June’s Cafe

It’s been a bit over 6 years since my last review. I really should give the place 5 Stars or at least 4 ½ since I have been coming here for over 35 years (it was Kay’s before June’s) and I live in Stockton some 50 miles away.
A few changes have happened in that time. The restroom has been upgraded. The hours have been reduced. June’s is now open from 10AM to 2PM from Mondays through Thursdays, so only 16 hours a week.
The prices are a bit higher and either the portions are a bit bigger or my stomach is smaller. Of course I am now 72 years old.
This trip my friend had the Pork Teriyaki and I had the Bacon Fried Rice with one wienie extra.
The Miso Soup and Macaroni Salad are still the same both flavored for the Japanese-​American taste.
I did add a couple of photos including one of their menu which hangs on the wall with big letters.

Got there at 1128am on a weekday hoping to grab a bite to eat.
Sat down at the counter. ordered,…had my macaroni salad and miso soup.
by 12:12pm I had to go so I asked if I could have my order to go. June said she gave my order away and that next time I should just have my order to go.
oh well. decent food and great place… but $ 11.50 + Tip=$ 13 for chicken teriyaki that took almost 45 mins. and I had to eat it at the office… and no drink…
No thanks.

Cute little tiny diner that serves great Japanese American comfort food. Blink and you’ll miss the place so keep one eye open.
I highly recommend the pork katsu. She doesn’t use anything extra. No extra salt, pepper, breading, nothing and yet the pork is always so tender and delicious. HOW JUNE? HOW DO YOU DO IT?!
Portion is big. If you’re not too hungry I recommend sharing a plate or maybe plan on taking half of it home for later.
Miao soup is simple and yummy. Kind of the idea of the whole place I guess. Simple but delicious food. Mmmmmm
Price is a tad high but I think it has to do with the quality of food so I don’t mind at all.
5 stars for taste! I do have to drop a star because of the wait time though. June does all the cooking and goes at her pace so don’t come thinking you can squeeze this in your half hour lunch. I always prepare myself a 15 – 30 minute wait. (That’s because I go around the time it opens) Sometimes it’s even more if it gets packed.

No point in posting pics, since everything is pretty well covered by existing shots. This is like going home to my mother’s house except Dennis, June’s hubby, does the serving and will even get up and give you his table when you walk in. I took my big eating, food loving son to June’s as a throwback to the «new» Nihonmachi. The first time, curry wasn’t ready (we arrived too early), so he had the loco moco, and I had the chicken katsu, which isn’t traditional in the sense that it isn’t made from a frozen pre-​packaged katsu piece. June makes it herself, generously portioned, blackened around the edges, crispy, with fried onions on top, and underneath it all a mountain of perfectly made Japanese rice.
My son wanted more, so the next day, we went a little later and ordered the chicken curry. It tastes exactly like my issei mom made it: hearty, full-​flavored, potatoes, carrots, onion, and chicken. Perfect! Every entrée is served with macaroni salad and miso soup (not the watered down kind, but the proper homestyle can’t see the tofu at the bottom kind).
Tips: Cash only; be nice to the cook, she’s June; regulars abound, but they are friendly to newcomers; and it is small with a single stove and cook. Your order may take a bit of time, but you can eat the mac salad and have soup while you wait. We did not wait long for our food and had a great time chatting with Dennis about his former firefighting days, as well as watching June work that stove.
Great for kids. A real historical testament to the former Japanese town in the area (formed when the original Nihonmachi was leveled for city development).
Can’t wait to return to Sacramento. June’s will be one of our first stops!

I used to come here when it was Kay’s. Guess Kay sold it to June. For the most part, the menu is the same. June’s serves tasty Japanese comfort food. There are about 10 stools at the counter and four tables. A small restaurant to be sure, run by a very nice couple. A true mom and pop joint.
I would have given June’s five stars except for the fact, as I write this review, I have been waiting over an hour for my food.
I am sooo hungry I am feeling faint. When you walk in, look around, and see how many are waiting for their food. It will gauge how long you will have to wait.
Bacon fried rice rocks.

So glad i found this place! Beware they accept cash only and only have one grill, but the food is WELL worth the wait! Food was amazing! I nearly inhaled my Loco Moco! Definitely a new fan!

Absolutely lovely owners and amazing Loco moco ! Highly suggest ordering this and service is great. Only thing is that they only accept cash.

Sacramento Hidden Gem. Small dinning area Large portions of food and a great selection. I’ve tried 3 dishes here and loved each of them. Husband and Wife team is a plus in my book. So cute. Cash only so stop off at the ATM. Con– Wish they were open more hours/​days.

Brought my mom to this unique little hidden café. We ordered the ginger beef, loco moco, and terry beef. Although not bland by any means the portions of rice to entrée is severely skewed. About 75% of the dishes are nothing but rice and sauce/​gravy. Of the three dishes the ginger beef was the tastiest. The loco moco was ok with the meat patty and egg. The terry beef was a little over cooked but tasty. In regards to service, we received as expected café level service and was more than adequate. If you like lots of rice with soy sauce flavors then this is the place for you.

Been coming to June’s for years. The only Japanese American comfort food place around. Try the Bacon fried rice, Ginger beef, Oyako Donburi, Loco Moco, Chicken Katsu, Pork teriyaki. Dennis, June’s husband will serve you the miso soup and macaroni salad (try it with a splash of soy sauce). A bit on the pricey side but you get plenty of food. Expect to wait. Don’t be in a hurry to eat.

All I can say is June and Dennis ROCK. no matter how busy this little place gets it still feels like home. Great Country Japanese food, simply awesome

Love this little hidden café. The owner, June and her husband are super sweet. I’ve been here two times and I always order the bacon fried rice with leftovers for lunch the next day. The food is fresh and I love the American/​Japanese/​Hawaiian twist to the dishes. I will visit soon when I have a day off school!

My son was given the choice of any restaurant in Sacramento and this is where he wanted to go!
I’m so happy, the chicken curry, bacon fried rice, miso soup and macaroni salad were awesome. And the service was fantastic.

I promised an update, and here it is. This visit I tried the pork curry, and it was way good. I asked about how hot the curry was before ordering, as I’m not a fan of curry that is too spicy. I was told that this was Japanese style and not hot.
Turns out that the heat was minimal, but the flavor was maximal. A large portion (I don’t think they know how to do it any other way) of curry with pork and vegetables over rice with lots of sauce. I didn’t think I’d be able to eat all of it but came real close.
This isn’t fast food. This is good food. June has a small stove/​griddle from which to turn out her various dishes, so be patient. Trust me, it’s worth the wait. They’re only open from 9 (or maybe 9:30) ’til 2:00, so plan on getting there during those hours. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how good the food is. June’s husband, Dennis, once again did the serving (and most everything else). Dennis is friendly and knows the menu.
Relax and jnjoy!

Bacon Fried Rice!
Oh… you wanted a real review? But why?
Bacon Fried Rice!
Get it, be happy, and enjoy the Japanese American comfort food once borne through our sad history in California that has established its legacy as this small Mom and Pop restaurant. Limited hours, seating, and wait staff. But you’re not coming here because you want to be wined and dined. You want a simple meal, with a neighborhood ambiance, and great hospitality. This is comfort food for all and that’s all I really wanted.
Price range can go anywhere from $ 8-​$ 11 but you’ll always get a little side mac salad and some miso soup. What better way to summarize one of the last places to eat in Sacramento’s Japantown.

Comfy Japanese diner with classics such as katsu, Japanese curry, and loco moco. Every meal comes with a light macaroni salad. Entrees come with monster portions of rice which I almost wish was a little less or a little more curry or katsu. Very casual environment and the owners know a lot of their regular customers.

CASH ONLY!
The photo I uploaded of the Wiene Royal ended up costing $ 10 total (tax + 50 cent extra for takeout. Weird added charge but whatever). Total was kind of pricey seeing how what I ordered consisted of:
Hot dogs
Eggs
Onions
Rice
Not too hard to make on your own to be honest but after seeing the reviews of this family-​owned place that was right next door I decided to try it out.
The place is small and easy to pass if you’re not looking but this little place is pretty well kept, with a couple tables and barstools. Service was fine, took about 20min for me t get my food. Not that long.
Food wise it was good. A lot of food for $ 10 (honestly you could eat half and be full and save the rest for later) plus you yet a side of their macaroni salad which was pretty good too. While I think it should’ve been $ 7 – 8 total, the amount made out for it I guess!
I’ll come back here again and eat in next time for sure.

June’s Café is an American-​Japanese hole-​in-​the-​wall that seamlessly combines elements of different culinary traditions. Although small and a bit cluttered, this modest eatery packs a heavy punch, serving unpretentious food, straightforward and delicious, and quite heavy in proportions.
Just imagine your typical meek diner serving American-​Japanese fusion cuisine — that’s what this restaurant is. The patrons seem to know each other like family. When you sit down and soak everything in, it genuinely feels like you’re visiting June in her own house, watching her cook and serve 10 to 15 people in her humble kitchen.
I am loco for their Loco Moco; it’s one of the better ones I’ve had. The patties were tender and the gravy was wonderful. It was a rather big plate, but I still finished it quickly… that’s what happens when you skip breakfast and grab late lunch. Your meal also comes with a tiny plate of nicely seasoned macaroni, and a bowl of hot tofu miso soup, which were both great appetizers. Overall, this place is a solid lunch spot.

There’s no better way to put it than this: a Japanese diner. Small place, BIG portions!
There’s bar seating, about 10 stools. And 4 tables along the side. Two staff: one cook and one waiter, both serving as dishwasher, busser, cashier, you name it. And what you see in the café is basically it… what I mean by that is you’ll see the kitchen, the sink, the fridge, the freezer, all from standing in one spot, just to give you an idea of how small the place is! If you don’t have one ounce of patience, don’t come here when it’s busy. There’s one guy getting all of your drinks, sides, running food, and cleaning tables.
The menu is simple too… which it should be if there’s one lady cooking everything! Every meal comes with macaroni salad and miso soup. Macaroni salad was good, it’s not too creamy and it has a peppery taste. The miso soup is just enough too. And a tip for those who aren’t familiar… you’re supposed to sip it from the bowl. That’s why he won’t give you a spoon.
I went for bacon fried rice for my visit today. It was so good! The caramelized onions made it sweet. It’s a humongous portion, you could easily split with someone else. But somehow I ate ¾ of it. I had to stop myself and brought the rest home.
This is the definition of hole in the wall. I am sure people pass by it everyday and have no idea how good it really is!

I’ve had this place bookmarked for a while but could never visit because the hours are seriously limited — Monday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. So you can imagine how tough it is for a typical 9−5er to stop by this place. Luckily, I had the chance to check it out since I happen to be off for the holiday. Apparently, others had the same idea in mind as it was crowded. Bring cash! I only saw a sign that they don’t take checks and did not see any indication that they take credit/​debit cards.
The café is small with a few tables and a counter bar area. I walked into a room of stares as I opened the door, making it awkward to locate a seat. All the tables were taken and there were a few seats at the counter. I had the kiddo with me so it was not ideal to sit here since the stools do not have backings. Shout out to the sweet couple who offered their table to us!
Props to June as she was the only one cooking, so try to be patient and understanding with your food. Our server, which I assume was her husband, took a while to get over to our table. In the meantime, I glanced over the menu on the wall, which seemed more like «hawaiian cuisine» than Japanese food. Based on several reviews, I decided to go with Bacon Fried Rice. They brought out Miso soup and their housemade macaroni salad to start. The Miso Soup was wonderful –not salty and had big chunks of tofu. I am a fan of the Macaroni salad! It was peppery, had bits of celery and carrots and the winning factor, light on the mayo! The Bacon Fried Rice dish was everything I expected — huge portion, greasy, bacony, a bit salty and with the over easy eggs on top — yum! I tried to refrain from scarfing down the entire dish, but it just didn’t happen! Side note — you will come out smelling like grease/​food.
Kid friendly — Aside from the bar stools with no backing, you will need to wait for a table. Because the place is small, there isn’t too much room for strollers either. I saw a few families come in, but they were all to-​go orders.
I would like to come back to try more items, but with their limited hours, it probably won’t happen anytime soon. Hope they consider extending their business hours or open on the weekends.