Stepdad’s steps up Land Park dining scene with elevated ‘vibe,’ inviting eats

When Dad’s Kitchen on Freeport Boulevard closed in 2024 after nearly 15 years in business, it left Land Park without one of its beloved institutions. That’s where two local restaurateurs saw opportunity. (The Fair Oaks location of Dad’s is still open.)

Chef Oliver Ridgeway of downtown’s Camden Spit & Larder and Tyler and Melissa Williams of midtown’s The Jungle Bird and Tank House BBQ decided to join forces to reinvent the eatery. The three have connections to the area: All have homes in South Land Park, and Ridgeway lives in Curtis Park.

When the team took over, the place needed renovation. What started as a thought toward just painting and rearranging evolved into more of a retread.

“It was like peeling an onion,” Ridgeway said. “We definitely wanted to create a different vibe. So we ended up moving into this kind of mid-century Land Park clubhouse feel.”

In the end, they created a warm, inviting space with mahogany paneling bent to form soft, curved corners and moss green upholstery. Mod lighting hangs over the tables and bar. It feels at once nostalgic and contemporary.

The menus are terse, but thoughtful, with something for everyone.

“The intent of the menu was to be an everyday restaurant,” Ridgeway said. “And knowing that we are going to have children, families, the mum who wants to come in for a glass of wine, the dads who want to watch a game, it had to reflect everyone’s palate, basically.”

Their burger is the tent pole of the menu, dressing up differently for every occasion. On the dinner menu, the 1924 burger ($19), named after the year the neighborhood was founded, features a wagyu blend patty with white cheddar and housemade “stepsauce” and pickles.

The pork schnitzel ($28) is a highlight — a substantial slab of pork pounded flat, breaded and fried crisp. A confetti of slivered salad greens over the top helps you feel virtuous.

Anything but virtuous is the green chili mac ($14), a decadent bowl of creamy short pasta tossed with mild chilis that deliver all the flavor of the peppers and nearly none of the heat.

The burger shows up again on their happy hour menu, served 3-6 p.m. daily. The East LP bacon burger ($16) has the same patty and cheddar, but slathered with barbecue sauce and topped with crisp bacon.

Wash it all down with one of their house cocktails, like their take on an old fashioned ($14), or a cold pint of Stepdad’s Light ($8), an American light lager made in conjunction with Portland, Oregon’s Great Notion.

Brunch is a more recent addition, and their standby once again makes an appearance as a breakfast burger ($22), topped with a fried egg.

The kitchen turns out gorgeous, perfectly poached eggs that appear in their eggs royale ($21), a benedict with smoked salmon, spinach and hollandaise. They’re also the core of the visually impressive chorizo Scotch egg rancheros ($18), perfumed with smoky spice and served on a bed of black beans.

For the month of December, brunch will also house a special guest.

“We are going to be doing Christmas with Santa,” Ridgeway said. “And it’s going to look like Santa’s Grotto in this restaurant.”

Unlike the team’s other restaurants, which are destinations unto themselves, Stepdad’s is still evolving to tailor itself to the locals’ tastes.

“People are loyal to local restaurants,” Ridgeway said. “A downtown restaurant you can set a menu for, and people are going to travel to them.

“In the neighborhood, people have preferences. So it really is kind of learning your people here because you’re on their doorstep.”

Stepdad’s

Address: 2968 Freeport Blvd., Land Park

Hours: 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays; closed Mondays and Tuesdays

Phone: 916-330-1628

Website: stepdads916.com

Vegetarian options: Ample, including a barbecue pulled mushroom ($18) sandwich as a main

Drinks: Full bar with beer, wine and spirits

Noise level: Moderate

Outdoor seating: Back patio

This story was originally published November 30, 2025 at 7:00 AM.

Sean Timberlake

The Sacramento Bee

916-321-1017

Sean Timberlake is the food and dining reporter for The Sacramento Bee. He has been writing professionally for nearly 30 years, and about food for 20. A variety of well-known outlets have published his work, including Food Network, Cooking Channel, CNN, Sunset Magazine and SF Weekly.