Café Twenty-Eight

This place rocks! You have to try their Pork Adobo, very authentic Mexican recipe and very delicious.

I’ve frequented this place years ago but since my daughter’s recent move into the area I reacquainted myself with this place. The restored firehouse sets an ambiance that’s cozy and inviting. It also has a small patio area out front with a few tables when the weather is warmer. I have to say it’s kind of hard not to fall in love with this place which makes it even more sad that it will be closing it’s doors at the end of the year.
The menu is small but diverse and offers delicious «healthy» options. Much of the food is grown locally. I had the blue cheese and pear salad and split the entrée for lunch. It was the perfect combination of everything. I’m not sure what the Linden Hills neighborhood will do without Café’ Twenty-​Eight. Hopefully they will find a spot to relocate nearby soon.

We have been to Café Twenty-​Eight multiple times now and they always deliver. The restaurant itself is set in an old fire station and the ambiance is great. The times I went I usually had brunch (fireman’s breakfast or huevos rancheros) or appetizers (mushroom pâté). Everything was very delicious. The mushroom pâté is probably my favorite. :-) They also have a great beer selection for those who are beer connoisseurs. This will definitely be a regular spot for us!

Dinner hear was interesting. Great local foods, but not as delicious as I would have hoped. Had the pork dish but the burger looked and tasted better. The service from our waiter was bad! Thankfully the other waitress (who wasn’t ours) was good.

This place is good. I heard about it by word-​of-​mouth from a local, as I was planning a gathering with two folks I hadn’t met before.
The parking is around back, which I couldn’t tell until I had already parked on the street. It is a cute location, pretty small, but cozy. The servers were nice and not at all snooty. Reservations definitely recommended.
My party and I had the calamari. I found it a little overbreaded, but it was good and the dipping sauce was flavorful. I ordered the Albacore Tuna Melt with a Wee Kick. Those tuna melts my parents made when I was growing up totally suck. This was great. I didn’t really need the home-​made chips just because the tuna melt was good. It had a light kick, just enough for flavor.
I would definitely go back there!

My husband and I have eaten here a few times, and we found the food and atmosphere enjoyable enough to bring out-​of-​state friends and family here. However, it is only in review of our restaurant purchases for the spring-​summer that I recall our last visit to Café Twenty-​Eight and am movitated to comment…
We liked the friendly service, cozy atmosphere, and food selection on previous visits, so my husband suggested we visit again last April after I returned from a week-​long business trip.
I’ll be brief: both entrees were terrible duds, earning them 2 stars only because I enjoyed previous meals there. I wished that I had ordered a double of the Wild Mushroom Pâté instead (delicious BTW). His gnocchi were heavy and too firm. My steak (skirt/​flank?) was ½ gristle, requiring some active sawing, made unusually difficult by the a bed of yam chunks covering the entire plate.
Did I eat it? Yes (tried to). Did I say anything? No. I was so hungry by that point that I ate what I could — it was a while by the time the server came back to the table anyway, and who knows how long it would take for them to fix it.
As we finished our meal and left for home, I kept wishing that we had gone to Heidis.

For a place that used to be a fire-​station (Station 28), the atmosphere of the place was very exciting. Stories are all over the wall as well as old fashion fire gear.
On the other hand, the food isn’t anything you can get from another restaurant. They make each dish originally and change their menu depending on what is in season or what the chef feels like cooking. That being said, you will be trying something new every time you walk in this place. They are decent sized portions but just be ready to eat something you’ve never tried before. It was kind of fun trying something new, on the other hand, some people don’t like surprises when it comes to their food.

Came here for brunch on a Sunday morning. We got there as the café opened at 10AM. Its a very cute and cozy café. Soon after it got pretty busy and seats filled up, so I would recommend trying to get there early if you want a spot since this place is a bit small. I had the Fisher’s Farm smoked bacon and it was DELICIOUS! Good portions, but I couldn’t finish the plate. The café is small but I feel like it makes things a bit more intimate. You don’t have to shout over crowds of people.
The only cons I can think of is that this place is hidden and can be difficult to find. Parking may be a pain if you do not arrive early.

One of our favorite MSP spots. Beautiful space, terrific food. INCREDIBLE guacamole. I’ve never had food here that I haven’t enjoyed and I’ve ordered something different every time. It’s best to make a reservation, though, because the space is small (which is part of the charm). It can be tough to get a table if you’re just walking in.
My one complaint is that their draft beer selection is limited to Surly. So, if you’re not a Surly fan (which I’m generally not) you’re stuck. Just because it’s local beer doesn’t mean it’s good, you know. Actually, I think one of the owners might be the head brewer at Surly. But making YOUR beer the only draft beer at your restaurant? Meh. A little pretentious. If they added to their draft beer repertoire I’d give them 5 stars.
Nevertheless, overall Café Twenty-​Eight is a gem.

Love the atmosphere of this place! Light and airy, and great food. I ended up with the salmon on a bed of risotto. Salmon was very good, however the risotto was my favorite.
Wait staff was friendly and was knowledgeable on which Surly to try next.
Will definitely be back to try something new.

This place is right down the street from me and I’ve really fallen in love with it. The interior is great, a little cozy, but I’ve never felt cramped while eating even on a busy Saturday night. Service has always been impeccable, friendly, and really seems to have a passion for food.
All the portions are generous for dinner, I’ve had nearly everything and enjoyed it, but have a soft spot for the lamb stroganoff. Avoid the roasted chicken though — it’s the one underwhelming thing I’ve had there.
They also have a great selection of beers and wine, emphasis on the beer. Just make sure to have a reservation on the weekend as this place gets busy, otherwise I highly recommend this as one of the real gems of Minneapolis.

My review in one sentence: great place for breakfast or brunch!
One of our go-​to places on lazy Saturday and Sunday mornings. The food is good, service friendly and there are lots of locally-​sourced and organic items on the menu.
Big fan of the Chilaquiles for brunch — basically tortilla strips cooked in red or green sauce (it alternates but if you go, hope for the green — a little more tangy and hot) served with eggs. I was introduced to this dish in college — my friend called it the «Mexican hangover breakfast» and have been hooked ever since. (btw, it has eggs but is vegetarian if you are lacto/​ovo) Also a hit: the fried egg sandwich — a couple of eggs served on (very) buttery griddled bread, topped with mushrooms (or Fisher Farms bacon) and cheese. You also get a mountain of roasted potatoes on the side so you will not leave hungry.
One bit of advice — make a reservation if you can. On Sunday mornings, there can be wait for your heavenly breakfast. Never fear, it is not bad if the weather’s nice — you can have a cup of coffee and watch life go by on the streets of Linden Hills while you wait and they will call your mobile when the table’s ready.

So, full disclosure: the only reason I was here was because they still had Surly Darkness on tap. Which I love. Love. And, to drink beer here you have to buy food. I got their chips and guac, which were delicious. So, love and delicious. What’s with the three stars? I was the only person in the place. Only one. And the server acted like I had leprosy and smelled like dead fish. Admittedly, I was not a big ticket person. And I was clearly there to drink beer alone. Which if that does not scream «worthless loser» I am not sure what does. But, all the same, please treat me like you care I am there. So, love, delicious, but emotionally hurt.

I loved it. I loved every minute of my meal, the atmopshere and the service.
I was told to go here from a friend. Being pretty new in the Twin Cities I didn’t even know what Linden Hills is. My bf and another friend ours all went to see if it was anything good.
We all got a variety of food, meat dishes, pasta. All of it was fantastico. It’s so quaint and cute. It wasn’t even that crowded… which I also liked. Every table was filled though and it was warm and cozy. It almost reminds me of a house… with awesome food and awesome beer. They even had the Surely Darkness, which I hear is hard to find.
All 3 of us loved our food and we will be back to try other things. I also think it’s a great place to take someone from out of town to show off how hip Minneapoils is. :)

I think I’m in love.
Absolutely darling atmosphere. We had reservations and were seated immediately. The lighting is great, and the noise-​level was at that perfect place between creepy-​silent and oh-my-gosh-I-can’t-hear-a-word-you’re-saying-get-me-out-of-here. Service was polite, unobtrusive, and pretty speedy.
We started our meal with guacamole. The menu says you get tortillas instead of tortilla chips, so that was a bit of a surprise, but not unwelcome. The guacamole had a pleasant kick, and the portion was very generous.
For our main courses we had gnocchi and the pork adobo. I LOVED the gnocchi — great flavor and ridiculously satisfying. The pork adobo was amazing, too — I’m a mostly vegetarian who had a bite, and it was holy-​cow good.
The beer list might not be extensive, but everything on it is outstanding. For some reason Surly Furious seemed to taste even better than it usually does when we were here! They also have rotating limited edition Surly taps.
This might be my new default place for when I want to have a special, delicious meal in a warm and unpretentious atmosphere.

I went here a couple weeks ago for my birthday. Having never been there it was a bold move but well worth it in the end. I want to give this place a 5 but being that I’ve only been there once and the fact that it is rather pricey I’m going to hold off. I took the advice of a previous reviewer and the waiter and tried the pork adobo… it…was…AWESOME! (Tommy Boy) I’ve never had a more flavorful pork dish in my life. I also tried the calamari app and that was great as I’m used to rubber band like calamari with not much flavor.
The thing that drew me here originally was the fact that the Surly brew master, Todd, is the co-​owner. I was hoping that when I went they’d have four on tap. Surprise surprise they did and it totally made my day. It was awesome, but that’s another review in itself. On top of that, the waiter we had was super friendly. All in all it was a great day and I’ll definitely be going back.

After a week I could no longer resist the tiny voice in my head that was telling me to go back here. That fried egg sandwich was calling my name.
Unfortunately, I got there during lunch! Total menu fake out! Luckily the fried egg sandwich is still on their lunch menu, but I was feeling bold and wanted to try some more items.
I split the ham/​mustard/​apple sandwich and the walleye sandwich (a TON of food by the way).
The walleye was melt-​in-​your-​mouth good and the sweet crisp apple played nicely with the spicy mustard. I was in love.
The only thing I would have changed about the meal was the side. Their chips are a very bizarre texture with very little salt. However, fries=crispy=happy madelyn.
This is my new favorite weekend spot and I can’t wait to try more of their menu!

A bunch of us went here last Friday for a team luncheon. It was a cold, snowy day. How delightful to walk in with the cold still clinging to my clothes into a warm, inviting place. The high ceilings, brick walls and wood floors welcome you to come in, take off your coat and get a glass of wine. So I did!
We ordered several hors d’oeuvres. All were fine, but I must recommend the mushroom ‘pâté’ (no, no liver involved) above all the others. Sublime and savory.
They have several by-​the-​glass selections. I ordered a Sicilian d’Avola to accompany my Gruyère-​caramelized onion quiche. A perfect pairing. The onions were nearly sweet. The blend of toasty cheese, flaky crust and onion sent me to heaven.
I finished with a dessert, the lemon crème brûlée topped with three fresh raspberries. Again, perfect. I left the ramekin spotless!
We lingered in the place for three hours. I had a view out the large, arched window, watching the snow swirl about pedestrians. It was a perfect afternoon. I didn’t want to leave.
Tip: Give yourself an extra fifteen minutes to get to the place. I am not a Minneapolis person, so I’ll warn others like me that Café Twenty-​eight is a real intelligence test to find (and leave). It’s nestled in a twisty set of neighborhood streets. I used my GPS to navigate me in. Others from our party who used Google Maps were not so fortunate.

Brunch… they do a decent cup of coffee to wake those of you, who like me, can be up for hours but not truly awake until coffee has been had. I went the corncake route, I had been craving corn cakes and was so happy they were on the menu. Coffee… goood…corn cakes… just ok. They come with apricots in them, while I love fruit in breakfast items, the apricots were a bit big and overpowering. Just couldn’t do it. I was able to get one cake down, but left a whole one sitting on the plate — so sad
Did get to try bites of my companion’s choices… loved the french toast, a bit sweet — but tasty and the Huevo Rancheros were very good. Definitely a kick to them, but very good.

I wish I had known how fabulous their brunch is (and very reasonable priced IMO) long ago… it would have made many a weekend morning much more gastronomically pleasing.
We were able to grab a table for 2 without reservations around 11:30. But people were streaming in consistently, so I’m sure backups do occur. Our service was pleasant and efficient.
The food was fabulous. We shared:
French Toast with Black Mission Figs and Apples in a Brandied Caramel sauce and a Smoked Salmon egg scramble. We were both especially impressed by the home fries, which I am normally not a fan of since I prefer crispy hashbrowns. These delectable potato wedges were very crispy! The sourdough toast was tasty as well. It’s too bad they don’t have home made jams to go along with it. We were only disappointed by one thing: the pork sausage, but the bacon made up for it.
If you find yourself in Linden Hills on a weekend morning, stop by. Much better than Zumbros.