Tower Cafe
4.6(4.5K)google
4.1(5.6K)yelp
Local Life
Overview
Standing proudly as an absolute legendary culinary landmark located directly adjacent to the historic Tower Theatre, this eccentric global restaurant offers an unparalleled sensory and dining experience. The dining room is lavishly filled with an international, globetrotting collection of historical artworks, antique carvings, and colorful textile relics from across the world. Outside, the award-winning garden patio features a lush canopy of rare tropical plants and cascading stone water fountains, creating a highly romantic atmosphere for sampling their world-famous international dishes.
Practical Info
Suggested Duration1-2 hours
Best TimeHighly recommended for weekend morning brunches or early summer afternoons. Celebrated as an iconic local institution, request a table in the legendary, lush tropical garden patio to savor their award-winning French toast.
Getting ThereLocated at 1518 Broadway next to the historic theater. Features its own complimentary guest parking lot behind the building alongside Broadway meters. Take the Light Rail directly to Broadway station and walk 2 minutes.
Travel Tips
- The landmark weekend brunch restaurant triggers queues scaling past 120 minutes; reservations are completely denied, forcing physical walk-up line registration.
- The signature tropical garden patio is highly coveted but assigned via random seating matrices; specifying patio-only tables can tack on an extra 30-minute delay.
- On-site commercial spaces are scarce; the active Broadway corridor is a hotbed for vehicle bi-ins, making a strict empty-car policy non-negotiable.
Reviews
Positive
- An iconic landmark restaurant in Sacramento; the famous French toast and eclectic global brunch menu taste absolutely amazing, living up to the hype.
- The outdoor patio is surrounded by dense tropical plants, European fountains, and exotic sculptures, offering a visually stunning, romantic, and lush dining vibe.
- Directly adjacent to the historic Tower Theatre, the prime location offers easy transit and serves as a core hub for experiencing local Midtown lifestyle.
- The servers and bartenders are highly energetic and cheerful; despite being incredibly busy during peak hours, their order management remains swift.
Heads up
- Weekend brunch crowd density is wildly exaggerated; since they do not accept reservations, walk-ins face a brutal one-to-two-hour wait under the sun.
- Menu and drink prices have climbed heavily in recent years; with tips added, the bill is pricey, offering lower value compared to regular diners.
- Indoor tables are packed tightly together to maximize capacity, leaving very little distance between parties and making the talk environment noisy.
- The on-site private lot is tiny with narrow lanes, making a spot impossible to find at peak hours and forcing drivers to circle residential side streets.