The walls at Mom's Kitchen on Nevada Street still hold about 200 portraits. Some are in color and some are black and white. Many have faded, and a few have hung there since the restaurant was in Colfax. The red and white paint, round seats and 1950s rock and roll are also still there. What changed this year is who owns the place. That is the clearest summary of Auburn's food news in 2026.
Look at the openings, comebacks and handoffs reported around town since spring and you see the same pattern. The new dining rooms are mostly old addresses. The new owners are mostly people who already had a following here. The one truly unfamiliar name is still only a proposal on Bell Road.
Where each change stands as of early October 2026
| Address | What it was | What it is now | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 359 Nevada St., Ste 100 | Mom's Kitchen | Mom's Kitchen, new owners | Open since June 21 |
| 11768 Atwood Rd. | Rebellion Brewing taproom | Rebellion, with Little Belgium Deli food | Open |
| 13345 Lincoln Way | Grumpy's Burgers & Brew | Burger Me! | Open since June 1 |
| 130 Maple St. | Historic White House building | Oakhouse Restaurant, Lounge & Venue | Open, nearing its first anniversary |
| 216 Washington St. | Tio Pepe Mex | Banzito's Tacos | Planned, no opening date |
| 2815 Bell Rd. | Proposed site | 7 Brew Coffee | Proposed only |
Mom's Kitchen kept the room and added one menu line
Leeann Needham, her husband Art and their daughter Amanda bought Mom's Kitchen in January. They spent about six months updating its look and reopened officially on June 21, then held a ribbon-cutting with the Auburn Chamber of Commerce on September 10, according to Gold Mountain California News.
The biggest menu change is a name. Paul's pancakes were added before the reopening, named for Needham's father, Paul Davis, who ate pancakes at Mom's Kitchen every week. Needham says diners still drive in from Colfax, Foresthill and Grass Valley. She has also met a number of people who found their own mothers among the portraits on the walls.
The details: Mom's Kitchen serves from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday, and closes Monday and Tuesday. It sits across from the Placer County Office of Education, a short walk up the street from Green Acres Nursery & Supply at Eisley's.
Rebellion came back with its neighbor's kitchen inside
North Auburn's version of this story is a merger more than a sale. In April, WhatNow reported that Rebellion Brewing Company was getting ready to reopen its taproom on Atwood Road, with a food menu from the former Little Belgium Deli & Beer Bar. The report named owners Bret and Ariel McComb. By mid-May, the Sacramento Business Journal said a soft reopening was underway.
Today, Rebellion's own site bills the taproom as Auburn's craft brewery, taproom and The Little Belgium Deli. It lists 16 rotating taps, from west coast IPAs and hazies to stouts, lagers and sours, along with an ice rail, a patio and darts. Posted hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. It is closed Mondays. The site shows no date for when those hours were last updated, so a call ahead on a holiday week costs nothing.
Burger Me! took over a Lincoln Way burger address
At 13345 Lincoln Way, one burger restaurant gave way to another. The Sacramento Business Journal reported in April that Grumpy's Burgers & Brew would close at the end of that month and that Burger Me! would replace it. WhatNow described Burger Me! as a family-owned, all-natural burger restaurant and named Tom Farina and partners Jim, Debra and Jordan Spenella.
A commercial property listing for the site says Burger Me! took over the space on May 1, 2026, and opened under its new name on June 1. The space had a burger restaurant before and has one now. Only the name over the door and the people running it changed.
Banzito's Tacos is moving up to Old Town
Banzito's is the best example of a local operator stepping up. It began as a mobile business, and WhatNow's June headline traced it "from a pop-up table to a real storefront." Late last year it announced a full-time residency at Knee Deep Brewing Co. in Auburn. That residency ended the week of October 2, the business said on social media.
The permanent restaurant is still on. The Sacramento Business Journal reported on October 2 that Banzito's is moving forward with its Old Town Auburn location in the former Tio Pepe Mex space at 216 Washington St. In June, owner Adam Saldaña told WhatNow he planned an elevated taco bar with Latin-inspired small plates. He was aiming for a fall opening, the cocktail program was still in development, and the food truck's future was undecided. No opening day has been announced since then. For now, "fall" is a goal.
Oakhouse is close to its first year in the White House building
The newest full-service dining room in town also sits inside one of its oldest landmarks. Oakhouse Restaurant, Lounge & Venue held its grand opening on November 15, 2025, in the historic White House building at 130 Maple St., with Chris Townsend as executive chef. Its reservation listing still names Townsend as executive chef and gives hours of 5 to 9 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday.
Oakhouse's menu page says the menu changes with the Sierra foothills seasons. The current list includes delicata squash, salmon, pork collar, elk chops and steaks. Delicata squash on an October menu shows how closely the kitchen follows the season.
7 Brew is the outside brand, and it's still just a proposal
Of everything in the table above, only one name comes from outside the area. In July, WhatNow reported that a 7 Brew Coffee drive-thru could be coming to 2815 Bell Road in North Auburn, which would be the chain's first location in California. Placer County records showed a predevelopment meeting for the site. No opening date has been confirmed, and a predevelopment meeting comes very early in the county process.
Where to eat and drink at Auburn events through December
The fall calendar adds a few more chances to eat out, and most of these events have dates printed for 2026:
- Auburn Wine, Ale & Food Festival. Saturday, October 10, 1 to 5 p.m., across Historic Old Town and Downtown Auburn, with local wine, craft beer, cider and food from area restaurants and makers. Details are on the Placer Wine Trail event page.
- Auburn Harvest Festival. Saturday, October 17, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Recreation Park, hosted by the Auburn Recreation District. Listed food vendors include Maria's Mexican Tacos, Puckerz Lemonade, Old Town Pizza and Cousins Maine Lobster.
- Gold Country Rotary Oktoberfest. That same Saturday, October 17, from 5 to 9 p.m. at Regional Park, 3770 Richardson Drive, with German food and beer and wine tasting. See Gold Country Rotary for details.
- Auburn Fall Festival. Saturday, October 24, 5 to 9 p.m. in Downtown Auburn, with food vendors and treats, per the Explore Auburn calendar.
- Country Christmas in Old Town Auburn. December 12 and December 19, 5 to 9 p.m., presented by the Old Town Business Association, with live music, artisan vendors, holiday treats and Santa.
- Old Town Auburn Farmers' Market. Every Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon, year-round at 150 Auburn Folsom Road, organized by Placer Farmers' Market.
The Auburn Chamber's Festival of Lights Parade page still shows last year's date, December 6, 2025, and no 2026 date has been posted yet. October 17 is the busiest food day on the calendar. It brings the Harvest Festival at Recreation Park in the daytime, Oktoberfest at Regional Park in the evening, and the Saturday farmers market that morning.
Knowing which address changed hands and which owner moved up is the kind of local detail we follow every week. If those changes on Lincoln Way, Atwood Road or Washington Street have you thinking about your own place in Auburn, Kim Knotts + Co. would be glad to talk it over over coffee in Old Town. You can also start with our Auburn neighborhood guide. Start your luxury home conversation.
