12th Avenue Grill

We loved the food and service. It started with the bartending, Ben and Paul were awesome ! Cory was our waiter, polished and friendly but not overbearing. We started our meal with the Brussel Sprout appetizer... so delicious. I had the pork porterhouse, generous portion, serious flavor would go back just for this. My girl had the scallops... she loved them. Our next time in Honolulu this will be on dinner tour !

We're still in a pandemic, but our State allows for restaurant dine-in, and if possible, we're opting for outdoor patio dining. In the case of 12th Ave Grill's outdoor dining, we were seated under a tent in the parking lot. Ok, so it wasn't as scenic as our recent dine at Hau Tree, nor were we breathing in fresh-smelling ocean breezes as every so often, we'd get a whiff of car exhaust but, it was still pleasant. We felt safe with the social distancing and the restaurant's compliance with COVID-19 health safety protocols. Speaking of parking, we lucked out with nearby metered street parking free after 6 PM, but there is a lot of parking in the Kaimukī Municipal Parking lot behind this restaurant. Before our reservation, the restaurant contacted us to confirm our reservation and contact tracing information. Upon arrival, a friendly host greeted and checked us in and escorted us to our table under the tent. Our server, Tiva, cheerfully brought us beverage and dinner menus to look over as she went back to get us glasses of iced water and eating utensils. We started our dine with their signature Old Fashioned and Manhattan and broke into our appetizers of Smoked Ahi Dip with crudités and crostini and Fried Tako (octopus) Tentacle with papas bravas and salsa verde. The smoked ahi dip was in a generously-filled bowl. Tiva recommended ordering their fresh baked bread and focaccia with Mānoa honey butter because the crostini and crudités might not be enough. The dip was tasty but not outstanding. However, the Fried Tako (octopus) Tentacle was superior to us. The tentacle was tender with a crisp fried exterior. It was flavorful and paired well with the salsa verde. FOOD: -Zozzona: House-made pappardelle, homemade sausage, cremini mushroom, porcini mushroom, tomato cream sauce. Generously portioned, perfect al dente cooked fresh pasta in this luscious and "meaty" sauce. The sauce was slightly sweet but not annoyingly. Also, the sweet creaminess allowed the tomato fruitiness to come through without an acidic bite. $24 -Seared Fresh Diver Scallops: 3-beautifully seared U-10 diver scallops were served atop a leek and celery root purée and garnished with wilted kale. The golden seared crust was impressive and cutting into the melt-in-your-mouth, naturally sweet, buttery-tasting opaque ball of shellfish was delightful. Another delightful touch was their plating of these perfectly seared scallops ATOP the purée rather than putting a sauce over the golden-brown crust and losing its crust to steaming. I could only finish one and a half scallops because they were so rich and I was enjoying the leek and celeriac purée. For me, I think they were a tad bit overly salted for my taste buds. $32 -Roasted Beets Carpaccio: This salad was composed of tender roasted slices of red and golden beets. It was topped with shaved fennel, Feta cheese, and bacon bread croutons and dressed with a light citronette. The combination of flavors and textures in this salad made for very favorable tastes and mouthfeel. We liked the roasted beets' consistency as the slices were tender-cooked and not mushy. $12 -Chocolate-Haupia Pie: We pushed our limit by ordering dessert and coffee. Although we like the flavors of chocolate and haupia (Hawaiian coconut pudding), we were a bit disappointed in 12th Ave Grill's house-made version. Whipped cream topped the soft chocolate layer, which didn't seem to match the firmer coconut pudding. But, we respect that was their version. $8 Our leisurely dine lasted about 2 hours, we appreciated the pace between the kitchen and service of course. Tiva checked with us frequently. The bussers were unobtrusive in clearing our table and refilling our water glasses and coffee mugs. When we got our bill, we were a bit surprised to find a charge for the bread but, maybe we should've expected it as an extra because looking around, there weren't many others who got bread with dinner. Still, it would've been more forthcoming to just say so when suggesting bread service. Tsk, we we're looking forward t

Dinner was great! The hostess was able to seat us right away even though we came 20 minutes early, and also accommodated us by seating us inside (we were originally supposed to sit outside). The inside of the restaurant was comfortable and modern looking. Table seating was also well-spaced apart. I really enjoyed our food! The standout for me was the oysters on a half shell and the citrus sauce. That sauce will make your face pucker, but it's soo good! I finished off my oysters, then we continued to drink just the sauce off a spoon lol. My husband really enjoyed his duck on a bed of spinach, with tomatoes, potatoes, Fuji apple compote, and pancetta. I ended up getting the pork chop with apple compote, and potato pancake with horseradish creme fraiche. The key lime cheesecake bread pudding was also delicious. I would definitely come here again to try other items on their menu. My only reason for 4 stars and not 5 is because they ran out of shrimp (2 dishes that I initially wanted to order had shrimp), but we were not informed right away when given the menu.

# g r a t e f u l I’ve been here at least 10 times and the food has been delicious every time. Living within walking distance is a gift and a curse :) Tad (sommelier), Brandon, Aaron, Keli’i, Luke, Steve, Denise, Ange.. everyone is great. I always order the lamb burger! Pairs nicely with the Syrah. the gnocchi is a close second! **if you can, try their mango cheesecake bread pudding before it’s done**

Friendly staff. Even while waiting the hostess and host consistently provided us with updates. Knowledgeable serving staff that knows the menu items well. Management is always on the floor ensuring quick and accurate service an standard. Food is delicious and you can but the smoked ahi spread in stores.

If you go on a date or just a catch-up with some friends, you might wanna check out this restaurant. Great food, friendly staff, Nice area and parking lot provided.