Tank House BBQ – Sacramento, CA

*Logo taken directly from restaurant website.

Dear people of Sacramento (or visitors), if you’ve never been to Tank House…You. Are. Missing. Out!  Though this eatery may be small, it is FIERCE! Located at 1925 J Street, Sacramento, CA 95811, they are a family owned barbecue joint with craft beer and an outdoor patio.  Our family’s go-to is a little dish they are known for, dubbed “dirty tots“. And by dirty, they mean smothered in utter deliciousness. Their traditional dirty tots are topped with pulled pork, tangy BBQ and a cheese sauce. What we found out recently, however, is that every week beginning on Tuesday (#TaterTotTuesday) they have a different tot of the week.

Saturday night we finished our anniversary celebration with a fun JUMP bike ride around town and decided to stop in. The specialty for the week was Polynesian tots (pictured above). Pulled pork sat atop a beautiful golden mountain of taters, coupled with warm, grilled chunks of pineapple, bell pepper, and a tangy Polynesian sauce. So freaking delicious. My hubby went with the traditional. Each cost a whopping $7 – cheaper than most food truck items! Other times, we also go for a side of dirty mac & cheese (pictured below), but it was late and we only wanted a quick bite. In the past, their brisket has also proven to be tender and flavorful and honestly anything we’ve ever gotten ends up demolished in minutes.

Portion sizes Saturday night appeared smaller than they have before but if I remember correctly they were cheaper too, so maybe it was part of the late night menu or they scaled down a bit but made them more affordable. Their ordering is similar to jacks, order at the counter (bar) and drinks are served and handed to you immediately with the food to follow quickly thereafter. The mood is very relaxed with antique decor and dim lighting, good for a first or subsequent date. We agreed it’s pretty “hipster” but they play some pretty solid tunes (think Lupe Fiasco, Lauryn Hill, etc.) so we are constantly nodding our heads or singing along.

In celebration of Oktoberfest, this week’s tots (shown above) are topped with smoked Bratwurst, and a specialty sauce they describe as a “House made sauerkraut & Sierra Nevada Pale Ale mustard”. Check out their Instagram here for weekly specialty tots and next time you’re in midtown (19 & J) swing by to “have some of [their] tots” ::Napoleon Dynamite voice:: . I promise you won’t regret it.

Got another local restaurant that you absolutely love and think we should review?  Drop a suggestion below – we LOVE to EAT!