A tale of two burger joints: Same name, same company – but 2 different cities and 2 totally different dining experiences.

On two separate weekends, I tried out Burgers and Brew in Sacramento and Davis. Both are owned by Crepeville.

Let’s start with the one in Sacramento.


[Burgers and Brew in Sacramento]

I loved the location for this Sacramento restuarant. It sits on a stretch of R Street that’s booming with hip foodie/drinking spots. I can imagine dropping by Burger and Brew after doing Happy Hour at the Shady Lady. All are within stumbling proximity.

It had a fine selection of beers on tap. I paired a pint of Arrogant Bastard with a Mushroom and Onion Burger. I went with the garlic fries for my side dish. The cold beer went down nicely with my thick and crispy fries. The only disappointment was the burger. I ordered it medium rare. It came out of the kitchen as a well-done patty, without a hint of pink. As far as well-done burgers go, it tasted fine. However, if any burger establishment offers me a choice on how I want my burger, it needs to deliver on the pink.

Sigh. Maybe we visited this location on a bad day. I’m willing to give it a second chance after visiting the Davis location.

[Burgers and Brew in Davis]

The Sacramento location has customers ordering at the bar. The Davis location on 3rd Street operates more like a sit-down restaurant, with servers taking orders at your table.

The beer selection blew us away. My husband didn’t want to share his 750 ml bottle of Three Philosophers Quadrupel Ale. Eventually, he let me sample this rich, malty Belgian ale.

I ordered the special of the night: BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger. The homemade BBQ sauce tasted light and tangy. My side order of chili cheese fries could be a meal on its own. The thick fries didn’t lose its crispy crunch under the the meat, beans and cheese.

One bite into my burger sent me into medium-rare heaven.

Overheard at another table: “I’m not a vegan anymore!”

Thank heavens. If you’re ordering only a salad or a veggie burger at this Burgers and Brew spot in Davis – you’re missing out on an amazing meat-loving adventure.