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Two Rivers Cafe, located in the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountain town of Downieville, CA, is truly a burger destination in Sierra County, as the restaurant has achieved quite a reputation among locals, visitors and burger lovers from all over Northern California, for dishing up delicious burgers, served by friendly staff. As with all of reviews that 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: It's just past the 11 o'clock morning opening time, Thursday, September 12, 2024 and I've arrived at Two Rivers Cafe, located in Downieville, CA to enjoy what might be the best burger in the northern end of the gold country. The town of Downieville, with a population of around 300 is an 1849-vintage mining town, which is the county seat of Sierra County, and a popular tourist destination for adventurers exporing CA 49, which traces historic mining operations of the mid 19th centruy. The town is unique in California, and the United States, as it allows open drinking of alcohol on Main and Commercial Streets, a three block long promenade in the center of town. You can sip on a cocktail, beer or wine outside and on the street, you don't need to stay behind a fence. This is something that Downieville shares with Sturgis, S.D., along with Las Vegas, and a few other select locations in the country. The restaurant offers a few picnic tables in front with a great view of Main Street, with a balcony patio in back, overlooking the Downie and North Fork Yuba Rivers where they meet, hence the name Two Rivers Cafe.
Photo: Meet my super friendly host, Primo, who greeted me, presented me with a menu, and answered all of my many questions. During our conversation, I mentioned my website, along with my Facebook group, Gold Country Dining, which I moderated, and Primo was interested, and during my visit to his restaurant, became a member of the group.
Photo: The dining room is very rustic, and features a small bar, where there is a modest selection of mainstream and craft beers on tap. The restaurant operates on what I refer to as the "taqueria format," in that you place your order at the counter, pay for it and you receive a number in return. Then, you choose any open seat of your choice and when your order is ready, it'll be brought to you by a friendly staff member. Tips aren't expected, but there is a tip jar on the counter, and the friendly and hardworking staff definitely deserve a tip. Unlike many taquerias, the restaurant doesn't post the food menu above the order counter, as you order from a printed menu.
Photo: I took a peek into the kitchen to watch the staff cook burgers on the griddle. The kitchen also includes a pizza oven, as pizza and calzones are on the menu.
Photo: The "Special" menu is posted outside, and lists the specials for the day. The sandwiches in particular looked delicious, but I was in the mood for a burger.
Photo: The second page of the menu offers several varieties of burgers, with lots of add-ons. There is a burger on the menu for all burger lovers.
Photo: These three friendly gentlemen, along with their dog, were enjoying the fine mid-September late morning on the patio, enjoying burgers and sodas.
Photo: Meet Catalina, my amazingly friendly server, who delivered my burger and fries to me with a smile. It was a pleasure enjoying her company.
Photo: I'm a happy guy, as I'm ready enjoy one of the best burgers in Sierra County, thanks to the talented staff at Two Rivers Cafe, located in Downieville, CA.
Photo: From the "Burgers" section of the menu, I went with a "Cheeseburger," a side of fries, and a cup of ranch dressing for dipping. Mustard and ketchup were offered as condiments, but since the burger was "stand alone" delicious, it didn't need any condiments. This amazing burger began with a tender, juicy one-half pound meat patty of Harris Ranch certified Angus beef, cooked medium rare, just the way I like it. I didn't specify how I wanted my burger cooked - it slipped my mind - but Primo must have read my mind when he took my order. The meat was topped with a slice of perfectly melted Cheddar cheese, which added another dimension to this delicious burger. The burger arrived on a lightly buttered and slightly toasted brioche bun what was slightly crispy on the outside, yet fluffy and tender on the inside. The meat and cheese were placed on top of the fresh lettuce, onion and tomato slices and... surprise! ... the veggies were chilled and the meat, cheese and bun were warm. The contrast between chilled and warm always helps to make a great burger an exceptional burger, and this was certainly an exceptional burger! The burger was dressed with in-house made "Thousand Island" dressing, which truly put this fine burger into the category of an "old school diner" burger, which is what I love the most. The fries were simply delicious, as they were cut to a medium, uniform size, lightly battered and deep fried to a beautiful medium golden brown. The batter added a crunchiness to the outside, yet the inside of the fries was juicy and tender. The fries were perfect! I simply loved dipping them into the cup of ranch dressing. One bite into this delicious burger rewarded me with a burger taste sensation, as everything came together to create the perfect burger. Two Rivers Cafe simply "nailed" the meat-to-bun ratio, which is critical to a superior burger, and chilled lettuce, onion and tomato added the perfect contrast to the warm meat, cheese and bun. Unlike lesser cheeseburgers, I could actually taste the creamy goodness of the Cheddar cheese, which truly made this burger a cheeseburger to remember. The slice of fresh, crispy dill pickle on the side added a nice touch to my lunch, as it was refreshing to enjoy the "crunch" of the pickle with a bite from the amazing cheeseburger. This was simply an amazing cheeseburger, and was certainly one of the best burgers you'll enjoy during your travels to Sierra County, at the north end of California's gold country. Amazing Gold Country dining!
Photo: I cut my "Cheeseburger" in half, which made the large burger easier to enjoy and to savor all of the goodness. You can see the toasted bun and all the layers of goodness which made this a superior burger. My "Cheeseburger" was simply delicious, and as "old school" as it gets, complete with toasted bun, Cheddar cheese and house-made dressing. What more could you ask for... an amazing cheeseburger, enjoyed outside on a perfect mid-September late morning, beautiful mountain scenery, along with friendly mountain hospitality, thanks to some of the friendliest staff in the north end of California's Gold Country. Fine gold country dining, any way you look at it. To satisfy your craving for one of the best burgers at the northern end of the Highway 49, check out Two Rivers Cafe, located in Downieville, CA. Two Rivers Cafe Copyright(c) 2024 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. We've been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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