Horsefeather, a beloved bar that has become a staple of San Francisco’s Divisadero corridor since its opening in 2016, is set to embark on a new journey.
As of June 27, the team behind Horsefeather will unveil its latest location inside the Town & Country Village shopping center in Palo Alto, just across from the Stanford campus.
Co-owner Hanson Li believes this new setting will resonate well with patrons.
“What we’ve done really well in San Francisco is the level of hospitality in that convivial environment,” Li states.
He further emphasizes that the bar has been successful in maintaining a standard of service, food, and drinks at a level that is both high-quality and approachable, catering to a diverse clientele from families to late-night patrons after a show.
The expansion marks a significant step for the Horsefeather team.
Justin Lew, another co-owner, notes that growing within San Francisco would have felt redundant, describing it as “a hat on a hat.”
Instead, they see the move to a suburban area as an opportunity to serve a wider demographic and introduce the Horsefeather brand to new customers.
Rather than starting anew with a different concept, the team believes that Horsefeather maintains strong resonance with its audience, making it a brand that they feel is scalable.
They aim to bring the essence of Horsefeather to new markets without reinventing the wheel, focusing instead on what already works.
For fans of the original Horsefeather, the Palo Alto location will offer an expanded version of the bar’s concept.
The design showcases the region’s distinctive Arts & Crafts architectural style, while also incorporating elements of Brutalism and Frank Lloyd Wright, according to Lew.
Notably, the new space includes some familiar features from the original venue, such as vintage glass details that echo the atrium and a back bar resembling the wood-paneled ceiling of the San Francisco location.
The previous location faced limitations with its shotgun-style layout, which made private dining arrangements challenging.
In contrast, Palo Alto’s design takes this need into account, featuring a wood-paneled private dining room that can be utilized or closed off as required, complete with its own TV and sound system.
As for the menu, many of the favorite dishes and drinks from the Divisadero bar will make the transition to the new location.
Guests can expect to find popular items like the stacked double cheeseburger, duck fat fries topped with “duck fat snow,” fried chicken and waffles, and Korean crispy wings right from opening day.
However, the team will remain flexible to adapt the menu to suit the tastes of the Palo Alto crowd, planning to introduce lunch and eventual weekend brunch offerings.
The cocktail menu will also see an expansion, growing to include 18 creative drinks.
General manager Dzu Nguyen highlights the new Showpony cocktail, inspired by the Kansas City-born Horsefeather drink – essentially a whiskey mule, enhanced with ginger syrup, sarsaparilla, and salted barley for added umami and spice.
Nguyen is also taking this opportunity to elevate nonalcoholic drink options, such as the Shorebird, which combines the non-alcoholic spirit Aplós Calme with in-house made salted green apple cordial, verjus, and ginger-scallion oil.
This inventive approach aims to provide a complex profile that balances savory and floral elements, enriching the nonalcoholic cocktail experience.
Lew expresses excitement about the new space and its design elements, including a striking Brutalist mural that adds a unique touch to the ambiance.
He notes, “It’s going to be a nice moment, but the place just has little moments everywhere – and that’s just representative of what we did in San Francisco.”
Horsefeather’s new Palo Alto location is set to officially debut on Friday, June 27, with operating hours from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. from Tuesday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, and 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Reservations can be made through OpenTable, allowing patrons to experience the refreshing new take on a familiar favorite.
image source from：sf
