Moon River Cafe

CLOSED, this was one of my favorite favorite school food restaurant and I was told a couple weeks ago that it closed down. I’m not sure why I closed it seems like this is doing pretty good with the Hotel section that was above the restaurant, I guess the location was its biggest problem. it will surely be missed

The food was good the first time I came but the other 5 times was horrible. No consistency in the flavor or temperature of the food. The owners need to really get it together. The cooks all prepare the menu items differently. I complained over and over and still no improvement. I am not the only one who complained so until they fix things I won’t be back. There are too many soul food restaurants who run their businesses with love.

A few days ago, my hubby and I decided to finally drive down to the Inn and try the restaurant. when we got there it was pretty easy to find the entrance to the restaurant that’s actually situated inside the Inn. It was very clean, inviting and staff was super friendly. It is family style soul food cooking. The menu was easy to understand not too many items (I usually dislike when I go to restaurants as it gets so confusing picking from a large menu). My husband tried the Chittlins w jambalaya and cabbage w the cornbread (he grew up eating Chittlins and so far no ones been able to beat his own cooking lol). I had the 2 smothered pork chops w sweet yams and Mac n cheese. Overall I gotta say it was excellent! Definitely will come back to try other items on the menu.

Gave this spot a few tries, but today will be the last time. My husband ordered the Mississippi grits and when they came out they were watery. When sending them back the waitress informed us that the cook added the hot link juice to the grits. Gross. I ordered the salmon croquettes and discovered a hair cooked into the party. Our waitress was attentive and helpful, but I can’t deal with hair in my food.

Nice atmosphere. They had jazz playing in the background. The bar was well stocked with a variety of alcohol and beers. The Nawlins grits were good, spicy sausage and tasty grilled shrimp. Took the chicken fried steak to go, the meat was well seasoned and crispy and the sausage gravy was homemade and tasty. We will be back.

Mixed feelings.
DECOR: For what it is its cute. The owners have added a personal touch to the place with cute family photos. I wish the dining chairs looked better but not really a big deal.
FOOD: I love soul food! I grew up eating my grandmas wonderful soul food cooking’s. This in return has made me a big critic when it comes to soul food. With that being said this place is on point with the flavors. I got a fried chicken plate with greens and candied yams. The greens were yummy… salty and spicy just like I like them. The candied yams were the bomb. The chicken had great flavor but they gave me some weird chicken pieces so I could not really enjoy it (Ill explain that later). Lastly, the corn bread was great.
SERVICE: So as I mentioned I got some really weird looking chicken pieces with my meal. First off I ordered all chicken legs the waiter did not tell me until he brought out my plate that they don’t have chicken legs. He asked me if I wanted another entrée I told him no because I had already waited a really long time for my food and was hungry. THEN I get my plate and see these funny looking chicken pieces. I ask the waiter what it is he doesn’t know. Then later on I ask for some type of credit since I could not really eat my chicken… they had the nerve to give me like $ 1.50 off my $ 12.00 plate. I said oh no I need to see a manager and bless her heart she came over pretty much not knowing what to say to me. I asked her if she knew what kind of chicken it was on my plate and she didn’t even know. She then tried to tell me they gave me a $ 1.50 discount. I told her I did not think that was appropriate she then asked me what I wanted and I said I want my meal removed from the bill. She ended up taking my meal off the bill and I appreciated that but the situation could have been handled way smoother. As soon as I showed her that funny looking chicken that she didn’t even know what it was she should have removed my meal from the bill.
I am hopeful that my next experience here will not be as bad as the last one. I really support locally owned businesses. This side of Sacramento doesn’t have a lot of great places to eat. Maybe one day this can be one of the places that changes that. I have decided that I am going to give this place a second chance.

I love this place. I’ve eaten here twice. The service is so nice and the owner is very welcoming. I love how she’s out amongst everyone and greeting us as we walk in. Very nice lady and family.
Our server Miles? Excellent job! Very outspoken and outgoing as well as attentive. I just didn’t appreciate the RUDE BARTENDER with the golden brown hair in a pony tail? Older looking lady was being rude to him. I heard her scolding him from across the room. Unprofessional. Shouldn’t be in a family setting yelling at coworkers like that. That made me uncomfortable.
I got the Chitlins, yams, and okra. Very good. Keep up the good work with the female cook in the back.

Adorable place, tucked away in the small sleepy town of Freeport. The location is seriously adorable, and the food is tasty. My favorite by far is the jambalaya, the shrimp in it are HUGE! I would definitely recommend, and would say you should go on a day they have events– the band that played there last Thursday night was awesome and kept the crowd going. Love it!

My aunt and mom ate lunch on 8÷11÷14
They ordered the pork chops @ $ 16.00 per plate.
Cornbread DRY
greens A SALT MINE at stroke level
Black eye peas only thing they liked
Gravy bland
My mom bought a chop home for me to try
VERY VERY DRY tasted pre-​cooked then coated with flour then deep fried. No juice from the meat.
We all got diarreah it had to be from the handling of the pork. So glad I never went there yo get sick.

First I had to find the place. Parked in the back. Then I wandered the property not sure of where to enter or where the restaurant would be. So I mosey’d towards the front door. and I’m kinda glad it was brunch time because I don’t know how it would be in the evening. I hit the side door first. There was a ramp to it and I thought I’d check there first. and there was a note or something to tell you to come on in. So I did.
I enter. Walk further to where there’s a pool table and people are standing in line and I assume they’re waiting to be seated. Nah, they just have a million questions about sitting in their restaurant. The hostess gets to me and walks me in. There’s a bar and a handful of tables. It’s reminiscent of an old folks’ home’s recreational room. Where they would get together and play bridge or some shit.
Service was okay. I didn’t care for the food and I feel gypped if I compare the Unilocal rating to my experience. I’ve seen the people with the signs and the big billboard on Freeport pointing you to this place. Perhaps it built the anticipation. The experience and brunch fell short.
I’ll have to try something else there another time.Maybe. I don’t know. I’m open to it. They have another restaurant in Old Sacramento, btw. (Smokin’ Joe’s BBQ).

My family and I came to chitlins and thangs for dinner. Everything we had was delicious if you are in town please stop by and try the chicken, the collard greens, the Red beans and rice, the cabbage, and the macaroni and cheese, the deserts were great here as well, try the triple chocolate cake it’s huge!!! we give our experience here five stars.

My brother and I were in the mood for some Southern cooking and Unilocal led us here. As first timers we were blown away by the clean, cool jazz setting, and great service. The food was exceptional and we tried almost everything on the menu. Fav dish? It’d have to be smothered pork chops and the jambalaya. Yummy! We now call this our little getaway spot when we travel. Give it a try guys! You won’t be disappointed.

My dad found this place when he was golfing near by with my husband, so when my parents came to visit this weekend this is the first place he wanted to stop. Unfortunately I wasn’t very hungry but tagged along because I’m always curious about new places, and I’m sure glad I did.
The atmosphere, from the second you walk out your car, reminded me of the South (thankfully minus the humidity and the crickets) My mom’s from New Orleans, so I’ve eaten my way across the state of Louisiana many a times & I’d like to think I’m well equipped to property judge southern cuisine.
We arrived for brunch and my parents, with out hesitation, both went for the shrimp and grits. I of course swiped a shrimp and some grits from my mom and it was melt in your mouth delicious with just the right amount of kick to it.
My daughter had the most delicious and fluffy waffle in which she ate the whole thing, and my 3 year old is picky and doesn’t have much of an appetite.
Because we were enjoying bunch so much, my dad asked for a preview of the lunch/​dinner menu, and we concluded right then and there, we were coming back… Red Beans and Rice, Jambalaya??? SOLD!

No no no no no no no!!! Terrible, Terrible! I had seen signs for this place coming off Mack Road and decided to give it a try, especially after I found out they serve Jambalaya!
Service sucked, had attitude, but I didn’t mind it as long as the food was good.
I ordered a side of jambalaya, which was $ 8 total (all sides $ 4, +$ 2 jambalaya upgrade, +$ 2 for prawns/​shrimp). The Jambalaya was BAD! So salty, SO salty that it was inedible and it definitely tasted like an instant-​jambalaya package. I’m positive it was from a mix cuz the shrimp had the texture of dried shrimp and were super salty.
Absolutely terrible, I could not finish it.
So disappointing and misleading. THERE IS ANOTHER Unilocal ACCOUNT for this business, and they named it, «Moon River Café.» I bet it’s operated by the business because the photos make the food look GREAT, not at all like reality (the prawns look fresh and juicy in the photos with jambalaya). I am weary of going back to give this place a 2^nd chance because I was SO offended by their jambalaya. It might be a good idea to just avoid this place completely.

Amazing food… if you’re in the mood for real southern comfort food, this is the place for you. My bf and I had to come again and visit this place. We came in on a Tuesday evening and ordered 3pc fried chicken along with the oxtail dinner. The fried okra was delicious along with the shrimp jambalaya OMG! I would definitely come here again.
The only thing this place needs is some interior changes. The building is rather confusing as far as entry and exits go and if the owners added a little more spice to this restaurant, it would be a spectacular place to dine.

It’s been years since I ate «real chitlins» a lot of places make them too salty or too watery in Sacramento… Well this place is not one of them. They tasted like my aunt made them just right. It feels good knowing I don’t have to look far or go all the way to San Francisco for good chitlins anymore. If you never ate chitlins before here is an FYI… Have a toothbrush and toothpaste on stand by.

My wife kept telling me all week she was gonna take me to lunch on Sunday, but I really didn’t think anything of it. Got off to a bad start because she’s didn’t know where we were going. I looked at the map and knew where the place was, but didn’t recall a restaurant being out there. Sure enough, there’s a restaurant there now, and it’s HELLA GOOD. I had jambalaya, fried okra, and yams. My wife had fried chicken, greens, and mac & cheese. Everything was delicious. When we were leaving, they had live music outside in the front of the building. It’s a horrible locatation, but we’ll worth the drive. We’ll be back.

Was in desperate need of some NOLA-​esque food or some soul food, and I saw jambalaya was on the menu at the Moon River Café. This place serves soul food in the middle of the sleepy town of Freeport! Came by on a Tuesday night, and the parking lot was empty… thought about turning around, but I really didn’t want to settle for regular fare somewhere else.
The building and its grounds are really nice, but the entrance to the restaurant is kind of confusing and uninviting. If it wasn’t for the waiter, we would have been wondering around for a bit, but we were flagged down and shown to a table. We were sat in what looks like the bar, and thankfully there was another table occupied by patrons having dinner too. My first thoughts when we sat down was, «this restaurant is suffering from an identity crisis… it looks like a sports bar met a biker bar… nothing about the place said soul food?»
The menu was simple, and the prices were pretty attractive… fried chicken, BBQ, jambalaya, and all the great soul food sides and desserts. I went with a combo of fried chicken, jambalaya, fried okra, and cornbread for $ 11.00… wow, when it came to the table it looked amazing! It was amazing… especially the fried okra, fresh and coasted in a perfectly seasoned cornmeal batter. Everything I had was great!!!
I will definitely be back, especially since I’m going through withdraws for that fried okra. I docked this place one star due to ambiance and décor… everything else was great from the food to the service, but this place really needs to bring the atmosphere up to the level of the food. I just feel that this place has so much potential… why not tap into the essence of the Delta and decorate the place to look like an old Delta juke joint like you’d find around Mississippi? Put some nostalgic pics on the walls, maybe some antiques like records or instruments… give the place some «soul»?

For the past month or so, on the corner of Freeport Blvd and Meadowview Road, I have seen people with signs, directing hungry drivers to the Bed and Breakfast/​Café down the street in the town of Freeport. Located just north of Freeport Bar and Grill, this B&B has entertained many with their outdoor concerts, karaōke and live DJ. On the weekends, just look for the strings of lights and music emanating from this little B&B.

Owners and operators, Marissa and Joe, have recently added a touch of Southern Hospitality to their B&B by adding a new restaurant. Moon River Café, which is located on the first floor and serves up some of the most authentic and tastiest southern comfort food around. (Look for more on Joe, of Smokin’ Joe’s BBQ, opening up next week, in Old Sacramento.)
Simply Wonderful Food:
Collard Greens: 5 Stars… were awesome and probably voted BEST in FREEPORT! They were simply wonderful, one of my top three Collard Greens ever!
Mac n Cheese: 5 Stars… were also awesome! They were simply wonderful, my favorite Mac n Cheese!
Jambalaya with Shrimp: 5 Stars… this was a side dish? It may cost an extra $ 2/​$ 4 with shrimp, extra, but totally worth it as a side upgrade.
2 Piece Fried Fish: 5 Stars… even though Basa (Swai) fish is inexpensive, this fish was something to remember! Lightly dusted with corn meal and deep fried to perfection. This was more than enough. I’ll get a 1 piece next time.
Cornbread: 5 Stars… just because everything else was simply wonderful. I actually didn’t eat this because my sister wanted it. She said it was good… I trust her.
Peach Cobbler: 4 Stars… add some Vanilla Bean ice-​cream and we can talk 5 Stars. The whipped cream was good, but quickly melted and ran away from the top. Crust was good and flaky!
Other things ordered by the people in my party included:
3 Piece Fried Chicken, 2 Piece Smothered Fried Pork Chops and Yams
They said these were also really good.
Overall: 5 Stars for this hidden gem in the town of Freeport. For those of you who don’t know where Freeport is, it’s south of Meadowview Road off of I-​5, about 2 miles down Freeport Blvd. Just go there and try it. Tell Marissa and Joe that Patrick sent you.
Did I mention that my dining experience was SIMPLY WONDERFUL!!!

Recently opened at the Moon River Café, CHITTLINS N’ THANGS is a soul food restaurant in the town of Freeport off of Freeport boulevard between Greenhaven and Meadowview. The restaurant seems pretty new as there weren’t a ton of people inside. You can eat in the dining room or the bar and the staff there are very warm and welcoming.
Plates start at $ 9 for the fried chicken and include two sides such as fried okra, greens, macaroni and cheese, and red rice and beans. I ordered the jambalaya the chicken and rice were a little dry. The flavor was good with a nice spicy kick but maybe the rice took all the moisture out of the dish. I’ve had a few styles of jambalaya in the past and this version could use seafood; chicken and sausage weren’t enough. The real highlight of the meal were the red beans and rice and mac and cheese. Maybe next time I’ll just order the appetizers or try a different entrée. The mac and cheese is thick, creamy, and tasty. The red rice and beans have a good mix of spices and are addicting.
Based on the Jambalya I would give Chittlins N’ Thangs a 3 but I like to ask others what they think of their food (hence why we use Unilocal) and other customers told me the chicken plates were really good. I’ll be back to try the breakfasts (waffles and chicken) and the pork chop plate or chicken plate. This place is worth a try and seems to make some dishes better than others. Hopefully, others will post some good quick tips so we all know what to order!