Garden Highway in Sacramento’s Natomas region shifts from downtown density to a rural landscape along the Sacramento River. A two-lane road runs past moss-green riverbanks lined with trees and shrubs, while nearby fields and an oak preserve stretch across the other side. Summer heat makes outdoor stops feel intense, but cold drinks and waterfront dining are available. The Virgin Sturgeon, a floating barge restaurant celebrating 50 years, is reached via a repurposed airplane jet bridge that slopes into the river. The restaurant features floor-to-ceiling windows, ceiling fans, and decorative fish netting, with views of sea lions and passing boats. Meals range from seafood and lemonade to steak sandwiches and cheeseburgers.
"One of the Garden Highway's oldest restaurants is the Virgin Sturgeon, a floating barge turned watering hole that just celebrated its 50th anniversary. After parking and venturing into the stifling heat, I found myself at the mouth of an old airplane jet bridge. The repurposed relic from defunct airline Pan Am slopes downward into the river, its carpeted runway depositing you right at the mouth of the Virgin Sturgeon."
""It hasn't changed in 50 years," co-owner Renee Hulog told me, sitting on the shaded deck outside the floating restaurant. "People go, 'I haven't been here in 35 years and it still looks exactly the same.' Sometimes it's like, maybe we should update a little bit, but ..." she trailed off, laughing."
"Inside, the floor-to-ceiling windows look right out on the river, a front-row seat to the sea lions and boats speeding by. The decorative fish netting hanging from the windowsills sways gently in the breeze generated from the ceiling fans. A young couple shares a leisurely lunch of seafood pasta and beer, while a family celebrating a high school graduation digs into steak sandwiches and cheeseburgers. The slatted dark wood floor rocks ever so gently, lest you forget: You are, quite literally, on the river."
Read at SFGATE
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