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    Joel Palmer House

    3.9 (231 reviews)
    Closed 4:30 pm - 7:30 PM

    Joel Palmer House Photos

    Business Info

    JOEL PALMER HOUSE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Intimate
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Joel Palmer House

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    Mussels
    Mary S.

    A local winemaker recommended we book this experience and we are so grateful she did. We were in town from Utah for our 15th wedding anniversary. The staff went out of their way to ensure that the experience was special and added thoughtful little touches. I was even more pleased to learn more about the roots of this family, as I am also from near Reading Pennsylvania. The wine list is extensive as promised, and Levi was so helpful in helping us navigate a perfect bottle of wine to pair with our Omakase meal. Funny enough, he actually selected some thing that we had just barely purchased six bottles of at the winery just an hour before! So we swapped that for something that we had never tried before and loved it. I feel that this funny coincidence strongly points to his expertise in knowing his guests' taste, as well as a firm handle on the local wineries. Unlike some prior reviews, we did not feel pushed in any direction with the menu, but simply decided that while we were here we may as well take full advantage of everything we could taste because it all came so highly recommended. There wasn't a single bite that we didn't want just a little bit more of, everything was delicious and beautifully presented. Some of the highlights for me were the soup, the oyster, mussels, the duck, and the gjetost on our dessert board. Gjetost is one of my absolute favorite cheeses from my Norwegian childhood, and I've never seen it presented at any restaurant before. No one could've possibly known that, again it just points to how well the food is sourced and how deep their knowledge base of food is. Basically, I feel like everyone at the Joel Palmer house can read your mind and give you an absolute five star experience. It is one that we will not soon forget.

    Elk Tartare
    Ridley N.

    I saw quite a few takes on here and it was a bit difficult to sift through the noise. Don't believe the people who dismiss this experience; Joel Palmer House is unique, local, delicious and certainly memorable. Greetings are (a tad bit too) formal yet pleasant. Inside and outside dining options are available. Reservations are required. I would suggest inside dining regardless of the weather conditions because the interior of the home is tastefully designed. I thought we were pushed a bit too aggressively towards the Oregon Omakase experience and while I understand the spectacular cheese presentation is amazing and actually love omakase as a concept, we simply could not take full advantage of that option on this visit. So we went with the five course experience instead. There was an amuse bouche as well as a mid-course addition. Both were incredible enough that we wished they had been options on the regular menu. The first was a playful rendition of tartare using carrot instead of a raw meat and the second was a dueling gazpacho soup. The green gazpacho soup was one on the evening highlights and considering the superb dishes we received, that is meant to be high praise for the Joel Palmer House. Cocktails and wine were fantastic. We just went with a dealer's choice on the cocktails and the one I ended up drinking is the best cocktail I've had in calendar year 2024 and quite honestly one of the best I've had period. I only had one glass of wine - a trendy little rose of pinot noir from Brickhouse - and it was an excellent accompaniment to the sturgeon. It's paragraph 6 so let me talk about mains. First, they were all delicious. An elk tartare starter just exploded with savory overload. The mushroom tart incorporates such an interesting balance of earthy flavors. The sturgeon is a colorful dish with the guajillo oil and tomatillo flavors really carrying the day. Tandoori duck breast was cooked sous vide and paired perfectly with delicate chanterelles. The chef was cool and interesting, the entire staff made us feel welcome and had an absolute expert knowledge of every aspect of the food and beverage program, and there was a level of detail to the service that really made us feel appreciated. I'd definitely return to take clients, out of town guests, or for a romantic evening. 5 glowing red stars for this experience.

    A menu from 1916 at the original place in PA.
    Mark G.

    We are in the Willamette Valley for a wine trip and some sight seeing. This place has a lot of history over 4 generations and has its roots in Reading, PA, which is our neck of the woods. Parking was easy in the smallish lot we walked a few steps from our car for our 645pm reservation. Ambiance is an old house from the1840's. We sat at a corner table just inside the front door. There are also tables set up outside under a large tent. Bathrooms are spacious, clean and easily accessible. The dining room was well lit but not harsh. Sometimes we dine in places that have such low light we can't read the menu or see food we are served. Not so here. The service is top notch and from the first time we walked in the door we felt pampered by the professional and delightful staff. They have a few very nice tasting menus we chose to go with the Omakase Tasting. This is comprised of 10 courses over 2.5 - 3hrs. We had the sommelier select an older less tannic, slightly fruity wine for us he chose a 2013 Sokol Blosser Pinot which was perfect. You can eat as much as you want. Each course is small but quite delicious and unique. We loved the mushroom choices which is a theme. The mussels were a high point for me. My wife loved the oyster which was divine and we could have eaten a dozen of those. The chef came by for a chat which was very nice. He clearly loves his art and made us feel special. We were getting full at course 8 and skipped the cheese course. The dessert board was a fantastic presentation and again we could not finish it. Pasties are made on site. All in $638 including tip. 20% service is included which is fine with us in a place like this. The entire experience was great and special. Highly recommend for an occasion. We are on the third day of a two week trip so I expect it will be hard to beat this dining experience. We will try. Mark & Nancy.

    Joe s Wild Mushroom Soup Joe s Wild Mushroom Soup

    I have never had an experience like this from being seated to the time we left it was like we were the only ones there. It seems like we had one of everything and when they bring the dessert tray out after you think you're done oh my gosh. it's not someplace you probably wanna go every day but if you want something special over the top, this is it.

    JPH business listing on MAGA-customer-only directory.

    Have had great meals and evenings here - though we've certainly caught attitude for bringing our own wine (it's allowed and we pay a hefty corkage fee) and for mentioning that a dish was so salty it was inedible. I'm sure we could have enjoyed evenings there again, but unfortunately this restaurant doesn't want the $600+ for dinner unless you're a Trump supporter and they're happy to advertise it. So if you believe in the rule of law and due process for all American citizens (even if they're not white!) then choose another place that welcomes you and your hard earned money.

    Dessert Board
    David F.

    I thoroughly enjoyed my "Oregon Omakase" meal as a single diner. The service, ambiance, and food were unrivaled in my opinion. The portions are intentionally small but I found myself full before the dessert board. I got to taste such a variety of food! I highly recommend The Joel Palmer House as a special experience in Oregon wine country. Don't miss out on the cocktails.

    Exterior
    Steve A.

    This beautiful old house is the setting for a terrific dining experience, and also Oregon's largest pinot noir collection. We opted for the tasting menu, which consisted of more than a dozen different items, many emphasizing mushrooms. Our favorite courses included the mushroom trio (especially the soup and the tart), the A5 Wagyu, the dual gazpacho intermezzo, and the spectacular dessert plate. Service was very professional and welcoming, and the wine list is certainly spectacular.

    Angel J.

    Food was an artistic display of culinary delights! The service was special. The ambiance was suitable. I would love to eat at the Joel Palmer House again. My favorite was the duck, my biggest surprise was the popcorn escargot, and homemade pop rocks. Each dish was unique.

    Elk Tartare
    Michael N.

    We booked a 3 day wine tasting trip and thought visiting three wineries a day would be a good amount. The second night we decided to celebrate my wifes birthday at the Joel Palmer house. We were greeted at the front porch by a host and he took us to our table which was very nice. We had a nice view from our table and the candle was a nice touch. It was a chefs tasting menu from their "Mushroom Madness Menu" and every course was absolutely amazing. They worked in truffles in a lot of the dishes which we love. We had a very nice bottle of Archery Summit Pinot Noir which was perfect with the mushroom presence in the dinner. I had a nice chat with the sommelier, he was very knowledgeable and pleasant to talk to. We capped it off with the most amazing dessert tray I've seen in a long time. This was a very memorable evening.

    Mushroom soup

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    Service, server, food, wines, ambiance all top notch/highest quality . The Omikase was a memorable experience

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    Page 1 of 6

    Ask the Community - Joel Palmer House

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    Joel Palmer House - modern_european - Updated May 2026

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