Friendly staff and delicious food. I had the Tri-Tip dinner with Mac and Cheese and Potato Salad.Hella bomb!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
clifford robinzine
Worst service and bad attitude from them they dont care and food all mixed together they suck
Atmosphere: 1
Anthony Brown
This place is an absolute gem in the downtown flats community. Delicious beyond reason and great service to match. Taste Buds deserves so much attention.
kia phillips
Whew where do I start! My coworkers and I decided to try this for the first time.1. CoWorker 1 had Brisket sandwich with fries which he thought was good. 2. CoWorker 2 had Dry Fried Rib dinner with macaroni and cheese and collard greens. The dry fried ribs were good. The sides were just ok.3. I had catfish nuggets and fries. I did not like the fish at all so I ordered wings things, they were good.Here's the issue. The server/ probably cook, brought the check to the table. She saw that I didn't eat the fish. She asked me why. I told her that they tasted old or tasted as if they were cooked in old grease. She decided she wanted to argue. I let her know that I was not there for all of that mess, just ring me up. She asked if I wanted her to take the fish off my check, I replied " ma'am, I'm here to support your establishment not get something for free". She insisted on taking the fish off my bill anyway. Needless to say, they should probably hire a waitress
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 1
S. Jones
Honestly, it was just aight. I found it to be a bit expensive. The owners were nice.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2
Tess Gallagher
Highly recommend this restaurant! The service is super friendly and the food is delicious! We had the brisket dinner with 2 sides, the coleslaw and potato salad were our favorites. I’ve also had the sweet potato pie which is amazing.Kid-friendliness: They have a good looking kids menu as well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Potato Salad SM, Cole Slaw, Sweet Potato Pie
Tom Ewing
Though quite experienced with midtown, Alkali Flat isn't an area I've learned. So, i find myself at an motel on upper 16th, and desperately needed bbq - home food. Luckily I found Taste Buds - accidentally. Ordered pick up but arrived early. What hit me as I walked in was the light filled warmth. Since I had time, I was happily engaged by one of the owners. They were just wonderful. We chatted about what are my steps to evaluate bbq places: warmth, clean bathrooms, clean kitchen, excellent bbq, AND excellent slaw and mac n cheese.They won my 5 of 5 on most accounts. By far, the slaw and mac n cheese was some of the best I've ever had. My ribs had the most delicious and amazing suite of flavors. My only request is for the ribs to be cooked longer - a few hours. But, that was a small thing in my whole experience. I highly recommend this for people who want a quiet dinner (one separate room), quiet drinks (separate room). And a very well stocked bar with a beautiful blue acrylic art. A great addition for our community.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cole Slaw, Pork Ribs
Je'Quan Clark
The food last night was awesome definitely will come back
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Spicy BBQ Sauce, Collard Greens & Corn Muffin, Pork Ribs, 3 Way Combo w 2 Sides and Rib Tips
Lisette T.
Updated 2/2024: I just couldn't stay away, and stopped in a week ago, really craving their turkey spaghetti, hoping I would fibd it unchanged. Had a chat with the owners, and got the lowdown on what caused the temporary changes I mentioned 9 months ago that had me frustrated, ordered my usual and it was just as delicious as it always was. They had to let a few people go that were negatively impacting their business and reputation, and not treating customers or other staff well. They curated the menu to local tastes and favorites. They brought in weekend events, brunches, and sports day specials. And they haven't lost that bomb R&B playlist that'll have you jamming while you order! Thank you Jackie & Janae for caring enough to explain, and for making sure you'll stick around in the neighborhood for years to come. I'm still ya'lls fan!!! ***
I really like this place; I love that it is a family run business. Mom, dad and daughter. They are the friendliest people and make you feel like you are being served in their home. The fried chicken, which is what I go for is SO yummy!!! AND it's COOKED TO ORDER! not precooked then redropped in the fryer when ordered. I really wish they could get more business there though. Both times I went, there was one maybe 2 other tables. I will be back. I would like to think I would try something else, but I know me, fried chicken 100%. LOL
Dejah H.
Food was cooked perfectly texture wise, everything could use a bit more flavor. Beautiful venue and nice bar/interior. Don't judge a book by its cover! I got some amazing pictures of the food- remember I said everything was cooked perfectly texture wise, just lacking a bit of flavor is all. Owners are great people & family business! Presentation gorgeous. Wouldn't recommend bbq to people on a budget Quantity to cost is overkill a bit. Overall would definitely go enjoy a drink and maybe a side again.
Dre S.
The food here was excellent. Not sure about the negative reviews, might be because this place is pretty new and they've figured it out since those experiences. I got the brisket and my friend got the friend chicken meal. He's from the south and said the collard greens were the best he's ever had in a restaurant. (His grandma's are better, of course.) He loved his chicken so much I didn't even get to try it. The yams were very flavorful as well. The inside is cute as well. Nice bar set up and it smelled very clean. The food did take awhile, but that didn't bother me because I wasn't in a rush. But take it into consideration when you go, as you should.
Matt Fowler
I'm writing this review as I sit in the Taste Buds dining room on my 46th birthday with my parents and my 5 year old daughter fighting off a BBQ induced food coma. This place is a Downtown Sacramento GEM!!! The food was incredible right down to the fried Okra appetizer. We had the brisket, rib tips, and fried catfish. All masterfully plated with more than generous proportions of BBQ bliss. All of this executed by an incredibly hospitable wait staff who took great care of my family from start to finish. So thank you Taste Buds.........we will absolutely be back again very soon!!!!
This is a promising restaurant. Just need a little tweaking with the customer service. The ribs were really good! The greens did not look like the greens on there menu, no smoked meat in it as advertised but was seasoned really well. The potatoe salad was a little bland maybe could use a little more mayo and relish. I tried the baked spaghetti my friend ordered and it was surprisingly really tasty. Would definitely go back for the ribs and spaghetti.
Great food. Even better owners.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Friendly staff and delicious food. I had the Tri-Tip dinner with Mac and Cheese and Potato Salad.Hella bomb!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Worst service and bad attitude from them they dont care and food all mixed together they suck
Atmosphere: 1
This place is an absolute gem in the downtown flats community. Delicious beyond reason and great service to match. Taste Buds deserves so much attention.
Whew where do I start! My coworkers and I decided to try this for the first time.1. CoWorker 1 had Brisket sandwich with fries which he thought was good. 2. CoWorker 2 had Dry Fried Rib dinner with macaroni and cheese and collard greens. The dry fried ribs were good. The sides were just ok.3. I had catfish nuggets and fries. I did not like the fish at all so I ordered wings things, they were good.Here's the issue. The server/ probably cook, brought the check to the table. She saw that I didn't eat the fish. She asked me why. I told her that they tasted old or tasted as if they were cooked in old grease. She decided she wanted to argue. I let her know that I was not there for all of that mess, just ring me up. She asked if I wanted her to take the fish off my check, I replied " ma'am, I'm here to support your establishment not get something for free". She insisted on taking the fish off my bill anyway. Needless to say, they should probably hire a waitress
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 1
Honestly, it was just aight. I found it to be a bit expensive. The owners were nice.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2
Highly recommend this restaurant! The service is super friendly and the food is delicious! We had the brisket dinner with 2 sides, the coleslaw and potato salad were our favorites. I’ve also had the sweet potato pie which is amazing.Kid-friendliness: They have a good looking kids menu as well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Potato Salad SM, Cole Slaw, Sweet Potato Pie
Though quite experienced with midtown, Alkali Flat isn't an area I've learned. So, i find myself at an motel on upper 16th, and desperately needed bbq - home food. Luckily I found Taste Buds - accidentally. Ordered pick up but arrived early. What hit me as I walked in was the light filled warmth. Since I had time, I was happily engaged by one of the owners. They were just wonderful. We chatted about what are my steps to evaluate bbq places: warmth, clean bathrooms, clean kitchen, excellent bbq, AND excellent slaw and mac n cheese.They won my 5 of 5 on most accounts. By far, the slaw and mac n cheese was some of the best I've ever had. My ribs had the most delicious and amazing suite of flavors. My only request is for the ribs to be cooked longer - a few hours. But, that was a small thing in my whole experience. I highly recommend this for people who want a quiet dinner (one separate room), quiet drinks (separate room). And a very well stocked bar with a beautiful blue acrylic art. A great addition for our community.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cole Slaw, Pork Ribs
The food last night was awesome definitely will come back
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Spicy BBQ Sauce, Collard Greens & Corn Muffin, Pork Ribs, 3 Way Combo w 2 Sides and Rib Tips
Updated 2/2024: I just couldn't stay away, and stopped in a week ago, really craving their turkey spaghetti, hoping I would fibd it unchanged. Had a chat with the owners, and got the lowdown on what caused the temporary changes I mentioned 9 months ago that had me frustrated, ordered my usual and it was just as delicious as it always was. They had to let a few people go that were negatively impacting their business and reputation, and not treating customers or other staff well. They curated the menu to local tastes and favorites. They brought in weekend events, brunches, and sports day specials. And they haven't lost that bomb R&B playlist that'll have you jamming while you order! Thank you Jackie & Janae for caring enough to explain, and for making sure you'll stick around in the neighborhood for years to come. I'm still ya'lls fan!!! ***
Restaurantji Recommends
I really like this place; I love that it is a family run business. Mom, dad and daughter. They are the friendliest people and make you feel like you are being served in their home. The fried chicken, which is what I go for is SO yummy!!! AND it's COOKED TO ORDER! not precooked then redropped in the fryer when ordered. I really wish they could get more business there though. Both times I went, there was one maybe 2 other tables. I will be back. I would like to think I would try something else, but I know me, fried chicken 100%. LOL
Food was cooked perfectly texture wise, everything could use a bit more flavor. Beautiful venue and nice bar/interior. Don't judge a book by its cover! I got some amazing pictures of the food- remember I said everything was cooked perfectly texture wise, just lacking a bit of flavor is all. Owners are great people & family business! Presentation gorgeous. Wouldn't recommend bbq to people on a budget Quantity to cost is overkill a bit. Overall would definitely go enjoy a drink and maybe a side again.
The food here was excellent. Not sure about the negative reviews, might be because this place is pretty new and they've figured it out since those experiences. I got the brisket and my friend got the friend chicken meal. He's from the south and said the collard greens were the best he's ever had in a restaurant. (His grandma's are better, of course.) He loved his chicken so much I didn't even get to try it. The yams were very flavorful as well. The inside is cute as well. Nice bar set up and it smelled very clean. The food did take awhile, but that didn't bother me because I wasn't in a rush. But take it into consideration when you go, as you should.
I'm writing this review as I sit in the Taste Buds dining room on my 46th birthday with my parents and my 5 year old daughter fighting off a BBQ induced food coma. This place is a Downtown Sacramento GEM!!! The food was incredible right down to the fried Okra appetizer. We had the brisket, rib tips, and fried catfish. All masterfully plated with more than generous proportions of BBQ bliss. All of this executed by an incredibly hospitable wait staff who took great care of my family from start to finish. So thank you Taste Buds.........we will absolutely be back again very soon!!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: BBQ Sauce, Baked Bean SM, Fried Okra, Catfish Nuggets
This is a promising restaurant. Just need a little tweaking with the customer service. The ribs were really good! The greens did not look like the greens on there menu, no smoked meat in it as advertised but was seasoned really well. The potatoe salad was a little bland maybe could use a little more mayo and relish. I tried the baked spaghetti my friend ordered and it was surprisingly really tasty. Would definitely go back for the ribs and spaghetti.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Baked Turkey Spaghetti, Pork Ribs