These 30 restaurants just opened around Sacramento. Here’s what’s new to try

The start of 2024 brought 30 new restaurants to the Sacramento area’s dining scene, from midtown ceviche cafe to multiple suburban Korean barbecue places.

Half of the 30 new restaurants opened in Sacramento proper. Roseville added five new restaurants as well, while Elk Grove and Davis gained two and West Sacramento, Rancho Cordova, Rocklin, Folsom, Courtland and Cameron Park each saw one open.

These 30 restaurants opened around greater Sacramento in January 2024:

• Biryani Xpress (711 Pleasant Grove Blvd., Suite 140, Roseville): Biryani Xpress’ menu leans more South Indian than North, with dishes such as mutton sukka, dum biryani and rava onion masala dosa.

• California Burrito (9670 Kiefer Blvd., Sacramento): This Cali-Mex drive-thru opened its ninth Sacramento-area location (the Bay Area has seven more) near Rosemont High School.

• Ember Korean BBQ (9163 E. Stockton Blvd., Suite 360, Elk Grove): A family-friendly Korean barbecue concept with all-you-can-eat or à la carte items options, Ember opened on Jan. 28.
  
  

• Essential Hotpot (1260 Lake Blvd., Suite 111, Davis): A traditional Chongqing-style hotpot restaurant in Davis’ Westlake Plaza, Essential Hotpot lets customers cook meats such as lamb shoulder, beef chuck or frog legs in bubbling tableside mushroom or tomato broths.

• Falafel Fusion (3151 Zinfandel Drive, Suite 1, Rancho Cordova): Sip complementary chai while noshing on veggie burgers, koobideh kebabs and potato or pumpkin bolani at this halal Afghan restaurant.

• Fred’s Burger (4210 Rocklin Road, Rocklin): Fred Akbarpour opened his first all-American burger shack near Cosumnes River College in October 2022 before expanding to Fairfield, San Jose and now Granite Creek shopping center in Rocklin.

• Fresh Off Da Boat by Chef T (1515 Sports Drive, Suite 300, Sacramento): Muagututia Tuala-Tamaalelagi, known to most as “Chef T,” opened his Polynesian restaurant on Jan. 21 in North Natomas after serving baked miso salmon and oka i’a (Samoan tuna salad) at pop-ups and catering events over the past year.

• Fulton Pho (3100 Fulton Ave., Suite 103, Sacramento): Vietnamese noodle soups define this Arden Arcade joint, from pho with smoked brisket, beef ribs, tendon, flank steak and meatballs to a mixed seafood variation.

• Hoptology Beer Lab + Kitchen (2001 J St., Sacramento): Tropics Ale House’s owners shut the Hawaiian brewpub down and replaced it with this sports bar for beer geeks, which works closely with Auburn-based Knee Deep Brewing and makes pizzas such as the Niner Nation (buffalo chicken, bacon, blue cheese, ranch, onions and mozzarella).

• Hypeboyz (1689 Arden Way, Suite 2032, Sacramento): A new sandwich stand in Arden Fair mall’s food court, Hypeboyz serves tri-tip banh mi and a “Light the Beam” sandwich (pulled pork, provolone and “Hype sauce”) in faux sneaker boxes.
  
  

• I Fish Poke & Hawaiian BBQ (3984 Douglas Blvd., Roseville): Poke lovers in Roseville hardly missed a beat as this Chico-based Hawaiian concept replaced Ahipoki, a similar build-your-bowl restaurant, in Renaissance Creek shopping center.

• Jayna Gyro (1132 Galleria Blvd., Suite 100, Roseville): Yusuf Topal’s Emeryville-based Mediterranean concept expanded to Ridge at Creekside shopping center after opening in East Sacramento in August 2022, and Topal says roasted chickpea lavash wraps and Champagne vinegar-marinated chicken are coming to future area locations, perhaps in Folsom.

• Jimboy’s Tacos (750 Harbor Blvd., West Sacramento): Open from 7 a.m. until midnight seven days a week, this Folsom-based, Cali-Mex fast food chain brought its crunchy ground beef tacos with Parmesan skirts to West Sacramento on Jan. 12.

• K-Town Korean BBQ Sushi and Hotpot (1137 Roseville Square, Roseville): K-Town opened on Jan. 20 in Roseville Square shopping center with all-you-can-eat options for Korean barbecue, sushi, hotpot or all three.

• La Costa Cafe (701 19th St., Sacramento): A Latin American-inspired cafe and ceviche bar from Mexico native Ignacio Ortega Perez, La Costa opened in Tupi Coffee’s former midtown space on Jan. 19.

• Little Cafe (7485 Rush River Drive, Suite 700, Sacramento): This Hong Kong-style cafe in the Pocket’s Promenade Shopping Center serves up cozy entrees and snacks such as Yangzhou fried rice, pan-fried green beans with minced pork and curry fish balls with rice noodles.

• Mattie Groves (1716 L St., Sacramento): Katie and Matt Cooper’s midtown brewpub takes inspiration from classic English pubs while dishing out food such as veggie sandwiches or the meat head pizza (housemade chorizo, pepperoni, bacon, mozzarella and provolone) from neighbor Old Soul’s kitchen.

• Mendocino Farms (2339 Fair Oaks Blvd., Suite C, Sacramento): This Los Angeles-based sandwich and salad chain opened its third Sacramento location (and fifth in the area) on Jan. 16 in Arden Arcade’s Pavilions Shopping Center.

• Mikuni (2339 Fair Oaks Blvd., Suite A, Sacramento): Taro Arai’s popular local sushi chain opened its ninth area restaurant, also in Pavilions Shopping Center, on Jan. 10, roughly two weeks after closing an Arden Fair Mall location.
  
  

• Park’s Gyro & Shawarma Grill (3326 Coach Lane, Cameron Park): Come to this fast-casual halal restaurant in El Dorado County for informal kebab platters, falafel wraps, Philadelphia cheesesteaks and more.

• Pho N’ Roll (25004 Blue Ravine Road, Suite 121, Folsom): Pho N’ Roll replaced another Vietnamese restaurant, Pho Mimia, with noodle soups, bánh mì and charbroiled meats over rice or noodles.

• Roosters on the River (1379 Garden Highway, Sacramento): Martin and Teresa Gonzalez’s breakfast-through-dinner Mexican American concept, already a hit in River Park, expanded on Jan. 18 to the Riverbank Marina overlooking the Sacramento River.
  
  

• Roti & Boti (4680 Natomas Blvd., Sacramento): Wheat flatbreads and tandoori-grilled meat skewers are in the name of this halal Punjabi restaurant in North Natomas’ Park Place 2 shopping center, but Roti & Boti also makes dishes such as chicken haleem (a thick stew with grains and lentils) or chana palak (chickpea-spinach curry).

• Royal Kabob & Falafel (640 W. Covell Blvd., Suite A, Davis): Bahargul Samar and Khanwally Stanikzai, who also own Shah food truck, opened their new Middle Eastern restaurant in Anderson Plaza on Jan. 17.

• Senpai’s Cafe (7456 Foothills Blvd., Suite 6, Roseville): An anime and manga lover’s hangout in Woodcreek Plaza, this boba lounge and library imports cookies and snacks from Japan.

• Steamboat Landing Bar & Grill (12414 Highway 160, Courtland): Riverboat decor began welcoming customers on Jan. 18 to this Chinese restaurant in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, where specialties include bird’s nest soup and kung pao scallops.

• Thai Time (2030 10th St., Sacramento): Thai dishes such as rad na, phad prik king green beans or spicy pork cartilage soup emerged on Jan. 18 at Thammasorn Lau’s Southside Park restaurant where Doughbot once stood, along with deep-fried Gunther’s Ice Cream.
  
  

• Tony’s Fried Chicken & Indian Sweets (4147 23rd Ave., Sacramento): Chicken sandwiches and tenders are only half of Tony’s business: the other side includes Indian desserts such as motichoor ladoo (syrupy gram flour balls).

• Vinhouse Tea & Coffee (7928 Gerber Road, Sacramento): Founded in Elk Grove in 2018, this organic Vietnamese coffee shop with French pastries expanded to south Sacramento on Jan. 28.
  
  

• Virsa Restaurant & Banquet (9171 Elk Grove Florin Road, Suite 6, Elk Grove): Lamb loin chops, chicken jalfrezi and falooda (a Mughali ice cream dessert with vermicelli) dot the menu at this South Asian halal restaurant with a buffet in Bond Plaza.