East Sacramento has a new hangout: The Corner Restaurant & Bar, which opened its doors for business last Friday.

"I want this to be a place people want to come and hang out at," said owner Joel Thompson. "As cliche as it sounds, I hope The Corner will be a place like the 'Cheers' bar 'where everyone knows your name.'"

The Corner is located down the street from Sacramento State University at the corner of 57th and J streets in the historic building that was home to the original Shakey's Pizza until the mid-1990s. The Thompson family opened the restaurant with the goal of creating a family-friendly place where students, parents and kids alike could enjoy reasonably priced food and drink in a social atmosphere.

"This is something East Sac has been looking for for a long time," Thompson said. "We wanted to incorporate both Sac State and the East '40s into one restaurant."

As the building was redesigned to accommodate The Corner, efforts were made to keep the original aesthetics and facade intact in order to maintain the historic charm. Much of the decor features historical photographs of East Sacramento, including several images of past Sacramento State sports teams.

Executive chefs Evan Elsberry, of Evan's Kitchen and Catering, and Michael Steele have designed and executed a menu based on quintessential favorites of American cuisine like hamburgers and pizza which gives this hometown restaurant a relaxed and casual feel.

"The menu consists of really solid club fare, a sort of eclectic cuisine," Elsberry said. "I envision this restaurant as a place where a guy can order a hamburger and watch a game."

All of the classic bar appetizers can be found in the starters section of the menu, including onion rings, jalapeno poppers, potato skins, calamari and party wings. A popular item has been the carnitas lollipops, which is carnitas on a stick.

The majority of the menu consists of lighter fare with a lengthy list of sandwich, burger and pizza options, all with witty names reflective of college life and Sacramento sights, such as the Dean (a classic Reuben sandwich), the Colonel (a quarter-pound fried chicken style burger) or the Alhambra (a spinach, tomato, mushroom, onion and avocado pizza). For those looking for a heavier meal, the entree portion features items such as a New York steak, salmon with a sambucca sauce and fish and chips.

According to Elsberry, "The salmon is really tasty."

Vegetarians have plenty of options with four salads, two sandwiches, a veggie burger and Gorgonzola-stuffed spinach ravioli represented on the menu. There is also a "kiddie corner" on the menu, for the young or young at heart, with a choice of a burger, chicken strips, macaroni and cheese, a grilled cheese sandwich or a corn dog. And save room for the "Half Baked" (an ice cream-topped chocolate chip cookie), "Strawberry Shorts" (strawberry shortcake) or "Monkey's Uncle" (an all-time American favorite: the banana split) -- all sure to satisfy a sweet-tooth. The Corner also has a full bar, a selection of red, white and sparkling wines, and many draft and bottled beers including Newcastle, Wyder's Cider and Young's Double Chocolate Stout.

The double-meat, double-cheese pizza, known as the JohnJohn, holds a special place in the hearts of the Thompson family. The JohnJohn is named after the youngest son of Jerry and Joyce Thompson and brother of Jerry Jr. and Joel. John Robert Thompson passed away from cancer in 2005 at the young age of 24. Every time the JohnJohn is ordered from the menu a part of the proceeds is donated to a local charity dedicated to expanding cancer research. Four charities will be sponsored each year and a charity can be nominated by emailing The Corner at causes@thecornerbaronline.com.

"I want to open the eyes of every person who comes in here," said Joel Thompson. "I want to honor John."

Every weekend The Corner will host a brunch buffet from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with endless mimosas, for a cost of $18.95; with the option of buffet-only for $11.95 or mimosas-only for $9.00. Thompson also has plans to have nightly events at The Corner with featured food and drink specials. Currently planned events include Sunday Funday from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Monday Night Foodball from 5 to 10 p.m., both of which feature the weekly football games.

The Corner Restaurant & Bar is located at 5641 J St. The restaurant and bar are open Monday through Friday 11:30 a.m. to midnight, Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to midnight, and Sunday 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. The kitchen closes at 10:00 p.m.