Rick’s Dessert Diner

Never had anything bad from here. The service is very friendly. Just wish they were open later!

I have lived in Sacramento for over a year now and I have finally made my way into Rick’s. I’ve been curious about it since it is easy to see being on the corner and its old school building design of red and white.
I came to the store on Father’s day around 2 PM and there was a short line of 5 people in front of me which took less than 3 minutes to get through. It may have not been enough time because they have a wide variety of cakes to choose from.
The one I shared was Devil’s food cake which was enough to share because it was very rich and chocolately. The reason I give Rick’s 4 star is because the cake wasn’t moist to me and crumbled more than I thought it would.
We also ordered a root beer float that had more ice cream than root beer. This didn’t bother my friend too much since it was fully consumed.
Overall it was a good experience.

The cake was dry, AGAIN! Overpriced and underwhelmed. This is the second time I’ve been there and thought I would give it another try. Cakes look awesome but smaller pastry desserts are overpriced, in my opinion. I can get a large piece of cake for $ 7 or an éclair for $ 5? Who sells and éclair for $ 5? I Got a piece of fudge cake and hit the dry cake wall all over again. I’m and avid pastry enjoyer but I’ve had cake from Safeway that was more moist than this. It’s like the cake is old and has been out for a few days. Crumbly and unappetizing. Bleh. Never again. I’ll just go to the Safeway on Alhambra for desserts. They’re better. Also, the girl behind the counter needs to stop rolling her eyes when customers ask questions too.

WOW! Rick’s Dessert Dinner is the iconic, best dessert place in Sacramento in my opinion. So happy to make this my milestone 500^th review.
They have a huge selection of cakes, pies, ice cream, and baked goods. They serve the desserts by the slice and have a large common diner like seating area with booths and tables. All the desserts are in a large glass case at the counter that gives you plenty of time to make your selection while you happily wait in anticipation in the long lines. This location is much bigger than their old location. We tried the Strawberry Fudge cake with two scoops of vanilla ice cream and the raspberry poppy seed cake.
Rick’s gets crowded during prime hours so time it when the line is not so long. This is a rare treat for me and was so worth it! Thank you Rick.

I absolutely love this place. It’s timeless, classic, and the décor is absolutely charming and nostalgic. It opens till midnight everyday, and on Saturday, it stays open until 1am. It is a popular diner, so long lines are expected.
The dessert is a hit with me, but only because i know what I like. The mistake i did the first few times I was here, was ordering the cake simply because it looked pretty. Those cakes would often be too rich, too thick, or too dry, but the presentation itself would always be immaculate. I like anything citrus with light toppings. Their key lime pies and mousse cake are my faves. And when I cannot decided, I usually will order the hot fudge sundae. It’s been stupid hot in Sacramento, so the ice cream is always a good call.
The reason for my 3 stars: customer service. It’s never consistent. Some day, the staff would be super chipper, happy and upbeat. And then there are days where you can see their impatience, as if I’m taking too much of their time. Maybe it’s the heat. Nonetheless, I will always come back for the cakes.

I absolutely love, Rick’s diner! A few friends and I decided on having late night dessert after a few hours of drinking.
Normally, when I’ve come here it’s usually a very long line but this time it wasn’t as long… Yay!
My honey ordered the red velvet and we shared it. My friends ordered the éclair and the chocolate mousse cake. We all ended up sharing everything.
I’m not a fan of red velvet cake it just taste funny to my but, Rick’s knows how to make a damn good red velvet cake and the best I’ve ever had honestly. The cake was so moist and was definitely freshly baked. The cream cheese frosting was so creamy not too sweet and was ahhhmazing!!!
The éclair the cream in the middle was good the pastry itself my have sat too long or something it was just a tad too hard. It was still good though and would try it again in the future.
The chocolate mousse cake is really yummy! The it was the right amount of chocolate and had great creamy texture. If I order this I would have to share it, it’s a bit on the rich for me.
The customer service was nothing special you pick your dessert and pay. You grab your own napkins and utensils. I ordered a beer and had to wait forever for no reason to the point I had to remind the girl I was waiting for my beer… sign!
The price is slightly high than I thought, but that sweet treats are tasty. ;)

We had dinner across the street and decided to try the diner. I kept hearing about how great this place was from friends. The variety of desserts was impressive and the décor was very dinerish. I had an apple berry pie, my kids had a chocolate cake and ice cream. It was all pretty good but not the best we’ve had. I thought the prices were just a tad high. I believe my slice was close to $ 7. The big turn off for me was the silverware. They all looked dirty, like it went through a dishwasher without detergent. Fortunately they also have plastic.

I can’t add anything that has not already been said in the 400 reviews. They create the best cakes, pies, cheesecakes and torts using the finest ingredients possible, i.e. cream, butter and all the other stuff that makes their creations so yummy. A couple years ago they moved to a larger building and they are just as busy as ever. At peak times there will be a line but it moves fast. So much fun to peruse the display case and check out all the decadent desserts! It was not enough that I ate a piece of red velvet cake there but I had to take another piece home for later consumption. :-)
They sell beer, wine and coffee. They also make yummy looking ice cream sundaes.
If you have not been to Ricks you owe it to yourself to give them a try.

I love Ricks Dessert Diner.
This is pretty much the only place where I will stand in line for more than 20minutes to get whatever amazing dessert I choose. And to be quite honest I really only get the caramel napoleon because its my absolute favorite. I always tell myself that I am going to get something different, but I digress I can seem to get anything but my usual.
I have also always had excellent customer service here, and honestly if I had to deal with the amount of people that are here in the evening I would find it hard to be nice to every single one of those dessert crazed people.
Also the quality of these desserts are just fabulous. I mean the cakes are beautiful and I dont know how the employees here feel about cutting into such a beautiful cake. Also you get a hefty portion of dessert regardless of your choice. I mean youre looking at $ 5-​$ 6 desserts that are enough for one or two people, but Im selfish and I dont share my dessert.

Rick’s Dessert Diner is always packed with delicious treats!
They have cakes, ice cream, brownies GALORE. Their servings are astronomical and require you to share no matter what you’re ordering. I ordered the Devil’s Food Cake and was blown away with their chocolatey goodness which is what I needed. It wasn’t overbearingly sweet but hit the spot just right. My friends ended up getting a banana split that was shared amongst the group and still was not able to be finished. I ended up taking my chocolate cake home but it was even better the next day!
The restaurant is the epitome of a diner which is always fun! In the corner they have a jukebox that plays songs for fifty cents. They have really snazzy booths that can squeeze 5 – 6 people but 4 people comfortably. I love their long table by the mirrors with the stools and they have plenty of murals that bring you back to the 50’s. This is a great place to take your friends from out of town – their wide array of desserts makes it hard to choose just one!
Pros: unique diner in midtown next to a lot of other shops, huge servings great for sharing, family/​group oriented, ambience
Cons: always packed with a line out the door, a little pricey, parking

A dessert diner?! What isn’t there to love?!
My love for desserts made me very excited to try this diner out but alas I was greeted with disappointment the three times I came.
Location is prime. It’s on a corner in midtown with big windows for people to look outside of. Interior definitely screams diner and makes for a great ambiance.
The cake selection is huge, filling about two glass cases. The flavors range from fruity like banana to variations of chocolate. There’s a flavor for everyone and for different moods but I found that all the cakes I have tried were dry. I’m not sure if it’s because it is sitting out without parchment paper to cover the cut parts of the cake or if it’s the recipe itself but it’s not the most appealing crumbly texture. Flavors were decent. However the price for what you get is extremely expensive. Cake slices are big but for the quality of cake you’re getting I can find another place like Freeport Bakery to satisfy me (and it’s cheaper by the slice).
Ice cream here is pretty good. Pistachio is good and the fruity ones have nice flavor.
The dry cakes and decent ice cream just aren’t priced at what they should be. I don’t plan on coming back but I’ll likely find my way back to a booth in Rick’s Diner because friends want to try it and I’m hoping they’ll prove me wrong about the texture of their cakes.

Definitely worth 5 stars. The service was great and very helpful with us and selecting a desert. Great tasting treats, I had the cherry ameretto cheesecake, and very clean.
From the other reviews posted, it always amazes me with what people complain about.
We were in a couple of months ago and the power was out. The staff worked so hard to try and fulfill orders with limited resources. People complained as if it were their fault! The staff were very grateful we returned. It was our pleasure!

Sweet tooth was acting up so I had to give in. The line was ridiculously long! Waited almost 20 minutes!
This place definitely satisfied the sweet tooth!
I had the banana crème pie and tried some of the chocolate pecan pie. Absolutely delicious! Paired my dessert with a cappuccino.
Am definitely coming back!
*need more tables and chairs-​the space can accommodate more seating.

A dessert diner, what an awesome idea!
We had a giant piece of chocolate mousse cake to share between 3 adults and it was more than enough. The cake was absolutely delicious.
There was super comfy booths to sit in like a true diner experience and there were high chairs available.
For a true 5 star experience it would just need to have a little more on the menu, namely ice cream and apple pie! I feel like you can’t really have a dessert diner and not have pie and ice cream.

The 50’s-style interior was very authentic, and even had giant paintings of Marilyn and the King. Loved the look of the place, but not my slice of strawberry cake.
The online menu said the Strawberry Cake was made with fresh sautéed strawberries, but my slice only had strawberry jelly/​jam as you can tell by the picture. The un-​fresh strawberry goo made the cake much too sweet. I also wasn’t a fan of the actual cake… it wasn’t a white cake and I’m not really sure what it way. Either way, it didn’t taste very good.
I’ll might try it again since so many people seem to love it, but I’ll definitely get another slice or another type of dessert.

I went here for the first time on a major chocolate craving and I was completely satisfied! Note: this is DESSERTS only (despite the name) unless desserts is life and you don’t mind the diabetes. Anyway, the friend who came with me had been here a few times and she always gets the chocolate hazelnut mousse tart. I was stuck between the chocolate indulgence and the chocolate hazelnut so I even asked the lady who worked there for her honest suggestion. Chocolate hazelnut is her favorite too. So by obligation, I HAD to get the chocolate hazelnut (wow such a hard life).
IT WAS MOUTHGASM FROM THE FIRST BITE. I’m a Nutella freak and I approve. The tart has a chocolatey base, a creamy but airy chocolate mousse, and is encrusted with crushed hazelnut. All these different textures and varying sweetness go perfect together. I made a mistake of sharing but next time, I’m totally getting my own and I’m bringing another friend so I can try other cakes and desserts.
Another note: please clean up after yourself!

I wasn’t amazed by the desserts here, but it was good. I had a slice of almond torte and a bite of a lemon bar. They were both slightly above so-​so. I enjoyed the almond torte more than the lemon bar. I think these cakes depend on your taste, so I can’t go too in depth. The torte wasn’t too sweet and the cake was moist. It was good, but nothing about it would make me come back for it. The lemon bar was definitely too tart for me and I wish it had more of a crust.
The diner theme is cute and staff is friendly. There’s a bit of a line, so be mindful of that also. It’s also open pretty late, so if you want a sweet bite to eat, I would try this place out.

Really like the new location over the old one! Took us 10minutes to get there, woo hoo!
BF had a Carmel vanilla custard pastry and I had Roberts truffle cake. His was amazing! Especially for caramel lovers, which he is! My was good too. Ganache cake, chocolate and white chocolate mousse with berries to offset the rich and chocolate flavors. Nice balance for sure. Will be back to try other things!

I was really excited to try this place out ever since they were at their old location. Sadly, my visit this morning can be wrapped up in two words, utterly disappointing. To start, the customer service was non-​existant. The girl behind the counter could not have acted any less enthused to be there if she tried.
I ordered the Chocolate Espresso cake, a cannoli and a latte. I’ll start with the cannoli. It tasted very good but and left me with high hopes for the rest. Too bad it didn’t work out that way. The chocolate espresso cake, while it looked amazing, was mostly frosting. The taste was okay, a little too buttery that it overpowered the flavor. The cake on the other hand was terrible and tasted several days old. Finally the latte, serve luke-​warm in a glass tumbler. I could couldn’t even drink it. Overall, the quality of the food was par for a grocery store bakery.
On a positive note, the restaurant looked clean and the décor, while quaint, looked manufactured, lacking the charm of the old location, but quaint décor wont be enough to bring me back.

At first I was skeptical since the 3 star rating, however, like everyone said, it is some place that needs to be tried if you first move to sac/​have people visiting.
I was personally recommended to come by a personal trainer friend and I’m thoroughly impressed.
AREA
We street parked after 6 on a weekend. There’s plenty of street parking so I’m sure you could find a spot somewhere.
AMBIENCE
The area was large and very busy. Cutely decorated with an oldies diner type feel. They already had all their Valentine’s décor up giving it a even bustling/​cute area. The line was almost out the door when we were there on a Saturday evening
DESSERTS
The desserts were actually surprisingly tasty. The cake wasn’t dry as everyone mentioned but it was almost overwhelmingly sweet.
White Chocolate Truffle — $ 6.75ish
The slice was pretty large and the cake wasn’t dry. It’s very creamy abd you can definitely taste all the butter that’s in the cake. Pretty standard if you’d ask me.
Chocolate OD — $ 6.75ish
The slice was slightly smaller than the baked cakes since it has mousse inside. It was very decadent and tasty with a layer of fudge at the bottom. That definitely topped it off.
Banana cake — $ 6.75ish
It tasted like a moist banana bread with cream cheese frosting on it. Very good purchase and it was a pretty heavy cake.
** cake is a tad pricey but it was definitely worth the wait/​price for a once-​in-​a-​blue-​moon event!

We shared a cake slice and hot cocoa, cake was dry as hell, frosting over sweetened and stale, a total let down and waste of money. Freeport bakery and Etores are far superior.

This one of the spots that you have to check out in sac since its one of the few open late dessert diners. This place has cakes, brownies, cookies, ice cream, and coffee. The selection of cakes they have is amazing. The cakes here are a little bit pricey but they give you a good size, enough for two people. The only thing I don’t like about this place, the cakes are really sweet even the ones the aren’t supposed to be sweet. I also do not like the long wait there is, they definitely try their best to serve everyone in a timely manner. It is a spot to check out but I don’t think it lives up to the hype. A good place to indulge when you are sad though!

Before moving out of Sac, I had to try Rick’s. It’s definitely one of those one and done type of places, it was good, but extremely overrated.
Dessert: I ordered a mammoth slice of carrot cake and my boyfriend ordered a Strawberry Malted Shake. Carrot cake is my absolute favorite type of cake, so yeah, I’m very picky with my carrot cake. This slice was monstrous to say the least. Gorgeous presentation, but the flavor was just okay. I love moist carrot cake, but this one was a bit too dry. It was overtly sweet from all of the cream cheese, however I did enjoy the pineapple pieces, which I don’t commonly get in my carrot cake. However, it lacked the spice I like. The shake was good, fresh and flavorful, but we really shouldn’t have chosen the malt. Nothing to write home about.
Service: Fast, friendly and efficient.
Price: Quantity may be great, but quality isn’t the best. OVERPRICED.
Ambiance: Old-​fashioned diner with a modern feel to it.
Overall: Large dessert menu, average tasting dessert diner with good service and a large price tag.

Came here on a Friday night around 7pm, there was a small line but wasn’t too bad considering it was a Friday.
My boyfriend and I ordered the marble cake, chocolate mousse tart, a double scoop of strawberry and Oreo ice cream, and a cheese cake brownie. Everything came out to be around 21 $, which is a little pricey for the quality and size. Although the cakes were beautifully made, they were too sweet for my tasting especially the chocolate mousse. Usually for a mousse cake I expect it to be more on the lighter side and not too heavy. The cheese cake brownie was also very soggy as if it wasn’t fully cooked, I’m not sure if that’s just how they make it or not. I was a bit sad since I was expecting a fluffy moist brownie :(I give this place a three star because I’ve been here before and I know that some of their items are decent.
The service here was okay, and the lady at the cashier seemed a little unwelcoming but that doesn’t bother me too much.
Overall, if you’re in Sacramento visiting I wouldn’t really recommend coming to this place if you want really good dessert. You’ll probably be disappoint for the most part. And if you live in Sacramento once in a while should be alright but really worth it.

I’m not that big of a fan of desserts, but I do have a sweet tooth from time to time. My friend introduced me to the Caramel Napoleon and I am now addicted to this flaky, caramel goodness. This place can get ridiculously pact, but luckily me and my boyfriend came at the perfect time where we didn’t have to wait whatsoever! if you haven’t tried the Caramel Napoleon you should give it a try! you won’t be disappointed! ;)

You go to Rick’s Dessert Diner because you haven’t been or you have out-​of-​town guests. It’s a thing to try because it’s cute inside and the service is friendly and efficient.
BUT you don’t go for good desserts. The cakes are dry and overly sweet. The flavors they are supposed to have don’t shine through. But the dryness of the cakes really kill it. Yes they are cool to look at because the slices are gigantic. But once you put a piece of Rick’s dessert in your mouth you feel like you’re eating overly sugared sand. And you force yourself to eat it because you just paid over $ 6 for this gigantic mound of «meh.»

Everything I’ve had here has been awesome! Even the caramel apple cake that I ordered.
I only wish they would stay stocked up on crème brûlée…

We came by Rick’s Dessert Diner while walking in the midtown district and went in for cake and coffee.
I had the mocha torte and my gf got the pecan chokolate pie, with cappuccino & tea for drinks.
The cakes where really good and the portions where VERY generous!
The coffee was not amazing but alright. We came for the cake after all.
The service was very friendly and quick.

The place is very cute. The cakes are huge, and have a major «wow» factor. We had the red velvet. Not good at all. Bland. Dry. More frosting than cake.
We also had carrot cake. This was better. The cake itself was flavorful, and hearty. The frosting was also bland.
Also had a cream cheese brownie. This was very rich. Super soft. However, no cream cheese taste at all. It just tasted like a chocolate brownie.
They gave us a candle, and lit it for our daughter though. It made her day.

I love this place and I was a little hesitant at first. I didn’t understand why we would want to go for just a dessert. I am a fan.
I also enjoy the fountain drinks. Takes me back to being in high school and getting a fountain drink with my ice cream.
Prices I felt were very reasonable and presentation is very nice. Walking distance to many other places.
I am a fan. Enjoy.

I love the carrot cake at Ricks! I never use to like carrot cake before but I think the cream cheese icing here is delicious! Even though their cake is overpriced, people seem to love it here as there is alway a long line on the weekends.
My main complaint is I lately notice my $ 7 a slice carrot cake got smaller. I think they are skimping on the portion. Very disappointing.

Looking to clench your sweet tooth desires, this is the spot! I have been here several times. I have never had a bad desert here. and the customer service is always welcoming and happy to help.
The new location is bigger, but still not a whole
Lot of seating for the crazy lines of people that stack up at the door at this place. Also depends on the baker too I guess. The deserts are not always consistent in taste. But still very good. And hey; it’s like the only place open in the wee times of the morning to get something yummy to eat. So by lack of competition, this is like the ONLY
place to go to get desert late night. But yeah, it is still a very good choice to have.

I have never seen a display case like theirs before. You have options for any kind of cake you want! Our group ordered a different slice of our favorite, so we can try everything.
The taste was just a little disappointing for me. Their cakes were beautiful and you could tell they make them with care: the layers, different flavor combinations, and large portions. Unfortunately the cakes were just too dense for me. And the flavors were just average.

Love Rick’s Dessert Diner! How awesome is that, to just have a diner dedicated to desserts! There’s too many options to list but I always get something chocolate but I should try more things next time I visit. I don’t live in the area anymore :(bummer but I try making my way here when I am. Can be a bit pricey, I won’t lie but once in a while it’s okay to indulge. They do not have any vegan options for anyone who wants to know. For everyone else, I’m pretty sure you’ll find something that you will enjoy. Side note: chocolate ganache can be a bit heavy so be prepared when you order those. I order the Fudge ribbon cake that is a chocolate cake with layers of cheesecake and chocolate ganache and it was waayyyy to rich. I preferred the Lemon Blueberry Torte my friend got. I may get that next time or just something more fruity! Cannot wait to come back.

Me to the guy behind the counter: «Oh wowwwww I haven’t been here in years!»
Him: «Yeahhhh we get that. A lot.»
I try and stay away from desserts. Which makes it extra special when I blast into a landmark like Rick’s, stare down the counter like I’m kicking tires at a car lot, and settle on a slice of heaven.
Tonight was Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie. That’s a given for anyone who knows me… chocolate and peanut butter belong together. On my plate. Truly delectable and didn’t disappoint.
Service was fast and friendly. Tables were clean. Can’t complain. No wonder the place was hopping at 10:30pm on a Wednesday.
Cue the sugar coma. I’m ready.

As a regular here I really enjoy this place a lot. I read the reviews and cannot believe the short fuses people have… This place is ALWAYS packed, and for good reason, so of course there’s a little line. They are trying to serve this line as best as possible! I understand the slight disinterest they show… Simply because they are trying to serve a large amount of people as fast as possible… It’s not great business practice, but it’s still quick and efficient… Also, the tables not being bussed? If you wait more than 30 seconds, they get cleaned and wiped down no problem.
For the food itself? You cannot complete with the desserts. So. Incredibly. Amazing. Every single review has agreed… I’m not gonna spend a lot of time on it.
If you are in sacramento, you have to try this place at least once. My personal favorites are the: chocolate turtle cheesecake, apple spice cake, carrot cake, and apple pie. Stay away from the red velvet… It’s not what it once was (it used to be their best cake?!)
UPDATE We got the blueberry cheesecake… I found a new favorite here!

This past Monday was my first time at the new Rick’s location. I went to the old location a few times, but was never really that impressed to return frequently. That’s probably why it took me a while to go here. My boyfriend and I came here because we wanted dessert and it was nearby.
I saw pictures of an a la mode peach cobbler on Unilocal,but was disappointed when they didn’t have it. I let my boyfriend choose and he picked banana chip cheesecake and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. My boyfriend is not a big fan of cheesecake, but he surprisingly enjoyed it. It was different than anything I’ve ever had. There were slices of bananas and chocolate chips mixed into the cheesecake, so there were varying flavors and textures. I can’t imagine eating a whole slice by myself as it is so rich. I felt like it should’ve been colder too. The desserts sit in a case, but they’re room temperature. The ice cream was standard. I’m not sure if they’re made in house or what brand they are.
This location is better than the old one strictly because there is way more seating. There is a utensil/​water station where you can serve yourself. It was not very busy when we went since it was a Monday, but there wasn’t any water left and there were several dirty tables. Seems like they need more staff (or better staff).
This would not be my first choice for dessert. The décor and vibe is interesting, but their desserts are average and overpriced. I’d much prefer Ettore’s.