The display cases filled with towering cakes, large pies and colorful pastries immediately catch your eye when you walk through the door.

If you are looking to find a student hot spot for the weekends, but would prefer to avoid the nightclubs and bars, then you should check out Rick’s Dessert Diner located at 2322 K St. It is a popular place to be on Fridays and Saturdays because of its wide variety of desserts and coffees.

Prices:The slices of cake are wide and tall, being several layers high, but are reasonably priced at around $5 each. Prices for a whole cake are a bit steeper at nearly $40 each. The other items on the menu run at fairly comparable prices.

Eating the cakes right when they are ordered does not do them justice; they are much more appetizing at room temperature. But the cheesecakes are ready as is.

Desserts: In addition to the cakes and pies, Rick’s serves variations of cookies, tarts, torte, cheesecake, and ice cream. They even create elaborate wedding cakes. With nearly 300 desserts on the menu, deciding what to order will be the only difficult part of the evening.

Joi Williams, 19, an undeclared sophomore is a frequent diner at Rick’s.

“I really love all the desserts I’ve tried, but I guess my favorite would have to be the Oreo Cookies and Cream Cheesecake,” Williams said. “It’s just so mouth-watering and fresh.”

Rick’s desserts have won numerous awards and even won the diner Sacramento Magazine’s Best of Sacramento award for several years.

But the desserts are not the only pleasant part of the experience.

Decor: The pink and white walls with Marilyn Monroe and James Dean paintings and the 1950s style booths and stools are not bad to look at either. Oldies, but goodies, can be heard playing from the old-fashioned jukebox, but are not loud enough to overpower casual conversation.

Service: The friendly service only heightens the one-of-a-kind experience of Rick’s Dessert Diner. The workers welcome you with a big smile and warm greeting, and will even give their input on items to try.

Dottie Casheno, an employee at Rick’s and a junior journalism major at Sacramento State, recommends the tiramisu.

“It’s pretty much the most delicious tiramisu I’ve ever had,” she said. “And I’m not just saying that because I work here.”

Atmosphere: The lines on the weekends are usually to the door, but can be considered a plus or minus based on individual interpretation. For those looking for a larger crowd and upbeat atmosphere, the lines should not pose a problem because most of the people chat cheerfully with their companions or sing along to the tunes while they wait. For the diners who wish to enjoy a more quite, intimate experience, the weekdays are much more slow-paced and tend to have little to no lines.

Casheno said they see a mixture of all ages, including many college students.

Overall: For the convenience of its patrons, Rick’s is open Sundays from noon to 11 p.m., Mondays from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., Tuesday through Thursdays from 10 a.m. to midnight and Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m.

Tygenae Harris can be reached at [email protected]