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Frank Fat's

4.1 (1.3k reviews)
ModerateChinese
Closed Closed
Updated 2 months ago

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FRANK FAT'S ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Classy
Good for groups

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Recommended Reviews - Frank Fat's

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Reviews With Photos

Lettuce cups
Judy H.

Came in for the happy hour menu plus!!! Dillon was the server at the bar... Ordered the Saigon crispy chicken-little on the crisp side but tasty. the appetizer sampler- favorite was the pot stickers- from the regular menu and lettuce cups from the happy hour menu (I would suggest ordering all the appetizers from the happy hour menu) Also ordered the Asian pear, the red lotus and a Mai tai from the happy hour menu. All the drinks from the happy hour menu were well made. Of course had to have a slice of the famous banana pie-thin crust loaded with bananas and cream!! Our servers at the bar (Dillon and Billie (?)) were friendly and talkative. They gave great service. Restaurant was nice, clean and inviting. Been around Sacramento since the 60's and should have come here sooner. Hope to return someday soon!!

California Museum - Dan
Chris T.

While honoring Asian Pacific Heritage Month, the California Museum and Frank Fat's restaurant presented A Taste of History of the famous family owned 87 year old Frank Fat's restaurant in downtown Sac. Jerry Fat (son) and Kevin Fat (grandson) spoke of how the restaurant came about, and its history, popularity with politicians and dignitaries, the food, the restaurant's expansion, and the family's invo. It was a fun afternoon with so many interesting facts, and we were treated to sample a few of their specialties, Yi Kwok-a beef and pork dumpling, and their foil wrapped chicken) and their famous Banana Cream Pie. The bites and banana cream shooter were delicious. The event was held upstairs in one of the private dining rooms, but we were also able to see the legendary dining room and bar with their historic photos displayed in the entry.

Mai Thai
Steven C.

Phenomenal Chinese food in the Capitol City. High class yet still served with the portions of a mom and pops spot. It's always a nice treat when my lady and I plan a date night to Frank Fat's. Our latest visit was no different except we added a couple new to us items to our visit. The Yu Kwok appetizer was brought to our attention by the Taste Duo on Instagram. It's almost like an empanada yet shaped like a ball with a a crispy outside and filled with meat (beef and pork). We absolutely loved this. They also came with some delicious sauces. Will be a must have with each coming trip. Before our food came we got a couple adult drinks. Went with the Mai Tai cocktail and my lady went with the Bellini Martini with white peach.. She loved it so much she got another. It was light, tasty and very smooth. Of course we had to have their orange chicken (bomb!) and the honey walnut shrimp. Both dishes were crazy good. Finished a great meal with their world famous banana cream pie. I was stuffed! The bill was not cheap by any means but this type of dinner is necessary to keep a healthy relationship functioning :)

Me (right), Patrick (mgr), and my bud Roy (lft).
CT P.

This joint is an institution in Sac. It's not a Chinese joint. It's not an American joint. It's simply, Frank Fats and they do it their way and have for many years. Everything is exceptionally good from the service to the banana cream pie (a legend in it's own right). I've been going since 1987. If anybody says, "Let's go the Frank Fats," I'm 100% going. Not a casual joint, so stay on point. Great place four couples, friends, and even family - but step up your game at dinner time, please.

Ryan S.

The honey walnut prawns were so good! I have to say that these were different from other places that I've tried. The singapore curry was okay. Flavor was definitely there, but it wasn't as sauce heavy which I would've preferred given the name. The banana cream pie was free as part of their social media promo! I enjoyed the free part, but the slice itself was hard to cut the crust. This was place was definitely a chinese restaraunt surrounded in downtown. My server really checked up on us. I don't know if I'd go again for the food, but the vibe is nice.

Dine downtown menu
Young C.

We went during dine downtown to try Frank Fat's for the first time. We loved the ambiance of the early 2000s high-end Chinese vibe. Make sure to read the history of the Fat's and their treasures around the dining hall. All the food was fresh and delicious. Even the fried and sauced items held their satisfying crunch, which is rare. The walnut shrimp was especially standout! Perfectly crispy with that rich, creamy sauce. Seriously one of the best Chinese meals I've had! Between the chocolate and banana, banana pie was definitely delicious and rightfully famous. There was a small hiccup with service toward the end, but the staff handled it gracefully and professionally. That kind of recovery earns respect, and I'll absolutely be coming back.

Bar
Courtney A.

Surprised to hear this place ever had a Michelin star. It was overpriced and mediocre at best. Went to a going away party here and had a reservation for 10 people. We were sat right in the front of the restaurant which felt a little unpleasant given our party size but we made it work. The server came over and was incredibly polite, and asked about our drink orders. To begin, I wanted a bottle of Albariño but unfortunately they were out. The other options were not of my preference but I tried a Napa Sav Blanc anyway. It was served in a thick glass and not to my standards so I passed it down the table. The other end of the table ordered two bottles of red. They seemed satisfied with their order. We ordered a few appetizers and many entrees but not one stood out as amazing. The best thing was the sliced jalapeños in the dishes. I expected the eggplant to be more tender and less soggy, the green beans to have more of a char and less saucy, the Singapore noodles to have meat that wasn't cooked to rubber, the orange chicken to have more crunch with the bite, the salt and pepper chicken to have higher quality meat, etc. The best thing at this restaurant was the dessert and I seriously give three starts for the quality of staff and their banana cream pie. It was delicious!!!! Had this been a stand alone dessert establishment, they would get 5 stars from me. It makes me wonder if they cook it in house or order from a supplier. Ultimately, it has potential and I wonder what the experience was during the Michelin days.

Fried fish filet with ginger sauce
Alejandra G.

Came here with my family for the Sac Dine Downtown event and y'all - this place is everything I hoped for and more. We had a rezzy and showed up early but got sat right away. The entire staff was so friendly and helpful in explaining the Dine Downtown menu set up. Service was quick too. For drinks we ordered a Paloma, Asian Pear Martini, Lychee Martini and Berry Lemon Drop - all so delicious! For the apps, we got one potsticker and one roll. So good. Idk if they're frozen or not but they tasted so fresh and crispy. The entrees come out family style - which is different than most restaurants for this event. The servings were hugeee, which was totally fine because we all had a good sized leftover to take home. Their menu consisted of beef veggies, orange chicken (so crispy and good), honey walnut shrimp (bomb), fried cod (a new item but surprisingly fantastic), shrimp friend rice & for dessert - their famous banana crème pie. Now, I'm not a banana person at all but you guys - besttt dessert. It was so fresh. They said they make it daily. Banana was fresh. Homemade whip cream. 12/10. By the end of dinner we were absolutely stuffed but this by far was the best dine downtown experience I've had. Absolutely worth the price and the atmosphere and staff were incredible. Thank you, Frank Fats! (Also, valet parking for $12 is literally right next door so you don't have to worry about finding a spot in midtown).

Beef and cauliflower
Geoff M.

Full disclosure: 5 star service, 4.3 star food. Ok, now that I made that clear, another disclosure: I tried this restaurant during the "Dine Downtown" event, so this review may be slightly skewed. Came in on a Friday evening w/reservation. The place is long, vs large, which will make sense if you go. Nice decor also. Food Items: Pot Stickers: 3.4/5 - Was fine. Not my favorite. Vegetable Spring Rolls: 3.7/5 - Was fine. Greasy (in a good way) Honey Walnut Prawns: 5/5 - Yes. No notes. Saigon Crispy Chicken: 4.8/5 - Pretty good. Fancy orange chicken. Fried Fish Fillet with Ginger Sauce: 4.6/5 - Was fine. Crispy, sauce was mild. Would like it tossed a little more. Cauliflower with Beef: 4.2/5 - Fresh and tender. Flavor was milder than I expected. Shrimp Fried Rice: 4/5 - Nice portion size. Decent sized shrimp. Banana Cream Pie: Contested - Friend enjoyed it. Fresh banana forward. A bit excessive on the whipped cream. - I understand the banana is the star, so I won't make noise about the crust (I prefer a good crust), and the filling (I prefer banana pudding and banana slices in a pie) - so...yea, try it if it's your thing. Bonus Section: Chocolate Creme Pie: 4.1/5 - remove the excess whipped cream, I would be here for it (or have it be a dollop of Chantilly - I know, it's French so I get it) Oolong Bourbon Cocktail: 4.2/5 - Unique. Mild. Fine. Forever grateful to our awesome server, Luis. He made this night pretty dope. Also, parking was interesting. The meter maids be lurkin', make sure that parking is topped off or a $75 ticket will be gifted.

Emilia G.

Food was great. Service was quick and though the building is smaller, they make it work. Overall great experience. Went for friend's bday.

Salt & Pepper Chicken
Marcel M.

Always passed by this place but never tried it. Finally stopped in during happy hour and I think overall it was ok. Decent menu, prices were ok. Overall I feel like it was trying too hard to be this upscale Chinese food place. Idk, I'd come back to try the regular menu but wasn't blown away by this visit. Food: 4 Service: 4.5 Ambiance: 3.5 Marcels foodie score: 4

Chrisy H.

Celebrated our cousins Birthday. We reserved the private room upstairs. It's very private & we had our very own servers which was nice. We sat at tables of 8 with a huge lazy Susan in the middle. We had around 10 courses that included 3 appetizers. I didn't get a photo of the appetizers. I don't member what everything was called but I did my best to identify them in the photo section. EVERYTHING was delicious! We ended with 2 of their famous Banana Cream pies which were amazing! Staff were great. We were able to bring in a cake our own also.

Banana cream pie
Trice O.

I've lived in Sacramento for quite some time but had never been to Frank Fat's until recently. Overall, the ambiance and service were good! However, given the price points, I was expecting more flavor. I ordered the dumplings, egg rolls, walnut shrimp, fried rice, banana cream pie, and a Mai Tai. I really enjoyed the walnut shrimp and egg rolls, but the rest of the dishes were pretty bland, even the Mai Tai tasted watered down. I hate to say it, but in terms of flavor, it's on par with Panda Express.

General's chix

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4 days ago

Solid restaurant overall. Good place for a sit down meal with reliable food and a comfortable setting.

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4 days ago

Nice spot with a historic feel. The food came out hot and tasted really good, especially the signature items.

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Page 1 of 32

Frank Fat's Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Frank Fat's

Do they have a lunch menu or lunch specials?

I think so, but I haven't been there for lunch for at least a year now. I would call to confirm.

Is there a kid menu? (asking because it's not on the website, but it's not uncommon for nice restaurants not to advertise a kid menu)

Depends what you call kid friendly it's Chinese food. The fried rice is excellent, your kids like fried rice? The deep fried chicken is good, eggrolls, pot stickers but again depends on what kind of food your kids like. Check out their menu would… Read more

What is the dress code?

casual

Is the upstairs room for a group gathering wheelchair accessible?

No Unfortunately! I didn't See any Elevators Just stairs.

How many dishes should a hungry party of 5 order? What are the "must try" dishes?

Sang gai chi chowmein, appetizer sampler. General taeo chic, mongolian beef, garlic greens, ask if they would make chicken & vegetable from anniv. Menu. Fried rice good. Honey… Read more

Do you sell a whole banana cream pie?

Yes! We sell whole Banana Cream Pies and Chocolate Cream Pies. We ask that you place orders in advance by calling 916.442.7092

Why isn't the listed number not working? Are they closed even though it says they're a part of dine downtown?

When will the 8 course takeout dinner that was described in the Bee for $45 be available?

Dine Downtown 3 course meals for $45 per person are available now. I believe the last day is Jan. 24.

I know that they can accommodate gluten free, but do they have a specific gf menu or items listed as gf?

How's the parking situation?

Terrible on the street when it is event night. There is a garage directly next door that charges $7.

Do they use MSG in their cooking?

Yes they use msg but not on all menu items. You can ask before you order, and they will make it without!

Are reservations recommended? Have only gone for lunch but planning to go for dinner this week.

For dinner it is highly recommended to make reservation if you have a group going if there is a convention in town yes make one

Is there a dessert menu? I see everyone having pie, but I do not see it on any of the menu photos...

They do have other desserts but they are famous for their homemade banana cream pie!

Details say this restaurant is not good for kids. Is that pretty accurate?

It's fine for kids

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Da Fei Ge Restaurant - Huge meaty oysters the size of my hand.

Da Fei Ge Restaurant

4.3(204 reviews)
3.8 mi
$$

The cucumber salad at this place has been on my mind for the last 4 days. In a desperate attempt to…read morerecreate it, I used too much garlic and made a giant mess in my kitchen. So I'm planning my next trip here this week so I can enjoy the amazing cucumber salad (so fresh, crunchy and garlicky), their pepper beef clay pot (sizzling rice at the bottom for the win and big portions), their spicy tofu (umm what?!? So crispy) and their awesome skewers (the pork belly is my favorite). The space is small, so if you're planning on dining in during peak times, you may want a back up or take it to go as they only have a handful of tables inside and a few tables outside. There is parking but it is shared with other business so can get busy. The service is wonderful! The hostess/waitress was very friendly and everything came out relatively quick. The clay pot does take some time (they need to cook up the rice to get that awesome crunchy bottom) so place your order for that first, and then look at the appetizers and skewers as they come out fast. This was my first trip but will not be my last to Da Fei Ge!

I came here before on a weekday and it was mostly empty. The food was good and even though you…read morecould tell it was a mostly chinese-speaking restaurant, it wasnt too difficult to order. It was nice enough that I tried to come here on a weekend night and it was packed full of families which is great but probably where I should have thought about it more. We went up to the counter and were told to wait a few minutes. I saw that a large table was clearing up so I didn't mind waiting. During this time a group came up behind us and I thought they were after us. One of the server waved in our general direction after cleaning up and splitting the table, so I thought they were gesturing to us since it has already been 10 minutes of waiting. Wrong, it was to the group behind us. Maybe it was communicated in mandarin that they had a reservation, I'm not sure. I waited for the next empty table, which was also taken by yet another group that magically appeared behind us as if they knew they were in line. I decided to leave after this. My issue is that I looked and talked to the staff multiple times and at no point, did they indicate there was a waitlist, nor did they take my name, or anything about people in front of us. It was really frustrating because being told it would be a few minutes set the wrong expectation. This is not the only place to get skewers so if you're left confused where you are in line, just come another weekday, speak mandarin, or go somewhere else like I did

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Da Fei Ge Restaurant
Da Fei Ge Restaurant - Hot Pot

Hot Pot

Da Fei Ge Restaurant - Spicy grilled squid

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Spicy grilled squid

Yue Huang - Sweet and sour shrimp

Yue Huang

3.6(1.4k reviews)
4.2 miNatomas
$$

Standard dim sum. They offered all the classics. No frills. No carts…read more The shrimp dumpling and shrimp rice roll were good. The rice wrapper was thin and the shrimp was meaty and fresh and had a good bite. The beef balls and shui mai were disappointing. The textures were too soft and didn't have much flavor. They were more like beef and shui mai paste. The sticky rice was good. I loved that they had salty egg yolks in them. The eggplant with shrimp paste is fried. This is different from what I'm used it and it felt too heavy. Overall, I'd go back but I'm also searching for other options. 8/10.

Unfortunately, we can't give half stars otherwise I would give this place 3 1/2 stars…read more My husband and I came by here for dim sum after seeing some hype on social media and what not not realizing that this place has been open for quite a while. We ordered a ton of dishes, probably more than two people really needed it, but we wanted to make sure we got to taste some of our favorites. Overall, the dim sum is OK. My husband and I lived in the Bay Area for a while before moving to Davis for school, so our standards are pretty high. Unfortunately this is not going to be my new go to. Although the flavors of the food were pretty OK, we found everything to be really soft. Our shrimp and chive dumplings were literally disintegrating and my chicken feet were too soft. The sticky rice, however, and the tripe were delicious sui mai, and ha gao were pretty good, with the sui mai being pretty juicy. We paid $100 for 10 dishes! I know prices have gone up everywhere but this felt pretty steep. Overall, I don't think we'd come back. I would rather go to South Sacramento and eat dim sum there and then get my Asian grocery shopping done. Restaurant itself looked like a standard Chinese dim sum restaurant. Nothing to write home about.

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Yue Huang - Fresh fish tanks

Fresh fish tanks

Yue Huang - Orange chicken

Orange chicken

Yue Huang - Fish clay pot

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Fish clay pot

Taste of Original - Sizzling beef tripe $17.95 - LOVE THIS!!!

Taste of Original

4.2(222 reviews)
3.4 miSouth Land Park
$$

Although this was only my second time eating at Taste of Original, I am still impressed with their…read morefriendly and attentive service, the very excellent "original" menu items and the cleanliness of their facility. This place seems to be very popular with the elderly Chinese and their families, which is a joy to see generations eating and enjoying each others company. Additionally, their portions are large enough to share and still have leftovers. I will definitely recommend this place to my friends and family.

** Takeout experience only **…read more Wow. Thank goodness. I finally have a good Chinese spot. Despite there being endless selections in Sacramento sometimes the American Chinese options are .... bleh ... They are either too oily. Mediocre taste. Overpriced. It's hard to find one that really stands out. Recently my coworkers and I all pitched in on takeout from here for Lunar New Year and ordered five dishes as takeout. One of my coworkers was the one who recommended this spot. Let me just say the food was incredible. The seafood chow mein was the standout dish out of everything. Loaded with octopus tentacles, scallops, shrimp. Feel like half the time you get seafood options these days they skimp out but this place did not disappoint. The fried rice was a little more unique than I've personally tried before with pieces of beef and cabbage. But still very tasty. And the pork dishes we got including the sweet and sour were just incredible. One thing I do want to mention was some pieces of the pork did have a bone attached, but I honestly didn't mind it much. The flavor made it up for it. Also inside of this place looks very modern, clean. Since we only got takeout I can't say for certain service for sit down but ordering and getting our food was simple. The staff were very kind and friendly. Again, THANK GOD I finally have a good Chinese food option. No more oily salty food or Panda Express.

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Taste of Original - Interior

Interior

Taste of Original - Dry-style beef chow fun $14.95

Dry-style beef chow fun $14.95

Taste of Original - Shrimp & chive rice noodle rolls $8.95

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Shrimp & chive rice noodle rolls $8.95

Sunrise Chinese Restaurant - Dry fried ribs!

Sunrise Chinese Restaurant

4.2(389 reviews)
7.6 mi
$$

The honey shrimp is the best thing here. I come back time after time. It is perfectly seasoned,…read morecrispy, and tender. The sauce is sweet, savory, and thick. It is very easy to eat, and you can't stop eating it. It is everything that you would want. It's so crispy that you don't even need the walnuts. It stays crispy for a long time. It's fresh every time. Everything else is alright.

Second try with this restaurant. This time I wanted to try the salt and pepper fish. While I was…read morewaiting, 3 other people ordered the fish as well, and it gets good reviews here on Yelp, so I made the trip to Mack Rd at night once again. The good - my order was prepared quickly, and the amount of fish was very generous. The fish was tasty and spicy. The house chow mein that I also ordered had decent (read below) flavor. The bad - the salt and pepper fish had a great batter, but I feel they're battered too much, and the actual fish piece inside is tiny. My house chow mein didn't have a single shrimp in it. Lots of beef, which was good, but the char smell from the beef was the only thing you could taste on the noodles. It's almost like the chef cooked the noodles on whatever the beef was cooked on. The noodles we had ordered from here a month ago had very good flavor, but not a one note beef flavor. There was a lot of beef and chicken in the house chow mein, but zero shrimp means the cook either forgot or they didn't have them and thought it would be ok to add more beef. Either way, I paid extra for my selection, and didn't get it. Am I Pissy? Yes. Am I honest? Also a Yes. 3 stars this trip, probably my last.

Photos
Sunrise Chinese Restaurant - Take-out only.

Take-out only.

Sunrise Chinese Restaurant - Salt & Pepper fish (cod)

Salt & Pepper fish (cod)

Sunrise Chinese Restaurant

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Frank Fat's - chinese - Updated May 2026

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