The Abridged version:
- Der Biergarten will expand to the Old Sacramento Waterfront after a dozen years in Midtown.
- It’s moving into part of a space once occupied by Rio City Cafe, with two other businesses joining as well.
- Owners Sean and Erika Derfield also own Sean Finnegan’s Pub in Old Sacramento.
Der Biergarten, a Midtown Sacramento centerpiece for the past 12 years, is making its next move.
The German-inspired beer garden will open its second location where Rio City Cafe used to sit in Old Sacramento, Mayor Kevin McCarty announced Tuesday morning at the State of Downtown address.
Der Biergarten will move into a small outbuilding just north of Rio City Cafe, said City Councilmember Phil Pluckebaum, who represents Midtown and Old Sacramento. It will include a patio and grassy area overlooking the Sacramento River, and serve a similar menu to the Midtown location.
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‘A great opportunity’
“I think it’s a great opportunity. They’re an excellent partner in Midtown,” Pluckebaum said. “I think that having them there in that space, activating that, providing opportunities for folks to really enjoy the waterfront and do it while having a beer, sitting out and watching the water go by is perfect.”
Founded in 2014 by Sean and Erika Derfield, who also own Sean Finnegan’s Pub in Old Sacramento, Der Biergarten’s open-air design and 32 beer taps made it one of Midtown’s favorite watering holes in balmy weather. It’s also the only German restaurant in Sacramento’s center city, with giant pretzels and sausage platters served alongside liters of the house “Starburst” grapefruit radler.
Two other businesses, one retail and one another restaurant, are expected to fill Rio City Cafe’s footprint as well. The cafe operated for 30 years until closing in 2024, with significant repairs needed to its city-owned deck.
Benjy Egel is the senior food editor at Abridged. Born and raised in the Sacramento region, he has covered its local restaurants and bars since 2018. He also writes and edits Abridged’s weekly food and drink newsletter, City of Treats.