I haven't been to Empress since it changed owners because I was unsure about the pop-up kitchen setup and hadn't been hearing anything great but we gave it a try. The space is still gorgeous but the ambience is ruined by having to order separately at the bar and the kitchen for food. The drinks were fine, very basic. Like a dive bar cocktail. The food was extremely disappointing and me and my friend both didn't finish our plates. My steak sandwich was medium rare which I don't love for a sandwich and the bread was cold. It didn't come with any side. My friends fried pickles were too sweet and the fries were not even as good as pub fries. I'm giving two stars only because the servers were kind and attentive. It's such a bummer to have less than mediocre food and drinks in such a classic spot. read more

Came here on a Tuesday for a date, and afterwards we headed to the Crest Theatre for a movie. I ordered the birria dumplings, which I had never tried before, and wow... they were amazing. I ordered 8, which was a mistake, I definitely should've gotten at least 12! The waitress even warned me, and she was 100% right and 8 was not gonna be enough!! The drinks my date and I ordered were a little strong, but still really good. There was also a DJ playing some old-school jams, which made the vibe even better. The food and drinks came out pretty fast, and the service was great. Overall, we had an awesome time with great food, good drinks, and a nice environment. We'd definitely come back again. read more

Empress Tavern - Birria Dumplings!! - American Near Me - Sacramento, California

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Came here for dinner and drinks before the crest for their Tuesday movie and we can't wait to return. The food and drinks were two different things places inside of one. The drinks were through the tavern and strong. Cheap and strong is the perfect combo. The plus is you can bring the drinks to the movie if you get a plastic cup. I ordered the carnitas tacos, and Mr Man ordered 8 piece birria dumplings. Definitely order the bigger order if you know what's good for ya....The server was so sweet and brought over a veggie street taco and it was so good!!!! The service at the restaurant was phenomenal. 20/10 . The vibe and ambiance was amazing especially for a Tuesday random event. Can't wait to return for a "cheap" date with Mr Man or friends read more

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Stopped by Empress Tavern before a show at the Crest Theatre to grab a drink. When we walked in, we were told we could sit anywhere and then order over by the food area, but then we overheard the bartender saying there was a line on the other side. It was pretty confusing and not very well organized. We grabbed a menu to look for a small snack, but there were only a few options and nothing really stood out to us. We then went to check out the drinks, but no one acknowledged or helped us. After waiting a bit and still not getting any assistance, we decided to head upstairs and just grab a drink at the bar inside the Crest instead. read more

The food was delicious! They had an event where the servers were in training and they did a good job. We were glad we knew about that before dinner and all the diners were patient. The location is very cute and has a great vibe. read more

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ALIENS Pregaming Stop #2! SITREP So, we left our new favorite stop the Ten Ten Room, but still had 40 minutes to kill before ALIENS started (killing us! Ha!). So we popped into here, one of our OLD favorites! LE LIBATIONS Thank god for the classics! I immediately zoned in on one of my favorite bourbon drinks, the OLD FASHIONED. Our bartender made it perfectly balanced, with my favorite orange bitters and slice of mandarin. The best part though?..... TAKE YOUR FAVORITE ALCOHOL DRINK WITH YOU TO THE MOVIE! There was no way I would want/could finish my drink before the start of the movie. Luckily, however, Empress Tavern sits below The Crest Theatre and is part of the same company-ownership: so enter the simple courtesy that people can actually take their drinks from the Empress Tavern and go into The Crest Theatre through the shared inside door. The best part of this arrangement - in terms of drinks - is that The Crest Theater only sells Beer & Wine, and limited at that. They MAY have some sort of premixed concoction also available, but usually it's some overly sweet abomination mixed with ingredients and alcohol you don't want. So bringing the EXACT alcohol-beverage you like from the Empress Tavern with you is a huge plus of this arrangement. THE LOWDOWN Literally, the best place to pregame before going into the Crest Theater with your favorite drink! read more

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What a cute hidden gem in the heart of downtown Sacramento. The underground vibe of the space adds to the feeling of being somewhere else. While I didn't have any food, the drinks were spectacular and service was quick. I had the "Some Gourmet Shit" which was a delicious, coffee-based cocktail. I will definitely be back to try more. read more

Empress Tavern - American Near Me - Sacramento, California

I'm so sad I didn't visit Empress Tavern sooner! We heard about it while attending a show at the Crest Theater, but didn't think it would be the right spot for us with so many local restaurants. We hear rumblings of their great fries and being able to bring drinks/snacks from there into the show. Well, on our most recent visit to the Crest Theater, for Bob's This is Wild Tour, we decided to give it a chance and my mind was blown. IT IS BEAUTIFUL! The brick work, the wallpaper, the lighting- SO COOL! How could I doubt it. We were immediately won over and mystified. BUT WAIT- The Menus are so cute!! They're formatted like scripts and had some very fun options. We made it in before the rush of theater attendees and ordered at the bar. I got the "No Redneck is this Creative" ($14) with Terroir gin, hibiscus infused white vermouth, and benedictine. I forget what my husband ordered, but he got one on menu and one "surprise me" drink from the bartender. We all enjoyed out drinks. We each ordered the Wolfman Burger ($18) as well. It came with fries on the side and was a simple yet SUPER flavorful burger with two smashed patties, cheese, lettuce, pickles and special sauce. I would order this again and again- it was so good. I definitely paused before getting it at an $18 price point, but I'm hungry just thinking about it. The reason I give it four stars instead of five is that they get VERY busy around showtime and the staff does an amazing job, but it does get loud and cramped. Also, their hours are weird. We heard they weren't supposed to be open the day we stopped in, but opened specifically for the show (and they were BUSY). I feel like the food and drinks should make this spot a must visit, even when they don't have shows and I'm not sure if their limited/changing hours may be holding them back or might be giving people FOMO. Regardless, I'll 1000% be back for more. read more

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Recently visited because we were going to watch a show at the crest theatre. We ordered a few drinks and a few things from their menu. We loved their Mac and cheese--super cheesy if that's what you're in to. The fried Brussels sprouts were good but not super crunchy. All in all, cool ambiance. Loved how it connects to Crest. read more

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Came here to grab a drink and a bite to eat before seeing Nurse John at the Crest theater. What a great place, love the atmosphere. Very nice and attentive employees. We ordered the Brussel sprouts, shishito peppers, and the Mac & cheese. The Mac & cheese was my favorite. read more

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The ambiance is nice and retro. I tried the food once a few years back and it was pretty good. The drinks are good but pricey depending on what you order. The staff is friendly and provide good service. read more

Love the underground look! Fun music. Had to wait a bit for service at the bar but the bartenders was quick, friendly and not phased by my special order. Would love to come back when I'm not in a rush to see my show at the Crest, But totally cool to be able to take the drinks and food into the theater! read more

Very cool atmosphere for a girls night out! The perfect place for a February book club meeting

the roast chicken is full of juice. the big beef burger has melted cheese on it. the dark brick room under the ground is a neat place to visit. read more

It's not the same since the covid and they sold the name to the theater upstairs. The menu is really limited and the cocktail menu isn't the same. The atmosphere is really cool still except the tv plays basic cable for some reason??? We went there once and don't see a reason to go back. If you're looking for a cool bar/tavern with an elevated cocktail menu go elsewhere. The service was good though so I give them props for that. The bartenders were friendly, attentive, and engaging. read more

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Empress Tavern has always been one of my favorite spots to dine. This place has a full bar, serves up tasty cocktails and small bites like fried chicken and mac and cheese. It wasn't too busy on our Friday visit at 6 pm, and surprised there was no happy hour menu. Still not a problem, we drank and ate! You order at the bar and the staff are very friendly and attentive. The fried chicken was crispy outside, juicy inside season with honey butter coriander cardamom spice. The mac and cheese was good however I would have preferred it to be a little creamier and favored. I also ordered a glass of Sauvignon blanc and the bartender topped it off to the rim it was spilling- thank you! It's a good spot for a chill evening out. read more

Empress Tavern - Love the pour on my wine - American Near Me - Sacramento, California

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Loved the cocktails!! such a pretty venue, had a great time with the book club at this place!

Live music was awesome!! Affordable food/drinks and great atmosphere. Parking is tricky but super cool space!

Such a great place the service and atmosphere are great. The staff is really nice and friendly. The Definitely would come back.

Swanky spot in f downtown Sacramento. The ambience is fantastic. It's an old theater that was transformed into a beautiful bar. The drinks were cool. Bartenders were really cool as well. Enjoyed the bartender choice Margarita really enjoyed the food. Try out the appetizers, pork fries, and brussels sprouts check out the spot really funky they didn't enjoy myself. Totally recommend this place. Come check it out. read more

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My visit to Empress Tavern was characterized by a mild experience. The restaurant's trendy and modern décor created an appealing atmosphere, and the buzz of excitement from other diners contributed to a lively ambiance. The menu showcased a range of somewhat innovative and unique dishes, and I decided to try their French dip and a couple of appetizers. While the presentation was lovely, the flavors were somewhat mild. Service was attentive, with the staff being knowledgeable about the menu and offering recommendations. The restaurant's popularity was evident in the bustling crowd, but it also translated to slightly longer wait times. On the positive side, the restaurant's aesthetic was Instagram-worthy, and the overall vibe was trendy and energetic. However, some notes there is extremely limited signal in this area and because it is connected to the popular crest theater - there is a large crowd. It's worth a visit for the fun ambiance, but perhaps with tempered culinary expectations. Final thoughts - this is a very "smoky" environment so be prepared for that. read more

Fun place with delicious food & drinks, and nice people running things. The "new" Empress is casual and fun, like a sports bar vibe without the sports. The bartenders are down to earth and friendly, the cocktails are simple yet delicious and the food is like tasty elevated bar food. Tonight was bingo night which was a lot of fun. I recommend following their IG for the most up to date info rather than rely on their Google page and website because the info on google/website is out of date. Overall, I enjoyed my visit and I plan to return soon! read more

Empress Tavern - Delicious drink, bingo, menu, seasonal drink - American Near Me - Sacramento, California

First time here last night, before a show at Crest theater. The drinks are strong. The bar attendants are friendly and nice. Great atmosphere. Just FYI to my vegan friends. I was told they no longer serve vegan burger. I was disappointed about that. read more

Empress Tavern - Margarita - American Near Me - Sacramento, California

Great place for dinner and a movie to follow. The cocktails are tasty, quirky and cinema themed. The burger and fries hit the spot too. All of the bartenders and staff were incredibly friendly. Loved the ambiance and decor. It was very mellow when I first arrived but the place gets packed before a movie showing so plan accordingly! I had a great time chatting with the staff and heading upstairs for a Bruce Lee flick afterwards. I'll definitely be back. read more

A great place to catch a quick drink before a show at the Crest Theater. Haven't had dinner here, so cannot comment on the food. But whenever we've gone for a drink, it's full of people enjoying their dinner. read more

Empress Tavern - American Near Me - Sacramento, California

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This place is a oasis form The Gotham city aka K st. Came in for a Pregame before WWE Smackdown. It was also happy hour too. Glad because I don't want to spend any drink money at Golden 1. The place looked fancy because of the bricks but the vibe was casual af like the bars I used to go to in Portland. Bartenders were cool and very casua, which is what I like personally. If I had to hit a bar on K. This place would be it. All that Club stuff out there is not my scene. read more

Empress Tavern has reopened and still has quality food. The paper menu is handed to you when you walk in and primary is small bites and bar menu type food but done in a upgraded method. The prices range from $8 to 16 for each menu item. They have a full bar and you can't beat the brick curved ceilings for ambience. This is more of a bar eats place than a full restaurant. read more

Empress Tavern - American Near Me - Sacramento, California

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The Empress Tavern has so much potential. It's a beautiful restaurant under an amazing concert/movie venue. It should be wonderful. That's what's so frustrating. We went there tonight and ordered about an hour before the show. It shouldn't have been an issue. 45 min later, our food was still not out of the kitchen. We had to leave without eating in order to make our show. The waitress commented, "yes, the kitchen always gets backed up before a show". It seems like management could plan for such a thing and bring in more help. Anyway..... disappointing. Come on Empress - you can do better! read more

I want to start off by giving my review pre-quarantine and say that I love the ambiance of Empress! You're literally underground and if you blink, you might miss the entrance. It is located in between The Crest and The Crest Cafe and across from Pizza Rock on K Street. I have been a couple of times for my birthday and a much needed date night with my husband. I love their Mac and Cheese, Stroganoff and Potato Wedges with Cheddar Aioli. Their drinks are one of a kind too! Fast forward to the current quarantine and I have ordered curbside pick-up twice from them! The first time we ordered their Empress Fried Chicken for a family of 4 that came with Rolls, Asparagus, Potato Wedges, Mac and Cheese and Caesar Salad. The fried chicken with the habanero honey and pickles was on point! The chicken wasn't the juiciest, but the flavor made up for it! The Caesar Salad was probably one of the best I've had - it came with broccolini and potato wedges on top as well as a soft boiled egg. It was a meal within itself - bomb! Last night for Yelp's Big Night In, we ordered the Lasagna for 4 people that came with Rolls and Butter Lettuce Salad. I called them on Tuesday and asked if they would still have this special on Saturday and they told me if I ordered ahead of time, they would make sure to put some lasagna aside for me. I also told them that it was my husband's birthday so when we picked up the food yesterday, Chloe bought out our meal and told us there was something special they added in the bag for us to eat as soon as we could! When we got home, I opened up the bag and they had added a complimentary warm chocolate cake complete with strawberries and a birthday candle! So thoughtful! The lasagna was good and layered perfectly and we loved the dressing on the Butter Lettuce Salad! It was the perfect amount of food for the 4 of us! We also ordered cocktails to celebrate and they were so good! We ordered the 50/50 Margarita, Mezcal Last Word and Moscow Mules. Each cocktail comes in a plastic bottle with instructions and ingredients - they included limes, salt and Ginger Beer for the Margaritas and Mules as well. I highly recommend the Paloma (we ordered those when we had the Fried Chicken)! It is my favorite cocktail and they include Grapefruit Soda and limes to go with it. You won't be disappointed. I also need to point out that Chloe was super helpful and went above and beyond to make sure our meal was perfect. She even called us earlier in the day to confirm our order! You can park in front of Pizza Rock and they will bring your food out to your car! I highly recommend Empress Tavern for your quarantine and post quarantine hunger needs! If not for the food, at least order a few cocktails to help pass the time at home! read more

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It's been a couple years since I was here last, disappointed with the food quality at this past visit. Unfortunately, both the chicken tacos and the fried brussels sprouts were not eatable. The brussels sprouts were so greasy they were mushy and the chicken was so tough it was pretty rough going. That being said, the staff was very friendly and attentive, the atmosphere is great, and the resturant was clean. I hope some modifications are made to the menu so the food can be as good as the atmosphere! read more

What a fun experience! I'm working on a project up in Sacramento, so my team took me out for a belated birthday celebration, and I stumbled across Empress Tavern after a quick search. The food looked pretty good, and the atmosphere seemed fun and inviting. Before deciding to make a reservation, I sent the menu to my manager and he flipped out! He looked at the cocktail menu and noticed are the cocktails are named after characters/scenes from Point Break, which he swears is the best movie of all time (he's a surfer). After that, we had to go to this restaurant. We get there and it has a really cool atmosphere. You enter through the side of the theater and it's down the stairs. The atmosphere is very inviting and trendy. It wasn't too busy, so reservations were not needed, but I had made on just in case... you never know. We first ordered some drinks. I ordered the Bodhisattva and then then the vaya con dips for my second drink. For food we had the cheddar biscuits as a starter, I ordered the beef stroganoff and both my team mates ordered the Petaluma fried chicken with hot honey. As sides we ordered the Brussels and wedge fries. Everything was great! I think the atmosphere, service, food and the fun find with Point Break made the experience a memorable one. I highly recommend trying this place out to break up the monotony of many of the other restaurants in the area and perhaps to imbibe a Point Break cocktail. read more

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The drinks were fantastic and our bartender was amazing! It's also such a cute place with great wallpaper and an elegant vibe.

Going to a concert at the Crest Theater. Needed a quiet & good dinner place before the concert tonite. The chef at our usual place is sick so the kitchen is closed. Damn! Scooted on over to The Empress. Food is always good here, but it's changed. Definitely louder now. Really loud. Theres no hostess or greting. You need to find a seat, then find a menu, then stand in line at the bar to order. Then wait and wait for your food. We ordered at 6:45pm and our food was served at 7;20pm. A little late for a 7:30pm concert. No apologies for the lateness. Nothing. Not an inviting scenario. Not a welcoming experience. Nothing really to want you to come back. 2 stars only because the chicken salad sliders are still pretty good. read more

They were so busy and still killed it.. great food, drinks and service rich flavor, not overly salty.. chef really let the food shine with flavor. Team was rockin it on service read more

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4/17/21: I understand from your website and other online listings that Empress is open again. So far calling your phone number during open AND closed hours both don't have anyone answer, and the mailbox memory is full. Also your Open Table link sends to the Open Table app for the restaurant but doesn't allow any reservation times to be selected--not because they're all full mind you, it just shows as if the restaurant doesn't have a reservations option and only Dine At Home. Please fix because I love Empress and am trying to give you business again over the last 2 weeks. Will update review after fix. read more

Empress Tavern - a black and white photo of a restaurant - American Near Me - Sacramento, California

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After over 10 years of being Yelp Elite, I cannot believe I have never been here before. My husband and I have been HUGE fans of their sister restaurant MOTHER but I am now forever changed by last night's dinner experience! Empress Tavern is located below the Crest Theatre, basement level (little to no reception) surrounded by beautiful brick walls. An amazing bar area and TONS of seating. We made reservations for our party of six and we had no trouble being seated quickly! Our waitress was Heather who was perfectly perfect in every way. She was attentive, personable and easy going. She was well informed, knew the menu well and provided great recommendations! Our party shared the wedge fries, the butter lettuce salad and the baked brie. OMG the brie, so INCREDIBLE! The bread (with butter, can't forget the butter) was SPECTACULAR. We also brought three bottles of wine from home, there is a $20 corkage fee, FYI. The butter lettuce was pretty tasty and the wedge fries were yummy as well. I ordered the lamb shank and boy was I NOT disappointed. So soft and just melted off the bone. The polenta that went with it as so crisp and perfect. My husband ordered the Gnocchi, another exemplary dish for your taste buds. My friends ordered the jambalaya (delicious) and I honestly don't remember what my other friends ordered because I was so distracted by my dish! They had no complaints otherwise! We also ordered additional side dishes including the Mac and Cheese and the Squash...all very good options to add a little extra to your entree. For dessert we had the s'mores chocolate cake. In fact, our party of five ordered two of them and they were INCREDIBLE. Well worth the hard workout I had earlier that day. Thanks again for a great experience and I look forward to being back here. Thanks Heather! read more

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Stellar service - Bartender Tyler took time to chat about an infusion he was working on. Yummy empanadas and the hummus was amazing! The building is really interesting with archways, exposed brick, and nice lighting. I'll definitely be back read more

I've been here several times and it has been a great experience each time. I recently came here to celebrate a friend's new job. I normally order steak but I decided to try the Ora King Salmon. The salmon was very tasty and cooked perfectly. The service was great and the decor was nice. My cell phone didn't work inside the restaurant at all but I am not sure it was just due to my service. I would definitely continue to come back and check out the happy hour specials. The food items are priced higher so I would come during special occasions. read more

Empress Tavern - Ora King Salmon - American Near Me - Sacramento, California

Found this little gem before we went to Crest Theater for a show. Great drinks and the food was good. Mac and cheese was perfect and the chicken skewers were delicious. Service was excellent as well. Looking forward to going back. read more

Tyler is an exceptional bartender with an infectiously positive attitude and world class skills! He takes pride in his craft and it really shows. We really enjoyed our time at this bar on a warm Friday night. read more

Empress Tavern - Tyler and his expertise! - American Near Me - Sacramento, California