San Mateo County & San Francisco GREEN EATS: Restaurants, Coffee Shops, Bakeries with Sustainable Take-out Packaging


February 23rd, 2022

Please collaborate with us and leave a comment with other sustainable local food places eateries that:

*Serve organic produce, sustainably harvested seafood.

*Box leftovers or take-out  in re-usable or bio-compostable containers.

*Use washable cutlery or biocompostable flatware.

If you are eating at home, refuse the flatware and rinse your paper takeout boxes after eating so there are no foodstains and the paper can be recycled. .

If you are eating at a restaurant, consider bringing your own containers for leftovers.

This list has been compiled by the watchful folks from Fossil Free Mid-Peninsula and others. Drumroll, please, for:

Cool Cafe at Cantor Art Center, Stanford University

Flea Street Cafe – Menlo Park CA. Farm-to-Table fresh, organic and local. Zagat Award for Excellence

Godfather’s Burger Lounge, Belmont CA  

Panda Express , Belmont CA

Jack’s Prime Burgers and Shakes in San Mateo  /

Masala Desi Cafe, Roosevelt Plaza, Redwood City or Burlingame

Chipotle in many locations. Meats are sustainably raised.

Redwood Grill, Woodside Plaza, Redwood City

Tacos el Grullense e&e* /*Don’t ask for utensils – everything else is just paper and foil. Four locations in Redwood City

Freewheel Brewing Company, Marsh Manor, Redwood City. Plus they have very nice, English style beers and great ownership and staff.

New England Lobster Market & Eatery – Burlingame. Certified Green Business.

Town, Laurel St, San Carlos. Varied menu and plenty seating outside

Woodside Bakery and Cafe , Woodside CA

Asian Box, Town & Country Plaza, Palo Alto. A Vietnamese scratch kitchen made with fresh, real ingredients. 100% Gluten free.

Dog Haus Biergarten, El Camino & Ralston, Belmont. Not sure about cup lids and flatware but all the food is in paper boxes. Hand-crafted hormone- and antibiotic-free hot dogs, sausages, burgers, plant-based proteins. Gluten-free buns, on request.

Spoon & Fork Thai, 1480 El Camino Real, Belmont. Counter service & online.

Bistros, Coffee Shops & Pubs:

Red Giant Coffee, Broadway by Middlefield, Redwood City. Compostable cups & covers. Bring your refillable cup.

Bakeries & IceCream

Misfits Bakery, Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto and delivery on the Peninsula. Gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and keto-friendly breads and baked goods.

Tin Pot Creamery – Palo Alto and in some stores. Biocompostable packaging, cups & cutlerly.

Seafood & Produce:

Kaiser Hospital sponsors Farmers Markets in California, Hawaii, Georgia, Oregon & Washington.

Ourroboros Farms – Route 92, Half Moon Bay. Aquaponic farms in HMB and Pescadero that primarily sell their seafood and greens to local restaurants. You can buy their greens through Good Eggs or at their HMB location (where you can take a tour).

Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Associationcool – There are over 50 Certified Markets in the San Francisco Bay Area offering local produce, meats, seafood, baked goods and more. Click the link to find the markets nearest to you.

Sam’s Chower House – Half Moon Bay, recycles their oil donated to a non-profit farm, has solar electricity, biodegradable packaging and has sustainable seafood.