These 20 new restaurants just opened around Sacramento
At least 20 new restaurants opened around the Sacramento region in February, from a groundbreaking Ethiopian eatery to a celebrity pizza-maker’s suburban slice shop.
A total of five new restaurants opened in downtown and midtown Sacramento. These openings expanded the dining options of state workers and urban residents to include farm-to-fork and Mexican seafood restaurants as well as Moroccan cuisine.
In the suburbs, Folsom had three new openings, Roseville and Elk Grove each had two and Rancho Cordova, Fair Oaks, Loomis and Granite Bay had one apiece.
Big Apple Bagels (711 E. Bidwell St., Folsom): Open in El Dorado Hills since 2015, this bagel chain with deli sandwiches went “over the hill” to add its second Sacramento-area location in Commonwealth Square shopping center.
Buckhorn BBQ & Grill (801 14th St., Sacramento): This downtown Sacramento tri-tip sandwich and salad shop is the most casual spin-off from Winters-based Buckhorn Steakhouse yet: with no seating, all items are meant to be enjoyed in a park, a car or back at one’s home or office.
Flora & Fauna Provisions (849 J St., Sacramento): After years of pop-ups and catering gigs, Angelika Feldman and Christopher Lee’s farm-to-fork cafe debuted Feb. 5 on the ground floor of downtown Sacramento’s Park Tower with challah French toast, sesame-crusted ahi tuna salads and French onion dip beef sandwiches.
Green Grill (6867 Douglas Blvd., Granite Bay): Rajbir Randhawa’s Ayurvedic-influenced clean eating concept expanded to Placer County from a preexisting Rancho Cordova location (formerly known as Baagan), with Indian dishes such as shahi chicken korma as well as mushroom burgers and burrito bowls.
Gursha Ethiopian Cuisine (1821 Douglas Blvd., Suite C5, Roseville): Eaters use housemade injera to pinch shiro wat (stewed chickpeas) or gomen be siga (seasoned ground beef with collard greens) at Placer County’s first Ethiopian restaurant, which opened Feb. 3 at Placer Center Plaza.
Halal Shop (3116 Stockton Blvd., Sacramento): Students gobbled up chapli kebabs over rice and chicken tikka burgers at Halal Shop’s UC Merced and San Francisco State University locations; now the fast-casual concept has come to Oak Park, a few blocks from the UC Davis Medical Center.
Happy Dumplings House (8469 Elk Grove Blvd., Suite 8, Elk Grove): A new Chinese restaurant in Laguna Plaza, Happy Dumplings House serves up dumplings and wontons stuffed with fillings such as beef and celery or preserved egg and pork, plus noodles and saucy proteins.
Holaloha Fusion Restaurant & Bar (9580 Oak Avenue Parkway, Suite 8, Folsom): Hawaiian-Mexican fusion meets in the form of grilled chicken teriyaki tacos and loco moco burritos at Alyssa Caballero and Joe Garnica’s restaurant in Folsom Village shopping center, which replaced The Canyon Grill and Alehouse.
I Heart Mac & Cheese (1631 K St., Sacramento): Lactose-forward meals such as gooey flatbreads, grilled cheese sandwiches and loaded macaroni and cheese bowls rule at this fast-casual chain, which has locations in 29 states but opened its first in the region in midtown Sacramento on Feb. 5.
Kumi Sushi (1401 G St., Sacramento): Daisy Ye’s sushi concept replaced Aura Korean & Japanese Restaurant in Mansion Flats, offering choice nigiri, teriyaki bowls and chef-selected sashimi plates.
La Porta Restaurant & Bar (1860 Howe Ave., Suite 140, Sacramento): This Italian restaurant in western Arden Arcade offers the rarely-seen Tuscan style of pizza (thin crust with short ends) as well as Sicilian, New York and Detroit-style pies and panini and salads.
Little Morocco Cafe (716 7th St., Sacramento): Jamal Kabbaj’s quaint downtown breakfast-and-lunch spot serves up halal Morocccan specialties such as baghrir (spongy semolina pancakes) and chicken tajine near several Sacramento County buildings.
Nick The Greek (5355 Sunrise Blvd., Fair Oaks): Customers chomp on lamb gyros, pork souvlaki and prasini salads (Romaine lettuce, scallions, dill, feta and lemon dressing) at this quick-service chain, which is based in San Jose and opened its fifth area location on Feb. 27 in Quail Pointe shopping center.
Octopus Baja (2731 K St., Sacramento): A fusion-friendly Mexican seafood restaurant that takes inspiration from historic spice trade routes, midtown’s Octopus Baja is the latest concept from Ernesto Delgado, who also owns Mayahuel and La Cosecha downtown, Mesa Mercado in Carmichael and Sal’s Tacos in West Sacramento.
Paquitas Mexican Grill (3883 Taylor Road, Loomis): A catering business since 2016, Paquitas’ first brick-and-mortar operation replaced long-established Lorenzo’s Mexican Restaurant on Feb. 16 with favorites such as camarones a la diabla, steak fajitas and mini birria tacos.
Pizza Twist (11009 Olson Drive, Suite 704, Rancho Cordova): Indian fusion pizzas rule at this popular halal chain, with toppings such as tandoori chicken, sliced lamb or achari paneer.
Raw Superfood Cafe (2100 Arden Way, Sacramento): Açaí bowls, smoothies and veggie burgers bring people to this Milpitas-based vegan concept, which opened its fifth location on Feb. 19 in Howe ‘Bout Arden shopping center.
Roll-Em-Up Taquitos (920 Pleasant Grove Blvd., Suite 180, Roseville): A Cali-Mex chain specializing in tacos dorados, Roll-Em-Up Taquitos opened its first Sacramento-area location in Pleasant Grove Marketplace.
Slice House (3210 E. Bidwell St., Suite 100, Folsom): Famed San Francisco pizzaiolo Tony Gemignani, a former partner in downtown Sacramento’s Pizza Rock, contracted with franchisee Sandeep Gill to open this pizza parlor in The Shops at Folsom Ranch, with Detroit, Grandma, Sicilian, New York and Californian styles of pies.
Tea & Poke (9170 Elk Grove Florin Road, Suite E, Elk Grove): Smoothies, poke bowls and strawberry dessert toast with ice cream and popping boba bring customers to this cafe in a shopping center off Highway 99.
