3 Best Restaurants in Amador City, Sacramento and the Gold Country

A 2023 refresh of the Imperial Hotel's ground-floor dining space made the most of its existing charms—tall ceilings, original woodwork, exposed brick walls—enhancing these elements with Gold Country memorabilia, sturdy tables, leather chairs, and metal chandeliers. More important, the owners brought in a chef capable of achieving their aspiration to create offhandedly intricate dishes based on ingredients grown as near as the culinary garden out back.

On some sunny weekends, it seems like half of Amador City has dropped by this small brewery's front porch or umbrella-shaded back patio to enjoy beers that include one made entirely from Amador County hops. The chef, who has a talent for making the familiar unusual, times seasonal items like cornmeal-breaded asparagus fries to local farmers' harvests, with pickled eggs, hot honey walnuts and dates, risotto croquettes, and a sausage-and-kraut plate counting among the year-round possibilities.

A local success story that expanded into a second storefront after a few years in business, Small Town serves morning coffee and baked goods, by 11 am adding small bites, salads, sandwiches, and flatbreads. For a midday pick-me-up, pair affordable, well-selected wines from the area and beyond with deviled eggs, a three-cheese mac, or an artisanal charcuterie plate.