Pluto's

I’ve been hearing so much about Pluto’s salads but had never had the chance to give it a try. When my buddy who initially recommended it invited me out to a startup event in Palo Alto, we needed some lunch and naturally Pluto’s came to mind. I was pleasantly surprised by the experience.

You basically start off with a salad base and meat, and then top it with 7 ingredients and a dressing of your choice. I got a mish mash of things like beets, fennel, edamame, mushrooms, and more, with the gorgonzola vinaigrette, which was all topped with the rare tri-tip. Well, it was more medium rare than rare, but still delicious. I did find some mysterious and inedible seeds in the salad which was a little disappointing, but overall I was pretty satisfied.

The restaurant itself is a little dark inside so the prime seating is at the indoor/outdoor “bar”. If your dog is traveling with you, a seat on the outside of the bar is great, but not as optimal for people-watching. You’ll also have to keep your pup outside when ordering and getting your food. It would make things a bit easier if they brought the dish to the table for you but I didn’t find any such service. Overall, the service lacked a bit, but I would go back for the food.

Food: 7/10

Service: 5/10

Price: $

Atmosphere: 6/10