Bistros, trattorias and the everyday rooms where Sacramento actually eats.
Bistros, trattorias, taverns and neighbourhood rooms: the mid-tier places where Sacramento actually eats.
Fox & Goose on R Street, downtown Sacramento, opened 1975 as the city's English pub anchor, the long-running spot for British breakfast and live folk music.
Signature: British breakfast, Welsh rarebit
Order: The full British breakfast with squaw bread; Welsh rarebit at lunch
Tip: Breakfast daily 07:00 to 14:00. The bar runs into the evening with live music weeknights.
Frank Fat's on L Street, downtown Sacramento, is the Fat family's Chinese-American room that became the city's political-class watering hole.
Signature: Banana cream pie, Honey walnut prawns
Order: Banana cream pie at the end of the meal; honey walnut prawns
Tip: Booth seating is the photo op. Sister venues across the city under the Fat family banner.
OneSpeed on Folsom Boulevard in East Sacramento is Rick Mahan's bicycle-themed pizza counter from The Waterboy team, organic flour and DiNapoli tomato base.
Signature: California-style pizza, Seasonal salads
Order: The seasonal California-style pizza; the meatball appetiser
Tip: Tuesday to Friday 16:00 to 21:00, Saturday and Sunday 15:00 to 21:00. Walk-in or call ahead.
Amber Michel and chef Billy Zoellin's Bacon & Butter on Broadway in Sacramento is the city's Michelin Recommended California farm-to-fork brunch counter.
Signature: Brioche French toast, Chicken and waffles
Order: Brioche French toast, the seasonal chicken and waffles
Tip: Wednesday to Sunday 08:00 to 14:00. Expect a queue Saturday and Sunday after 10:00.
Magpie on 16th Street, midtown Sacramento, has run a daily-changing California farm-to-fork menu since 2005, the city's quiet seasonal seafood anchor.
Signature: Seasonal seafood, House pasta
Order: Whatever seafood arrived that morning; the seasonal pasta
Tip: Closed Monday. Tuesday and Wednesday dinner only; Friday and Saturday open at noon.
Empress Tavern beneath the Crest Theatre on K Street, downtown Sacramento, is an Alchemist CDC culinary incubator with rotating chef takeovers and pop-ups.
Signature: Rotating chef pop-ups, Cocktails
Order: Whatever the current rotating chef is serving; the cocktail menu shifts weekly
Tip: Thursday to Saturday 16:00 to 23:00. Happy hour runs 16:00 to 18:00 and 22:00 to 23:00.
Cafeteria 15L on 15th Street, downtown Sacramento, opened 2010 as a comfort-food room, bacon-wrapped meatloaf and craft cocktails for brunch.
Signature: Bacon-wrapped meatloaf, Breakfast waffle sandwich
Order: Bacon-wrapped meatloaf, the breakfast waffle sandwich, a Bloody Mary at brunch
Tip: Weekend brunch from 09:00 to 16:00. Patio bar takes the spillover. Walking distance from Capitol.
Tank House on J Street, midtown Sacramento, is the smoked-meat counter backing the 1881 water tank house, brisket and craft beer on tap rows.
Signature: Smoked brisket, Dirty tots
Order: Smoked brisket, the ribs, dirty mac and the dirty tots
Tip: Patio under the historic tank house. Full menu to 22:00 then late-night menu to midnight. Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives stop.
Burgers and Brew on R Street, midtown Sacramento, is the Niman Ranch half-pound burger counter with over 50 craft beer taps, five-location chain.
Signature: Niman Ranch burger, Craft beer flights
Order: The signature half-pound Niman Ranch burger; the bacon jalapeno cheeseburger; a craft tap flight
Tip: Patio for warm weather. 50+ taps rotate. Sister locations in Davis, West Sacramento, Chico and Folsom.
Squeeze Burger on Power Inn Road, Sacramento, is the long-running counter where a third-pound patty is buried in cheese that fries into a crisp skirt.
Signature: Squeezeburger with cheese skirt, Hand-cut fries
Order: The signature Squeezeburger with the cheese skirt; double Squeeze for the hungry; hand-cut fries
Tip: Counter ordering. Cash and card. Sacramento's original Squeeze Inn counter, on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
Mikuni on J Street, midtown Sacramento, is the Taro Arai Mikuni group flagship sushi room, the Northern California chain downtown branch outpost.
Signature: Incredible Roll, Lover Roll
Order: The Incredible Roll, the Lover Roll, the omakase nigiri course
Tip: Closed Monday. Happy hour at the bar. Sister locations in Folsom, Roseville and Fountains at Roseville.
Chando's Tacos on Arden Way is Lisandro Madrigal's 2010 original storefront, the family street-taco counter that relaunched in late 2025 after a pause.
Signature: Street tacos, NorCal burrito
Order: Street tacos with fifteen meats to choose from; the NorCal burrito with fries inside; mini tortas
Tip: Counter ordering. House stone-ground tortillas. Patio seating for warm weather. Family-friendly.
Hot Italian on 16th Street, midtown Sacramento, returned January 2025 to its original spot, 700-degree wood oven thin-crust Neapolitan pizzas.
Signature: Neapolitan pizza, Gelato
Order: The seasonal pizza from the wood oven; gelato to finish; an Italian craft beer or wine by the glass
Tip: Counter ordering for lunch, full service evenings. Espresso bar runs all day. The reopened original.
Petra Greek on 16th Street, midtown Sacramento, is the family-run Greek room with gyros and lamb plates, the anchor on the 16th Street midtown strip.
Signature: Gyros, Lamb plate
Order: The chicken or lamb gyro; the lamb plate with tzatziki; baklava to finish
Tip: Counter for quick lunch. Sister locations downtown at Golden 1 and at the Palladio in Folsom. Patio fills fast.
Tres Hermanas on K Street in midtown Sacramento is the Northern Mexico room run by sisters Sonia, Norma and Dora since 1996, chiles rellenos.
Signature: Chile relleno, Pork burrito
Order: Chile relleno; the pork burrito; horchata; weekend chilaquiles brunch
Tip: Closed Monday. Weekend brunch from 09:00. Cash and card. Patio takes the K Street crowd.
Mas Taco Bar on 15th Street in midtown R Street Corridor is the bold non-traditional taco room with pork belly tacos and a 50-tequila list bar.
Signature: Pork belly taco, Korean fried chicken taco
Order: The pork belly taco; the Korean fried chicken taco; a craft margarita flight
Tip: Patio runs along R Street. Happy hour drives the room. Sister locations downtown, Arden and Folsom.
Cornerstone on J Street in midtown Sacramento has run since 1994 as the neighborhood brunch counter with bottomless mimosas and breakfast all day.
Signature: Breakfast platters, Bottomless mimosas
Order: Breakfast all day; the bottomless mimosa brunch; classic American lunch plates
Tip: Walk-in friendly. Brunch crowd queues after 10:00. Sister location in West Sacramento.
Cafe Bernardo on R Street, midtown Sacramento, is the Paragary Restaurant Group neighborhood cafe with breakfast through dinner in a daylit room.
Signature: Burger plate, Breakfast scrambles
Order: The Bernardo burger; breakfast scrambles at brunch; the seasonal salad
Tip: Open from 08:00 daily. Patio seats are first come. Sister locations at Capitol Avenue and Pavilions.
Skip Kitchen on El Camino Avenue in Carmichael is the suburban gourmet burger counter north of midtown, the chef-driven greasy-spoon institution.
Signature: Gourmet burger, Mini beef Wellingtons
Order: The gourmet burger with the mac puppies; the mini beef Wellingtons; the hand-cut fries
Tip: Closed Sunday. Counter ordering and patio. The signature joker card draw gives one diner a free meal.
Vic Ice Cream on Riverside Boulevard in Land Park reopened January 2026 under new ownership, the 1947 Sacramento soda fountain with cones and pies.
Signature: Banana split, Sundaes
Order: The banana split, a hot fudge sundae, the classic milkshake
Tip: Closed Monday. Reopened January 3, 2026 after remodel. Counter ordering and small dining room with vintage stools.