The Most Delicious Diners in Sacramento

Creekside Diner

★★★★☆ 4.3 (122) • $

"It was packed and we shared space with another couple that came in after us. The food from the menu was basic, but where they really shined was the daily specials. I shared the requisite country fried steak, but went with the cinnamon French toast which was a treat!"

Flapjacks

★★★★☆ 3.9 (340) • $$

"A classic diner with a friendly staff that provides exceptional service and delectable dishes. The portions were generous and the prices were reasonable considering the amount of food provided."

Loree's Little Shack

★★★★☆ 3.8 (164) • $

"Wandered in on a lark during my 5-mile walk. Saddled up to bar and ordered the Cucumber jalapeno margarita. Very very good. Was also karaoke night so free entertainment. Definitely going for the hole in the wall vibe. I liked it. I wanted to try the bread pudding but I forgot my wallet :("

The Knott Hole

★★★★☆ 3.7 (68) • $

"Tiny little place, food was very reasonable and large portions. My hubby had a cheeseburger, I had chicken tacos (they were out of beef), I read in the reviews that Jake makes an excellent lemon drop, I asked the bartender/cook if she could make me one, she said she didnt have the stuff, but I also overheard her saying Jake would be here tomorrow... (bet he coulda made me one), they're time consuming to make, she was the only one working there, so, didn't really blame her for not wanting to make one. It's the only place to get a bite near sky park lake (Jenkinson lake). Love these tiny bar dives!"

Lil Joe’s

★★★★☆ 4.1 (214) • $$

"A Great Diner...go back in time and enjoy real stick to your ribs food.Real coffee that will bring back memories. Biscuits and gravy and the gravy is hot.They also are very nice and to seniors and their ailments."

Chubby's Diner

★★★★☆ 4.4 (502) • $$

"The service is fast and the food is amazing. Their number 10 item on the breakfast menu is chicken fried steak with gravy, hash browns, and toast. I eat a ketogenic diet. When I take vacations, this is the bomb!"

Pancake Circus

★★★☆☆ 3.1 (554) • $$

"Nostalgic atmosphere like your from the 70s. Loved everything about the old decor reminded me as a child growing up eating with my parents in the 70s. Flavorful. Really good breakfast and their pancakes were good as well. This is an old gem"

Mel & Faye's Diner

★★★★☆ 3.6 (520) • $$

"Found ourselves in Jackson tonight and there were only a couple of restaurants open within walking distance. We didn't want to pay for the more expensive Italian restaurant and ended up at Mel and Faye's. The place was hopping! Inside and outside. We ended up getting and splitting a 10 oz NY Steak w/salad, vegetables, Texas toast and baked potato. It was more than enough for both of us. Our server was adorable! I can't remember the last time we got that kind of attention, especially when they were so busy and missing a couple of servers. It was obviously a favorite for locals and it was enjoyable to watch their interactions."

Bert's Diner

★★★★☆ 3.5 (404) • $$

"Great diner that takes you back in time! Food is delish, service is fast and friendly and you will leave stuffed! Love the atmosphere as well, they still keep it very retro with the jukebox and you can still play songs from your table! They also have an outdoor patio as well. I was craving breakfast and splurged with the chicken fried steak breakfast with hash browns. Hubby had lunch and opted for the mushroom burger with fries. The chicken fried steak was epic, cooked perfect and huge! Hubby loved his mushroom burger and satisfied his craving for a good burger. I saw that they have some great specials on Fridays and Sundays so I will need to return soon!"

Firehouse Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.1 (74) • $

"We stopped here for breakfast burritos and yes they were the best in the county I'd say. Kind family establishment. Service was good."

Tack Room Restaurant & Bar

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (86) • $$

"Be sure to make reservations for this little gem! We love local hangouts, and this fits the bill. Expect to appear knowledgeable about when and where to enter. Thankfully, we were greeted at the bar (and duly reprimanded for not having a reservation). Pretty neat system, though. Each reservation has a pre-assigned table, and we didn't see anyone else come in after everyone arrived. Amazingly diverse specials, and we stumbled across Wednesday night beef ribs, and boy, were we glad to find those! Savory-sweet, sticky deliciousness, just like beef ribs should be. Abandon all etiquette and dive into those! We were told to arrive early on Sundays for prime rib... reservation already made!Our original choice was rib eye, of course, so we got one of each order, ribs and steak, and shared them. Again, steak exactly as it should be: flavorful, tender, and plentiful. Heavenly. Service is spotty because of how busy it is, but after our food arrived, we didn't care. Busy eating! We did manage to get drinks from the bar, though. Don't skip dessert. We had the white chocolate raspberry cheesecake, which did not disappoint, and we're cheesecake afficionados, so our approval is well won."

Golden Ox Diner

★★★★☆ 3.8 (262) • $$

"Menu has something for everyone. Decor is fun and kids love the train. Never a bad experience"

Original Mikes Diner

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (375) • $$

"10/29/2023Visiting our old stomping grounds..I know I've had reviews in the past..So good to see they are doing really well..Lots of regulars and buzzing with friendly staff..Orders: breakfast burrito- big and full of ingredients..Two egg with bacon - perfect and hit the spot for me..Son got the scrambled eggs and sausage and he devoured it!So glad we came!Coffee was always filled to the brim!Can't wait for lunch.."

Eppies Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4 (111) • $$

"The owner is the sweetest lady. We always get good service. We used to go here a lot when we lived in West Sacramento because my dad loved the mashed potatoes, gravy, and shrimp. The food is good and they give you a big portion."

Humpty Dumpty Kitchen

★★★★☆ 3.8 (240) • $$

"I seem to not be able to try anything else since I have tried this.... I just know this is good and I only get down here every so often so I stick with what I know.. .. which ever time I do come down to Grass Valley I do eat here.. they always have a line at the door but the line goes quick. The service is always good and the girls are always filling your cups. The place does have two stories and is very open, this makes it to where it doesn't get real loud and noisy with all the people... you can have a conversation without yelling."

Train Station Coffee Shop

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (158) • $$

"Good customer service and amazing food. Glad I found this place. My wife said it was the best burger she ever had. The chicken fried steak was very tasty. We will be back for sure."

The Morning Fork

★★★★☆ 4.3 • $$

"If you arrive around noon, be prepared for a bit of a wait, but I think it's definitely worth it. When you get there, you'll find a clipboard where you can write down your name and the number of people in your party. While you're waiting, I recommend browsing through the menu so you can make your decision as soon as you're seated. Once your table is ready, they'll call your name.We were a group of four and decided to order a variety of dishes to share. I kicked things off with a delightful mimosa called "Lavender Sparkles," which was not only delicious but also visually stunning, thanks to the edible glitter they add! As for the food, I'm a big fan of Eggs Benedict for brunch, so I chose the BLUE LUMP CRAB & BAY SHRIMP CAKE. My husband had the SAGE FRIED CHICKEN & WAFFLE, my brother-in-law went for the CORNED BEEF HASH, and my mother-in-law picked the SEAFOOD OMELET. Everything was absolutely scrumptious! The portion sizes were just right, and we even had some leftovers to take home. Some people have commented that the dishes could use more seasoning, but there are plenty of condiments available at the table to adjust the flavors to your taste. Sign in sheet out side of the right side of door (widow with all the stickers) *see photoAll in all, the service, food, and atmosphere were fantastic. I can't wait to return!"

Sterling Café

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (263) • $$

"Food is make fresh and server is friendly with big smiles. Playing nice jazz music great breakfast/ lunch place."

Pacific Street Cafe

★★★★☆ 3.9 (348) • $$

"Had the blueberry pancakes with a side of bacon and eggs it was delicious. The service was fast for Saturday morning."

Rey Azteca Restaurant Bar

★★★★☆ 4 (588) • $$

"Visited again yesterday, consistently amazing food and friendly service. Never a bad experience."

Sette Pasta House

★★★★★ 4.5 (187)

"I went here for lunch and they have a nice 2 for $20 deal. Which is one of their pastas at lunch portion size and one of their salads. My lasagna did have a $2 up charge to be able to do the lunch combo price. The focaccia bread appetizer was great, I loved how they had 3 different dipping choices to try with the bread not your typical olive oil/ balsamic combo. The whipped butter and garlic were my favorites. The bread is made in house and came nice and warm at the table. The bread did taste a bit denser than typical foccacia but still tasty For the lunch combos, I had lasagna with sette pasta and my husband had the fettuccine shrimp with sette pasta. We both loved our salads. Very light and refreshing. My lasagna was good and everything is made in house. The sauce was very light and not heavy on the cheese. My husband fettuccine was cooked al dente but the sauce was really oily and a bit salty. Overall, this place is worth checking out and everything is homemade. I wouldn't compare this to authentic Italian restaurants but it is a nice quick bite to eat when you are craving pasta"

Roc & Sol Diner

★★★★☆ 4.4 (413) • $$

"First visit to Roc & Sol Diner. Attentive servers got us seated pretty quickly. We love the Oregon Blue Cheese salad and follow these folks wherever they offer it. Branched out to try the vegetable scramble with hash brown. Large entrees with lots of vegetables allowed me to take home a generous portion, yum. Pleasant and professional folks. Acoustics pretty good, easy to have conversations. Easy parking. We'll be back."

Stagecoach Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.2 (647) • $$

"South Sac's greatest!! I treated my mom to brunch at Stagecoach for Mother's Day! My mom loves this place. I love the old Western feel of the restaurant. The staff were so kind and all smiles. Our server, Maddy, was nice and patient with answering our questions about the menu. It was breezy outside at the time when we went to eat, so, we decided to enjoy eating on the veranda. I ordered the partner #1 breakfast: country fried chicken, eggs, and butter grits, and my choice of side was a biscuit, I asked for gravy. My mom ordered country fried pork chops, rice with gravy, toasts, and french fries. We loved every bite of our meal! And had plenty for left overs to take home. I ordered their strawberry lemonade....which was soooooo good. Strawberry puree is included and tasted so fresh....I'm pretty sure it's made in house! Thanks Stagecoach for the great grub and friendly service! I look forward to return soon! :)"

Royal India

★★★★☆ 3.5 (45) • $$

"Mixed feelings.... the food tasted good, the issue was there wasn't much of it. It's been a good minute since I've been to an Indian AYCE lunch buffet but the ones I've been to usually had a selection twice the size. Ambiance is non-existent, didn't feel like you were stepping into little India or anything, more like a basic dining room. My family loves goat curry (over lamb curry) and we were happy to see that it was one of the very few items to choose from....HOWEVER.... there was hardly an anyy meat in the container, it was 90% sauce and so we asked him to refill it. Each time he put in basically enough for 1 person, we asked about 4 times over the course of an hour so since there are 10 of us, most did not get any. I personally prefer butter chicken and it tasted pretty good here. There was another curry with chicken but didn't try it because I'm happy with my butter chicken. Buffet includes fresh made naan but only the plain kind, most other places included garlic naan. Not a deal breaker since it tasted amazing fresh out the oven but noteworthy if you're expecting garlic to be included. Tandoori chicken was decent, didn't bother with desserts. They didn't even have samosas, just some strange deep fried thing that resembled a finger. The guy running the front of house seemed a new, he didn't know about the yelp check in deal and he rarely checked on us for water etc. My family were already a little mad at him with the goat curry situation, maybe it wasn't his call but you know, we need to blame somebody lol. It had the potential to get 5 stars from me, I don't need a big selection since I'm happy as long as my favorites are present, plus your eyes are bigger than your stomach. But since I'm reviewing in behalf of our entire party it loses a star due to the goat situation. Here's my reason why it lost the 4th star also..... they charge for babies/toddlers! Anybody under 8 pays 50%, we had a 2yr old and a 3yr old that were basically content with rice and naan. I'm not sure if this common now but I don't recall a time when a restaurant charged for people this young. Toddlers can't eat 50% of an adult, they probably struggle with 10%, 5-8yrs old I understand but below that? Ridiculous."

The Original Mels

★★★☆☆ 3.1 (498) • $$

"Came here for dinner. Customer service was great. The location and vibes were good. Ordered chicken and waffles. Which was good. The chicken tenders were above average. While also being nice and crispy. The waffles were really good."

The Village Coffee Shop

★★★★☆ 4.2 (156) • $$

"Stopped by to enjoy some amazing breakfast at The Village Coffee Shop on my way up to Sacramento. Amazing food! Came in hungry and left full! Our server Mariah did a wonderful job always topping off my coffee and making sure I had what I needed. Great people, good atmosphere! Can't wait to come back again!"

Marlene & Glen's Dead Fly Diner

★★★★☆ 4.2 (266) • $$

"A little late posting since we went here on Valentine's Day. We were seated right away since we had a reservation. Was not too busy when we were first seated but it started filling up quickly. There were only 3 menu choices but that was ok with us. Only one waitress handling whole restaurant but she was quick,very friendly and laughed and smiled the whole evening! She did have a little help with other staff serving drinks,soups and salads to other guests. Overall, customer service was great!! Food was good as well. My steak was cooked perfectly and husband said his chicken Alfredo was delicious!! This was a Valentine's Day special and in our opinion it was delicious and price was reasonable. Hubby liked it so much he wants to go again! Restaurant was pretty basic diner but they did decorate it for Valentine's Day. Restaurant was clean and pretty spacious. As I stated we will be going back again, probably for lunch."

The Original Mels

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (263) • $$

"So happy to finally check out this Mel's Diner after being closed for construction upgrades! I love how the hostess asked for our drink order after she sat us down. It was a hot day and we were thirsty! Next Jessica took care of us as we ordered our delicious Mel's Sampler (chicken strips, buffalo wings, beer battered onion rings, fries, mozzarella sticks, BBQ sauce, ranch dressing and marinara dipping sauce), Philly cheesesteak sandwich, corned beef and hash, and kid's grilled cheese sandwich. Delicious food, great hospitality, reasonable prices, clean restaurant and restrooms, love the music from back in the day and cheerful ambience! Thank you, Jessica, for taking great care of our family!"

California Burgers

★★★☆☆ 2.9 (466) • $$

"I had a chili cheeseburger with fries.Burger was cooked perfect and the chili was on point.Fries were good as well.The man at the counter was personable and the food was ready within 5-10 minutes.Restaurant was neat and clean.I will be going back here again.Thank you for the pleasant experience."

C and T's Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.9 (128) • $$

"I wanted breakfast at a cafe, and my husband wanted a breakfast burrito. We found ourselves searching Yelp on a road trip and this place came up and delivered on both our wishes! We shared a bacon breakfast burrito, which came with a side of hash browns, and it was delicious. I don't know if it was the particular blend of cheeses, or because it was served wet-style, topped with salsa, sour cream and avocado, but it was so flavorful. One of the best breakfast burritos I've had. The size provided plenty of food for both my husband and I, which made the $16.99 breakfast price worth it."

Waterfront Cafe

★★★★☆ 3.6 (14) • $

"Straight to this point... Building is great. Location sucks. Food is average-It'll look good and smell good, but the food is ALWAYS plain! It gets crowded during lunch of course since there's like over 10 floors. Price of food will average around $6 and when you add everything up... it'll be close to $8-$10 just for lunch. Although, their turkey burger is the best out of anything that's on the daily menu. Good thing they have seats outside because it does get crowded when there's a board meeting or something. Building is really an eco-friendly place and people get amazed at the "glass building." Suggestion: Some people just want fast and easy food... Not a "tier 2" level food."

Cantina Azteca

★★★★☆ 4.2 (564) • $$

"Great service, attention to our children, and food. The best experience we had in any restaurant in a while. Prompt seating, hot food, perfect amount of attention from our server, Gloria!"