Twenty Eight Restaurant and Bar — Restaurant in Irvine

This place is a hidden gem! Considering that you’d probably only find it if you’re actually searching for a restaurant on Yelp because the sign for the restaurant is very small.

Located in the same plaza as the Google building, it can be somewhat a challenge to find the first time. There are easy signs to follow once you arrive that point to the restaurant parking in the structure. From there just walk and cross the road to the big buildings. Keep going straight and you’ll see the cute little restaurant.

My girlfriend and I went on Halloween night to find the restaurant close to empty, but that was perfect for us to have a nice, private dinner in the available outdoor seating. The restaurant was dimly lit inside, and outside too. Perfect for a date night.

We ordered the following: American Wagyu Hanger, Angus Filet Mignon, Caesar Salad, Central Park, Truffled Parmesan Fries, Herbed Baby Potato, Garlic Fried Rice, and the Black Sesame Bread Pudding.

How was the food?

American Wagyu Hanger: This was my steak order, I got it medium rare. The meat was tender, juicy, and tasty. A darn good cut of meat. I had gotten it with garlic butter, which was very subtle.

Angus Filet Mignon: This was my girlfriend’s steak. She got it medium rare as well. It was also juicy and tasted good. (not pictured)

Caesar Salad: Delicious. A pile of crunchy lettuce and some anchovies covered in cheese. The dressing hits the spot.

Central Park: I love whisky and this cocktail was smooth, despite it being smoked. It wasn’t overwhelming.

Truffled Parmesan Fries: These were heaven sent. I loved them. Thinly cut, crispy, and covered in parmesan cheese. What more could I ask for?

Herbed Baby Potato: These were pretty good. Salty and crispy. Not as starchy as you think they’d be.

Garlic Fried Rice: So good. This pairs well with steak. The garlic is not overwhelming.

Black Sesame Bread Pudding: A dessert that’s hard to not finish. It’s good, and you’ll want to eat it all.

Service was good. The dishes came out intermittenly, which we liked. Our waters were refilled without question.

Parking is validated so don’t forget to ask.

They have a very large selection of whisky for those connoisseurs out there :).

Go find and...

This location is definitely hidden (might be on purpose) but if you work at Google or one of the neighboring offices like I do, you may have seen it. Even the chic facade does not live up to the charm inside. The decor is very open with the entire main sitting area cloaked in the soft lighting of a wall to wall skylight. I would recommend for a lunch meeting with or grabbing a drink with a co-worker.

I had the grilled salmon, skin on which was cooked perfectly. My CEO and his wife had the same and they had enjoyed it the same (they were in town from NYC if that gives you an idea of pallate) We started with the shrimp salad, which was good, but not my favorite or outstandingly tasty, so I would recommend to go with the staffs recommendations. They were very accommodating and knowledgeable.

The notable difference here vs others is that there is a large group table area to the side which also has a large tv that looks ready to hook up to do a presentation. Prefect for an exec retreat or team quarter recap. The room looked like it can be closed off from the rest of the restaurant. There is also a medium sized banquet room at the back of the restaurant.

PRICE: JUST BELOW EXPECTED We had a group of 12 with a few bottles of champagne some starters and it was under $500

SOUND: COMFORTABLE LOW It was not very full when we were there, but I would be comfortable having a meeting and not being concerned about being able to hear each other at all.

AMBIANCE: MODERN CHIC AND ON TREND Very fitting with the current styles you see in restoration hardware and Instagram bloggers. Seating is not in a good format and seats are not consistent in style making for an eclectic surrounding

FOOD: GOOD The main entre was fantastic with a mango sauce and couscous. After leaving the food was not what I was describing to people though, the style was.

Hope...

Stopped by this restaurant to ask about the opening hours of google just 200 meters from the entrance. At the same time I needed to use the restroom. I’d been driving about 30-45 minutes. I used the restroom and the toilet did not flush but was not marked out of service. I informed the bossy Asian-American shift lead with a round face that the toilet did not flush. I didn’t feel okay leaving my bodily fluids there without flushing (that’s disgusting). So I said I’d wait until the situation was handled. They were over staffed and dinner service didn’t even start. There were a total of two guests in house at the bar; this team(approx five active on the service floor) and inefficient in their work as they were walking around « acting busy » without resolving my issue or greeting new customers respectfully.

I waited a few minutes patiently than got irritated that no action was being taken so I proceeded to look for a bucket to flush the toilet myself. Upon looking the shift lead called security and blocked me in the restroom, made me empty my bag as if I’d stolen something from them. I take serious offense to this!!! What a vulgar way to treat a potential customer. Just because I wasn’t wearing makeup or dressed fancy and coming to eat that night does not mean anything. You shouldn’t have such a vain and lazy staff. I’ve worked in service in more upscale places than this in Switzerland. This experience was absolutely disgusting on a basic human level. You should consider restaffing and hiring more intelligent people who are willing to work as well as look good while doing it; these girls just want to strut their stuff and outsource...