Wow! The food and drinks were amazing BUT both times I've eaten here -- about 1 hour and a half into our reservation the woman owner has come by our table and informed us that the next reservation is waiting and we should leave in a variety of ways. For example today it was a snide remark of "yes, I will box up your desert because these women are waiting for your table" (I had been trying to flag someone down for 10 minutes) and then a few minutes later directly telling us to move to another table. Seems rude to kick folks out after a reasonable amount of time that just spent $300 to celebrate a family milestone. Go there for the food but eat fast and don't relax or just be prepared to get the boot from the owner. We won't be back, which is a shame because the food is good. read more

My husband and I celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary here at the end of June and it was quite special. When I made our reservation online, I mentioned our anniversary and upon arriving, there was a card on the table signed from the staff and a personalized menu we got to keep. How thoughtful! I had been wanting to try this restaurant since it opened and it did not disappoint. I have to admit I was a little nervous before going because this is fine dining food and that kind of atmosphere can be intimidating BUT when I walked in, I felt as if we were in a close friend's home and it put me at ease. The restaurant looks very sterile from the outside but inside it's thoughtfully decorated and I felt right at home. The food was incredible! We started with Pork Bao Buns which were delightful. For the mains, I had wild mushroom and corn risotto and my husband had the pork belly. The risotto was out of this world because not only did it taste incredible but it was so light! The crispy pork belly with peach was to die for. For dessert, my husband ordered panna cotta & I had cannolis. Our dessert came with handmade chocolate that said "congratulations" on it. Everything was so beautiful and well thought out. They paid attention to every little detail of our meal and it made the night unforgettable. I can't believe a restaurant like this exists in Penn Valley but am so happy it's here! We plan on spending all our special occasions here and maybe just a random night thrown in. Thank you for making our night great!! read more

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Always the best experience! From personalized menus to celebrate a birthday or anniversary along with Chef Zach coming out from the line to say hi. The food always exceeds my expectations highlighting locally sourced produce and proteins with a touch of whatever season we are in. If you haven't been here...you're missing out on a gem in Nevada County. read more

First time visit after some very positive comments from friends. It did not disappoint. Twelve28 is a small(ish) restaurant that has an intimate, but not confining feel. It's is open with plenty of outdoor light available. The service is super attentive, and the host interacts with the guests as well. You are made to feel at home. The menu is diverse with creative options. The beet salad, mushroom risotto, and Moroccan chicken dishes we had were delicious and nicely presented. The desserts we had (bread pudding and dense flourless chocolate cake) were right-sized and surprisingly light. The wine and draft beer selection is very good for a restaurant this size. Pricing is what you'd expect for this classy, understated restaurant. Reasonable, and not over-priced. The Resy reservation system worked very well, including text reminders. I doubt if many (any) people leave disappointed! read more

Twelve 28 Kitchen - Flourless chocolate cake - New American Near Me - Penn Valley, California

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The lost art of a great, family-run restaurant with personal attention. Amazing! Smashed potatoes as a shared appetizer were perfect, with a hint of falafel spices and yogurt sauce. Pok pok chicken and braised pork belly as mains, both served fresh and hot. Shared flourless 'bete noire' chocolate cake to finish. Delightful 'Red Thread' cab blend somewhere in the middle... we will be back. read more

Twelve 28 Kitchen - The personalized menu celebrated our anniversary - New American Near Me - Penn Valley, California

One of the best meals we have had since moving into Western Nevada County. Made a birthday very special.

Best food in the county by far. A little pricey but it is worth every cent. I do recommend bringing a bottle of wine and paying the corkage. The service is always amazing and the food fresh and exceptionally prepared. read more

Twelve 28 Kitchen - Starter - New American Near Me - Penn Valley, California

I've not been to Twelve 28 in too long. All my visits for dinner and brunch were excellent food and service. This restaurant is a standout in Grass Valley/Nevada City areas. Love the local wines featured. read more

Hands down best food in the area. Excellent service, seasonal fresh and absolutely delicious menu.

Had dinner for the 1st time at Twelve 28 kitchen. We where immediately greeted by the hostess with a smile. At our table we where greeted with another big and friendly smile from our waitress. We ordered the deer creek bake house bread and we both had the pok pok bok bok. Both were so delicious and so yummy. The atmosphere was cozy. The entire experience was stellar. From the hostess to the waitress to food. Can't wait to back and have another delicious dinner. read more

Phenomenal restaurant in Penn Valley. I've had two spectacular dinners here and look forward to returning. Both the food and service are top notch. read more

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This family run restaurant is blow your mind delicious, creative, and an overall fun spot. Pretty much every restaurant I go to, I get a beet salad if they have one. This beet dish blew them all out of the water. The mains were excellent with generous portions and phenomenal flavors. The desserts were decadent and subtle in that they remind you of a hint of a homemade favorite but with a fine dining flair. The beehive dessert had a perfect balance of flavors with melt-in-your-mouth pillowy crepes. I can't wait to see what Chef Zachary has on the menu next time we're in town. read more

Twelve 28 Kitchen - Beehive crepes & orange creamsicle panna cotta - New American Near Me - Penn Valley, California

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Amazing food and excellent service. Best restaurant in the area. Menus change every day and are always delicious. Michael and staff are friendly and always have suggestions read more

Great service and the owners couldn't be nicer. Thanks for the great addition to the town! read more

Does it all : great menu, great service, great presentation, and surpasses expectations for flavor. Highly recommended!

Incredible "CULINARY EXPERIENCE!!""..... this evening was our first visit to this amazing restaurant! And certainly will NOT be the last!! Our neighbors, (the Keller's) had shared their enthusiasm for the many dinners they've enjoyed here... and when they invited us to join them, we were more than thrilled! The seasonal menu is phenomenal and made it very difficult to make choices! However, we were more than happy with our selections! We started with the "Salad of Strawberries "... a true work of art visually but the flavors made this perfection! My husband then chose the "Chicken a la Plancha" juicy , tender breast with crispy skin... the creamy boursin cheese wild rice and peas was phenomenal! I ordered the "Pork Schnitzel "..... unbelievable! That's all I can say! So much flavor and textures!! Finally... we shared a dessert... "Beehive Blintz"...crepe filled with Meyer Lemon and mascarpone cream cheese filling...(and more!). "BRAVO" to the entire Sterner family.... Applause to Chef ZACH! Can't wait to congratulate you on your "Michelin Star" as I am certain it will be soon!! read more

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Ridiculous! Every single meal we get is F'ing ridiculously awesome! We ordered takeout today. There were tweaks to the pork belly and it was even better than before (only Had little taste as this was my daughters). The New York was different and perfect. The chicken has been on the menu for a while and is great. They had some new salads. The Fall Salad with persimmons was unbelievable and the pear salad was really good. Also got pok pok shrimp which was good. Yes, we ate a lot! Once again, flavors that nobody else can match! Absolutely perfect! read more

I'm from the Bay Area visiting a friend who moved here last year and ate at your restaurant last night. Had a wonderful conversation with Michael about his son, Chef Zach and how they got started. So moved by your story. Your food is stunning, delicious and I could see the labor and feel the pride you must have with every dish you serve. I closed my eyes with nearly every bite. I had the sweater salad, tomato soup, gnudi and vanilla cream. I tried to describe my meal to family and friends and honestly was so difficult. I appreciate your passion, creativity and dedication to serving the best food I've ever had and I've had some good food! The service was excellent...just the right amount of attention (Hailey G). I will be your guest again as soon as I can. Thank you for an experience I will never forget. Noreen read more

I cannot begin to describe how impressed I am with this restaurant! First time dining here; it was for my birthday dinner. Right off I am wished happy birthday before even being seated, and the seating was fast. The ambience is elegant yet not intimidating. Waiting for us at the table were personalized birthday menus and a card signed by the staff! The menu is varied and creative. It was hard to choose what to have. We had the Yellowfin, Asparagus salad, and smashed potatoes to start, and the chicken, scallops, and Waygu steak as entrees. Every dish was unique, beautifully plated, and delectable. The steak pie that comes with the Waygu was a crowd favorite. The steak was juicy and cooked to perfection. The service was attentive and warm. The timing of courses was impeccable. I cannot say enough nice things and will be definitely be returning! Thank you for a magical experience! read more

Absolutely the best food in the country. Service makes you feel like family. I love the warm and cozy place and I always have fabulous time there. read more

Wonderful! It's a hidden gem in a surprising location. Food was wonderful. Thanks so much!

Awesome every time! The food, the atmosphere, best restaurant I've ever been to. Incredible! The cuisine is spectacular, the service impeccable and family owned and operated. I've been to my Michelin star restaurants in Paris that don't beat Twelve-Twenty Eight. The gem of the Sierra. Highly recommended a visit. read more

Recently came here for dinner with a group of great friends. We all left extremely pleased. The service was excellent and the food top notch. We basically ordered almost everything on the menu and ate it family style. Their beer selection was very tasty with something for all of our varying preferences. I live in Lincoln but we will definitely make the trek to come back. read more

Went here for my birthday again. We absolutely love it here. It is our favorite restaurant. Food is always exciting. Even if I always order the crispy pork belly, the menu changes ensure it's a little different from the last time. You can trust both the technique and the palette here. We moved from bigger cities so we feel at home within the excitement and creativity. The crispy pork belly emanated warmth and comfort while still honoring technique and detail. I enjoyed the flavors and textures. The charred broccoli was a nice compliment to everything we ordered. Again, thoughtful flavor and texture shine through. The tomato and pepper soup was great. I appreciate how it's not served scalding hot that one needs to wait to eat. The pepper adds another dimension to the tomato soup to stay interesting. It's beautiful to see this place settle more into itself. The ambiance remains decidedly casual and clean. Conversations are actually possible. The other guests are also courteous and casual. You look around, people of all ages look happy. It's a little slice of an ideal world with amazing food. There's a creative vision that manifests itself on every plate. Every bite is an opportunity to take part in that vision. Staff is always friendly and make excellent personal recommendations when indecision strikes (thanks Catherine!). The chefs father (and host) came out of the restaurant to personally see us off and say happy birthday. He's been friendly every time we've come here. I appreciate the extra mile they go to on ones birthday. They print the celebrants name at the top of the menu as a souvenir from dinner. They also sign a birthday card - super classy and thoughtful . The only disappointing part about the evening was I literally did not have room for dessert. (Admittedly, a little fomo there). The lime tart and dessert wine will have to wait till next time. read more

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4 out of our party of 4 absolutely loved their meal. From the menu options, rich flavors, creative presentation, and fantastic service, we could not have enjoyed it more. read more

I always feel incredibly welcome here! The food is extraordinary, unique and beautifully presented.

Chef Zach and his family have created a magical place out in Penn Valley. Twelve 28 is a foodies dream. The food is off the charts - always fresh, exciting, seasonal, and delicious. I went with friends tonight and happened to go on the one night of the month Zach does fried chicken and it's incredible! We had the beet salad, stone fruit salad, fried chicken, squash blossoms, corn risotto cakes, and the dirty smashed fries. AMAZING. Everything was so good we couldn't stop eating. We live in Sonoma county and drove a long way to hang in this area and eat at Twelve 28 because they are doing some super interesting things there. If you haven't been, you need to go. It's made it onto my top 10 favorite restaurants and I'm a super foodie and married to a talented chef. He loves this place too! I cannot wait to go back and try their fall menu! They are closed on Tuesdays and Wednesday's, be sure to make a reservation, the menu always changes, too the musician and be ambitious and try new things off the menu that you'd never think to try. The beer list is great too! Zach is a beer guy so his list is always local, fresh and new. read more

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Everything is amazing. Food, service and ambiance. This family owned and run business is incredibly welcoming. We have been several times, with different groups of friends and family, and everyone has loved it. read more

Pretty good. I'll admit I had higher expectations for taste and how their food is served but there is always room for improvement. The inside didn't have a... Vibe that I was expecting for a place with such high prices. More of a cafe/brunch place feel. My wine had a bit of cork in it. The slider plate was hotter than the sliders themselves, thus making the bottom scorching hot and the tops just slightly warm so I had to wait until the bottoms were well enough to hold without burning while the tops had gone lukewarm. Not a fun inconsistency as well as it being a bit too overwhelmingly salty for my taste. The Russian Cream dessert looks delightful, very cute presentation. The lemon jello was nice and tart but also very sweet along with the vanilla cream, I felt the ratio between lemon and cream was a bit unbalanced, I had a lot of cream leftover. The candied lemon atop it was overwhelmingly floral though and it overpowering the taste of the dish as a whole to the point where I needed to wash it down with some water and the last of my wine. I hope to come again in the future to hopefully see some improvements and try other items on their small menu. The customer service was flawless, the overall look of everything was great but the taste of the food didn't fit the price it was paid for. I hope to see improvments in the near future. read more

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So we decided to try the Twelve 28 restaurant. And they didn't disappoint...the food was delicious and amazing. The owners and staff were so friendly. I can see why they get such high marks. We ordered the pan seared scallops (the best we've had) and the pork belly Katsu sliders...OMG, the favor party going on was out of this world yummolicious. Can't wait for our next sensational culinary experience...see ya soon. read more

Spectacular. Went for my father's birthday and they had so many nice touches. But more importantly the food is beautiful, creative and exceptionally well executed. I grew up in Nevada County but currently live in Napa. I was so pleased to experience a restaurant in Nevada County the rivals many of the best restaurants in Napa. The service, the family vibe, and everything was just wonderful. Wholeheartedly recommend. read more

It's a wonderful, unique place to eat. We enjoy it each and every time we visit.The rotating menu is great and they use amazing spices. We plan on going for our anniversary in two weeks. read more

When you walk in the room has a very relaxed and comfortable feel. Even though the restaurant was at capacity and we dined at the bar, it was very comfortable with a low noise level. Service was as good as one could expect, start to finish and our meals were a gastronomic delight. All of the flavors were excellent and the textures and presentation of the food contributed greatly to the experience. This dining experience is what you would expect from a Michelin stared establishment. Be back as soon as we can. Every one we heard at the bar were thrilled by their dishes so I would recommend trying anything on the menu. read more

We had another AMAZING dinner at 1228 Kitchen last night. IMO this is by far the best restaurant/eating experience in Nevada County. Our server Hailey was attentive, amicable & extremely professional. Michael recommended the perfect Chardonnay (Decoy by Duckhorn) to accompany our meal. We started with the heirloom tomato salad (ray yeung's tomatos, candy cap mushroom and basil brioche stuffed french toast, mozzarella, garlic-sherry caramel, genovese basil, pickled shallots). The most interesting combination of flavors & texture. We both wanted the same entree & it's a good thing we did, because I wouldn't have wanted to share a bite. The fig and brie agnolotti (sauce of bellwether farm crescenza and marin french brie cheese stuffed double egg pasta dough, savory black mission flg mostarda, pepperonata, toasted pistachio, fennel butter sauce) was so good, I was tempted to lick my bowl but my husband said it might look bit too tacky . All in all, you can't go wrong eating here. read more

Not impressed. I was expecting a stellar experience and got a so so one. Having eaten at many top 10 restaurants, I was disappointed by so many rave reviews only to see many of them were from first time yelp users. 50 out of 79! (Catch my drift?) We walked in to a very loud restaurant. There's no baffling to muffle the noise. The couple sitting next to us had very exuberant voices and my companion and I could not have a pleasant conversation. The decor is cutsie country. Not fine dining, more of a cafe atmosphere. I felt the menu lacks substance. No fish dishes. I had the chicken breast which was minuscule to say the least, and looked like only 1/2 of a breast. A very small boneless breast. Non organic with an organic chicken price. I guess they are still trying to figure things out. Overpriced, underwhelmed. BTW got an extremely rude message back from the chef, Zach, the owners son. Called me a troll and had some choice words. That's customer service? I think not. Instead of, so sorry, how can we make your next meal here more enjoyable. *Michael, the owner, the chefs father, wrote me a nice message back. Thank you. read more

We had an amazing dinner tonight with my father in law and wife. Everyone was so happy with then food. Over the top awesome! Stone fruits salad & ¹capacha was out of this world and those were just our appetizers. The mains were even better Potato Pillows, Chicken ala Plancha, and Pan Roasted New York Pave! Plus amazing wine and beer selection. Plus atmosphere was well thought out for outside dining during this Covid time. Kudos to your Chef and team at Twelve 28! read more

Twelve 28 Kitchen - New American Near Me - Penn Valley, California

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Great food but way too expensive for the amount you get. Unfortunately, I leave hungry if I don't order at least two items but I will say the food is exceptional read more

Talk about amazing food! My husband took me here for my birthday dinner and we are officially obsessed with this place. The Pok Pok Wings were heavenly, a perfect mix of crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside with a Thai inspired sauce that I want to take home and consume by the bucket full. For our main courses, my husband ordered the pork belly and I the chicken. Holy moly. Of course it was amazing and my husband said that "this pork belly is out of bounds!" The staff was so kind and enjoyable, and we are currently crafting a plan to somehow kidnap the chef so we can eat this food each and everyday. We will absolutely return again, thank you for the amazing experience! read more

Twelve 28 is phenomenal. This restaurant can go toe to toe for food quality with most high end restaurants in San Francisco. We ordered take away during COVID and it was amazing. Standouts were: gazpacho, beet salad, pork belly, gnocchi, and the steak. I highly recommend coming here. I can't wait to visit when the actual dining area is open. read more

Finally, fine dining in Nevada County. Loved everything, my favorite was the Shrimp salad with all those veggies and a curry sauce ... yum! As an Italian, I don't eat pasta in restaurants. Never really did but I made a big exception for their agnolotti that were very authentic and left me very satisfied. Good job read more