West Sacramento Travel Guide

if you enjoy professional baseball, want a seat as close as possible to the field and don't want to pay an arm and a leg for a seat and food then Raley Field is for you! Located just off of the South River Road exit of US 50, it's worthy of a stop to see an afternoon or evening game.

Background

Raley Field was one of my big projects in West Sacramento. Beginning in 1999, a group of individuals headed by Art Savage owner of the San Jose Sharks had the vision of moving the Oakland A's triple A baseball team to Sacramento. They wanted to do it before the commencement of the 2000 season.

With a lot of hard work and vision the Raley Field stadium was constructed in 1999 and 2000 in well under a year. The $ 44 million stadium was financed through a variety of private/public partnerships.

The first game took place in May, 2000. Over the past 11 years the Sacramento Rivercats have been either the highest or second highest drawing AAA baseball team. The stadium has a seating capacity of just over 14,000 people. Many of the seats have great views of either the Tower Bridge or the West Sacramento and Sacramento skyline.

While the stadium itself is beautifully built and is a joy to watch baseball in there is more to Raley Field. The owners of the Sacramento Rivercats were big believers in public art. So adorning many areas of the stadium are some great examples of public art highlighting the beauty of America's greatest sporting competition, baseball.

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For over 75 years the Pheasant Club has been providing great meals in the Southport area of West Sacramento. When the restaurant was first constructed the Pheasant Club stood among fields and farms in the sleepy part of then unincorporated West Sacramento. Today the restaurant has expanded and has outdoor seating as well as the old comfy rooms from before.

As you enter this restaurant you come to a bar on the right. The bar is essentially unchanged from years ago. There are several dining halls and banquet rooms here as well.

I go here mainly for lunch.My favorite appetizer is the fried zucchini. It is fried in beer batter. Definitely unhealthy but so tasty. The onion rings are also on their appetizer list but can be ordered with several of the entrees.

For lunch I would recommend the garlic steak sandwiches as being the most unique offering here. You can order them either a half or whole order. They will cooked to order. The lasagna is also consistently good. The place is known for its raviolis and you can either order them as an entree or an appetizer.

For dinner even though they serve it only once or twice a week I would recommend the braised short ribs. Slowly cooked and oh so tasty.

Favorite Dish: Without a doubt the garlic steak sandwiches and the homemade raviolis.

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If you are looking for consistently great Thai-Lao food at a reasonable price look no further. Vientiane has been in existence in West Sacramento for many years but moved from West Capitol Avenue to this spot a few years back. The menu tends to be more Laotian than Thai but they also serve the standard Thai dishes that are popular in the area.

It is a relatively small restaurant tucked back in a strip mall. The food is first rate. First off there are several great appetizers. I would recommend the stuffed chicken wings. I am not sure what exactly they are stuffed with but they are so moist and delicious. I have also had the Lao Sausage which is ground pork with peppers, lemon pepper and green onions. Fantastic!

The papaya salad is spiced just right and contains fresh papaya. It goes great with some of the other menu items. The party I was with had squid salad and said it was tasty but I refrained from trying any.

For main course I love the yellow chicken curry. The curry itself is served in a bowl with a big dish of rice to the side. I also have had the Pad See Ew which is rice noodles with broccoli, sprouts and carrots with your selection of meats. With chicken it hit the spot.

There are also quite a selection of deserts. I would recommend the banana rolls with honey. So tasty and the dish comes with coconut ice cream over the banana rolls. Excellent!

Favorite Dish: Yellow curry and stuffed chicken wings!

Ok its a hot summer day and you are driving from or back to San Francisco and Lake Tahoe. You want something tasty but you aren't sure what. Well why not stop into Whitey's Jolly Kone in West Sacramento for a peach shake?

This place has been in West Sacramento forever. From the outside it looks like an old drive in and not surprisingly its the same or worse inside. What is great about this place, provided you have time, is the hamburgers and peach shakes.

Going here is like stepping back in time forty years. The food is good. Be sure and call your order in before coming and it will most likely be ready when you get there. Service otherwise is slow because is everything is cooked while you wait.

Favorite Dish: The peach shakes are out of this world. Real ice cream with fresh peaches. Can't be beat on a hot summer day.

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Nestled just over the I Street Bridge, on 4th and C Streets, Sal's Taco House has good food and whats more is an interesting place to eat. The restaurant has been in existence now for nearly thirty years. While not much to look at from the street the restaurant has a cozy feel and there is usually Spanish music playing in the background. My favorite choice is here the absolutely gargantuan "wet burrito." It can be stuffed with chicken, beef or pork and must weigh in at a couple of pounds. It can easily feed two but I have eaten the whole thing at one sitting. Other winning choices are the enchiladas and chile rellenos. The restaurant also has a salsa bar and there is an unlimited supply of free chips.

What is particularly fascinating about this place is all of the mosaics both on the inside and outside of the restaurant. Several former and a few existing members of the NBA Sacramento Kings are there in brightly colored mosaics. The restaurant seems to be open seven days a week and the prices are reasonable. You order from the counter. There are three rooms of seating.

Favorite Dish: Without a doubt the "Wet Burrito!"
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Huge portions that taste great. Dimly lit. You walk through the bar to get to the restaurant. It has a real 'East Coast' feel about it.

There are red and white checkered table cloths, aged waitresses that call you "honey" and a business lunch crowd. You half expect to find a bookie shop in the back.

Favorite Dish: Anything on the lunch menu. The veal and the lasagna are the best in California!