Where can you cheer the Sacramento Kings in the playoffs? Here are our best sports bars
Yeah, no thanks. The environment will be almost as good for a fraction of the price in the Sacramento area’s best sports bars, where Kings fans (and inevitably, a few Warriors diehards) will cheer on their squads beginning Saturday.
These are my favorite sports bars around the region at which to catch a game, for their atmosphere as much as their food and drinks.
Fieldhouse American Sports Pub (1310 Fulton Ave., Suite D, Sacramento): People regularly cram into this 10-year-old Arden Arcade’s central bar for fights and football, but most of the 18 TVs will show the Kings when playing. Food is approachable and fun, such as a whiskey Gouda cheeseburger or Gilroy garlic fries, and there are lighter options as well.
Goose Port Public House (316 Vernon St., Roseville): Al Santos’ downtown Roseville sports bar has 10 TVs showing sports, 23 taps pouring beer. Yet on a mostly-familiar menu, dishes starred with the Portuguese flag stand out, such as a linguiça sandwich that pays homage to Santos’ roots.
Limelight Bar & Cafe (1014 Alhambra Blvd., Sacramento): A Philadelphia Eagles bar come football season, this watering hole on the East Sacramento/midtown border will be lively for the Kings’ playoff run as well. If the game gets out of hand, you can always mosey over to the adjoined card room for some poker or blackjack.
Public House Downtown (1132 16th St., Sacramento): Formerly known as Firestone Public House, the Wong brothers’ elevated sports bar at 16th and L streets has tons of natural light, 60 beers on tap and one of Sacramento’s best happy hours. You can get a $30 “King Size Platter” with waffle fries, chicken wings and more during all of the team’s games, or a “Light the Beam” lavender lemonade margarita.
West Sac Sports Bar & Grill (3340 Jefferson Blvd., West Sacramento): West Sac Sports Bar & Grill feels like a true locals’ joint. A Monday night playoff game would coincide with cook Malee Thaisong’s weekly Thai dinner takeover.
What I’m Eating
Ikea’s Swedish meatballs may be hard to pass up, but there’s a more vibrant, tastier alternative a short drive away from the furniture store’s West Sacramento location. Manaao Thai Cuisine is Wantana Rusjan and Paul Phoonset’s family-run restaurant, serving Thai classics as well as regional fortes.
Rusjun’s parents opened Manaao in 2009 after immigrating from northeastern Thailand, also known as Isan, an economically-depressed region where most people are ethnically Lao. Sticky rice and meat skewers rule Isan cuisine, and “Mom’s Specialty” still gets its own section on the menu.
That section and one called “back menu” are home to Manaao’s most interesting dishes, such as a hot pot stew called tom zabb kra dook moo ($19). Pork ribs, white button mushrooms and coconut meat swam in a restorative broth that was tangy, spicy and salty.
The poo nim pad pong karee ($20) is worth ordering as well. Its star is deep-fried soft-shell crab, the crunch of which can barely be heard through an earthy yellow curry with mushrooms, orange tomatoes and bell peppers.
Pla pad cha ($20) looked like a spice lover’s dream, its tender white fish surrounded by yellow peppercorns, garlic chili paste and green pepper slices. In reality, it was reserved enough to enjoy the sublimely-cooked protein, though a plastic cauldron of rice is still recommended.
Manaao Thai Cuisine
Address: 715 Harbor Pointe Place, Suite 200, West Sacramento.
Hours: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and 4:30-9:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Happy hour is a convenient 6-9 p.m. on weekdays.
Phone number: (916) 572-0792
Website: http://manaaothaisac.com/
Drinks: Full bar; soft drinks include sodas and Thai iced tea.
Animal-free options: Many, though they’re Thai restaurant staples rather than the more obscure dishes.
Noise level: Surprisingly quiet, given the concrete floors.
Openings & Closings
Fans of The Coconut on T, The Coconut River Park and Drunken Noodle can now get the homey Thai restaurants’ dishes in Arden Arcade. The Coconut Fulton opened Friday at 2851 Fulton Ave., owner Nan Pangpanga confirmed in a text message.
Pacific Coast Pasta Co. opened its El Dorado Hills deli at 5003 Windplay Dr., Suite 1 in the Windplay Business Center. It’s been a mobile pasta vendor in the city for the past five years, but Michael Tringale’s first brick-and-mortar location will focus more on sandwiches.
Folsom has a new all-vegetarian Indian restaurant with many vegan options: Mantra, which opened at 1870 Prairie City Road, Suite 500. Billed on its website as a “new age” restaurant, it offers dishes scarcely seen around Sacramento such as pongal (South Indian porridge) and a smoked paneer corn sandwich.
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