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    Pilothouse Restaurant

    3.2 (396 reviews)
    Open 7:30 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

    Pilothouse Restaurant Photos

    PILOTHOUSE RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Good for groups
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - Pilothouse Restaurant

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    Reviews With Photos

    Lava Cake
    Kyra K.

    Talk about dinner with a view! For Mother's Day, my Pop took my Mom and me out for dinner and an overnight stay. Our experience here was memorable. The restaurant is located on the first floor of the Delta King, a docked paddle-wheel boat. Being on the Sacramento River, the view is lovely. A beautiful waterfront view in a charming historical boat. The restaurant is a decent size with tables and booths for various party sizes. The decor is vintage and nautical with a casual vibe. We found the service to be friendly, warm, and efficient. My family and I shared appetizers and ordered our dishes. We had the Bartlet Pear Salad and Pan Seared Crab Crakes. The salad was fine, nothing special. I love crab cakes but was slightly disappointed as these didn't hold their shape. It was a bit soft and mushy. For my entrée, I had the Pan Seared Petrale Sole. The fish was quite thin and overcooked, swimming in butter. I also was misled as it stated seasonal vegetables but was only given carrots. I had bites of my family's dishes which I enjoyed more! We ended the night with Lava Cake, which wasn't very runny inside. If you live in Sacramento or want a view, I do recommend at least checking out the Delta King, a historic boat. It's located in Old Town with street parking around. In my opinion, this is a restaurant where the view is better than the food. I'm lucky to have been treated somewhere new and to celebrate Mother's Day here!

    View

    If you are looking for a spot next to the river- this is it. If you are looking for great food this is not it. Great views of the river. Service is pleasant. The food is what brings the review down. We had the Calamari with a mystery dip- what was it? Pesto? Mayo? (Black garlic charred scallion- per the menu). The calamari itself was ok. Crispy but fishy. We also had the shrimp louie. The lettuce was crisp. The dressing was a version of thousand island. The bay shrimp was seasoned with ? I think the fish and chips and fries is the way to go here. We should have listened to our server.

    Fish & Chips
    Taylor M.

    I went here for lunch on a hot day in the summer. Due to this, there was only indoor seating. There's no AC so they have a giant fan in the corner. It's a small restaurant with only about 8 tables around the bar. The menu is small too. I went on a weekday and there was only one server for the 8 tables plus people at the bar. He was really nice and informative of the menu. The food didn't take too long to come out. I got the fish and chips which were good. There wasn't much else on their lunch menu I wanted to try upon a second visit. Their breakfast menu looks really good so I'll have to return during breakfast hours.

    Calimari
    Alicia G.

    One of the most unique restaurants in Sac! Located on the Delta King paddle boat, docked in Old Sac. Dine with a view of the water in the formal dining room or in the bar (that often has live music). The food seems to have been updated in recent years and the service is (usually) good. We were dining during an exceptionally busy night recently and the service did lag a bit, but we forgave it due to the busy nature of the night! They offer a variety of seafood, pasta and steak entrees, classically prepared and presented. And their desserts are excellent. Enjoy a special meal, with beautiful river views, aboard this historic Sac Town River boat!

    Carly C.

    The waiting staff was very friendly once they finally attended to us. I was waiting at the hostess stand for a while before someone even addressed me despite the several people who walked past me and helped people right before me. The cocktails were great! The menu was not accurate and they brought out something that I was not expecting. The food was also not great. We got the fried calamari which came out burnt-ish. They were very nice about taking it back for a new one but they brought out a very similar product that wasn't great. We also got the flatbread and that was just okay, only enough to share with 2 people. The Cajun pasta was pretty good. The crabcakes were just okay as well. Not very flavorful. I would not be able to recommend this place because of the expensive prices and the food not being very good. The ambiance is romantic and intimate, it's not very loud.

    Excellent food.
    Thomas B.

    James was awesome as our server. We recognized James from our last trip here when we had breakfast in the dining room. He is the go to guy for information personality and he treats everyone of his customers like they are special. You put that in combination with a great menu and incredible views, and you have the perfect place to eat. The menu is extensive and I found exactly what I wanted . Pork marinated in apple cider was off the hook incredibly good. I tried some of the other entrées and starters, and everything was totally totally tasteful.

    Front
    Samantha S.

    It was just okay! Wanted to take my tia to a place we can take pictures. The food was just okay nothing over fancy. We were outside it was just okay as well.

    Steph S.

    I went for Dine Downtown and was not disappointed. The 3 course menu and its choices were fantastic. The bacon wrapped prawns were excellent and the short rib ravioli was delicious, decadent. And very flavorful. Even the wine pairings and the spicy martini were great! I sat upstairs and was served by the bartender who was delightful. She was attentive and had great conversation. The ambiance was upscale and posh but very welcoming

    Suzanne L.

    We expected it to be busy on Christmas and didn't mind the extra long wait. It gave us time to enjoy the view . The view of the bridge was beautiful. Our server forgot the appetizers, and brought us the wrong check, then gave us back the wrong credit card. She was sweet but overstressed. The Mahi mahi was overcooked . Very dry, The pasta dish was amazing! First !time my daughter finished all of her dinner in awhile. The wine was good . There was a 22% "christmas surchage" added to the bill we did not know in advance.

    Grilled Rib Eye Steak
    Jennifer C.

    My husband and I ate here for our anniversary dinner last night and I was very impressed!!! It has a calm and romantic atmosphere. Our server Sladjana was THE SWEETEST server we've ever had. She showed us some of the photos on the wall and told us a bit about the Delta Kings history. She was personable, friendly and just very pleasant overall. I had ordered a grilled ribeye and it was cooked perfectly. Melt in your mouth juicy type of steak. Pairs well with mashed potatoes and the broccolini. The shrimp cocktail was just ok, had a little dryness to it but still enjoyable. We will definitely come back!

    Menu at the Pilot house restaurant
    Kay V.

    Beautiful ambiance killer Delta breeze drinks, excellent service and on the river in old town Sacramento- I love this place!

    Lots of bread!
    Brian C.

    We came here for an afternoon cocktail and decided to have lunch. Cocktails were very good I had a hurricane and my wife had a French 75. For lunch, my wife had the chicken sandwich. While a lot of potential, the bread ratio was off the charts. My wife tried to cut out the bread to try and achieve the right ratio. See image. I ordered the Fried Calamari sandwich. Two calamari patties which were clearly frozen and then cooked. Would not order again. Both our fries came mildly warm. Service was good and it was a beautiful day. It is a great venue on a day like this in Sacramento.

    Creme Brule of the Day
    Susan B.

    Had a really nice, very early dinner here last night! Jamie was our server and he was wonderful! Helpful (but not too much), knowledgeable, kind, and not pushy! We started with the crab cake - delicious! No Old Bay seasoning and more meat than bread crumbs. Our cocktails were tasty as well! I had the Queens Linen and my husband had an Old-Fashioned with the recommended whiskey. For dinner we both had the New York Strip steaks, medium rare. They were cooked well and very tender. The mashed potatoes were yummy and not too salty. The broccoli may have been a bit over cooked for my preference, but still okay. We sat downstairs by a window in the river side. The view was gorgeous! Sine it was an early dinner, in mid-November we got to watch the sunset. Crème Brûlée for dessert - great flavor but a little loose and heavy on the sugar perhaps. The hostess was also really nice when we arrived. We will definitely go back! I apologize for the less than attractive photos, I kept digging in before I snapped!!

    Caesar Salad w/chicken, Salmon and risotto, buffalo chicken sliders

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    1 year ago

    Lovely dining room. It was quiet, the tables spaced out and the food was amazing. Service was very fast but drinks took awhile.

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    Ask the Community - Pilothouse Restaurant

    Is this restaurant fancy or casual?

    It's both! :) We came here for a birthday dinner and opted for being well dressed. But the atmosphere isn't so stuffy that you couldn't come in a pair of cargo shorts to have a beer and steak with buddies, or jeans and a tank top while enjoying the… Read more

    I saw on another website that there is a corkage fee of 15$. Is that right? Do you know if there is a limit to the # of bottles a party can bring?

    Good Morning Amy! Yes, that is correct. We have no specific limit, but we ask that our patrons drink responsibly. Hope to see you soon!

    How much does brunch cost? Is it a buffet? Thanks!

    No it's not a Buffet... they serve breakfast and lunch : dinner Sunday through Thursday. Average is 12-14$ per plate.

    Is the banquet room private? would it accommodate 20 guests? dedicated waiter?

    Unfortunately. I do not know the answer to this question as I was in the main dining room.

    View All 5 Questions

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    Wife and I walked over to refuel after donating platelets this morning…read more Place is great with a wide variety of options to choose from. I got adventurous today, and ordered the Korean Fried Chicken, which eas served on white rice, with KimChi, Sliced Jalapeños, pickled cucumbers and shredded carrot, with 2 sunny side eggs. The chicken had a nice saucyness to it, that had a very slight heat to it. The breading was not over fried, chicken tender and juicy. All the veggies were fresh and packed full of flavor. Overall, the dish was a nice change of pace and quite delicious. My wife had the Prime Rib sandwich which came with au jus to dip, and fries. Her sandwich was tasty, nice proportions , but the au jus could have been richer. Service and ambiance is on point, with a vibrant bar area that has a wide variety of options from beer to mixed drnks and wine. Parking is available street side at meters, or in several lots or garages within short walking distance.

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    Second time here. I guess my first visit wasn't particularly memorable but this time was great…read more Menu options are a plenty, great vibe, and options for indoor and outdoor seating. When we first walked up, the place was super busy with the outdoor seating area and queue full. There were still members of our group that were on their way, so we didn't mind waiting in line. They had kids menus available to look at, and even thought the stack for regular menus was out, some people in line were kind enough to hand us theirs when they were done. I stared at the menu the whole time I was in line. I think I was just hungry and the strong barbecue smell in the restaurant was making me crave everything. I eventually landed on a barbecue burger and decided to sub the fries with collard greens to be somewhat "healthy," and also because my husband was getting fries. What's his is mine. Ordering at the register was quick. They had a nonalcoholic frozen drink option that I was tempted to get since I don't drink. I'd recommend giving it a try if you don't mind parting with $10. I think it was $2 extra dollars to get a similar drink with alcohol too. Also, there is a separate line for ordering beer, so if you have a decent-sized group like we did, maybe consider splitting up to grab a table and join the beer line. We lucked out with one of the longer tables next to the bathrooms. Side note: they have hand-washing stations separate from the area with the toilets, so super clutch if you just need to clean up before you start touching all your food. Our orders seemed to come out as they were ready, and overall maybe 15-20 minutes, which is decent considering how packed the place was. My burger was delicious. Meat was on the medium-well side, but I don't mind a little more cook as long as it's still juicy, which was the case. Cheese was melted, onion rings were crisp, bun wasn't soggy, and there was a generous bed of jalapeños under the patty. It wasn't overly spicy or anything, but it did provide a nice noticeable difference in texture. The collard greens, I would say right now, are pretty high on my list of collard greens I've had in my life, and I order them if I ever see them on any menu since it's not often I find them. It was a decent amount, but I wished there was double once I was done. As we were finishing our food, some nice staff members were quick to come clean up our dishes. We were so satisfied with our meal and drinks that we almost forgot we needed to catch an escape room!

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