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Dawson's Steakhouse - Steakhouse in Sacramento, California

Dawson's Steakhouse

4.5 (407 reviews)

1209 L St, Sacramento, CA 95814

Steak house
Restaurant

About Dawson's Steakhouse - steak house in Sacramento, California

Polished eatery in the Hyatt Regency Hotel offering updated steakhouse classics & craft cocktails.

Customer Review Summary

Dawson's Steakhouse offers an excellent menu and fantastic bar options. The bread service with sea salted butter and sourdough is highly praised. Crab cakes and the deconstructed strawberry shortcake receive rave reviews, while the NY steak and Brussels sprouts are noted but less impressive. Service is consistently described as attentive and knowledgeable, enhancing the overall dining experience. Many patrons believe the steaks are perfectly cooked and of high quality. However, some reviewers find the prices to be excessive for certain dishes, particularly the crab cakes and seafood cioppino. Despite a few complaints about pricing and misleading menu descriptions, the overall atmosphere and service are viewed positively, with many eager to return. Dawson's is recommended as a top steakhouse in the area, providing a memorable dining experience worth the cost.

Key Features

Service options

  • Delivery
  • Takeout
  • Dine-in

Highlights

  • Great beer selection
  • Great cocktails
  • Great dessert
  • Great wine list

Popular for

  • Dinner
  • Solo dining

Accessibility

  • Wheelchair accessible entrance
  • Wheelchair accessible parking lot
  • Wheelchair accessible restroom
  • Wheelchair accessible seating

Offerings

  • Alcohol
  • Beer
  • Cocktails
  • Coffee
  • Comfort food
  • Happy hour drinks
  • Happy hour food
  • Hard liquor
  • Private dining room
  • Small plates
  • Vegetarian options
  • Wine

Dining options

  • Dinner
  • Dessert
  • Seating

Amenities

  • Bar onsite
  • Gender-neutral restroom
  • Restroom
  • Wi-Fi

Atmosphere

  • Cozy
  • Romantic
  • Trendy
  • Upscale

Crowd

  • Family-friendly
  • Groups
  • LGBTQ+ friendly
  • Tourists

Planning

  • Dinner reservations recommended
  • Accepts reservations

Payments

  • Credit cards

Children

  • Good for kids
  • High chairs
  • Kids' menu

Parking

  • Free parking garage
  • Free street parking
  • Paid parking garage
  • Paid street parking
  • Valet parking

Customer Reviews

Rating Distribution

4.5 out of 5
5
296
4
58
3
25
2
13
1
15
Based on 407 reviews

Will Cowen

2 months ago

Very good option when downtown for dinner with excellent menu selections and fantastic bar menu. Bread service with sea salted butter and fresh sourdough was great. Crab cakes and carrot cake with best in class! Enjoyed the NY steak and sprouts but did not stand out like the other items

5 months ago

This place is great. This is the second time we’ve been. The steak is wonderful. And you can share one baked potato. It was huge. We couldn’t even finish half of the baked potato between the two of us. And then I had the deconstructed strawberry shortcake which blew me away. I highly recommend Dawson’s.

Harlan Hans

Juan our server was amazing with his suggestions. Was extremely knowledgeable of menu items, substitutions, and pairing. The carrot cake here is the best I ever had. Can’t go wrong with any of their steaks. The steaks are always cooked to perfection each time we go.

Neil Sonico

3 months ago

Best service downtown. Excellent food in quality, taste, and portion. Definitely will return!

Monique Moua

8 months ago

AHHHH this place was so expensive! For the crab cakes, they were super small for $28! Didn’t even taste thaaat great for the price 😔 A better price would have been like $8 :/ The seafood cioppino was a whopping $69, but it should have been like, hmm $40 🙃 The chicken was okay, but it wasn’t anything life changing. And ughhh for the cauliflower steak? I’m so mad that on the menu, for all the ingredients listed, they didn’t even put the cauliflower and the bell peppers in there, so it was so misleading and made me think that there actually was some meat in this dish 🙃 And this plate of veggies came up to $28??? What the heck 😭 I was so mad that I wanted to tell the waiter to take it back and let me order something else, but I manned up and ate it like a kind customer 😔 Food also took a while to come too. I never wanna come here again 💀 However, they had some really great customer service! 😊 The waiter was patient with us and had a great aura! Him and the other workers walked by often to make sure we always had enough water, bread, care and etc!

Stephanie

8 months ago

While in Sac last week, My mom treated me to Dawsons for my bday. It was amazing!!! The food was the best steak I’ve ever had. The atmosphere was great. The staff were all very attentive and nice. It was overall a fantastic dinner!

Buck Stallion

1 year ago

$500 dinner for 4. straight up. Indulging in a dinner at Dawson's was an experience beyond compare, one that transcended the mere act of dining and elevated it to an art form. From the moment we stepped foot into the restaurant, we knew we were in for something truly extraordinary. The steaks at Dawson's are nothing short of perfection. Each cut is meticulously selected, expertly prepared, and cooked to absolute perfection. The chef's mastery of the grill is evident in every tender, juicy bite. From the perfectly seared exterior to the mouthwatering pink center, these steaks redefine what it means to savor the flavors of premium beef. The servers at Dawson's operate at an expert level of experience that sets a new standard for hospitality. From their impeccable knowledge of the menu to their intuitive understanding of each diner's preferences, they anticipate every need with grace and precision. Their attention to detail is unmatched, ensuring that every aspect of the dining experience exceeds expectations. The ambiance at Dawson's is equally enchanting. Elegant decor, subdued lighting, and soft music create an atmosphere of refined sophistication, perfect for indulging in a culinary journey of the senses. Each element is carefully curated to enhance the overall dining experience, from the moment you take your seat to the final sip of wine. The wine nerds I was with were glad we were able to have our business lunch meeting there. And speaking of wine, Dawson's boasts an extensive selection of vintages to complement every dish. From bold reds to crisp whites, each bottle is a testament to the restaurant's commitment to excellence in all things culinary. A dinner at Dawson's is not just a meal; it's an unforgettable experience that lingers in the memory long after the plates have been cleared. From the chef's perfect steaks to the servers' expert level of experience, every detail is crafted with care and dedication to culinary perfection. Five stars simply aren't enough to capture the magic of Dawson's. And if you dont feel this way after you see the bill...did you even get your moneys worth?

Ryan Huggins

10 months ago

It is easy to see why this is one of the top rated steak houses in the city. Absolutely incredible food, great service, and a pleasant atmosphere. I had the Dawson's House Salad and the 8oz Filet with black garlic butter and a side of asparagus. I had dismissed the house salad the first couple of times I read the menu because typically a house salad, in my experience, is your basic lettuce, tomatoes and croutons. Yeah, that was so not what the house salad was here. My only regret is that I did not get the larger portion. That is a fantastic salad. That salad really spoiled me for other salads. Pistachios! In the salad!! The steak (Filet from Harris Ranch) was melt-in-your-mouth good... even well done and butterflied! As someone who drinks a lot of water, especially having been in meetings all day and unable to drink much water, I appreciated that they put a carafe of water on the table. I also appreciated that I never had to touch it as Brandon and his team did an amazing job of keeping it full and Brandon provided me with some excellent recommendations of off-menu items that were fantastic. I do wish they were open on Monday, as I probably would have eaten here multiple times it was that good. It was also very convenient being in the hotel I was staying at.

Location

Contact Information

Hours of Operation

Friday 5–9:30 PM
Monday Closed
Saturday 5–9:30 PM
Sunday Closed
Thursday 5–9:30 PM
Tuesday 5–9:30 PM
Wednesday 5–9:30 PM

Price Range

$50–100