‘Underground soul food’ restaurant to replace Jim-Denny’s in downtown Sacramento

Jim-Denny’s managed to stay open for 85 years. Its successor can only hope for a similar run.

Royal Oaks, the brick-and-mortar restaurant version of a pop-up called Burning Oak, is moving in where Jim-Denny’s once sat at 816 12th St. in downtown Sacramento. Burning Oak operator Joe Pearcy posted an Instagram video Thursday walking through the former diner.

“Power ⚡️on! Now I have to clean this place from top to bottom!” the post read.

Pearcy posted the same video with a different caption on the Instagram page for Royalato, his cannabis, clothing and entertainment business. In that post and the comments, he said the restaurant would be called Royal Oaks and would turn out smoked meats and brick-oven pizzas.

The kitchen won’t be permitted for use for at least the next month, but Pearcy plans to park Burning Oak’s truck outside the restaurant and start selling food as early as next week, he said in the Royalato post.

Burning Oak’s menu has varied greatly across its pop-ups: smoked brisket, tacos, cheesesteaks, pasta and pizzas have all been centerpieces on different days. Its Instagram bio describes the concept as “underground soul food” cooked for in-the-know customers since 2016.

Pearcy’s social media indicates he’s managed kitchens at Chicago Fire, the downtown Sacramento Hyatt Regency and Circus Circus Reno. He did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Jim-Denny’s needs no introduction for longtime Sacramento residents. For the rest, it was a snug pancake and burger shack that closed in early 2020 after 85 years in business, a institutional favorite run by the deep-rooted Naygrow family. People lined up for hours to grab one last bite in the few weeks after the closure was announced.

Business and property owner Tom Naygrow had hoped Jim-Denny’s could start up again under new management, but that was before the coronavirus pandemic.