Empress Tavern

Empress Tavern The owners of Empress Tavern are partnering with Alchemist CDC to launch a truly unique Sacramento food venue. Grand Opening July 2025!
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Private dining, private events, special events, regular community programming, and more: grand opening in July 2025! In addition to hosting private dining and special events, Alchemist CDC is committed to scheduling regular programming and welcoming the community back into Empress Tavern. We will have a calendar of events of all kinds including cooking classes, "Dinner and a Movie" nights, game ni

ghts, live music and art - truly something for everyone. Our culinary program for these events will be built around featuring businesses and entrepreneurs in our Alchemist Kitchen programs, farmers and vendors from our farmers' markets, and collaborations with other chefs and restaurants. Empress Tavern, located beneath the historic Crest Theatre on K Street in Sacramento, opened in 2015 as a bold reimagining of a former underground movie auditorium. With its dramatic vaulted brick ceilings, open kitchen, and a focus on hearty, meat-centric fare, the tavern quickly earned a reputation as a destination for both locals and visitors. The restaurant’s name honors the original Empress Theatre, the early 20th-century predecessor to the Crest. After a brief pandemic-related closure, Empress returned in 2023 with a renewed energy and commitment to providing a vibrant, welcoming space in the heart of downtown Sacramento. With its distinctive blend of atmosphere and culinary craft, the tavern continued to evolve while remaining rooted in the character and history of its unique location. In 2025, Empress Tavern will enter a new chapter through a partnership with Alchemist CDC, a local nonprofit dedicated to connecting communities to local food and economic opportunity. This collaboration will bring a fresh culinary concept to life, blending the creativity and quality Empress is known for with Alchemist’s mission-driven approach. Together, they aim to create a space that not only celebrates Sacramento’s diverse food culture, but also supports local farmers, food entrepreneurs, and equitable access to good food for all. The space itself, situated in the basement of the historic Crest Theatre, is eclectic, unique, and beautiful with an open kitchen, 170 dining seats, large booths and a chef’s table for private dining.

Think like a chef and plan ahead! Here’s a simple way to preserve summer’s best tomatoes. If you make enough, you’ll be ...
08/22/2026

Think like a chef and plan ahead! Here’s a simple way to preserve summer’s best tomatoes. If you make enough, you’ll be eating a taste of summer on a gloomy January day. No canning required! Try it out and let us know what you think!

Tips for picking the best tomatoes

1. Shop at one of Alchemist’s certified Farmers Markets (tag them here)
2.Tomatoes that are heavy for their size are ripe and juicy.

3. Don’t be afraid of “ugly” tomatoes. Funny shapes and different colors can be the most delicious, but avoid cracked or overly soft fruit. When in doubt, ask the farmers!

RECIPE
Ingredients:
- 2.5-10 lbs of tomatoes. I usually do 7 or 8 lbs at a time.
- Sea Salt
- Extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper and arrange tomatoes cut side up. Sprinkle generously with sea salt. Brush with lots of extra virgin olive oil.
- Roast in 250º F oven for 2-5 hours depending on the size of the tomatoes and desired doneness. Rotate the baking sheets every hour or so for even cooking and caramelizing.
- Once cool enough to handle, pack into clean mason jars and cover with olive oil. Will keep in the fridge for two weeks or in the freezer for at least six months (if you don’t eat them all by October).

Chana's cooking, who's hungry? We can't wait for Taco Tuesday with Chana's BBQ and DJ Tee!Come for the tacos, stay for t...
08/17/2026

Chana's cooking, who's hungry? We can't wait for Taco Tuesday with Chana's BBQ and DJ Tee!
Come for the tacos, stay for the good vibes! Don't forget to get your $2 movie ticket to see this week's film, Shaun of the Dead 🧟‍♂️

08/14/2026

You may know Chef Scott for his incredible food, but around here, he's also known as a beloved teacher. Alchemist Events at Empress Tavern is partnering with Juma Ventures to create the new generation of hospitality professionals. We are committed to creating safe, supportive spaces where young people can grow, prosper, lead, and nourish our community.
Did you know you can book a chef experience with us? email [email protected] for info

Life handed us lemons. We are busy making lemonade. Our website host has been down for three days and they aren't sure w...
08/05/2026

Life handed us lemons. We are busy making lemonade. Our website host has been down for three days and they aren't sure when they will have it fixed. We have collected our most essential links and info at farmtoeveryfork.org

If there is a resource or link that you need from our website that we haven't included, please let us know at [email protected]

We appreciate your patience!

Good morning, community! We're starting our week with some technical difficulties. We hope to have things back up and ru...
08/03/2026

Good morning, community!

We're starting our week with some technical difficulties.

We hope to have things back up and running soon!

Thank you for your continued support!

07/21/2026

Due to emergency repairs, taco Tuesdays is cancelled tonight 7/21 😭

We're open June 25th for the  live show at  . Come try Chef Scott's house menu including magical shrimp-filled gougerès ...
06/24/2026

We're open June 25th for the live show at . Come try Chef Scott's house menu including magical shrimp-filled gougerès and a mind-blowing vegan poutine.

As always, we're featuring some of your favorite local products from entrepreneurs like bread pickles and vegan nacho cheese from

Come on down (literally) to the Empress Tavern at 1013 K Street in downtown Sacramento. We're open from 5-8.

Tacos tonight? Hell yeah!  Chana's cooking and TeeTee's spinning. But I'm a Cheerleader is playing upstairs at Crest Sac...
06/23/2026

Tacos tonight? Hell yeah! Chana's cooking and TeeTee's spinning. But I'm a Cheerleader is playing upstairs at Crest Sacramento for $2!

Happy Pride Y'all. Tonight is the queerest and most delicious night of the week. Come support a queer-owned business AND...
06/09/2026

Happy Pride Y'all. Tonight is the queerest and most delicious night of the week. Come support a queer-owned business AND see Hedwig and the Angry Inch at The Crest. So put on your makeup (or not), will turn up the (tape) decks, and we'll all take our proverbial wigs down off the shelf. It's always a party on Tuesdays at Empress, but this one will be extra fun. See you tonight! Come for the tacos, stay for the film.

Cobweb Cabaret is bringing the glamour, and chef Scott is bringing the deliciousness. We're open from 5:30 until 8:30. C...
06/05/2026

Cobweb Cabaret is bringing the glamour, and chef Scott is bringing the deliciousness. We're open from 5:30 until 8:30. Come for the food and stay for the show! Crest Sacramento

Address

1013 K Street
Sacramento, CA
95814

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