Innovative burgers, sandwiches, salads and side dishes stand out at The Stand, a restaurant group with 19 locations in SoCal — and now two in the Bay Area.
The newest has just opened at San Jose’s Waterford Plaza in the former Aqui venue, a couple of years after the inaugural location in Santa Clara.
With “American classics redefined” as a motto, The Stand offers such creative burgers as the French Onion Soup Burger au jus, the Havarti Shroom Burger, the Big Blue — all made with a custom chuck-brisket blend of beef (or chicken, ground turkey or a veggie patty).
One of the redefined classics, the Short Rib Grilled Cheese, scored a spot on our Spring 2025 list of 10 Terrific Bay Area Sandwiches to Try Right Now. The beef is braised in chipotle-spiked beer until tender, then grilled on double parmesan-crusted sourdough and topped with bacon tomato jam, hickory sauce, onion strings and triple cheddar.
This is also sauce heaven. You can add any one of 19 condiments — from banana peppers to tahini sauce to jalapeño-scallion aioli — to your burger or sandwich for free.
As for sides, Red Ginger Green Beans and Meyer Lemon Broccolini join the popular onion rings and array of fries.
Founded in 2003 in Encino by entrepreneur Murray Wishengrad, the company counts four family members on the leadership team. They have both California and out-of-state expansion plans in the works. Houston is home to the first Texas location for the chain.
Details: Open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and to 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday. 503 W. Capitol Expressway, San Jose. The Santa Clara location, at 785 Lawrence Expressway, maintains the same hours; www.thestand.com