Skip to ContentThe Downtown Chico Business Association says more than 70 restaurants, bakeries, delis, coffee shops, bars and dessert spots are downtown. Parking is by smart meter and smart lot, the B-Line Transportation Hub is at 2nd and Salem, and three places below post their own hours.
Checked November 3, 2026
- 70+Places to dine and drink, per the DCBA
- 2nd & SalemB-Line Transportation Hub
- 11 a.m.Sierra Nevada taproom opens daily, read Oct 29
- 1:30 a.m.Madison Bear Garden closing, read Oct 29
Read this first: the hours, fees, rules and closures on this page were taken from the sources named beside them; we read those sources on November 3, 2026. The Downtown Chico Business Association pages, Ramble West Brewing’s own home page, and the Sierra Nevada, Madison Bear Garden and Chico State pages we read on October 29, 2026 (Sierra Nevada’s and Madison Bear Garden’s sites refused our reader on November 3). This is not legal, medical or safety advice. They change, so check the agency or business named before you rely on them. Anything we could not read is marked Not Confirmed where it appears.
Places With Hours Posted
| Place | Address | Hours as posted | Read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. taproom and restaurant | 1075 East 20th Street | Sun to Thu 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Fri and Sat 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Phone (530) 345-2739 | Oct 29, 2026 |
| Madison Bear Garden | 316 West 2nd Street, at 2nd and Salem | Monday to Sunday 11 a.m. to 1:30 a.m.; closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Phone (530) 891-1639 | Oct 29, 2026 |
| Ramble West Brewing | 849 West 8th Street | Hours as listed on the guide: Mon to Thu 4 to 9, Fri 1 to 9, Sat 12 to 9, Sun 12 to 8 | Oct 29, 2026; home page re-read Nov 3 (address only) |
Sierra Nevada’s taproom closes early at 2 p.m. on December 12 and December 24, and is closed on Thanksgiving (November 26), Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, as the brewery posted. The Chico State campus has the Wildcat Den, at the south end of Estom Jamani Hall, open to the public for breakfast and lunch with an espresso bar, according to the university’s visit page (read October 29, 2026).
The Downtown Directory
The DCBA’s Dine & Drink page describes more than 70 places, from farm-to-table to pizza, burgers and tacos. It does not print hours on the page we read, so use its directory to find a business and then that business’s own page. The association is at 338 Broadway Street, phone (530) 345-6500.
Parking and Getting There
Parking
The DCBA says to choose “premium parking locations in front of shops and restaurants with convenient, credit card-friendly smart meters or nearby smart lots,” that traditional coin meters remain in less trafficked areas, and that “unmetered areas offer free parking on the outskirts of town.”
Transit and Bikes
B-Line, Butte County’s regional transit, serves the Transportation Hub at the corner of 2nd and Salem. The DCBA describes flat streets and a compact footprint for biking and says to lock your bike securely.
Evening
The DCBA lists Christmas Preview downtown on Sunday, November 22, 2026, 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. See also After Dark in Chico and downtown holiday events.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many places to eat are downtown in Chico?
The Downtown Chico Business Association says more than 70 restaurants, bakeries, delis, coffee shops, bars and more.
Where do I park for downtown Chico restaurants?
The DCBA lists smart meters in the core, smart lots a few blocks away, coin meters in less trafficked areas and free unmetered parking on the outskirts.
Is Madison Bear Garden open late?
Its own site, read October 29, 2026, posted Monday to Sunday 11 a.m. to 1:30 a.m., closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
Sources
- Downtown Chico Business Association, Dine and Drink: https://www.downtownchico.com/dine-and-drink.htm (read November 3, 2026)
- Downtown Chico Business Association, Getting around: https://www.downtownchico.com/getting-around.htm (read November 3, 2026)
- Ramble West Brewing: https://www.ramblewestbrewing.com/ (read November 3, 2026)
- Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Chico: https://sierranevada.com/visit/chico (read November 3, 2026, read Oct 29, 2026)
- Madison Bear Garden: https://www.madisonbeargarden.com/ (read November 3, 2026, read Oct 29, 2026)
- Chico State, Visit: https://www.csuchico.edu/visit/index.shtml (read November 3, 2026)
Keep Planning
Cite this page: It's Chico, “Eat Near Downtown Chico: Directory, Parking and Posted Hours”, itschico.com/visit/where-to-eat/eat-near-downtown-chico/ (updated ). By the It's Chico editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.