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Trax Taproom and Kitchen is the newest restaurant/taproom in downtown Roseville, CA and in the short three months - at this writing that the restaurant has been open - has become a hangout for Roseville locals who enjoy good food, and to linger over one of the 30 west coast beers the restaurant serves on tap! As with all restaurant reviews I publish, I have no affiliation with the restaurant reviewed, and there is no monetary gain on my part, as I am simply a person who likes to eat, and I love to write-up, and publish my dining experiences.
Photo: The Trax Taproom and Kitchen is located at the corner of Vernon and South Grant Streets in downtown Roseville. The restaurant/taproom gets it's name from the railroad tracks, which are just behind the restaurant. Roseville is home to Union Pacific Railroad's Roseville Yard, which is one of the largest railroad freight switching yards in the western United States. Roseville began as a "railroad town," and it still retains much railroad legacy, as the railroad yard is simply enormous, and Union Pacific is one of the largest employers in town. The railroad "City Yard" tracks, along with the Amtrak station are visible in the background of the photo.
Photo: Trax Taproom and Kitchen is located in the historic "Minard Building" in downtown Roseville, on the east side of the railroad tracks, which was constructed in the 1920's, and has housed a automotive repair shop, several retail stores, and several restaurants, the most recent being the short-lived Cheese Louise. Click on the link to visit Cheese Louise, "the way it used to be" back in 2016...
Photo: A sign on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant lets you know the hours you can enjoy delicious food and cold beer.
Photo: As you enter the restaurant, you'll notice it's been completely redecorated from it's days as a sandwich shop or a juice bar. The stove, located near the front door, remains untouched from the building's previous lives, and the "HOT! Do Not Touch!" sign, remnants of privious business ventures remains. The decor is very modern and comfortable, with the huge bar being the centerpiece, and lots of widely-spaced tables in the dining room, which makes the large dining room seem even larger than it really is.
Photo: The centerpiece of the dining room is the large bar at the rear, with thirty west coast beers on tap, including several brewed locally, in Sacramento or Auburn. There are several television monitors tuned to sports, and a large, railroad-theme mural on the wall, which depicts the days when steam engines ruled the rails.
Photo: The dining room features lots of windows which provide natural light, and offer a great view of downtown Roseville, and all that's happening on Vernon Street.
Photo: The beer selection is listed on a video monitor that scrolls through all five pages of beer and wine selections, one page at a time. Each page is visible for about 30 seconds, which "sort of" gives you time to make your choice. You can also view the menu on your smart phone, as there are "QR" codes on the counter that you can scan with your phone, which will give a complete listing of the selections. There are 30 beers on tap, all craft, all west coast brews, and many of them are local to the greater Sacramento area. I simply couldn't decide... but no worries, as four-beer "flights" help to resolve and questions.
Photo: The restaurant's menu is very compact, with the first page offering "Railroad Bites," which is a good way to begin your "flight," should you care to fly.
Photo: "Grant Street Eats" make up page two of the menu, with "bar eats" unlike any other offerings in downtown Roseville.
Photo: If you can't find your favorite beer on tap, you'll probably find it in the can, or in the bottle in the large drink cooler against a side wall.
Photo: After watching the monitor scroll through the beer selection several times, I wanted to try every selection, so I ordered a "flight" with the first four menu selections. My friendly server/bartender, Leo, is pouring me a 4-oz glass of "Moska Brewing Young One," an IPA, locally made in Rocklin.
Photo: Meet Leo, my amazing bartender/server who brought my first "flight" to me with a smile. Note the "QR" code to the left, where you can read the beer and wine menu with your smartphone.
Photo: After watching the beer menu scroll by several times, I couldn't decide what to order - all selections sounded delicious - so I went with a "flight" of the first four beers on the menu. Alright... it wasn't exactly "imaginative" but it was a great place to start! Here's the way I flew with my first "flight" of beer samples: #1 "Urban Roots Brewing and Smokehouse, Steely Jam." IPA American, brewed in Sacramento. All samples were delicious, but I have to admit that I enjoyed the "Steely Jam" the most. I was surprised, as it tasted more like a lager than an IPA, but I'm simply a lover of beer, not a "snob" or a connoisseur.
Photo: Meet one of the owners of the restaurant, friendly Ajmal, who came over to welcome me to his fine taproom. The day before my visit, I posted on the restaurant's Facebook page that I would be visiting, and taking photos for a write-up on this website and Yelp. I guess he recognized my by my camera!
Photo: Meet amazingly friendly Julia, who wears two hats, as she was today's talented chef, and also the restaurant manager. This friendly lady has talent in the kitchen, as her fare is simply delicious!
Photo: Shortly after my amazing lunch arrives, I ordered a second "flight" of beer. When it comes to beer, I don't have a whole lot of imagination, so I simply continued down the menu choices, by ordering 5 through 8. Leo cautioned me that my last two choices were sour, "fruity" beers, but when it comes to beer, I'm always interested in trying something new. Aren't the sour, "fruity" beers on the right pretty to look at? #5 "Great Notion Juice Jr.," IPA New England, brewed in Portland. This "flight" was interesting, as I've never had beer quite like this before. I'm still scratching my head trying to figure it out, but I can say that I did not care for the "Great Notion Stylus," as it was way too sour for my taste. But at the end of the day, it's all good, as it's BEER!
Photo: Meet friendly A.J., who brought my order to me with a smile.
Photo: I'm a happy diner, as I have a "flight" of beer in front of me, "Conductor Sliders," along with an order of "Steam Engine Fries." Trax Taproom and Kitchen serves delicious food! Note the railroad-theme mural in the background, which adds to the festive atmosphere in this fine restaurant. What more could you ask for?
Photo: From the "Grant Street Eats" section of the menu, I went with "Conductor Sliders," which included a small order of "Steam Engine Fries." The menu simply describes the sliders as, "Beef, cheese, grilled onion and house sauce." Included with my order was a bed of greens - essentially a premium lettuce variety - and a small cup of ketchup, which came in handy to dip the fries into. Each slider is a small cheeseburger, with the bun being about the diameter of a DVD and the beef patty weighing at about 3-ounces, before cooking. Like the old saying goes, "good things come in small packages," as the "Conductor Sliders" were simply delicious! The beef was tender, juicy and cooked medium, yet it was thoroughly and perfectly cooked while still retaining the delicious flavor and texture. It's quite apparent that Trax Taproom and Kitchen uses premium beef - never frozen - as the beef was simply as good as it gets! The beef was placed on a buttered, perfectly toasted small brioche bun. Each slider was dressed with a perfectly melted slice of American cheese, topped with grilled white onion, and coated with "House Sauce" which is a close parallel to Thousand Island dressing. I added half the premium lettuce to each of my sliders, as I simply adore the combination of juicy meat and cool veggies. The "Steam Engine Fries" were battered and deep fried to a golden brown on the outside, and tender white inside, and had a distinctive "crunch" when you bit into them. I'm a lover of "all things fries," and, like the sliders, my "Steam Engine Fries" were simply delicious. Such a delicious combination of two sliders, along with some of the best fries in western Placer County! Chef Julia has talent, she knows her trade, and she and Trax Taproom and Kitchen deliver a lunch, without parallel in downtown Roseville!
Photo: After taking a couple bites of my first "Conductor Slider," I was a believer in the fine bar cuisine served at Trax Taproom and Kitchen. Each slider is about four bites, and they're so delicious that each bite leaves you wanting for more... Good times, good food, good beer and great staff and lots of fun... Trax Taproom and Kitchen has it all, in downtown Roseville, CA. As the motto of the restaurant states, "Good times, Good beer..." The Trax Taproom and Kitchen Copyright(c) 2022 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. We've been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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