Hangtown Fry
Gold Rush bacon, oyster and egg scramble. Named for the town of Placerville, then called Hangtown. Served at California brunch counters across Sacramento.
Where: Fox & Goose Public House, Magpie, Bacon & Butter
Sacramento eats from the valley floor. California's capital sits where the Sacramento and American rivers meet, ringed by the Central Valley, the Sacramento River Delta, Capay Valley farms, the Sutter Buttes rice belt and the El Dorado and Amador wine foothills. Mayor Kevin Johnson declared the city America's Farm to Fork Capital in 2012, and the water tower took the slogan in 2017. The signature event is the Tower Bridge Dinner each September, a chef gala served at one long table along the Sacramento Tower Bridge that links Old Sacramento to West Sacramento across the river. The kitchen language is California seasonal cooking with three immigrant overlays: Mexican-American on the south side and West Sacramento, Vietnamese and Hmong along Stockton Boulevard, and Eastern European and Punjabi pockets across Carmichael and Rancho Cordova. Anchor rooms include Localis on S Street, Mother in midtown, The Kitchen for the chef's-counter format, Canon in East Sac, Allora on Folsom Boulevard and Hawks out in Granite Bay.
Eat your way through Sacramento
Map of Sacramento
Every restaurant, cafe, market and bar we cover in Sacramento, pinned. Click a pin for the page.
Where to eat in Sacramento: editor-picked starting points
5 institutional venues to anchor a Sacramento food trip
- The Kitchen , chef Kelly McCown
- Localis , chef Chris Barnum-Dann
- Canon , chef Brad Cecchi
- Ella Dining Room & Bar , chef Selland Hospitality Group
- Mulvaney's B&L , chef Patrick Mulvaney
Must-try Sacramento dishes
- Hangtown Fry - Gold Rush bacon, oyster and egg scramble
- Sacramento Delta Crawfish Boil - Spring and early-summer crawfish boil from the Sacramento River Delta, the freshwater crawfish capital of California
- Tower Bridge Dinner Heritage Course - Annual long-table chef gala served on the Sacramento Tower Bridge each September, the centrepiece of Visit Sacramento's Farm to Fork festival
- Stockton Boulevard Pho - Long-simmered Vietnamese beef pho from Stockton Boulevard, Sacramento's Vietnamese commercial corridor between Florin and 65th Avenue
- Frank Fat's Banana Cream Pie - Banana cream pie with a flaky crust, custard-set bananas and whipped cream, the signature dessert at Frank Fat's downtown Chinese-American room since 1939
Best Sacramento neighborhoods for food
- Midtown - The grid between J Street and Broadway, 16th and 28th, is Sacramento's dinner-and-drinks core
- East Sacramento - Quiet residential streets east of Alhambra, with Canon, Selland's and Pushkin's on Folsom Boulevard
- Downtown - Capitol Mall, the K Street corridor, the Crest Theatre and the Sutter Brown government corridor
- Old Sacramento - Twenty restored Gold Rush blocks along the Sacramento River, west of I-5
Must-try dishes in Sacramento
The plates that define eating in Sacramento.
Sacramento Delta Crawfish Boil
Spring and early-summer crawfish boil from the Sacramento River Delta, the freshwater crawfish capital of California. Peak season is Father's Day weekend.
Tower Bridge Dinner Heritage Course
Annual long-table chef gala served on the Sacramento Tower Bridge each September, the centrepiece of Visit Sacramento's Farm to Fork festival.
Where to eat Tower Bridge Dinner Heritage Course in Sacramento →
Stockton Boulevard Pho
Long-simmered Vietnamese beef pho from Stockton Boulevard, Sacramento's Vietnamese commercial corridor between Florin and 65th Avenue.
Where: Pho Momma
Frank Fat's Banana Cream Pie
Banana cream pie with a flaky crust, custard-set bananas and whipped cream, the signature dessert at Frank Fat's downtown Chinese-American room since 1939.
Where: Frank Fat's
Santa Maria-style Tri-tip
Coffee and chile-rubbed tri-tip roast carved across the grain, served with chimichurri or smoked salsa. The Central Valley's defining beef cut and Sacramento's barbecue centerpiece.
Where: Tank House BBQ and Bar, Hawks Provisions and Public House
Restaurants to know in Sacramento
A handful of the places we send friends to when they are in Sacramento.
Kin Thai Street Eatery
Kin Thai on 20th Street in midtown Sacramento is the city's only Michelin Recommended Thai room, sisters Napis and Napak's family Thai street kitchen.
Signature: Khao Mok Gai Tod, Kua Kling, Pou Nim Pad Phong Karee
Majka Pizzeria & Bakery
Majka on 15th Street, midtown Sacramento, is Alex Sherry and Chutharat Sae Tong's Michelin Recommended naturally-leavened pizza counter and bakery.
Signature: Naturally leavened pizza, Sourdough focaccia
Pho Momma
Pho Momma on Folsom Boulevard in Sacramento earned a 2025 Michelin Bib Gourmand, the city's most decorated pho counter with house pork wontons in the broth.
Signature: Pho, Pork wontons
Yue Huang
Yue Huang on Truxel Road, Natomas Sacramento, is the Michelin Bib Gourmand Cantonese dim sum and live-seafood room, the best yum cha in the Valley.
Signature: Dim sum, Live seafood
Zocalo
Zocalo on Capitol Avenue, midtown Sacramento, is the Michelin Recommended Mexican room set in a restored 1920s automobile dealership with Tlaquepaque artwork.
Signature: Ceviche, House tortilla tacos
Hawks Provisions and Public House
Hawks Provisions on Alhambra Boulevard, East Sacramento, opened 2015 as the sister room to Hawks Granite Bay. Michelin Recommended modern American with patio.
Signature: Burger, Wood-fired vegetables
Where to eat by neighborhood
Midtown (midtown/mid-town/midtown-sacramento)
The grid between J Street and Broadway, 16th and 28th, is Sacramento's dinner-and-drinks core. Mother, Allora, Empress Tavern and Temple Coffee anchor the blocks.
Best for: Dinner, Brunch, Cocktails, Coffee
East Sacramento (east-sacramento/east-sac/east-sac-fab-40s)
Quiet residential streets east of Alhambra, with Canon, Selland's and Pushkin's on Folsom Boulevard. The Fab 40s mansions, the McKinley Park brunch run.
Best for: Brunch, Bib Gourmand, Family
Downtown (downtown/downtown-sacramento/central-business-district)
Capitol Mall, the K Street corridor, the Crest Theatre and the Sutter Brown government corridor. Ella Dining Room & Bar, The Kitchen, Empress Tavern and the Tower Bridge.
Best for: Power lunch, Pre-theatre, Fine dining
Old Sacramento (old-sacramento/old-sac)
Twenty restored Gold Rush blocks along the Sacramento River, west of I-5. Wooden boardwalks, the candy stores, the riverboat brunches and the Tower Bridge approach.
Best for: River views, Tourist day, Brunch
Land Park (land-park)
South of downtown around William Land Park and the zoo. Freeport Bakery, Vic's Ice Cream, and the Riverside Clubhouse anchor a low-key Sunday food run.
Best for: Bakeries, Family, Ice cream
Oak Park (oak-park)
South of Broadway, the rising neighbourhood around Old Soul 40 Acres, Magpie and the Underground Books corridor. Coffee, hot chicken, brunch crowds.
Best for: Coffee, Brunch, BBQ
When to come hungry in Sacramento
Peak food season: May through October is peak farm to fork. April and May bring Delta asparagus, strawberries and the first stone fruit. July and August are the Capay Valley tomato and peach harvest. September is the Farm to Fork festival and Tower Bridge Dinner. October is Apple Hill apple-cider season on the Camino-Placerville road.
Local dining hours: Lunch 11:30 to 14:00, dinner 17:30 to 21:30. Most kitchens close by 22:00 on weeknights and 22:30 on Fridays and Saturdays. Brunch runs 09:00 to 14:00 on weekends, and the midtown rooms book up.
Tipping: Service is not included. 18 to 20 percent on dine-in is standard, 22 percent for excellent service. Counter and food cart stops: tip jar, $1 to $2 per plate.
Sacramento food, FAQ
What food is Sacramento known for?
Sacramento's signature dishes include Hangtown Fry, Sacramento Delta Crawfish Boil, Tower Bridge Dinner Heritage Course, Stockton Boulevard Pho, Frank Fat's Banana Cream Pie. See our signature dishes chapter for where to eat each.
What are the best food neighborhoods in Sacramento?
TableJourney editors map Sacramento by district. Midtown, East Sacramento, Downtown, Old Sacramento are among the strongest for food, each with its own guide.
Where should I eat fine dining in Sacramento?
Editor picks in Sacramento include The Kitchen, Localis, Ella Dining Room & Bar, plus the full fine dining chapter on TableJourney.
Are there food tours in Sacramento?
TableJourney covers 4 editor-picked food tours in Sacramento, with what each shows you and how much to budget.
Does Sacramento have good vegetarian or vegan food?
TableJourney's Sacramento dietary chapter covers vegan, vegetarian, gluten_free venues, each editor-picked with what to order and how to ask.