East Sacramento restaurant ‘feels like home,’ locals say. Step inside top spot for cheap eats

Awards and Western-style decor adorn the yellow walls of Nopalitos Southwestern Cafe, a beloved East Sacramento restaurant that has produced great food and even better service for more than 30 years.

The unassuming neighborhood cafe at 5530 H St. was recently named California’s best bet for cheap eats by CashNetUSA, which came up with a list of the top spots in the nation for budget-friendly meals.

However, the restaurant was a hit with customers long before then.

Longtime employee William Velasquez, who has been working at Nopalitos for 11 years, called news of the restaurant’s newfound accomplishment “amazing” — and difficult to achieve.

“We have a lot of people saying congratulations,” he told The Sacramento Bee in a recent interview at the restaurant. “We are so happy.”

What is Nopalitos Southwestern Cafe?

Rose and Dave Hanke are credited for the creation of Nopalitos.

The couple opened the restaurant in April 1992 after running the Bunn Stop on Stockton Boulevard and the original Spinners Cinnamon Rolls on Sutterville Road, The Bee reported previously.

In 2022, the two retired and sold their business to longtime employee Roberto Timoteo and his family.

At the time, Dave Hanke called Timoteo the “most appropriate” person to carry on the legacy of the cafe — and customers agreed.

While standing on his restaurant’s sunny patio on a recent August morning, Timoteo told The Bee that Dave Hanke taught him everything he knows about operating a kitchen.

Timoteo joined the staff on Nopalitos in 1995 as a dishwasher, ultimately earning the title of sous-chef.

When Dave Hanke asked Timoteo if he was interested in taking over the cafe, Timoteo replied, “Yeah, I can have it.”

Besides a couple of changes to the hours and menu, the vibe of Nopalitos remains the same, Timoteo said.

He extended the restaurant’s hours to satisfy the dinner crowd. Nopalitos is now open from 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Monday and Saturday, and 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.

What’s on the menu?

Nopalitos Southwestern Cafe whips up Mexican and Southwestern dishes ranging from savory breakfast burritos and scrambled egg platters to tostadas and nachos.

Timoteo added burgers, fajitas, sandwiches and shrimp omelets to the menu, he said, along with fries and fish and shrimp tacos.

Breakfast entree prices range from a $7.50 bowl of hot cornmeal mush served with brown sugar and milk to a $15.50 egg platter with pinto beans, cheese and potatoes.

Lunch and dinner prices vary from a $8.75 cheese quesadilla served with chips to a $23 plate of fajitas with meat, bell peppers, onions and prickly pear cactus.

Nopalitos takes its name from the cactus, known as “nopal” in Spanish, and features it in a number of dishes.

Those include the Little Cactus Special.

The $15.25 platter features a scramble of tortilla chips, eggs, cactus, corn and cheese. The entire entree is then topped with more cheese, sour cream, and ranchero or green chili sauce.

The restaurant’s pancakes, which cost $10.25 to $11.75, are widely known for their fluffy centers and crispy edges. Customers can add bacon, fruit and whipped cream for an extra fee.

The $11.95 breakfast burritos are also crowd-pleasers, said Velasquez, who recommends the chorizo and chile verde options.

The burritos are rolled with potatoes, mild salsa and scrambled eggs plus ingredients such as machaca, dried meat commonly used in Mexican and Southwestern dishes, and sauteed vegetables.

What’s it like inside East Sacramento restaurant?

The walk from the front door on Nopalitos to the register is a short one.

Velasquez, who is Timoteo’s son-in-law, can be found juggling phone calls and placing orders alongside a counter topped with freshly baked peach muffins and chocolate chip cookies.

During a recent visit around noon, Nopalitos was filled with the sounds of clattering dishes, boisterous conversation and shuffling feet.

Diners at a table raved about their food while friends in a separate seating area caught up over coffee and breakfast.

The six-person staff serves approximately 500 customers daily throughout the week and double the number of people on weekends.

Kitchen staffers use a small, tidy kitchen with a flattop grill, broiler, deep fryer and stove to whip up customer favorites.

Velasquez said everyone feels like family at Nopalitos, from the employees to the customers.

What do customers love about H Street eatery?

Arden Park resident Michelle Masoner said she considers Nopalitos Southwestern Cafe her “happy place.”

She has visited the restaurant every day for the past year and a half since splitting from her husband after 44 years of marriage.

“People really care” at the restaurant, Masoner said, adding that she’s “cried on shoulders” and “met interesting people” there.

She said her only complaint is that the restaurant isn’t open on Sundays.

East Sacramento resident Sean Morong said he discovered Nopalitos Southwestern Cafe shortly after moving from Canada to Sacramento in 2015 with his family for a job opportunity.

Morong visits the “neighborhood spot” at least once a week for a customized burrito rolled with bacon, avocado and housemade chorizo.

“(Nopalitos) feels like home,” he recently told The Bee while chomping down on his go-to meal. “So I come here because I feel comfortable. It’s one of the few breakfast spots that I actually think about ahead of time.”

The restaurant’s clean atmosphere and “super inviting” employees elevate his dining experience, he added.

“I feel like (Nopalitos) is a fabric of the community,” he said.