If you always go out to dinner when you go to a restaurant, it is time to mix it up. For this I have just the place. Sweetwater Restaurant and Bar just down the street from campus on 5461 J Street is a great Sunday brunch destination.

From the outside, the establishment may appear like a little hole in the wall bar but outside appearances can be very deceiving.

Once inside, prepare to be dazzled by very modern and inviting spaces ?” three to be exact. This place is not only deceiving on looks, but size as well. There are three rooms for your dining pleasure, the “bistro,” the patio and the back room.

We were cold, so we asked for the warmest spot in the restaurant. Our server took us to the back room where a large roaring fireplace made a great addition to our experience. The space was a little dark and very romantic. This room would be a great place to take a date.

The walls of the room were plastered with very colorful modern art which is for sale at the price of hundreds of dollars. The picture next to our table, “school of minnows being startled by a thrown stick,” was available for $550.

When brunch comes to mind, most people think champagne and mimosas right? Well Sweetwater is no exception. Usually at most restaurants if it’s not included, then the restaurant will sell it by the glass. Not Sweetwater. Sweetwater offers all you can drink mimosas or champagne for only $6.

We decided to drink “pimosas” which is a blend of pineapple juice, instead of orange juice and champagne. Definitely worth a try if you haven’t already. Our server was very happy to respond to our unusual request.

They are really not kidding when they say all you can drink. Every time our glass was half full, our server was there to fill it right back up. They don’t use small glasses either. The service was very attentive as our glasses were always half-full or more.

As for the food, Sweetwater is not lacking there either. The brunch menu includes breakfast, lunch and appetizers. The breakfast section features the more traditional fare such as an eggs, bacon or sausage and potatoes platter, eggs benedict, and French toast. In addition they add a few dishes of their own creation such as the California benedicts and the East Sac omelet. All breakfasts range in price from $5 to $11.

In the lunch and appetizers section, Sweetwater offers dishes such as hamburgers, fettuccini, pot stickers, calamari, spinach artichoke dip and a few salads ranging in price from $5 to $12

For our entrees, we chose the eggs benedict, California benedict and breakfast sandwich.

After ordering and before the servers bring out your food, slices of watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew melon and tiny banana nut muffins are brought to your table. This was a nice little surprise and the perfect way to get your taste buds tantalized. The muffins were very moist and sweet. The honeydew melon wasn’t exactly ripe, but the watermelon and cantaloupe were delicious.

The eggs benedict was pretty basic and tasted like most other eggs benedicts. There was nothing special about it, but it was good.

The California benedict took the traditional eggs benedict and added a delicious twist. Instead of using an English muffin, a toasted croissant served as the foundation for two poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, tomatoes and avocados. To compliment this unique and tasty combo, their house potatoes with red peppers were drizzled with a chipotle crème fraiche. Next time I might ask for the eggs to be cooked a little more, they were a little too runny. Other than that everything about this dish was very delicious.

The breakfast sandwich was also very appetizing. Sandwiched between two pieces of sourdough toast were eggs, apple wood smoked bacon, spinach and cheddar cheese. The bread was slightly greasy like grilled cheese, but otherwise it was great.

Or bill came to $52 including tip. For around $17 per person, it was a great way to spend a Sunday morning-early afternoon.

In addition to the great brunch specials at Sweetwater, during dinner on Sundays all wines priced under $100 are half price with the purchase of an entree.

So next time when it rains on Sunday or it’s just plain freezing, skip church, go snuggle up to the fire in the back dining room, enjoy some great food and all the “pimosas” you can drink.

Rating: 5 Stars

All of Liz’s dining and nightlife reviews are held to this rating system:

1 Star: Stay at home.

2 Stars: Not worth the gas money.

3 Stars: If there’s nothing else to do –

4 Stars: Better than most.

5 Stars: Proves that Sacramento is more than just a cowtown.