Foundation Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in Sacramento

01/21/2023: We were going to the Sacramento Kings game, so we stopped here for a pre-game dinner. We had a reservation, but the hostess was confused and initially didn't see it. She blamed it on her hearing as her co-worker pointed it out in the schedule. We were seated in the dining area, on the other side of the bar area, so it was nice to be able to see the TV and the football games.

Our server greeted us right away and brought us waters. But it took her a while to return to take our orders. We waited about 20 minutes. She finally returned to take our order. But then we waited another 30 minutes to get our appetizers. Our entrees took a minute as well, so we were happy to be there 2.5 hours before tip-off.

We started with the Korean beef skewers and the spicy green beans. The beef was flavorful, and the accompanying slaw gave a good contrast to the rich meat. The green beans were super crunchy with a slight kick in the back end. These were two very good apps.

For our entrees, hubby had the Funai Classic Burger with American cheese, and I had the Short Rib salad. The burger had a nice sized patty cooked to a prefect medium. I love it when the patty is slightly bigger than the bun, which this was. It was very flavorful and topped with fresh lettuce, tomato, and onion... nicely done. The short rib salad was one of the best salad I've ever had! Lots of greens and the dressing was full of flavor. The short rib meat was abundant and rich tasting. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would go back for that awesome salad.

Though service was slow, our server was nice and attended to our needs. The restaurant is at a good location in downtown Sacramento with a parking garage in walking distance. I can't wait to go back...

Foundation was an excellent dining experience all around. Host and wait-staff were top-tier, attentive but never intrusive, and one and all were friendly, knowledgeable, and fast. The from-scratch nature of the seasonal menu meant that some minor ingredient substitutions due to food sensitivities were not a problem at all. The fish taco, chicken flat bread appetizers were great, and the artichoke was good but daunting to figure out how to eat (it was...quartered? After being roasted? Then crusted with aged Romano or parm? Whatever, it tasted good, just was hard to attack from any obvious angle). It had been godawful hot all day, so for mains we went light with some full salads and burgers, and the portions were great and the flavors outstanding. Non-alcoholic beverages and dinner for four all came in under a bill fifty, and that was with a hefty tip. All this made me wish that the exterior we're more signature in look so when I recommend it people will say "Oh yeah, I've seen their sign and know right where that is" instead of having to explain and draw a map, as it's entrance mostly looks like an ATM vestibule in a non-descript Capitol Mall office building. But...

So I just had the house salad and a glass of wine. But the salad was so delicious that I needed to write a review.

The house salad consists of mixed greens with chicken, tomatoes, and avocado with a raspberry vinaigrette. I was worried about the vinaigrette because they can be too sweet, but not this one. It had a good balance among the sweet, tart, and acidic flavors. And the mixed greens weren't bitter at all! The chicken was moist and anything that already comes with avocado is a plus!

The white wine I ordered was also delicious! Despite it being a light meal, it was rather filling.

Service was really friendly and accommodating as we were a group of six that didn't make reservations. It was a Tuesday night so there weren't many people around the area anyway.

The ambiance has steakhouse vibes with its dark decor, but it's not pretentious. The music they were playing was eclectic, from top 40 to some EDM.

I'd like to come back here again to try a heavier entree. The menu has some variety, from burgers to fish tacos to...