Plank Craft Kitchen + Bar — Restaurant in Folsom

Updated review: This is going to be a long one but that is purely because I don't want to be a jerk and just leave a bad review with no explanation.

I'm a long-time local customer, and the very first time that I didn't leave an overtly gracious tip, the bartender became damn near rabid about it and extended her harassment into our next visit as well.

Rueben meat was so tough I could barely bite through it, shrimp tacos were (who could have guessed it) disrespectfully small portions, and the mixed drinks we got were not only objectively bad but clearly missing multiple ingredients - as per the new bartender just plain cannot mix a drink properly. My bill was like $90, and I was paying for the whole group of people as a treat, so I left $5 considering we ordered at the bar and asked literally nothing of the staff whatsoever.

Here's the kicker: The bartender b-lined it to follow us while we were leaving and passive aggressively bark "have a GREAT night" at us while we were headed out, as to which, I just did not care and left. We reluctantly came back a few days later because my girlfriend wanted to try the Ahi Nachos! The same bartender shamelessly made it way too clear how unhappy they were with our last tip, and quite literally CHUCKED our menus at us while refusing to make eye contact and scowling hardcore - and down right ignored every word I said to her. I just sat there in straight disbelief because I'm no karen, I'm no complainer, so being treated like I ran over your cat solely because I didn't leave a huge tip ONE TIME is honestly bonkers. This used to be my favorite place, I would introduce people here every month and spend way too much here to be honest. We have steadily noticed the place has less than half of the customers it usually does, and I now know why. The staff has changed, the food is nothing like it used to be, and their new bartender has genuinely concerning anger issues. I checked with my girlfriend and guests to confirm I'm not just misreading the situation, but it's not hard to understand a scowl while someone stomps around and refuses eye contact and LITERALLY tosses the menu and bill at you and storms off. It's just straight up What-Not-To-Do-101 as a server, I would know, I work in the same industry, so it's pretty difficult to leave this review, but that is how genuinely overwhelming this woman's behavior was. To be that comfortable to borderline harass customers with passive aggression based on their tips is just wretched.

And let me re-iterate, the service and food that I experienced during my $90 dinner was so poor that even if I had more money to give, I absolutely would not have left any more money. Fries were burnt, meat was tough as a rock, my guests were unhappy with everything they got, our drinks were missing key ingredients - it was a really embarrassing experience that we were willing to put behind us until this lady working the bar had the gall to extend her unhinged behavior into our next visit.

Maybe I'll try this place out again when they get a third round of staff but aggressively tip-shaming me and treating me like a dog because all you see when you look at me is a hypothetical tip is unacceptable and I won't support a business that doesn't observe their staff closely enough to catch this behavior.

Original review: It could 100% be more comfortable/spacey and have a bit of a server upgrade, as I regularly get takeout boxes with dust/lint/debris in it but this is objectively the best food and (stout/porter) drink place. Wine is also amazingly over-priced though, would be 5 star otherwise for...

Sometimes the best memories are the unplanned ones. What started as a spontaneous date day adventure led us to the charming streets of Historic Folsom, where we stumbled upon Plank’s Craft Kitchen & Bar — a rustic gem with just the right mix of cozy and cool.

From the moment we walked in, the hospitality was impeccable. The service? Flawless. Our server was on point from start to finish — warm welcome, perfectly timed courses, and not once did our glasses go dry. Everything flowed with such ease, it felt like we were regulars.

Drinks first, because priorities: • The Lake Lennon was a total hit — crisp, refreshing, and that subtle hint of cucumber was chef’s kiss. • The Strawberry Gimlet was almost too easy to drink. Sweet, smooth, and gone in the blink of an eye. • The Bees Knees packed the strongest punch of the three, but when I asked for a splash of lemonade to mellow it out, they happily brought it over — instantly elevated the whole experience.

Appetizer: We went with the cheese curds, and let me tell you, these weren’t your average bar snack. Lightly crisped on the outside, gooey on the inside, and paired with a homemade marinara that deserves its own spotlight. I genuinely contemplated licking the bowl. No shame.

Main Course: We split the Cali Club — and it was everything. Super fresh, balanced flavors, and not a trace of that questionable chicken you sometimes get in sandwiches (IYKYK). The tater tots were golden and perfectly crunchy, and the trio of dipping sauces (chipotle, ranch, and ketchup) were clearly house-made and next-level tasty.

In short, Plank’s delivered big time. Whether you’re planning a night out or just happen to wander in like we did, this place hits all the right notes — delicious food, creative drinks, and stellar service. We left full, happy, and already...

just a chronological list of events from our perspective, hopefully it helps, times are estimates

5:50 party of 4 seated, given happy hour menu which ends at 6

5:59 order with waitress 1

6:15 different waiter comes by with three dishes, none of which are ours, seems confused and leaves

6:20 waitress 1 comes back with just one dish, places it and leaves, for the next ~half an hour she will occasionally walk past our table without stopping to ask for if we need refills or why we have only 1 of the 4 dishes we ordered

6:40 I walk inside and let waitress 2 know we haven't gotten any of the other dishes yet, and also ask if I can grab a water pitcher to refill our waters, she comes outside after checking the kitchen and retakes our order. A few minutes later waitress 3 comes out to reconfirm our order because some details were messed up (our fault), except one of the dishes is completely wrong. We ask what happened with our first order and waitress 3 just says "she (waitress 1) was busy"

6:50-7:00 waitress 1 comes out with remaining three dishes

7:15 waitress 1 asks if we want desert, we say no and ask for two boxes

7:20 go inside, waitress 2 helps us get two boxes and the check, go back outside and realize we need a small liquid container for one of the orders, waitress 1 comes by (with no boxes) and we ask for a small liquid container for the au jus

7:25 see that check lists normal menu prices not happy hour prices so go inside to ask and grab a plastic cup for use as liquid container, waitress 1 says that we ordered really close to the end of happy hour at 5:59 so we don't get happy hour prices, I say okay that's fine and hand her the check with card, another staff member sees this and asks her what's wrong and removes the happy hour items from our check as an apology for the wait...