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The Treehouse

4 star rating
based on 27 reviews

Categories: Burgers, Mexican  [Edit]

459 Lagunita Dr
Palo Alto, CA 94305
(650) 723-4500
  • Price Range: $
  • Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
  • Parking: Private Lot
  • Attire: Casual
  • Good for Groups: Yes
  • Good for Kids: Yes
  • Takes Reservations: No
  • Delivers: Yes
  • Take-out: Yes
  • Waiter Service: No
  • Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
  • Outdoor Seating: Yes
  • Good for: Lunch, Dinner
  • Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
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"The past two times I have come here it has been for lunch.  we sit outside, relax in the large patio area, and order some of the best…" read more »

27 Reviews for The Treehouse

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Photo of Eric C.

 

2

80

Eric C.

Norfolk, VA

4 star rating
08/10/2008

Great tex mex (yes, texans will probably question my use of that name). Portions are great for the price and all their burritos/tacos are so flavorful. Now they even serve pizza which they have a separate line for. Sometimes if I come in and there's a line out the door for burritos, I break queue and head for the pizza which is quickly served. For students, it's also great on the weekends when this is the only place open late.

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3

10

Lauren H.

Mountain View, CA

5 star rating
07/20/2008

This only gets all 5 stars because they have BEST breakfast (egg, rice, beans) burritos in the entire world.  And trust me, I've tried a lot of breakfast burritos in my time.  This is my favorite, and I will miss it immensely when I eventually leave Stanford!!!

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Elite '08

83

382

Ryan T.

Mountain View, CA

4 star rating
05/30/2008

Wow, my first time grabbing lunch from here and I've worked on campus for a collective total of nearly 6 years (4 years at my present position)--did I ever have a treat! I ordered the cajun rock shrimp burrito and a horchata. As with many Mexican eateries, my order came with chips and choice of salsa. The shrimp were not overcooked, bursting with flavor; great variety of ingredients used in the burrito. One of the salsas I really didn't care for, a variety appearing to be the cooked version; the fresher salsa of the two available seemed to be based on the sour tang of tomatillos. A wonderful version of horchata, with a wholly unapologetic kick of cinnamon.

Not cheap eats on campus, but some great stuff--I'll be back!

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Photo of Alex C.

 

1

119

Alex C.

Palo Alto, CA

5 star rating
05/10/2008

This is a great place for the young and cool.  The treehouse has always been a local favorite among Stanford students.  But even graduates like to hang out there once in a while.  The food is great, and it is a great hangout because the food is cheap and good.  The burgers are exquisite.  The burritos are sizeable.  And the teriyaki bowls are excellent.  The staff is not the most polite, but it is what you would expect for a place like the treehouse.  The place is still packed on Fridays and weekends because it is open very late, so it is a great place to get midnight feeds.

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Elite '08

34

127

Nancy B.

Mountain View, CA

3 star rating
05/17/2008

Gotta love treehouse. Cheap burgers and burritos. I love their chipotle potatoe burrito--it comes with mushrooms, zuchini, carrots, artchichoke and wonderful pepperjack cheese. I'm also a fan of their chicken burger--a fresh chicken breast grilled to perfection. When I was at Stanford, I went here at least twice a week. I went back last weekend and they have PIZZA now. Only 2.50 for a fresh slice!

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Photo of Jack S.

 

59

72

Jack S.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
03/12/2008

The Treehouse is a special place on campus.  It's the only place open late besides the thoughtfully-named "Late Nite."  It's also one of the only places on Campus that serves Beer.  Their tap selection isn't great, but who really cares?  It's centrally located and with cheap-enough pitchers, it's a great place to catch up with old friends.

There's also a pretty wide range of edible food.  The teriyaki bowls are very filling, and the burgers (i recommend the cardinal or BBQ chicken) are real tasty (though the literal mountain of fries it comes with is a bit overkill, and really only worth eating with a slightly smaller mountain of condiments).  Burritos are decent, and the nachos are a favorite of many but not recommended if you're looking for a satisfying meal.  The asian chicken salad is a fine option if you're looking to eat healthy (try not to use too much of the sauce).

Plus you can order ahead online and pick it up when you get there.

It's hard to imagine my Stanford career without The Treehouse.

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Photo of Sarah J.

 

5

17

Sarah J.

Portland, OR

4 star rating
04/13/2008

The corn tortilla quesadillas are so good!  The salsa and guacamole are fresh and delicious.  If you're on campus for lunch this is a tasty and affordable choice.  They have a huge selection on their menu.  When I worked on campus I would have gone here everyday if my coworkers had let me.

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Photo of Tori C.

 

5

53

Tori C.

Mountain View, CA

3 star rating
03/16/2008

Went here to eat once with my husband, who is a grad student at Stanford. The food was good and you get a lot for the price. It had me going back to my days an undergrad with the decor and booths. If we lived on campus, I'd weigh at least 10 pounds more because of their burritos!

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24

80

Rebecca J.

Mountain View, CA

4 star rating
02/19/2008

Their food overall is good. They are now serving pizza which I really like. The best thing on their menu though is the tortilla soup! If you like it spicy, this is your kind of soup! It's fantastic and homemade!

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Photo of Kristine D.

 

12

353

Kristine D.

Mountain View, CA

4 star rating
03/17/2008

A fun place!!  My colleagues took me here for lunch when I started at Stanford and I've gone back several times since.  The food is delicious and plentiful.  You really get a lot for your money! I recommend their burritos --- I've had the vegetable model --- as well as their fish tostada.

Centrally located in the Tressider Student Union, its a great place to meet friends.  I love the high wood booths.  Come here to watch a game or the news and enjoy a beer with your pals.

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Elite '08

91

286

Liz L.

Palo Alto, CA

3 star rating
03/07/2008

Your heaping stack of nachos saves you.  Ok, your burgers are good too.  I don't like your salads, and sometimes you get my order wrong, but you are the only thing open on campus late at night.

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Photo of Jason R.

Elite '08

396

526

Jason R.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
01/09/2008

Had I known you could get decent Mexican, Burgers and pizza at very LOW prices, all in one place on campus, I would have gone to Stanford.

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4 star rating
11/02/2007

Mon-Fri: 10am-1am, Sat-Sun: 10am-12am

Cheap food, taste good, open late.  What more could you ask for?

The steak burrito is prob my fav, but I also like their chinese chicken salad...

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Photo of karthi k.

 

3

17

karthi k.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
02/20/2008

The Treehouse sustained me through my college years, as it really hit the spot when the dining halls weren't cutting it.  Almost everything is good, especially the burgers.  Axe Burger, no mayo, with cheese and a Sobe.  $7.79.   Bam.

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0

16

Patrick S.

Palo Alto, CA

4 star rating
04/24/2008

In keeping with Stanford tradition, the Treehouse proves that private venues far surpass the school run dining system in quality, price, and service.  They have an amazing variety of food for an on-campus eatery, the most recent addition to the menu being a delicious offering of pizza by the slice.  From burgers to Mexican food to salads, there isn't a dish I haven't enjoyed from Treehouse.  Added to the mix are their late night hours, a true scarcity amongst Stanford dinning establishments.  The only word of forewarning I can offer is to avoid the pizza if it has been sitting out for a while (yes, they do reheat it, but that doesn't make it nearly comparable to the fresh stuff).

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Photo of Jin Z.

 

2

42

Jin Z.

Foster City, CA

3 star rating
11/09/2007

No frills Mexican food. Just this term they've switched from thick fries to the generic frozen shoe string type. Their prices have also gone up a little.

I think I'm gonna try the newly opened Axe and Palm in Old Union which serves pancakes night and day! (And a sushi chef til 2am on Wednesdays!)

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Photo of Richard C.

 

26

56

Richard C.

Saratoga, CA

4 star rating
10/21/2007

Great for a bite to eat while strolling through campus at Stanford (yes, my mortal enemy's campus).

I recommend the tostada salad.  This thing is huge plus has a healthy portion of sliced steak on top.  The dressing is a bit oily so I usually just grab some salsa verde and throw that on top to add some spice and tanginess.

It will fill you up and not drain your wallet!

Also very tasty is the turkey burger (which I alternated between the beef entrees to "try" and stay healthy). The burger is very tasty and you can toss some jalapenos on to give it some zing.

The food is good for a campus joint and the prices are not too bad.

Cozy seating with abundant wood, TVs, and tons of people will make it a good place to hang out with friends.

Watch out for long lines when the tons of students are there for lunch though....

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490

178

Katie F.

Atherton, CA

5 star rating
09/28/2007

It's all about quality at the Treehouse, and it better be.  The greatest minds deserve the greatest food!  I've met the owner, and he takes great pride in the quality of the food he serves.  He's done some extensive research on how to prepare fast, delicious food, and he's mastered the skill.

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685

348

Hao L.

Mountain View, CA

4 star rating
02/16/2007

Mon-Fri: 10am-1am, Sat-Sun: 10am-12am

Serves Mexican food, grill food, and sushi. Indoor and outdoor dining areas. Gourmet pizzas delivered to dorms nightly from 6pm-3am. In-house pizza slices served after 9pm.

Ate here tonight prior to seeing the 3rd and final staged reading of David Henry Hwang's new play, Yellowface, for the 2nd time (that's how much I liked it!). Anyways, I had the tiger taco (Steak), 1.25, the chicken taco, 1.25, and the Baja taco (fish), 1.75, $4.60 total. My order came with chips, and I liked the fiery red salsa and the salsa verde available. The place started out as El Pollo Rey in 1998, but that place sucked, and in 2000 became The Treehouse. Sometimes you'll find high school students here (there are only so many cheap places in Shallow Alto), and the rush is about 6:30 to 6:45PM on a Friday night, apparently.

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Elite '08

272

597

David S.

Champaign, IL

3 star rating
05/03/2007

It's a little sad to realize that this is the only spot on Stanford campus that stays open after 6pm or so... I'm not a huge fan of Mexican food in general, but given the scarcity of good and cheap lunch options on campus, the Treehouse is not a bad deal. Their menu is pretty extensive: burgers, salads, burritos, tacos, enchiladas and more... and the prices are reasonable (although they have been increasing over the years): $5-$7 range for most items. The quality isn't exactly the best, but it's not too bad either. Among my favorite items are the veggie burger, the thai burrito (which has pineapple and a spicy sauce... yum), and the chinese chicken salad (a little pricey but big and tasty). Lines can be daunting around lunch time.

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Photo of Stacey C.

 

89

272

Stacey C.

Concord, CA

4 star rating
02/06/2007

The Treehouse is a great hangout spot after a long day of classes. The beer is cheap, the place is loud, and the food isn't too bad. The only thing they're missing here is a bar counter!

My favorite dish here is their steak fajitas. The service is a bit slow during lunch and dinner because of its prime location at Tressider. Another drawback is the lack of indoor seating during these busy times...but if it's nice and sunny outside why sit inside!

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Photo of Andrew M.

 

2

4

Andrew M.

Santa Monica, CA

5 star rating
06/13/2007

I'm not a Stanford student, but the Treehouse kinda' makes me wish I had been one (nevermind things like academics, and whatnot).

A couple years ago, I worked at the Stanford Bookstore as a summer job (decent place to work), and I'd often go to the treehouse for lunch. Initially, I usually just stuck to their burgers, which are very good. The beef was quite tasty and you can oddly enough get a bacon burger for the same price as a plain burger or cheeseburger (though, combining them costs more, sensibly). Eventually, I branched out and tried their Mexican food too, which is also very good. I was a fan of their Quesadillas. The teriyaki bowls are worth trying too.

The only thing I ever had here that I didn't like was a chicken burrito, and that's just because the riced had been heavily cilantro-ed (yes, I'm one of THOSE people that can't stand cilantro).

And every single item I ever had here filled me to the point where I thought I was gonna explode.

I just wish we had had a place like this at USC (where I went).

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Photo of Michael J.

 

3

23

Michael J.

Palo Alto, CA

3 star rating
05/07/2007

Personally I feel four Tiger Tacos here is the best deal for lunch/dinner anywhere on campus. (It's $5 if you have the 10% off coupon, available in Stanford directories). It coems with free chips (at least in the evening, when I usually order) and the salsa here is quite fresh and actually good. Filling and satisfying. This is most definitely the best place to eat on Stanford campus in the evening, when basically all the competition is closed.

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Photo of Paul R.

 

7

8

Paul R.

Palo Alto, CA

3 star rating
02/01/2008

Food is decent and I can drink on campus. What else could I want.

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Photo of Brett K.

 

22

17

Brett K.

Palo Alto, CA

4 star rating
12/10/2006

Great mexican place right in the back corner of Tressider--has good cheap ($2.50) beer (hefeweizen, Sierra Nevada IPA), good food, chips included, and an always-bustling interior where you can relax for a second in between study sessions.

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Photo of Alex H.

 

1

41

Alex H.

Stanford, CA

4 star rating
11/13/2007

The focus on the mexican food in the reviews is surprising; its very standard, bordering on mediocre.

The burgers and fries are really damn good though; not just for a campus eatery. I enjoy the BBQ burger here almost as much as the Counter, which is supposedly "upscale" (e.g. recommended by Oprah). They're in an entirely different league than what's served at the new Axe and Palm, a place that actually makes McDonalds look appealing.

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Elite '08

11

163

Coelie A.

Washington, DC

4 star rating
08/14/2007

Don't order anything except the burgers or burritos. Otherwise, 3 stars.

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