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Food is pretty good. They know how to make the drinks right. When jim is working (And if this drink is your style) ask for a blended toasted almond. MMMM-MMM! Great place, I'll be back. More so happy about they know how to make the drinks and don't have bad attitude
Should also add, Good music.. Not fake crap like a lot of other bars have.
I am so glad places like this still exist. It's old, dark, and OLD. The food is very good, exactly what you would expect from an "established establishment™".
I ordered the garlic steak sandwich (which is one of their house specials). The garlic bread torpedo roll was perfectly toasted and had just the right amount of garlic. The steak was cooked to perfection...they clearly have this down to a science. It came out quickly, so quick in fact I barely had time to finish my house salad. The house salad was a very special old-time American classic: Iceberg, beans, beets, and thousand island...I never get tired of this treat. If you are looking for baby spinach with cranberries and blue cheese this is not the place for you.
The service was prompt and friendly, we were seated almost immediately and the chairs were comfy.
I love the fact that they have a sandwich option for those who can't decide between the french dip and the steak sandwich. The half and half is a million dollar idea.
That said, the french dip pales in comparison to numerous other french dips I've had around town (as of right now, the best was Banderas). My primary complaint is that it's way too fatty. Everyone in our group who ordered it had to go through and pick out large pieces of fat before digging in. Not cool. The au jus is fantastic though.
And the steak sandwich should not even be mentioned in the same breath as Jaime's; it's almost blasphemy to do so. It's simply not on the same level.
So you get half of a decent french dip and half of a decent steak sandwich, I'd rather just get a great version of one or the other.
C'mon, Distillery. I love you, but can you please provide better service to the patrons at the bar? As in, notice we exist? I have to get up and get my own menus, I spend twenty minutes waving in vain at the waitstaff, and even when the bartender goes over to the waitress and tells her we'd like to order she finishes seven other tasks before telling the other server to go take our order. Two nights ago when a nice gentleman came in to the bar for the first time and waited patiently for someone to notice he wanted to order food, he waited for so long that I walked over and got him a menu myself.
Minus a star for the horrible service and for the fact that when we want to pay you make us pay separately for the booze at the bar and a second time for the food from the kitchen.
Five stars for the bartender who always knows what wine I want, and who skids bud lights down the… Read more »
I read all about the prime rib special last week, so I hustled myself down there on Saturday and tried it out. The salad was enormous and they left off the beets as I'd asked. The bleu cheese dressing on the crispy chilled iceberg was outstanding. The garlic roll was to die for also. Yum! The prime rib ok, just not as huge as I'd expected after reading other reviews. It was pretty tasty, with just a few globs of fat to trim off; not too annoying. The green beans were ok. The only problem with the meal was the potatoes-- yuck! I tried to convince myself they weren't out of the box, but I could not. I would like to think they make the mashed potatoes from scratch, but I don't believe so. They tasted very salty, and were pasty. So overall, while sitting there, I decided I would not return for the special prime rib again. My waitress was very nice though.
So, last weekend i ended up here after a long bar crawl. Had a good time, bartenders as usual were on top of things. I honestly dig this bar. it's got a decent sized outdoor patio for smoking, They have a decent area inside for bands and another bar area thats nice and handy.
This isnt a place to bring your boss...but its a cool place to check out shows. also, the philly isnt bad either if you make it over during the daytime.
Just got back from lunch right now and I'm stuffed!
This place was hopping with an older crowd, but I figure they must be here for something. I ordered the Cheeseburger-medium well. Big fresh patty with a huge bun and fresh fixing's. A big, fat, great greasy mess!
I would come here again...maybe for an adult beverage and to hear a live band..
They card you to eat there during lunch hours. I mean, I'm 25 so that's fine... but you know... strange. From the outside i thought this place was going to have a dark lounge feeling with leather chairs and dark wood tables... but no, it basically looked like a denny's. The food was also kinda meh, it even came with a salad with no flavor like at denny's. I was surprised that they had a Monte Cristo sandwich! Too bad it was the worst i've ever had. pretty much never going back there.
Best French Dip in town. Period!
This place is what is right about the old school meat and potatoes kind of restaraunt. The portions are generous. The meat is cooked the way you want it. Rare is RARE. They make there own blue cheese dressing and it's the bomb.
The place is always crawling with old people who have " been going for years". I loved it last Valentines Day when my girlfriend and I decided to get a bite and chose The Distillery cause we could get a seat and it was full of old couples dressed in red and pink. Cute.
They also have bands on the weekends and karoke Sunday through Wednesday. I like the karoke there quite a bit. Although it's no Pine Cove. But then again I can't eat like a king at the Cove.
My new favorite old place.
I have a tendency to order French Dip sandwiches at most restaurants, just to see how they all measure up. And I've got to admit, Mike F's review got me intrigued.
I have had drinks at Distillery many times, but it never crossed my mind to order food.
My first visit was back in February, I ordered the 1/2 & 1/2, (that's half french dip, half steak sandwich) The bread is pre-toasted garlic bread. HOOKED! I think it took me 24 hours to finish that meal! HUGE!
During my most recent visit I ordered the Beef Stroganoff. I love this dish homemade, so I was skeptical. It was DELICIOUS!
I love the ambience, the service was great both times, I highly recommend.
The Distillery is best described as being a gloriously dysfunctional split personality disorder of the Sacramento establishments. During the daytime, it's a well-respected restaurant frequented by, well, older diners looking for a nice meal in a comfortable, quiet setting. But as the sun sets and the diners depart, the respectable Dr. Jekyll transforms into the loud, rowdy, and slightly drunk Mr. Hyde. But in this case, Mr. Hyde is not evil- far from it. Mr. Hyde just wants to have fun, and lots of it.
This is the total essence of The Distillery.
As much as I would like to give a review of the food and dining experience, but frankly I've never eaten there. So instead, I have to stick with the night-time version, which is actually a nightclub- and considering the state of Sacramento's music scene, it's badly needed. There really isn't a stage to speak of, making it difficult to see bands sometimes. But by the same token, it gives the feeling of being more intimate, which I've always liked- the band is not above you but on the same level as you- just raising a holy cacophony of fun noise.
This can sometimes make any conversations of any sort impossible. But why would you want to talk to anyone during a live band? Two words: ordering drinks. Being that I have a large chunk of hearing loss, I was hesitant to yell at top volume a simple request for a coke directly into the ear of the bartender, but it was the only way that it could be done. So my advice to anyone seeing a live band play is to bring a pad of paper and pen- write your orders down, and pass them to your server. It'll make things a lot faster, and save their hearing (along with hearing protection- naturally). If you need to have any conversation longer than four words, step outside.
The liquid refreshments are no different than any other establishment, though surprisingly priced a bit better than certain other places- just don't run a tab. It's not that you'll be ripped off, just that signing off at the end of the evening is an impossible task with both the crowd, and perpetually wet bar. So bring cash.
The staffs, from the bartenders down to the bouncers are quite friendly, and not hostile to the patrons. But don't think for an instant that they won't toss your ass if you do something violent, or destructive.
The Distillery is a fun place to catch a live act. It reminds me a lot of places like The Mab in San Francisco or Jay's Upstairs in Missoula (the actual birthplace of "Grunge" for those of you keeping scores at home). I hope it stays around for years to come. Lord knows Sacto could use it. Let's just hope that the city doesn't succeed in getting them shut down.
After a meal at the Distillery, I am kind of torn on just what to think. If I had read prior reviews, I think I would have been better informed on what to expect.
The Good-The food! Really great food. Everyone who dined with me today had what looked to be an amazing meal. My observations were backed by my friends agreeing that their food was excellent.
The Bad-The Service. We all went their for a Tuesday late lunch...after 1. Once we had all been waited on, our server kind of disappeared. Not to worry though, the server made it back to deliver the bill. I could see if the place was super crowded, but it was actually kind of empty. I would have expected that we would receive great service because we were the only gig in house.
A friend at one point actually got up and picked up a pitcher of water to fill all of our glasses. Went back and re-filled the pitcher and then served all of us again. It was sad and really funny at the same time! If you ordered a coke/ice tea though...sorry, you were out of luck for a refill. I guess I should have considered that!
After all of that, the food was good enough to give them another try. Maybe we just caught someone on a bad day...who knows? After all, they were still very accommodating for our large lunch group and allowed us to fax in our order. That is a huge bonus!
I have yet to eat anything here. I have only been here as a club.
From a band standpoint, the crowd is rowdy and the drinks are good. They know how to slam and they know how to have a good time.
From the audience standpoint, there is no stage, so you have to look over heads, or hang out on the other side of the waist level divider that separates the stage/dance floor from the bar to see the band. If you want close up, then you will be in the pit, and that is a mosh at your own risk area. I was watching my friends band play and the singer got in the pit and elbowed me in the jaw causing my crown to break on a mid-root canal tooth. That was good, because having it pulled was about $1000 cheaper than a root canal.
The parking is on the street and you have to grab the first spot you find. I usually park more towards the residential area down the street because the neighboring clubs and restaurants all compete for the same block of spaces.
If your in a band, they will not let you in until after 9:30 when the restaurant is closed and all of the old fogies are on their way home, so you will just have to wait outside with your equipment until then. Load in is easy, since the area where you play is right by the door with a curtain dividing you from the entrance while you play.
I may give the food a chance if I get out there again. they have specials that look interesting like taco and quesadilla plate nights, as well as Prime rib dinners.
I am giving it 3 stars, because of the stage area and the parking. The crew and crowd are cool. It is kind of small inside, but there are some great bands that roll through there, so it's o.k.
Prime Rib specials on Wed. and Sat. nights = amazing. They have other nights with specials, but this is by far the best. You get a nice piece of prime rib with all the trimmings, including great garlic bread.
The service is iffy, especially when it is busy. There is one guy there that is amazing, you'd think he works at Morton's for the service he gives. Every other server I've had there has been slow. But, in the end, its worth it for the $14 prime rib.
The bartender is super friendly, and knows how to make a drink.
The rating at this time is soley as a club, and not a restaurant. I hope to remedy that situation very soon. I don't know how on earth I've not eaten a French Dip sandwich at the Distillery yet, but I haven't. I've heard they are swell.
So I've been to numerous shows here, most recently last night. Husb and I also came here on our first date....awwww. Anyway, pretty cheap cover, but kind of spendy drinks. They were a little weak, too. There's no stage, the bands play up front by the window, and the room is cleared out so there's plenty of space for onlookers.
They do have a nice outside patio if you need to escape the LOUD music. And it's always really loud!! Earplugs are $1 and are a worthy investment.
I love this place in both its incarnations.
The $13.99 prime rib special on Wednesday is a bit of a blue hair heavy scene, but I really don't care if I'm getting a slab of really garlicky prime rib, great baked tater, and not to mention the nice, crisp, basic salad with AWESOME blue cheese to start. Oh, and the garlic toasts. Sweet Jeebus the garlic toasts!!!
We're not talking fancified cuisine here, we're talkin' old school good.
Plus, the crowd's eclectic-ness ranging from the above mentioned seniors, to after work folk at the bar, and even some young'ins is just part of its allure.
Later into the evening it changes slowly into a club, the tables and chairs start disappearing.
And there is that incredibly hot bartender...bald, tall dude, who makes a killer Jameson on the rocks. He must do something to the ice first, like wink at it to make it a little melty. It works for me.
Then suddenly the place is a bar and there is a band. Smoking patio outside which is super convenient and ample bathroom space...also super convenient. (And not located on the patio, which seems that sentence implies.)
I have unfortunately caught too few shows here.
I know three people who live in that Hoity Toity building across the street and they're all great people so I have a hard time being all Hard Ass about it; but really, you move to Midtown and complain about noise? I. Don't. Get. It. Instead of staying home being bothered by the noise, go out, that's what we live here for!!!
Character, music, Hot Bartender, good food = 5 stars all the way. With a bullet.
Nicest bartenders in Sac...hands down!
We had a feast at The Distillery on Saturday Night! We ducked into the Distillery for a couple cold cold ones at the bar. The bartender listed the wide array of choices. We went with the Newcastle. There were quite a few patrons at the bar...including some drunk brunette hottie who was friendly to EVERYBODY. Entertainment. She even called the busboy with the thick beard and green hat "Honey". When he didn't respond she said he looked like Fidel Castro and proceded to call him the Communist Kitchen Help. Kinda funny. We noticed the bartender scrawling the Prime Rib Dinner special on the board. $13.95 Saturday night. That was it. I knew what I was having for dinner.
We were seated in the dining area after a few beers. Gobs of seniors were already taking advantage of the prime rib dinner special. I think I saw John McCain having his meat cut up for him by Sarah Palin. Once the Prime Rib Dinner finally arrived I was in heaven. It was spectacular! So tasty. So flavorful. The au jus was the best I ever tasted. I also used it to add flavor to my baked potato. Just plain delicious.
Definately a new dining destination for us on a Saturday Night. No doubt, get the prime rib dinner.
The other day I saw a billboard that said, "California, the Sue-You State". The Distillery might want to invest in some new locks in the women's restroom because I sliced my finger open trying to slide the sharp rusty lock across the door and evil ideas started swirling inside my slighty tipsy brain. I think it might be all part of the Distillery's plan though, since I bought some strong drinks to dull the pain.
I didn't find it too loud when we were there but it was nice to get a break from the rock music to breath in some second hand smoke from the back patio.
You can buy earplugs for 1$ but they should sell bandaids too.
The burgers are absolutely amazing. Every time that I have needed bomb food and righteous drinks Distillery has fulfilled my needs!
Just got back from dining at the Distillery on L Street. Ordered their 1/2 and 1/2. Its their mouthwatering 1/2 steak and 1/2 french dip sandwich. Read so much about them on yelp it was a 'must try'. They didnt disappoint, the sandwiches were enough for 2 people and came with salad and french fries. A generous helping of roast beef encased by a buttery garlic roll. The au jus was to die for... so savory and so tasty. I would have never ordered the french dip on my own, but after trying it here...I'm a fan. Parking is huge to me because I know how tough it is to find good parking when dining midtown or downtown. To my surprise, not a problem finding parking along the streets. I do have to admit the crowd at the restaurant were much older than we were- but hey, it didnt matter because the food was great!!
Checked out this place on yelp and decided to check it out for breakfast last Saturday. Bartender was great and makes a mean Bloody Mary. Just the way I like it. Good cure for a night out at the Torch Club the night before. Only about 4 customers were there when we came in so we bellied up to the bar with our newspaper. I have to tell you the Breakfast was GREAT. I had the linquisa and eggs with homestyle potatoes. Everything was cooked perfect and they definitely don't scimp on the portion size. Very reasonable price for what you get. Will probably be back soon to try out their Prime Rib Dinner Special on Wednesdays. Go early though for that night because I heard they usually run out.
This place has great steak sandwiches, a well stocked bar and is a good venue to see live music. There is also a nice sized smoking/drinking patio when you want some fresh air as well. The one downside for this place is that unfortunately though not of their doing, the noise police freaks living in the new condos across the street have nothing better to do than gripe about the noise. I don't what people expect when they move from the burbs across the street from a bar with live music, but the Distillery doesn't play their Borders book store tantric folk open mic crap! I encourage everyone to support the Distillery in the fight against these noise nazi's with going out to support local music at this and all the other venues that support live music as well.
What a burger. No frozen pre-made burger here. It was thick and juicy and not very good for you, just the way it should be. Next time I will try the 1/2 and 1/2 for sure. Service was ok, only got one glass of water but thats ok as I was amused by one of the other waitresses and her ability to yell at everyone "I WILL BE RIGHT WITH YOU" "GOOD BYE NOW".
One of the remaining restaurants specializing in the business 'man's' lunch. I recall when they turned well over a hundred lunches per day, day in and day out. The place was always packed. it is not a dark place at all, the service even when jammed has never been one for complaint and the food is spectacular, never disappointe when I go there and like another poster my favorite is the half and half. Ronnie has kept this restaurant ticking for 46 years and it is fine tuned. Missing all the old former places, the Broken Tee in Rocklin, the Golden Tee in Sacramento, the Zombie Hut, Sacramento, the Broiler on J St., so many really excellent restaurants, so few left.
While I have yet to eat there, I am very very fond and interested to see the grill your own steak options on the weeknights. I must try this soon. I frequented the Distillery for Kareoke in my former social butterfly days.
It's about the meat. The prime rib sandwich is awesome for the price you're paying. Everyone should give the half and half a try (half french dip, half steak). My prime rib showed up with an average green salad. The prime rib was about medium, I prefer bloody rare, but they don't serve it bloody rare. It was still tender with good flavor. Added some horsey sauce and dipped away in the au jus. I'd recommend them to anyone looking to set a new cholesterol record. No digestive problems to report after consumption.
so the "bouncer" charged me and my friends to come into this joint on a friday night. no big deal, cover charges happen. what's funny is that there wasn't actually a cover charge. the fucker just told us there was and pocketed the cash. nice.
i have never tried eating here, but seeing the reviews, i would love to try to french dip one day (but for $12?). we tried coming here for karaoke night one day, and it was an older crowd and did not look as fun as say pine cove or hamburger patty's. as for clubbing, i have only been here on thursday nights, which is more my scene (golden era and underground hip hop). the venue is very small, as a previous reviewer stated, the dj sets up by the front window... and they clear out tables to make room for the dancefloor. the drinks are sorta pricey, small and watered down for what you pay for. but the crowd is chill and the music is really good. i like the patio in the back to escape the loud music and to take a smoke break and to strike up good conversation with some cool folks. i had a good time everytime i came here, i just wish the drinks were stronger.
When you said yelp! @ Kinjo 56
Sacramento, CA
Today @ Old I! Tuesday Feb 9th
Sacramento, CA
Sacramento, CA
Category: Music Venues
Sacramento, CA
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Sacramento, CA
Category: Performing Arts
Sacramento, CA
Category: Bars
Sacramento, CA
Category: Karaoke
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