Skip's Kitchen — Restaurant in California

If you're on a mission for a true mom-and-pop neighborhood hole-in-the-wall restaurant, "Skip's Kitchen" is definitely worth checking out. Considering this place has had a lot of recognition, praise, and positive vibes as well as being one of Sacramentos' top restaurants, I had to see what the whole fuss was about. Having been opened since late-2011, this place has been doing things right with their delicious comfort food.

Located directly on El Camino Ave. (with Mission Ave. being the nearest cross street), this place is situated right at the Carmichael/Arden border in a predominantly residential area. There is a small parking lot near the rear of the business as well as generous outdoor seating (with green turf) located outside on the main street. Inside, there are at least 12 booths that vary in size for small and moderate sized parties. The large glass windows provide a ton of natural light. Additionally, they offer a self-serve fountain drink station as well as two gender-optional restrooms.

Upon entry, you grab a menu and order directly at the front counter. I like this concept way more than an actual waiter service since it expedites the entire ordering process. After placing your order, the cashier lays out a full deck of cards face down. IF you pick the Joker out of the deck, your meal is FREE! All I grabbed was a deuce so I didn't win. However, your card is basically used as your "order number" when your food is brought out to the table. Definitely a unique process that I've never seen before at any restaurant.

After looking at the menu, I ended up going with the "B.O.M. Sliders" (which came as a trio of 3). These sliders included bacon and onion marmalade, house sauce, and provolone cheese. I chose criss-cut fries as my side as well as a "Grilled Caesar Salad" which had charred hearts of romaine, crostini, Caesar dressing, and shaved Parmesan cheese. I completed my meal with a regular sized self-serve soft drink. My +1 went with an order of their "Chicken Strips". This was hand breaded, fried chicken strips complete with dipping sauce and also a side order of criss-cut fries. Total price for both of our orders came out to a very inexpensive $31.00 (after tax).

Even though they were swamped with customers (keep in mind this was at 6:45pm on a Saturday evening in August), our food arrives in just under 15 minutes. Not bad since they were juggling the dine-in, to-go, and food delivery services while always keeping a smile on their faces. My sliders were seasoned to perfection and quite generous with a nicely toasted slider bun. The fries were hot and crispy. And the charred Caesar salad added to some of that smokiness to it. The salad was given to me with whole romaine leaves which I have seen at other various restaurants.

All in all, "Skip's Kitchen" does things the right way. Amazing service (our server and busboy both checked up on us), unbeatable prices, and a menu that both parents and kids will love. They have all the comfort food classics including pork sliders, mac & cheese bites, wings, sandwiches, and burgers. They also offer ice cream sandwiches and shakes. And for the over 21 crowd, they have a nice variety of bottled and draft beer as well as a small selection of red and white wines. With that said and done, I am giving the folks at "Skip's Kitchen" an above-average four...

This place is spectacular!! Everything was so clean, I'm pretty sure the 5-second rule went out the window. It's now the 20-second rule for sure. Everyone seated had smiles on their faces, definitely some satisfied customers. Then we glanced at the little menu, wondering where the rest of it went lol, and chose a pastrami sandwich and a three-cheese burger. I'll tell you all about those in just a moment. As we approached the counter to order, I realized the person taking our order was shuffling cards. She then, seamlessly, spreads them out in a perfect arch and tells me to pick a card. I'm a little confused, so I hesitate, and that's when she tells me why. If you pick the joker, your food is on the house! How exciting! So I follow my gut, pull a card, and boom!! I picked the 8 of spades. Had ya there, didn't I? So we paid for our meal and quickly found a seat, even with so many people there. We were by the door, so we really got to see a non stop flow of customers. A true testament of a great restaurant. In fact, right after my husband commented about the deck probably not containing the illusive joker, a little girl and her Mom came in. She was so excited about picking a card, and sure enough, she picked the joker. Mom took a picture of her with the coveted card , looking so pleased with her pick. Now all this happened in the short time we were waiting for our meal. When they brought us the food, we both commented on the presentation, which was fantastic. The sandwich and burger came with tops to the side, showing off the masterpiece before it gets devoured. And it did. The perfectly seasoned and cooked patty was a generous portion on top of lettuce, tomato, red onion and pickles. It was so juicy and delicious, I just couldn't help but finish it. And the onion rings were a lovely crisp side. My husband said he enjoyed his pastrami, which was obvious by the way he devoured it. And our drinks were topped off every time we got to almost the bottom of the cup. I've rarely experienced such attentive service. Rare is a good word to describe this whole experience, as Skip's is truly a rare gem to be treasured. Thank you for a superb...

I ate at skips once, before Covid. The food was good, but what deterred me from eating there again was how the old owner was treating his workers. He was not very nice and the staff seemed unhappy and stressed. I worked in food service for about 15 years, and mistreatment of staff by management is the biggest indicator that the quality of the food will suffer over time.

With the new owner, the vibe in the restaurant seems refreshed and I actually enjoyed eating in; I normally always get food Togo because I have social anxiety. The owner, Caleb, was very warm and welcoming and I felt comfortable dining in. The food was much better than I remember and the staff seemed positive. The whole vibe of the restaurant is driven by a good manager/leader. Caleb definitely knows how to work the counter. The staff and service was seamless and the food came out quickly, even though they were busy and at the near end of their second lunch rush. The burger was cooked perfectly and it fell apart in just the right way when I inhaled in. There is an art to making burgers and sandwiches, it is not just throwing things in a bun. They understand the artistry of sandwich making, and I really appreciate it.

Thank you for bringing me back to life after a super long work day. My tummy is actually really happy and I kind of wish I had ordered another burger Togo, but my eyes are always bigger...