SFG Neighborhood Guide

East Sacramento Dive Bar Guide

Sacramento, California

Deceptively International Neighborhood Corner Bar Home

Every major city has that neighborhood just off to the side, a place that was once far enough from downtown to develop its own vibe while close enough to the core of the city to still feel urban. East Sacramento fills exactly that role for the city of Sacramento, a neighborhood, you guessed it, just east of downtown that captures the transition between Sacramento’s urban and residential zones. The population density here is just high enough to ensure that businesses have a shot at staying afloat while still low enough that these places feel like neighborhood secrets.

The itinerary suggested below captures some of East Sacramento’s best bars and restaurants with an emphasis on divey, neighborhood drinking spots that can fill in the gaps between on-the-go, unassuming meals. The priority here is on experiencing the richness of the neighborhood, one dive bar and one diner at a time.

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East Sacramento Dive Bars

East Sacramento Breweries & Non-Dives

East Sacramento Divey Food

Reviewed East Sacramento Dive Bars

SFG Rating

9

East Sacramento

Club 2 Me

Sacramento, California

Where the vibe inside pays off the promise of the neon out front.

SFG Rating

8

East Sacramento

Socal's Tavern

Sacramento, California

Vintage neon, corner pub vibes.

SFG Rating

7

East Sacramento

Cheaters Sports Bar

Sacramento, California

Rare is the sports dive bar somehow immune to the California sun.

SFG Rating

7

East Sacramento

Bonn Lair

Sacramento, California

The snug so nice you can drink there twice. Probably more.

Other Recommended East Sacramento Bars & Breweries

Not every drink has to be a divey one, we suppose. Other great bar and brewery options are listed below to round out your travels in slightly more sophisticated surroundings.

Club Raven

3246 J St

(916) 447-8142

Sometimes and affectionately referred to as the Dirty Bird by locals, Club Raven opened in 1946 under one of the great Sacramento dive bar neon signs. The sign features a raven, naturally, that is animated over a couple of frames of burning neon, adding a little life to the bar’s exterior. Inside, recent renovations have smoothed out a rough edge or two, but this is a neighborhood bar at heart and has remained that way across owners. As the sign on the brick wall out front says, parking is available behind the building. Keep an eye out for events as Club Raven has been known to set up a nacho bar or something like it when the mood strikes.

East Sacramento Hole-In-The-Wall Food Ideas

A nice evening wandering neighborhood streets is best fueled by at least a little something in one's stomach. These area options fit our divey vibe and will fit into any neighborhood bar crawl.

La Trattoria Bohemia

3649 J St

(916) 455-7803

latrattoriabohemia.com

La Trattoria Bohemia and neighbor Bonn Lair provide a European one-two punch unique to Sacramento. Though online listings sometimes peg La Trattoria Bohemia as a purely Czech restaurant, the combo here is actually Italian and Czech, the menu pulling from the rich culinary histories of both regions to create a unique blend of options. This place is a little ritzy by Scoundrel’s Field Guide standards, but the availability of pizza, pasta and schnitzel in one place is hard to pass up, especially with a nice little outdoor drinking patio as an appetizer before visiting Bonn Lair next door.

Nopalitos

5530 H St

(916) 452-8226

nopalitoscafe.com

Be warned first off that Nopalitos is cash only and holds hours that come sometimes be incompatible with a late night bar crawl, but if there were ever a reason to adjust a little bit of timing or priority, a trip to Nopalitos qualifies. The vibe here is neighborhood corner diner serving Mexican-inspired staples, opened by husband and wife team Dave & Rose Hanke. The pancakes and muffins receive rave reviews, but on a bar crawl, the combination of meat, tortilla and spicy red or green sauce is hard to beat and Nopalitos stocks a fair share of spins on that theme no matter the time of day. Nopalitos is closed Sundays and stays open until 8 PM otherwise, so plan accordingly.

Other Sacramento Neighborhood Guides

Downtown Sacramento

2 Dive Bars

Midtown Sacramento

3 Dive Bars

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What did we miss? Where should we go? We'd love to hear your ideas, your favorite spots, your profound disappointments and anything in between.


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