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Paragary's Bar & Oven
Category: Restaurants American (New) American (New) [Edit]
1401 28th StSacramento, CA 95816
Neighborhood: Midtown
(916) 457-5737
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 4:30 pm - 9 pm
Fri-Sat 4:30 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Classy, Upscale
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
83 reviews for Paragary's Bar & Oven
Review Highlights
"DO: order the hand-cut rosemary pasta."
(in 5 reviews)
"Great choice for happy hour."
(in 7 reviews)
"to the mashed butternut squash we were blown away by how..."
(in 3 reviews)
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83 reviews in English
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Review from Ashley S.
Elk Grove, CA
1/26/2012
GREAT food
went here with some coworkers
I want me and fiance to go here
Definately would go back and tell my friends about it -
Review from debbie l.
Studio City, CA
Updated - 2/4/2012
Sorry, you have lost a customer.
We headed to Paragary's on Friday night after a few years absence. In our opinion the food had declined in quality, and along with the higher prices we moved onto the many other places in town with better food for for the price. My husband had gotten an email offering a free entree for his birthday so he thought it was a great time to try it again since Pargary's use to be one of our favorites and we missed eating there.
We thought about making a reservation but given the empty dining room and bar it clearly is not needed. Even when we left after 7:00pm you could have easily walked in and gotten a table immediately (on a Friday night).
My husband ordered the short ribs and I the hand-cut rosemary noodle dish. His short ribs were just ok, we have had way better especially at that price. Mine was great and had way more of the ingredients (not all pasta) than the last time I had it. Quality was way up on that dish. The waitress was great and or water glasses were never empty. There was way more staff than customers so we expected great service.
Now onto the "free birthday entree". My husband mentioned it and the waitress said he was suppose to print out the email and present it. He thought that he only needed to show his ID. She said sorry, then she went to inquire with the manager about the birthday deal - we thought of course they will honor it who wouldn't. She returned and said the manager said NO they couldn't give the discount without the email as it had a code on it they needed. It wasn't so much that the manager flatly refused to honor the birthday offer it was presented in a manner like no way are we going to get screwed out of $20. Like we were trying to pull one over on the restaurant.
When we got home my husband checked the email and while it did say to print it and present your ID, it had no such code on it. Not only did we not get the "free entree'" deal which the manager clearly could have ok'd as there is no code on the email, we didn't even get not get a free desert we would have gotten just about anywhere else. And even if there was a code that should be something the manager knows for just such occasions that a customer didn't print the email. Who else would mention the email deal if they hadn't gotten the offer? It's not like we look like criminals - or maybe we do?
I'm astonished that they failed to honor the birthday offer and given the fact that the bar and dining room were pretty empty even more astonishing. I guess I just expect a friendly manager to take the time to walk over to our table and say "of course we will honor the email offer, and happy birthday!" Not like she was overwhelmed with customers.....1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/28/2009
I have been eating at Paragary's for years and have always enjoyed the good food, good service, and… Read more »
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Review from Sam B.
1/29/2012 1 Check-in Here
I'm pretty torn.
I want to rate this higher, as the food is good. Quite good, in fact. I had the hand-cut rosemary noodles, and the flavors popped. Very tasty. My fiancee also enjoyed the butternut squash ravioli with toasted hazelnuts. Again, VERY good flavors.
However, my big beef here is the pricing. It's basically appetizer-sized portions for entree prices. The ravioli was a particularly bad offender here. It was an extremely small portion which left the stomach wanting.
Also, one big pet peeve of mine was very present during our visit: the upsell. I don't mind the occasional recommended add-on, but at every turn, it was something. Would you like to buy an appetizer? A salad? A pizza? Some desert? Some wine? Are you SURE you don't want to buy these things? Look, I'm a sales guy by trade, but this was just too much.
The upsell, combined with the small portions, are going to make it tough to me to make a return visit. And it's a shame, too! The food itself was worth the trip. -
Review from Jim A.
1/24/2012
I went to Paragary's for dine downtown with my parents and we enjoyed our meals, the service and ambiance. A nice place for dates or long conversations with an old friend.
We were seated a little early, which I really appreciated (I was hungry). There was a cool bar area in the back where the chef occasionally was finishing dishes, and a large oven added to the classy but casual theme.
We all had the roasted pumpkin soup, which was rich and filling. The farro was a little much and made it heavier. My mom had the salmon and really liked it. My father and I had the braised pork shoulder. Talk about juicy and tender! The real star of the dish though was the squash and celery root puree. It was so good I actually had to resist the urge to lick my plate. The apples paired well with the meat, but the turnips could have been more tender.
We all got different desserts, from my too-much-like-jello-chocolate bread pudding to mom's custardy-creme caramel to dad's delish pear crisp. We all enjoyed them, but the crisp stood out. -
Review from Aranyani A.
Sacramento, CA
11/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
I am a Napa Valley Brat, so naturally I am a discerning restaurant patron.
Since moving to Sacramento, I have enjoyed the local fare, and the many varieties of food in Midtown. However, I had not been able to find a place that reminded me of home...until I stumbled into Paragary's!!!!
First off, the service is excellent. Although it was happy hour, the staff was happy to seat me in the restaurant section. This sold the food far more, and I ended up ordering not only happy hour, but also off the dinner menu.
Happy hour is a delight. Lemon drops for $4, strong and quality!
The food is what hit me. Napa Valley dining in Sacramento, wonderful.
The salads are top notch, the bar bites are delicious, and yet tastefully portioned, and the bruschetta is deliciously fresh.
In the end, my friend and I went ALL THE WAY.
Drinks, appetizers, salads, and then: DESSERT!
We got recommended two wonderful dessert wines, one late harv German, and one tawny port.
The creme brulee did not disappoint, tasting slightly caramelized, and also fresh.
The prices, although not comparable to Napa Valley are on the high end of things. But, anyone who cares enough to spend more to get more will tell you this place is worth the extra few dollars.
If anyone here has had the opportunity to dine Napa Valley style, this place is VERY much like Solage Resort's famous Sol bar and Sol Restaurant. -
Review from Nicole L.
10/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
On Friday night, the inside seating was completely empty, which I thought may have been a bad sign.
Fortunately, I was wrong.
We chose to sit inside because it had been a 90 degree day in Sac and we just wanted some air conditioning. That, and we had already consumed a bottle of wine before ambling over here to assuage our oncoming ataxia.
Service? Impeccable. Our waitress was friendly, witty, and engaging. The hostess was professional, well-dressed, and welcoming. Even the busboys were interactive - and though we could attribute it to being well into our wine, I really felt taken care of.
Our food items were simple: we went for olives, shared a Caesar, and had individual meals.
The olives were great- I'm an olive fiend- and I have never found a place that does olives poorly. At $3.95 for the appetizer, you just can't go wrong.
The Caesar was tasty, long pieces of Romaine that weren't drowned in the sorrow of too much dressing. Crispy and fresh, with a lot of anchovy taste to it.
I had a personal pizza. It was... okay. The crust was perfect. The pesto part of it was delicious but the other section of it was a little lacking in sparkle. I like good and simple, and what place doesn't offer a good ol' margharita? I felt like the pizza could have been better, but I still enjoyed it!
My friend got the Hangar Steak. Rare. And yes, they did it rare. And yes, it melted right off the fork into my mouth when I took a bite.
Next time I know what I'll be ordering.
Bonus: the cocktails come in regular, original sized martini glasses (think NOT the size you get at Cheescake Factory) with a little carafe on ice on the side. So. Cute.
Wine list could be better. I looked at some of the markups and was a little surprised, but hey, can't blame a business for trying to make money.
Lovely dinner. Stumbley walk home. -
Review from Darina H.
10/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
THANK YOU Paragarys for making my birthday dinner so special last week. My boyfriend tried to reserve a table in the back patio for myself and 9 other friends. We knew that their policy was that it was on a first come first serve basis so we hurriedly rushed over to Paragarys that evening to see if we could get a table in the pack patio area. When my first guest arrived and inquired on a table of 10 they told us that it would take about an hour. We said that was fine and waited at the bar to order happy hour drinks and eats. It took them only 15 minutes to clear the table for 10 and we were quickly seated. AWESOME! Might I also add how much I love the outdoor garden (lights, fountain, ambiance, mood, music). AMAZING.
The bartender was pretty awesome and even let us order drinks/eats when it was 2 minutes before happy hour was supposed to end. That's customer service and that's why I give you guys a 5 stars. Every member of the staff including the bartender, waitress and hostess were super friendly and made it work for me and my friends and my big day.
My recommendations for happy hour eats/drinks include: lemon drop, cosmo, pizza, frites, and calamari.
My recommendations for dinner: Pizza sampler! If you're looking for something yummy do the half pesto pizza and half veggie. SO good and you get that variety!
Thank you for ending my night with a wonderful birthday dessert. Peach cobbler with a bit of ice cream (not sure what it was but all I can say was that it was DELICIOUS).
See you soon Paragarys! -
Review from Derek S.
Sacramento, CA
8/21/2011
Read yelp reviews here before I came with friends, here's a few key points.
-Outdoor seating is ABSOLUTELY a must! You may have to wait, but do it! It'll look nice in the afternoon to early evening, but when the sun really goes down, and they turn on the lights, everything around seem much more wonderful.
-We had the mussels and fried calamari for appetizers. The calamari was good, but with the sauce made it taste better. The mussels were small, but the garlic butter sauce was delicious. We even kept it after we ate all the mussels so we could dip bread in it!
-Had the hand cut rosemary pasta. It's a lighter pasta, so don't expect bursting flavors or anything. The chicken I felt could have been sliced even smaller with the pasta, but that's just my preference. The artichoke tasted fine. Pancetta made it taste better. It's a good pasta, but not a great pasta.
-we had a party of 8, so the tables they gave us were really just 4 2 seater tables, so leg spaced kinda sucked.
-Service was fine. They checked on us a good amount, and were efficient. I did however thank my waiter twice for the water he poured me but he never said anything to me, rather than just look at me.
-to split a dish it costs 2 dollars. Kinda sucks they have that.
The overall is this place is a nice place, maybe a good date place if u get the patio seat late at night, and the food is good.
3.5 stars. -
Review from Melissa W.
Sacramento, CA
7/24/2011
We were impatient -- we didn't want to wait 15 minutes for the patio when the inside of the restaurant was pretty empty. That's probably my biggest regret -- not waiting to enjoy the surprisingly cool summer evening.
We got smart -- unable to choose between two items, we selflessly agreed to choose two dishes we could split equally. And by equally, I mean not equally, because it was hard to give up some of my food.
We had the tortellini with mushrooms and the handcut rosemary noodles with chicken, artichokes, etc.
The SO said at my choice of tortellini: I thought you hate tortellini. To which I said; yes, but it has *mushrooms.*
And actually, the tortellini resembled nothing that my mother tried to serve her disgusted children. So I can now say I'm a tortellini fan, at least if it comes from Paragary's and with mushrooms. I liked the fact that the tortellini were really sort of open, so you could see the delicious mushrooms inside.
I also ordered a side of polenta, which was really tasty. And I'm also a fan of the bread -- a bit hunk of crusty bread with what was probably rosemary.
Overall, it was a nice, tasty experience in an elegant setting. The server was very attentive, though I think the guy who refilled our water was sorta surly. No worries. We enjoyed the stay, and enjoyed the lovely meat-cooking aroma that wafted out at us as we approached the restaurant.
We'll be back. -
Review from R C.
Sacramento, CA
8/18/2011
This outdoor garden seating is probably one of the BEST in Sacramento. It screams Sacramento and what the city has to offer.
The food is a little expensive, but the ambiance is worth every dime.
Take your out of town visitors here for sure! -
Review from E K.
Lodi, CA
10/7/2011
This review is only for the outside bar area. I only had drinks for happy hour and this place has the best outdoor seating area for happy hour. Well the bar is the only spot where happy hour is served so get there early. But the atmosphere is really relaxed and calming with the waterfall.
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Review from Vero H.
Sacramento, CA
8/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
A girl friend and I decided to try Paragary's and I am so glad we did!
We sat in the patio and it had such a nice ambiance and the staff was super friendly. I had the Handcut Rosemary Noodles with seared chicken, pancetta, artichokes, leeks, garlic...OMG..I literally liked my plate clean. -
Review from Davey R.
5/1/2011
An excellent place to have a dinner that has a sincerely date-proof atmosphere. It can either the most romantic place you've ever been, or it can be "just a good place to eat".
Outside is obviously where you should choose to first sample this place. Try the rosemary noodles, silhouetted with artichokes, pancetta and leeks. Quite exquisite and one-of-a-kind. Sitting near the fireplace affords great photo ops, by the way.
They will serve you a gorgeous loaf of bread, and while the service doesn't "sparkle", it's delivered in a no-frills way, such that you aren't distracted by a bunch of unwarranted attention that takes your focus off your dinner. Certainly a good place to find yourself.
I regret not trying any of their purportedly legendary desserts, but that can change with a flash of the charge card, right? -
Review from Matt M.
Sacramento, CA
3/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
This remains as one of my favorite restaurants in town. Sitting inside is perfect in the winter; the entrance is warm and inviting and the large windows give a great view to the outside. Sitting outside is perfect in the summer; the patio is one of the nicest places to eat in town.
The food is great too. Their steaks are excellent, much better than what I had at Grange, or at most restaurants frankly (I'm picky about my steaks). The appetizers are good and interesting, the asparagus salad with egg and dill relish was awesome tonight, as was the boneless chicken dish I had. They also have a decent wine selection and the prices are pretty reasonable. Alcohol, apps, salad, two entrees and less than $100? Yep.
If going out after dinner is your wish, you're within walking distance of Ink or Monkey, and an extra block of hoofing it puts you at Blue Cue, Centro's, Harlow's, etc. The parking here is super convenient too - the garage across from the restaurant is automated, easy, well lit and clean.
Paragary's is a little far from the new hot spots on Cap or on K, so while it lacks the flash of an aquarium full of mermaids, it's still a great place to avoid the huge crowds and start off a genuinely fun night. Seriously, give it a try, and close down the bar across the street at Ink. You'll be glad you did. -
Review from Michael G.
Sacramento, CA
10/12/2011
Really good food and great service.
My family and I like sitting on the patio and enjoying the weather. Great bar and nice atmosphere outside. They have some great olives on their app menu and their dinners are great. Their bar inside could have some quicker service but we always enjoy ourselves. One point, I wish they still had the lamb on their menu! -
Review from Julie R.
Elk Grove, CA
2/14/2011
We got the Calzone and the Hand Cut Rosemary pasta based on suggestions from our waiter.
The calzone was one of the best I've ever eaten. The pasta to me was bland and required a lot of salt.
The parking was difficult but we expect that being in Midtown.
Overall it was a nice romantic night out. -
Review from Allison H.
Sacramento, CA
1/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
When my sister, her girlfriend and I went into Paragary's for Dine Downtown I sort of expected a "Rest Home Lite" kind of a vibe. You know, the one where people who have been dining in places like this for the last 20 years come with their real diamonds on and the food is blah, but priced like you paid for AH! It's like the grandparents of the kids over at Ink stopped in for a nightcap while their grandkids party it up over some mac n cheese.
Boy were we not surprised at the interior.. not the coziest, or even lavish places. It was just "here's a dining room." But who really cares about what it looks like when every single thing you ate made you go "Oh my God, you HAVE to try this!" Paragary is known for being a supporter of local and sustainable food and every one of his restaurants is a real hit in my my book, but I was really impressed by the flavors and tastes because the restaurant itself was so boring!
From the MONSTROUS calzone (for only $11, too!!!) to the mashed butternut squash we were blown away by how good everything was!! There is an abundance of prosciutto on the food, but who doesn't like that?! The mashed potatoes were so buttery-fluffy, the ahi tuna cooked to perfection, the brussel sprouts a new favorite that I'm sure even a picky 5-year-old boy would eat! The waitstaff was attentive, informative, courteous and prompt, never a bad thing!
Did I mention the calzone????? It was HUGE! I would go back just for that!! And the nice, reasonably-priced glass of Syrah I had.
Well done Paragary's .. just keeping making all the food memorable because the ambiance really isn't. -
Review from Teresa F.
12/28/2010
It's taken a long time, but I finally dined here with a large group of friends for our annual holiday dinner. We always have a good time at these dinners and always bring little gifts to each other that doubles as decorations on the table. Our waiter was very cheerful and complimented out 'decorations.' He was excellent and rounding up our cocktail orders and gave us plenty of time to review the menu.
I had the orrechiette with sausage, broccoli rabe, garlic, hot pepper and parmesan. It was more beautiful than I expected. The broccoli rabe was finely chopped that it was nearly a chunky sauce consistency. The sausage and hot peppers together was savory and spicy against the mildly bitter rabe. The dish was delicious.
For dessert, we ordered the creme brulee, warm chocolate cake, and fruit crisp, which we passed round and round until they were gone. The brulee was divinely creamy and rich. The warm chocolate cake was a huge hit as was the fruit crisp. But my favorite was the brulee. You just can't go wrong with creamy custard.
The great service continued throughout dinner. One of my dinner companions accidentally knocked over an after dinner drink into a cup of tea. The waiter replaced both beverages right away.
Chalk up another fine dinning experience for a group of 10. -
Review from Paul C.
Sacramento, CA
8/16/2010
Chosen based on some dinners 10+ years ago that weren't too bad, and a Christmas drinking foray in the 90's. Paragary's has a free bday dinner if you print out a coupon they send - so we rolled the dice.
Snake eyes! Nothing's changed, it's getting like the Buggy Whip in there minus all the cool weirdness. Old & musty. The tables are all chipped like ancient school desks, the chairs are weathered and spotted. The rug needed replacement when Clinton was president. My wife killed *two* flies buzzing in our window.
Apparently Paragary's flagship has become a rustbucket. The too-brief menu isn't that bad, except the high prices - the bruschetta was great. My pan seared chicken was decent for the $15 but very very heavy. My partner liked the rosemary noodles. She had a couple red margaritas - yummy but $9 a pop, my IPA was $4.75. Their beer selection is very weak. The coupon turned a $85 meal for two into a $70 meal for two - still not a good value - at $40 I'd ignore the wallpaper stains and give them 4 stars, but I wish I would have spent that $70 someplace else.
It's too bad, because the waiter was great. Good tip for him & the rest. Everyone was attentive, and warm and polite. What it reminded me of was California Cafe at Arden - a nice place a while ago, not so much now. Full of people who have dined there for 25 years. Everyone under 50 was somewhere else - maybe out back where apparently it's great, but we weren't going out there in 90º heat.
The restaurant is comfortable and friendly, but a bit pricey. They either need to be a "dive" or be a "$$$ restaurant" --- the "divey-$$$ restaurant" doesn't work. -
Review from anne c.
Stockton, CA
8/3/2011
I like this place. First time I went we just had drinks at the bar. Drinks were good & strong, bartender was slow and not very attentive. But I wasn't horribly unsatisfied. Came back the next day for dinner with a larger group. The place was empty. Kind of sad. But food was excellent, everyone was very happy with their meal. Service was good. Splitting the bill was an aweful experience....took about 20 minutes to figure it out. But overall pretty satisfied with the place.
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Review from mandie j.
Sacramento, CA
8/9/2010
DON'T: sit inside
DO: order the hand-cut rosemary pasta -
Review from Razza M.
Sacramento, CA
Updated - 11/27/2010 1 Check-in Here
we went to the ieat event. The appetizers were ok and the mains were very good. When it came to dessert neither of us were very impressed.
The service was good. very good, I gave an extra star for the service.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/3/2010
After much ado I planned to meet a friend at this place for happy hour, at 6.30pm as the web site… Read more »
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Review from Dan M.
Sacramento, CA
11/17/2011
This used to be me and my wife's "special night out" place, but it's gone downhill. The food used to be great, and now I would say it's just good. The patio is beautiful and on a warm night it's one of the best atmospheres for a restaurant in Sac, but the overall vibe of the place is pretty snooty. The last few times we've gone the wait staff has acted like we were a burden to them...maybe because I'm not a businessman in a suit with a gold watch and my wife wasn't dressed in pearls with a white $100 perm.
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Review from Amber N.
Seattle, WA
8/4/2010
I visited Paragary's last night for the first time with my boyfriend for a nice Birthday dinner. We were lucky enough to get a table on the patio right next to water fountain. Upon being seated, I went to put my WHITE napkin in my lap to cover my BLACK dress...WHOOPS!! Luckily my BF noticed the white lint from the napkin very quickly so, I put the napkin on the table. I would say within moments, Elizabeth (manager) had come by and swapped out my white napkin for a black one...WOW.
For our salads, he had the garden salad and I had the tomato mozarella salad...my salad was an 'A'. I personally like to have a little more salt and balasamic vinegar with my tomatoes and mozarella.
After hearing MANY people rave about the rosemary noodles, we had to try that dish and I got the linguini with clams. Both of our plates were empty and we were very satisfied.
I thoroughly enjoyed the patio and I have a feeling I will find myself out there again enjoying another fine meal. -
Review from Stephanie R.
Sacramento, CA
4/14/2011
the two star rating is mainly for the service. We've been here three times and 2 of the 3 were real let downs as far as the server goes. I feel like our table was not wanted there. Was it because we weren't in business attire? was it because we are under 40? either way, the food was good and i think everyone was happy with their meals. But we won't return again for how we were treated. The hostess actually told a friend of ours that they didn't have a patio (which is where we were sitting) and stood there waiting for our friends to leave. I'm glad they didn't and were able to join us for dinner. Shame on you Paragary's.
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Review from Richard W.
Denver, CO
8/10/2011
Nice ambiance - perfect for fall evenings when Sacramento weather is at its best.
Outdoor patio in back is secluded and upscale. Service has been very welcoming. Food specials change daily but can count on a salmon and steak choice anytime. Everything is a la carte so you can create a meal to your specific liking.
Excellent spot to take a date. -
Review from Esmeralda B.
Sacramento, CA
3/29/2010
I have eaten at this Paragary's a couple times. Even though I believe that this place is probably 4-star worthy, I am bumping it up to even out the two reviewers who gave 1 star reviews based on their experience with the STOCKTON location.
One time we came here with a group of about 12 people and sat at the back patio. It was very beautifully decorated and the staff were very pleasant. The service was nothing short of fantastic when it came to taking our party's drink orders, getting the appetizers and dinner out, as well being accommodating to splitting our tabs.
My friend and I decided to share an appetizer and an entree. We started with the calamari which came out exactly the way I love calamari to be made- light and crispy with great flavor. We then moved on to our entree which was the rosemary pasta dish with chicken and pancetta, which was so so good That plate was pretty much wiped clean by the time we were done with it.
Anyway, service tends to differ from location to location. I have always have great service at the Paragary's in Sacramento and I think that it's unfair to review any restaurant location that you never patronized. -
Review from Sean G.
Sacramento, CA
7/1/2011
Ate here recently with the folks when they were in town on a rare rainny day in June. The food was very good and the service was friendly but not too intrusive. I tried the old fashioned cocktail and my dad had the blood orange margarita, both of which were tasty. For the starter we shared a beet salad. I had the hangar steak, cooked to a perfect medium temp, with artichokes and potatoes. My dad a chicken pasta dish and my mom had a pizza split between italian sausage on one side and potato and chicken on the other. I sampled the pizza also and had a great homemade crust and fresh ingredients. We definitely had a nice time and would come back... the atmosphere was elegant and cozy.
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Review from Archie G.
San Jose, CA
5/14/2009
This was one of my favorite restaurants in Sacramento. All the Italian dishes were delicious and didn't leave me with any kind food coma after.
If you come at night, you will the find nearby trees adorned with beautiful white lights and the inside offers some wonderful ambiance. It's a great place to take that special someone.
But it's not a great date place as no girl is worth spending that much money on that early. Girls are lucky to get their value meal "supersized" on a first date with me.
But even though I am cheap and far from a gentleman, I think the prices here are reasonable considering you are getting excellent food, a wonderful venue to eat in, and stellar service.
And by the way, to this day, they still have the best vanilla creme brule I have ever had. It is downright amazing.
Some places don't serve this stellar dessert. And some joints, serve some mediocre burnt cream. And other places, such as Paragary's, serves creme brule just the way the English intended and French perfected (with the clever name change that only required translation).
Yum! -
Review from Kara B.
Sacramento, CA
5/25/2007
Beautiful day . . . sigh
Beautiful patio . . . ahhh
Lovely trickling water-scape sounds from the fountains . . . mmmm
Nice glass o' wine . . . who needs food now?
And another nice glass o' wine (hey friend, we should'a just got a damn bottle between us!) . . . why didn't I just have a liquid meal?!
Now, I remember the reason that I've only dined here four times in the last 13 years! The food is THAT forgettable.
From the bland burger that my friends (yes, plural) had to keep "seasoning" with salt (and was also very crumbly too), to my lack-luster steak sandwich - not a nice intact piece of beef, rather pieces better suited for stir-fry. Side salad was nice (can't muck up greens too much, anyway), but even better when I added some of my other friend's asian dressing - of which she had to ask for extra . . . btw, her salad was pretty decent, but needed more dressing.
Wine (although not a large selection)!
Other libations of your choice from the second bar outside!
PATIO!
Just wish the food could compete. -
Review from Linda P.
Elk Grove, CA
My BF and I came here on June 14th, 2010 for their sparkling wine tasting event. For $25 a person, you get to sample 4 different types of sparkling wines. We also had bread, cheese, olives, and salami. I had gone to wine tasting 101 and really enjoyed the event. It was informative and a great learning experience so I was a bit disappointed when I went tot he sparkling wine tasting because the master sommelier did not go through each sparkling wine and describe what types of flavors he could taste and the alcohol content. Although I was able to ask about the alcohol content of one of the sparkling wines at the end, I got the feeling that he was in a hurry to leave.
After the sparkling wine tasting, we decided to stay for dinner. For $25 a person, you get either a bruschetta or roasted beet salad and hanger steak or pan roasted salmon and a glass of house sparkling wine. Sounds like a good deal right? It wasn't.
I got the beet salad and pan roasted salmon while my BF got the bruschetta and hanger steak. The best part was the mashed potatoes that went with the hanger steak. The beet salad was pretty decent. The salmon, however, was horrible. Portions were small.
We were on our way home and then my BF says I'm still hungry. I said ok where do you want to eat? We ended up going to In-n-Out. Yep. 2 dinners in one night. But at least after that we were satisfied. -
Review from T.A.G. S.
Sacramento, CA
2/28/2008
Ended up at Paragary's last night because a "20 minute wait" at Tuli for a group of four ended up stretching into 40+ minutes with no end at sight. Finally, we decided to pull the plug as 8:00pm was quickly approaching. With a vegetarian in tow, we decided to head over to Paragary's as said vegetarian was sure that dietary accomodations would be easily made there.
BACKGROUND
Paragary's was my first brush with "fine dining" in Sacramento, when I was too young to know what that meant. All I knew is that the table cloths were extra white, it was dark and there was a fireplace indoors, so it must have been fancy. I ordered pepperoni pizzas and they were delicious.
As an adult, I've gone back on several occasions to the midtown location and have never been disappointed, per se. But I understand what many people's issue with the PRG is. Menus don't change much. There's a tendency to stick by a lot of dishes that seem passe or boring to the increasingly sophisticated Sacramento diner (ie. calimari, pizzas, steaks and salmon).
But there's something to be admired about the place for it's consistency. Out of the innumberable dishes I've consumed there over the years, they are always cooked exceedingly well. Well seasoned. Well executed. There's a safety in knowing you're very rarely going to crap out at Paragary's.
THE DISHES
- The mushroom and jarlsberg cheese appetizer. A great, simple appetizer. You can get the same dish at Bernardo's, but I never really get tired of it. A perfect marriage of simple ingredients which elevate each other both in taste and texture.
- Warmed Goat Cheese rolled in nuts and herbs, served with poached bosc pears, red wine syrup and crostini. Another classic dish, done very well.
- Grilled lamb w/ braised raddichio, white beans salsa verde and roasted tomatoes. Tomatoes at this time of year??? Well, they sure did taste good. I loved this dish. The bitterness of the raddichio was a nice foil for the richness of the beans and roasted tomatoes. Kurt Spataro absolutely nails that cal-italian/french cuisine which Paragary's made it's bones on to begin with.
Another thing I noticed during the meal. It seems that Paragary's is moving away from their traditional presentation style, which used to be a very segmented protein-starch-veggie seperation. The presentation of my lamb dish was much more elaborate than I've ever seen from them. Not as simple as either layering the ingredients or segementing them. A subtle shift, but definitely noticeable in all of the dishes my dining companions had as well.
The service was, as always, superb. Although not as personable as, say, Mulvaney's, it's that old dependable, supremely competent level of service that only comes from employing real, career servers. These guys know what they're doing and it shows. The service was old school, no frills, on the spot. Sometimes that's a great thing.
OVERALL
Spataro definitely seems to be spurned to make some subtle changes to the menu, presentation and service in order to keep pace with some of the new restaurants in the area. But other things never change. Everything was cooked perfectly and well executed, if not in any way daring. -
Review from Michael J.
Sacramento, CA
5/2/2010
Me and some friends went out last night looking for a nice dinner and ended up here. I have never heard of this place and had zero expectation. After reading the menu while waiting 5-10 min to the hostess I was ready to leave but stayed for the group. Finally the hostes told us a patio table was a 15 min wait which felt like 30.
But while I waited I went to the bar (great bartender by the way) and had my first martini. Of course it was the bomb.
I was suprised at how nice the patio was. With fireplaces, waterfalls, hanging heaters, trees, great lighting and all enclosed from the street , my hopes were back up. This place reminded me of the tower cafe, but I like this one better simply because it was more comfortable and warm.
When ever we go out we like to get a bite of everyone elses food just to taste everything, so I know how delicious everything was. We had the shrimp scampi appetizer, which were pretty big shrimp in my opinion. For dinner we got pan seared salmon, hanger steak, clam linguinie, and the hand cut Rosemary pasta with chicken. Everything was so flavorful and tasty. Don't expect big portions though. I have no complaints since even on empty stomach I was comfortably full with my food, which I prefer over resturants that Serve huge plates with the flavor sacrificed. Finally we split 3 deserts, the creme brule, strawberry short cake ( which isn't on the menu but a substitute since they ran out of something else), and the choc cake. All great again.
Menu was a bit pricey. After drinks, tip, tax, appetizer, entres and deserts we paid about $40 each. But well worth it! We also had a great waiter named Gary. He kinna looks like mix of mr clean and cypher from the matrix, but he was really awesome in serving all of our needs and being at our table a sufficient amount and # of times. -
Review from Scot H.
Elk Grove, CA
11/27/2010
We have been making an effort to "Broaden our Horizons" and hit restaurants other than our usual haunts. Friday night my beautiful and intelligent wife suggested we try Paragary's Bar and Oven, in downtown Sacramento. Having grown up in the Sacramento area, I had heard of this place for years yet I had never gone. Well it was about time.
We arrived early for dinner, since it's our custom to try and knock out dinner before the movie. This way, we are less likely to OD on crappy stale nachos and overpriced hot dogs. As soon as we arrived I realized I would have a chance to showcase my Mad Skillz at Downtown parallel parking.
We were quickly seated inside and treated to menus. I looked around and wondered, where is everyone? The answer to that came when we left.
The web site says "The cooking of northern Italy and southern France" I would call it "California Fusion with a side of beef" but those who don't live here may not get it.
I started with the Prosciutto, Endive and Tangerine salad, and no it's not as strange as it sounds. This salad starts out a little bitter as all Endive salads do, but the Tangerine kicks in after the first few bites and the other micro greens come to the front as well. The small amount of Prosciutto is ultra thinly sliced and placed on top, this is a good thing because too much would have ruined the salad. I liked it, but would have rather had a little less, just the greens and a slightly lower price tag.
My main course was the rosemary noodles with chicken and artichokes. Tasty and not overbearing, this meal was good but not outstanding. The noodles were a surprise, rolled wide and properly proportioned with all the other ingredients.
We skipped desert, since we had gone a long way out from where we were planning on seeing the move and had to "Get a Move-On".
As we left, we passed the patio and heard all the people we knew should have been there. Apparently the outside bar and tables were the place to be. There was the happy buzz of many people enjoying themselves, and a peak thru the gate showed a pretty courtyard and a good sized bar. That is where we will meet, next time. -
Review from Laura P.
Sacramento, CA
7/29/2007
After an impromptu hot afternoon drinking beer on a friend's boat just upstream of the confluence, the handsome hubby suggested we heads to Paragary's for some patio time. We arrived at 6:15 on Saturday evening, when it was still about 88 degrees outside in the shade.
I really like Paragary's patio; there is some kind of genius to designing an outdoor space that totally removes you from the street noise (thanks to three large vigorous waterfalls) and yet allows you clearly to hear the piped music without simultaneously going deaf. And, when a purple bougainvillea blossom comes gently drifting down to land on your tablecloth, you sort of have to give a sigh of contentment.
I want to like Paragary's overall as much as I like the patio, but the service is uneven and the food is pretty good, not great, not particularly memorable. OK on that last point I rephrase slightly, because 3 of 4 visits to Paragary's I have had the huge order of roasted mussels and it is really yummy. Less wine-y than classic French moules marinieres, but plenty of garlic, butter, fresh herbs and broth. If I weren't on a weight-reduction campaign (15 pounds in 4 months so far) I'd gladly sop up the broth with bread. The rest of our meal - fried calamari appetizer (enormous, adequate, good dip); heirloom tomato salad (delish); ahi over Nicoise vegetables - was fine, not good enough to remember fondly, not bad enough to make us vow never to return.
The service really needs improvement. We were seated on the patio, and our water glasses were filled by a completely unresponsive man who did not even acknowledge my "thank you", much less greet us or say "your server will be right with you". Which I suppose was smart on his part because we sat there for 9 minutes before our server showed up, and we were walked past by other servers no fewer than 6 times. There were at that time 5 other tables of 2-4 people in action, so not really that busy. Oh and the bartender had two customers and was so engaged in her conversation with them that she never looked our direction - and I did watch her. Again, this was at 6:15 pm.
Our server was surprised when she greeted us and I said 'I'm glad to see you, we've been sitting here for 9 minutes". She claimed not to have seen us sitting there. I was not snappy but I did want her to know we were paying attention.
We ordered drinks which arrived quickly; abut 6 minutes later our hard-working water pourer (ok sorry, that was snarky of me) managed to drop off a basket of bread.
The rest of the meal was adequately paced and our server really was very nice. But the lack of initial attention is something I cannot tolerate and do not feel is ever excusable. And, when the hostess staff is also kind of superior in their frosty welcome, the initial sense of neglect becomes the overriding sensation of the evening. Good thing that bougainvillea blossom fell. -
Review from Joe B.
San Mateo, CA
10/1/2009
What a disappointment....
We really wanted this place to be good. The decor looks nice... We have heard some good things.. Now I realize why the reviews are average at best. It is probably the reason the restaurant was almost completely empty.
Take your pick... Either the flies all over the place on the patio, the wrong orders showing up twice at our table, or the entrees actually being lukewarm.
We did receive an apology from the waitress.
For the price, we didn't feel it was worth it. We won't be going back any time soon. -
Review from michele j.
Sacramento, CA
5/28/2010
After living in Sacramento for almost 10 years, I hadn't ever been to Paragary's main resturant.... Sure, I have been to the 'other' Paragary's over the years, particularly Cafe Bernardo... but didn't think much of them, other than your classic neighborhood themed resturants...
Last night, with a fit of maternal hormones wanting a baked potato, my dear boyfriend called all over midtown/downtown looking for a resturant that would satisfy my craving...
Paragary's not only made me a potato, but they made me TWO, one to take home with me, just in case.... The waiter Steve was quite nice and friendly, and offered the right amount of suggestion and interest in our orders.
We started with an portabella and polenta appitizer which was so tasty and meaty, we soaked up the juices with the extra bread. Next my boyfriend had the potato and leek soup, which was creamy and velvety, warm and perfectly seasoned. Even a cup was a sufficent amount for us to share. I had a ceaser salad with chicken, and it had a great balance of lemon and achoivies, just a hint of both.
My potato was amazzing.... all the sides were served on a platter, butter, chives, onion, fresh bacon and sour cream... and they only charged us $4.00 for this!! Incredible!
Thanks, Paragary's.... We will be back!
You should expect the little touches while dining here - an attentive wait staff, an asstiant to pur water and clear the tables... -
Review from Bob E.
Sacramento, CA
6/6/2011
Overall good place. Backyard patio is wonderful in the summer. Food is good and consistent. Service staff is usually knowledgable and pleasant. This is one of my "go to" spots when you want a good meal at a reasonable price.
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Review from Ali L.
Washington, DC
7/14/2009
I came here with my sister and cousins last weekend to a good amount of hype and its safe to say that we all left more than a little underwhelmed.
When we got there we were told that there wasn't room outside for us so that we could sit inside and wait until a table outside cleared up, which we agreed to. When we were seated inside it wasn't in one of the booths near the entrance which have more of a feel of separation from the bar and bathrooms, but instead at a random table literally across from the bar and not far from the exit and bathrooms. I honestly was hoping we didn't end up having dinner there because it was the kind of table you sit at in a really crowded restaurant when there isn't room elsewhere for a large group. Of course, Paragary's was completely empty.
We ordered our appetizers, of which the portobello mushroom was the best. For some reason, my iced tea tasted like cough syrup and the Coke I got to replace it with was fairly watered down.
After about 45 minutes we were allowed outside, which was definitely a nice area, but I have been in a bar in Oakland that had a very similar outside area - christmas lights, trees, and brick walls. It was nice, but I think the Tower Cafe outside seating was nicer compared to this one.
Finally we order the hand cut rosemary pasta with artichokes, the steak, and the chicken paillard. We had to order the pasta sans pruschetta and that may have been what took out a lot of the flavor, because in the end the dish just tasted like soggy pasta with some artichokes on it. I like artichokes a lot so I lucked out, but it wasn't the best pasta dish I had ever had. As for the chicken paillard and the steak everyone felt kind of so-so about their meals. Having just come back from Wazuzu and Cafe Society in Vegas I was left feeling really underwhelmed and craving their food instead of Paragary's.
I guess if you come here you are coming for the ambience of the outside patio but I don't think you should expect too much out of the food. I would honestly say go to Tower instead, its cheaper, it has a cooler outside patio area, and afterward you can go catch a movie. -
Review from The Cow C.
Sacramento, CA
6/12/2007
The ambiance is much better than the food. The location is quiet and quaint, and the staff makes the place feel like home, but that's only half the dining experience.
My boyfriend and I are a big calamari couple, and the lemon aioli here is what makes this calamari better than the rest (I know, everybody does lemon aioli, but this one was quite tasty and the texture was perfect).
Other than that, nothing memorable. Not even the kobe beef special really stood out.
