If you want to be part of a town that's small enough to be quaint yet big enough to offer a huge variety, you'll be right at home in Elk Grove. We at Harbour Point Self Storage love Elk Grove and we're extremely proud to be part of this great community. As your neighborhood self storage facility, we are 100 percent devoted to sharing everything that’s great about Elk Grove with you. Here are our picks for the Top 10 Fun Things to do in Elk Grove!
#1: Best Place to Spend a Day at the Park
If there was such a thing as a "world class regional park", Elk Grove Regional Park would be in that category! This stunning regional park has been a center for great things in Elk Grove since the late 1800s! While its funding and management has changed since its beginnings, its gorgeousness hasn't. This park has over 120 acres of majestic trees with beauty that will take your breath away. And there's so much more to appreciate at Elk Grove Regional Park that it's hard to capture it completely with words. Here's a snapshot of what you can expect: a seven and a half acre fishing pond complete with a half-acre island offering pirate themed play structures; an off-leash dog park; a great disc golf course; sand volleyball courts; an aquatic center, 17 reservable picnic areas and several other areas for barbecuing; horseshoe pits; a rentable pavilion; softball fields; a youth center; a gorgeous one and a quarter mile, multi-use trail. Whew! This park is unbelievable.
In addition to being opened year-round providing its visitors with a place to recreate, exercise, and delight in nature, it's also home to many community events and historical points of interest. One such place is the original Rhoads School House. While this school house was moved to this site in 1977, it was built in 1849 and named after the brother in law of one of the rescuers of the Donner Party, John Pierce Rhoads. In 1872, it closed because of a malaria outbreak and was only moved to this site after being beautifully restored by the Elk Grove Historical Society. It now serves as a meeting room as well as a living museum for children and adults alike.
Elk Grove Regional Park hours are Sunrise to Sunset with no park admission.
For information on Rhoads School House, contact Elk Grove Historical Society at 916-685-8115.
Elk Grove Regional Park is located at:
9950 Elk Grove Florin Rd, Elk Grove, CA 95624.
#2: Best Place to Buy Gourmet Popcorn
When you want gourmet popcorn that's the gold standard of fresh, handcrafted and artisan flavored deliciousness, you want to visit The Popcorn Store! From the moment you walk in, you're met with the best combination of sweet aromas that are coupled with a feast for the eyes, mind and tummy. Because The Popcorn Store is family owned and run, every single detail of this eatery pops with perfection (get it, popcorn store pops with fun?). Pun always intended. The Popcorn Store has belonged to the same family for over 10 years. Not only is the service great and the ambiance fun, there are over 30 flavors of popcorn to choose from on any given day. In addition to some regulars like gourmet white, cheddar cheese, white cheddar cheese, kettle corn and caramel corn, there are other flavors that you can find most of the time such as (personal favorite alert!) chocolate drizzle, caramel peanut and Vic's Mix ( gourmet white, cheddar cheese and caramel mixed together in a sweet and salty combo that is addicting). But wait for it, there are seasonal popcorn flavors that don’t have enough months in the season to try everything. From Christmas candied apple to coconut and tons in between, this place is virtually too good to be true.
If that's not enough to make you run right out now to The Popcorn Store, take heart that this mecca of amazing popcorn uses the freshest of ingredients and is always working on new recipes so that you will never run out of exciting flavors to entice your taste buds. Head for The Popcorn Store and prepare to meet your newest addiction. You won't be sorry and neither will your budget because The Popcorn Store's delicious offerings are extremely reasonably priced. It's a win/win! The Popcorn Store is open Monday through Saturday 11:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. Sunday 12:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M.
The Popcorn Store is located at:
9679 Stockton Blvd. Elk Grove, CA 95624
916-686-0333
thepopcornstoreca.com
#3: Best Brewery That's Family Friendly
A favorite brewery can be subjective, especially when you have more than one great one like Elk Grove has. So, what else sets them apart? Environment. If you want to enjoy a relaxing afternoon or evening at a brewery that offers something fun for your kids, you must go to Tilted Mash Brewing! This place does an amazing job at crafting beer and creating a family friendly atmosphere that will make everyone feel at home. Now don't get me wrong, the beer at Tilted Mash Brewing is outstanding. The really fun thing about Tilted Mash Brewing is that it provides families with young kids a way to relax and enjoy themselves. Tilted Mash Brewing created a children's play area that is secure and allows parents to monitor the kids with ease. Tilted Mash Brewing owners are gracious hosts to adults and kids alike and even provide free snacks for kids. But it's not all about the kid friendly goodies. Adults have an amazing place to enjoy great crafted beer.
The Tilted Mash Brewing got its name because its owners used their original brewing equipment so much that it started tilting. That was before the beer crafting team took things to a whole new level by opening the vibrant Tilted Mash Brewing. This Elk Grove brewery is known for its creative brews that include imaginative seasonal releases as well as some of their award-winning IPAs. Tilted Mash Brewing is open Monday 3:00 P.M. to 8:00 PM Wednesday 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM Thursday 3:00 PM-9:00 PM Friday 3:00 PM to 10:00 PM Saturday 12:00 PM to 10:00 PM Sunday 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Tilted Mash Brewing is located at:
9175 Union Park Way Elk Grove, CA 95624
916-714-MASH
tiltedmash.com
#4: Best Beat the Room for a Fun Group Activity
When it's your turn to plan an activity for you and your friends or family, you're in luck in Elk Grove. One of the great choices available happens as Exit Strategy Games. This place is amazing! If you're new to the escape room craze, you're in for a treat. This is a great way to hang out with people you love while having have tons of material for stimulating fun. After reserving your exciting room of choice, you all show up prepared to have a great time solving a mystery within the room. It's nothing but fun as you work your way through clues, hints and puzzles centered around the room's theme. And look at the themes you get to choose from at Exit Strategy. There's the Torture Chamber where you and your thrill-seeking tribe of true toughies must find your way out of a basement in under 60 minutes so that you don't become the next victims of a serial killer's work. If breakfast isn't your thing-wait, wrong kind of "cereal!" If serial killers aren't your thing, Exit Strategy has you covered. There's Conspiracy Theory with a game within a game to be solved and still only 60 minutes to escape out of a strange apartment where nothing is familiar to you. There's also The Pet Snatched where you and your pack of proud pet protectors break into Granny Sticky Finger's house to solve the mystery of who is making the town's pets disappear!
Exit Strategy is a great place to suspend reality and step into another world where fun, excitement and challenges collide under one roof. If you're not new to the escape room craze, you'll really appreciate this feature. Exit Strategy offers private game opportunities so, unlike other escape room venues where you share the room with people you don't know, Exit Strategy makes it possible for the room to be solved just with you and your friends! If you're an escape room enthusiast, you know this is a unique feature and could be a game changer (did I JUST say that, yes!). Don't forget, you have to make reservations to get in on the fun. Ready, set, GO! Exit Strategy is open Monday through Sunday 10 A.M. to 11:45 P.M.
Exit Strategy is located at: 9833 Kent Street, Elk Grove, CA 95624
Phone: 916-399-3948
exitstrategygames.com
#5: Best Sports Bar and Pub Grub
When you're in the mood to go out and enjoy great food while watching a game with a bunch of fans, go to Bull Wings. It is THE perfect sports bar with everything a sports bar needs to be. Here's what's happening at Bull Wings that makes it fly at a higher than average altitude (oh no, early pun can't be a good thing! Or can it?). The setting is fun. There's plenty of seating and even an outdoor fire pit for those wanting to chill outdoors. For game watching, everyone has the best seat in the house with several big screens for easy viewing of all games being played. If there's a major game that's playing earlier than typical hours, Bull Wings will even open early that day so their regular patrons can enjoy games together. In addition to treating their customers well, Bull Wings has earned a reputation for making great food.
Bull Wings food includes all kinds of appetizers from giant Bavarian pretzels with beer cheese to porkitos. There's pizza, burgers, sandwiches, ribs, fish and chips, several amazing salads and even buffalo chicken fettucine. But the main attraction are the wings! These things are unbeatable with all sauces coming in five levels of heat ranging from mild to "my face has just fried off my head!" Each order is bone in or boneless with sauces that are addicting, to say the least! There are sauces like spicy honey chipotle, garlic parmesan, Cajun, teriyaki and even Thai sweet chili, to name a few of the great options they have. Order sizes range from 6 to 50 wings! But just when you've heard it all, here's more. There are amazing sides like buffalo blue fries and bull wings tater tots! Everything is cooked fresh and to your liking. Now you know why herds of people are heading to Bull Wings! It’s the place to go. Bull Wings is open every day from Monday through Sunday 11:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M.
Bull Wings is located at:
9625 E Stockton Blvd Elk Grove, CA 95624
916-681-9464
#6: Best Place to Enjoy Great Coffee and Tea
If you're among those who believe that coffee is almost sacred, you’ll be ecstatic to learn that Elk Grove is home to the finest coffee experience you'll ever taste. 18 Grams of Coffee and Tea is a coffee lover's dream come true. Those who appreciate great coffee know that every detail counts. 18 Grams of Coffee and Tea is a detail-oriented place whose owners have left nothing to chance. The coffee is locally roasted and chosen for the specific qualities this coffee house wants to be known for. The coffee is smooth with deep undertones yet light all at the same time. It's never bitter or sour. You can enjoy your coffee pour black or you can have one of the many handcrafted coffees such as a latte, mocha Thai or something called "The Graham" which is a double shot of espresso with vanilla, honey, cinnamon, sugar and steamed milk! But if you'd rather try tea, there’s a wonderful variety for you to choose from. You can start with hot or iced tea but certainly venture out from there to Chai Latte which is chai, steamed milk and Ibarra chocolate or go with a matcha latte that’s matcha green tea with steamed milk. But you can't leave until you've given their affogato some serious consideration! This is THE way to have coffee. Now picture this-the most delicious of espresso poured over a creamy scoop of ice cream. This is the delicacy of the coffee world and 18 Grams of Coffee and Tea has perfected this dessert drink! It's the kind of perfection that makes you wake up already thinking about how to work it into your day. Speaking of ice, 18 Grams of Coffee and Tea made the list of "Best Places for Iced Coffee" competing against Sacramento's many coffee houses! With drinks like their hazelnut Vietnamese coffees, the sea salt ice cream coffee and their famous, high potency 18 to the Brain which is a mixture of sweetened condensed milk with FOUR shots of espresso, of course they're best in the region! I should mention that 18 Grams of Coffee and Tea uses Gunther's ice cream. That alone says volumes about the high quality that pours through every feature of 18 Grams of Coffee and Tea. 18 Grams of Coffee and Tea is open Monday through Friday 6:30 A.M. to 8:30 P.M. Saturday and Sunday 7:00 A.M. to 8:30 P.M.
18 Grams of Coffee and Tea is located at:
9677 E. Stockton Blvd. Elk Grove, CA 95624
916-895-2672
18gramscoffee.com
#7: Best Place to Eat Vegan Pizza and Appetizers
Pizza Bell has enjoyed a great reputation for serving delicious Italian food for over 30 years. This family owned and operated pizza parlor is a great example of how excellence is a transferrable skill and stands the test of time. Just like Pizza Bell has always been known for being a great place to build your own pizza, it’s now known as the place to eat THE best vegan pizza and appetizers in the region. People come from out of town to eat food from Pizza Bell’s vegan menu!
Let's start by saying that Pizza Bell is a place you go when you want to eat out and relax with family and friends. It's comfortable, has plenty of room and really makes you feel like you've stepped back in time when people met a pizza parlor to enjoy a long lunch or dinner relaxing over food. Add to the relaxed vibe that the service is wonderful. And then there's the food! Of course, everything served, including a lunch buffet, is fresh and delicious. But an entire vegan menu awaits you and it's a show stopper! All their great food is made with a home-made touch. Everything from their famous savory twists to calzones to pizza, it's all made fresh and 100 percent vegan. Oh, by the way, that includes mouthwatering apple or raspberry twists for dessert! Everything on the vegan menu is made adhering to the highest vegan food preparation standards. Pizza Bell is open Sunday through Thursday 11:00 A.M to 10:00 P.M. Friday and Saturday 11:00 A.M. to 11:00 P.M.
Pizza Bell is located at:<br />8591 Elk Grove Blvd. Elk Grove, CA 95624
916-685-1560
pizzabell.org
#8: Best Place to Paint and Sip
Pinot's Palette is perfect for that occasion when you want to gather your favorite people to have fun. I could easily stop here but there is so much more that makes Pinot's Palette a perfect choice for memory making with loved ones. And it all starts with making reservations for one of the several great classes offered. There's a monthly schedule of classes presenting several style opportunities for you to choose. Once you and your colorful cast of compadres register for your class, all you do is show up prepared to paint the town (was that TWO puns in one sentence?). Remember, there are absolutely no artistic skills required to participate in Pinot Palette's classes and best of all, everything is provided for you.
Imagine the fun you’ll all have as you create your masterpiece under the guidance of one of Pinot Palette's artists. Of course, because Pinot Palette is an experience that combines painting with socializing, no gathering is complete without munchies and sips. Participants are welcome to bring their own food and Pinot Palette handles all the beverage needs. Pinot Palette's wine and beer selections are substantial and varied so there's something for everyone to enjoy. Pinot Palette also provides the opportunity for private parties. It's a great place for special celebrations, team building exercises and there's even a mobile paint party option if you want Pinot Palette to come to your event. The possibilities for fun are endless! So, get your party started with Pinot Palette today. Pinot Palette opens daily at 2:00 P.M. See website for class times.
Pinot’s Pallette is located at Elk Grove Blvd A, Elk Grove, CA 95624
916-895-2627
www.pinotspalette.com/elkgrove
#9: Best Elk Grove Fall Festival
When the air turns a bit crisp and the days are shorter, think fall festivals. Fortunately for Elk Grove, it is home to the best fall festival in the region-Elk Grove's Annual Giant Pumpkin Festival! Now this isn't an exaggeration, this two-day festival has a long-standing history in the Elk Grove community and has attracted as many as 50,000 guests every year! It's absolutely the most fun-packed fall festival around so it's no surprise that it’s so popular. First, the setting is gorgeous! Set in Elk Grove Regional Park, there's so much room for moving from activity to event with ease. Second, this huge festival is going into its 29th year; with its long record of success, everything runs very well. Third, the number of activities are plentiful and variety of activities include: a pumpkin regatta with pumpkins carved into boats and paddled across the park's lake, a hometown pumpkin pie eating contest, a giant pumpkin and produce contest, giant pumpkin carving contest, a scarecrow contest, a youth art contest, and a giant pumpkin drop. Now the word "giant" isn’t used lightly at the Elk Grove Giant Pumpkin Festival. Last year's giant pumpkin carving contest's second place winner broke the Guinness Book of World Records weighing in at 2,077 pounds! And last (but not least) there's massive pumpkin deliciousness in all forms. If you're nuts about pumpkin, you'll be one satisfied festival guest. Local non-profit groups, vendors and restaurants all sell pumpkin yumminess in every conceivable way you can enjoy eating pumpkin. But there's even more to look forward. On Saturday morning, adults can enter their own pumpkin flavored treats to win a cash prize. On Sunday morning, junior bakers age 12 and under can enter a pumpkin cupcake contest for fun and prizes.
It's not just about the food and contests though (although that's spectacular enough). There's entertainment for the whole family. There are pumpkin themed games and activities for all ages. Kids can enjoy "Scarecrow Alley" and there's even a "Scarecrows from Around the World" display. There are also carnival games, rides and even an arts and crafts station! No festival would be complete without music and Elk Grove’s Giant Pumpkin Festival has tons of entertainment throughout its two days at three separate stages. This amazing festival is organized by the Cosumnes Community Services District (CSD) Parks and Recreation Department in partnership with several sponsors. A portion of festival proceeds benefit local youth and service organizations. This festival takes place the first weekend of October. Hours are 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free and parking is $10 for cars and $30 for busses.
Elk Grove Giant Pumpkin Festival is held in Elk Grove Regional Park
Elk Grove Regional Park is located at:
9950 Elk Grove Florin Rd, Elk Grove, CA 95624
#10: Best Place to Enjoy Fine Dining
Sheldon Inn Restaurant and Bar leaves no doubt that it's where you want to go when celebrating special occasions by a night out of fine dining. This elegant restaurant is in a 100-year-old building that is as stunning as the food is excellent. The Sheldon Inn Restaurant and Bar serves its patrons in the elegant manner one expects from premier dining destination. Featuring Portuguese, Classic French and American cuisine, Sheldon Inn Restaurant and Bar pleases everyone who graces its gorgeous dining room. In addition to creating its featured cuisines, the culinary team designs newly inspired dishes resulting in a beautiful balance of old and new world fare. The wonderful food served here matches the beauty of the surroundings in which it's served; it can't be described as anything but extraordinary. Appetizers include, but not limited to: a surf and turf trio which is "oscar" filet medallion; teriyaki beef skewers and tamarindo glazed prawns; a delightful offering of "mussels and frites" which is fresh mussels prepared in white wine with shaved garlic, fries and Portuguese linguica; and king crab leg cocktail. In addition to several salads made of fresh greens, the soup offered daily is Portuguese bean soup. Of course, there's always an additional "soup of the day." Entrée selections vary from several cuts of Black Angus beef to seafood to pork and chicken. No detail towards perfection is spared including the sides which are a choice of a loaded baked potato, sautéed spinach, grilled asparagus or fried brussel sprouts. Of course, with a fine dining experience like this, the deserts are unparalleled! There's classic crème brulee, chocolate crinkle cookies served with Gunther's ice cream, rice pudding, seasonal fruit cobbler and something called a chocolate bomb which is a praline cookie, chocolate mousse, chocolate ganache and raspberry puree. There are more items to choose from so leaving room for dessert is highly recommended.
For those wanting to experience Sheldon Inn Restaurant and Bar in a more casual way, the lounge area has a full bar and well-appointed wine list. There's also a patio complete with a fire pit. Sheldon Inn is also famous for its beautiful wedding venue setting. With an outdoor gazebo, bar, dance floors, market lights and outdoor restrooms, it's the perfect location for an outdoor wedding ceremony and reception. Sheldon Inn and Restaurant is open Tuesday through Thursday 5:00 P.M. to 8:30 P.M., Friday and Saturday 5:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. Closed on Sunday and Monday.
Sheldon Inn Restaurant and Bar is located at:
9000 Grant Line Road, Elk Grove, CA 95624
Phone: 916-686-8330
silvassheldoninn.com
Harbour Point Self Storage: We Are Elk Grove's Neighborhood Self Storage Facility
We hope you've enjoyed our list of the best of the best in Elk Grove. We'd love to hear your feedback and your suggestions for other great things to see and do in Elk Grove. Please stop by at Harbour Point Self Storage and tell us what you've discovered; we'd love to hear from you!
