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The smell of waffle cones will guide you to this town treasure whose Portuguese-Swiss namesake has been making ice cream since she was a young lass. Handcrafted flavors include Chill'n Cherry Chip (cherries and dark chocolate) and Wake Up Murphys (coffee, cocoa, and fudge).
386 Main St., Murphys, California, 95247, USA
Known For
- Fruity sorbets
- Cookies and ice-cream cakes
- Gluten-free flavors
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The music-loving owner of this downtown shop mashes up ingredients with verve and imagination—a recent grilled purple grapes and feta specimen with micro-herbs, dry-roasted peanuts, and pear vinaigrette is but one example. Regulars rave about three frequently appearing messy-good sandwiches (ask for a fork), namely the banh mi; the chicken satay with harissa cucumber slaw; and the Spam and kimchi with grilled pineapple, chunky chili sauce, and peanut butter.
451 Main St., Placerville, California, 95667, USA
Known For
- Grilled tacos ahogadas (with spicy chili sauce)
- Top-line ingredients
- Mainly to-go (just a few tables)
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Wed. No dinner
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For a place as small as it is, this bakery-café produces a staggering array of sweet and savory pastries, sandwiches, salads, and desserts you can enjoy with a well-brewed (if not always swiftly made) coffee, espresso drink, or tea. The croissants are golden and flaky, the quiches moist and filling, and the scones large and flavorful; the breads for lunchtime sandwiches include sourdough, focaccia, and polenta wheat.
458 Main St., Murphys, California, 95247, USA
Known For
- Limited seating inside and out
- Blueberry muffins, savory croissants, and other baked goods
- Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free options
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues. and Wed. No dinner
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Inside the historic American Block building, which dates from 1856, you can see this craft operation's beers being made through glass walls behind the dining room, which serves burgers, fish-and-chips, short rib and fish tacos, salads, sandwiches, and other decent gastropub fare. Gold Country Pilsner, Old Town Brown, and Gold Digger IPA are all Great American Beer Festival award winners.
289 Washington St., Auburn, California, 95603, USA
Known For
- Herb-brined buttermilk fried chicken
- Craft whiskeys
- Weekend brunch
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One of Auburn's favorite old-time breakfast and lunch spots entices patrons with waffles, pancakes, Monte Cristo French toast, and a slew of egg dishes you can wash down with an award-winning Bloody Mary or two. Feast on burgers, sandwiches, and more Bloody Marys for lunch.
13460 Lincoln Way, Auburn, California, 95603, USA
Known For
- Hearty breakfasts
- Grandma's bread pudding with brandy sauce
- Town-hangout feel
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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On some sunny weekends, it seems like half of Amador City has dropped by this small brewery's front porch or umbrella-shaded back patio to enjoy beers that include one made entirely from Amador County hops. The chef, who has a talent for making the familiar unusual, times seasonal items like cornmeal-breaded asparagus fries to local farmers' harvests, with pickled eggs, hot honey walnuts and dates, risotto croquettes, and a sausage-and-kraut plate counting among the year-round possibilities.
14141 Old Hwy. 49, Amador City, California, 95601, USA
Known For
- Community milieu
- Range of beer flavors
- Grab-and-go items, beers by the can
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.–Wed. No lunch Thurs. and Fri.
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The decor signals more ambitious fare, but massive half-pound burgers and sandwiches like the Ultimate Grilled Cheese with smoked bacon and tomato between three slices of sourdough bread are what this restaurant inside a late-19th-century stone-walled building is about. Locals crowd the tables, especially after 6 pm, for the ground-meat patties, beer-battered onion rings, and veggie burgers.
93 S. Washington St., Sonora, California, 95370, USA
Known For
- Garlic fries
- Many local wines
- Homemade desserts
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Breakfast salads, avocado toast, and caffeine several ways are on the menu at this jovial café that’s also a good stop for sandwiches and charcuterie, hummus, and bagel boards. You can eat indoors or watch Main Street’s comings and goings out on the patio.
9506 Main St., Plymouth, California, 95669, USA
Known For
- Cinnamon rolls and other baked goods
- Well-crafted coffee drinks
- Local wines and beers
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No dinner
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Zesty pies like the Miner Moe's BBQ Chicken with red onions, pineapple, bacon, and cheese make this casual spot a few steps off Main Street a fitting choice, particularly for lunch or a midafternoon snack. You can also build your own pizza or order a sandwich; there's some indoor seating, but when the weather's good most folks eat outside on the front patio or the creek-side one in back.
20 Eureka St., Sutter Creek, California, 95685, USA
Known For
- Ultracrispy crust
- Chicken wings and calzone
- Combo meals
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Eat like a 19th-century Cornish miner at this modest takeout shop serving home-baked pasties, flaky on the outside with moist and flavorful meat, vegetable, and other fillings. Jammed with skirt steak, potatoes, and turnips, the Cousin Jack hews closest to tradition, with vegetarian and barbecued pulled pork typical of the equally satisfying updates.
100 S. Auburn St., Grass Valley, California, 95945, USA
Known For
- At least one vegetarian option
- Family-run business
- Closes early evening
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues.
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Since 1956, the Gillman family has been serving up its famous two-patty "Moo Burger"—so big it presumably still makes cow sounds. The convivial diner is also known for milk shakes and floats.
31 Hwy. 88, Jackson, California, 95642, USA
Known For
- Hearty breakfasts
- Freshly baked pies
- Stick with the burger and shakes advise some locals
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The scene's light and lively indoors and out at this pub whose 16 taps dispense everything from pale ales to studly stouts. The kitchen turns out well-made snacks, salads, burgers, wraps, and a slew of sandwiches on various breads.
350 Main St., Murphys, California, 95427, USA
Known For
- Rotating mostly West Coast beer selection
- Summertime trivia and movie nights on the lawn
- Family- and dog-friendly
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Perch yourself on this homey bungalow café's wide porch for homemade soups, salads, and sandwiches that include tuna plus three or four tri-tip, turkey, chicken, and BLT offerings. Everything from olives, jalapeños, cornichons, and celery to bacon, cheddar cheese, and shrimp—sometimes all of the above and more—accompanies the peppy "loaded" Bloody Marys (vodka and virgin), nearly a meal in themselves.
1192 S. Main St., Angels Camp, California, 95222, USA
Known For
- Soup and half-sandwich specials
- Emerald Bay BLT with avocado and blue cheese
- Old-style root beer and other soft drinks
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon and Tues. No dinner
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Homemade lunches and breakfasts served with warmth and cheer are the trademarks of this restaurant and coffee shop in Sutter Creek's historic district. Egg scrambles, pancakes, bagel sandwiches, French toast, and biscuits and gravy headline at breakfast, with soups, salads, sandwiches, and wraps on the menu for lunch.
74 Main St., Sutter Creek, California, 95685, USA
Known For
- Quiches and daily-special sandwiches
- Good stop for coffee
- Cookies, muffins, and pastries
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Wed. and Thurs. No dinner
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A local success story that expanded into a second storefront after a few years in business, Small Town serves morning coffee and baked goods, by 11 am adding small bites, salads, sandwiches, and flatbreads. For a midday pick-me-up, pair affordable, well-selected wines from the area and beyond with deviled eggs, a three-cheese mac, or an artisanal charcuterie plate.
14179 Main St., Amador City, California, 95601, USA
Known For
- Grab-and-go gourmet sandwiches
- Vegan and vegetarian items
- "Made in Amador" gifts and arrangements
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.–Wed. No lunch Thurs. No dinner Sun.
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The chef at this brewpub with a no-nonsense industrial decor (high ceilings, concrete floor, huge garage doors) tailors the cuisine to the namesake beers produced by two Sierra foothills natives, one with an enology degree, the other with extensive experience in European beer making. A buttermilk fried-chicken sandwich, a corned root-vegetable Reuben, and a burger with the cheese of your choice might appear among the gastropub options.
552 Pleasant Valley Rd., Diamond Springs, California, 95619, USA
Known For
- Ciders from Apple Hill
- Some beers aged in wine barrels
- Good stop for lunch on a hot day
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Named for the founder of Tower Records, this energetic diner plays the nostalgia card with an all-vinyl soundtrack and comfort classics from bagels and lox or biscuits and gravy for breakfast to pastrami on rye, two-patty burgers with melted cheddar, or the chef's take on SpaghettiOs at lunch. A few vegetarian optoins, cold-brew coffee, and craft beers in cans and on tap keep the fare current.
730 K St., Sacramento, California, 95811, USA
Known For
- Zero-proof, "brunch booze," and specialty cocktails
- Upstairs Russ's Room listening lounge
- Saturday Drag Brunch and other festivities
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. No dinner
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Locals flock to this always-busy diner on a Victorian's ground floor for lobster Benedict, a spiced-up Mexican chicken scramble, and other dishes that are anything but your ordinary eggs and pancakes (though you can order those, too, as well as vegetarian versions of several items). Imaginative burritos, wraps, burgers, and more lobster in the form of a melt sandwich appear for lunch.
102 Richardson St., Grass Valley, California, 95945, USA
Known For
- Homemade muffins
- Vegan and gluten-free options
- Local family farms supply many ingredients
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
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A circa-1865 Victorian that was expanded willy-nilly over the years houses this downtown spot known for made-from-scratch fare. Scrambles, four-egg omelets, pancakes, waffles, and French toast get things going for breakfast (served until 1 pm), with salads and well-built sandwiches the main items for lunch.
577 Main St., Placerville, California, 95667, USA
Known For
- Bakery's pies, breads, cookies, cakes, muffins, and cinnamon rolls
- Strong coffee
- Breakfast-only Sunday (until 2)
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner, Reservations not accepted
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Black subway tiles, contemporary bistro furniture, and a gray-marble counter lit by Edison bulbs lend urban panache to this fine spot for a craft coffee or one of more than two dozen local, national, and international brews on tap. In a space once occupied by a drugstore, the Pour Choice serves light fare that might include a grilled gourmet-cheese sandwich on ciabatta with bacon.
177 Sacramento St., Auburn, California, 95630, USA
Known For
- Upbeat vibe
- Talented baristas
- Outdoor terrace in good weather