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If you've ever listened to the "Rush Limbaugh Show," on the radio, you've most likely heard Rush make jokes that go like "for those of you in Rio Linda..." Rush actually began his broadcasting career in Sacramento, and Rio Linda is a rural, unincorporated area northeast of the city. Besides being known for small ranches, rural charm, and a "country atmosphere," Rio Linda is home to some fine restaurants, including Creekside Diner, which dishes out amazing breakfast and lunch every day of the week. 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 around 06:30 in the morning, Friday, June 04, 2021, and I've arrived at Creekside Diner to enjoy an amazing breakfast on this early Friday morning. This fine diner is located in Rio Linda, CA, in the greater Sacramento area, in the Rio Linda Shopping Center. Like the decor of the restaurant, the shopping center is somewhat dated - may I say retro? - and harkens back to 1971, rather than 2021. I love it!!
Photo: As you enter the restaurant, you'll notice the "old school" decor, with vinyl booths on the perimeter and tables in the middle. There are a couple booths in front that can accommodate large groups, and the tables can be pushed together. The walls of the restaurant are decorated with photos, pictures and painted plates, many of them with a local, "Rio Linda" theme, and many with a "sports theme." The dining room is large, clean, very comfortable, and also "retro," as if it wasn't for the electronic cash register and the LED lights, you'd think the year was 1971 rather than 2021.
Photo: On this early Friday morning - opening time is 06:00 - the restaurant was lightly seated, and most of the diners were local construction workers or truck drivers, enjoying breakfast before heading to work. You know the restaurant is good if it's a favorite of construction workers and truck drivers! Note the very "retro atmosphere" of this fine diner. Back on Friday, September 19, 2008, the now-defunct Sacramento Breakfast Club enjoyed a breakfast at this restaurant, which then was known as Oak Tree Diner. Like many restaurants, it acquired a new owner and a new name back in 2012. but comparing photos, the decor is virtually identical, and I can't really see any changes. However the menu and the staff have changed with the new ownership and the times...
Photo: The breakfast section of the menu is on the first page, as Creekside Diner is serious about breakfast. From the "top " of the menu, I went "The Grand" as it looked like everything that I could ask for in breakfast. The menu showcases three pages of breakfast and lunch "comfort food," as Creekside Diner is open for breakfast and lunch. Check out all three pages of the menu by clicking on this link. No worries, as you'll be linked back to the main article.
Photo: The kitchen is located at the rear of the restaurant, and features a small counter. Like most fine diners, there is a window to the kitchen, and a shelf, where completed orders are placed, so the wait staff can deliver the meals to hungry diners. Had I known before I placed my order there was a counter at the rear of the restaurant, I would have sat at the counter, as that's my preference, but it's a little hard to see, as you have to walk completely to the rear of restaurant before you can see it. It's 10 minutes before 07:00 on this early Friday morning, and I'm looking forward to breakfast!
Photo: Meet my amazingly friendly server Nick, who brings my breakfast to me with a smile. On this early Friday morning, he was the only server working, but he was both friendly and efficient. I might add my breakfast arrived in only about 10 minutes after I placed my order.
Photo: Thanks, Nick, for taking my photo, as I get ready to enjoy "The Grand," which was truly a "grand" breakfast. It is breakfast lover's dream come true!
Photo: From the "top" of the "Favorites" section of the breakfast menu, I went with "The Grand," as I was hungry on this early Friday morning. When I visit a "new" restaurant, I like to start at the "top," of the menu, if possible, as it will most likely give me the heart and soul of the restaurant. The menu describes "The Grand" as, "Two eggs, biscuits and gravy, two bacon, two sausage and hash browns or country potatoes." Such a simple description for a "classic" example of fine diner cuisine! Nick asked me if I wanted bacon, sausage or both, and I went with both... naturally, as I love a variety in my breakfast. You get a LOT of breakfast in "The Grand" and this hearty breakfast should satisfy the appetite of a hungry lumberjack or linebacker. Since I went "half" with the meat, the main plate included two perfectly cooked link sausages, and two slices of bacon, cooked on the crispy side, but not "too crispy," if that makes any sense. Sitting on the plate next to the meat are the hash browns, which is my de facto standard, as I've never mastered how to cook them properly, and "country" potatoes are easy to cook at home. My plate included a generous portion of hash browns, perfectly cooked to a golden, almost "crunchy" brown on the outside, and tender white inside. Simply delicious! The chef has talent, as my eggs, which I ordered cooked over easy arrived exactly as I had ordered; over easy. The mark of a great diner chef is to be able to cook eggs to order, and your eggs will be cooked to order at Creekside Diner. The biscuits and gravy arrived on a separate plate. Yes, it's biscuits as "The Grand" includes two biscuits, covered with savory country gravy, and lots of gravy on the plate to enjoy. The biscuits were large, soft, and were your typical "diner variety" of biscuits, which are great, but lack the goodness of a freshly, in-house backed biscuit with a flaky, golden brown crust. The sausage gravy was perfectly cooked, thick, creamy with lots of small chunks of sausage. The side of biscuits and gravy made for the perfect side dish. My server brought Tabasco sauce, along with a bottle of ketchup, but they weren't needed as "The Grand" is so good, it doesn't need any enhancements. "The Grand" is truly a grand breakfast, as the food is good, and there is a lot of it to satisfy your hungry appetite. I skipped lunch today, and ate a light dinner, as this amazing breakfast kept me satisfied all day.
Photo: "The Grand" arrives on two plates, and this is the "main plate" of this fantastic breakfast, including sausage, bacon, hash browns and two perfectly fried eggs, over easy, just the way I ordered them. The presentation was simply beautiful, but the breakfast tasted even better than it looked!
Photo: "The Grand" includes a plate with two biscuits, covered with delicious sausage gravy, with lots of extra gravy for your dining pleasure. The gravy was thick, rich and delicious, and there was lots of it. After devouring the biscuits, I spooned the extra gravy on my hash browns. Such goodness! Creekside Diner is open every day from 06:00 in the morning until 14:00 in the afternoon, and serves some of the best diner cuisine to be found in rural Sacramento County. The food is delicious, the portions are ample, the prices are reasonable, and the staff is super friendly. If you enjoy amazing diner "comfort food," you can't go wrong enjoying an amazing meal at Creekside Diner, located in Rio Linda, CA. Creekside Diner Copyright(c) 2021 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. We've been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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