california Date: 05-15-2026

Highly Recommended 6 Dinner Restaurants Near Placerville, California

Planning dinner tonight? Check out highly recommended restaurants in [Placerville] known for quality food and memorable dining experiences.

RestaurantsAddressPrice_level
1Independent Restaurant & Bar629 Main St, Placerville, CA 95667Moderate
2Buttercup Pantry222 Main St, Placerville, CA 95667Moderate
3The Original Mels Diner232 Main St, Placerville, CA 95667Inexpensive
4Bricks Eats & Drinks482 Main St, Placerville, CA 95667Moderate
5Red Hawk Resort + Casino1 Red Hawk Pkwy, Placerville, CA 95667Moderate
6Taqueria El Carnaval | Méxican Restaurant4340 Golden Center Dr c, Placerville, CA 95667Inexpensive

1.Independent Restaurant & Bar

Address: 629 Main St, Placerville, CA 95667

images Independent Restaurant & Bar

(946) user ratings total:

Taylor Wells Every time I have gone to the Independent, I have always had exceptional service and food. The drinks and dishes were well spaced out and came out in a very timely manner. Our server, Trevor, went above and beyond to provide amazing service. You must check out this restaurant! I highly recommend the bread pudding.
5 /5
=

2.Buttercup Pantry

Address: 222 Main St, Placerville, CA 95667

images Buttercup Pantry

(2026) user ratings total:

Amanda Kay The food can be hit or miss but it’s always a pleasure to be there. The atmosphere is quaint and cozy. The servers are always amazing. My chicken fried steak was delicious!
5 /5
=

3.The Original Mels Diner

Address: 232 Main St, Placerville, CA 95667

images The Original Mels Diner

(1771) user ratings total:

Chandan Skanda The Original Mel’s Diner is such a gem! Their veggie burger is one of the best I’ve had anywhere, and Joey’s Caramel Monkey Crunch is simply outstanding—sweet, crunchy, and unforgettable. We left with our stomachs full, and honestly, it felt like an all-day meal at such a great price. A big shout-out to Ashley R, who made our visit even better. She was super kind, attentive, and generous with her suggestions, helping us pick the perfect options. Great food, great value, and excellent service—I’ll definitely be coming back whenever I am driving to Tahoe!
5 /5
=

4.Bricks Eats & Drinks

Address: 482 Main St, Placerville, CA 95667

images Bricks Eats & Drinks

(1491) user ratings total:

Jon H Stunning. Absolutely gorgeous food. So good. Must go. Must return. The calamari is magic. The sammiches are delicious. The beer is wonderful. The desserts....OMG. Great service too. Tip them well. They deserve it. The atmosphere is fun. Old brick building. Such a gem this place.
5 /5
=

5.Red Hawk Resort + Casino

Address: 1 Red Hawk Pkwy, Placerville, CA 95667

images Red Hawk Resort + Casino

(14279) user ratings total:

Bizz2 Whi Red Hawk hits all the marks! Standard machines lower limit is much more reasonable than anything else around, and while its not really a HUGE casino, there are still 2 floors, smoking/non-smoking, KENO+VP sections, tables, a lively enviornment at times and a lax one at others. Ill even come here to do laptop work sometimes, when its not a Friday night or something. My only knocks on them are that, at times the luck seems manufactured and weirdly high or low for most people on the floor....thats frustrating and they Are tribal, so who knows there...and the other is the lack of outlets or charging options ANYWHERE, except the hallway to the hotel. SO YOU MUST BRING A POWER BANK Hotel itself is....not bad, very clean but minimal in my mind given the standard many casinos set with rooms. Its still nice though.great pool + spa, great food options, especially the buffet. Other mentions are phenomenal free transportation to and from other normal casinos and the bay area, and absolutely awesome customer-facing staff...seriously, great experiences all around with that portion. Also to be noted is this is only accessible by car or their shuttle service as it is directly on a freeway offramp dedicated to it. Final thought- redhawk is the casino in the area that, on the first visit - may not be your favorite because its not quite as flashy as some others, but youll have a great time still. And then after you have seen the other options, and come back, youll stick with it because literally every other facet is superior to anything else around. Apex too....forgot about apex....cool little area with the sickest go-kart track in the world, and great bowling, but an underwhelming arcade. Not much else to say there. Do the go karts at least once. Its expensive but worth it to be on that track
5 /5
=

6.Taqueria El Carnaval | Méxican Restaurant

Address: 4340 Golden Center Dr c, Placerville, CA 95667

images Taqueria El Carnaval | Méxican Restaurant

(1127) user ratings total:

Eric Berke By far and without a doubt, this is the best Taqueria in Placerville, Diamond Springs and Shingle Springs; So if you are in search delicious authentic Mexican cuisine, there’s no other place to go accept El Carnival! This restaurant is always extremely clean and the customer service is second to none. El carnivals one of those restaurants everybody wishes they had nearby. @agentberkee
5 /5
=