Breaking Bread Vol. 2: Breakfast for Dinner at Empress Tavern
Catching Pancakes not Feelings - The Revival of a Food Program at a Beloved Sacramento Tavern
Orange Cream Cakes with Orange Rind Whipped Butter
Empress Tavern is a subterranean (aka CAVE) restaurant located at 1013 K St. Sacramento, CA 95814, next door to the historic Crest Theater Downtown. Their current hours are Wed-Sat 4-10pm with a breakfast-themed happy hour running from 4-6pm every day they are open.
Sunny days ahead for Crest Theater and Empress Tavern
Picture this: You trot down the cobblestones of K Street, Downtown Sacramento, peering up at the double-sided colorful marquee of Crest Theater announcing upcoming shows and reruns of classic movies that pull on the nostalgic heartstrings, and then you spot it: a crown-shaped neon and a pair of dark wooden doors. Pulling the handle, you slip inside and pad past the smell of buttered popcorn on the right, descending dark maroon-striped stairs that light up with each step. What waits in the depths below? Swinging right at the landing, you pause by the towering floor-length mirror to survey the space, a symphony of clinking glassware, clattering utensils, shaking tins, and the swooshing steps of guests and staff rises to meet you. Eyesight adjusting to the warm glow of the tavern, you take in the bricked pillars of the U-shaped bar taking center stage, periwinkle wallpaper blossoming with golden yellow irises on the right, built-in banquettes with dark blue leather backs sunk into the bricked back, and an expansive open kitchen. Spying the perfect barstool on the corner to sit and watch the wonderment of each arriving guest’s face, you plop down and crack open a menu while the bartender pours you a cold one. The floor sparkles beneath you. Your breakfast burger and pancakes arrive, and you forget the hubbub of the world scurrying by above your head.
Empress Tavern blew Sacramento away with a visual and literal feast when they first opened their doors in September of 2015, with many revered bartenders and chefs gracing the hallowed establishment before Covid sadly shuttered full-scale operations in 2020. The pandemic undeniably affected the restaurant industry, with funerals held for many a beloved institution that simply could not rise from the ashes of regulations and slashed foot traffic.
While the re-opened Empress Tavern’s menus and staff carried no echoes or cast from the days of yore, but the time-sealed capsule broke open to commence a new post-pandemic era with opportunities for fresh and hungry industry looking to earn a spot on the billboard of Sacramento Hospitality. Enter Jessica Taylor, who earned her stripes at several other Sacramento establishments before tapping in to head up the food program at Empress, bringing with her a flair for breakfast.
The Happy Hour Breakfast Burger
Interview With Jessica Taylor of The Empress Tavern
Jessica whipping up a breakfast burger with a fried egg on top.
Anna Wick:
All right, we’re rolling. I’m sitting here with Jessica Taylor, of?
Jessica Taylor:
Of Empress.
Anna Wick:
How long have you been in the Sacramento industry?
Jessica Taylor:
Going on eight years now.
BBQ Macaroni and Cheese Pull
Anna Wick:
That’s awesome. So, you started in what position in the industry?
Jessica Taylor:
A dishwasher. I started washing dishes at Buca di Beppo when I was living in Washington. Then, when I moved back here, I got a job at Pushkin’s. I worked there for a while before moving on to Mother, where I met Ryan Donahue, my current boss. Ryan has helped me navigate the restaurant industry ever since.
Anna Wick:
And now, he’s brought you back for the reopening of Empress to fully run the food program, which I think is incredible.
Jessica Taylor:
Yeah, me too. It’s been fun. I wish we were a little busier, but having that quiet time has helped build up to perfecting everything.
Anna Wick:
It feels good to know you can still make adjustments and refine how you want the menu to look.
Jessica Taylor:
Exactly, I'm just figuring things out and launching new ideas.
Anna Wick:
Like those delicious-looking tacos and breakfast burger that you just made for me! What else are you working on for happy hour?
Jessica Taylor:
I love breakfast, honestly. If I had it my way, we’d only serve breakfast down here. But we can’t put Pancake Circus out of business!
Anna Wick:
I think there’s enough pancake money to go around.
Jessica Taylor:
I wish! I love brunch, and I know it’s kind of a thing among cooks that it’s the worst shift, but I love it. I love making eggs and I love making pancakes.
Anna Wick:
Sadly egg prices are still on the rise, though.
Jessica Taylor:
True, that might put the breakfast idea on the back burner. Brunch without eggs? It just can’t happen.
Jess checking on one of her cooks, Julian, as he crafts another pastry creation
Anna Wick:
Agreed! How many days a week are you guys open?
Jessica Taylor:
We’re open Wednesday through Saturday, 4 PM to 10 PM.
Anna Wick:
That’s great—catching the crowds heading to downtown for concerts or games, and you’re open for all the shows at Crest Theater next door? What time can folks catch Brunch Happy Hour at?
Jessica Taylor:
Happy Hour runs from 4 PM to 6 PM, then dinner from 6 PM to 10 PM. The bar has happy hour specials too, but I don’t really know the details since I don’t drink much these days.
Vanilla Ice Cream Pepsi Float cause Pepsi RULES (according to Jess).
Anna Wick:
Good for you! Your liver is thriving no doubt. I’m really excited about the dishes you shared with me. Do you see yourself staying in the industry for a long time?
Jessica Taylor:
I don’t know what else I would do, honestly. I’ve done other jobs—inventory work and desk jobs—just for the paycheck, but I hated it. It felt so soul-sucking. I can’t sit behind a desk all day answering emails. Here, even when it’s slow, I can experiment—like the other day, I made fried chicken with Fun Dip in the batter! Sometimes the ideas work, sometimes they don’t, but at least it’s fun. And the community in the industry is great—everyone’s weird, everyone’s nice. It makes me feel at home.
Empress Tavern’s state of the art spacious kitchen provides Jess ample space and tools to flex her creativity and cooking skills.
Anna Wick:
Yeah, there’s something about the misfit energy in kitchens, and it’s cool to see your creativity in action. I hope you'll continue doing this for a long time. If you could give any advice to your younger self when you were first starting in the industry—especially as a woman—what would it be?
Jessica Taylor:
Honestly, being a woman in the industry has been tough. I’ve walked out on many jobs where I wasn’t treated equally. I don’t tolerate it. I can’t stand the male ego flex in kitchens—the yelling and the intimidation. It’s not productive. Just because you’re not crying doesn’t mean you’re not emotional as a male. But there are many good kitchens with stellar people, and I’ve always found a better place when needed. I have no regrets.
Anna Wick:
That’s great. The restaurant industry does offer so many opportunities.
Jessica Taylor:
Yeah, especially in Sacramento. The food scene here is incredible. I lived in Seattle for a while, and surprisingly, the food scene there wasn’t as exciting—it felt more corporate. Sacramento is tight-knit and full of independent restaurants and passionate people.
Julian’s Chai Custard Pie - one of the dessert offerings at Empress
Anna Wick:
What are some of your favorite places to eat here?
Jessica Taylor:
I love Kodaiko. And I love Pancake Circus.
Anna Wick:
I’ve never been to Pancake Circus!
Jessica Taylor:
It’s nothing fancy, but it’s a classic diner, and that’s the kind of food I love. The hazy atmosphere is great with old men watching the lottery channel. It’s perfect.
Anna Wick:
Guess I gotta go buy a Powerball ticket and then grab some pancakes!
Jessica Taylor:
Exactly! Get some pancakes, some coffee, and just enjoy it.
Anna Wick:
That’s awesome. Anything else you want to add?
Jessica Taylor:
I don’t know how to talk about myself, but I appreciate the chance to share a little.
Anna Wick:
That’s all we need. Thanks, Jessica!
Glowing, warm vibes, and limited cell reception is how we like it underground at Empress
