Twin Oaks Roadhouse

Twin Oaks Roadhouse is exactly what you’d hope to find in a country outpost like the tiny town of Penngrove: a real live roadhouse steeped in local music, barbecue and good beer.

Twin Oaks has been in operation since 1924 in tiny Penngrove, an agricultural community between Petaluma and Santa Rosa. The downtown is all of one block long and Twin Oaks is one of the must-stops. The place fairly oozes history and good vibes built over generations.

"The place fairly oozes history and good vibes built over generations."

Twin Oaks has been a passion project for Dean Biersch, the man behind the North Bay’s beloved HopMonk Tavern, a music and beer destination all its own. Where HopMonk has three locations, the Twin Oaks pours all its soul into one beer-soaked honkytonk. To honor the spirit of the place, Dean has kept things the same as they ever were with a concept that doesn't need updating: good music, good beer, good food and good times.

"Good music, good beer, good food and good times."

But Twin Oaks is more than a roadhouse. It’s an enduring part of Penngrove’s community and rural roots. It’s the kind of place where long-time customers pull up in ranch trucks or on horseback like regular Jessica Merget and her friends are known to do. She’s a volunteer with the nearby Wild Heart Restart Ranch, a wild and domestic horse rescue organization.

“Twin Oaks is a place where every kind of person can find something they like,” says Merget. “The staff is super friendly and you can't beat the back patio on a nice day. They've got bartenders who also teach in the community and work at other local restaurants. You can even find the manager, Chris, helping make food down at community events in the local park. Twin Oaks was also a major sponsor for Wild Heart's first ever Mustang Showcase, a fundraiser horse show we put on to demonstrate that mustangs could compete–and win–when placed in a horse show with domestically bred horses.”

"It’s the kind of place where long-time customers pull up in ranch trucks or on horseback"

Given Penngrove’s small size, you might even find “The Mayor” holding court at the bar. He’s another regular who knows Twin Oaks is something special. In an era of corporate dominated venues and ticket sales, Twin Oaks is a proud member of the National Independent Venue Association and doing its part to keep the local music scene as fresh and lively as the beer. The intimate stage has hosted the likes of Eek a Mouse, David Grisham, the California Honeydrops and the Supersuckers. The list goes on and so does Twin Oaks. Now that coronavirus is fading from view, the stage at Twin Oaks is hosting local and touring bands again and the dance floor will feature country line dancing for foot-stomping fun. Weekly trivia nights, too.