The longtime state worker haunt, founded in 1988 but closed since 2020, began its soft reopening this week ahead of a grand opening on July 1.<\/p>\n
Few original Bud\u2019s aspects remain beyond the name. Hulking pastrami sandwiches are out, replaced by tacos ($7), burritos ($15) and burrito bowls ($15) put together on a Chipotle-style assembly line. The building had a leaky roof, moldy walls, broken air conditioning and a rat infestation after sitting vacant for 5\u00bd years; new operators fixed those issues but also brought in long mirrors, chandeliers and Chiavari chairs from their banquet halls.<\/p>\n
![\"burrito\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/DSC04220-1024x576.jpg.webp\")
A chicken burrito at Bud\u2019s Buffet. (Tyler Bastine)<\/p>\n
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Get the latest Sacramento food news from Benjy Egel in City of Treats \u2014 delivered every Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Who would take on a space with so many issues a half-block from The Kay, Downtown Sacramento\u2019s beleaguered main street? Waqar Khan and his sons Haroon and Asad, who own Downtown Event Center<\/a> across 10th Street and another nearby space at 1215 J St. They also own Town & Country Event Center<\/a> in Arden Arcade, another banquet hall and Pakistani restaurant Al-Maidah<\/a> in Rancho Cordova, and Sierra Banquet Center in Camino.<\/p>\n It\u2019s the Downtown locations, though, that prompted the Khans to move into Bud\u2019s old space. They originally wanted it as a Mexican-focused catering kitchen to feed guests at quincea\u00f1eras, weddings and business events they hosted. But after starting a lease in January, they figured: Why not build out a quick-service restaurant capable of feeding Downtown employees on lunch breaks?<\/p>\n \u201cBud\u2019s Buffet was the perfect situation for us,\u201d said Haroon Khan, who manages the restaurant. \u201cIn a way, we can help bring the original Bud\u2019s name back to the community and also fulfill our needs at our events.\u201d<\/p>\n Customers choose their vessel, then rice (brown or cilantro lime), beans (black or pinto), meat (chicken, steak or ground beef, all hand-slaughtered halal) and salsas prepared in-house each morning. Guacamole and queso are available free of charge among those toppings, and off-menu street tacos are just $2 apiece.<\/p>\n Alex Pacheco, a native of El Salvador whose father is from the Mexican city of Guadalajara, is the chef and lone employee for now. Pacheco cooked at the now-closed Dali\u2019s Kitchen<\/a> in South Land Park before coming to work for the Khans two years ago, including a stint running their Town & Country Grill food truck.<\/p>\n Bud\u2019s Buffet is a banquet hall, too, a statement that would have shocked the much-loved dive\u2019s regulars a decade ago. The space can host 50-100 people for events.<\/p>\n The Ziyadeh\u00a0family opened the original Bud\u2019s Buffet in 1988 and ran it for nearly 33 years until September 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic and an emptied-out Downtown forced its closure. People wearing masks stood 6 feet apart down 10th Street<\/a> in its final days, lined up for a last sandwich.<\/p>\n The former owners sought to distance their restaurant from the new Bud\u2019s Buffet, both in an Instagram post Friday<\/a> and in an email to Abridged.<\/p>\n \u201cThe current restaurant using the Buds Buffet name is not owned, operated, or affiliated with our family. We never approved or agreed to our name being used,\u201d former Bud\u2019s Buffet owner Marian Ziyadeh wrote in the email.<\/p>\n Gov. Gavin Newsom\u2019s mandate requiring state workers to be in office four days a week goes into effect on July 1. They\u2019ll have another lunch option in the new Bud\u2019s Buffet, which will also stay open until midnight on Friday and Saturday to feed Downtown revelers. A touch of the old Bud\u2019s could eventually reappear, too.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know, we\u2019re thinking about adding sandwiches, too. It\u2019s not \u2014 it\u2019s not our ballpark, but it\u2019s definitely something we can do and look into as we transition and move forward into the Bud\u2019s Buffet timeline,\u201d Khan said.<\/p>\n Bud\u2019s Buffet<\/p>\n Address:\u00a01016 10th St., Sacramento<\/p>\n Phone:\u00a0916-443-6905<\/p>\n Hours:\u00a09:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to midnight Friday-Saturday, closed Sunday<\/p>\n Website: budsbuffet.com<\/a><\/p>\n Vegetarian\/vegan options:\u00a0Build-your-own items allow for some customization, but get comfortable with rice, beans and fajita veggies<\/p>\n Drinks:\u00a0Canned and bottled soft drinks<\/p>\n Reservations:\u00a0Not necessary unless booking an event<\/p>\n Benjy Egel\u00a0is 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\u2019s weekly\u00a0food and drink newsletter,\u00a0City of Treats.<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Mexican](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/DSC04267-1024x684.jpg.webp\")
Burritos, burrito bowls and tacos at Bud\u2019s Buffet. (Tyler Bastine)<\/p>\n![\"man](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/DSC04174-1024x576.jpg.webp\")
Chef Alex Pacheco prepares a burrito bowl at Bud\u2019s Buffet. (Tyler Bastine)<\/p>\n![\"Bud's](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/DSC04165-1024x576.jpg.webp\")
Bud\u2019s Buffet on June 17, 2026. (Tyler Bastine)<\/p>\n