Hawks Public House

Alisa Takeuchi

Update: Went again last night and had another great time. The menu has changed, as like before, very delicious. We invited 2 friends and had the duck mousse and chili olives for appetizers. For entrees, two of us had the miso cod (highly recommend), the fusili, (it was pretty good) and the pork chop (holy moly that thing is HUGE!) All plates were pretty much licked clean. All that plus 4 double neat whiskeys and one non alcoholic beer, with tax and tip it was $500!! Was it worth it? Yes. This is for sure a once in a while place, but it's a good one. As per usual, our server was amazing. Previous post We were invited to dinner at this place by some friends who had been here before. I'm really glad we came. It's a fun restaurant that is busy but the service is great. And the food for the most part, is very good. We ordered the deviled eggs, the olives, and one more appetizer. We also ordered the risotto, the pork chop, and the special for the day. Everything was delicious. For dessert, we had chocolate chip cookies and chocolate parfait. That was a little sub-par, unfortunately. Our waitress, was super and we had a really great time. It's a little bit expensive, but worth it for a special occasion.

Christopher Gillespie

Damn delicious! The Gnocchi to start...the sauce was so good, used the bread to soak it up. Brussels were really great balance of flavor and spice. Lobster spaghetti was dynamite for being in middle California. A generous amount of lobster. This Sourdough bread pudding with gelato...just order it no matter how full! So damn good. Also great service, food was so good, almost forgot that the service was spot on!

Mark Bartlett

Hawks is a nice place. The food was excellent and the service was great. Apparently this place is quite popular. Our group arrived early on a Monday night with only a few people in the place but by the time we left the place was packed. The one negative is it got very loud inside once all the seats were filled. Back to the food, it was top notch but not cheap. No complaints on the price but be forewarned. The service won me over.

ALEXANDER

Guys! What can I say about this place? It’s absolutely amazing. I don’t know if this restaurant has a Michelin star, but it definitely should. The food is excellent. The combination of flavors is refined, and the presentation is top-notch. All in all, we were pleasantly surprised.

Olivier Cali

Fantastic gastropub with delightful options of meat (duck liver mousse, NY steak) and fish (lobster spaghetti, cod fish and chips...) Smiling and happy staff. Cool setting, good vibes. Some decent wines and interesting cocktails.

Max Hardy

I don’t know why it has taken me so long to get to this amazing restaurant. The drinks were great, the starters were awesome! I thought the crispy Brussels were just going to be like all the others I have had, nope! An egg yoke is dropped into the bowl table side made something already good even better. The steak was great and pasta was delicious perfect texture. Prices are reasonable of course add cocktails and wine with dinner the bill will jump up but let me tell you it’s worth it!

Daniel Maddox

This is perhaps my favorite place in Sacramento. I’ve been here 7 or 8 times in the last year since discovering it and have never had a bad meal. I’ve tried multiple items on the menu and all have been wonderful. At the same time I really do enjoy how Hawks changes not only their food menu but their drink menu as well. The only one real downside is that the restaurant itself is rather small so it’s a bit crowded and loud on busier days. However, that is a minor detail compared to the great food and drinks that the friendly and helpful staff create and serve.

Today's trip wasn't the first and definitely won't be the last. Made reservations just in case and was pleasantly surprised that it was too busy when we showed up, but it began to fill up more and more shortly after. The service was perfect, checked on, water filled, orders taken all at a perfect pace that didn't feel interrupting, nor forgotten. The pasta was sooooo good, the brussel sprouts were cooked and seasoned perfectly, and the cookies to finish it off were hot, gooey and delicious!

★★★★★ Hawks Public House is an absolute standout and a true gem in Sacramento. From the moment we arrived, the atmosphere felt warm, inviting, and effortlessly stylish. It’s the perfect setting for a relaxed yet refined dining experience. The service was exceptional — attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely welcoming. The staff made thoughtful recommendations and ensured everything flowed seamlessly throughout the evening. The food was outstanding. Each dish showcased fresh, seasonal ingredients prepared with creativity and precision. The flavors were beautifully balanced, and the presentation was elegant without being overdone. Every course felt thoughtfully crafted and memorable.

Kristen Soler

Diego the sous chef makes the most incredible potato gnocchi I have ever had. Juicy burgers, friendly and knowledgeable servers, just overall an excellent establishment. I’ll be back!

We went on a random Tuesday night and wait times for drinks and food are long. Waitress was super nice and kept us updated and apologized for short staff but I suppose there’s a certain expectation for nice restaurants like this. Food was amazing, great flavors and done in unique ways. The tuna takes the cake here, super well done app. Drinks are done well here too, good selection at the bar. The chocolate cookie and ice cream was the perfect way to end the night

It's a get together dinner night with a bunch of great colleagues.  Hawks Public House was chosen for our group of 10 on a Tuesday (7/30) evening. Hawk’s is located off a fairly busy street off Alhambra Blvd.  Free parking is available off Sutter Medical Plaza.  The restaurant is pretty small and the dining area seats probably 75 people or so is my guest.  There's an amazing bar inside decked out with all kinds of spirits along the wall.  Decor is warm and inviting. We were seated along the West side of the building.  Given the timing of our get together (5:30pm), a couple of us were seated facing west while the sun was setting, which made it really bright and warm. Our server was awesome.  She was very patient with us.  She got us started with drinks while we waited for the rest of our party to arrive. In terms of the food, we had ordered Deviled Egg and Kennebec Fries for appetizers.  The Deviled Eggs were delicate and full of flavor.  Each order had 6 little Deviled Eggs.  The Kennebec Fries were good but nothing special. For our main course, we ordered the Rigatoni, Spaghetti Fra Diavolo, Rotolo, the Grilled Pork Chop, and the Dayboat Scallops.  All sounded very interesting.  Our food arrived within 20 minutes upon ordering.  The presentations of the dishes were all amazing.  However, the portion size for some of the dishes were much smaller than expected, especially the Dayboat Scallops.  The dish was so small it was actually comical.  We had joked that we'd starve and would need to fill up on booze instead.  I personally had the scallops and while it was very tasty, it was on the saltier side.  The three pieces of scallops were full of flavor and very yummy. The cocktails were good but did fall short of expectations.  I had ordered the Hawks Tonic, a cocktail made with gin, homemade mediterranean tonic, and lime juice.  The lime was too much and overpowered any taste of herbal that I was expecting in a gin cocktail.  It tasted more like a limeade than a gin cocktail.  The presentations of the cocktails looked amazing though. For desserts, we had ordered a Mocha Pot De Creme and a Lemon Olive Oil Cake.  Both turned out really good.  It wasn't too sweet and had the right balance of flavors.  Some ordered the dessert wine and said it was excellent. Our dinner came out to be about $100 per person for the evening which included a couple of drinks, appetizers, main course, dessert, tax, and tip. So how did Hawks Public House score in my book?  Here it is: Service is a solid 5/5.  Our server was awesome.  She was a great host and wasn't over bearing but was always available to us.  Dining area is a 4/5.  The windows could use an upgraded shade to block the sun from beating down on guests seated facing west.  It just got too warm and we were practically sweating.  The drinks are a 3/5.  The cocktails look better than it tasted.  Mine tasted more like a limeade.  I ended up switching to a glass of wine after and it was so much better.  The food is a 4/5.  The presentations of all the dishes were amazing.  All were very tasty but portion size for some were much smaller than expected and left some of us still feeling hungry!  Desserts were very good.  Value to price ratio is about a 4/5.  Overall experience is about a 4/5. While we all had a great time at Hawks, the overall experience was mixed. With the small dining space the noise level got up there and made it challenging to carry a conversation especially as the evening went on.  I felt like we had to raise our voice and yell in order for us to hear each other.  Do ask about portion size before ordering so you don't go hungry.  It's unlikely you'll have left overs.  For drinks, stick with the wine instead of the cocktail.  I've had my fair share of cocktails and Hawk's cocktail fell short of expectations.  Plan to pay a premium for the overall experience.   Make sure you're with good company to make it worthwhile. I certainly was. If you find this review helpful in your dining choice, please give the heart or thumbs up emoji button a click below.

Great atmosphere. Service was excellent. Mushroom soup to start with was excellent, great depth of mushroom flavor and the truffle oil addition created a nice contrast. Salmon was cooked perfectly, only feedback was the skin while crispy was over salted. Overall a great spot. Plenty of free parking is a bonus.

Jay Wu

We went on a random Tuesday night and wait times for drinks and food are long. Waitress was super nice and kept us updated and apologized for short staff but I suppose there’s a certain expectation for nice restaurants like this. Food was amazing, great flavors and done in unique ways. The tuna takes the cake here, super well done app. Drinks are done well here too, good selection at the bar. The chocolate cookie and ice cream was the perfect way to end the night

Eddie Lieu

It's a get together dinner night with a bunch of great colleagues.  Hawks Public House was chosen for our group of 10 on a Tuesday (7/30) evening. Hawk’s is located off a fairly busy street off Alhambra Blvd.  Free parking is available off Sutter Medical Plaza.  The restaurant is pretty small and the dining area seats probably 75 people or so is my guest.  There's an amazing bar inside decked out with all kinds of spirits along the wall.  Decor is warm and inviting. We were seated along the West side of the building.  Given the timing of our get together (5:30pm), a couple of us were seated facing west while the sun was setting, which made it really bright and warm. Our server was awesome.  She was very patient with us.  She got us started with drinks while we waited for the rest of our party to arrive. In terms of the food, we had ordered Deviled Egg and Kennebec Fries for appetizers.  The Deviled Eggs were delicate and full of flavor.  Each order had 6 little Deviled Eggs.  The Kennebec Fries were good but nothing special. For our main course, we ordered the Rigatoni, Spaghetti Fra Diavolo, Rotolo, the Grilled Pork Chop, and the Dayboat Scallops.  All sounded very interesting.  Our food arrived within 20 minutes upon ordering.  The presentations of the dishes were all amazing.  However, the portion size for some of the dishes were much smaller than expected, especially the Dayboat Scallops.  The dish was so small it was actually comical.  We had joked that we'd starve and would need to fill up on booze instead.  I personally had the scallops and while it was very tasty, it was on the saltier side.  The three pieces of scallops were full of flavor and very yummy. The cocktails were good but did fall short of expectations.  I had ordered the Hawks Tonic, a cocktail made with gin, homemade mediterranean tonic, and lime juice.  The lime was too much and overpowered any taste of herbal that I was expecting in a gin cocktail.  It tasted more like a limeade than a gin cocktail.  The presentations of the cocktails looked amazing though. For desserts, we had ordered a Mocha Pot De Creme and a Lemon Olive Oil Cake.  Both turned out really good.  It wasn't too sweet and had the right balance of flavors.  Some ordered the dessert wine and said it was excellent. Our dinner came out to be about $100 per person for the evening which included a couple of drinks, appetizers, main course, dessert, tax, and tip. So how did Hawks Public House score in my book?  Here it is: Service is a solid 5/5.  Our server was awesome.  She was a great host and wasn't over bearing but was always available to us.  Dining area is a 4/5.  The windows could use an upgraded shade to block the sun from beating down on guests seated facing west.  It just got too warm and we were practically sweating.  The drinks are a 3/5.  The cocktails look better than it tasted.  Mine tasted more like a limeade.  I ended up switching to a glass of wine after and it was so much better.  The food is a 4/5.  The presentations of all the dishes were amazing.  All were very tasty but portion size for some were much smaller than expected and left some of us still feeling hungry!  Desserts were very good.  Value to price ratio is about a 4/5.  Overall experience is about a 4/5. While we all had a great time at Hawks, the overall experience was mixed. With the small dining space the noise level got up there and made it challenging to carry a conversation especially as the evening went on.  I felt like we had to raise our voice and yell in order for us to hear each other.  Do ask about portion size before ordering so you don't go hungry.  It's unlikely you'll have left overs.  For drinks, stick with the wine instead of the cocktail.  I've had my fair share of cocktails and Hawk's cocktail fell short of expectations.  Plan to pay a premium for the overall experience.   Make sure you're with good company to make it worthwhile. I certainly was. If you find this review helpful in your dining choice, please give the heart or thumbs up emoji button a click below.

Mike

Great atmosphere. Service was excellent. Mushroom soup to start with was excellent, great depth of mushroom flavor and the truffle oil addition created a nice contrast. Salmon was cooked perfectly, only feedback was the skin while crispy was over salted. Overall a great spot. Plenty of free parking is a bonus.

O, I think I'm in love. What a find. Right on the outskirts of Midtown on Alhambra, with plenty of parking, who knew? Hawks was a welcomed surprise. Ambiance, wonderful smells coming from the kitchen but not pretentious. A great menu, something for everyone and at the bar, Bob Ross painting a landscape in the background. My burger was juicy, favorable and just the right size. I will definitely be going back.

This is my first time at this restaurant. Overall I thought the food was good. I got the burger. It had a good flavor and the onion butter was the best part. The portion size of the burger is too small. The deviled eggs were really good. I wished you got a little more for the amount of money they charge. Basically $6 dollars for a half of an egg. The French fries were pretty good. The burger and deviled eggs were a bit too salty for me. But im a bit picky. The service was ok. I had better service at other restaurants that are cheaper. I would assume the service would be much better since this is more of expensive place vs other everyday restaurants. I really hate dim lighting at restaurants. It doesnt have to be super bright but geez and little bit more lighting. I want to see what im eating. Like I mentioned before, the portion sizes are too small. After the burger, fries and deviled eggs, I was still hungry. I guess the idea is too order more appetizers 😆

Hawks is one of our go to places in town that we consistently enjoy. If I could do 4.5 I would because it is very close to a 5 but a few things hold it back. The food is reliably delicious and at times incredible. Highlights over the last year have been scallop crudo, a pork pâté, mushroom gnocchi, pork shoulder ragu, Fried Chicken Monday, the roast chicken with au jus. The service is also very excellent either at the bar or table. Drinks are consistently good if not amazing. What holds it back is the fairly consistent unavailability of items on the menu. Whether it’s mixed drinks, wine, a dessert, or being out of fried chicken it makes for a frustrating dining experience. You settle on a choice and then are told politely oh sorry we’re out of that. Once I had two wine choices declined due to being out and the other evening the friends we dined with had 2 drinks and a dessert not available. The wine list is also fairly limited, we often can’t find a choice we truly enjoy. All that being said we will absolutely continue to go to Hawks Public House and would also love to check out their location in Granite Bay.

Steve Warburton

Hawks is one of our go to places in town that we consistently enjoy. If I could do 4.5 I would because it is very close to a 5 but a few things hold it back. The food is reliably delicious and at times incredible. Highlights over the last year have been scallop crudo, a pork pâté, mushroom gnocchi, pork shoulder ragu, Fried Chicken Monday, the roast chicken with au jus. The service is also very excellent either at the bar or table. Drinks are consistently good if not amazing. What holds it back is the fairly consistent unavailability of items on the menu. Whether it’s mixed drinks, wine, a dessert, or being out of fried chicken it makes for a frustrating dining experience. You settle on a choice and then are told politely oh sorry we’re out of that. Once I had two wine choices declined due to being out and the other evening the friends we dined with had 2 drinks and a dessert not available. The wine list is also fairly limited, we often can’t find a choice we truly enjoy. All that being said we will absolutely continue to go to Hawks Public House and would also love to check out their location in Granite Bay.

C White

O, I think I'm in love. What a find. Right on the outskirts of Midtown on Alhambra, with plenty of parking, who knew. Hawks was a welcomed surprise. Ambiance, wonderful smells coming from the kitchen but not pretentious. A great menu, something for everyone and at the bar, Bob Ross painting a landscape in the background. My burger was juicy, favorable and just the right size. I will definitely be going back.

Ti Funn

On October 31, 2025, my son came up from San Francisco to visit from college for Halloween. His cousin also attends Sacramento State, so we decided to go to Heartstoppers together. Before picking up my nephew, I decided to have some alone time with my son over dinner. The restaurant of choice was Hawks. Now, I’m aware that I look young, femme-presenting, and African (I am of African descent), but the assumption that I don’t know good food came as a shock. As someone who trained to cook in both Europe and Africa, consider me intrigued. I usually visit restaurants based on reviews since I prefer my own style of cooking; however, I wanted to give my son another option, as he’s my favorite food critic. My reservation was for 5:45 p.m., but due to my lack of attention, I passed the parking lot twice. I finally parked and entered the restaurant at 5:50 p.m. The plan was for my son and me to eat and leave around 7:00 p.m. The hostess mentioned that the restaurant makes everything fresh, which sounded great. We ordered the Ahi Tuna Tartare and Deviled Eggs; both were very good. My son and I then chose a lobster pasta dish, which sounded perfect since I had not yet reached my spending limit of $175. I assumed someone would have prepared the pasta dough before the restaurant opened to give it adequate time to rest and speed up preparation. Apparently, I was mistaken. We waited about 45 minutes for our dish. When it finally arrived, I was not thrilled with the pasta, it was thick and undercooked. The combination of peppers in the dish also failed to complement the lobster, resulting in an overall unappealing flavor profile. As someone who has traveled to 41 countries, speaks Creole, and cooks Creole dishes almost daily, I can confidently say there are far better flavor pairings for lobster than what was presented that evening. Needless to say, I was 17 minutes late picking up my nephew and disappointed with my choice of restaurant.

Had quite the experience at Hawks which leaves me with mixed feelings. My drink was fabulous. The general manager, Cody, was super nice and respectful. The food was surprisingly poor....and wasn't sure to take it personally or what because other plates that came out looked great. I ordered the fried chicken plate. It is just me or does it look extra extra extra crispy. Mashed potatoes needed salt and brussels sprouts were pretty good. The deviled eggs were the best part of my meal. I kinda felt ignored when I sat down until greeted by Cody. They obviously had regulars there who may have been given priority service but I still think everyone should be made to feel welcome. #honestreview

We decided to give this place a try after eyeballing it for a while. Wasn’t sure what to expect, but we were quite underwhelmed. We ordered the Kennebec fries to start, and they were some of the crunchiest fries I’ve ever had. The texture reminded me of in n out but thicker, lacked seasoning other than parmesan and chives, hurt my teeth after couple of em. The parmesan was very flavorful and the dip made them eatable. We then ordered the pork belly appetizer and carbonara next. The pork belly was the best out of the 3 dishes. Very light yet nice smokey flavor and soft texture. It came with watermelon radishes that added a sweet pinch to it. The carbonara though, was probably the most bland one I have ever had. I have been to Italy and around couple of good restaurants to know what a good authentic carbonara is, unfortunately this dish wasnt worth it here, especially for $32 and a 2% surcharge which is a different issue (I firmly believe that the restaurant workers should be fairly compensated by the restaurant and not worded towards the consumer to blame for unfairly wages that restaurant is not paying the workers). Anyway some other positives - the staff was nice and the Arnold palmer i ordered was really refreshing albeit sour. Other big negative - it was really hot inside, took away from the experience a bit. Will definitely not be coming back here anytime soon.

Kat Girl

Had quite the experience at Hawks which leaves me with mixed feelings. My drink was fabulous. The general manager, Cody, was super nice and respectful. The food was surprisingly poor....and wasn't sure to take it personally or what because other plates that came out looked great. I ordered the fried chicken plate. It is just me or does it look extra extra extra crispy. Mashed potatoes needed salt and brussels sprouts were pretty good. The deviled eggs were the best part of my meal. I kinda felt ignored when I sat down until greeted by Cody. They obviously had regulars there who may have been given priority service but I still think everyone should be made to feel welcome. #honestreview

Peter Pam

We decided to give this place a try after eyeballing it for a while. Wasn’t sure what to expect, but we were quite underwhelmed. We ordered the Kennebec fries to start, and they were some of the crunchiest fries I’ve ever had. The texture reminded me of in n out but thicker, lacked seasoning other than parmesan and chives, hurt my teeth after couple of em. The parmesan was very flavorful and the dip made them eatable. We then ordered the pork belly appetizer and carbonara next. The pork belly was the best out of the 3 dishes. Very light yet nice smokey flavor and soft texture. It came with watermelon radishes that added a sweet pinch to it. The carbonara though, was probably the most bland one I have ever had. I have been to Italy and around couple of good restaurants to know what a good authentic carbonara is, unfortunately this dish wasnt worth it here, especially for $32 and a 2% surcharge which is a different issue (I firmly believe that the restaurant workers should be fairly compensated by the restaurant and not worded towards the consumer to blame for unfairly wages that restaurant is not paying the workers). Anyway some other positives - the staff was nice and the Arnold palmer i ordered was really refreshing albeit sour. Other big negative - it was really hot inside, took away from the experience a bit. Will definitely not be coming back here anytime soon.

Ryan Blackman

Honestly surprised about our poor experience after reading other reviews. Arrived 10 minutes before our reservation when only the bar was open and the lone bartender couldn’t handle a 2/3 full bar. Hostess wouldn’t let us sit at any of the empty tables since the servers hadn’t arrived so we were left standing in the middle of the restaurant unable to get a drink. Finally made it to a space in the bar and the bartender said he was too busy to take our order right away. Other staff there but no one ever came to help him. Eventually took 40 minutes to get drinks and well 90 minutes to get our food. Watched people who came in well after us get their food 20 minutes before us. House cocktail had a weird consistency and several items we ordered weren’t great. Rigatoni sauce was tasty but noodles were very tough. Cold blob of cheese on top isn’t a great addition as the pasta cooled over pretty quickly. Server was pleasant but seemed unfamiliar with some menu items ingredients. Overall not a place I’d go back to.

Long time fan of Hawks - however I came in with a group of friends tonight & was super disappointed with how slow the service was tonight. First the drinks took 30 minutes to come out, which on A Saturday night i understand and didn’t think much of it. Then entrees took over an hour to arrive. As we’re waiting, the restaurant was almost empty & we couldn’t make any excuses for why the food would take so long. Our server didn’t give us any explanations. And when the food finally did come, it wasn’t even hot. As someone who’s worked in the industry before, I kept thinking surely they will try to apologize for the wait, maybe offer a dessert or comp an appetizer to make up for it - but nothing was offered. There was no apologies or explanations. For a restaurant of this caliber, I was super disappointed. It honestly ruined the vibe of our gathering out. If our server could have at least tried to a

David Pilch

Food is fantastic! We always sat at the bar and the Staff is completely without personality, not attentive whatsoever. Many “Manager” looking people standing around not paying attention to anything just talking. The overall feeling is that we are imposing. Ryan that used to work there was amazing! Engaging and fun. Since she left it’s a disaster. It is completely off our list. Poorly run

Basically I pay them to poison me! Nothing is organic but very expensive 😏 Heavy pesticides and preservatives used in their kitchen as it makes me sick for a couple of days after I eat here (I checked the ingredients). please start using better ingredients in your restaurant that won't make people sick! Also.. I get the lamb, it's very good but always manages to make me sick for a couple of days. And it's not consistent, the dish arrived with very little meat (maybe 2 oz) and 1 and a 1/2 pieces of mushrooms