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

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

We visited this place during our recent stay at Grass Valley. This place is overrated and overpriced. First of all the menu is way too limited. We ordered the highly recommended Pork Belly and chicken breast but both dishes were too salty! The restaurant was very dark and stuffy with all the doors and windows closed. If you have any concerns for COVID safety, don't come here since no one is wearing a mask, and like I said all the windows and doors are closed. The outdoor seating wasn't open even though the weather was very nice. The only thing we enjoyed was their chocolate dessert. read more

Food, service and ambiance was all good. Definitely planning on a return visit. Beet Salad was a nice starter

My husband and I have been visiting Twelve 28 Kitchen for the past four years and they never disappoint. From the moment you walk through the door, you feel welcomed and treated as a special guest. The menu changes based on the season, since all ingredients are fresh. Each dish is hand crafted with the freshest ingredients and upmost detail which is evident in the presentation and flavor. All desserts are made on site and if you are lucky, the chef's mother has baked fresh sourdough bread that is out of this world. The next time you are looking for a fabulous meal and dining experience, run don't walk to Twelve 28 Kitchen! read more

Outstanding! Every bite was Nirvana for the palette. From the eclectic repurposed decor to the fresh wild flower bouquets nothing in this establishment has been overlooked or skimped. And the food!!! The food is amazing! I started with the beet hummus salad then moved on to their signature dish called elote! And finished with a vanilla custard dessert that just sent me into the clouds. I would dine here every night if I lived closer. You have to go! read more

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I will not go back as servers and cooks were not masked. Most diners were following guidelines but not servers. No meal is worth my health

Love love love! The food is unique and so delicious. I didn't know what to expect, but heard about this place from another restaurant owner who recommended. It was a trek for us, but so worth it. Such creative dishes. The service is wonderful and atmosphere welcoming. I am already planning my next visit. read more

Have been several times. Love their yummy food, and great people Michael as few times you have to deal with negative and unfair posts, I feel you stand by your "product" and you challenge the naysayers. If you read all of these to your staff, give them kudos for dealing with a public that use social media as a hammer when just plain and simple communication in the moment would be wonderful teaching moments. read more

Went here for Valentine's Day. It was awesome. Food was great. People were super cool. My kids chicken strips and French fries were so good we ordered. Ore fries. Lol. Definitely recommend. We will be back read more

Good food, pricey, chairs uncomfortable. Be sure to make a reservation or call ahead to confirm they are open.

Incredible food! Never once had a dish I didn't like. My favorite by far are the kimchi pork belly potatoes.

We tried Twelve 28 for my partner's birthday and wow! The entire evening, from the moment we walked in to the moment we left, was just outstanding! As we checked in, the owner asked about the birthday guest in our party and wished her a happy birthday. Such a nice touch and it set the tone of the evening. At the table, the menus had Happy Birthday printed at the top along with a card signed by all of the staff acknowledging that we could have celebrated anywhere and thanking us for being there. Very sweet. Our server was Allie and she was exactly what you would want in a server. Friendly, knowledgeable, attentive....not to mention also the pastry chef! (more about that later). We started the meal with the bread, which really should be changed on the menu to say "little pillows of salty goodness". The word "bread" doesn't do them justice. They are small, pull apart, chunks of bread topped with sea salt that we dipped into olive oil. YUM! We also ordered the citrus salad which was literally a piece of art on the plate and equally as delicious. As I'm trying to eat more vegetarian, I ordered the risotto but wasn't expecting anything too special. Boy, was I wrong! YUM! Such great flavor. Veggies cooked perfectly. Risotto nice and creamy. Just delicious! Everyone else at the table got the salmon and raved equally about that. We were so stuffed by then but hey, gotta have dessert when celebrating a birthday, right? We ordered the flourless chocolate cake with chocolate ganache. Allie, you outdid yourself. SO GOOD! We finally waddled out of there, all of us talking about when we could come back again. Thank you to everyone at Twelve 28 who made the evening so special for us. read more

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Love this place! Truly a must eat little hidden gem right here in Penn Valley. Never had a meal I didn't like from here. This is the place to go when you want a culinary adventure. read more

Came here and fell in love. Farm to fork freshness, excellent atmosphere, clean beautiful restaurant and awesome service !!! Will be back over and over again for sure!!! read more

This is the best restaurant in the area. If your celebrating your B-Day this is the place to bring your friends and relatives.

If you have the chance to come here and experience the caring service, beautiful and delicious food, you will be happy you did. If you are out side the area, it is a beautiful drive and will be worth your time. We went for a birthday and they have a way of making the birthday guest feel special. I can't say enough about the friendly and accommodating staff or the beautiful food. Their menu is upscale and the choices go beyond the usual items offered in most good restaurants. It is truly a wonderful dining experience. read more

It's one of the best hidden gems I've ever been fortunate enough to discover. Perfect for a nice night out. It's the right balance of fancy and casual, I'd call it unpretentious fine dining. Very local family feeling, love to support them. They're always busy so reservations are recommended. Food is phenomenal, I'd put it in the same category as Lola in Nevada City. Definitely not cheap but very approachable if you have a special occasion. What makes it so charming is that it's off the beaten path, very unassuming and unexpected. read more

I took the girls here for my best friend's bachelorette- dinner before the party! Best food I've ever had. Service was also great :) Deff recommend and want to come back. read more

Food is great and service is great but they rush you to leave if you order all of the courses. They don't allow for the average 1.5 hours it takes for 4 people to eat everything from apps/salads through desserts. read more

Worth the drive to Penn Valley. Delicious food with layers of flavor. I had the chicken 2ways and it was moist and the vegetables were cooked perfectly. We had 2 starters, the smashed potatoes and the pork bun. Both were very tasty. read more

I have never been disappointed with anything I have ordered from 1228! The food, atmosphere and staff are awesome here! If you have not yet gone here you are missing out! Also you must get the smashed fries with pork belly!!! read more

Outrageously good flavors! Best meal in ages. Better than most Bay Area restaurants. Zach is doing magic in the kitchen. This is both a restaurant for locals in the know and should be a destination restaurant for many! The Beet salad was magic as was the Smashed dirty fries; and the Pork Belly was heavenly just melting in the mouth and so delicious. Very thoughtful touch too: I love how they customized our menu with "Happy 20th Anniversary" at the top and also gave us a little card for our celebration! Lovely interior and great service. Kudos to the chef and entire family here. read more

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Attention to detail was on point! Came here for a birthday and they had a custom menu and made a point to celebrate with us in such a classy way. It seemed like every aspect of the meal had been well thought out and planned. The service was fantastic and the atmosphere was nice. Dave Matthew's on play with other great songs made the night even better. Wine list was solid and the dessert was fantastic as well. We will for sure be back!! read more

We were so happy to discover this restaurant near us! We moved to Grass Valley about a year ago and, although there is moderately good food in the area restaurants, this place just wowed us! Everything was delicious! Nice choices in wine too. It was our anniversary and the staff were lovely! Greeted us with a anniversary card from the staff, a happy anniversary menu and super-friendly service. What a delightful dining experience. Impossible to be disappointed! read more

I am not sure what we did to deserve having such a wonderful restaurant in Podunk Valley, but we will take it! The food is incredible, and so is the service. The menu changes often and is always a pleasant surprise. Bring your appetite! read more

Ambiance is great, even though in an unremarkable area, service very good, food excellent. Will definitely be back.

My husband and I always go out to dinner for our anniversary and we chose twelve 28. Reservations were conveniently made online same day and we were able to add any comment with our reservation (11th anniversary). We had heard about it from many friends and were glad we came here! Excellent food, overall presentation decor and food, amazing customer service, and they take the extra mile to make you feel like you have been coming to their restaurant for forever:) We will be back again for sure! read more

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So glad to have another good restaurant in Penn Valley. Nice professional staff, nice setup. Will be back!

We tried this restaurant for a birthday dinner and we were both impressed. The food tasted amazing and the owner and staff were so nice and they even signed a birthday card for me. I really enjoyed the chicken and the brownie dessert! read more

Awesome food! Highly recommend. Love the unique selection of foods. Hidden gem in Penn Valley.

I've been blessed to eat in many restaurants in many countries in Europe, Canada, Mexico and all but 4 states in the US. But... I Have *Never* Had A Culinary Experience Like I've Had The Privilege Of Partaking In At TWELVE 28 KITCHEN!!!!!!! It's really not fair to call this a 'restaurant' because you don't just 'eat' here, you are an audience member of a superior culinary performance which makes your taste buds stand up and give a standing ovation to Chef Zach, the entire Sterner family and the whole team at Twelve 28 Kitchen. Chef Zach's artful and creative musings for your palate is just something that you HAVE to experience and behold. Who would have EVER thought that this gastronomical extravaganza could be found in a humble strip mall in Penn Valley, Ca! While the food is completely extraordinary in every sense of the word, the down to earth and welcoming nature of the staff is the perfect compliment that makes Twelve 28 phenomenal. The first time we tried Twelve 28 was on a Friday night. Friends had posted about it on FB. We arrived with our son right at 5 (they open at 5) and there was a crowd waiting to get in. We were welcomed by Michael (Chef Zach's dad - thank Michael for providing the DNA to create Zach) who asked us if we had reservations, we said no but he worked his magic and got us a table. We had no idea that within a few minutes, the place would be completely packed. Our son is special needs and we were so very grateful for the engaging and inclusive conversation that the staff had with him. They made us feel at home. Everything I've written so far really hasn't touched on the food itself. Maybe because there aren't enough superlative adjectives to describe the menu. I mean, come on, who would think of serving charred broccoli as a main course - and it being exquisite? How can chicken and dumplings take you to a different universe? Who would have thought that a beat hummus could be such an exquisite piece of visual and flavorful art? Who could have ever devised adding homemade marshmallows to a risotto and top it off with fried sage? And don't even get me started on Momma Sterner's out of this consciousness desserts! The menu changes often because Chef Zach, in his role of Angel Sent By God, wants us all to experience the beauty of nourishment much like what heaven must be like. I could go on and on and on and on and on and... But that would take you away from the important task of you finishing this review and getting your eagerly awaiting body to TWELVE 28. Go now and make a reservation. You owe it to yourself to #experiencetwelve28 before you die. It's that important! :-D read more

We celebrated my birthday yet again at this amazing place! My husband knows it's exactly where I want to go on special occasions, and any occasion, really! We were greeted warmly, service was impeccable, food was delicious and presented beautifully. I had the beet salad which is one of my absolute favorites, and also the scallops. My husband had the broccoli cheese soup and the pork shoulder. Everything was perfectly cooked and seasoned. One of these times I want to meet the chef and commend him on the wonderful job he does! read more

What a wonderful restaurant! The food is delicious, the wine is great, and the service is spectacular. Would be a special find in the SF Bay Area, and having this in Penn Valley is a wonderful treat for any occasion. read more

Fancy, high prep food presented in unusual combinations. Unfortunately small portions and high prices. Pleasant, efficient servers in a fairly ordinary setting. Some people seem to like it quite well. Try it for yourself. read more

Wow. Just wow. Service A+. Food was amazing. They go above beyond for special occasions. Can't wait to come back. Recommend everything!

Wow! This is a San Francisco quality restaurant in our little town. Put aside the physical plant-strip mall. Don't be scared off by the modest digs. The food is top notch. The family staff are inviting and accommodating. I can't emphasize enough how good the food is. Whenever we are entertaining family and friends we bring them here. I'm so happy that this family operation calls our town home and I pray that they have made it through the pandemic with minimal scarring. Great food first and foremost-excellent service is the icing on the cake. read more

As a long time local in Nevada County, in my opinion, this is one of the best... if not THE BEST restaurant in Nevada County. Consistently great food and service. Often locally sourced. Menu always changing. I have NEVER been disappointed with a single plate... that's dozens of dinners, with multiple people at the table. Must orders: Smashed Fries add pork belly, Grandpa's Bread Pudding (if they have any left) read more

This restaurant is a true gem! We have been going here since they opened, for around 5 years, and it's still our favorite restaurant by far. We are very lucky to live close by, but it is definitely worth the drive if you do not. My favorite thing to tell people is that the chef makes such unique, fabulous dishes that you could never recreate yourself at home. There are so many restaurants out there that after spending your money, you feel like I could have made that at home, I promise you will never have that thought here. I also love that the menu changes often, allowing us to visit weekly and not feel we don't have a variety of options, luckily they keep a few star dishes on there that we constantly crave. I added some photos from our last girls night out, and some of the desserts got from take out during Covid restrictions, so delicious. There is also a great family vibe here, the chef's father works the front end, his mother bakes all the bread and desserts fresh, sisters work there too, you can't ask for a more comfortable dinning experience. read more

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Absolutely amazing. Food and service exceptional. Regularly take our friends and family and we are never disappointed. Everyone has loved it read more