The Abridged version:
Benjy Egel, the senior food editor for Abridged, picked his top 13 burgers around the Sacramento region, then asked readers to write in their favorites that didn’t make the list.
More than 100 people suggested restaurants from Diamond Springs to Woodland.
The most popular write-ins included a roadside grill in Carmichael and an Arden Arcade bakery.
Abridged Senior Food Editor Benjy Egel picked his 13 best burgers across the Sacramento region last Thursday, then asked readers what they thought was missing. More than 100 people wrote in suggestions of spots they said should have made the list.
Readers suggested all sorts of burgers at restaurants across the region, from Solid Ground Brewing’s mustard-seared patty in Diamond Springs to Sheldon Inn’s topped with bacon jam. These five restaurants were the most popular submissions.
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Skip’s Kitchen
4717 El Camino Ave., Carmichael
The Western burger at Skip’s Kitchen in Carmichael. (Benjy Egel)
Readers were split between Skip’s Kitchen’s classic burger, the Western or the mushroom-and-Swiss. But 18 of them agreed: Skip Wahl’s Sacramento County roadside stand is one of the best around. All options include an 85% hand-packed mix of chuck and sirloin (or housemade walnut-mushroom patty), traditional fixings on brioche buns and your choice of waffle or sweet potato fries. Cashiers end each order by fanning a deck of cards out on the counter; pick the joker and your meal is free.
Ettore’s Bakery & Cafe
2376 Fair Oaks Blvd., Sacramento
Ettore’s burger. (Benjy Egel)
Lines form at Ettore’s Bakery & Cafe for extra-large Danishes, mouthwatering cakes and other desserts pioneered by Ettore Ravazzolo years ago. But in-the-know diners settle into the Arden Arcade restaurant, owned by Lisa Calk since 2018, for a burger. One of the six readers who submitted it said they’ve driven from San Jose to enjoy it for a birthday celebration and that their brother balked at the $18 price tag — then ate it, and said he’d order it once a week if possible. Niman Ranch beef joins sautéed mushrooms, Swiss cheese, red leaf lettuce, a tomato slice and light herby aioli, with elbow macaroni pasta salad on the side. The housemade cheddar-scallion bun is the star of the show, lightly toasted and savory to no end.
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Burgers & Brew
5 area locations
Burgers & Brew’s pastrami burger with curly fries. (Benjy Egel)
Ettore’s isn’t the only restaurant putting Niman Ranch beef on a burger. The Bolinas-founded company supplies at least a half-pound of meat for most of Burgers & Brew’s burgers, from the beef patty laden with pastrami and sauerkraut to the lamb burger with roasted garlic, feta and mint-yogurt sauce. The Midtown Sacramento brewpub funnels ales to sister locations in the R Street Corridor, West Sacramento, Davis and Sacramento International Airport. That means fans throughout Sacramento and Yolo counties, including five who said the restaurant was snubbed in Abridged’s original list.
The Burger Saloon
601 Main St., Woodland
Tired of the classics? Visit The Burger Saloon in Downtown Woodland, opened in 2012 by brothers Chris and James Lombardi (who also own Outpost Burger in Davis), where no less than 28 burgers fill up the menu. There’s the blackened Cajun patty with blue cheese, a Hawaiian pizza rendition with black forest ham, grilled pineapple and onion relish, the Sophisticate with roasted garlic and tomatoes, Brie cheese and whole-grain mustard sauce. There’s an option for everyone, including three folks who wrote it in, but heat seems to be a consistent theme. To lean in fully, grab the Four-Alarm Fire with pickled jalapeños, pepper jack cheese, habanero sauce and pickles lathered with spicy aioli.
Scott’s Burger Shack
4127 Franklin Blvd., Sacramento
A cheeseburger at Scott’s Burger Shack. (Benjy Egel)
True to its name, Scott’s Burger Shack comprises a small, divey kitchen and three blue picnic tables south of Curtis Park. A frayed speaker calls out orders to the parking lot shared with an auto transmission shop, where people wait for one of the Sacramento region’s best budget burgers. The signature Fatboy Burger runs a mere $8.25 and piles bacon, American cheese, pickles, lettuce, tomatoes and onions atop a 1/3-pound patty that’s thoroughly cooked but still juicy. Sandwiched by slightly flaky buns, this cash-only meal deal has been an area favorite since 1982.
Benjy Egel is the senior food editor at Abridged. Born and raised in the Sacramento region, he has covered its local restaurants and bars since 2018. He also writes and edits Abridged’s weekly food and drink newsletter, City of Treats.