El Dorado Hills is a beautiful place to live. We love sharing the area with our real estate clients, especially if they've never been here before. It's a place that really sells itself. Once you visit, you never want to leave.
One place we always take people is Town Center, a street full of restaurants, shops, and walking trails, all along a scenic waterway. It's the perfect place to grab a bite to eat and relax in a setting so idyllic, you'll feel like you're on a movie set.
While Town Center is home to many of the best restaurants in EDH, there are some others in the area you won't want to miss, too. So, today, we are rounding up our favorite places to eat in El Dorado Hills.
Fair warning, you may be very hungry after reading this post. Luckily, you'll have lots of ideas of where to go.
Let's get started!
We love Selland's. From the delicious food to the perfect location overlooking the waterway, this is one casual, family-friendly eatery you won't want to miss.
The sandwiches (both hot and cold) and side salads are a favorite, but the freshly baked pizza is also delicious. A fan favorite is the Roasted Tri-Tip Sandwich and the Margherita Pizza. If you haven't tried the Cavatappi Pasta, it's the best pasta salad you'll ever eat. Don't forget to get a Tahitian Vanilla Lemonade and one of their scrumptious desserts, such as the chocolate mousse cake. Although, if you're bringing kids, they'll love the marshmallow topped and chocolate dipped High Hat Cupcakes.
Locally owned, Milestone is home to one of the best cocktail bars in the area and a menu full of unique recipes using locally sourced ingredients. Best suited for couples or groups of adults, you can enjoy your fine dining inside or out, with the outdoor seating punctuated with black and white striped umbrellas and scenic views of the waterway.
A great spot for dates, meetings, groups and foodies who like an innovative cocktail with exceptional, seasonal food.
Your taste buds will delight at this locally owned restaurant where you can try new wines, while also enjoying some delicious food. In fact, you can just come here for the wine, beer, or the restaurant, too. Order a glass or a flight to find a new favorite from many locally sourced wineries and breweries, but don't leave until you've had some homemade Frips (like a chip and potato got married) with onion dip.
Dress casual and come hungry, because whatever you order, it's coming with some serious flavor.
Have your steak and eat it too, at C. Knight's Steakhouse, a swanky, upscale eatery. Tucked in the bottom floor of the end plaza of Town Center, C. Knight's will transport you with it's lounge-y decor and mouth-watering steak.
Serving up only the best quality food, with USDA Prime, Angus Grain fed, dry aged beef, or Surf & Turf with an abundance of shaved truffles, you can be sure that you'll be enjoying the best steak in the area.
Don't leave without trying something from the one-of-a-kind cocktail menu, boasting bourbon aged barrels, fresh squeezed juices, house infused spirits and innovative flavors.
This is another great spot right on the waterway with a wide variety of Thai dishes you'll love. The variety of spring rolls are the perfect compliment to the many curry, salad and noodle dishes.
If you like it spicy, you've come to the right place. Just look for the peppers next to the dishes to let you know what to order. If spice is not for you, order the tasty papaya salad and chicken sa-tay. And, no matter what you order, make sure to get one, or two, Thai Iced Teas. They're the best we've ever had.
There comes a time when you just need a really great burger. When that day comes, you want to head to Relish Burger Bar, where you can choose from their menu of over ten signature burgers. If that doesn't suit your palette, you can customize your own from an extensive list of options.
Make sure to get a side of the garlic fries, although you can also get sweet potato or regular, too. And, if you are in the mood for appetizers, the loaded nachos and loaded fries are delicious.
Who loves breakfast? This might be my favorite meal of the day and Friends with Benedicts makes a mean breakfast. You can choose from a wide variety of breakfast offerings, but if you're unsure, head straight to the benedicts or skillets menus - which is where this place really shines. Of course, you'll also have plenty of options for waffles, pancakes, crepes, omelets and much more, too.
Don't forget to try out the mimosa menu while you're there or enjoy one of the party-sized drinks for everyone to share.
Who doesn't love Mexican food? This place may have one of the best locations in Town Center, perched on the second floor overlooking all of downtown. Chando's is great spot for brunch on weekends when the Farmer's Market is on full display.
Enjoy all your Tijuana street food favorites, like bottomless margaritas, chips and salsa, pambazos, enchiladas poblanos, nachos, quesadillas, and plenty of chips, salsa and guacamole.
9. Stickhouse:
A fan favorite Asian fusion and Mongo bar, with the best egg rolls we've ever had and customizable noodle bowls. Whether you like the classics or want to try something unique, like orange chicken tacos, Stickhouse has you covered.
A menu of unique drinks, including sake bombs, will blend well with your noodles. Don't forget to finish off your meal with the house-made malasadas, filled Hawaiian donuts with vanilla, chai or banana.
Sit inside or outside, dress casual and feel free to bring the kids. Play the outdoor games while you wait. We're regulars here, so if you ever spot us, make sure to say hi!
Enjoy fine dining at this local eatery with menus for all three meals of the day. For dinner, don't miss the macadamia nut crusted brie to start, followed by any of the house specialties.
For breakfast, you'll love the mini beignets and bottomless mimosas, along with kid-friendly fare so everyone is happy. If you're meeting for lunch, ahi tuna nachos and coconut crunchy shrimp will have you feeling like you're on vacation. Just don't forget the watermelon basil martini - it's delicious.
11. Mimosa House:
If you're close to Town Center, you may prefer this closer breakfast spot right underneath Chando's. A local favorite, you'll rarely find this place empty, so come hungry with a little time to wait. It'll be worth it, because they have the best, super-sized omelettes and hash browns in the area. While I'm partial to the Roseville Omelette, we haven't had anything here we didn't like.
Choose a mimosa from the extensive menu, too, and grab some chocolate chip pancakes for the kids (they'll love them). A friendly, relaxed atmosphere paired with a delicious breakfast will be just the wake-up call you needed.
It was sad to see HopHouse go, but then we got Brickyard in its place, which has been exactly the pub-style dining that Town Center needed.
Positioned right on the waterway, with an indoor/outdoor patio with plenty of room to bring some friends and hang out, you'll can drink craft beer and snack on excellent food while you enjoy the fire pits and live music.
The menu is comfort food at its finest, so start with the Brick Fries, then move on to one of the sinfully delicious burgers. A classic root beer float is the perfect dessert while you kick back, relax, and live your best life at Brickyard.
Love Japanese food? You'll be very happy at Aji Japanese Bistro. Located right next to Thai Paradise and also right on the waterway, you can sit inside or outside while enjoying the best teriyaki chicken, tempura, noodles, sushi and a raw bar that will delight your palette.
The menu does change seasonally, so look forward to fresh food that will keep you on your toes, bringing you back again and again.
Photo by Curtis Yee
The cutest chicken place we've ever seen, Mom & Pops serves up ambience with the best chicken in the area. It's also the freshest - with everything made from scratch using fresh ingredients that are never frozen, and organic non-GMO chicken. When they say everything, they mean it, including their dipping sauces, batters, brines, pickles, dressings, and even the spice mixes.
Grab any of the chicken sandwiches and don't forget the dirty fries. Make sure to sit and stay for awhile, because you'll want to relax in the most stylish restaurant in town. Read more about Mom & Pop in this detailed article.
Tucked in the Raley's shopping center, this one is easy to miss - but don't. If you love really good Chinese food, you'll come back to Folsom Palace again and again.
You can order online, to make take out even easier, for those Friday nights when you just can't deal with dinner. Just make sure to get two orders of the spring rolls - because they're that good.
**** Not sure about you, but writing this post has made me very hungry. Now I just need to decide where I'll be going for lunch.
What do you think? Which restaurant do you want to try first?
If you're interested in learning more about EDH and the real estate market here, give us a call: 916.524.9733 We'd love to show you our town.
Thanks for reading!