Menlo Hub

Being Menlo Park residents, and with a Groupon in hand,  we decided on the "Hub" for dinner at 6:30 last evening .  Walking in from the back parking lot (easy parking),  our first thought was: "Where is everyone? " Just one table was occupied.   Perhaps the new restaurant brings back some not-so-good memories of Oak City Diner and Wild Hare for some  ....  disappointments of past visits to this El Camino location across from Keppler's Books and next to the ever famous Applewood Pizzeria  ...   perhaps what's missing here is some GRAND OPENING BANNERS outside,  something to focus attention on this new restaurant which does serve some very good food in a casual and woody setting with plenty of character.  

First of all,  the Iceberg Salad Wedge (served in two pieces) was THE BEST I've ever had in any high quality restaurant  ... came with avocado slices, cherry tomatoes,  plenty of crisp bacon and tasty ranch dressing  ....  large enough for Two at a reasonable six dollars  ....  10 dollar size should "fit" 2 or more easily.

Mary loved her Short Ribs,  mashed potatoes with spinach  ....  very tasty .... while I opted for the Chicken Diane in Cognac Sauce with an assortment of perfectly roasted veggies,  which were absolutely the best ever,  even including brussel sprouts.

Yes,  the menu (as others have written here) is not overly large,  but for someone dining out once a week (and a wife who's a gourmet cook) this meant that the selections are prepared with extra care  .... and it shows in the quality of the food.    Will have the shrimp casserole dish the next visit.    Prices are $20 on average  ... quite reasonable.   Service was perfect throughout.

I will make a Happy Hour visit soon and perhaps "catch" a sporting event (or two) on one of several flat panel TV's at the bar with some friends.   Seating is also available with a clear view of the open kitchen.   THIS RESTAURANT DESERVES YOUR ATTENTION.     (people need to know that plenty of parking exists in the lot behind the restaurant)   GO VISIT MENLO HUB  ...  the food is way too good for this restaurant to fade away as did the others who occupied the space before it.

Jerry

We had a Groupon $20/40 and went over on a Sat night about 7. Restaurant was uncrowded and we were seated quickly. Shared an iceberg salad. We both ordered the special of the evening, lamb shank. Food came quickly. Everything was tasty and reasonably priced. Portion size was large. We brought our own wine which added a $15 corkage to the bill. The ceilings are very high and the air conditioning was inadequate to keep the place cool on a hot day. The overall ambiance is a bit odd with the sports bar adjacent to the relatively small dining area. Noise level was no problem,  though I imagine if the bar was crowded, the place would be quite noisy.

Really great lamb shank. mashed potatoes, and veggies. We also enjoyed the iceberg salad.