DOCO Al Fresco

When in doubt, indoor dining is not an option, let's think outside of the box and bring the indoors outdoors! That is exactly the mindset that the developers and planners envisioned that are a part of Downtown Commons (aka DOCO). And in the fall of 2020, during the midst of the COVID-19 global pandemic, "DOCO Al Fresco" was born.Ever since this concept was brought to the public eye, it has attracted thousands of people to flock to the lush, upscale, landscaping that surrounds DOCO and nearby Golden 1 Center. These types of events have been occurring on a quarterly basis (usually every 3-4 months) weather permitting. This is where six different restaurants (Echo & Rig, Polanco Cantina, Yard House, Sauced BBQ, Tahoe Blue Ridge Bar, & local eats @ Golden 1) all participate in bringing their food out to you.The way this concept works is by making a reservation in advance. Upon arrival, you then wait to be seated. Once seated, you are given a QR Code Menu that you scan with your smart phone to view all six menus. You then place your order, pay using your smart phone, and your order will be brought directly to your table. It's that easy!During my visit (which was on during the afternoon of Sunday 2/28/2021), I came with a group of people and expected there would be some hiccups. Much to my surprise, my beer (from Tahoe Blue Ridge Bar) was brought out within a few minutes while my juicy cheeseburger & fries (from Yard House) arrived roughly 15 minutes later. Prices are equal (if not just a dollar or two more than inside the actual restaurant). In addition, there was a live salsa/mariachi band playing which made this whole event very lively on a beautiful 67° winter afternoon.I felt completely safe during my entire time here as each table was socially distanced while all of the employees were wearing masks. The only drawback is that your food is brought out in a to-go bag and no trays. My burger more or less came in a styrofoam container with lack of paper plates and napkins. Not a big deal but I hope they implement this in the future. Other than that, I hope DOCO offers this concept more often instead of every few months. I know with Sacramento's nice warm weather, it will get a ton of business. My rating for "DOCO Al Fresco", a perfect five stars.

Cool concept but needs some fine-tuning. Liked that you can chill outside and enjoy some live entertainment, but when we got there there really wasn’t much going on. Millennials and younger will probably enjoy this format the most, but we brought our older parents and kids who honestly seemed a bit stressed by it. Pricing is quite high for just some limited takeout, and considering it seems like you are expected to tip like a regular restaurant, it’s a bit silly since you never see anybody again once they drop off your food. Tip is primarily for their walk from the restaurant to your location, and several times servers seemed lost about where to drop food off, utensils and napkins were missing, and a server actually dropped off an order that wasn’t ours and we had to quickly flag him down before he left since he was in a hurry. For another order, it did not come out correctly and it was a production correcting it, though they did provide a complimentary item for the trouble. Might consider coming back again if we have a lot of time to burn, but most likely would opt for a regular restaurant or food court.

Weather was amazing and great customer service!