The Abridged version:
- Aviator’s Restaurant, a longtime fixture at Sacramento Executive Airport, has a new home within another aeronautical-themed spot in Elk Grove.
- The Aviator’s crew joined forces with Sky Port Restaurant and Bar and began providing breakfast and lunch service on Monday.
- While the new location is missing the vintage decor and model airplanes, Sky Port features a dining area decorated like a luxury Boeing 747.
For nearly three decades, diners visited Aviator’s Restaurant to watch small airplanes take off at Sacramento Executive Airport between bites of plump omelets and pancakes.
That changed early this year, when the restaurant shuttered for repairs. During an inspection, county staff found significant structural issues in the floor of the restaurant and other parts of the 77-year-old airport.
With up to two years of repairs still underway, Aviator’s owner is bringing its breakfast and lunch service to Sky Port Restaurant and Bar, an aeronautical-themed eatery in Elk Grove.
“People enjoyed Aviator’s because they’re looking at the planes. … Now they’re actually inside the airplane,” said Jonathan Lam, owner of Sky Port.
Lam opened Sky Port in May 2025 and previously only offered happy hour and dinner service. The restaurant is themed to give customers a sense that they are inside a luxury Boeing 747.
Portholes line the walls and waitstaff dressed as flight attendants deliver meals from small-wheeled carts.
Monday morning marked Aviator’s first breakfast service at Sky Port. The crew is now providing breakfast and lunch at the Elk Grove restaurant from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
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Customers can expect the same diner fare that Aviator’s provided at the airport, Lam said. The menu is known for its egg scrambles, breakfast meats and piles of home-fried potatoes as well as burgers and sliced roast beef sandwiches.
While the model airplanes and vintage decor are not the same at Sky Port, Lam’s restaurant was inspired by his service as a member of the U.S. Coast Guard.
Sky Port’s dinner menu specializes in fusion dishes, with entrees hailing from different countries and the cultures Lam experienced during his time in the military.
“Nothing connects people better than food,” he said.
For the last decade, Lam has also owned and operated Pegasus Bakery & Cafe, which has locations in South Sacramento and Elk Grove.
County intends to keep restaurant spot at airport
Sacramento County staffers are still trying to determine the full extent of repairs that need to be done on the original Aviator’s space at the executive airport.
Aviator’s closed initially for routine repairs and maintenance at the beginning of this year.
“We went in to do those repairs … as we did it, it was like peeling an onion and finding another layer of ‘this doesn’t look good,’” said Supervisor Patrick Kennedy, who represents the area.
The bulk of needed repairs are connected to deteriorating flooring and rebar, as well as water intrusion, according to the county. The county does not have a timeline or cost estimate for the work, according to spokesperson Lindsay Myers.
“We’re still in a very ‘wait and see’ mode,” Myers said.
When the repairs are eventually complete, the county plans to send out a request for prospective tenants, with the intention of reopening it as a restaurant, Myers said.
