On a typical day, Earth Systems Ph.D. candidate Marius Von Essen quickly shuffles through his mail and discards most of it. One day, however, Von Essen looked through his mail and found a pleasant surprise — a voucher to the new Mendocino Farms in Palo Alto.

Mendocino Farms, a family-owned, California-based sandwich market, celebrated the grand opening of their downtown Palo Alto location at 11 a.m. on May 2. This is the seventh location established in the Northern California region and the 28th in the state.

Part of the restaurant’s mission to is to grow local economies by partnering with regional food artisans and farmers, according to the company’s website.

Von Essen had previously dined at a Mendocino Farms in San Francisco and was attracted, in part, to the many vegetarian options on the menu.

“I think the food is good quality and tasty, and they do have a decent amount of vegetarian options, which is important for myself,” he said.

Alanna Williamson, a teacher at Palo Alto High School who frequents the San Jose location, was also excited to learn about the opening.

“It’s nice because it’s a lot closer to work,” Williamson said.

Mendocino’s commitment to the use of locally sourced food is part of the reason why Williamson is so fond of the chain.

“I like that I know where the food is coming from and that it’s been thought about,” Williamson said.

The Mendocino Farms menu boasts a wide array of options, from their classic “Mendo Style” and vegan sandwiches to local artisan breads and salads.

Maggie Roache ’21 tried Mendocino Farms for the first time two weeks after it opened in Palo Alto.

“This was my first time eating at Mendocino farms, and I really enjoyed it,” Roache said. “The restaurant itself had a really cool atmosphere, the employees are super nice and helpful, and all the food I ordered or sampled was fresh and delicious.”

Roache advised customers to consider the Blue Plate Special section of the menu.

“I recommend doing half a sandwich and half a side or salad because sandwich is filling,” Roache said.

The vegan Impossible Burger and the Impossible Burger salad were favorites for both Von Ness and Williamson. Williamson also recommended the deli sides and Mendocino deserts.

Williamson planned on coming back to the restaurant.

“It seems like this one is also pretty busy, but it’s never that long of a wait,” she said.

Contact Serena Debesai at sdebesai ‘at’ stanford.edu.