Swabbies

Ate here while waiting on a flight home as we did not want to eat in the airport. Fish tacos are REALLY good… regular and mahi mahi. Really cute place by the river with lots of outdoor seating.

a great hidden spot along the river. perfect for drinks, comfort food, and interesting people watching. I always try to hit this spot before dropping off friends at the airport, if time allows.

Great outdoor venue, right by the river! Good drinks and better than decent food but come for the music.

Can’t believe we hadn’t heard of this place before now! It’s a fun and casual place with picnic tables under the trees and bistro tables under umbrellas. The fish tacos lived up to the hype. Substantial and flavorful. The location is on the river and close to Sacramento International Airport. A little odd getting there — you head to the airport’s free waiting area and turn left. Google maps worked to get us there. The restaurant parking lot was full but Swabbies security directed us to the boat dock parking lot right next door. $ 5 cash goes in an envelope on which you write your license plate. Not inconvenient. $ 15 cover for two to sit down in the area closer to the river and the band. Totally worth it, but there are other areas which are free. They have a very nice selection of draft beers, and even a «skinny margarita «. I was skeptical but it was very refreshing and only 140 calories! The night we were there there was a Reggae band, but they post their calendar online and I hear the country music is good. People danced and the crowd was a mix of ages. Will definitely go again.

Once for brunch, once for lunch.
Note this is not along the part of Garden Highway where Chevy’s and Pearl on the River are.
If main parking lot is full, overflows into the County Park parking lot which costs $ 5 unless you have a County Parks pass.
When they have live music there is a cover charge to sit on the deck. Outdoor seating risks sitting by smoker’s area.
I came strictly for the darn tacos. I couldn’t decide so got one order each of the fish tacos and the shrimp tacos for my piggy self.
5″ taco shells made fresh, local parm and jack cheese. American/​Italian fusion! Fish or Shrimp tacos are 2 for $ 11.99 a la carte or $ 13.99 as a meal with choice of coleslaw, chips & salsa, fries, or onion rings.
Started with the shrimp tacos, with shrimp sauce. They were okay, I could see why the jumbo prawn tacos would be more satisfying in size and flavor combination (prawn tacos are 2 for $ 14.49).
Something about the fish tacos really blew me away though. The cod was a huge piece for both tacos, and you could taste the Corona beer batter in every single bite. It was crunchy, not greasy, the homemade fish sauce went really well, and that famous taco shell with the cheese infused+crusted goodness made it perfect. On their menu, it says this is the taco that has become a legend. Truth.
Also tried a bit of the appetizer original sampler (feeds 4 – 5 people) which included mozzarella wedges, jalapeño poppers, onion rings, hot wings, fries, and chef’s choice was some kind of crab-​stuffed bite.
Swabbies, I’ll be back for those fish tacos someday soon.

I was skeptical. and… I was wrong to be.
Swabbies delivered on a seriously good fish taco!
I will say that it is expensive… $ 13 for two Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos is a little on the high side but they are large and you can get filled up on those.

I don’t know how the food tastes because I could not get any service on the patio (right next to the kitchen and couldn’t get food hah)
I asked 5 people.
The 1^st waitress walked by and never returned.
The 2^nd waitresses brought me someone else’s food and when I told her she took it away and never returned.
The 3^rd was a waiter who said I’m not in his section but he would take my order if I couldn’t wait… really.
I told him I would wait.
The 4^th I walked up to and she said she served out by the band not the patio.
I waited over 15 minutes and walked into the kitchen and talked to the manager. He offered to buy my lunch.
I declined and said I didn’t want a free meal just let him know that it is impossible to get served lunch on his patio and that I would not return.
I sat on the patio right next to the kitchen because I thought I could get a few tacos…
Guess not.
If I do return to see a band with friends I’ll be sure to eat somewhere else before going to Swabbies.

Yesterday we had my wife’s 50^th birthday party at Swabbies (her request). The Swabbies staff and owners did an amazing job making this day special. The price was very reasonable for a party of 20 and the food was great. As always there was a great band playing that made it even better. If you are looking to have an event I would definitely recommend Swabbies if you are looking for good food, drinks, music, and fun. Thanks Swabbies
Bob Casalegno

I loved Swabbies! There are s few things you should know though.
1. The outside bar closes early — so you have to go inside if you don’t want to wait for a server — AND you can only buy one drink at s time because it’s an all ages venue.
2. The parking can be a little tight, so it might be worth your time to get a Lyft.
3. They can often run out of things (I.e. Wings/​mozzarella sticks) so make sure you ask the server if they are still making whatever you order.
The outside area is awesome though. Lots of seating, and a big space for dancing should you be there for one of their live shows. The only reason I didn’t give 5 stars was the long wait for service. Oh and also there’s a $ 10 cover when seeing a band play.

My friend and I went to Swabbies on The River today to listen to the band’s and have a nice meal. Both she and I are in our mid-70’s and the employees offered to escort us down the hill and to the entrance. Once the event was over a security guard by the name of Bryan escorted us out and went and got us chairs to await our car to pick us up, preventing us from having to walk up the hill. This kindness by Bryan and the other parking employees will bring us back. The music was great, but the tacos were mediocre… next time we will try something else…
Sharal Mata

Ok so on the bright side the atmosphere was entertaining & meeting up with a few friends made it worth it.
The fries are good, probably the msg but oh well, guess we will all pay later.
Service slow in all ways and to be expected. Brought my own essential oil bug spray and it smelled so good I picked up a couple clients.
Bloody mary was the worst
Wine, terrible portion and served in a plastic cup.
Eat before you come unless you are starved, don’t order wine. Have fun and listen to music.
$$$
$ 10 cover each adult, kids free + no parking so had to pay $ 5…so $ 25 before any food or drink.
Anyway, dropped $ 150.not sure on what… lol

This place is GREAT! The staff is amazing, I’d name them but really they are all really awesome. The owners make sure that their team are here for the customers who make sure a good time is had.
The food is good but the Taco’s are really the bomb, salads for the lighter side too. Check out the web site and their Facebook page to find out about the exciting entertainment.
You will not be sorry for checking out this place but if you go on the weekend, be sure to get there early as the place is packed because of the added bonus is tremendous music.
They are open year round but summer is really a reason to put Swabbies on the top of you things to do!

We came for reggae night! It had decent bands play, the customer service was excellent! But the down fall is its a bit over priced for the quality of the food!

We went here last Sunday to watch one of our favorite bands perform. It was really busy but the bartender (they called him Gridfather) was very attentive and patient when I was trying to figure out what I wanted. I ended up with a rum-​based drink that I truly enjoyed.
We had the chicken and fish tacos (per the bartenders suggestion) Both were very good and I look forward to coming back to try other things on the menu.
This bar is kind of out of the way but it is the perfect place this summer to pull your boat up to and spend a day listening to the bands and enjoying the food and drinks.

We came here with a relative that wanted to see the band; she’s been coming for years and enjoys it so we thought we would tag along.
This place is a definite scene. The live music was fun; not really my cup of tea but it definitely created a backyard party atmosphere that people were excited about, and it suited the place. I found it kind of loud; we were outside near the back and still couldn’t hear each other… but that’s just part of the experience I suppose. We came on a Sunday evening and it was super packed.
Service was friendly once we flagged someone down; took us a while to get served but it was very busy so we expected that. Food was great, and drinks were ok, but here’s the kicker: it’s expensive for American food, especially after paying a $ 7 cover each to get in. We had two salads, one margarita, an orange juice and chips. $ 52! Add ons were really pricey (like $ 6 for chicken on your salad, and $ 4 for a ½ cup sized side of guac… and the margarita was $ 10) so I guess you could cut costs by not ordering that stuff… but we were hungry. All really tasty but a little over priced in my opinion… and we just moved from the Bay Area to avoid that kind of stuff.
We were told it was dog and kid friendly, but I don’t think I’d bring either here during a weekend show. It was definitely more of an adult hangout and the two dogs I saw were cowering from the noise and looking nervous and unhappy.
Overall it was an ‘as expected’ experience… you can’t expect lightning service in a place that is that packed, and you can’t complain about loud music too much if the restaurant is known for party bands. I might come back on a day when it’s quieter, but it’s kinda out of the way, so we will see. I liked sitting outside though, and there was plenty of shade. Worth a try! If you like to dance and drink, and be outside, come here at the weekend! If you don’t, maybe come in the week or at lunchtime before it gets crazy.

Live music cold beer and iced tea in the back right next to the river cant get any better then this. Service was grest and friendly. Food was great. Found it strange that they had several people with dogs. Maybe from people on boats maybe, good to know. Also the parking guy saw we had a large truck and gave us a nice spot in the back for the truck

Awesome food, service, and love the atmosphere.
Live music. Boat docking available.
The tacos are the best.
Pet friendly

I’ve been to Swabbies a number of times. It’s usually fun and they have good music. The beer selection has gotten really good over the years. It’s pretty impressive now. The food is good but nothing gourmet. The fish tacos are popular but I’ve never tried them.
The outdoor bar on the left is fun and good way to meet drunks. That’s right drunks! There is usually a good number of drunk people at that bar whenever I go. Some are really polluted so I don’t know how they get home… Maybe they live in those boats down by the river. Anyway, they are having a good time!
I heard some really good cover bands here over the years. Most of them play older music which is good for the mature crowd that hangs out at Swabbies. Their age might be why I never see any fights there, they are too frail and tired for that kind of craziness. I think the customers are mostly over 45. However, I have seen some younger people and kids there too.
Swabbies is a good time no matter what your age. The beer is cold and the cover charge is cheap! It’s a great place for some old school music and summer time fun!

My Dad started bringing me to Swabbie’s a few summers ago — it’s always been a fun and popular place for good food, good drinks, and music. The location, on the river but off the beaten path, makes it the perfect «hidden» gem.
LOVE their tacos — before becoming vegetarian, I loved their shredded beef taco best. The fish taco and chicken tacos are good as well. Can’t beat that cheesy taco shell.
Their appetizers are good too — good calamari and chips/​salsa/​guacamole.
Can get pretty busy on a summer night but it all adds to the vibe of this cool little spot.

Swabbies is such a cool place! It’s kind of hidden and you wonder why you are getting off at the exit for the airport, why you’re driving though what seems to be empty land, why you are now under the freeway, and then, all of a sudden, there it is.
Their parking lot seems small for the amount of people that can fit inside, so there’s a guy out there directing you where to park. You can also park in the boat launch parking lot next door, but you have to pay for it ($ 5).
You also have to pay to get into Swabbies (or at least we did and that might have been because there was a band). The band was a cover band, but they were really good. After that band, another (The Spazmatics) came on — definitely fun to watch.
There a ton of picnic tables, most of them with umbrellas. Our server got to us pretty quickly, cleared up the table from the previous people, and got our first round of drinks out to us. She provided really consistent service the whole afternoon. You can also walk up to the bar to order drinks.
Knowing Swabbies is famous for their tacos, our whole table ordered some. I wanted the catch of the day tacos, but they were sold out so I just went with their regular fish tacos (cod). 2 tacos for $ 11.99 is a little spendy, but they are delicious! You can also do the meal (coleslaw, chips, fries, or onion rings) for another $ 2.
There are only two real bathrooms, but there are also a few port-​a-​potties in the back. I can’t comment on the cleanliness; I think we all know what port-​a-​potties are like…
Anyway, I wish I lived closer because I’d love to come back over and over again. But I guess it’ll just have to be reserved for special occasions!