"A familiar lakeside destination in Folsom is about to start getting an early start on the day." That's how the Folsom Times opened its October 14 story on Crawdads on the Lake, a property it describes as known for waterfront dining, live music and afternoon gatherings.
The line fits more than Crawdads. Folsom's three most visible food openings between September and October 2026 all center on breakfast, coffee and pastry. The two with published hours both close at 2 p.m. They also sit in three different parts of town: on Lake Natoma off Greenback Lane, on Iron Point Road by the outlets, and in Broadstone Marketplace on East Bidwell. The newest food in Folsom this fall serves mornings, and it is scattered across town.
Crawdads adds an 8 a.m. start on Lake Natoma
Lakeside Cafe is a new cafe on the Crawdads on the Lake property at 9900 Greenback Lane. The Folsom Times reported a grand opening for Tuesday, October 20, at 8 a.m. The paper wrote that the cafe expands the property beyond "the lunch, dinner and entertainment experiences" Crawdads is associated with.
The announced plan is seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The menu includes breakfast and lunch, coffee, specialty drinks, pastries and bagels, and the photos with the announcement show waffles with berries, egg-and-avocado plates and croissants.
The setting is the draw. The outdoor seating looks out over the water and greenery toward the Rainbow Bridge. Inside, according to the same report, there are exposed wooden beams, natural wood finishes, greenery hanging from the ceiling, and a large ordering counter with casual seating.
So the same address now runs two businesses on two schedules. The cafe covers the morning, and Crawdads keeps the cocktails and live music later in the day.
Iron Point Road gets a French bakery on the same hours
Across town on Iron Point Road, the second opening keeps the same hours. Estelle Bakery & Pâtisserie was scheduled to start a soft opening October 16 at 400 Iron Point Road, according to the Sacramento Business Journal. The business announced soft-opening hours of Tuesday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The building is a stand-alone restaurant near Folsom Premium Outlets. Mariachi Mexican Bar & Grill was the most recent tenant, and the Folsom Times described an extensive renovation before the bakery moved in. Estelle already runs bakeries in Arden-Arcade, Davis and Sacramento's Downtown Commons, so Folsom is its fourth. The bakery says its goods are made fresh daily on site with locally sourced ingredients.
Based on Estelle's existing shops, the Folsom Times listed what to expect:
- Butter, almond and chocolate croissants
- Danishes and macarons
- French toast, tartines and quiche
- Sandwiches including a croque monsieur and a French dip
The Tuesday-through-Saturday schedule is the soft-opening version, which means no Sunday or Monday service for now. Check Estelle's social accounts before planning a weekend pastry run, since soft-opening hours are set as temporary.
Broadstone's newest brunch room
The third opening came a month earlier, at Broadstone Marketplace, the Bel Air-anchored center on East Bidwell Street. The Breakfast Club at Midtown, which the Folsom Times described in December 2025 as a Bay Area brunch spot coming to Broadstone, scheduled a soft opening for Monday, September 14, at 2750 E. Bidwell St., Suite 100. The Sacramento Business Journal reported that it took over a former Five Guys space, that this is the chain's first local location, and that the company is also planning a location in Midtown Sacramento. The restaurant's hours and online ordering page now lists Folsom as "Now Open!"
Check that page or call before going for current Folsom hours.
Broadstone had a second opening the same week, and it sits at the other end of the day. Palette Dim Sum & Lounge held a reservations-only soft opening on September 11 at 2770 E. Bidwell St., Suite 600, in the former Saigon Alley Kitchen + Bar space. It is also the first local site for that business. So two openings now share one center: a brunch room in Suite 100 and a dim sum lounge in Suite 600.
The three morning openings side by side
| Spot | Address | Part of town | What it replaced | Announced hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeside Cafe | 9900 Greenback Lane | Lake Natoma, at Crawdads on the Lake | New cafe added to an existing lunch, dinner and entertainment property | Daily, 8 a.m.–2 p.m. |
| Estelle Bakery & Pâtisserie | 400 Iron Point Road | Near Folsom Premium Outlets | Former Mariachi Mexican Bar & Grill building | Tue–Sat, 8 a.m.–2 p.m., soft opening |
| The Breakfast Club at Midtown | 2750 E. Bidwell St., Suite 100 | Broadstone Marketplace | Former Five Guys space | Not listed for Folsom |
The three spots are in three separate centers, anchored by the lake, the outlets and the Bel Air at Broadstone, and all three moved into existing space rather than new construction.
The next coffee bet is still only a possibility
One more morning business could join them, though nothing is confirmed. WhatNow Sacramento reported on September 25 that Better Buzz Coffee Roasters is eyeing the former Carl's Jr. at 1016 E. Bidwell St. That report describes a possible project with no opening date. It's worth watching for anyone who drives that stretch of East Bidwell, but don't plan on it yet.
Where the rest of early November happens
The new breakfast spots close by early afternoon. The bigger dates on Folsom's November calendar run from morning to evening, and most of them are in the historic district.
- Sunday, November 1, 6–8 p.m. Historic Folsom's holiday fundraiser, Sherlock Holmes and the True Believer, at the Zittel Family Amphitheater, 200 Wool St. Details are on the Historic Folsom event page.
- Saturday, November 7. Opening day for the Historic Folsom Ice Rink, whose 2026/27 season runs through January 18.
- Wednesday, November 11, 9 a.m. The city's Veterans Day Parade starts on East Bidwell Street at the Target and HomeGoods center and ends at the Community Center, 52 Natoma St. The route is on the City of Folsom special events page.
The parade is the one big November event that lines up with breakfast hours. It starts at 9 a.m. on East Bidwell, the same street as Broadstone Marketplace, and it falls on a Wednesday, a day Estelle is open on its soft-opening schedule. After that, the ice rink and the December tree lighting on Sutter Street bring the calendar back toward evenings. Historic Folsom lists the Community Christmas Tree Lighting for Friday, December 4, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Ice Rink Plaza and Historic Sutter Street.
For a veteran, the parade route matters more than any café on it. If you or someone in your household is planning a move around a military separation or a new assignment, and you want a straight answer on how Folsom's different corners fit your days, from the lake to East Bidwell, Rich Gibbens is glad to talk it through with you. Let's Connect.
