Podcast
Downtown Sacramento’s Return-To-Office lunch options
CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: State employees returning to Downtown Sacramento following Gov. Newsom’s Return-To-Office order are finding a vastly different universe from the vibrant metro area of 2019, the last time Sacramento food writer Becky Grunewald was on the Podcast. Many longtime lunch and coffee favorites have closed, moved, or offer only limited hours. She joined us to talk about some current lunch options for the Downtown crowd, and other highlights of the local food scene. Plus, as always, we tell you Who Had the Worst Week in California Politics.
1:18 Rising Star: Annika Bjork
1:48 Experts Expound: Gavin Newsom’s legacy
2:10 Proposition 40
4:45 Becky Grunewald
6:05 Five picks for Abridged
7:05 Drunken Tortilla
8:28 Buddah Bowls and Rolls
9:03 CalPERS Cafeteria
9:36 Capitol Weekly article on Capitol favorites
12:20 Mother (RIP)
13:42 Pizza Supreme Being
15:05 Buffalo Pizza’s breakfast pizza
16:47 Sapha Kafae
18:40 My Sister’s Cafe
21:59 Jimboys
24:58 Sal’s Tacos
26:00 Whitey’s Jolly Kone
26:47 The Sunflower Drive-In
28:45 DoorDash
32:32 Stockton detour: Manny’s California Fresh
34:20 Sacramento burgers
41:12 #WWCA
Correction: An earlier version of this story used the phrase “Back-To-Work.’ We replaced that with the more accurate ‘Return-To-Office.”
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State workers have been working this whole time, 5 days a week. This is a ‘return-to-office’ order, not return to work. Please update accordingly.
This feature on Downtown Sacramento’s lunch options misses the real story: why so many state workers have stopped bothering with spending money downtown at all.
Most of us got through Covid without complaint. When the budget was projected to run a deficit, we took a 5% pay cut without much fuss either. Now the actual numbers show a surplus, and that cut is still sitting there, unrestored, while real inflation has quietly cut our pay even further. Meanwhile the city has jacked up parking rates on the same workers it’s counting on to return downtown and spend money.
So forgive us if a lunch guide doesn’t move the needle. State workers didn’t stop supporting downtown out of indifference. We did the math. If Sacramento wants us back at these restaurants, the city and the state both know exactly where to start: restore the pay you took, then talk to us about lunch.
The phrase “back-to-work” is purposely misleading and insulting. Many state employees have been working above and beyond for several years now under the hybrid model, which has been shown to benefit both employers and employees. Your poor use of words is intentional, meant to sway public opinion because state workers are not respected.
Before the mandate, I happily enjoyed grabbing coffee and lunch at least once a week, 4-6x a month, from local eateries to support midtown and downtown, but since State workers have no choice but to comply 4x a week, there is a growing sentiment among us to forgo any unnecessary spending, and I believe that mentality will only grow as time goes on.
In 6 months, it will be evident that the “return to office” mandate failed to ignite any downtown resurgence.
Yeah, since I’ve been forced to commute 4x a week, I haven’t eaten at ANY eatery in Sacramento. I used to bring my family into DT Sac on the weekends to explore places I found during the week, but now I make it a point not to set foot in there at all. Blocking off the entire city for paid parking only didn’t help either. Maybe I’ll visit once I can afford to eat there again.
You missed the Sutter Health Cafe at L Street. First introduced to pho in VN 1970. The beef pho at the Cafe one of the best ever.
Newsom said in a memo that remote work is the future and allows the state to safe money b not having to lease buildings. No he’s back peddling and expects state employees to support him for his presidential campaign. Wrong he doesn’t keep his word unless he benefits. With the increase in gas prices and the high cost of parking state employees won’t be able to afford buying lunches because they are struggling with the increase of groceries, utilities, rent and now parking and gas. Employees changed their life to accommodate remote work and it worked because their productivity increased, less stress, cost savings until a governor had to set up his friends to buy old state buildings increase the lease prices to payback his friends. That is not a man for president we already have a liar in there we don’t need to replace him with another liar.
Would never vote for another liar and that’s what Newsom is
Funny what did all the state workers do prior to covid? They went to work 5 days a week, get over the back to work bs
LOL – this article remarkably tone-deaf. Recommending $20 sandwiches to state workers whose pay has failed to keep up with inflation ignores the reality many of us are living. For years we’ve been told to do more with less, and now we’re expected to spend even more just because we’ve been ordered back into the office.
When I was teleworking, I bought lunch and coffee from restaurants in my own community. Those businesses mattered too. It’s not state workers’ responsibility to prop up downtown commercial real estate or subsidize businesses that depend on office traffic. If downtown needs an economic development plan, that should be addressed honestly—not by expecting underpaid public employees to shoulder the cost.
Return-to-office means more traffic, more emissions, more commuting expenses, and less efficient use of taxpayer resources. Framing the conversation around where to buy an expensive sandwich completely misses the more important issues. State workers deserve fair pay and thoughtful, logical, forward-thinking policy, not lifestyle articles that assume we all have extra money to spend.
Can you please dedicate your time and energy to write an article about the taxpayer concerns and environmental impacts of return to office?
Couldn’t have said it better than Katie. It’s not the job of underpaid state workers to subsidize business that Gavin wants to please to get elected president. And for the “what did we do before covid” crowd, kindly review the economic realities before and after 2020. ML office complex doesn’t have enough parking and charges you to leave and come back. That’s $16 a day for a $20 sandwich when most people can barely afford housing. This article is incredibly tone deaf to the state workers that keep this state running despite its deplorable leadership. Like Katie said, this is a forceful attempt to have state workers subsides a city beautification plan while stonewalling the unions claiming the state can’t afford wages that keep up with inflation. Meanwhile doing nothing with the billions that have been allocated to homelessness, not to mention ignoring the violent events that have happened to employees at these on-site location other than send out more tone deaf emails on how to stay safe at the very new and unsafe locations we’ve been forced back into. The “lazy entitled WFH” trope is overplayed.
@too live you know we used to put lead in gasoline too right? Just because we “used to” do something doesn’t mean we can’t change, progress, and get better. Why are you stuck in the stone ages? Work doesn’t have to be done solely in an office building.
You realize most state workers have been coming into office two days a week, right? We’re well aware of the options that are available to us downtown. The real issue is why the governor is forcing us to return four days a week despite the environmental impacts and cost to TAXPAYERS – with no discernible benefit other than to prop up his real estate cronies. Make downtown a desirable destination with affordable housing and stop trying to force broke state workers to waste time spending four days in a building when they were just as effective working remote or hybrid.
This article is actually embarrassing… you realize most state worker have been in office for two days a week, right? We’re all well aware of what lunch options are available. The bigger issue is – can we afford it??? We couldn’t eat out when we were in office 2 days a week; what makes you think we can at 4 – now that we have to pay for $12/day parking, $6/gallon gas, increased child care costs due to longer commutes, etc etc etc etc.
Listen, I came from the private sector, and I took a 35% pay cut because I wanted to use my degree and experience to make a difference to my fellow Californians. Sure the “lazy state worker” stereotype has existed (way before WFH and COVID, for the record), but I can assure you that the VAST majority of my colleagues are dedicated, hard working folks, who are certainly not here for the money.
As other commenters have stated, what a lazy tone-deaf article. Try harder. Focus on the real issues behind RTO instead of hastily slopping together some fluff piece.
I’m gonna need Shooter MaGavin to show me where in my duty statement “prop up Sacramento’s economy” is located.
You should be ashamed of this article. From the governor on down the disrespect and decreased earning power makes eating overpriced food and this patronizing tone makes it easier to boycott.
Who can afford to go out for lunch with high inflation, gas prices, and parking fees. Most of my co-workers, including myself, bring our own lunch from home. Moral has never been so low with haphazard return to office set ups, confusing policies cancelling alternate work schedules to fit one day a week telework, holding video meeting from your cubicle, etc.
I think this is a good time to talk about meal-prepping and bringing your lunch to the office. Maybe that will be more popular. Most state employees returning to the office have less time and money to go out to eat. I’ve chosen to eat Rice and steamed Veggies for lunch, which saves me a lot and has helped me maintain a good diet and budget, PB and J Sandwiches, and sharing an espresso machine at the office.
I’d be glad to chat with you guys about this instead of recommending eating overpriced cafeteria food trying to get me in and out quickly.
You know whats a great lunch? Commercial property owner’s tears. Theyre full of electrolytes. Brown bag everything and finding free parking with a slightly longer walk in.
This was a great article. The fact that the only people responding are the whiny state employees, expecting the local businesses to protest Gavin on their behalf about RTO when they have a WHOLE UNION whose job it is to do that is ridiculous.
Your responses to this article are tone deaf; as tone deaf as ya’ll complaining about traffic and parking and childcare as if TAXPAYERS haven’t been dealing with that for the past several years. COVID is over. If you’re mad about RTO complain to your UNION; the fact that you guys even have a union and still have the audacity to complain to small businesses and the public and expect us to advocate for you is entitled and absurd. “We don’t make enough money to go here” or “we used to get take out from home but no more because we won’t support downtown businesses” God the level of self-centered entitlement. YOU HAVE A UNION. Make your payment demands to them. Stop victimizing yourself and punishing small mom and pop businesses who had nothing to do with Gavin’s RTO.
I expect to be eviscerated in the comments by the CA state employees because they are chronically online complaining, and that’s fine. This article was fantastic. I’m not a state employee, I work in Sacramento, and I will be thrilled to patronize these restaurants. They sound incredible. Thank you for bringing attention to these small businesses and for your efforts to revitalize downtown.
You know what the authors of this piece can eat in my opinion? I’ll give you a clue, it’s something RFK Jr. cooked up for us with his blithe arrogance about public services and civil service workers.
We did the work remotely for years and the dashboard showed it was a success. Newsom even praised it. But now that he’s some sort of loneliness crusader, imploring us to spill coffee in and fall in love with coworkers but won’t give us back the money from our pay cuts? Do you hear yourself, asking us to go to restaurants knowing that gas and parking prices are through the roof?
I’m going to keep shopping locally and packing lunches because propping up downtown businesses over Gavin’s lunacy isn’t in my job description.
This is town deaf consumer propaganda that destroys worker solidarity for a clickbait article about where to eat? We know where to eat, at home. A lot of these options aren’t even within the parameter of distance required to eat at them, it’s just, mindless. Solidarity from all workers and journalists is required to help every worker everywhere. We don’t currently have a contract. We run the entire state with our labor. Just delete this.
@CA State Employees: Again Proving Themselves Lazy Whiners
You realize TAXPAYERS have to foot the bill of bringing state workers into office buildings for no discernible benefit other than… what again?
I’d rather my taxpayer dollars go elsewhere, like affordable housing, schools, safe roads, public transportation, homelessness etc., not paying for rent and utilities and ergonomic evaluations and all the other endless costs associated with forcing workers to be in office. Especially since the past six years have demonstrated the fact that they can be totally efficient and effective working remote or hybrid.
Get a clue.
AND?
Taxpayers didn’t bring you back into work. Local small businesses didn’t either; in fact they’ve been coming into work this whole time. You all look petty and lazy and stupid going after this woman because you take exception to being suggested local downtown businesses to try.
I didn’t have an opinion about the lack of contract for State employees before but I do now. All of you commenting on this article are hateful and angry and have nothing better to do than harass this woman and talk shit about small businesses that have nothing to do with your complaints about how much tax payer money you get for your jobs. Whatever any of you all are making, it’s clearly more than you should be since you’re all online commenting about how one word of this article (that was changed btw) hurt your wittle feewings.
You know what would save the taxpayers more money than continuing WFH? Getting rid of a lot of you with your entitlement and taxpayer benefits. What hateful people you are.
WE ARE POOR! I am overdrafting my bank account to pay for parking. I would love to eat at a restaurant but I cannot afford it! Tone deaf article.
To the individual claiming we should be complaining to our union: state workers are doing so. Newsom is not bargaining in good faith and has refused to come to the table to discuss RTO and pay. The side letter that both parties agree to included the requirement to meet and confer and Newsom is refusing to do so. In fact, he is refusing to honor another unions raises that were guaranteed for this year that were agreed upon last year. This isn’t just an issue about RTO, this is an issue about bad faith acting on his part. This is also an issue of keeping to his word. A few years ago, he encouraged telework and creation of remote positions. Many departments aligned to this and hired statewide. Now, these departments are facing talent leaving because of RTO because they cannot commute from 2-3 hour one-way. These people were hired into remote positions and these are being changed. Many departments let go of space to accommodate his desire to increase remote work. Now, these departments are being forced to lease space to accommodate all the workers plus those they hired into remote positions. The kicker is, he didn’t allocate money in the budget for this and it is taking away from services we provide.
Further, this impacts local communities that surround Sacramento. That is less money spent in those communities either via direct purchases (the mom and pop shops we sometimes visit) or simply because they were forced out of a job. I don’t want to shop in Sacramento and support those local mom and pop shops, I want to support the mom and pop shops in my community. I care more about my hometown. That’s where I live. That’s my “shop locally.” Sacramento is not more important than my hometown. My county should not face a loss to prop up Sacramento.
He needs to bargain in good faith. He talks a lot on X about how Trump is making things affordable and destroying the environment, but really he is being hypocritical. He is doing exactly what he preaches against to state workers. He said it was horrible when Trump RTOd federal workers, and he is doing the exact same move. He needs to practice what he preaches and come to the bargaining table and then HONOR that agreement.
I love Sapha Kafae and PSB! Thanks for calling out these amazing local restaurants. That said, directing this article specifically at CA public servants who are already strapped for cash & now trying to figure out insane parking fees and gas prices is a little out of touch / poorly timed. I’m sorry for all the flak you’re getting but I also understand how this came off the wrong way.
WHO CARES ABOUT YOUR FIGHT WITH NEWSOM?! You have a union! Stop posting your rants on a FOOD BLOG about what you want for your new contract.
I hope they get rid of a bunch of you, I really REALLY do. That’ll save the taxpayers a bunch of money. You’ve got plenty of time to be online, attacking this woman for absolutely no reason and complaining to all of us about your contract when clearly all of you have plenty of extra time on your hands.
This behavior is so nasty and gross and I hope Newsom and his team watch use these to get rid of a bunch of you. Ugly, ugly behavior. And this is at 10:30 on a Thursday. None of you are working? You’re all online reading this food article and harassing this woman because you took exception to a line she changed?
Are you totally tone deaf? Like, this is a horrible take. State workers are not hostages forced to keep overpriced terrible businesses’ lights on. Many state workers can’t even afford groceries right now… What a ridiculous article to those suffering from this pointless and political return to office mandate.
You aren’t working either apparently, lol
The problem with politicians is they love to pit the little people against each other in order to avoid getting blamed for their own failures. It’s been six years since COVID and City and State leaders should have developed a new plan to invigorate downtown. Instead of finding ways to bring in affordable housing, exciting events, unique businesses and new attractions, they just keep going back to the old ways hoping that will fix the issue. The problem is circumstances have clearly changed and life is more expensive for everyone. Forcing people downtown isn’t going to bring in the lunch crowds they’re hoping for. It’s not wrong for small businesses to want to try to attract more consumers. What’s wrong is assuming the only thing that’s keeping state workers from shopping downtown is proximity to these eateries instead of recognizing that they just don’t have the spending power they once did. Until salaries are adjusted or costs are lowered you can continue to expect minimal new foot traffic and more staff brown bagging or looking for cheaper alternatives like office vending machines or ordering pizza from Costco and having one person pick up for the group.
This was aimed AT state workers undergoing RTO. We cant afford to go out thanks to king Newsom and CalHR’s bad faith bargaining and this piece was in incredibly bad taste. We were already coming into the office before he decided we needed new leases to spill coffee on our coworkers and fall in love with each other. May I suggest an article with budget ideas for sack lunches or a list of businesses whos leases are not tied to the current administration?
You apparently aren’t aware that many state workers work outside of downtown Sacramento. There are locations across the state. Yet, you only focus on enriching downtown Sacramento. Why is that?
Love Sal’s Tacos and The Sunflower Drive In, although it’s a bit of a drive from downtown. I’ll have to try The Drunken Tortilla!
Supreme Being Pizza is excellent; I hope you do another piece but about the local food trucks! Sacramento has a great selection of them and their dining is also to die for.
Never spending a dime in downtown again. Period.
Read the room. We are on the verge of striking because the state is engaging in unfair labor practices. They have broken the law. They removed negotiated raises from the budget that were ALREADY agreed to last year for one of our unions. This is a hugely stressful situation because we are all people who work for a living, and are dedicated to serving the people of California. This article is poorly timed and tone deaf to the target audience.
Top 10 Troughs for State Peons to slop down at while reveling in Gavin Newsom’s $225 Million Taxpayer Funded imprisonment kink!
State workers are crazy-what is this comment section? Becky Grunewald has nothing to do with your contract or your commute. Mentally unhinged ass BS. Go see a therapist.
Also Jimboys is top notch.