The Village Pantry

184 Second Street, Los Altos, CA 94022
650.941.0384

 

VP in the News!

In addition to media coverage, some of our customers have posted their own personal reviews of The Village Pantry for the world to see. Visit our Yelp.com customer review web page to read what they have to say.

 

Mercury News

Village Pantry dishes up satisfying comfort food

Journalist Melinda Sacks reviews the food and service at The Village Pantry."

 

Mountain View Voice, Weekend Section

Service with Two Smiles

Journalist Elaine M. Rowland reviews the food and service at The Village Pantry with the conclusion that "The Village Pantry in Los Altos offers coffee shop classics with TLC."

 

Palo Alto Daily News

2007 Reader's Choice Awards

The Village Pantry wins 2007 Palo Alto Daily News Reader's Choice award for Best Lunch Deal! We would like to extend a big "Thank you!" to all of our customers for voting us number 1!

 

Palo Alto Daily News, "Absolutely" Section

Eat with Winners

Saturday, August 13, 2005
The Village Pantry featured in the Palo Alto Daily News 'Absolutely' section

 

Palo Alto Daily News Reader's Choice Awards

Palo Alto Daily News -- Best Brunch 2005 Article: The Village Pantry -- Winner 2005 Best Brunch/Breakfast Award and 2nd Place Best American Restaurant

Friday, July 1, 2005

No meal is more civilized than a proper Sunday brunch; however, it takes far more than just good ingredients and skilled technique to pull off a memorable breakfast/lunch blend. Brunches are meant to be savored -- enjoyed bite by bite, down to the last drop of maple syrup and bottomless cup of coffee. And because brunch is a meal to relish in, the setting has to be just right -- unhurried, pleasant and homey. The Village Pantry in Los Altos covers all the bases on the proper Sunday brunch, and has been voted as the 2005 Best Breakfast/Brunch Restaurant in our Reader's Choice poll.

Since 1949 the Village Pantry has been serving the Peninsula's discerning diners breakfast and lunch in this charming dining decorated with photo collages of loyal customers. Last year Daily News readers voted the Village Pantry as Best Burger Restaurant, and this year the Belgian waffles, French toast and creative omelettes won the hearts of our readers again.

Owners David and Julie Ogilvie have kept the restaurant's original appeal by ensuring that customer service, good food and a family-oriented atmosphere are at the heart of this great American restaurant. They have added to the overall brunch experience by offering unexpected indulgences such as Eggs San Francisco -- a toasted English muffin, crabmeat, Swiss cheese, two poached eggs topped with hollandaise sauce. Brunch at the Village Pantry is like being invited into the home of a good friend for a leisurely meal -- relaxed, delicious and satisfying.

The Village Pantry also took 2nd place in the Palo Alto Daily News Reader's Choice Awards for Best American Restaurant. They are located at 184 Second Street in Los Altos and can be reached at (650) 941-0384. To take a closer look at the menu, go to www.thevillagepantry.com.

 

Palo Alto Daily News Reader's Choice Awards

Palo Alto Daily News -- Best Burger 2004 Article: The Village Pantry -- Winner 2004 Best Burger Award

Thursday, July 29, 2004

It takes more than ingredients and technique to create a quality meal. An exceptional restaurant puts something of itself into each preparation and always puts its customers' needs first. The Village Pantry in Los Altos is an old-fashioned restaurant that has been established since 1949. The Village Pantry has had five previous owners since it opened on Second Street in the 1940's, but is now owned by David and Julie Ogilvie, who has kept intact the restaurant's original appeal. Charming, family-oriented and customer service at its heart the village provides with great American breakfasts and lunches. The light blue walls are covered with photo collages of local children who have dined there over the years as well as newspaper reviews, which serve as a testimony to the restaurant's popularity.

Although their specialities include pancakes, Belgian waffles, French toast and omelettes among other things, the Village Pantry is being recognized as the Readers' Choice 2004 Winner for the Best Burger. The Village Pantry provides you with a selectin of seven unique burgers, consisting of a quarter pound of beef served with tomatoes, onions, pickles, lettuce and a choice of French fries, soup or coleslaw. The Hamburger Deluxe is made of fresh, lean ground beef topped with grilled onions. The Cheese-burger Deluxe provides a choice of Swiss or American cheese while the California Burger is served with avocado, jack cheese and topped with bacon. The Garden Burger is made up of a scrumptious blend of low-fat, whole grains. The Burger Special is served with grilled onions, tomato, mushrooms and melted cheese. The Turkey Burger is moist and flavorsome. The Mushroom Burger is smothered with sautéed mushrooms.

In addition to offering its charming in-house dining, the Village Pantry is an excellent choice for catering services as well as food to go. Stop by the restaurant and enjoy breakfast or lunch on the beautiful back porch patio. Bring your family down to the Village Pantry. They love to serve you!

The Village Pantry is located at 184 Second Street in Los Altos. They can be reached at (650) 941-0384. For more information, please visit their website at www.thevillagepantry.com.

 

Hometown survivors

Longest lived businesses reveal secrets of success

January 21, 2004 by Town Crier Staff

What are those intangible elements that allow some businesses to open and close with a frequency that rivals changes in the weather, while others go on and on? We wondered, albeit briefly, as we compiled our list of some favorite longtime businesses in Los Altos.The reasons soon became obvious. Most of these old-timers treated customers like relatives and friends. Some of them, around 50 years or longer, were on a first-name basis with most of their visitors. And they seemed to favor substance over style. They found a niche and stayed with it.

While some businesses have changed ownership and possibly location, the name and the business mission have remained constant.

The following are some of our favorite longtime businesses whose owners were willing to share their secrets of success:

Village Pantry
  • Years in business: 55
  • Owner: Julie Ogilvie
  • Address: 184 Second St.
  • Key to longevity: Customers find comfort in the restaurant's virtually unchanged character.
  • Biggest changes: Walls painted a lighter shade of blue
  • History: The key faces have changed several times, but the name has remained the same. The Village Pantry has had five owners since it opened on Second Street in the 1940s - all of whom managed to continue the business without changing its name, charm or menu. The breakfast and lunch eatery makes no apologies about its Americana menu or that the only choices in coffee are black or with cream. What has worked for the Pantry all these years is, in fact, its predictability - good food without the froufrou.

  • The Pantry is the kind of hole-in-the-wall diner where everyone knows your name and how you like your eggs.

  • It's not uncommon to find those who ate there as children continuing the tradition with their own children.

  • Ogilvie, who waits the tables with quickness and courtesy, bubbles with enthusiasm when talking about the business she purchased last September. She, like the four owners before her, treats her diners as friends, chatting with them briskly as she serves their orders.

  • Cereal boxes sit on little shelves on the walls, where customers can view photo collages of local children who have dined there over the years. Old newspaper reviews hang on the walls as a testimony to the restaurant's popularity over the past five decades.

  • "The customers tell me, 'Don't change it,'" Ogilvie said. This even goes for the old "restuarant" sign out front with "restaurant" misspelled.