The Fat family of restaurants wants you to add more Fat?s to your diet. The Eastern culinary dynasty built by the Fat family in the Sacramento area includes multiple restaurants in the Sacramento area: Frank Fat?s Downtown, California Fat?s and Fat City in Old Sacramento, Kung Fu Fat?s eatery at Sacramento State and the most recent addition, Fat?s Asia Bistro & Dim Sum Bar in Roseville.

The Fat Family began its long history in the Sacramento area in 1939 when the late Frank Fat opened Frank Fat?s restaurant. The long-established Chinese eatery and Sacramento?s oldest restaurant, Frank Fat?s is still owned and operated by the family in the same location.

The menu at Frank Fat?s offers foods that range from Chinese cuisine to traditional Western steaks and finishes with a famous banana cream pie. The restaurant also serves as a frequent hangout for political figures, sports personalities and entertainers.

The newest in the Fat Family of restaurants is Fat?s Asia Bistro & Dim Sum Bar in Roseville. The menu consists of traditional and popular Chinese cuisine with a sampling of other Asian flavors as well. A featured portion of the menu a offers a wide selection of “Dim Sum,” Chinese for “touching your heart.” Dim Sum is served hot or cold, and comes in the form of little rolls and dumplings. You can eat Dim Sum alone or in a group, as appetizers or the main course. This restaurant has an extensive beverage selection and a knowledgeable staff that presents the foods and beverages in an approachable manner. The Bistro?s design and decor was inspired by the post-and-beam construction of ancient temples throughout Asia. With the melding of old and new, the design, complete with indoor palm trees, resulted in a fresh look for the Sacramento area.

Old Sacramento plays host to both California Fat?s and Fat City on Front Street. California Fat?s decor is being remodeled to take on a look and feel similar to Fat?s Asia Bistro in Roseville. The restaurant will retain the famous 30-foot indoor waterfall and will feature an earthier, tropical theme accented with palm trees. California Fat?s is scheduled to reopen March 1. The menu at California Fat?s will take on some of the foods from the menu at Fat?s Asia Bistro, including Dim Sum. The traditional favorites will still be available; the ?Fat Pot? entrees, served in one ?Fat? pot over rice, are a sure bet, and the chicken pot stickers are hard to beat. The building that houses Fat City was the first store to be established after the city of Sacramento was laid out in 1851. After purchasing the building, the Fat family undertook the project of restoring the exterior of the building to its original Victorian appearance. Fat City?s decor represents the Fats? rendition of a turn-of-the-century bar and cafe filled with unusual artifacts of the period such as the Purple Lady (circa 1893 Chicago World?s Fair, First Prize, Stained Glass). The food at Fat City is western in style. Some of the menu items include gourmet burgers, pasta dishes and spicy popcorn shrimp.

If the Fats? venues sound interesting to you but you are short on time or stuck on campus, the Fat Family has also brought the food to you: Kung Fu Fat?s in the University Union has a sampling of foods offered by the Fat family ready to serve and eat right away. There is a daily chef?s special and the combination plates are priced competitively.