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The Barn Cafe, located in Elk Grove, CA, has been serving delicious "Americana cuisine" since 2016, and they are serious about their quest, as their "mission statement" is printed on the cover of the menu: "Comfort food at it's best!" As with all 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: It's just a little past noon on Thursday, September 01, 2022, and my friend Adrienne, who strikes here famous "Marilyn Monroe pose" and I have arrived at The Barn Cafe to enjoy an amazing lunch. The Barn Cafe is located on Grant Line Road, several miles east of central Elk Grove, and is "country" in both rural atmosphere, and delicious "Americana" cuisine.
Photo: A wood-fired smoker, along with a "Texas" grill are located outside the restaurant, and are used for catering and special events. On this early Thursday afternoon, there wasn't any smoking going on, as all the action was happening in the kitchen.
Photo: As you enter the restaurant, you'll be greeted by the friendly staff and you'll notice the small counter - six seats - that provide "up-front" counter dining at this amazing restaurant. "Old school" whiteboard above the counter list daily specials, wine, beer, and other things that change. You can look ahead into the kitchen, as there is a counter where staff picks up meals from the kitchen. Hey... is this 2022 or is the date on the calendar 1972? The dining atmosphere is both timeless and priceless...
Photo: The main dining room is gigantic, and features tables for friendly dining. Barn is located on the east side of Elk Grove, in rural Sacramento County, and offers western hospitality along with "Americana" cowboy cuisine. A striped bass fishing derby is part of the restaurant's charm, which adds to the amazing cuisine.
Photo: The busy kitchen area, and the counter are seen from the dining room. The gentleman in the photo is a local, a "foodie," and a truly nice guy. The daily and weekly specials the restaurant offers are posted behind the counter on a white board, which is as "old school" as it gets.
Photo: Each table is set with a wide array of condimets, including my favorite, Cholula, which I LOVE to mix with ketchup for my fries.
Photo: Since it was just past noon, my friend and I went with the "Lunch" menu, but I was tempted with breakfast, as The Barn Cafe's menu is serious about breakfast, as two pages of the menu are devoted to breakfast. The menu is five pages of "comfort food," so check it out on THIS LINK or click on the photo.
Photo: Our amazingly friendly hostess, Amanda, chats with Adrienne about which choice to order from the "Sandwich" menu, as the choice is difficult, as there are a wide array of choices and all seem to be delicious. After checking out the menu, and a Blue Moon beer, Adrienne settled on the "French Dip" which worked out to be a great choice for lunch, on this early Thursday afternoon.
Photo: After Amanda took our orders, I wandered around the restaurant, taking photos and discovered a basket of squash, "free to a good home." I love it! How many restaurants have a basket of yellow and zuchinni squash for their diners to love?
Photo: This fine gentleman is an Elk Grove local, and welcomed me, and provided great conversation.
Photo: Elk Grove is "cowboy country" and The Barn Cafe reflects the spirit of the area, especially in the eastern area of the town, which is dedicated to small ranches. The spirit of the "Old West" is alive and well in Elk Grove, and at The Barn Cafe!
Photo: The Barn Cafe is an "old school" diner, as there is a window to the kitchen where the servers pick up completed orders. I simply "love" restaurants where you can view the kitchen staff in action. Note the take-out containers for "Broasted Chicken," as chicken is featured on one full page of the restaurant's menu.
Photo: Today was a 99+ degree day, but on this early Thursday afternoon, the weather seemed perfect to dine outside on the patio. The Barn Cafe offers plenty of shaded, patio dining, with a great view of the rural area.
Photo: Yes, the atmosphere is rural, and you can "cowboy-up" as you enjoy your amazing lunch on the patio.
Photo: Meet Amanda, our amazing friendly hostess, who brought our lunch to us with a super-friendly smile! She treated us like family and offered us amazing service, especially since we were the only diners seated on the patio, on this warm September early afternoon.
Photo: Thanks, Amanda for taking our photo, as my "foodie" friend and I get ready to enjoy a delicious lunch at The Barn Cafe, located in Elk Grove, CA.
Photo: From the "Lunch Menu," and the "Sandwiches and More" section of the menu, Adrienne went with "French Dip," which the menu describes as "Roast beef on a French roll served with au jus." Like with my "Cheeseburger," a wide array of sides was offered, but Adrienne and I are "foodies," very like-minded when it comes to dining, so she went with a side of "French fries" and never looked back. The beef was tender and juicy, sliced thinly and served on a crisp, French roll, with ranch dressing on the side, and a bowl of au jus for dipping. A slice of lettuce and dill pickle added "window dressing" to make the presentation complete. Au jus made great dipping for the sandwich, and the ranch dressing worked with the fries.
Photo: My friend Adrienne is a stone-cold "foodie" and loves everything, and is a welcome dining companion for any "eating adventure." Maybe I was a little rude in snapping her photo, as I caught her in the act of applying horseradish to her sandwich, but she didn't seem to mind. My friend Adrienne is a trooper! As an aside, my "real" camera is in the shop, so all photos were taken using my iPhone camera, which is my backup-backup camera, but seems to do a credible job.
Photo: From the "Lunch Menu," and the "Angus Ground Chuck Burgers" section, I went with a simple "Cheeseburger" along with an order of fries as my side of choice. The menu states, "ALL burgers are 1/2 pound patties and come with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions, Thousand Island sauce, and your choice of French fries, soup, salad, fruit cocktail, or cottage cheese." The Barn Cafe offers many choices, as you can order a 1/4 pound burger and save yourself a couple bucks, and you can also "enhance" your side with onion rings, potato salad, sweet potato fries or coleslaw for a small additional charge. No "enhancements" on my part, as there is nothing better for me than a cheeseburgers and fries! I went with the half-pound Angus meat patty, and it arrived grilled perfectly medium, as per my order, thanks to our amazing hostess Amanda, who asked how I wanted my meat cooked. The large meat patty was seasoned, juicy and cooked perfectly to order. It was served with a slice of melted American cheese on a large, lightly buttered and slightly toasted sesame seed bun. Being the "burger snob" that I seem to have morphed into, I noted the meat-to-bun was perfect, with is crucial to a great burger. Speaking of a great cheeseburger, the veggies... lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle were served on the side, which made for a stunning presentation. Looks aside... one of the trademarks of a great burger is the veggies are cold, and the meat, cheese and bun are hot... when you combine the hot and cold together it makes for a superior burger. Since the veggies were served on the side, the hot/cold taste sensation worked out to be perfect. I added a little mustard to my burger, loaded up the veggies, and went "to town." One bite into the burger... oh my! I noted the juicy, seasoned beef patty, the perfect meat-to-bun ratio, the chilled veggies and the warm meat, cheese and bun and... and... The Barn Cafe serves an amazing cheeseburger! My side of choice was "French fries," which was a good, solid "comfort food" choice. The fries were very typical, as they were deep fried to a light golden brown on the outside, and tender, chewy white inside. The fries were simply delicious, not at all spectacular, but made for an outstanding side dish, and a side that I'd definitely order again. As an aside, both my dining companion Adrienne and I ordered fries and we both loved them, but neither of us were awe struck. "Cheeseburger and French fries" as a side at The Barn Cafe... what a lunch! Simply delicious! If you're inclined, you can order a burger and fries for breakfast, as the MENU at The Barn Cafe is flexible!
Photo: I "assembled" my "Cheeseburger," and added a little mustard, in addition to the trademark "Thousand Island sauce" that comes with the burger. Did I say this burger is not only "old school" but simply delicious? I added the lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle slices to the burger, and the chilled "veggies" worked amazingly with the hot meat, bun and cheese to make for a perfect burger. The side of fries added to the meal and rounded out the amazing lunch that I enjoyed. My friend and dining companion Adrienne and I enjoyed our lunches, the "rural" atmosphere on the patio, and inside the restaurant, along with the amazingly friendly service, as our hostess treated us like family. No wonder The Barn Cafe has become a local favorite, and a favorite restaurant for "foodies" who enjoy great food, country charm, along with a warm and welcoming atmosphere. For an amazing meal any day of the week, look to The Barn Cafe for "comfort food at it's best." The Barn Cafe, located in Elk Grove, CA, is a favorite restaurant of Elk Grove locals, and all Sacramento-area "foodies." The Barn Cafe Copyright(c) 2022 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. We've been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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