The Rock of Twain Harte — Restaurant in California

Before leaving Black Oak Casino the hubs and I did some research and decided to check this place out for dinner. We thought the drive would be gorgeous (it was!), and the reviews led us to believe this place would be delicious. We pulled up and parked and immediately began discussing which door we should use at it was unclear. We picked one and entered and immediately felt we had traveled the globe and landed in an Irish or German tavern. We were quickly greeted and given a table. I ordered water and the hubs ordered a Stella on draft. My water was served in a clean glass and his stella was served at the perfect temperature. So far they are winning! We ordered onion rings for an appetizer, they came quickly and were served with ranch. The ranch was ah-mazing as were the onion rings. They weren't breaded, instead they were battered so they didnt leave their mark on the roof of my mouth. If this was any inclination as too what we were in for, I couldn't wait for dinner! I ordered the French dip and sweet potato fries, the husband went with the tri tip san and sweet potato fries. Then things took a turn.... Dinner was served and the presentation was standard but I was left regretting my decision in dining options. I am self proclaimed a French dip officianato. 9 times out of 10 when we dine out, that is what I order. I have eaten a French dip in every town I've dined in from Washington through Oregon, cali and into many parts of Nevada. At first bite I had to take my sandwich apart and clean the meat. Their was so much fat and it was hard, curled up fat (I gagged). I've never experienced that with a French dip. It wasn't served with horseradish. The au jus was just oil, I tried stirring it which I've never had to do before but that didn't help either. Each bite I took felt like I was making a bad decision. I left most of my sandwich and decided it was best to call it quits for the sake of my gut. I would have filled up on the sweet potato fries but I was served so few, especially in comparison to my husbands serving which is weird considering we both order a sandwich plate. There definately seems to be consistancy issues here.

Another area for improvement is the cleanliness. All the hanging light fixtures have thick spiderwebs and dust as do the beer taps they have displayed on the beams of their tavern.

Now for the good: Cold beer Clean cups Quick service Ah-mazing sweet potato fries (possibly the best I've had) Good ranch dressing Gorgeous drive there

Our server looks unhappy and like he was possibly going to be grumpy but to our surprise he was nice. He was warm or friendly but he got the job done and did it well. Too bad he wasn't the chef. He handled the bar and his tables with ease and kept the beer flowing.

My take away: I will not go back. Not even for the stella on tap and sweet potato fries. I feel gross after eating the sandwich. I feel absolutely disappointed...

Really bums me out to write this review. We have a cabin in Twain Harte and “The Rock” has always been an absolute staple that I want to visit every time we go up the hill. This was our first visit since ownership changed. To say it was a disappointment would be an understatement. With all that being said, let me also say, there was improvements since the new owners took over.

Pros since new ownership: the service was great, much improved! I failed to get his name but our waiter checked in with us a lot and made sure we were comfortable (we ate in the outdoor area and had a baby and toddlers)…he was very busy but never made us feel like we were a burden (which was a problem with previous staff, even without the toddlers) The trash can nachos are still amazing, the pulled pork still tastes very similar, add it to your nachos! The ranch is still amazing! STILL HAVE PLINY ON TAP, YAY!

Cons: QUALITY AND QUANTITY WENT WAAAY DOWN HILL!!! my buddy and his wife who lived up there for a bit ordered his “normal” burger and it was almost a slider and completely mediocre at best per him, they also hadn’t been back since change of ownership. My wife ordered her “normal” mark twain sandwich and paid an extra 3 dollars for avocado….it was AT BEST half the size of the old portions, had about 4 slices of avocado and not toasted like it used to be. I LOVED their Reuben so I ordered it…absolutely not the same. Missing half the meat and sauerkraut and was not toasted/roasted at all. Also what REALLY disappointed me was I don’t think it’s in house made corned beef or at the very least, the flavor of the beef changed DRASTICALLY and NOT in a good way…such a bummer. Fries were also drastically reduced in portion per serving. We also ordered two kids meals and the Mac and cheese was literally kraft Mac and cheese with some more flavoring. The grilled cheese from the kids menu was also bad, the cheese wasn’t melted and I’m pretty sure it was Kraft individual slices.

The ambiance is still great, the “outdoor” area is amazing for kids and dogs.

Altogether we were all ABSOLUTELY disappointed and bummed out as we all used to LOVE coming to the rock….but I am personally hoping this was a fluke. We will be back next week to try again and I will adjust my review based on the...

We recently moved to the Twain Harte area and first found the Rock of Twain Harte when we ordered takeout. The food was good so we decided to dine in for a date night.

Due to COVID restrictions, there weren't many available tables, but the bar was completely empty, so we decided to sit there to dine. The bartender and all the staff were very friendly, welcoming us to the area after learning we had just moved to the area. Service was prompt and professional.

Based on the decor and restaurant atmosphere, I expected good bar fare and not much more. I decided to order the French Dip and my wife ordered the salmon. When the food came out, it was plated as if we were in a nice restaurant, not a bar. The chef obviousl took pride in food presentation.

The French Dip was easily one of the best I've ever had and I've been to restaurants where this is their specialty (no not Arbys). However, I was blown away when I tasted the salmon. It was absolutely amazing.

Against our better judgment, we decided to order dessert, even though we were full from the delicious meal. We shared the peanut butter chocolate pie and a slice of carrot cake. Both were equally impressive, but we had to get to go boxes because the portions are sizeable.

We will definitely return and in fact...