Empress Tavern

ALIENS Pregaming Stop #2!SITREPSo, we left our new favorite stop the Ten Ten Room, but still had 40 minutes to kill before ALIENS started (killing us! Ha!). So we popped into here, one of our OLD favorites! LE LIBATIONSThank god for the classics! I immediately zoned in on one of my favorite bourbon drinks, the OLD FASHIONED.Our bartender made it perfectly balanced, with my favorite orange bitters and slice of mandarin.The best part though?.....TAKE YOUR FAVORITE ALCOHOL DRINK WITH YOU TO THE MOVIE!There was no way I would want/could finish my drink before the start of the movie. Luckily, however, Empress Tavern sits below The Crest Theatre and is part of the same company-ownership: so enter the simple courtesy that people can actually take their drinks from the Empress Tavern and go into The Crest Theatre through the shared inside door.The best part of this arrangement - in terms of drinks - is that The Crest Theater only sells Beer & Wine, and limited at that. They MAY have some sort of premixed concoction also available, but usually it's some overly sweet abomination mixed with ingredients and alcohol you don't want. So bringing the EXACT alcohol-beverage you like from the Empress Tavern with you is a huge plus of this arrangement.THE LOWDOWNLiterally, the best place to pregame before going into the Crest Theater with your favorite drink!

Came here to grab a drink and a bite to eat before seeing Nurse John at the Crest theater. What a great place, love the atmosphere. Very nice and attentive employees. We ordered the Brussel sprouts, shishito peppers, and the Mac & cheese. The Mac & cheese was my favorite.

Recently visited because we were going to watch a show at the crest theatre. We ordered a few drinks and a few things from their menu. We loved their Mac and cheese--super cheesy if that's what you're in to. The fried Brussels sprouts were good but not super crunchy. All in all, cool ambiance. Loved how it connects to Crest.

What a cute hidden gem in the heart of downtown Sacramento. The underground vibe of the space adds to the feeling of being somewhere else. While I didn't have any food, the drinks were spectacular and service was quick. I had the "Some Gourmet Shit" which was a delicious, coffee-based cocktail. I will definitely be back to try more.

Love the underground look! Fun music. Had to wait a bit for service at the bar but the bartenders was quick, friendly and not phased by my special order. Would love to come back when I'm not in a rush to see my show at the Crest,But totally cool to be able to take the drinks and food into the theater!

I'm so sad I didn't visit Empress Tavern sooner! We heard about it while attending a show at the Crest Theater, but didn't think it would be the right spot for us with so many local restaurants. We hear rumblings of their great fries and being able to bring drinks/snacks from there into the show.Well, on our most recent visit to the Crest Theater, for Bob's This is Wild Tour, we decided to give it a chance and my mind was blown. IT IS BEAUTIFUL! The brick work, the wallpaper, the lighting- SO COOL! How could I doubt it.We were immediately won over and mystified. BUT WAIT- The Menus are so cute!! They're formatted like scripts and had some very fun options.We made it in before the rush of theater attendees and ordered at the bar. I got the "No Redneck is this Creative" ($14) with Terroir gin, hibiscus infused white vermouth, and benedictine. I forget what my husband ordered, but he got one on menu and one "surprise me" drink from the bartender. We all enjoyed out drinks.We each ordered the Wolfman Burger ($18) as well. It came with fries on the side and was a simple yet SUPER flavorful burger with two smashed patties, cheese, lettuce, pickles and special sauce. I would order this again and again- it was so good. I definitely paused before getting it at an $18 price point, but I'm hungry just thinking about it. The reason I give it four stars instead of five is that they get VERY busy around showtime and the staff does an amazing job, but it does get loud and cramped. Also, their hours are weird. We heard they weren't supposed to be open the day we stopped in, but opened specifically for the show (and they were BUSY). I feel like the food and drinks should make this spot a must visit, even when they don't have shows and I'm not sure if their limited/changing hours may be holding them back or might be giving people FOMO.Regardless, I'll 1000% be back for more.

Fun place with delicious food & drinks, and nice people running things. The "new" Empress is casual and fun, like a sports bar vibe without the sports. The bartenders are down to earth and friendly, the cocktails are simple yet delicious and the food is like tasty elevated bar food. Tonight was bingo night which was a lot of fun. I recommend following their IG for the most up to date info rather than rely on their Google page and website because the info on google/website is out of date. Overall, I enjoyed my visit and I plan to return soon!

Empress Tavern has always been one of my favorite spots to dine. This place has a full bar, serves up tasty cocktails and small bites like fried chicken and mac and cheese. It wasn't too busy on our Friday visit at 6 pm, and surprised there was no happy hour menu. Still not a problem, we drank and ate! You order at the bar and the staff are very friendly and attentive. The fried chicken was crispy outside, juicy inside season with honey butter coriander cardamom spice. The mac and cheese was good however I would have preferred it to be a little creamier and favored. I also ordered a glass of Sauvignon blanc and the bartender topped it off to the rim it was spilling- thank you! It's a good spot for a chill evening out.

This place is a oasis form The Gotham city aka K st. Came in for a Pregame before WWE Smackdown. It was also happy hour too. Glad because I don't want to spend any drink money at Golden 1. The place looked fancy because of the bricks but the vibe was casual af like the bars I used to go to in Portland. Bartenders were cool and very casua, which is what I like personally. If I had to hit a bar on K. This place would be it. All that Club stuff out there is not my scene.

First time here last night, before a show at Crest theater. The drinks are strong. The bar attendants are friendly and nice. Great atmosphere. Just FYI to my vegan friends. I was told they no longer serve vegan burger. I was disappointed about that.