Coupa Cafe – Y2E2

When craving a quick coffee while working or studying near the engineering quad, Coupa used to be our go-​to. They serve a variety of coffee, our favorites being the spice mocha (his) and the double iced macchiato (hers). There’s also a neat selection of pastries and sandwiches, though you should probably stay away from the pre-​packaged ‘Stroopwafel’; they’re no match for the really Dutch ones! That’s really the only thing we can complain about though. Since it can get really busy during lunch hours, show up early. Otherwise, the wait shouldn’t be too long, making Coupa the perfect place for a quick caffeinated afternoon pick-​me-​up or snack (try their hummus)!

I like Coupa Café’s coffee. It’s a bit overpriced, but what isn’t on campus? I’ve been here probably a few dozen times, and have had prompt service — only once was my order lost somehow.
Overall, good coffee and salads for a quick lunch break during a busy day. Just don’t come during lunch rush, you’ll be waiting forever.

Good Chai, good salads, rubbish pastries. Everything is insultingly expensive, and they are usually crazy busy; it only works because they have no competition.

I’ve been going to this Coupa for five years and I love it! My go-​to is a medium spicy mocha, or a chocolate chip cookie/​scone/​brownie/​poppy seed twist/​palerma and drip coffee. The managers and cashiers are friendly and efficient. Café options are outstanding, sandwiches/​salads are more slightly-​above-​average side. I’ve never been patient enough to get an arepa or full breakfast.

Their ice tea tasted so bad :(Strong chemical taste.
Their take-​out salad is good for a quick meal though.

the tiger chai and mayan mocha are awesome for the price! the savory veggie crêpe made with buckwheat flour, fresh spinach, mushrooms and swiss cheese was pretty good. staff are friendly and service is great. ive seen them put freshly cut lemons in the water coolers and when its busy someone takes orders in line to speed things up. the area isnt as pleasant with all the construction at the moment.

Great spot to grab coffee on campus, especially when on the Engineering Quad side of campus.
Often disregarded because they have a satellite store in Huang, the baristas are often quite nice and the food service is quick. Only knock here is that the waiting area is a bit cramped, but other than that it is one of my favorite Coupa’s on campus!

The food is good, and the service is fast enough and friendly. However it’s expensive, especially compared with the Cafeteria at the Stanford hospital or Bytes café. For instance, Coupa Café sells their lemonade $ 3, which is exaggerated. Moreover, the dish size is on the smaller end and I usually feel hungry again just a couple of hours after I eat there.
For whatever reason, they recently decided to stop providing self service for water: now if you want a glass of water you need to ask it at the counter. It looks like they are trying to force their customer to buy a drink rather than getting free water.

Food and coffee are great, but be wary of the order ahead option. Your order won’t get processed until you arrive to claim it, so you better hope you don’t have something time sensitive on your to do list, like clocking in. It happened the last 2 times I was there.

As I’ve mentioned for other Coupas, their spicy mocha is the main reason I keep coming back. This location is certainly convenient for folks studying/​working on the engineering side of campus, but my one gripe is that they close way too early considering the number of slaving grad students who are stuck in lab until much beyond 5:30PM and who would gladly offer top dollar for a coffee around 6 or 6:30PM. They’re also not open on weekends, which I find surprising.
Lines can get a bit long, but the service is quite efficient so kudos to them for managing the chaos.

It’s nice to have a nice café 7 min walk from the lab.
Original Coupa Café is in downtown Palo Alto. I think this place has similar menu but not 100% sure. Customers are all Stanford related people. Lunch time is very crowded but I like here. I like smoked salmon panini.

Oh Y2E2 Coupa. How well I know thee…
As a PhD student who basically lives in this building its needless to say I’ve been here a LOT. Much more than my check-​ins indicate. Let’s get started
Ambiance: Its set in the ‘lobby’ area of an academic building so there’s a lot of hustle and bustle from students, professors, and other visitors. There is plenty of outdoor seating which is always a plus for bay area weather. It can get pretty crowded during mealtimes but otherwise it’s pretty great.
Service: The service here has always been good. I really appreciate that Stanford uses real plates and silverware which not only cuts down on waste but makes the meal seem nicer. During busy times someone will take orders in the line which speeds things up dramatically.
Food: This is why they get docked 1 star. For food on a college campus its terrible to slowly watch the quality decline as the price increases. For one, there is another Coupa café near Green Library which has cheaper options. Secondly, I’ve watched as chicken breast in the mediterranean panini slowly get thinner and thinner until it looks like a slice of deli meat. In addition, the price at this place is slowly increasing even while these shortcuts become more and more apparent. As someone who eats here on a weekly basis, these things are really noticeable. *sigh, Coupa management. Please stop doing this. We can all tell…
Overall, because of its location I always somehow end up here due to tight schedules or whatnot, but I’d definitely be here more should the food situation be improved.

Nice selection for such a small place. Pretty expensive, though. Still, considering it’s on campus, it’s pretty average.
The vegetarian spinach crêpe is my go-​to. Thought I’d be different and get a goat cheese omelette with sundried tomatoes instead today. That impulse was not rewarded. It’s okay, but way too much goat cheese and the piece of bread seemed almost stale. But the little cup of fruit is nice.
During the school year, if we weren’t forced to have a meal plan with meal plan dollars, I’d much rather eat here or CoHo than a RD&E place.

We were there visiting the campus and decided to stop by for a quick bite. The ice chai, Mediterranean plate, and pesto eggplant panini were surprisingly good. If I had to be really picky, I would say order the ice chai and eggplant panini – Mediterranean plate was just OK.
This café is broadcasting FIFA on select days, so that’s an intangible plus!

This little café is located on the engineering side of campus in y2e2. It is near Ike’s sandwich and conveniently located next to a parking structure.
I often come here in the morning for a late breakfast. They have a pretty expansive menu for a little café. The croissant sandwich with ham cheese and egg is one my favorites here. It’s around $ 8 and comes with a side of fruits. They are also well known for the assortment of crepes and coffee. They make little designs in their lattes (I’ve seen birds, «coupa café» spelled out before).
The line can get quite long but don’t be discouraged because it moves quickly. There is also ample seating because it is located in the engineering building so there are tables and couches to sit down at and enjoy your meal.
Expert tip: you can skip the line and order online at

Really tasty sandwiches and salads! They used to give you bread with your salad automatically but now you have to ask for it-​kind of a bummer! I also like the complimentary lemon-​infused water outside!

Prices I have paid in the last three months for the same bring-​your-​own-​mug cup of coffee:
$ 0.95
$ 1.00
$ 1.65
$ 1.95
$ 2.00
I’m not really mad about it, it’s just weird.

I’m torn. I like this place for their drinks, including coffee, but am not a fan of their food or pastries.
I visit this place quite a bit because of convenience and they have a monopoly on this side of campus. There aren’t any other close options for coffee. There are times I really want pastries but will skip because I’m just not a fan of theirs (that and I am pretty particular on sweets).
The STAFF is good, I’ve haven’t had a bad experience with them.
Their work area is very small, I’m really not sure how they do it. The seating areas get very busy during lunch time.

This Coupa is tucked away in one of the newer engineering buildings on campus. It’s right across from the parking structure on Via Ortega. It’s a convenient place to pick up a spicy Maya hot chocolate or mocha. They seem to have the same menu as the other Coupas I’ve been to (by Green Library and downtown) — breakfast (eggs, baked goods, fruit, yogurt), lunch (paninis, soup, salad) and full espresso menu.
When I walk by on the way to work, the line isn’t really long. Later in the day however, it can take awhile. It’s a little cramped inside, with a few tables and chairs commandeered by students and their laptops. There’s also covered seating outside, which is awesome when it’s warm.
My favorite items are the chicken paninis, salad nicoise (the lemon vinaigrette is awesome!) and the spicy Maya drinks. You can also order online to pick-​up (skip the line).

I just recently started coming to Coupa during lunch breaks since I normally get really lazy and end up at Clark Center or CCSR. BUT, this place is definitely worth the trek to Y2E2. The panini’s are pretty good, and my favorite dish is the Chicken pesto Crêpe.
The filling for the crêpe is amazing, with mushrooms and moist chicken and filled with flavorful pesto sauce. It’s a really light lunch too, and you definitely feel full, but not comatose afterwards. I always pair my meal with an iced coffee drink from Coupa, especially during the warm summer days. The coffee is pretty good as well, better than the alternative peet’s or starbucks nearby.
Overall, Y2E2 is a pretty nice place to eat, with a small patio area outside of the café. You almost forget that you are in a University building.