These 14 restaurants made The Bee’s Top 50 list for the first time in 2024

The Sacramento Bee’s Top 50 Restaurants list dropped Thursday, the first of its kind since 2022. Fourteen area restaurants rose to the top of the region’s dining scene over those two years and made the list for the first time in 2024.

Many of the 14 new restaurants opened over the past couple of years, while a few found their footing or added key staff to vault them into the upper echelon.

Was your favorite restaurant snubbed (again)? Write them in to The Bee’s online form by Nov. 27. The five most popular choices will be added to the 2024 list as “readers choice” additions.

Cantina Pedregal

$$ — Mexican

Nixtaco owners Patricio Wise and Cinthia Martinez’s Northern Mexican roots meet Canon’s approach to fine dining at Cantina Pedregal, which opened in Folsom Pointe shopping center in July. A bevy of botanas, vegetable-forward small plates and crudo options work up to shareable mains including Monterrey’s renowned cabrito en salsa, braised goat stew in a cumin-tomato base that’s straightforwardly superior. Chef de cuisine and Canon transfer Bucky Bray wields perhaps the region’s only Vesuvio, a Mexico City-made indoor charcoal grill/combination oven that blackens octopus zarandeado or dessert queso panela served with chiltepin honey, oregano oil and preserved orange. Precise seasonal nibbles marry tradition and ingenuity (summertime Brentwood corn esquites with bone marrow and peanut salsa, for example, or Mixtec triangular masa pockets called tetelas topped with succotash and a smear of housemade labneh). Cantina Pedregal already stands out above the fray — the best part is there’s still room for it to grow.

185 Placerville Road, Suite 150, Folsom, CA 95630 | 916-790-8479

Chef Frank Japanese Cuisine

$$ — Japanese

A May 2023 newcomer to North Natomas’ dining scene, Chef Frank proved it can dance with the region’s best sushi experiences while still inviting unassuming weeknight eaters into Park Place shopping center. Frank Zhu, the original “F” in Roseville sushi joint BF Miyabi, oversees a 15-course omakase menu that comes in at an extremely reasonable $125 per person. It’s thoughtful — take the agedashi tomato starter, an opening nod to Sacramento produce fried in a light tempura batter and served in a savory bonito-kumbu dashi with asparagus — and lavish, as seen in sake toro sashimi with Wagyu-like ribbons of fat. Stopping off for a less extravagant dinner on your way to Sacramento International Airport? Try the crunchy Hokkaido (scallops, snow crab, shrimp tempura and a creeping spicy tuna) or floral super star (salmon, chu-toro, truffle-mushroom mixture, cucumber and avocado) rolls for beautifully balanced maki.

2281 Del Paso Road, Suite 110, Sacramento, CA 95835 | 916-568-9882

El Parian

$ — Mexican

For all the Sacramento region’s culinary boons, it’s not generally a fish taco hotbed, as San Diego transplants have ruefully learned. El Parian is a northern Sacramento County exception with a wide range of taqueria hits (BOGO burritos if you purchase two drinks) and a particular gift for mariscos. The mariscada is the showstopper: an entire fried tilapia coated in octopus, shrimp and salsa diabla, begging to have its white flesh plucked by housemade tortillas. Buttery bass and gooey cheese skirts make Martin Aceves’ a la carte fish tacos warm, happy things as well, and tostadas teetering with shrimp, cucumbers, tomatoes and onions aren’t to be ignored either. Not into seafood? Shredded or grilled chicken enchiladas shrouded in homey red sauce are a premier option in El Parian’s yellow-and-orange dining room, which hosts live music every Friday.

4834 Watt Ave., North Highlands, CA 95660 | 916-332-3232

Fresh Off Da Boat by Chef T

$ — Pacific Islander

Fresh Off Da Boat gave a humdrum North Natomas business park an unexpected mini-makeover in January when the former Polynesian pop-up opened for good in a space attached to Federico Beauty Institute. American Samoa native Muagututia Tuala-Tamaalelagi, better known as Chef T, balances flavors from his home territory and Hawaii with mainland-friendly presentation in a simple cafeteria setting. Fresh Off Da Boat’s mahi-mahi fish and chips, house-ground loco moco patties and thoroughly-marinated ahi poke over salty taro chips show genuine care, along with classic techniques Chef T learned in culinary school and honed in Los Angeles restaurants and Sacramento County hotels. A special Sunday to’ona’i menu intended for Pacific Islander elders (but open to anyone) makes Fresh Off Da Boat the only place around to find candy-like turkey tails, inky black octopus-taro leaf chowder called fai’ai fe’e or mouthwatering Samoan corned beef known as povi masima — until Chef T opens his next concept, at least.

1515 Sports Drive, Suite 300, Sacramento, CA 95834

Hog Wild Bar-B-Que

$ — Classic American

Great Texas-style barbecue is hard to come by in Sacramento, making a trip to Placerville for Hog Wild’s low-and-slow meats all the more worthwhile. Former customers Mary and Steve Fulmer purchased the down-home barbecue joint in 2018, where a Lone Star State flag hangs on the wall and Shiner Bock is served on tap. Brisket is the star, smoked over cherrywood for 16 hours and available by the pound or as a meat-and-three. It normally sells out at least an hour before Hog Wild closes, but snappy jalapeño-cheese sausages, rich pulled pork and St. Louis-style ribs with candy-sweet edges are terrific consolation prizes. Sides are uniformly balanced and technically excellent as well, from cranberry-studded coleslaw to fluffy cornbread muffins to sumptuous macaroni and cheese. Don’t leave without a slice of peach cobbler, carrot cake or vanilla buttermilk pie based on Mary’s late mother Margie’s recipes.

38 Main St., Placerville, CA 95667 | 530-622-3883

Kin Thai Street Eatery

$ — Thai

Travel shows on the TVs, paintings of night markets and even a diorama of hawker stalls near the front door paint a clear picture of Kin Thai’s inspiration. Sisters Napis Lindley and Napak Kongsitthanakor’s restaurant transposes Thai street food to the sit-down world of midtown’s MARRS Building, serving skewered fish balls bursting with flavor and Isan-style sausages over banana leaves on wood trays. You can’t go wrong with either of Kin’s marquee blue crab dishes: a crunchy soft-shell delight bathed in yellow curry, or a fluffy omelet that riffs on a Michelin-starred Bangkok food stand’s iconic creation. The ga prao is another street eat redone in a Western setting, an amalgamation of stir-fried holy basil, peppers, garlic-chile sauce, a fried egg and choice of ground chicken or Impossible Meat that comes out perfectly spicy at medium heat. Finish your meal with a slice of airy cake separated by paper-thin pandan crepes and overflowing with meaty coconut cream.

1050 20th St., Suite 180, Sacramento, CA 95811 | 916-619-8144

Little Morocco Cafe

$ — Middle Eastern/African

An endearing breakfast-and-lunch nook on the ground floor of the 7th & H Apartments, Little Morocco Cafe has charmed downtown workers since opening in February. Silver kettles pour mint-infused green tea from on high at Moroccan immigrant Jamaleddine Kabbaj’s halal restaurant while customers dig into vigorously-spiced tagines, salads embellished with dates or chickpeas and, on Fridays, couscous adorned with beef and roasted vegetables. Few $5 breakfasts are as appealing as Little Morocco’s baghrir, unflipped semolina pancakes pocked with little holes and soused with honey butter. The Marrakech shredded chicken sandwich lurks as a hidden gem on the arch-shaped menu — its salty green olives, lemon-marinated poultry and harissa paste doing wonders between slices of chewy baguette. A terra cotta vessel called a tangia holds a trademark dish by the same name with fall-apart beef hunks in a preserved lemon/saffron/cumin sauce with French bread and a side of zaalouk (eggplant dip).

716 7th St., Sacramento, CA 95814 | 916-246-0009

Majka Pizzeria & Bakery

$$ — Italian

The marks from Berkeley’s exalted Cheese Board Collective, where Cal grads Alex Sherry and Chutharat Sae Tong met as employees, are evident in Majka. A new vegetarian pizza takes center stage on the menu each day, its ends destined to be dipped in herby papi chulo hot sauce. Yet Sherry and Sae Tong have built a distinctly Sacramentan restaurant out of their industrial dining room near the R Street Corridor. While the daily special may center around Amagaki persimmons from Twin Peaks Orchards in Newcastle or matsutake mushrooms foraged by a friend, classic cheese and pepperoni are always available on the naturally leavened sourdough crust, along with a brilliant sausage pie buoyed by fennel and smashed San Marzano tomatoes. Friday is pasta night with, perhaps, tortelli with red kuri squash or taglioni with shaved white truffle imported from Tuscany, always made with eggs (and sometimes lamb) from Riverdog Farm in the Capay Valley. Dessert can be frozen such as a strawberry-raspberry-Campari sorbet that was as smooth as gelato, or melted like the chocolate chips in miso cookies with Maldon Sea Salt freckles. When at Majka, let the seasons guide you.

1704 15th St., Sacramento, CA 95814 | 916-572-9316

Mother

$ — Californian

Michael and Lisa Thiemann and Ryan Donahue’s vegetarian restaurant, a downtown delight in the late 2010s, reopened in September 2023 a dozen blocks east on K Street with new chef Robb Venditti. Mother’s iconic oyster mushroom po’boy made the move along with a few other classics, but the midtown version is even better than its predecessor thanks to an expanded menu made possible by a larger kitchen. Take Thiemann wedding lasagna, layers of green tomatoes, spinach and crookneck squash with a romantically practical backstory. Michael made the dish for his and Lisa’s reception, guests raved that it was the best they ever had, and it landed on Mother 2.0’s menu. The seasonal menu leans into nature’s bounty instead of faux meats, letting Delta asparagus and spring onions shine through agnolotti pasta or letting Gold Bar squash define thick latkes. Ten-course chef dinners offer a step up, while arugula-piperade quiche and cinnamon roll bread pudding stand out from the rest of the city’s Sunday brunches.

2319 K St., Suite B, Sacramento, CA 95816

Namaste Sacramandu

$ — Nepalese

Lesson One in covering any U.S. city’s dining scene: big flavors can come from blasé strip malls. Such is the case at Namaste Sacramandu, Muna Khatiwada and Sajal Nepal’s two-year-old restaurant on Fulton Avenue. The Nepali immigrants and chef Yogya Raj Kharel deliver some of the region’s most spirited South Asian dishes, from a dozen types of momos to the dosas, gobi Manchurian and Chicken 65 that Kharel studied in South India. Khatiwada’s neighbors in Kathmandu were Newar, a minority cultural group, and that relationship gets extended via Newari choila, a forceful chicken or lamb appetizer tossed in Sichuan peppercorns, roasted garlic and mustard oil. The Kasthamandap aloo dum is an old-school dish that’s literally potatoes on potatoes: tubers are boiled, mashed and mixed with cumin, coriander and chile flakes to form the base for a powerful gravy, which is then poured over peas, carrots and more potato chunks. Need something a bit smoother? Khatiwada’s mother learned in Hyderabad how to make durbar fish curry, named for India’s royal courts of old, and this slow-cooked tilapia in a bouncy auburn sauce is fit for a king or queen.

1733 Fulton Ave., Suite A, Sacramento, CA 95825 | 279-345-2444

Paste Thai

$ — Thai

A June 2022 addition in South Davis, Paste Thai separates itself from the pack of pad Thai houses with a true focus on quality. Curry pastes mashed by hand twice per week, chicken curry puffs with beautifully flaky shells, vegetables so fresh that you can taste the difference — all of it puts Penprapa Athiprayoon’s restaurant in a class of its own. You’ll be hard-pressed to find better versions of familiar favorites such as rad na, Hainanese-style chicken rice or ginger stir-fry (they’re worth the few extra bucks compared to other Thai restaurants), but don’t ignore chef Kim Luanglath’s specialties, particularly the fragrant panang nuer with makrut lime leaves, coconut milk and tender hunks of braised beef. Crackly, sweet turnip cakes stir-fried with beansprouts, egg whites and chives are like a bridge from dinner to dessert. Once across that divide, end your meal with a delightful sticky rice coconut custard, its glutinous grains colored green with pandan.

417 Mace Blvd., Suite I, Davis, CA 95618 | 530-564-7051

Rose Park Bistro

$$ — Californian

There’s a comfortable elegance to Rose Park Bistro, designed in part by proprietor Bulent Ozel’s sister-in-law Zuzana. Faux ivy trickling down the walls matches the green velvet chairs, illuminated by table lamps, oblong overhead orbs and no shortage of natural light coming through the windows. It’s a dining experience that feels separate from the rest of the Fountains at Roseville shopping center, particularly as one digs into butternut squash gnocchi in Gorgonzola cream sauce and carrot-and-basil-infused olive oil. The dish’s heavier properties are well offset, as with the luxuriously light lobster bucatini topped with lemon breadcrumbs and garlic-roasted tomatoes, which will have you loudly scraping the coarse bowl for every last drop. Chef Brian Woods’ teriyaki skirt steak is a standout with a simple enough success plan: a mouthwatering marinade, quality beef and heat hot enough to leave clear grill marks, cut into slices with onion crisps tossed over the top. There are plenty of relatively fancy New American restaurants around the region; few will please your eyes and taste buds like Rose Park Bistro.

1017 Galleria Blvd., Suite 160, Roseville, CA 95678 | 916-474-5658

Southside Super

$ — Vietnamese/Korean

Southside Super does no fusion, no fru-fru. It’s simply the restaurant expression of the soul-warming Vietnamese and Korean dishes friends would receive if they happened to stop by Phuong Tran and Seoyeon Oh’s homes hungry. Along with Taylor Jung, formerly chef de cuisine at Faria Bakery, Tran and Oh have turned a diminutive Southside Park diner into a must-visit breakfast and lunch destination that manages to be both homey and trendy with zero compromise on flavor. Kimchi fried rice dyed orange by gochujang, replete with Spam chunks and topped with a furikake-sprinkled fried egg is the ideal “what’s in the fridge?” dish. Tran’s xiu mai, Vietnamese steamed pork-jicama meatballs with do chua (pickled carrots and daikon) and an umami-forward tomato broth, are equally tasty on a baguette or over rice in a bright red bowl. Braised short ribs were by far the most expensive item on a June visit at $20. Stewed to stringy perfection and served with new potatoes, chewy rice cakes and kimchi, they were worth every cent. In a rush? Not to worry: heated and refrigerated cases are stocked with commoner’s rice, kimbap, spring rolls and more you’ll want to eat on the run.

921 V St., Sacramento, CA 95818 | 916-822-4275

Sumer Nights

$ — Middle Eastern

Nautical ropes from a Cajun seafood predecessor may still hang from the ceiling, but the corpulent chef mascot twisting a kebab into his mouth tells another story. Opened in June 2023 in a roomy Country Club Plaza space, Sumer Nights is the Sacramento region’s top place to indulge in the foods of Iraq (once known as Sumeria). An enormous flatbread called khubz tannur, yellow lentil soup and four — four! — side salads accompany each entree, which are themselves big enough to feed multiple people. Abbas Allaftah’s halal restaurant is the lone local spot for Iraq’s national dish of masgouf, pompano that’s been butterflied, tossed with spices and grilled over an open flame till the edges char. The dolmas here aren’t cute little appetizers but hulking portions of tomato-stewed rice, walnuts and lamb busting out of their grape leaf wraps. Quzi, another old-country favorite, is just as stunning: two saffron-tinted lamb legs slide off their bones with the tiniest shake, tumbling onto rice-vermicelli pilaf waiting below. There’s no going hungry at Sumer Nights and, here, quality matches quantity.

2316 Watt Ave., Sacramento, CA 95825 | 916-750-5088

Uncle Dumpling

$ — Chinese

It’s the aunties who really make Uncle Dumpling. They’re on display behind plexiglas at Linfei Zhuang and Ho Ming Chung’s restaurant, diligently packing mountains of pork into dough and pinching them off to twisted tops. Originally founded in Shanghai in 1997 and revived in the Stone Point Retail Center in September 2023, Uncle Dumpling is unmatched locally for its sheer volume of xiaolongbao, soft-bottomed soup dumplings filled with crab or shrimp or Berkshire pork with truffle oil. Each is as nourishing as you’d hope, along with pork buns pan-fried hard on the bottom and vegetarian dumplings teeming with mushrooms, eggs and glass noodles. Lip-tingling jajang noodles with ground pork and tofu rise above the rest of the non-dumpling field, as does a complex noodle soup with bok choy, sliced beef shank and peanuts. Dessert is (what else?) more soup dumplings, bite-sized morsels of chocolate and strawberry syrups that nod to legendary Taiwanese chain Din Tai Fung and come with a semi-sweet cheese foam dipping sauce.

1485 Eureka Road, Suite 150, Roseville, CA 95661 | 916-886-8132

This story was originally published November 20, 2024 at 5:00 AM.