128 Cafe

I came with a group of 7 to 128 Café last night for restaurant week. My girlfriend and I ordered the ribs, pear salad, and Napoleon crabapple desert. Overall the food was inconsistent. Pear salad was very average, the ribs were charred to the point that I personally mistook a bone for meat, and the Napoleon apple dish left much to be desired. Brussels sprouts were hardly even cooked and not edible.
All in all this was consistent with the rest of the table’s opinion, having coverage of the entire menu. It may have been due to restaurant week, but 128 also seemed understaffed. Drinks were forgotten and visits to the table were infrequent. Prices were high, for the quantity and quality received. It was worth a shot and a decent meal, but it’s not going to be a regular favorite.

Went for Restaurant week and glad we did. Each ordered a different 3 course meal and shared. Poached pear salad was really nice. They didn’t shy away from bold flavors in anything. The pork terrine was a little spicy for an appetizer. Ribs are dynamite. Collard greens with the quail were my favorite part. Apple Napoleon dessert was heavenly. All in all a nice experience. No host to greet at door was a bit awkward. Very cozy place so glad we made reservations.

I hadn’t dined at the 128 Café in about 12 years or so and I didn’t recall much about the place. What a great experience.
The staff was all great and it was very intimate. But the food…
My better half had Pork and Peaches; absolutely amazing from start to finish. Perfectly cooked pork chop that was moist with some vegetables on the side that were a fantastic compliment.
I had the flat iron steak and that rocked as well. It was cooked medium rare with some type of mashed potatoes that were likely the best I’ve ever had.
We had a chance to speak with the owner Max and he was very awesome.
If you’d like to spend a little extra on dinner tonight (or any night) it was worth every penny.

Every time I go here, I clean my plate. The food is fabulous and you can tell a lot of time and thought were put into the preparation of each dish. I have heard some complain about the wait to get your food. I have never felt this way, but when I dine out, I usually enjoy eating slow and enjoying the process. If you are a person to go to a restaurant hungry, I would advise you to get an appetizer or plan ahead and get there early because it is worth it. Just writing this review makes my mouth water.

This restaurant is very good. The service is the kind of helpful service that you want. Not annoying, just helpful. The food is delicious. It’s obvious they care about what they do. I’d recommend this place to anyone.

Visited 128 Café for the first time for a Mother’s Day Brunch. It’s a very cute and quaint little basement restaurant. Felt very «homey» :).
The menu had wonderful choices in a variety of styles. They offered a Steak & Eggs (Korean style) a breakfast burger, Huevos Rancheros (Mexican) an Italian breakfast sandwich, biscuits and gravy amongst other options.
My mother and I ordered the Huevos Rancheros and they were superb! My sister ordered the Italian sandwich and she said it was delicious!
I also ordered an iced coffee and it tasted exactly as I wanted it to. The perfect amount of sweet with my coffee!
The staff were very friendly from our initial call, to being greeted and the service from our server.
We will be back!

3^rd time eating here. Disappointed for the last time, I probably won’t go back.
1) No vegetarian meal options for my mate
2) Amateur service– waited 40 minutes between appetizer and entrée.
3) It feels like you are eating in a basement
4) Although the food is decent, it is overpriced for what you get

One of my favorite restaurants in the cities. Been going here for over 10+ years and I have not yet had one disappointing visit (even had multiple birthdays here with parties that were 10 – 20). Ribs are amazing. Everything else is pretty on point. (except for this one experience I had with a jalapeño cake/​cheesecake… but that was more my fault than the restaurant’s).
Quaint place that hits all the right spots on all the right days. You should go. No really you have to try the ribs. There’s plenty of great BBQ places like Rudolph’s or whatever but you can tell they are BBQ places. This unsuspecting little charmer makes you feel right at home when they are hooking you up with that culinary goodness. Enough raving, just go.

small and quaint, however food was magnificent to say the least. Servers and hosts were very helpful and genuine. Food delivery and knowledge on menu was on par! We did the Minnesota Restaurant Week and would definitely go back for the regular menu items!!! The beef tartare kimchi this was fabulous and as was the baby back ribs! Definitely a gem in SAINT PAUL MN!

Restaurant Week Trip #1
We almost drove past this place without realizing it on a residential street — the outside of the restaurant has the appearance of a house?
When we walked in, it has a very nice atmosphere — cozy and similar to a house dinner. The place was relatively small though, and the first thing we were asked when we walked in is if we had a reservation (which we did). So it’s probably a good idea to make a reservation beforehand if you are interested in trying this place out.
So for restaurant week, there is a set menu with a few different appetizers, entrees, and desserts to choose from.
1. For appetizer, I had the beef tartare. I have mixed feelings about the beef tartare, but given that it’s my first time trying the dish, I don’t have anything to compare it to. It was an Asian take with miso aioli, sesame crackers, and pear slaw. As I was eating, I couldn’t say for sure if I liked it or I did not liked it, but I probably would have chosen a different dish if I knew that’s what it’s going to taste like.
My friend had the gnocchi with mozzarella — the gnocchi was a little too big in size in my opinion, and there was not enough crunch on the skin. It was a decent though aside from that.
2. For my entrée, I ordered the Cornish Game Hen with Duck Fat Potatoes. Cornish Game Hen is essentially smaller chicken with plump breasts. While I liked the seasoning and the skin, I thought the meat was on the dry side — not sure if it was because it’s just the texture of the chicken breast or if it was overcooked. The duck fat potatoes were under seasoned, and as were most of the things aside from the cornish game hen.
My friend ordered the Porcini Farroto — which is similar to a risotto. The appearance of the dish was a little unsettling since it’s a darker color. The flavors were one dimensional. I thought the walnuts and wine-​poached pear added too much sweetness and didn’t add that much to the dish.
3. We both had the Panna Cotta for dessert. Again, this was my first time trying Panna Cotta, so I don’t have anything to base it on. However, this was probably my favorite part of the three course meal. It’s a pudding like dessert with toffee and blood orange on top. I felt like I could have went without the blood orange, but the toffee adds a good sweet crunch to the otherwise light pudding.
Overall, somewhat of a disappointing trip for restaurant week. I was expecting the food here to impress me, but it wasn’t really anything special, but I may be back to try the dishes that other Unilocalers raved about.

Where I do begin? The menu changes like every couple of weeks, so don’t get too comfortable with the offerings. I felt like I walked into a southern cottage and someone had invited me to their home for dinner. This place is so unique and from the outside you would not even know it was a restaurant without the signage.
When I first went here in the summer, it was for a friend’s Birthday party and basically got the high class treatment like VIP. I loved every minute of it: To start, the Mozzarella cheese balls which was amazing and the garlic bread. For my Entrée, I got the mushroom dish with corn and egg yolk. The portion was small and just right since I did not have a big appetite
I sampled the salmon entrée dish which was delicious even though it was not my meal, from what I tasted I really enjoyed it.
On my second visit I got the famous 128 Burger! It was perfect, so beefy, and juicy I wish I could have eaten more.
For dessert, I had the Izzy salted caramel ice cream and I don’t even like caramel like that so you know how impressive it was for me to be going on about it like this!
I adore this place ;-)

We are loving our new neighborhood even more now that we know Café 128 is in the mix. A recent date night dinner here was quite good. The wedge salad was extra tasty, and served in a portion large enough to share. My NY Strip was quite good as well, and I completely fell for the sides (garlic mashed potatoes, with pastrami kraut, horseradish-​sour cream and portabello). My dining companion chose the real winner though, a nightly special of catfish, served with perfectly done jambalaya style rice. I have to admit I had a bit of food jealousy there…
Service was friendly and knowledgeable. The wine list is short but there are some decent offerings. Craft beer and a few NA options as well. I like the room, too: it’s a cross between «cabin up north» and «grandparent’s basement» that is warm, friendly, inviting and not at all pretentious… kind of like 128 Café! Partway through our meal we noticed everyone ELSE in the place was eating the roasted garlic app. We’re going back for that, and the beef tartare.

Great food all around. I recently went here for my birthday. Somehow during my college years at UST it never fit in with my budget. :) I had the duck breast which was more appetizing then the best bone in steak I’ve ever had which takes a lot to say for a beef aficionado.
Everyone at the table enjoyed their food and we each had a different dish. My mother had the ribs and I tried a small portion. They were phenomenal. A hidden treasure in one of the best neighborhoods in St. Paul.

Delicious! Enjoyed restaurant week– a squash appetizer, amazing spaghetti, and a s’mores cake to finish! Impressed– will return.

#2 restaurant for Restaurant Week –thanks to eater.com’s recommendation.
Prix Fixe menu offerings was a 2-​course. After coming directly here after Bikram Yoga practice, I wasn’t much up for mushroom soup –so cesar salad for course 1 it is. Delish –it was nicely dressed and topped with a white anchovy. I love it when a place knows how much dressing to place onto to their salads –and they can definitely do this.
It’s awesome to come dine with someone else to be able to order both items and share –yay eating family style, well at least for the main course. Yay to BFF lunch dates! Initially, we ordered the fish tacos but so glad that we ordered the pot roast sliders and fish tacos, enough to have one each and chips and pickle on the side.
The place was definitely small and cute. Our waitress was very attentive to our needs. I definitely hope to be back to try other items on their menu, especially if they have made it on
.
However…parking was hard to find –we parked 4 blocks away.

Delicious! The burgers we ordered had incredible flavors and were prepared well. The ambiance is a bit weird, and the service is a bit unrehearsed, but it was prompt and courteous. Highly recommended!

4.5 stars in my book.
I love the new 128! The new chef has put together a wonderfully executed and varied menu. My wife and I like to go out to eat– we do so often and we will definitely be returning to The 128 Café.
The cozy vibe and design of the place make it feel like you are at the cabin. It’s a great place for a date.
To start, we ate the pâté’ which was rich and satisfying, the kimchi stew which was a very nice surprise with it’s tangy spice. We also had a roasted pear salad with candied nuts and blue cheese, which is a salad I love. I hope it stays on the menu for a while!
For our main course we split the fish special. It was a perfectly cooked piece of salmon paired with a green papaya salad and peanuts or cashews. So good.
The service was great. This is a spot to check out. It also sounds like the above bad reviews had to do with really busy nights. Not totally acceptable, but understandable due to the fact that the place is under new management.

I give this review with a heavy heart. This was previously my wife and I’s old haunt and an easy 4 – 5 star review. Finally getting an evening away from our 6 mo. old we were really excited to return to 128 Café. I understand that they are under new ownership which may explain the sudden decline in quality during our most recent visit. Something was just off. It lacked it’s usual warmth and projected a «want do you want?» feel.
It was apparent that the kitchen was backed up since barely any food came out over the course of our two hour stay. It took an hour and a half to get our meal, but it seemed as though others waited longer.
We were seriously considering leaving but at almost the breaking point the waitress informed us that our meal was on its way out. Ordinarily I wouldn’t blame the waitstaff for the delay in service, but at no point were we even asked if we would like another drink, even though our glasses were clearly empty. It felt as though the staff was hiding since they knew the kitchen was so slow.
My wife enjoyed her pork belly with pumpkin and creamed spinach. My braised beef cheek was, to be honest, terrible. The outside was steaming hot while the inside was cool. Given that the kitchen was backed up, this was probably the result of being reheated. However, what I was served was a hunk of gelatinous fat. There was very little actual beef. Perhaps as much as ²⁄₃ of my cut was fat. I can’t be sure however since I gave up after a few bites. (Edit: I can’t recall ever having beef cheeks before, so if beef cheeks are knows as an ultra-​fatty cut, that is my fault for ordering it, not 128 Café’s fault).
The cut was served in sickly sweet brown sauce that was really bad and overwhelmed everything on the plate. The sides were cold and unappetizing, and it didn’t help that the overcooked Brussels sprouts were swimming in the brown sauce. I wish I would’ve complained at the time but since the service was so slow we had to rush to leave after we «finished» our meal.
Even the famed garlic chutney appetizer was poorly done. We have had this numerous times over the years an absolutely loved it. By the time it arrived at our table, it was stone cold.
This restaurant was one of the only nicer restaurants in the neighborhood. It’s a shame, but I won’t be returning anytime soon.
Two stars, only because my wife thought her dish was good.

If 128 can shell out ribs this good out of a truck, I definitely need to try their oft-​praised brick n’ mortar version stat…
Each time I’ve stopped by 128’s food truck I’ve been quite pleased with my meal. Although their menu changes daily you can expect to find their famous ribs (which should be a requisite order your first time) and at minimum a rotating chicken and fish-​centric dish.
Service has always been accompanied with a smile and extra credit for 128 Café’s owner being the driving force behind the St. Paul Food Truck Court every Wednesday in downtown.
Prices tend to gravitate towards the higher end of the spectrum as far as food trucks go, but more often than not it’s worth every penny. If they were to throw in a bit more of the locally raised meats and produce 128 Café on wheels would be a moving 5-​star joint in my mind in a heartbeat.

One visit and I’m already a fan of the «128 Club». It’s easy to fall in love with this charming neighborhood bistro.
So what’s so special about 128? First off it’s kind of hard not to imagine a «cozier» spot. Tucked in the basement of an old apartment building it just has that feeling that makes you want to come back.
Aside from the intimate setting the food is truly outstanding. A wonderful mix of flavors and options to choose from on the menu.
Don’t leave without trying their specialty appetizer, «the roasted garlic,
apple chutney, goat cheese and grilled baguette». We just couldn’t stop eating it. The braised baby back pork ribs literally fall off the bone and melt in your mouth. Next time I think I’d go with the full size ($ 30) over the half rack ($ 18) and make room for leftovers. The rainbow trout was prepared beautifully and delicious. My only complaint with our entrees was the penne pasta. Although it comes with lots of flavor I would have preferred it with a little less sauce.
Good service, great food and a setting that makes you feel so comfortable. It’s a place I would like to bring my sleeping bag to so I could camp out in a corner and come for dinner every night.