Midtown Sacramento

Midtown Sacramento is nothing if not literal, starting with the aptly named Round Corner dive bar.

Sacramento is nothing if not specifically descriptive with its neighborhood names, Midtown nestled squarely between, you guessed it, downtown Sacramento’s urban core and East Sacramento’s residential expanse. But there are gems to be found here nestled among the largely residential streets that feed off of the center of Sacramento’s energy. Much of the action runs along J Street, but of course, in true dive bar and diner fashion, our selections are typically found a little farther off the beaten path.

In addition to some of the more rustic, affordable selections below, Midtown plays home to some of Sacramento’s more interesting restaurants, including Mexican staple Tres Hermanas and slightly more upscale (and Michelin-adjacent) Zocalo. Because the neighborhood is so close to downtown, some renovation can be seen in pockets here, namely for our purposes within Zebra Club, a once straightforward dive that has been reimagined as a gastropub of sorts.

Regardless, Midtown Sacramento is one of the more pleasant parts of the city to tours, making the selections below well worth the maze-like path they carve through the area.

2333 S St, Sacramento, CA 95816

Very much in keeping with the ultra-literal naming found in Midtown, Round Corner looks exactly as it’s named, a rounded-off corner spot that serves as the perfect launch point for exploring the area. Sacramento is well represented in its collection of dive bar neon, Round Corner another strong example with its classic vertical inscription of the bar’s name. Inside, linoleum flooring and wood paneling cover nearly every inch of the space, creating that perfect dive bar vibe. And eating a little something to start a crawl is always a good idea, Round Corner’s small kitchen kicking out daily specials that range from sandwiches to tacos.

2130 16th St, Sacramento, CA 95818

Another amazing sign can be seen above Flame Club, a Sacramento original opened in 1953 under a sign that feels like it almost hovers above the street. Keep an eye out for the massive mural scrawled across Flame Club’s long exterior wall, a piece most recently labeled “Dance Gavin Dance” in honor of a Sacramento band by the same name. Inside, the space is a square box with a bar and a few tables, but the exterior patio slash parking lot rolls pleasantly out of the back door, ideal seating when the weather cooperates.

2019 Q St, Sacramento, CA 95811

No crawl is complete without a taco of some variety and if you skipped Round Corner, Chita’s Taqueria provides the perfect Midtown mid-crawl selection. Chita’s is hard to miss thanks to the long red canopy that shades the sidewalk and outdoor seating section in front of the building. Tacos are, of course, the move here, but few things in life hit better during a bar crawl than a smothered plate of enchiladas and Chita’s Taqueria provides a delicious such example. Prices are affordable and our next stop is next door, making a Chita’s stop a natural inclusion in a visit to Midtown.

2013 Q St, Sacramento, CA 95811

After a visit to Chita’s, Q Street Bar & Grill provides the perfect laid back, communal vibe that makes for great surroundings to digest a giant burrito or basket of tacos. The space is long and skinny up front, a long bar in slim confines dominating the space, but there are other nooks and crannies to be found, including a long side room with a few tables and a back patio. Food here is available late night and for those airdropping into the middle of this crawl, keep an eye out for the name Benny’s as well, Q Street Bar & Grill going by both names depending on the source.

1510 20th St, Sacramento, CA 95811

And finally, another Sacramento bar that lives up to its name, Old Tavern Bar & Grill, a space that looks like, you guessed it, a classic tavern spruced up a bit over the years. Large windows are opened when the weather allows and lined with beer-resting ledges that offer a wildly pleasant indoor-outdoor vibe to the drinking done here. Exposed beams, exposed floor, exposed brick, the theme here is clear and it allows the space to shine through despite the renovations that have created a pretty polished neighborhood pub. As a crawl landing spot, Old Tavern Bar & Grill offers a comfortable space to cap a night and grab food from the Sacramento restaurant’s classic bar menu.

Old Sacramento and beyond.

Neon shamrocks and pasties can't be wrong.