2010 Best of Sacramento Winner - Best Drunken Brunch

Perched on the corner of 19th and P Streets in bustling midtown Sacramento, Sweetwater Restaurant & Bar is a lovely venue for a business lunch or a fun and romantic dinner. Floor to ceiling windows and a high, exposed ceiling give the restaurant a delightful airiness, and the dramatic modern paintings throughout the space add great color and vibrancy to the ambience. Tables and chairs are fashioned from glossy red wood, and the napkins are a startling magenta color. The menu appears to have a little something for everyone, and offers a number of intriguing small plates from which one can easily build a meal. These include a calamari “el Farol,” panko-battered and deep-fried calamari rings, lemon slices, and jalapeño peppers; and the “Big Easy” shrimp, tossed in a bourbon sauce. If you visit at lunch you’ll be impressed with the range of sandwiches and burgers available, from the chicken chipotle sandwich to the tasty Pacific salmon BLT. Don’t miss the indulgent and rich Iceberg Wedge salad, doused with a lumpy house-made blue cheese dressing, sprinkled with bits of applewood-smoked bacon, and topped with a tuft of fried onions. Popular dinner items include a roasted vegetable lasagna (composed of eggplant, mushrooms, spinach, caramelized onions and tomatoes); and a plump chicken breast stuffed with prosciutto and goat cheese, served with a potato-leek gratin and thyme butter sauce. – Kira O'Donnell

Insider tip: Sweetwater’s weekend brunch includes unlimited champagne and mimosas

Reservations: Suggested but not necessary

Payment methods: AmEx, MasterCard, Visa

Alcohol: Full bar

Corkage fee: $10

Hours:
Monday–Wednesday: Lunch 11 a.m.–5 p.m.; Dinner 5–10 p.m.
Thurday and Friday: Lunch 11 a.m.–5 p.m.; Dinner 5–midnight
Saturday: Brunch 9:30 a.m.–2 p.m.; Dinner 5 p.m.–midnight
Sunday: Brunch 9:30 a.m.–2 p.m.; Dinner 5–9 p.m.