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Adamo's Restaurant
Handcrafted Italian flavors in a cozy, family-run Midtown gem.
4.2(5 reviews)
restaurant
$$
Handcrafted Italian flavors in a cozy, family-run Midtown gem.
Adamo's Restaurant is a beloved family-owned Italian eatery in Sacramento's Midtown, offering a warm, intimate atmosphere reminiscent of dining at Nonna's house. Specializing in handmade pasta, classic dishes like meatballs and chicken alfredo, and unique offerings like 'sucio' fries, we focus on fresh, quality ingredients and generous portions. With friendly service, affordable wines, and popular pasta-making classes, we create a welcoming neighborhood spot perfect for dates, celebrations, or a comforting meal. Reserve ahead for this cozy 40-seat nook that combines tradition with a touch of modern flair.
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Fresh, daily-extruded pasta including gnocchi, ravioli, and fettuccine in classic sauces.
Interactive Pasta 101 classes where guests learn to make ravioli, with appetizers, wine, and dessert included.
Starters like stuffed cherry peppers, meatballs, and signature 'sucio' fries with unique toppings.
Curated Italian wines by the glass, including family vineyard options, at affordable prices.
Cozy seating for groups, ideal for birthdays or proposals, with reservation options to secure a spot.
What an amazing little gem of a place! We found this restaurant on Instagram, and it did not disappoint! It is a little crowded inside, and once you get past that, you're set. The service was superb, the recommendations were spot on, and the food was delicious! I will DEFINITELY be going back!!
A Midtown Gem That Feels Like Sunday Dinner at Nonna’s Tucked on the corner of 21st and P in Sacramento’s buzzing Midtown, Adamo’s Kitchen looks modest from the sidewalk—exposed brick, a chalkboard specials sign, maybe eight tables and a long communal bench. Step inside, though, and the place wraps you in garlic-scented hugs. The Adamo family (dad John rolling pasta in the open kitchen, daughter Chiara greeting every regular by name) has turned this 40-seat nook into the neighborhood’s living room. On the night I visited, the room hummed with first dates, birthday toasts, and one guy proposing over the carbonara. Yes, she said yes. I came hungry and left borderline euphoric, thanks to three dishes that should be protected by California law. First, the meatballs. Three fist-sized orbs of Niman Ranch beef and pork arrive swimming in Sunday gravy so bright you can taste the San Marzano tomatoes. One bite and the meatball collapses into velvet; the parm shavings melt on contact. I mopped every drop with the house garlic bread—crisp exterior, pillowy middle, brushed with roasted garlic butter that should come with a warning label. Next, the chicken alfredo. Forget the gloopy dorm-room version. Adamo’s fettuccine is extruded fresh daily, ridged just enough to cradle the sauce. The cream is light yet luxurious, sparked with black pepper and a whisper of nutmeg. Grilled Mary’s chicken strips carry perfect char marks and stay juicy inside. Twirl, bite, sigh—repeat until the bowl is a crime scene of sauce streaks. And the french fries? Sacrilege to order fries at a pasta temple, yet these “sucio” fries are legendary for good reason. Hand-cut Kennebecs, double-fried, then buried under melted mozzarella, pancetta bits, garlic aioli, and a snowfall of parm. They’re the love child of poutine and garlic fries, and I fought my friend for the crispy shards at the bottom. Service is pure Sacramento: zero pretension, maximum warmth. Our server Erin remembered my friend’s gluten-free request from six months ago and steered us to the polenta add-on without being asked. Wines by the glass lean Italian and under $12; the house Chianti punches way above its weight. Portions are generous but not obscene—enough to share, enough to take home a midnight snack. My tab for two apps, two entrées, fries, and three glasses of wine: $94 before tip. In 2025 dollars, that’s a steal for handmade everything. One tiny quibble: the room fills fast. Reserve on Resy or risk the “maybe a seat at the bar” shuffle. Otherwise? Flawless. Adamo’s isn’t chasing Michelin stars; it’s chasing the feeling you get when someone’s Italian grandma cooks for you and refuses to let you leave hungry. Mission accomplished. I’m already plotting my return for the winter gnocchi and the next pasta-making class. Five stars, zero notes, endless cravings.
I absolutely love the cozy intimate vibe this restaurant gives. The aesthetic is wonderful with all the brick and old photos feels like you're eating at Nona's house. The service was amazing. We went based on a review we saw on social media about the food, but it was disappointing. I was excited to see such a specialized menu so I had high hopes, but it was all very bland. The pasta was heavy and greasy and had no flavor at all, and the risotto was not creamy just seemed like plain rice and lacked flavor as well. Would I come here again? Perhaps just for the atmosphere, so maybe to share a bottle of wine or something, but not if I was looking for a meal.
This restaurant is deceiving! From the outside, you think it that might be a simple looking, slightly shady restaurant in a shady-ish area of town. When you enter, it transforms into a chic, cosmopolitan little space that looks very inviting. I would recommend getting a reservation especially if you are a bigger group because they were busy on a Friday night! Thankfully, we could get seated at the bar. The menu is well-thought out. It isn't extensive, but we liked that they offer some classics and some of their own culinary fusions. We think they are attempting to create their name in the Italian cuisine industry here in Sac, as they seem to have updated menu items, they serve wines from their family vineyards in Italy and are also promoting pasta making classes. I love that! Ok, onto the wine and food. I ordered their classic white, which was 50% Chardonnay and 50% blend and my husband ordered their classic red, which was a red blend. I don't know which component of my white was buttery, but the wine wasn't as crisp as I was hoping for. The red blend was better. Food wise, they did a good job overall. We ordered their stuffed cherry peppers as an appetizer, the gnocchi, and the four cheese ravioli. The stuffed cherry peppers were simple, elegant and delicious! The plate was a few cherry peppers stuffed with goat cheese served on a bed arugula with a drizzle of an excellent balsamic vinaigrette with some black pepper. The simplicity of the components made this plate even more delicious. We thoroughly enjoyed it! Highly recommend ordering this appetizer. Onto the pastas: the gnocchi was excellent - light, melting in the mouth with ample amount of delicious sauce. This is one of the best gnocchi plates my husband has had, and he is particular about his gnocchi! The garlic bread was a tad disappointing because it could have done with a more butter and garlic. It felt a little dry and didn't taste like fresh bread. Dipping it in the gnocchi sauce helped, but I would've liked better bread. The four cheese ravioli took some bites for me to like it. My main issue with it was that I thought the ravioli was slightly undercooked but my husband felt it was ok. The pastas are all handmade so we commend them on making the ravioli but maybe we needed to boil it for a couple more minutes? The sauce for the ravioli was very good - spicy thanks to the peppers, lots of pine nuts and spinach. The cheese inside the ravioli was decent, but just that - cheese, no additional flavors there. I had the same complaint about the garlic bread not being buttered/garlicky enough. I think this dish is almost there but needs a few tweaks. For dessert, we got the tiramisu. The look of it was disappointing because it was not made as a big portion but constructed in a jar. The look was aesthetically pleasing for a flair but this meant that the dessert didn't come together like a normal tiramisu does. It was also overtly sweet. The color was quite pale. We would've liked more coffee. We've definitely had better tiramisu desserts before. I think this is a great restaurant. Their service is fast, the servers are friendly and once inside, you forget how the outside is! They have some cool decor like the wall of $2 bills. Their food is definitely hitting the mark for the most part, but they need a few tweaks here and there. A few weeks ago, we went to Paesanos where we had a great experience. Between the two, Paesanos leads currently because of their garlic bread and the tiramisu but I think Adamo's has a higher quality of pasta. We will be back to try more of your menu!
We took the Pasta 101 class. It is $120 per person and lasts from 11am-2pm. We made 4 cheese ravioli and it was super fun and informative! John was a great teacher and the ravioli we made was really delicious. Appetizers, salad, dessert, and wine were also included. There were 11 of us in the class and there were spaces up to 14. I would recommend booking early because the class fills up quickly.
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