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About this blog: I am a perpetually hungry twenty-something journalist, born and raised in Menlo Park and currently working at the Palo Alto Weekly as education and youth staff writer. I graduated from USC with a major in Spanish and a minor in jo...  (More)

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R & B Seafood Restaurant closes in Palo Alto

Uploaded: Aug 25, 2015
Palo Alto Chinese restaurant R & B Seafood closed last week, making way for a three-story development slated for the 2209 El Camino Real site.

This handwritten message appeared in the restaurant's front door last week:



The city's Architectural Review Board approved in January 2014 a 9,571 square-foot, three-story building for the site with financial services on the ground floor, offices on the second floor and residential units on the third. It will replace the one-story building that housed R&B Seafood and Peninsula Locksmith.


A rendering of the planned three-story mixed-use development for 2209 El Camino Real in Palo Alto. Courtesy City of Palo Alto.

The city planner for this project, Margaret Netto, said Tuesday that no drawings have been submitted for the development yet, but she "assume(s) it''s moving forward."

Netto said the project, approved more than a year ago, likely won't fall under the city's new "urgency ordinance," which the City Council passed in May to protect retail by prohibiting the conversion of ground-floor retail to offices.

R & B Seafood opened in 2009. A few fans of the neighborhood spot turned to Yelp last week to lament its closure:

"My most favorite sweet and sour pork place is sadly closed," Jeffrey T. wrote. "RIP R&B."
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Comments

 +   1 person likes this
Posted by Mike Keenly, a resident of Menlo Park: Allied Arts/Stanford Park,
on Aug 25, 2015 at 1:26 pm

Sweet & Sour Pork is not authentic chinese food.

If you want high-quality cantonese-style chinese food, I recommend Hong Kong Restaurant, also in Palo Alto (3691 El Camino Real). The place is not fancy, but the food is very good, and reasonably priced.


 +   2 people like this
Posted by Tony, a resident of Downtown North,
on Aug 25, 2015 at 4:16 pm

I realize that every city will have to become denser at one point or another, but I feel that city of Palo Alto does not have good planning to adjust to this change. I moved here 5 years ago attracted by the small town feeling despite it is in the middle of silicon valley. There are many small unique shops around town. You can always find franchise store in every city. Most of the architectural despite aged blends in with one another. Since the last mayor, many new small rise building have been built to replace this small building. Many restaurant and shops were force out to become a new office building. There is nothing wrong with office building, but it should be balance or idea to relocate this small shop. If this continue, Palo Alto residence will have to get service cater from neighbor city since everywhere they go will be just office and it close after 6 PM. I hope it is not it will be, but certainly that way. Big IT company gives tax to city, but city does need the small businesses as well.


 +   3 people like this
Posted by Tspoon, a resident of Evergreen Park,
on Aug 25, 2015 at 5:57 pm

Finding the services and quality of life to be declining in Palo Alto. Not going to fight it anymore, just going to lower the bar for what our expectations are for a future here.


 +   7 people like this
Posted by Reader, a resident of another community,
on Aug 25, 2015 at 8:43 pm

Yes, things are changing around here.

And they will continue to do so, just like they have for the last two hundred years.


 +   1 person likes this
Posted by Rogue Trader, a resident of Green Acres,
on Aug 25, 2015 at 9:22 pm

This appears to be another grossly underparked development - and the ARB has approved it.

According to the plans - it appears there is a grand total of 3 parking spots designated for the all the employees and customers of the financial institution, and all the employees and customers of the office area.

Web Link


 +   1 person likes this
Posted by Marie, a resident of Midtown,
on Aug 25, 2015 at 9:28 pm
Marie is a registered user.

i hope it can still be appealed to the city council and turned down. it is so wrong in so many ways


 +  Like this comment
Posted by Palo Alto , a resident of Downtown North,
on Aug 26, 2015 at 7:26 am

Yeah! More construction in The California Avenue area!


 +  Like this comment
Posted by Eric, a resident of Old Mountain View,
on Aug 26, 2015 at 2:35 pm

Second the recommendation for Hong Kong Restaurant. Been a customer since they were in Mountain View. My mom's side of the family is from Hong Kong, and it's the most authentic Cantonese food to be found in the area


 +  Like this comment
Posted by approval?, a resident of Evergreen Park,
on Aug 26, 2015 at 6:09 pm

Of course this project was approved by the (rubber-stamping) ARB. When will it go before the CC, and what are the chances of such a massive project with no ground-floor retail receiving approval???


 +  Like this comment
Posted by whatever, a resident of Menlo Park: Central Menlo Park,
on Aug 27, 2015 at 5:27 am

Food and service were always good at R&B. What some forget is that there has been a Chinese restaurant there for at least 30 years. California St vicinity has lost at least four Chinese restaurants now over the past 10 years.


Sorry, but further commenting on this topic has been closed.

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