2 Best Restaurants in Jackson, Sacramento and the Gold Country

Since 1956, the Gillman family has been serving up its famous two-patty "Moo Burger"—so big it presumably still makes cow sounds. The convivial diner is also known for milk shakes and floats.

Ease back in time at this rustic roadside restaurant dating from 1921, when its namesake, an Italian immigrant, opened a boardinghouse for local miners. Run by her descendants, Teresa's serves unfussy renditions of Italian-American classics—pasta dishes, wood-fired pizzas, veal and chicken dishes, and steak and seafood.