I am excited about the take-out option for the student-run Oak Café because I have been wanting to try the lunch meals cooked by American River College Hospitality Management program students, ever since 2020 when my party and I happily got reservations, but unfortunately, pandemic lockdown happened! Fast forward today, and wow!! Everything in the meal for this week that I ordered (see photos) was full of flavor! I was blown away and sooo full, after savoring every bit, that I needed to save some for another day. The duck spring rolls and ginger cranberry chutney were so delicious that I wished I could have more! The Thai grilled chicken was juicy and PACKED with mouth watering curry spices and flavors, while being perfectly paired with the ginger noodles. The ginger noodles had a kick, and I am a weakling when it comes to even mild spice, so I was relieved by the rolls that balanced out the noodles and chicken. I have enjoyed many scrumptious baked goods, including my fav breakfast biscuit sandwich with eggs and lemon squares, made by the students and sold in the Oak Café, so it was such a treat today to finally be able to enjoy their cooking talents for my lunch also. I look forward to another pleasant meal cooked by the talented ARC students, and cross my fingers for a dine-in reservation in the future! read more

See all

The older woman who looked like she was managing the host was extremely rude and condescending. She made me feel like I had no business being there when I simply asked to look at the menu and so I turned around and left. I am a student here and have been for several years and it was extremely embarrassing to bring my seven-year-old son and be talked to like that. It's really too bad because I was looking forward to this for a long time. read more

They never answer the phone and hard to find info online. Not sure if bakery hours are same as cafe hours. Would like to know how to book reservations for the college's restaurant program read more

The Oak Cafe - menu as of 5/17/25 - Cafes Near Me - Sacramento, California

See all

Very good service by students trying hard to please. The food was excellent and presentation delightfully delivered.

5 stars for the food and ambiance. The cost is very reasonable as well. Stars removed because what is the point of all this if you have to make a reservation a month or more in advance and it is next to impossible to get said reservation. This is what I was told by the teachers? Running the restaurant. OK that would be fine and reasonable if there was an easy way to make a reservation. I have to call in a three hour window on only certain days of the week and even then I have about a 20% chance of reaching somebody. If you leave a message they are not going to call you back and you will not get a reservation. They need to work with the IT division of the school and let those students get extra credit points for designing a website or you can actually make a reservation online. read more

A hidden gem! If you enjoy a three course gourmet lunch for $20, make a call and reserve a spot in this amazing learning environment. I tried it for the first time last week, and was astonished. The website may not be updated, but they are open. Students are very professional and provide excellent service. Everything is made in house, down to the soft, delicious bread. Menus change each week, and you can chose from a few different entrees. Really a fun experience, and worth making time for. read more

Delicious, cheap, and lots of variety for a student. The culinary students are very talented but everytime I come there, they look so tired and they always do my order super slow and usually ignore most of what I say. I don't think it's hard to pick one sandwich and just box it but they aren't very friendly, or efficient. Only one girl was kind and helpful But other than that, nah. The outside dining is always fun to go with my friends or just chill. read more

What an exceptional experience!!!! The food was delicious and beautifully plated!!!! I had Fresh Crab Tostadas, Chorizo Burger with Fries, and Pound Cake with Strawberry Rhubarb Compote. Yum, yum, yum!!!!!! I wanted more of the Crab Tostadas!!! I wish I had the recipe for these!!! My family would love these!!! The Staff and Students were all very professional!! I did not know they make their Italian Soda Syrup!!!!! My co-workers all loved their Italian Soda's!!!!!! I will definitely be back next semester to try the students finals!!!!! Everyone must try The Oak Cafe!!!!!!!! read more

See all

I can't say enough about this place. It is a part of the culinary department of American River college. It is completely run by the students. Do you want a gourmet multi-course meal in the middle of the day at a reasonable price? This is the place. Menus are created by student chefs and the food is HIGH quality. I've been going here for almost 20 years and things only get better. The students serving you today are next semester chefs call proceeds, including tips, go directly to the selling area program. It can be a little tricky to get in, so I strongly suggest making reservations in advance. The Cafe was moved from a small classroom setting to a regular full size restaurant over the last couple years. It's beautiful! Totally worth it! read more

My first thought was this is going to be a big mistake. Honestly it was quite the opposite. Amazing food and amazing service !!! All 3 courses were phenomenal and the coffee is the best that I've had since I was in Italy. Making reservations for next Thursday. Can't wait to go back. read more

good espresso drinks, great sandwiches!! small shop set up on campus for the culinary students. prices are low and quality seems to be high, i would recommend read more

The Oak Cafe - 16oz Latte and turkey, bacon, avocado sandwiche - Cafes Near Me - Sacramento, California

See all

Finally tried out The Oak Cafe! Located on the American River College campus, it is the restaurant where students from the culinary program hone their skills and make dishes that they had been learning. Happened to be here during finals week, so I was asked to rate each dish on its appearance, taste and give notes. $15 even will get you a three course lunch meal with beverage. What an excellent way to enjoy a fantastic meal while supporting your local community college! The interior is small, but there are plans to expand in the future. In the L-shaped dining room, natural sunlight spills in on one set of windows at the top. There is even outdoor seating, which would be great during spring/fall. First dish consisted of a pasta w/ clams and white sauce, tasty, but a little too rich for me. Second was chicken with prosciutto-wrapped asparagus and risotto. Everything was cooked to my liking with the asparagus not being overly cooked (hate limp asparagus) and the risotto having a subtle bite to it. Chicken had a thin herb-crumb coating - tender, not tough or stringy. Dessert was a meringue - like the topping of a lemon meringue pie - with thin chocolate crisp topping served with a creme anglaise. Pleasantly surprised by this dessert! The meringue was like eating a soft pillow. I could drink creme anglaise by the gallon and this one was no exception. Parking is $1 for the day. Okay so it's $1, people pay tons more for parking if you're at a meter downtown! You may as well check out the James Kaneko Gallery across the way before or after lunch, when I was there they had an Andy Warhol exhibit going on. Walking around, the campus had changed so much since I was here decades ago. Service was attentive and efficient. You can tell they want to make a good impression. Our server - I forgot her name! - an older woman who you could tell loved her job, made sure I had enough water, bread, coffee, you name it. Would I go back? Definitely. Since their menu changes every so often, it is good to check out the website and see what's cooking! read more

Highly recommend the sandwiches from their bakery!! They have a variety of kinds: ham and Brie, turkey & gruyere, mortadella, as well as veggie. The bread is made from scratch which makes all the difference in a sandwich. It's topped with mayo, cheese, pickles, arugula and red onion. For the size of it it's worth the $7 bucks. They also have a punch card where if you buy 9 sandwiches the 10th one is free. The only wait is if there's a line for the register. The bakery is open Wednesday-Friday from 8am-2:30pm (although my punch card says 3pm, not sure if 2:30 or 3). Whether you're a student or not definitely give these sandwiches a try! read more

The Oak Cafe - Mortadella sandwich - Cafes Near Me - Sacramento, California

Braised Short Ribs with polenta, Roasted Quail w/Italian Green Beans, A hearty but light chicken soup or the diced roasted beets salad, does this sound like a a sampling of a nice dinner house or a cafe on a school campus. We were pleasantly surprised when the food came out - it was a team of waiters and waitresses bringing us our yummy food. Our waitress thou nervous through out lunch was well informed and was really trying to help our party of seven (her biggest party to date). All the selections were typical items in a restaurant - but somewhat out of sync with the season (braised short ribs on a warm Spring day?), the plating of the roasted beets were clean and very colorful - just the right amount - but I did notice that a friend received more beets that I did - boohoo! The desserts and attached bakery are top notch. I had no problem forking our the extra bucks for certain items - after all you are supporting a culinary program on a nice campus, American River Community College. We will be back when we get the time for lunch again in the area. Do make reservations, pay for parking, and cash is king. read more

You can tell that it's an educational training facility almost immediately. The service staff are students and didn't seem to have any real industry experience. It was kind of like watching an old school training video; very robotic, staged and scripted. Hahaha, no big deal. That being said, the food was very tasty. I was super impressed with a student's bourguignonne sauce and the the dishes are very well portioned, presented, and garnished. The worst part about dining is the rest of the clientele. My husband and I are students at ARC and decided to have lunch after classes. We shouldn't be gawked at by handfuls of elderly white snobs upon walking in and being sat. Also we were sat in the middle of the dining room underneath a camera... give me a break. We're young and wearing jeans with college sweatshirts because it's A COLLEGE CAMPUS! Gtfo with all of that. read more

If you want 5 star quality for 1 star pricing, you should come here. After waiting for so long to eat at the Oak Cafe, I finally made reservations. I don't know why it took me so long to eat here! I highly recommend it. The menu changes every week, as do the student chefs, and their desserts are just to die for! Make reservations ahead of time (it is a voicemail, they call you back quickly) and make sure you have $1 for parking. Seating is a bit tight. If its a sunny day, see if you can be seated outside. It is much more spacious. However, if you get seated inside, enjoy the art inside, and the student servers buzzing about. Please tip well, at $15 a person, it is a great value. After lunch, visit the art gallery across the way. read more

Wonderful epicurean adventure. The food is consistently good. The student servers and chefs produce a great product. Each week offers a fresh menu with interesting selections. It a gourmet experience. read more

The Oak Cafe serves as an instructional venue for the Fine Culinary Arts program at American River College. Students are given the opportunity to practice various skills and gather experience in a variety of culinary aspects: serving, planning, prep-work, as well as cooking/baking. Okay now for business. For $15 you are given access to a three course menu (including drinks) prepared either by Head Chef/Instructor Theresa or one of the students. What makes Oak Cafe unique is the fact that the menu changes EVERY week to reflect the different regions of focus that the students are exposed to. This translates into a different gourmet meal selection every time you visit! What makes it tricky to get a seat is the fact that they only serve during lunch time (1130am-130pm) Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Add the fact that Oak Cafe has a small hardcore group of devoted individuals (most of whom are Retirement-aged) who call in weeks in advance to reserve a seat, and you are posed with a challenging task of snagging a seat. Thankfully, the menus for the semester are posted WEEKS in advance on the website so it pays to check out which menu is most appealing to you and make reservations for that week. It's definitely worth jumping the extra hoops to make a reservation for this place. Tip: To avoid any additional headaches, make sure to park in Lot D (Vistor's Parking). It's worth paying the $1 to avoid weaving your way through the THOUSANDS of students shuffling along to class. read more

I might be a bit biased since i went through ARC's culinary program myself, but I always look forward to getting a reservation at the Oak Cafe. Their menu changes weekly, and the menus during finals are particularly exiting. Everything is super fresh and made from scratch, even things like mayo and pasta. The student chefs are first rate and the food is always high end and delicious. Here is your chance to try food you might find in the most expensive of restaurants, but at a more reasonable price. And the menus often let you try a variety of small courses as a part of your meal. Some of the bakery items are also available for purchase through the cafe. Service is good and the food comes out fairly quick, the space is small but adorned with some great donated artwork. Portions are a bit on the small side, but definitely worth what you pay for them. read more

After dining here many times, this place is a hit or miss. 50/50 shot at getting good food but they service is always a 100% great. The problem is it is run by students and they experiment with new dishes all the time and sometimes they turn out great and sometimes they are just plain awful! My 1st time here was the beat. Second time was good. Third time was terrible as the food they came up with made no sense and tasted weird. 4th time was a little better. 5th time was miserable. I wasted $40 my last time here and didn't enjoy a single item. They need to stop making up dishes that they don't even taste test with consumers and stick to dishes that are popular and people actually like. read more

Its a college program, I get it. Therefore be prepared to take your time dining, wait on drinks a while, and have things a little mixed up. All the food is presented beautifully and the menu is changed every few weeks, I've tried so many different pairings and got out of my comfort zone with trying new things! read more

Wonderful! This place exceeded expectations! We went for a lunch data today(Friday). There was plenty of parking this day of the week. I had incredible food (the burger was to die for!), impeccable service (my dessert fork arrived with the pomp and circumstance a princess would love!), and the price can not be beat. I really loved that the price was all inclusive (unlimited Arnold Palmers are my jam) and the setting was lovely. read more

The price is great 5 course meal only $15. I go here every semester with my friends and so far loved it every time. read more

See all

Super good spinach and mushroom quiche. Minus one star because I had to nuke it myself. Lucky college kids to have this on campus attached to the culinary program!! read more

American River College has a culinary program and when school is in session, the oak cafe serves lunch Wednesday-Friday. It's a different menu every week-- $15 a person. You can check out the menu on their website and make a reservation. It's a small place so it fills up quick but it's cool just to try and it's hard not to want to after you read what they're serving. read more

Don't raise your expectations, these are students who are cooking and you are there guinea pigs.

This is the best deal in all of Sacramento. Only 15 bucks for a four star experience! I've been several times and it's been incredibly every single time. I know what you're thinking. It's some community college, how good could the food from a bunch of "13th graders" be? Teresa Urkofsky truly does an incredible job getting these aspiring chefs into gear and it shows in the food. I've brought my wife, mother, and friends to the Oak Cafe and they've all been extremely impressed by how great the food was. They're only open for lunch on Wed, Thurs, and Fri during the normal school year and you'd better make reservations as it fills up very quickly. You're going to love it! read more

I love oak cafe Johnnie and the crew are great as a handicapped person they always make me feel welcome and accommodate my needs there like family whenever my daughter goes without me johnnie always asks about me and will write a nice message on my togo box seeing this is one of my only outings i appreciate that they always remember me and will go the extra mile to modify my food as there are lots of things i cant eat i love this place the students are kind caring they dont rush u to eat or hover like are you done everything is the right tempeture and everyone always smiles and if u really dont like what u got from the menu theyll swap it out the service is better then any high ended resturant i have been to if u want a great dinning experience high end food grest prices this is ur place but get reservations early they go fast u never know who ull see there i seen tina from good day sacramento and a few other famous foidies from sac its just like being at a friends house thats how welcome you feel read more

WOW, so good. Beautiful presentation and everything was so delicious. My expectations were exceeded. Everything is made from scratch, there at the facility, and you can tell. I had red beans and rice with southern greens and strawberry shortcake. All of it was a revelation. Looking forward to returning! read more

Reasonanle price for a 5-6 course meal. Pretty good food, but since they're students, it's not always mindblowing. What's interesting is the different menu they give out every week. And not all the waitors were very good in service. However, their desserts are Supes good. Basically, it's a nice experience, just hope you're comin on a good day. read more

What a pleasant surprise! Student servers, student chefs, student promoted...the Oaks is an adorable little restaurant on the American River campus. The menu changes often and the features are creative. The food is good, the service is top notch and the price an extreme bargain. Reservations a must! read more

We had the pleasure of dining at The Oak Cafe today for my Birthday. Oh my goodness! What a delightful meal. We had Cesar Salad, Scallop pot pie and a berry crostada. Kudos! read more

I've been going to The Oak Cafe for many years and It's always a special occasion. Knowing that we are supporting such a noble service profession and encouraging new talent is powerful motivation to return over and over. Being a part of the learning experience helps me be a better customer because I know the students are held to such a high degree of perfection and their grades depend upon my experience. Every item they serve is hand made. If there's bread, they baked it. If there's sausage, they ground the meat and added the spices, etc. The menus are creative and daring. How many restaurants do all that? read more

I come here after my art classes and they have delicious desserts display for sale. Never a disappointment when I eat here.

there are going to be some sacramentans raving about it here. with good reason. however i'm not one of them. it is prix fixe (they've introduced some a la carte which is good) and it is VERY reasonably priced. $15 for 5 courses at lunch that are indeed original, conceived with very high epicurean standards and presented pretty admirably on plates? what's not to like? it's completely hit or miss. some menus i've been dazzled, others pretty underwhelmed. i don't eat red meat, pork, and i avoid gluten. and here i know better than to even mention that to servers or chefs because, and this is as far as i'm going to go in this direction, the chefs would get high and mighty real quick. there's a superiority complex here in the making that's as sure as a stiff breeze on one of those summer nights that cools off. but ANYWAY. i give this place 5 stars for originality, and value, but it's just not reliable overall. never a dull moment though. the service is what's a bit unpolished. actually i really loathe the thought of disparaging those hard working students. so i won't. but don't expect the same level of consistency u would at piatti or biba, and you'll have a gay old time. rezzies are indeed required for the tonyest, most distinguished watering hole in town. read more

Outstanding, all 5 stars. Reservation needs to be made due to high demand and it's deliciously tasty place.

It was their French menu this week. Had a killer mussel soup that would rival anything served at a 5 star restaurant! The leg of lamb was fresh from Dixon, CA and was slow cooked for 7 hours. Delicious! Wonderful Strawberry Rhubarb crepes with honey ice cream for dessert. And served with excellent decaf coffee. Wish I lived closer....I would be a regular! Hit the killer bakery before you dine or else everything will be gone! Excellent cookies! My only suggestion is that they install sound absorbing tiles on the ceiling, as it gets really, really loud! read more

Not a very relaxed atmosphere. Everyone seemed to be confused. Maybe because they have too many people working there. My waitperson reminded me of Ursula from Mad About You tv show from way back. He had the orders mixed up before he finished writing them down. I went to the restroom and got stopped on the way back to my table by someone asking if I had a reservation. Very annoying as I am a person who always looks like I know where I'm going. Well maybe they have lost seniors wandering around all the time. The food was good and the price fair but I doubt if I'll return. read more

I'd like to write a good review for this-but I can't. Years ago I went on a regular basis and was regularly pleased. My last visit was over 5 years ago and it was dreadful-cold, crumbly meatloaf, hard biscuits-I shouldn't have paid for it. A letter was written to the director of the program-and not responded to-a major faux pas. After reviewing this semester's menu-I felt adventurous-why don't I try it again? So early September I reserved for October. After calling THEM after a week later I was told I had reserved "too early". Call back around September 23. So I did. Again, no response to the reservation I left on the phone. I called again-one week later I was told "sorry, we're filled up-you're 16th on the wait list!". Again, I called back (we'd been leaving messages on each other's machines) expressing my dismay and asking for ANY DAY and ANY TIME. That was over 2 weeks ago and no one ever called. Food is crucial in a restaurant business-but the WAY you conduct yourself is just as important. Their "business behavior" is in-excusable. Advice: STAY AWAY!! read more