Sacramento is one of Eater’s best places to eat in 2024. Which restaurants are ‘essential’?
Sacramento is one of the top 12 places to eat across the globe this year, according to Eater, a website focused on everything related to food and dining.
By using its global network of “on-the-ground contributors,” Eater compiled its list of the culinary destinations “hitting their strides in 2024.”
The wide-ranging list includes cities in Brazil, Egypt and Japan.
Eater called Sacramento “one of the most exciting dining towns on the map.”
“Blanketed by tranquil rice paddies, neat almond orchards and some of America’s strongest wine regions and agricultural areas, Sacramento is in the midst of a culinary revival,” the site said, noting that setting up a restaurant there is “relatively affordable” compared to the Bay Area. “A pit stop isn’t nearly enough to taste it all.”
Here are the “best places to eat” in 2024, according to Eater.
Eater: These are the top 12 places to eat in 2024
Eater listed these 12 destinations as the best places to eat this year:
Busan, South Korea
Cairo, Egypt
İzmir, Turkey
Medellín, Colombia
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Osaka, Japan
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Salvador, Brazil
Sacramento
Seychelles
Udon Thani, Thailand
Vorarlberg, Austria
What are the ‘essential’ Sacramento restaurants?
According to Eater, these are the 16 “best places to get a taste” of the Sacramento area’s renowned food scene:
1. Nixtaco
Owned by Monterey natives Patricio Wise and Cinthia Martinez, Nixtaco is known for its upscale tacos crafted with handmade blue corn tortillas. The restaurant was first awarded Michelin Bib Gourmand status and retained its rating in 2022.
Address: 1805 Cirby Way, Roseville
Phone number: 916-771-4165
2. Taqueria Rincon Alteño
Taqueria Rincon Alteño — which takes its name from the nickname for San Jose de Gracia in Jalisco, Mexico — is a family-owned business that serves Mexican cuisine, including burritos, tacos and seafood.
Address: 4301 Truxel Road, Sacramento
Phone number: 916-515-4815
3. Dubplate Kitchen & Jamaican Cuisine
Dubplate Kitchen & Jamaican Cuisine is the sister restaurant to JD’s Bakery & Cafe in Rocklin. The eatery offers several vegan options and Jamaican staples, including curry goat and jerk chicken.
Address: 3419 El Camino Ave., Sacramento
Phone number: 916-339-6978
4. Colo’s Southern Cafe
Colo’s Southern Cafe, owned and operated by Kevin and Tamar McCree, serves a wide range of dishes, such as oxtails, fried chicken and gumbo.
Address: 2326 Del Paso Blvd., Sacramento
Phone number: 916-692-8948
5. Jim-Denny’s American Diner
Located near Sacramento’s Southside Park, Jim-Denny’s American Diner has won over fans with classic comfort food such as burgers and tempura-battered cod sandwiches. It has an outdoor dining area where diners can enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Address: 816 12th St., Sacramento
Phone number: 916-616-2753
6. Mother
Midtown Sacramento restaurant Mother is an “endlessly creative eatery” that serves an all-vegetarian menu, The Sacramento Bee reported in September. Options include jerk-style carrots and chili verde with white beans and hominy.
Address: 2319 K St., Sacramento
Phone number: 916-594-9812
7. Sibling By Pushkin’s
Sibling By Pushkin’s is an offshoot of gluten-free bakery Pushkin’s. Its menu includes brunch bowls, vegan options and allergy-friendly baked goods.
Address: 1813 Capitol Ave., Sacramento
Phone number: 916-823-5520
8. Pizza Supreme Being
Pizza Supreme Being, owned by Ben Roberts, serves pizza inspired by multiple regions, including Neapolitan-style and New York-style pies.
Address: 1425 14th St., Sacramento
Phone number: 916-917-5559
9. Bawk! by Urban Roots
Bawk! by Urban Roots is a restaurant that “could be treated as more of a bar,” The Bee reported in 2019. Cocktails are paired with a range of fried chicken-based food options, including tacos, sandwiches and salads. Like Nixtaco, Bawk! by Urban Roots is set to open a new location at Sacramento International Airport.
Address: 1409 R Street, Sacramento
Phone number: 916-376-7531
10. Hawks Public House
Hawks Public House, which was honored with a Michelin star in 2022, is a gastropub-style restaurant and bar serving up “California cuisine done with Italian flair and French technique,”according to chef Derek Sawyer.
Address: 1525 Alhambra Blvd., Sacramento
Phone number: 916-588-4440
11. Binchoyaki Izakaya Dining
Binchoyaki Izakaya Dining’s distinct menu of small plates and daily specials reflect the lead chef’s culinary background in French, Italian, Spanish and Japanese cuisines.
Address: 2226 10th St., Sacramento
Phone number: 916-469-9448
12. Andy Nguyen’s Vegetarian Restaurant
Andy Nguyen’s Vegetarian Restaurant, located in midtown Sacramento, serves Vietnamese-inspired vegan and vegetarian dishes including spring rolls, noodle bowls and fried rice.
Address: 2007 Broadway, Sacramento
Phone number: 916-736-1157
13. Shoki’s Ramen, Gyoza & Koji
Shoki’s Ramen, Gyoza & Koji — a favorite in Sacramento’s Land Park neighborhood — offers a wide range of Japanese dishes including shrimp katsu and pork tonkatsu.
Address: 2530 21st St., Sacramento
Phone number: 916-454-2411
14. Las Palmas | Carniceria, Pupuseria & Taqueria
Popular dishes at Las Palmas, a Mexican-Salvadorian restaurant in south Sacramento, include carne asada tacos and chicken pupusas.
Address: 7386 Stockton Blvd., Sacramento
Phone number: 916-392-2095
15. Journey to the Dumpling
With two locations in the Sacramento region, Journey to the Dumpling offers customers a selection of Chinese cuisine, including salt-and-pepper spare ribs, chili wontons and xiaolongbao.
Address: 1700 21st St., Sacramento
Phone number: 916-822-4473
16. West Coast Taco Bar
West Coast Taco Bar began as a taco truck. In a poll conducted by The Bee in 2020, more than 2,500 respondents voted its its Bitchin Cali burrito the region’s best.
Address: 8791 Elk Grove Blvd., Elk Grove
Phone number: 916-647-4542
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