RailBridge Cellars Penthouse Lounge

My friend and I had a tough time working with these folks to host a party in the Penthouse. The bouncer was really aggressive (following guests around with flashlights, refusing to let in my guests even though we were far below the room’s capacity, etc). One of the party planners was kind and helpful, but the other one I worked with was rude– her attitude was like she was doing me this huge favor every time she talked to me or gave me information. It’s really too bad because the space is very cool, but the staff went out of their way to make us feel like we were in the principal’s office instead of like guests that were paying $ 2000+ to host a party. Definitely made my party stressful instead of fun.

What a great place! The ambiance is absolutely stunning and it really feels homey. The wait staff is incredible and the they have a wide variety of food.
But what really stood out to me was the pastries. I went with a friend last week and we got different things and split them among ourselves. I got the lemon poppyseed muffin and he got the coffee cake.
And my goodness they were out of this world. The lemon poppyseed tasted like something out of my grandmas kitchen. And then coffee cake wasn’t overpowering but just coffee enough to feel like a pick me up. It also had this strudel like topping… Like nothing I’ve really had before. And I loved it!
I can’t wait to come back for a full meal. But you know I’ll be back for pastries!

Just had my 30^th birthday party there and had a great time!
The Good:
All the guests were blown away by the venue — it’s character, it’s history, and it’s views. I received awesome reviews from many of the guests, some of whom said it was the classiest party they had ever been to. The bar staff was fabulous and very helpful. The food was great — tons of complements by the guest! Heidi, who was our point person on staff, was very pleasant and very helpful. We had a ton of fun — it was a great night.
The Bad:
Not much here. However, the venue is so popular, the calendar can be very packed with events happening back to back with not much time to clean and prepare for the next event. For us, the previous night’s party went long and we weren’t able to get access to the venue to set up until the afternoon instead of the morning. This isn’t the norm, and isn’t the fault of the staff, but it was our experience.
Overall, I still give it 5 stars. Thank you!

We rented the Penthouse Lounge for a wedding reception in November 2015. We used this specific space from 7 PM-​10 PM. I want to make this absolutely clear as this vendor has already removed one of my reviews from this site claiming I did not use their services. I did.
My one star rating of this venue (SPECIFICALLY the Penthouse, though we also used their Underground Lounge) has 100% to do with the management/​owners of this venue.
The bartender in the Penthouse and staff that evening were wonderful and the venue is beautiful and unique. The desserts were wonderful and the cocktails and wine were fantastic.
The management, however, was uncommunicative and unaccommodating. We have received no personal communication from them since our event (almost two weeks ago) to attempt to apologize or remedy many mishaps that happened during our set up and event.
I have booked events for many years (personal and corporate, anywhere from 20 – 500 people) and I have never had such a poor experience working with event planners/​managers.
For those looking for a wonderful experience, particularly when it comes to planning special personal events, like ours, I would not recommend this venue. For us, it was a sour experience. As I was previously enthusiastically referring my friends to use this venue, I will now aggressively discourage people from booking this venue as a result of our experience.

I just had a fundraiser in the penthouse for 50 people and it was an amazing venue. The staff was absolutely wonderful, very friendly and happy. The wines were all incredible and the cheese, meat, and cracker platter was a great treat. I would have many more events here. The view is to die for. Thank you Mike Chandler for making it special

I give this place 6 stars for ambiance and 3 stars for the wine. The first time I went here there was a jazz trio playing soft music. With a little imagination, I was transported back to the 1920s, sipping wine in a stylish speak-​easy. The view of sacramento from atop the penthouse is amazing! The second time I came I took my glass of wine out onto the ledge and watched the sun set. Beautiful.
The wine itself, eh, it’s okay. I’ve had much better. Of the six I tasted, I really only liked the merlot, and I’m usually not a merlot fan. Still, despite the lackluster wine, I keep coming back. The place itself is the experience.

Rented the penthouse for my bday party and highly recommend the experience. They let me turn the whole place into my sick and twisted playground for degenerates. Everybody had a great time, the place is gorgeous, the views are killer… and try to get tomi at the bar – she’s the best. I wasn’t capable of trying any of the food but my guests said it was great.
Worth the money!

By far my favorite place to wine taste in Sacramento. This place is located in downtown Sacramento on 11^th street. Penthouse lounge tasting is available where you have a great view of downtown.
Excellent prices for tastings and Mckenzie is extremely knowledgable and nice.

Excellent Winery & Event-​Space Penthouse in Downtown Sacramento
SITREP
I have been here a few times, but most recently I was privileged to attend a wonderful start-​up business meeting for Bx Technologies here at Rail Bridge Cellars. [Bx Technologies promotes innovative software applications to assist in the business management, metric-​assessments & teaching deliveries for Autistic Children & Adults, with the goals for increasing their learning-​skillsets, better integration with social interactions, and improving the lives of the autistic individual and their loved ones.]
THE SETUP
Rail Bridge Cellars is a beautiful Penthouse Gallery & Winery event-​space that can comfortably accomodate nearly 50 – 100 people depending on seating-​table arrangements that are configured. In this instance, I was part of a group of about 70 people, with couches & comfy seats around the perimeter of the room, wine-​barrels scattered througout serving as food stations, and then a few dozen folding chairs utilized for when the presentation commenced.
The actual space itself is quite breath-​taking, with beautiful panoramic windows overlooking downtown Sacramento — especially at sunset as were able to experience — as well as having a lovely outdoor patio space just off of the Penthouse Elevator Lobby.
ACCESS & PARKING
The Event-​Space itself is located at the top of the building at the East corner of 11^th & J Streets, with easy access to all downtown locations via bus, light-​rail (only a couple of blocks away from the Blue Line’s 11^th & K Cathedral Stop), and with parking garages nearby. For evening events after 6pm (such as this one), the metered parking spots are all free on all the adjacent streets.
THE WINES
They have an array of different whites and reds, but the two that I honed in on right away were the:
(1) Chardonnay — a nice dry white, with subtle fruit notes, which was a dynamic pairing to enjoy the seafood (roasted scallops with a mango-​relish, and coconut-​shrimp-​skewers); and,
(2) Pinot Noir — a delicious (and my favorite) with more substantial fruit notes, and a very full-​bodied, but not too heavy taste that offset nicely some of the tomato-​rich sauce foods (pizzas and sliders) that were enjoyed this evening.
[Though an associated catering business with the winery, the food portion of the evening was not itself part of the Winery’s regular «menu» of options, and so I won’t be discussing the food.]
PHYSICAL PLANT
Rail Bridge Cellars has an excellent physical set-​up that permits the bringing of your own equipment — Plasma TV Monitors, computer set-​ups & linkage, sound-​systems, band & DJ equipment set-​ups, etc. — so that you can fully utilize the space for whatever business and/​or music performance event you have calendered with them.
THE LOWDOWN
Rail Bridge Cellars is an excellent spot to do some great wine-​tasting with their selection of spirits and to host your event-​space needs.

I made an appointment for 4 of us to wine taste this past Saturday afternoon as a stop along the «Urban Wine Tasting» afternoon I had planned. What a nondescript spot for a tasting room, on the Penthouse floor (13^th) of the McCormick & Schmick building. There were a few great spots to step outside on the balconies and enjoy the views of Downtown Sacramento buildings from above and the walls indoors feature some cool artwork. The environment was casual and the Tasting Room Rep we interacted with was friendly. The wines were okay — I particularly liked the Pinot Noir. We went more for the experience than anything else, which lived up to expectations. For $ 10, you get 6 pours of your choice from their offerings and for $ 20 you get to taste all 12 selections (a bit pricey, but hey, it is a unique spot for a tasting room)! A bottle of water is $ 1 and there are many snack options to choose from, as they have a kitchen.

WOW! I’m in the wine biz, and this place really impressed me.
I took my sales team for a rewards trip to Rail Bridge Penthouse Cellars for a dinner and wine tasting. It was wonderful. The food was fantastic, and went really well with their line up of wines. All the wines were yummy, and the staff their was very friendly and made us feel very welcome and comfortable.
The Penthouse is really cool, and a fun place to hang out with lots of comfy chairs and benches to sit and chat and enjoy the views. When the skyline got dark and the lights came on it was really awesome.
We enjoyed a cigar on the outside patio overlooking the skyline at night with a glass of great wine. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Highly recommend for wine tasting, wine buying, and having an event.
I’ll be back again for sure.

This review will focus on the penthouse lounge as a wedding venue. We got married & had our cocktail party reception here last Saturday, and the whole evening was gorgeous and a dream come true.
This venue is absolutely perfect for: A. Smaller events (30 – 80 people cocktail style, not so much sit down dinner) B. Late night dance parties. C. Non-​traditional, DIY-​style weddings that are not only lovely & personal but AFFORDABLE! D. Couples who more laid back (rather than Type-​A control-​freaks). I say this because while one of the venue’s greatest strengths is their relaxed, non-​institutional approach to event planning, their process is probably not structured enough for some brides. It worked for us though, and the end result was way above and beyond all our expectations! This is in large part thanks to Michelle, the tasting room manager, who cheerfully helped us through all the planning and also helped make sure things went smoothly the day of. She was just awesome :)
The food– Soooo good. The venue caters their own events, and while they do have a few standard menu items, they are also extremely flexible and will make «anything» you want. I gave them a fairly complex recipe for Brazilian cheese bread, which the venue made for cocktail hour and I had actual Brazilians compliment on the execution.
The drinks– Absolutely no complaints. We opted for the unlimited beverage package which I believe was a great decision knowing our family and friends! We had a selection of the venue’s lovely wines, 4 different beer options that we chose, and I think 4 liquor options of our choice, along with mixers. Oh yeah and sodas water, iced tea etc. Something for everyone!
The ambience– Unparalleled (in my biased opinion of course). Romantic, rustic chic spaces … balconies with amazing views, character that comes only with age, candles galore. The spaces are definitely rough, but suited our tastes and needs perfectly. The super polished venues I looked at made me more nervous than anything!
The best way I can put it is this: after the wedding I commented to my husband that even if we had had a million dollars to spend, I’d STILL have chosen to have our wedding at the Rail Bridge penthouse. I’d have splurged in other areas of course, but I couldn’t imagine a better setting.

Bucket list. Check.
As I consider myself a connoisseur of all things downtown Sac, I was surprised to find out about Rail Bridge only recently and added it to my must-​see list. When a friend asked me for ideas for his 30^th birthday, I suggested a reservation at Rail Bridge and he was on board. I hope the word gets out!
The tasting room (the winery is located in the River District) is situated nicely on the penthouse floor of the Elks Tower at J and 11^th. They have limited hours and its reservation only, so don’t plan on dropping in — the building is locked and we had to call for someone to come down and let us inside. The exception is second Saturday, when they are unlocked and open until 8pm.
We started with a little tour of the penthouse, which almost feels like the most badass attic of all time. The space itself is fun and funky, with tiny winding staircases and nooks and crannies here and there. The décor is romantic and antique-​y and the art, which changes regularly for second Saturday, on this trip added an element of whimsical and weird. There are a couple balconies where you can inhale the incredible views of Sacramento from 13 stories high. Inside, in front of the massive windows are a couple group seating areas and some old school chaises, where one might lounge dramatically gazing down at the bustling downtown below, channeling your inner 40’s era glamour girl (…or guy).
The wines were good — as I recall, you can taste six wines for $ 10 bucks or all 12 wines for $ 20. I decided to start with six :) They do have whites and reds, which is a big plus for those who like to taste but aren’t into red wine. The white blend was especially delicious, fruity and sweet.
But really, it’s all about the location. This is the kind of place you’ll want to play in all day, like a little kid looking for secret passageways and hiding places.
I’ll plan to stop in on a second Saturday or make a reservation for a special occasion in the future.
Put it on your bucket list.

Beautiful views. The inside of the place needs a bit of work. Nonetheless, I can see this becoming a top spot in town with the right amount of advertisement.

Went here for a private wine tasting for my birthday, and it was amazing! The building is under construction, giving it a more «rustic» feel for the time being, but everyone is so friendly and we had such a great time! Also, you can’t beat the fabulous view from the top of floor! Wines are delicious too! I will be looking for a reason to return soon :)

I had my wedding reception in the penthouse lounge last June. As the first couple to officially book a reception here, I wanted to pass on the essential information!
I had been scouring the internet for days trying to find the right venue for my husband and I to host a reception in Sacramento. The vast majority were far outside our budget, and the others were — how do I say this nicely? — quite shabby-​looking. I was disappointed, as I wanted a venue that matched our personalities, but I wasn’t willing to spend more.
My husband found this venue listed on the Venue Vixens website and sent them an inquiry about prices and availability; we set up a meeting that week.
I was astounded to find out that when you use their catering company and reach a certain very low minimum amount, there is NO rental fee. That’s right! The venue was free! A sexy, urban-​distressed penthouse on two floors with incredible views — for free.
We booked immediately and got to planning. Because it’s only been open as a tasting room for about a year, it was pretty rough in some areas. Between the months when we booked and when we hosted, they continued to do a lot of work, updating furniture, hanging a new chandelier, and retrofitting the door to the patio. We planned a LOT to change up the other things we weren’t so crazy about. The 13^th floor, when you get off the elevator, was much rougher than the top floor, so we hung lights and a chandelier and brought in lots of flowers and decorations to spruce it up. We also brought in some draping, more uplights, and more decorations for the top floor, though that floor is already beautiful in its own right.
Michael Chandler, one of the owners of Rail Bridge who also runs their catering company, was the man we interacted with the most. He was AMAZING and so helpful. He gave us the key to the penthouse for the entire day for set up, and we were able to clean up the next day. This is just about unheard of in the world of weddings!
Now I feel like I’m rambling, so let me get a bit more organized for anyone considering renting for an event:
VENUE: Beautiful and versatile. It will hold, between the two floors and balcony, up to ~100 people comfortably for standing room. For a seated event, it might be ~50, though that’s harder to estimate. There are two stalls in each restroom. Be warned that there are only stairs between the 13^th and 14^th floors, so it could be difficult for handicapped persons. They are working on building an elevator.
SERVICE: Impeccable. All the servers for food and wine were so accommodating.
FOOD: AMAZING. We set a per-​person budget for heavy hors d’ouvres (much less than most restaurants would charge), made our own menu with their help, AND THEY BEAT OUR OWN PRICE. That’s right — I told him a per person price we could afford, and he countered back by telling me it would be $ 7 per person less than what I asked for. Crooked businesses would’ve just taken the money and gone with it. Also, Michael was training his staff to cook and serve lamb for another event they were having shortly after, so he cooked up some the night of my event and served it to our guests — they raved about it! We ended up with fruit, bruschetta, cheese, olives, pizzas, meatballs, raviolis, mushrooms, clams, and so much more. Everyone was full and happy, even with diet restrictions.
WINE: Delicious and very affordable. I love buying local wine and it’s just icing on the cake that it tastes so good. They even gave us a discount for buying in bulk. They charge per bottle and only open one of each bottle at a time, so we didn’t end up paying more for the bartenders opening multiple bottles ahead of time. We just did beer and wine for our reception, and they let us choose the type of beer and if it was bottled or from a keg.
OWNERS: Awesome from beginning to end. They know their stuff and have done MANY events here, both big and small. They’re extremely accommodating and professional and still fun. During our first meeting, when we talked over the venue details and did a little wine tasting, they sent us home with multiple bottles that were open, for free. Happy Julie :)
VALUE: Unreal. I’m still pinching myself for how lucky we were to have found this venue and for what we spent on it.
I admit there were a few smaller things that made me nervous at the time. For example, the door to the patio was literally hanging on one hinge, and I was afraid it would fall on a guest; I had to pester them to fix it, but they came through in the end and it was in top shape. There were also a few emails that I had to resend before I could get a response back from them, but I know they’re crazy busy running this business. Really, that was about it! Everything else was smooth as butter.
Now that the venue’s becoming more popular in Sac, they might up the prices, and I wouldn’t blame them — it’s worth it!

A great little secret

Saturday wine tasting event is a must-​do!
The experience was absolutely wonderful, McKenzie, the wine tasting manager, was incredibly helpful, nice, and fun. She made this a truly special experience.
$ 10 per person for an 8 bottle tasting. All the wines were very good, even the wines I don”t much care for. They also have Lagunitas IPA on tap.
The view from the penthouse is spectacular, and the old Elks building is just dripping with historical curiosity. McKenzie took us on a tour of the building, including the underground pool and the ballroom.
Wine tasting is from 12 – 5 on Saturdays and is by appointment only.

We did a wine tasting this past Saturday in the Penthouse Lounge and it was so amazing!
1^st the wines are delicious… after tasting a flight of 8, I can honestly say that i liked every one of the wines! that’s really rare for me!
2^nd the view is quite breathtaking! and you can go out on the balcony.
3^rd there was a little tour of the historic building
4^th easy access to dinner after your tasting
above all else, McKensie really makes this tasting experience happen. She’s awesome! And she has made this project what it is now.
If you’re interested, it’s Saturdays 12−5pm, call (916) 492‑2530 and let them know you want to taste at the Penthouse. It’s only $ 10/​person! (and sooooo worth it!!!).
If you like wine or know anyone who does, don’t miss out on this great experience on a Saturday afternoon.