Oak Knoll Elementary School
1895 Oak Knoll Lane
Menlo Park CA 94025

We will dance in the old gym, also called the small multi-purpose room, as shown by the arrows on the maps below.  It's near the flagpole. 

From 280 southbound:  Exit Sand Hill Road and follow the signs to Menlo Park.  Go about 2 miles, passing the traffic light at Sharon Park Road.  Turn left at the next light, which is Santa Cruz Avenue.  At the next light, bear right to remain on Santa Cruz.  Make the first right, in about 1/4 mile, onto Oakdell.  (Ignore the no-right-turn sign which is for weekdays only.)  Make the second right onto Oak Knoll Lane, and follow it two blocks to the school.

From 280 northbound:  Exit Alpine Road and turn right at the bottom of the off-ramp.  Go straight through two traffic lights and bear right at the third light, to stay on Santa Cruz Avenue.  Make the first right, in about 1/4 mile, onto Oakdell.  (Ignore the no-right-turn sign which is for weekdays only.)  Make the second right onto Oak Knoll Lane and follow it two blocks to the school.

From 101 northbound:  Exit Embarcadero and follow the signs to Stanford University / Embarcadero Road west.  In about 3 miles, you will get to El Camino Real.  Turn right (north) onto El Camino Real.  In about one mile you will pass the Stanford Shopping Center on the left.  Continue north about one mile more and turn left at the light at Middle Avenue (there is a shopping center with a Safeway at the corner).  Middle will dead-end in about a mile at Olive Avenue.  Turn left on Olive, and then right at the stop sign onto Oak.  Follow Oak west and turn right at the second stop sign onto Oak Knoll.  The school will be on your left in one block.

From 101 southbound:  Exit Woodside Road and follow the signs for Woodside Road west.  Go about two miles and exit onto El Camino Real southbound.  Take El Camino south about two miles, passing Valparaiso and Oak Grove, then turn right onto Santa Cruz.  Take Santa Cruz west about one mile, passing the traffic light at Elder and the cemetery.  Make a gentle left at the stop sign (corner of Orange/Avy/Santa Cruz) to continue on Santa Cruz Avenue.  Turn left onto the first street which is Oakdell Avenue.    Make the second right onto Oak Knoll, and follow it two blocks to the school.

Click here to skip down to a list of places to eat lunch

Where to eat lunch in one hour or less in the Menlo Park area

The closest places to eat are about ¼ mile away, and have ample parking:

The Dutch Goose, A burger, beer, and pizza joint. It's at the northeast corner of Alameda de las Pulgas and Avy, kitty-corner from the gas station. Tons of seating including a small outdoor patio.
Lulu's Mexican. Order at counter or phone your order in advance. Indoor and outdoor seating. 3539 Alameda de las Pulgas, corner of Gordon.
Lutticken’s. Deli sandwiches and Mexican food. 3535 Alameda de las Pulgas, corner of Gordon. Ample indoor and outdoor seating.

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About ½ mile away is the Sharon Heights Shopping center with Eric’s Gourmet deli, which has sandwiches, hot soup and some salads. View or download their lunch menu here.  Phone in your order in advance to avoid the lines at lunchtime. They close at 4:00 PM on Saturdays. The shopping center also contains El Cerrito Mexican restaurant, which may be too slow for the hour lunch break.  Located on Sharon Park Drive, corner of Sharon Drive.  El Cerrito is across the breezeway from Eric's.  The shopping center also has a frozen yogurt shop. 

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The Stanford shopping center (mall) is about one mile away. Parking is very difficult on Saturdays, and you can get lost trying to find your destination. Fast places to eat include The Melt for burgers and Chipotle Mexican grill.  Downtown Palo Alto has dozens of places to eat, but parking is almost impossible Saturday at lunchtime and early afternoon. 

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About 2 miles away, in Ladera, about 1/2 mile past I-280, is the Old Port Lobster Shack.  Lobster rolls, fish and chips, seafood salads, BBQ, fried seafood. Difficult parking, but ample indoor and outdoor seating. 3130 Alpine Road #300, Portola Valley, in shopping center

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There are dozens of places to eat about a mile away in downtown Menlo Park, along Santa Cruz Avenue or El Camino Real. It’s easy to park at these restaurants:

Jeffrey's Hamburgers 888 El Camino Real, 1/2 block south of Ravenswood, park in rear
Mongolian Barbecue all-you-can-eat 700 El Camino Real, next to BevMo, enter through parking lot in rear
Rubio's Coastal Grill. Mexican. Order at the counter, so it's fast. In shopping center with Safeway, 515 El Camino Real at Middle
Jan's Deli closes at 3:00 PM, 1004 Alma St. between Ravenswood and Oak Grove. Sandwiches made to order.  Ourdoor seating or take-out.
Cook's Seafood. Fast counter service for take-out or eat-in. Shrimp and crab cocktails, fish and chips, grilled fish. 751 El Camino, just south of Roble.

In downtown Menlo Park, finding a place to park is very difficult at these places on Saturdays.  There are parking plazas half a block north and half a block south of Santa Cruz Avenue, but they will likely be full:

McDonald's, 1100 El Camino Real, northeast corner of Santa Cruz Avenue.  Indoor seating only.
Phil's Kitchen Chinese and Hawaiian fast food. 624 Oak Grove Avenue (on the corner, one block west of El Camino Real).  Limited indoor seating.
J and J Hawaiian barbecue. 1170 Alma, just south of Oak Grove, next to 7-11. Similar to Chinese food, but with a scoop of potato salad in addition to the rice.
Subway sandwich shop 809 Santa Cruz Avenue. Park in rear.  Very limited indoor seating.
Round Table Pizza, 1225 El Camino, between Oak Grove and Valparaiso
Chef Kwan to go. Takeout Chinese with very limited indoor seating. Phone order in advance to save time. 630 Menlo Avenue, one block from El Camino.
Le Boulanger. Sandwiches. salads, bakery, soup, 720 Santa Cruz Avenue, park in rear.  Closes at 3:00 PM Saturdays
Cafe Borrone, sandwiches, omelets, salads, pastries, 1010 El Camino, in sidewalk plaza between Ravenswood and Santa Cruz. Parking is exceptionally difficult.  Plentiful outdoor and indoor seating.
Menlo Cafe, sandwiches, salads, pastries, coffee. 600 Santa Cruz Avenue, 1 block west of El Camino. Parking lot in rear.  Closes at 2:00 PM on Saturdays.
The Refuge. Burgers, beer cheesesteaks, and pastrami sandwiches. 1143 Crane Street, ½ block from Santa Cruz Avenue
Mountain Mike's pizza and wings.  1001 El Camino Real, corner of Ravenswood.  No outdoor seating. 
Stacks breakfast all day.  Closes at 2:30 PM.  600 Santa Cruz Avenue, corner of El Camino Real.  No outdoor seating.

These places in downtown Menlo Park are suitable for dinner after the dance, but likely too slow for a one-hour lunch break. 

Yum Cha Palace.  Dim sum (order from menu) and other Chinese food.  1039 El Camino Real, between Santa Cruz and Menlo, west side. No outdoor seating.
Sultana Turkish and Mediterranean.  1149 El Camino Real, between Oak Grove and Santa Cruz, west side.  Park in rear.  Limited outdoor seating.
Trellis Northern Italian.  1077 El Camino Real, between Santa Cruz and Menlo, west side.  They have a lovely outdoor rooftop terrace.
Mama Coco. Real Mexican, not Tex-Mex.  1081 El Camino Real, between Santa Cruz and Menlo, west side.  No outdoor seating.
Galata Bistro Mediterranean.  827 Santa Cruz Avenue, between Crane and Evelyn.  Park in rear.  Outdoor and indoor seating.
Carpaccio.  Northern Italian.  1120 Crane St., north of Santa Cruz Avenue.  Indoor seating only.
Fey.  Real Chinese food, not Americanized dishes.  1368 El Camino, between Oak Grove and Valparaiso.  Plentiful indoor seating.