Those restrictions have eased a bit, Nopalitos now open Monday through Saturday (still closed Sunday) with hours that run until 8 PM most days. The expanded availability means Saturday brunch is now on the table, a big bonus for a menu tailored perfectly to a Saturday morning pancake run. Offerings here are Mexican-inspired, ranging from breakfast staples like huevos rancheros and breakfast burritos. The Little Cactus Special is the signature morning option, an egg scramble topped with red or green sauce that incorporates the restaurant’s namesake nopales. The Sacramento diner’s pancakes in particular are so well regarded that they graced the cover of Sacramento Magazine.
Be warned that menu switchover is a hard and fast rule in our experience at Nopalitos, the breakfast menu offered exclusively until noon before switching over to the lunch & dinner offerings at that time. A host of classic Mexican dishes are offered during the latter hours of the day, some additional items like smothered burritos, fajitas and a tamale bowl (almost like a deconstructed tamale) offered only during lunch and dinner hours. Baked goods are available until sold out, muffins usually one of the first items to go.
This reviewer’s meal was delicious, a combination of eggs, potatoes chorizo and sauce. Thankfully, I was advised that I did not have to choose green or red sauce and could instead include a bit of both, easing my breakfast anxiety on that day. The doors open on a beautiful day, the mostly quiet neighborhood setting, the low murmur of morning conversation, all of it added up to the right kind of environment to enjoy a mound of protein under a river of sauce.