76

I could either way with this station.
One the one hand, I like that they play super sexy R&B tracks over the outdoor pump speakers that even a hearing impaired person such as myself can make out clear as day… and also that nothing is censored so you’ll hear the word ‘p*ssy’ flying around a dozen or so times as you attempt to fill your tank in an otherwise empty gas station off San Antonio. To me, that’s just the kind of thing that makes what could be an average, everyday run of the mill gas pumping experience stand out.
But on the other hand, I hate how sh*tty their pumps are with the lock switches constantly shutting off so you have no choice but to stand and manually hold and pump for the entire duration of your filling up.
So, I guess it’s a trade off with their really inconvenient pumps and their on fleek tune-​age. I wouldn’t not stop here again, but let’s just say I didn’t come for the mood music.

If I could give less stars I would. When I first walked in, there was nobody at the counter. I walked around to grab some help. Then the manager told me that I had to buy two packs of cigarettes since they charge credit card fees. I was like fine I have cash on me. Then he started to lecture me about how bad smoking is for me. I replied it’s not his place to lecture me, and he should step off his soapbox. He just shrugged and asked if I was still gonna buy. After such rude service, I hope this place goes bankrupt. For a guy who sounds like a smoker and looks like shit he should learn how to run a business.

Went in to grab a quick drink and candy, clerk stated they don’t accept credit cards unless the purchase is a minimum of $ 5. Really, you robot cashier? Company doesn’t make enough money off credit card charges that they won’t accept it as a payment unless there is a minimum transaction?
Well, the .35 cents you would have had to pay for a credit card transaction just cost you a customer NEVER buying gas or having service completed there. Congrats!

Review is for their gas services Not for oil change and servicing.
Great location for me as I pass by this place every morning when going to work.
Gas price is definitely not the lowest but not highest as well.
Besides gas, it has donation drop off box for old clothing.

Smog checks are $ 80 here vs $ 58 across the street at Arco.

Cheapest 76 gas station in the Palo Alto area.

Rude people… counter lady and general manager. Does the owner even know how rude they are to customers?
I never walk into the cashier area since I use a credit card but I did a few days ago. You’d think a business would WELCOME PAYING customers but by their reaction to me and the others in line, it appeared as if they were paying us.
A lady just bought a container of motor oil and brought it back (literally within 5 minutes) and the lady at the counter interrogated why she was bringing it back so soon (the bottle was dirty/​sticky). While rolling her eyes and waving her off, she reluctantly let her exchange the bottle with a new/​cleaner one… seriously, who cared? She wants a clean bottle of oil, let her have it; she paid for it a few minutes ago.
When it was my turn, I asked for a receipt for my gas purchase. Her reaction made it seem like I asked for her first born child. Are we having a bad day???
I got my first and LAST smog check here. With no coupon, I paid $ 45 for the service and $ 8.25 for the certificate. No tax because you cannot tax a service in CA. If the coupon is for $ 20 off and you paid over $ 65 bucks, they took you for a ride. Good luck trying to get money back from this place.

Scheduled an appt for a smog check two days notice. Friday at 3pm. Got the time I wanted, Tim the manager quotes $ 68 and an addl $ 9 with cert, said that was a better price then with the online coupon. Han the tech said a half an hour and it was less time, around 20 minutes, no one ahead of me. Didn’t need to go to Taco Bell across the street to wait. Didn’t pass the smog check so they said I get one more free check and come back.
Went to Automotive Mechanica and Ed said I only needed a tuneup.
Went back the following week, made an appt for Wed at 4pm, one ahead of me, 10 minute wait. Didn’t pass the first test but past the second by the skin of my teeth. With the two checks, 40 minutes and worth it! They mail in the cert. to DMV for you. Han mentioned might need a new catalytic convertor… bleh…
A patio table and chair to sit outside under an awning. Long John Silvers and Taco Bell and KFC across the street. 3 blocks down Charleston, REI sporting goods and Bed bath and Beyond shopping.

Rude!
I arrived at 6. Apparently this is when they close. I tracked the guy down in the back of the shop and was informed with some scorn that they were closed.
So I guess I’ll go somewhere more pleasant tomorrow.

It’s that time of year again for DMV renewal and bringing my SUV to a «TEST ONLY» smog check center.
So I went on Unilocal and found Palo Alto 76. I really needed a test center close to work so that I can complete this errand during lunch. You know how it is. Getting things done during lunch frees up your evenings and weekends!
Anyway, I printed out the $ 20.00 off coupon from their website (
) and headed down San Antonio Road. Upon my arrival there was no wait so I got really lucky on this day (02÷04÷08). Meet with the service tech and then walked over to Taco Bell to have lunch while they tested by ride. In about 40 minutes, I returned and I passed with flying colors. No hassle although I was slightly worried about getting a bad test score. It felt good knowing that «preventative maintenance» to your vehicle will save me thousands on repair costs. Total Cost: $ 68.20 (after coupon and tax included).
Hint: Sometimes I hear stories about shady smog centers and their techs. So I’m always asking questions before I release the keys to the service techs. Here are two websites to get you prepared:
Takes Appointments: No. First come. First Serve.
Open 7 Days a Week: Yes.
Recommended Visits: Between 11:00am-Noon (right before the lunch and afternoon rush). You can walk over to Taco Bell for lunch. It’s only across the street.
Will Do Repairs at this location: Maybe — Depending if it’s minor. Ask the service technicians for details. I would highly suggest that you complete all your preventative maintenance and repair work with your mechanic first before smog checking your vehicle.
Why four stars? Smog centers are very competitive and some times pricey. If time was available, I would have paid $ 50.00 in Milpitas for a smog check at my regular test center. Saving me $ 18.20 for gas money.

I have taken my cars to this station for smogging (test only) for the past few years. They used to be a great place, but in the past two years the service has gone seriously downhill. The last straw for me was when my car did not pass smog (thats okay, it happens). The «gentlemen» there told me that it was likely taht it would not pass again after we fixed the problem. He would not tell me why and became quite nasty. He found this problem from visual inspection-​the car actually did pass the exhaust tests. I took my car to my trusted mechanic (Cerrone European in Redwood City) and was told that the ‘problem’ was the way the car was made. He then found the real problem that the test only station did not find! I guess that one, was going to be saved for my next trip and $ 81!
Not to slam them, but this is the third time that something weird like this has happened. I will not return.

I had a negative experience at this place. They did a smog check on my car, which failed. They told me I could come back for a free retest once I got my car fixed. I took it to a repair shop who did a tune up but they told me it still failed the smog and that I needed to get a new catalytic converter. I took it to an exhaust specialty shop to get this done. I had it installed and was ready for the retest. About a month had gone by and I couldn’t find all the paperwork from my original smog. My guess is that the first repair shop never gave it back to me. I let them see it for troubleshooting purposes. I had all the other paperwork (document from DMV, form for financial assistance in getting the car fixed if you meet the low income qualifications, etc.) so the conclusion that I left it there is the only logical one I could come up with. Unfortunate, but shit happens.
Anyway I did have the estimate copy with my name, the date of smog and the info about my car including the license plate number. I brought it in on a Saturday afternoon thinking that with the sheet I had and the info in their computer it should be no problem. In the month that had gone by I had moved to San Francisco so this place was out of my way, but at least it was free. When I got there they were waiting for someone who was five minutes late for an appointment. He said he would start on my car, fully aware of my missing paperwork which he asked me about, but would have to stop if the appointment arrived. A few minutes later the appointment arrived and my car was moved to the next stall. I didn’t have a problem with this, I didn’t mind waiting for my turn. Twenty minutes later the previous appointment leaves and the guy comes up to me telling me he can’t find my info in the computer and since I don’t have the other form he can’t do my smog. He said I could come back the next day and talk to the employee at their shop who gave it to me.
Now on this particular day I was not in the mood to argue. I didn’t want to come back the next day only to be turned away again and I didn’t want to call the repair shop to see if they still had my smog paper, go pick it up, go back to this station, etc. Time was running out and I was tired of dealing with the whole thing and after considering what it would cost in gas, time and hassle I decided I would just take it somewhere closer to home and repay the ridiculous fee. If the guy would have been cool, I believe he would have done it for me. But he wasn’t. :(