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Who doesn't enjoy a wonderful, laid-back family dining experience at a restaurant that's attractive, comfortable, and dishes out delicious food served by friendly staff? When you find yourself near the corner of Greenback and San Juan, in Citrus Heights, a suburb of Sacramento, California, you owe it to yourself to pay a visit to Erica's Cafe.
Photo: Erica's Cafe is located near the corner of Greenback and San Juan, in Citrus Heights, California. The red truck obscures the view of the patio dining that Erica's offers. Erica's Cafe, formerly known as Jeremiah's Cafe, is under new ownership, and the new owners have made sweeping changes to the restaurant, both in decor and menu, but the biggest change seems to be in attitude, or in the case of Erica's, lack there of. Gone is the haughty waitress that used to rule the dining room back in the Jeremiah days, to be replaced by a friendly couple, who not only own and run the restaurant, but greet customers, wait on customers, and make customers feel right at home. Gone from the menu is the typical truck stop fare, as its been replaced by imaginative and creative entrees that reflect the taste of the locals. The restaurant decor is also new and updated, as the shabby vinyl booths have been replaced by matching tables and chairs, and the decor is very contemporary, with a light, airy, almost Mediterranean look. It's pure California decor, and very stylish!
Photo: Friendly waitress and co-owner Sunny is about to place my order of a shrimp omelet on our table. Erica's Cafe features a very extensive breakfast menu with some very interesting items that I haven't seen anyplace else. Yes, they serve all of your favorites, but what if you're in the mood for a Chicken Sesame Steak, or a Santa Fe Omelet? I have to admit that I was very tempted to order a sesame steak, but couldn't resist ordering a 3-egg shrimp, avocado omelet, with melted jack cheese on the top, as I'd never enjoyed a shrimp omelet in my life before. True to form, friend and dining companion David ordered a chicken fried steak, Dan ordered a chili cheese omelet, and Sharlene ordered a veggie omelet. All of us ordered country fried potatoes on the side. If you're a regular reader of the adventures of the Sacramento Breakfast Club, you're probably thinking, "What, nobody ordered biscuits and gravy?" That's a brilliant observation on your part, but Erica's doesn't offer it as an option in lieu of toast, which is a minus, but to tell you the truth, none of us were in the mood for biscuits and gravy! As a nice touch, the gentleman who took our order, who is also one of the owners, brought ice water with our coffee.
Photo: David receives his order of sourdough toast, courtesy of our waiter, who is a co-owner of the restaurant. Erica's decor is very pleasant, and everything matches, from the white tables and chairs with the green inlay on the top of the tables, to the green carpet, to the many potted plants that adorn the dining room. If outside dining is your preference, they feature a covered patio at the front of the restaurant, which would offer a very pleasant atmosphere, except that if faces busy Greenback Lane, so a times, exhaust fumes and traffic noise could be an unwanted dining companion. All in all, Erica's is very pleasant, and very comfortable.
Photo: My shrimp omelet, with avocado slices and jack cheese on top of the omelet, with a delicious order of homestyle potatoes on the side. Note the attractive presentation of the meal. As I mentioned before, I have never enjoyed a shrimp omelet, so I really didn't know what to expect, but since culinary adventures are a specialty of mine, I was up to the challenge. I was really surprised with the quality of my omelet, the fresh ingredients, the quantity of perfectly-cooked shrimp, and the attractive presentation. Picture the shrimp omelet, or better yet, look at the photo: A huge amount shrimp, cooked to perfection, tucked into three eggs, topped with four, fresh avocado slices, placed on top of melted jack cheese. Place next to the omelet an order of homestyle potatoes, golden, crunchy brown on the outside, yet soft and chewy on the inside, and add grilled bell pepper and white onion slices, that are slightly brown on the ends, and you have a breakfast fit for a king. You won't pay a king's ransom or leave the restaurant hungry, as the food is reasonably priced, and the portion was enough to keep a smile on my face until dinner. My breakfast companions had similar comments about their fine meals.
Photo: Friendly waitress and restaurant co-owner Sunny smiles as I take her photo. Note the view through the door into the kitchen, and the huge ladles that hang from the rack, the plates on the shelves, and the smoke arising from the grill. I think it was me, not the camera, that was out of focus, as I was quite captivated by beautiful Sunny. It's quite obvious that the owners take pride in their operation and that they believe their mission is to deliver a quality product to their customer, in a comfortable atmosphere, with fast, friendly service, sans attitude, where the customer is always king. Outside of the fact that biscuits and gravy isn't an option rather than toast, we loved everything about Erica's Cafe, and plan to return again. Erica's Cafe is highly recommended by the Sacramento Breakfast Club. Erica's
Cafe
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