Several places in downtown, midtown and East Sacramento are especially well-suited for a midday pick-me-up, giving you crucial energy to visit Sacramento’s many museums, historical sites and cultural attractions. Better yet, lunch places rarely exist for solely this one meal and some of the best spots also serve brunch or extend operations into nighttime with great menus that can flexibly accommodate whatever schedule you’re on.
Feature photo: Courtesy of Ella Dining Room and Bar
Downtown
1116 15th St, Sacramento
916.492.1960
Named after the intersection it occupies, Cafeteria 15L’s beloved urban brunch and shared lunch-dinner menu brings comfort food to Capitol Park. Courtyard patios, an indoor lounge, a large public space and private dining rooms at Cafeteria 15L are all ideal settings for reliably delicious salads, perfect cooked pastas, sandwiches and classic fried chicken.
1117 11th St, Sacramento
916.898.1071
This is the epitome of urban dining in the capital region, sitting on Prelude’s patio with the state Capitol rotunda in plain sight. How many business and political deals are going down over ice tea or white wine? The lunch menu includes risotto with leeks and truffle oil, an Angus burger on a fluffy brioche bun, and a “chopped sandwich” on a hoagie stacked with mortadella, salami, bacon, cheese and vegetables.
1425 14th St, Sacramento
916.917.5559
This wildly popular downtown pizza spot has found a winning formula for a great pie: thin sourdough crust, gobs of pepperoni (there’s vegan, too!), and Cypress Grove’s Midnight Moon, a gouda-style goat cheese, in the grated mix. Get some while you can — once they run out of dough for the day, that’s it. Pizzas available include cheese, vegan cheese, pepperoni, Greek veggie, Hawaiian and hot coppa jalapeño. Also on the menu: several subs — meatball, salami and lamb.
816 12th St, Sacramento
Jim-Denny’s has been a downtown Sacramento favorite since 1934, with state workers and politicians chowing down on burgers, hot dogs, fries and other diner favorites. After closing in 2020, Jim-Denny’s was brought back to life in 2023 by local restaurateur N’Gina Guyton, who brings a little bit of the deep South to the table. Specials include spaghetti rings; shrimp and grits; fried chicken, greens and biscuit; and meat loaf and mashed potatoes. You can still get burgers, dogs and fries, too!
1131 K St, Sacramento
916.443.3772
Operated by the locally acclaimed Selland restaurant family, Ella offers Michelin-recognized fare in downtown Sacramento. French cheeseboards and Italian carbonara as well as fried half chickens and whole chilled lobster are fixtures in this sophisticated yet inviting space. Seating arrangements can flexibly host small and large groups across Ella’s different dining rooms, lounge, separate banquet and board rooms. A climate-controlled, beautifully decorated patio looking out to the proximal Sacramento Convention Center and lively K Street is not to be missed.
Midtown
1701 R St, Sacramento
916.244.4016
Beast + Bounty is just as attractive for vegetarians as those looking for roasted protein. Lunch shines in this modern stylish spot, where owners and chefs bring expertise from popular restaurants elsewhere in Midtown to create Beast + Bounty’s mouthwatering kale and Brussels sprout charred steak salads, brunch Benedict pizzas, marinated lunch bowls and smoked sandwiches. Guests will also appreciate the outdoor eating patio and bocce ball court outside the building’s exposed historic brick wall made from remains of a much older building in this historic R Street location.
1800 L St, Sacramento
916.447.9440
In the Handle District, Aïoli Bodega Española provides a traditional Spanish dining experience for lunch or dinner, with a menu full of tapas, paellas and raciónes (bigger than tapas, smaller than entrées), as well as plenty of craft cocktails, beer and wine, and — of course — a refreshing fruit-laden sangria. One specialty: the zarzuela de mariscos, a seafood stew loaded with shrimp, calamari, mussels, clams and fish. Fair-weather diners will enjoy the pretty, tree-canopied patio.
1530 J St, Sacramento
916.447.2112
Mikuni, a local sushi establishment with eight locations in the Sacramento region — and one in Concord — exploded onto the scene with an inventive and extensive menu of rolls (many with Sacramento-centric names, such as the Kings roll — named for the purple-proud NBA team whose home court is at nearby Golden 1 Center), nigiri, bento boxes and plates. Chef Taro Arai, Mikuni’s “chief dreaming officer,” is a local celeb, credited by some locals for making sushi popular in Sacramento. The midtown restaurant, in the historic East End Lofts building, is convenient to many downtown and midtown attractions
1050 20th St, Sacramento
916.706.2636
This watering hole draws big crowds for happy hours and live music events in the evenings, but is a great spot to grab a burger or house-made sausage sandwich (on a pretzel roll) for lunch, to devour alongside a bagful of duckfat fries at one of LowBrau’s long communal tables — including ones outside on the shady deck overlooking Sacramento’s lively Lavender District, where LGBTQ+ flags fly and crosswalks are painted with rainbow striping.
East Sac
3145 Folsom Blvd, Sacramento
916.822.8720
OBO’ Italian Table and Bar is the Selland family’s manifestation of Italian-inspired, California produced casual dining. Wood-fired pizza, a sandwich deli, regionally-gathered greens salads, warm or chilled Italian pastas are ordered at the counter which accommodates quick midday grab and go bites, while indoor and patio seating with a full bar will make dining in a comfortable experience. Natural lighting showcases the interior eating room and shaded outdoor patio facing East Sacramento’s lively Folsom Boulevard.
5340 H St, Sacramento
916.736.3333
A tremendous hit since the Selland family opened this flagship in 2001, Selland’s has three Sacramento area locations, and all are upscale, casual, go-to spots for sandwiches, salads, wood-fired pizzas, combo plates, and hot and cold deli dishes that run the gamut from specialty mac and cheese and salmon filets to a three-salad sampler.
3340 C St, Sacramento
916.443.5402
How about a Meatball Mafia sandwich? It’s loaded with meatballs, melted provolone, Parmesan, plus tomato, onion and jalapeño. One of Roxie’s chicken marinara sandwiches or a house combo (turkey & pastrami, Italian combo or veggie) will fill hungry lunchers, too. In addition to sandwiches, Roxie pumps out barbecue via a big smoker on the front patio that does tri-tip, pulled pork, ribs, brisket, chicken and meatloaf.
4801 Folsom Blvd, Sacramento
916.400.3075
For rice bowls, ramen, banh mi, cold noodle salad and green salad, customers can choose the sauces, proteins and extras. Sauces include charred onion glaze, fermented chile miso, and hot chile. Proteins: grilled chicken, fried chicken, pork belly, smoked tri-tip or marinated tofu. Folks can add a 63-degree egg, some avocado or a pile of house vegetables for a filling lunch with plenty left over for dinner.
Who’s writing these?
Meet our always-hungry team of foodies who compiled this list.
Please let us know if we’ve missed your favorite eat@localgetaways.com.
