Rice Theory: A Unique Japanese Eatery in Sacramento, CA

Rice Theory Introduce

Welcome to Rice Theory, a unique and innovative Japanese eatery located in Sacramento, California. Situated at 5005 Freeport Blvd, we are a local gem that stands out with our specialized menu focused on delightful and convenient rice-based dishes like onigiri, musubi, and inari. Our mission is to provide a fresh, quick, and healthy alternative for those on the go or for anyone looking for a satisfying and flavorful meal. We offer a modern and casual dining experience that is perfect for a solo visit, a quick lunch, or a light dinner.

This overview is your guide to all the wonderful things that make Rice Theory a must-visit spot. We will explore our extensive menu, which features a wide array of creative fillings for our onigiri, musubi, and inari, as well as a selection of mini rolls, bento boxes, and desserts. You'll learn about our convenient service options, the standout features that our patrons love, and all the essential details you need to plan your next visit. Our focus on a "quick bite to eat" and our commitment to fresh ingredients make us a popular choice among locals.

The atmosphere at Rice Theory is casual and inviting. While the space is "really small" and can get "packed really quick," our focus on quick service and convenience ensures a smooth experience. Our staff is known for being "so nice and informative," providing helpful guidance when you're faced with our "too many options to choose from." This friendly and efficient service is a key part of our charm and contributes to the great experience that customers consistently report.

We pride ourselves on offering a fresh take on traditional Japanese rice dishes. Our diverse menu allows you to try a little bit of everything, from the savory to the sweet. Our food is designed to be a "solid choice," and we are confident that you will find a new favorite among our many unique offerings. We invite you to step into our world of rice and discover the delicious simplicity of our food.

Location and Accessibility

Rice Theory is conveniently located at 5005 Freeport Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95822, USA. Our spot on Freeport Blvd makes us easily accessible for residents throughout Sacramento. Our location is easy to find and provides a simple destination for a meal.

We prioritize accessibility to ensure that every guest has a comfortable and stress-free visit. We provide a **free parking lot** and **free street parking**, so you can easily find a spot. For guests with mobility concerns, our restaurant is fully equipped with a **wheelchair accessible entrance**, a **wheelchair accessible parking lot**, and **wheelchair accessible seating**. This commitment to accessibility ensures that everyone is welcome to dine with us comfortably.

Our convenient and accommodating location on a major thoroughfare makes Rice Theory a practical and welcoming choice for all of our customers.

Services Offered

At Rice Theory, we offer a variety of services to fit your dining preferences. Our goal is to make it as simple as possible for you to enjoy our unique Japanese dishes.

**Dine-in:** While our space is small, you can still enjoy a quick meal in our casual and cozy atmosphere.
**Takeout:** For a convenient meal on the go, our takeout service is efficient and reliable.
**Curbside Pickup:** We offer curbside pickup for maximum convenience, allowing you to get your food without having to leave your car.

We are a popular spot for **lunch, dinner**, and **solo dining**, providing a flexible and accommodating environment for various occasions.

Features and Highlights

What truly sets Rice Theory apart from other restaurants in Sacramento? Our unique features and highlights create a dining experience that is both convenient and exceptional.

**Specialized Menu:** Our menu is a key highlight, with a focus on a wide variety of onigiri, musubi, and inari. This specialization ensures that each item is crafted with care.
**Healthy Options:** We offer a selection of healthy options, making us a great choice for a nutritious and satisfying meal.
**Quick Bite:** Our concept is centered around providing a quick and easy meal, perfect for a busy day.
**Unique Flavors:** Our menu features a range of creative and unique flavors, such as **Abalone With Truffle Sauce** onigiri and **Yuzu Miso Salmon** inari, that you won't find anywhere else.
**Casual Atmosphere:** The casual atmosphere makes our restaurant a comfortable spot for a quick and stress-free meal.
**Flexible Payments:** We make paying for your meal easy and convenient by accepting **credit cards, debit cards**, and **NFC mobile payments**.

These features, combined with our focus on quality and innovation, make Rice Theory a top choice for a unique Japanese meal in Sacramento.

Contact Information

To plan your visit or place an order, you can contact us at:

**Address:** 5005 Freeport Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95822, USA

**Phone:** (916) 822-4124

We look forward to hearing from you and providing a meal that exceeds your expectations.

What is Worth Choosing

When you choose to dine at Rice Theory, you are opting for a place that is known for its unique concept, diverse menu, and friendly service. The most compelling reason to visit is our specialization in a wide variety of onigiri, musubi, and inari. A customer loved the "idea of a shop with a quick bite to eat" and highly recommended the **Unagi inari**, **Ahi Tuna inari**, and **spicy salmon inari**. The sheer number of options, from **Spicy Tuna Salad Onigiri** to **Smoked Salmon With Cream Cheese Onigiri**, ensures there's something for every palate.

The food is consistently praised for being "delicious and a solid choice." Our menu goes beyond the main rice items to include **Mini Rolls** like the **Roast Beef Roll** and **Shrimp Tempura**, as well as other options like **Kimbap** and **Bentos**. We also offer a selection of unique desserts, such as **Crêpe Cake Rolls**, which provide a perfect finish to your meal.

The atmosphere and service are also key reasons to choose us. The staff is described as "so nice and informative," showing a genuine desire to help customers navigate the extensive menu. While the space is small, it's a "casual" and efficient spot that makes it perfect for a quick and convenient meal. The option for **curbside pickup** further highlights our commitment to convenience. Our unique and specialized menu, combined with a focus on fresh ingredients and a welcoming atmosphere, makes Rice Theory a standout choice for anyone looking for a quick and delicious Japanese meal in Sacramento.

Rice Theory Food & drink

Cold Dish
Edamame $3.95
Served raw or undercooked or contains raw or uncooked ingredients.
Chicken Feet Delight $7.50
Served raw or undercooked or contains raw or uncooked ingredients.
Cucumber Salad $4.95
Served raw or undercooked or contains raw or uncooked ingredients.

Onigiri
Spam & Bacon $4.25
Filled with savory Spam and crispy bacon, complemented by a blend of rice and seaweed.
Spicy Tuna Salad Onigiri $3.75
Rice filled with spicy canned tuna, wrapped in seaweed.
Purple Rice Porkfloss $3.75
Spam & Kimchi $3.75
Diced spam combined with tangy kimchi and seasoned rice.
Spicy Beef $4.75
Purple Rice BBQ Pork $4.75
Roasted Duck $4.50
Spicy Crabstick Salad Onigiri $4.25
Spicy.
BBQ Pork $4.25
Savory BBQ pork wrapped in seasoned rice, featuring tender meat and a hint of sweetness, perfect for a delightful bite.
Abalone With Truffle Sauce $8.88
Smoked Salmon With Cream Cheese $4.50
Served raw or undercooked or contains raw or uncooked ingredients.

Cold Beverage
Sparkling Water $3.00
Sodas $1.95
Fresh Soy Milk $3.25
Smooth and creamy soy milk with a subtle, natural taste.
Unsweetened Ice Tea $3.25

Weekend Dessert
Black Sesame Mont Blanc Cake $5.00
Matcha Mont Blanc Cake $5.00
Crêpe Cake Rolls $6.50
Japanese Cake $6.50

Mini Rolls
Spicy Tuna Roll $5.00
A combination of tender tuna, spicy seasoning, and crisp cucumber encased in soft sushi rice and seaweed.
Regular Kurobuta Sausage $4.75
Seaweed-wrapped roll with rice, cheese, and a Kurobuta (pork) sausage center.
RT Roll $8.50
Purple rice, crunchy carrots, tangy pickled radish, egg, creamy mayo, and savory pork sausage all rolled into one!
Cream Cheese Crabby Roll $3.50
Spicy crab stick salad with cream cheese
Roast Beef Roll $9.00
Succulent roast beef, complemented by carrots, pickled daikon, and purple rice.
Sukiyaki Beef Roll $5.50
Thin sliced marinated beef wrapped in seasoned rice and seaweed, featuring a savory filling with hints of vegetables.
Spicy Kurobuta Sausage $4.75
Seaweed-wrapped roll with rice, cheese, and a spicy Kurobuta (pork) sausage center.
Honey Ham Roll $6.50
Purple rice, carrots, daikon, honey ham
Shrimp Tempura $4.75
Shrimp Tempura with crab stick salad mixed in with rice and shredded carrots, wrapped in seaweed.
Spam & Kimchi Roll $4.00
Contains egg

Musubi
Unagi & Egg $5.25
Tender, marinated eel and fluffy egg on rice, wrapped with a strip of seaweed.
Spam & Egg $3.75
Savor the delightful combination of savory spam and a fluffy egg, perfectly layered atop a bed of rice and wrapped in a strip of seaweed.
Spam $3.25
A delightful combination of savory spam and seasoned rice, wrapped in a strip of nori seaweed.
Unagi Shiso $5.00
Unagi $4.75
Tender, marinated eel on seasoned rice, wrapped in a strip of seaweed.
Shiso Spam $3.50

Mini Rolls
Sukiyaki Beef $5.50
Thin sliced marinated beef wrapped in seasoned rice and seaweed, featuring a savory filling with hints of vegetables.
Kurobuta Sausage $4.50
Shrimp Tempura $4.50
Shrimp tempura with crab stick salad mixed in with rice and shredded carrots, wrapped in seaweed.

Onigiri
Tuna Salad $3.50
Spam & Bacon $4.00
Served raw or undercooked or contains raw or uncooked ingredients.
Spam & Kimchi $3.50
Served raw or undercooked or contains raw or uncooked ingredients.
Smoke Salmon With Cream Cheese $4.25
Served raw or undercooked or contains raw or uncooked ingredients.
Spicy Crabstick Salad $4.25
Spicy. Served raw or undercooked or contains raw or uncooked ingredients.
Abalone With Truffle $7.95
Served raw or undercooked or contains raw or uncooked ingredients.

Dessert
Japanese Roll Cake $6.50
Soft, fluffy sponge cake swirled with creamy filling, creating a delightful spiral in every bite.
Mini Mango Sago $5.75
Creamy mango puree with chewy tiny tapioca pearls.

Cold Beverage
Coffee $2.50
Thai Tea $5.75
A rich blend of black tea with sweetened condensed milk.
Unsweetened Black Tea $3.25
Cream Sodas $3.75
Sodas $2.75
Sparkling Water $3.00
Vita Coconut Water $3.75
Lemon Black Tea $3.25
Soy Milk $3.75
Smooth and creamy soy milk with a subtle, natural taste.
Aloe Vera $2.75
Bottled Water $1.50
Ito En Unsweetened Teas $3.25

Herbal Tea
Chrysanthemum $5.25
Caffeine-free chrysanthemum herbal tea with a light floral aroma and subtle sweetness.
Pearl Barley $5.25
Caffeine-free herbal tea featuring pearl barley, offering a sweet, subtle, nutty essence.
Canton Abrus $4.75
24 Herbs $4.75
Caffeine-free black herbal tea with very bitter and subtle floral taste.
Five Flowers $4.75
Caffeine-free black herbal tea with bitter and subtle floral taste.
Dry Prunella $4.75

Bentos
Spam And Egg $8.50
Braised Pork & Quail Egg $14.99

Cold Dish
Spicy Beef Kimbap $10.00
Seaweed roll filled with seasoned rice, fresh vegetables, pickled radish, and spicy beef.
Spicy Tuna Egg Kimbap $8.50
Spicy Edamame $3.95
Contains peanuts
Spicy Cucumber Salad $4.95
Served raw or undercooked or contains raw or uncooked ingredients.
Mini Poke Bowl $8.75
Fresh diced tuna and salmon with seaweed salad, corn, , radish, and cilantro.

Musubi
Pickled Spam $3.75
A slice of pickled radish on top of spam and rice, wrapped with a strip of seaweed.
Unagi Musubi $4.95
Tender, marinated eel on seasoned rice, wrapped in a strip of seaweed.
Spam & Egg $3.95
Savor the delightful combination of savory Spam and a fluffy egg, perfectly layered atop a bed of rice and wrapped in a strip of seaweed.
Unagi & Egg $5.50
Tender, marinated eel and fluffy egg on rice, wrapped with a strip of seaweed.
Spam $3.50
A delightful combination of savory Spam and seasoned rice, wrapped in a strip of nori seaweed.

Herbal Tea
Chrysanthemum $5.25
Caffeine-free Chrysanthemum herbal green tea with a light floral aroma and subtle sweetness.
24 Herbs $4.75
Caffeine-free black herbal tea with very bitter and subtle floral taste.
Pearl Barley $5.25
Caffeine-free herbal tea featuring pearl barley, offering a sweet, subtle, nutty essence.
Dried Prunella $4.75
Caffeine-free black herbal tea featuring dried prunella flowers known for their subtle, bitter, earthy flavor.
Five Flowers $4.75
Caffeine-free black herbal tea with bitter and subtle floral taste.

Inari
Unagi Inari $4.75
Marinated eel and rice in a savory tofu pouch.
Beef Sukiyaki Inari $4.25
Thin sliced marinated beef with rice served in a tofu pouch.
Creamy Corn $2.75
Sweet corn mixed with mayonnaise in a savory tofu pouch.
Egg Salad $3.25
A savory tofu pocket filled with mayonnaise, mustard, and egg, garnished with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
Yuzu Pepper Tuna $4.95
Spicy Ahi Tuna $4.95
Served raw or undercooked or contains raw or uncooked ingredients.
Kimchi $2.75
A savory tofu pocket filled with tangy kimchi and rice, topped with mayonnaise and sesame seeds.
Spicy Tuna Salad Inari $3.95
Tako Salad $2.95
Served raw or undercooked or contains raw or uncooked ingredients.
Yuzu Pepper Salmon $4.95
Spicy Mayo Tuna $4.95
Tobiko $3.50
GOBO Salad $2.50
Spicy Crabstick Salad Inari $3.75
Shredded spicy crab stick salad with mayonnaise, topped with sesame seeds served in a tofu pouch.
Spicy Ahi Tuna & Avocado $4.95
Creamy Avocado $2.50
Avocado Egg Salad $3.75
Yuzu Miso Salmon & Avocado $4.95
Tuna Egg Salad $4.25
A savory blend of canned tuna and egg salad with rice served in a savory tofu pouch.
Shiso Yuzu Salmon $4.95
Fresh salmon in shiso yuzu sauce, topped with sesame seeds and green onions, served in a tofu pouch with rice.
Garlic Ponzu Ahi Tuna $4.95
Served raw or undercooked or contains raw or uncooked ingredients.
Garlic Ponzu Salmon & Avocado $4.95
Yuzu Miso Salmon $4.95
Served raw or undercooked or contains raw or uncooked ingredients.
Potato Salad $2.75
No rice
Spicy Salmon $4.95
Spicy.
Porkfloss $3.75
Wakame $2.50
Seaweed salad topped on a rice-filled tofu pouch, garnished with sesame seeds.
Spicy Mayo Salmon $4.95
Spicy. Served raw or undercooked or contains raw or uncooked ingredients.
Spicy Salmon & Avocado $4.95
Creamy avocado and spicy salmon topped with sliced green onions served in a savory tofu pouch.
Garlic Ponzu Salmon $4.95
Served raw or undercooked or contains raw or uncooked ingredients.

Inari
Ahi Tuna $4.95
Served raw or undercooked or contains raw or uncooked ingredients.
Corn & Cheese $2.50
Served raw or undercooked or contains raw or uncooked ingredients.
Roasted Duck $4.25
Served raw or undercooked or contains raw or uncooked ingredients.
Wakame $2.00
Seaweed salad topped on a rice-filled tofu pouch, garnished with sesame seeds.
Spicy Salmon $4.95
Spicy.
Unagi $4.50
Egg Salad $3.00
A savory tofu pocket filled with mayonnaise, mustard, and egg, garnished with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
Creamy Cilantro Tuna $4.75
Served raw or undercooked or contains raw or uncooked ingredients.
Garlic Ponzu Salmon $4.95
Served raw or undercooked or contains raw or uncooked ingredients.
Galic Ponzu Hamachi $5.50
Served raw or undercooked or contains raw or uncooked ingredients.
Kimchi $2.50
Served raw or undercooked or contains raw or uncooked ingredients.
Tako Salad $2.75
Served raw or undercooked or contains raw or uncooked ingredients.
Tuna Salad $3.95
Spicy Crabstick Salad $3.50
Spicy.
Beef Sukiyaki $4.00
Served raw or undercooked or contains raw or uncooked ingredients.

Rice Theory Details

Service options
Curbside pickup
Takeout
Dine-in
Delivery

Popular for
Lunch
Dinner
Solo dining

Accessibility
Wheelchair accessible entrance
Wheelchair accessible parking lot
Wheelchair accessible seating

Offerings
Healthy options
Small plates

Dining options
Lunch
Dinner
Dessert

Atmosphere
Casual

Crowd
Locals

Payments
Credit cards
Debit cards
NFC mobile payments

Parking
Free parking lot
Free street parking

Rice Theory Photos

Rice Theory Location

Rice Theory

California Sacramento County Sacramento Southeastern Sacramento Freeport Boulevard

5005 Freeport Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95822, USA

Rice Theory Reviews

So happy I was able to grab some goodies at this spot a couple weeks ago! I came in a little before 3 PM and got the egg salad, spicy crab salad, and unagi inari and the BBQ pork onigiri.All the items were delicious and a solid choice! The onigiri did feel a little dry, but that might have been because it was at the end of the day and has been sitting for a bit?I'm a little sad I didn't get to try the spicy tuna, corn and cheese, and spicy salmon inari. I would definitely grab the unagi inari again in the future.My recommendation is to definitely come here early if you're picky about your choices.Service: 5/5Food: 4/5Price: 4/5Atmosphere: 3/5
June 05 · Lisa Nguyen
This was such a great experience! I love the idea of a shop with a quick bite to eat. I would have loved to dine here, but the place is really small and it can get packed really quick. The servers are so nice and informative. I wanted to try everything they served, but there was too many options to choose from, I got mainly salmon and unagi products. My all time favorites were the Unagi inari, Ahi Tuna inari, and spicy salmon inari (needs soy sauce)! I usually love salmon and cream cheese, but the salmon and cream cheese onigiri wasn't for me. It wasn't bad or anything, I just think that the other foods tasted so much better, lol. And you can never go wrong with an unagi musubi. I'll definitely be back for more!
June 20 · Michelle Y
Quick place to stop in for some to go goodies. The fish tastes fresh and I love the seasoning for their sushi rice (not too sweet!) For dessert I have tried their mango sago pudding-yum that natural mango flavor really shines. As others mentioned parking can be tricky , but it seems pretty common for many of the tiny strip malls in this neighborhood. Could be an issue if you or someone in your party has mobility issues, if it's possible to go on off peak hours that's what I would do if I were to bring my grandma.
August 24 · Keiko Yamashita
This is a very cute store, but it’s quite small. There is limited seating, and the parking space was so limited that we had to drive to another parking lot to eat our food in the car. The staff was very friendly, and the inari were tasty. However, other items like the onigiri and musubi have a Chinese twist, so it's not a 100% authentic Japanese restaurant.
October 09 · JJiNNieE LL
Even for the sake of keeping the toppings fresh, freezing cold rice inari is awful. The egg salad was also Americanized and the flavors did not gel with the inari. Value also felt a little lacking, though prices are ridiculous everywhere.Service from staff was great but the self-serve sauce bottles were leaking. Plastic gloves were convenient.Sorry, I would like to be more positive but we were quite dissapointed. Having the option for fresher, warm inari would quickly sway me.
August 23 · Dean Lane