Midtown’s Saddle Rock restaurant closes for good

The second version of Saddle Rock wasn’t as lucky as the first.

The midtown Sacramento fine-dining establishment shuttered its doors Saturday, less than a year after it opened. Saddle Rock, on L Street in the former Capital Dime space, was named after Sacramento’s pioneer restaurant that opened in 1849 to serve Gold Rush miners and operated for more than a century.

Chris Jarosz, owner of the modern-day Saddle Rock, said he “didn’t have a good grasp on what concept was right for that space,” when contacted Wednesday about the closure.

Jarosz’s iteration dished out fancy fare, like $30 steaks, double the price of his comfort-food-style $15 burgers at Broderick Roadhouse, a sister restaurant across the street. The close proximity of his two restaurants had somewhat of a cannibalizing effect, Jarosz said.

“You’re always trying to figure out how one restaurant won’t affect the other restaurant,” he said.

Jarosz also blamed his new projects for taking time away from further developing the Saddle Rock brand. He plans to open three new Broderick Roadhouses this year, including in Folsom, Roseville and the Arden Arcade area. Saddle Rock’s 45 employees will be transferred to other properties.

Still, Jarosz said the concept of Saddle Rock isn’t dead. He doesn’t rule out revisiting it, but not at the same location.

“I loved the idea of what it meant for this region,” Jarosz said of the Saddle Rock moniker. “I’m just putting it on pause for this moment.”

This story was originally published March 1, 2017 at 4:17 PM with the headline "Midtown’s Saddle Rock restaurant closes for good."