Affordable dining and entertainment options in Sacramento

Sacramento offers a wide range of affordable dining, travel, and entertainment choices for locals and visitors alike. Urban Roots Brewery & Smokehouse earned national praise as one of the best brewpubs in the country, serving award-winning smoked meats and burgers, all at reasonable prices. Capitol Corridor trains now feature $5 fares for short trips between local stops like Sacramento and Davis, making regional travel budget-friendly.

New restaurants like Rice Theory deliver low-cost options such as musubi, onigiri, and inari for under $6, while events like Concerts in the Park bring free live music from local talent including Aaron Le. Meanwhile, dozens of downtown restaurants and bars have rolled out A’s-themed food and drink specials during baseball season, rounding out a lively and wallet-friendly Sacramento experience.

Tasty Dumpling’s Xi’an cold noodles take their heat from a red chili-paprika-cayenne oil over the top. By Benjy Egel

NO. 1: PIZZA, PUPUSAS AND PAN DULCE: THESE 19 RESTAURANTS JUST OPENED AROUND THE SACRAMENTO REGION

Eight of the 19 incorporate Mexican flavors into their dishes. | Published January 31, 2025 | Read Full Story by Benjy Egel

Having opened in April, Engawa Fusion restaurant is finding its way through word of mouth and an active Instagram page. Serving Fusion Japanese food at their location at 7301 Stockton Boulevard in south Sacramento on Saturday, May 4, 2024. By Jose Luis Villegas

NO. 2: 5 SACRAMENTO-AREA RESTAURANTS RANKED AMONG YELP’S TOP 100 PLACES TO EAT IN 2025. WHICH ONES?

One local restaurant offers “an all-around amazing dining experience,” a Yelp reviewer said. | Published February 12, 2025 | Read Full Story by Marcus D. Smith

A selection of salmon inari ($4.95 each), in some cases complemented by miso, avocado or shiso yuzu, are ready to serve as customers place orders at Rice Theory on Freeport Boulevard in Sacramento on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. By NATHANIEL LEVINE

NO. 3: MUSUBI, INARI, ONIGIRI: THIS NEW SACRAMENTO CAFE REVOLVES AROUND ALL THINGS RICE

Rice Theory’s mix of low-commitment items, cute branding and bold flavors tempered by sushi rice have brought steady lines since Day 1. | Published February 21, 2025 | Read Full Story by Benjy Egel

A dozen eggs at Sprouts Farmers Market, 8211 Laguna Blvd. in Elk Grove, costs $3.99 on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. The price of eggs have gone up in grocery stores across the state. By Marcus D. Smith

NO. 4: WHICH SACRAMENTO-AREA GROCERY STORES HAVE CHEAPEST EGGS? MILK? WE COMPARED 16 SHOPS

The Sacramento Bee went searching for the most affordable eggs, milk, cheese and butter. Here’s what we found. | Published February 22, 2025 | Read Full Story by Camila Pedrosa Marcus D. Smith

Frog & Slim offers several seafood and fish options for those observing Lent this year.

NO. 5: GIVING UP MEAT FOR LENT? THESE SACRAMENTO-AREA RESTAURANTS SERVE UP SEAFOOD, VEGAN FARE

Whether you’re hungry for shrimp, oysters or fried fish, you can find plenty of options in the capital region. | Published March 7, 2025 | Read Full Story by Kendrick Marshall

An Amtrak Capitol Corridor passenger train speeds past the downtown Dixon train depot on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2014. A motorist was killed Tuesday in a collision with the Capitol Corridor train near Dixon on Jan. 16, 2018. By Manny Crisostomo

NO. 6: CAPITOL CORRIDOR TICKET PRICES CHANGING FOR TRAIN SERVICE. HOW MUCH WILL SACRAMENTO TRIPS COST?

Train passengers within the Sacramento region will see much lower fares. | Published March 13, 2025 | Read Full Story by Ariane Lange

The Can Van processes cans of beer on Thursday Jan. 29, 2019 for Urban Roots Brewery & Smokehouse in Sacramento. By Hector Amezcua

NO. 7: SACRAMENTO HAS ONE OF THE BEST BREWPUBS IN THE NATION, USA TODAY SAYS. WHERE TO FIND IT

You can get beer, burgers and barbecue at decent prices at this local brewery. | Published March 26, 2025 | Read Full Story by Camila Pedrosa

Guests at Clayton Club at the Hyatt Centric enjoy the rooftop scene.

NO. 8: THESE DOWNTOWN, OLD SACRAMENTO RESTAURANTS AND BARS HAVE A’S-THEMED FOOD, DRINK SPECIALS

There are 40 different businesses in downtown and Old Sacramento participating in A’s-themed deals. | Published March 29, 2025 | Read Full Story by Marcus D. Smith

People celebrate the opening night of the Concert in the Park music festival series Friday, May 3, 2024, at Cesar Chavez Plaza. The concerts will continue every Friday night from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. (except July 5) through the end of July. By Lezlie Sterling

NO. 9: CONCERTS IN THE PARK RETURNS IN MAY. SEE XZIBIT AND SACRAMENTO’S OWN AARON LE

Concerts in the Park, a free weekly live music series featuring over 35 artists, starts May 2. | Published April 18, 2025 | Read Full Story by Marcus D. Smith

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.