Pilothouse Restaurant

One of the most unique restaurants in Sac!Located on the Delta King paddle boat, docked in Old Sac. Dine with a view of the water in the formal dining room or in the bar (that often has live music). The food seems to have been updated in recent years and the service is (usually) good. We were dining during an exceptionally busy night recently and the service did lag a bit, but we forgave it due to the busy nature of the night!They offer a variety of seafood, pasta and steak entrees, classically prepared and presented. And their desserts are excellent.Enjoy a special meal, with beautiful river views, aboard this historic Sac Town River boat!

I came here on Christmas Day. We actually made reservations couple weeks for a our party for Christmas day. We also even called to confirm the reservations but things did not go as planned the day of.When we arrived there, they seemed to have trouble finding our reservations. Long story short - we had to wait about 20-40 minutes for our table and we arrived on time/early for our reservation. So I was a little upset about that.After we were seated, we were given our menus. Well, to our surprise, they did not give us the correct menus for half our party. The short braised ribs fettucine was on it so when we went to order it, we were told by the waiter that's the wrong menu. So the events leading up to the meal made it seem like this restaurant is organize - potential loss reservation and handing out wrong menus? Also, we saw some tables with bread but we didn't get any complimentary bread either. I am a little confused if bread is or isn't complimentary. I didn't see bread on the menu either.I ordered the mahi mahi and had some appetizers. We got 3 appetizers to share among us - calamari, flat bread and the brussels sprouts. I thoroughly enjoyed the brussels sprouts and the sauce that came with it. The calamari wasn't bad and the flatbread was okay as well. The fish seemed overcooked and dry. Some people ordered the salmon and it seemed dry. The risotto seemed undercooked and not very good either. Overall, the food was very mediocre. After the meal, I overheard the staff requesting kids menu for a table. We have kids in our table and requested for a high chair so I am confused if they offer a kids menu. Kids menu wasn't offered or given to us so another point of disorganization in this restaurant.If you ask for parking validation, they do give you a piece of paper where you scan the barcode. I believe it took $6 off the parking price. We parked at one of the parking structures nearby as suggested on their website, somewhere near I and 2nd? We were also surprised by the 22% Christmas surcharge on our bill. Our service is also lacking. My son asked for more water but the wait staff refused it to him. They took away half our water cups and left the other ones near the end, and only chose to refilled certain water cups. The restaurant did feel very festive for Christmas though, it has lights and a Christmas tree which was nice. It did have a warm feeling. The service and food was definitely lacking though - not sure if I'll return again.

Dinner was incredible! It was a very busy holiday weekend evening, right after the Old Sacramento Theater of Lights (super sweet family event- and free!). The wait staff assigned to us was clearly overwhelmed but the manager, Sophia, jumped in and made us feel really taken care of.When dinner arrived it looked amazing and omg was it ever. Perfectly tender salmon and steak, literally cut the steak with a fork, melt in your mouth. Risotto also the perfect texture, creamy without being heavy or dense. All of the flavors came through, nothing was over salted or overwhelming.Really high quality food - expect to eat really well! Thank you Sophia and thank you to the chef. It was a memorable night out- I look forward to going back!

My husband and I made the decision to visit Pilothouse for the first time after a recent leisurely trip to Old Sacramento. The restaurant is located in a charming boat (Delta King) situated on the river. Upon entering, we immediately noticed the elevated noise level, which could be attributed to a large gathering and the enclosed nature of the space.We commenced our culinary experience by sampling the fried calamari, which we rated as 9 out of 10. It was a classic preparation, expertly fried, and seasoned to perfection. The accompanying aioli dipping sauce complemented the calamari exceptionally well. My husband opted for the King's margarita, which proved to be a solid choice.For our main courses, I selected the grilled mahi mahi. While the flavors and accompaniments, including wasabi mashed potatoes and broccolini, were commendable, the fish was slightly overcooked for my preference. My husband chose the flank steak entree, which was satisfactory for a flank steak dish. The chimichurri sauce was particularly noteworthy for its excellent flavor. However, the risotto accompanying the steak did not meet our expectations.In summary, our experience at Pilothouse was generally positive, and the service provided was excellent. We would consider returning in the future to enjoy the margaritas and calamari once again, while also exploring other menu options.

I went for Dine Downtown and was not disappointed. The 3 course menu and its choices were fantastic. The bacon wrapped prawns were excellent and the short rib ravioli was delicious, decadent. And very flavorful. Even the wine pairings and the spicy martini were great! I sat upstairs and was served by the bartender who was delightful. She was attentive and had great conversation. The ambiance was upscale and posh but very welcoming

We expected it to be busy on Christmas and didn't mind the extra long wait. It gave us time to enjoy the view . The view of the bridge was beautiful. Our server forgot the appetizers, and brought us the wrong check, then gave us back the wrong credit card. She was sweet but overstressed. The Mahi mahi was overcooked . Very dry, The pasta dish was amazing! First !time my daughter finished all of her dinner in awhile. The wine was good . There was a 22% "christmas surchage" added to the bill we did not know in advance.

We came here for an afternoon cocktail and decided to have lunch. Cocktails were very good I had a hurricane and my wife had a French 75. For lunch, my wife had the chicken sandwich. While a lot of potential, the bread ratio was off the charts. My wife tried to cut out the bread to try and achieve the right ratio. See image. I ordered the Fried Calamari sandwich. Two calamari patties which were clearly frozen and then cooked. Would not order again. Both our fries came mildly warm. Service was good and it was a beautiful day. It is a great venue on a day like this in Sacramento.

If I could give this place is zero or a -5 I would do it in a heartbeat. It was one of the worst experiences I've ever had in my life and I'm 62 years old and go out on a regular basis. My wife and I enjoy their couples went there at 4 o'clock to have dinner. We seated right at the bottom of the stairs and proceeded to order appetizers and cocktails.About 20 minutes later, the "manager in charge" came to me and asked me to talk to me privately. Since I already know that my voice carries, I told her there was no reason to pull me aside privately because I already know what you wanna talk to me about and I'm not embarrassed and my friends don't care. She insisted again so I told her a story about the movie, trading places that correlated to me and she said that was fine. Everything went downhill from there. Another 30 minutes went by, and they never even came by and took our food order. how nauseatingly inappropriate! The place wasn't even that busy and we really weren't that loud. Believe me when I say, I have a big mouth and was partying with my friends, but we were not even close to any volume that required attention. My buddy finally said... Let's just get the hell out of here. They obviously don't wanna serve us. So I got my $175 bill for appetizers and cocktails and told the waitress, which it really wasn't her fault, that you just lost out on about $500! I gave my number to her so the actual "manager" would call me and of course they never did because they suck. This place is beyond annoying! If you don't want my fucking money then fine but don't be such a bitch! We went over into old sac and spent almost $1000. Their loss. Get your shit together and quit acting like your hoity-toity! You're not!

I am obsessed with this restaurant. My second time eating here was for the Thanksgiving Buffet with family, and wooooow. So worth it.Things I ate and loved:* Macarons* Cake* Prime Rib with au jus sauce and fresh creme horseradish* Carved turkey with gravy obviously* Seafood and shellfish buffet (fresh oysters!)* Mashed potatoes* Fish fillet* Salad bar* So many other things I can't even remember Seriously so worth the money. I couldn't believe they were straight up slicing off huge pieces of prime rib with au jus and horseradish. That alone makes me dream of coming back here for Thanksgiving again.The family at the table next to us was large and inebriated, but extremely friendly, and we joked with them about how nice it is to not have to COOK on Thanksgiving and instead enjoy time out of the house at a nice restaurant!What's also nice is the view. We had a beautiful corner booth that gave us a wide window view of the Sacramento River, and the cute Christmas decor everywhere made it so festive and beautiful. I haven't had one bad thing at this restaurant in the two times I've been here, and just writing this review makes me want to come back!The service is always great. The food is fantastic. And the fact the restaurant is located in a really cool old ship just adds to the charm.Highly recommend!

My husband and I ate here for our anniversary dinner last night and I was very impressed!!! It has a calm and romantic atmosphere. Our server Sladjana was THE SWEETEST server we've ever had. She showed us some of the photos on the wall and told us a bit about the Delta Kings history. She was personable, friendly and just very pleasant overall. I had ordered a grilled ribeye and it was cooked perfectly. Melt in your mouth juicy type of steak. Pairs well with mashed potatoes and the broccolini. The shrimp cocktail was just ok, had a little dryness to it but still enjoyable. We will definitely come back!