached upon by the development wave that is Silicon Valley. When ever I tell someone that I went to the Alpine Inn they expect to hear a story of oompa bands and pretzel eating, but this place has no trace of Bavaria to it. Think early California gold miners. The Alpine Inn is the poster child for the intersection of old California and the new wave.
The food is not 5 stars, but what do you expect from a roadhouse? The tables are frickin' picnic tables that are carved to hell. They serve the beer in plastic cups. Fancy it aint.
All that being said, the burgers are good. The beer (Devil's Canyon) is amazing. They compliment each other very well.
Be on the lookout for grizzled locals wearing camouflage in some way or another. The other popular denizen in this dive-esque joint is the Silicon Valley tech head who heard about it from his friend who went there once and didn't like it. Mr. Valley was intrigued so he fired up the new Harley, put on those oiled leathers, told the wife he was taking a Sunday cruise and putted up to the door. This is where he feels he earns his street cred. -
Review from Larry C.
San Francisco, CA
1/23/2008
This place is gonna get ruined when/if they sell it.
Go soon -
Review from Vasily S.
Palo Alto, CA
10/15/2011
Ideal pace for foam!
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Review from Jessica S.
Belmont, CA
5/20/2008
I was frightened when my friend parked the car in the lot. A shack in the woods, do you seriously see me eating here?
One star for the cold beer, two stars for the food, and one more for the park-like setting and picnic tables. I just found my lunch time hide away on beautiful sunny days.
They have beers on tap, glass bottle, can, or if you're on a liquid diet, a 40 oz.
I had the cheese burger and fries. I don't think I'll get too adventurous with the rest of the menu. I generally stick to the most ordered item by regulars.
If you work on Sand Hill and feel stranded like I do sometimes, take a little trip to Alpine Inn for some fresh air. -
Review from Love Muffin ..
Kensington, CA
6/7/2007
OK. I seriously don't get this place. I had heard sooo much about it, so on a sunny day, my friends and I decide to head up for lunch. Well, I forced my friends to come with me.
The burgers are these weird, rectangular, thin patties. They don't really even look like beef. Like what you'd expect from a cafeteria lunch.
Whatever, I'm down with little hole-in-the-wall-shacky restaurants. Maybe it's good. So, we take our burgers and beers to the outside patio thing.
First, there were a trillion bees. Second, the burgers sucked. We all took one bite and then took off.
I mean, this might be a good place to come on a sunny day to have a beer outside. Oh, wait. I can do that at home. And it's significantly nicer.
This was a few years ago, and my friends still bring up how I dragged them there. -
Review from Melissa H.
San Mateo, CA
10/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place not only has great burgers and fries but has a great history. It's been around since the late 1800's. The burgers are AMAZING espically with grilled onions. Don't forget the fries..
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Review from Ed G.
Redwood City, CA
4/5/2008
For ambience and casual atmosphere, this place epitomizes the "cool" factor of working/living in Silicon Valley. Ok, so the burgers and food are good, nothing fancy, but I doubt the cooks are aiming for any Zagat stars.
Nonetheless, a great place for some greasy food, fries, and beer. Weather permitting, eating outside on the graffiti-laden, older-than-dirt picnic tables really gets you in the "play hooky from work" mode. -
Review from Jeff L.
Millbrae, CA
5/1/2008
Alpine Inn is awesome. Good sized burgers for $5 and fries for a a little more. Friendly bar and counter people and quick service. Sitting outside in the backyard is peaceful and a great picnic-like experience.
A solid burger ($5) + fries ($3?) + pitcher of beer (~$10) = happy times for a reasonable price.
They also have a fine assortment of toppings for your burgers! Bonus!Listed in: My Neighborhood
