$$$$Price: Moderate • American • Sacramento
Don't judge a book by its cover. My in-laws sniffed at the Starbucks cafe setting and sniffed some more when the tea came in actual Starbucks paper cups. I had my apprehensions too, but boy, were we wrong. In all my years of reviews, I've always held back: never raving and never using exclamation marks, and I'm so glad I saved them for Tribute Bistro, because their food and service were fantastic!
I'm always leery about ordering Brussels sprouts because other restaurants either burn them or undercook them, but Tribute's were crispy, fully-cooked and delicious (my ten-year-old kept stealing from my plate)! The yummy chicken pot pie was generously sized and thoughtfully came with a perfectly dressed arugula salad. Burgers were cooked right (although we could have done without the BBQ sauce as we're not used to sweet sauces) but the star of the dish was the thick cut garlic fries: crispy outside, tender inside. I've never had thick cut fries so good. If you like your tomato soup smooth like a bisque, you will be disappointed. Tribute's is country style: very tomatoey with just the right amount of basil--I loved it! The grilled cheese sandwich was all grown-up: real cheese on sourdough.
So if you don't mind decor that includes a nook to print out your boarding pass, go to Tribute's Bistro for comfort food. (We'll try the pricier fare next time.)
