Modesto’s longtime Redwood Café is getting a second life on the River Islands levee in Lathrop, where crews have poured the foundation and are now framing the new site. The restaurant’s dining room, which was moved in sections from its Dale Road location earlier this year, is staged on the development while contractors wrap up work at the Town Center.
According to River Islands, construction teams recently completed the foundation concrete and have started on cellar rooms ahead of vertical construction. The developer says the four original dining room sections were hauled over in early June, temporarily parked at Dell’Osso Family Farm while the site was prepared. The project page also notes, “If all goes according to plan, the Redwood Café should be open in early 2026.”
How The Building Got Here
A video from CBS Sacramento shows the painstaking process of lifting and trucking the restaurant’s pieces into River Islands earlier this year. The footage highlights the size of the move and the careful staging that allowed developers to relocate the venue without stripping away its original character.
New Design: Three Stories And River Views
Reporting from the Manteca Bulletin details how the restaurant will be folded into a nearly 6,000 square foot, three story building that will include wine cellars, banquet space and an elevator. The third floor will connect directly to the levee’s planned 18 mile parkway for walkers and cyclists, which means outdoor seating with views of the San Joaquin River. The Bulletin also notes that the Modesto location closed on Dec. 31 after 14 years when the Dale Road property was sold as part of the nearby Modesto temple project.
What This Move Means Locally…