The Waterboy

We dined at 6 pm with friends at Waterboy. Service was very slow. I ordered the chocolate soufflé when I ordered my entrée to save time. Summer salad of peaches and melon lacks fruit and flavor. Entrees took forever to be served. Steak dujour was ordinary. Chocolate soufflé was not started until after all desserts were ordered. One of our friends was freezing when our waiter arrived to tell me my chocolate soufflé was on the floor and would I like to order it again. Our bill should have reflected their error

The lamb is just average for this price. The steak is recommended and I’ll give four star for this course only.

The service was good not great. The ambience and Decour was OK but not good. Therefore the four stars. The food was excellent but they don’t know what resuThe wine selection was above average. At least they had some French options. What seems to be rare in this part of California.

I came here on a Sunday evening for my date’s birthday. So here’s my breakdown of the place:
The parking:
There’s a small, maybe 10 car parking lot on the side of the restaurant. Street parking can be a pain to find in this area.
The ambiance:
Most of the people that we saw frequenting the place were over 60. Didn’t really matter to me, but not what you’re looking for if you want to be surrounded by a young crowd.
The décor/​view:
White linen table cloth, sophisticated. Lots of large pane windows, but didn’t add much appeal to the restaurant because there was no real view outside of them.
The birthday touches:
When I made reservations, I asked if they did anything special for birthdays. My date and I were served complimentary sparkling wine. We ordered dessert which they brought out with a birthday candle for him. :)
The service:
Very pleasant in person. One confused waiter brought us bread and butter after we had our appetizers and first course. Still very polite though.
The food:
We got the cheese platter appetizer which was superb! I would recommend the minestrone vegetarian soup wow! And the veal my date loved. The ontray of streak and the egg noodle did not impress me. Desert was fabulous.
This place is a quaint restaurant in Sacramento for a local special occasion, but don’t expect it to be like restaurants in NY and LA!

I came here with my culinary class while on a field trip in Sacramento. Service was great and friendly. We had the Antipasto plate for the table. We each had a Caesar salad which was really good. We had 3 choices for our lunch, I chose the 5 Dot Ranch Skirt Steak, which was really soft and juicy, it came with grilled asparagus, local carrots, and potato gratin. Very good and simple dish. For dessert we had 2 choices, I chose the Cherry Rhubarb Crostata with vanilla ice cream. This dessert was not actually on our menu (we had a fixed menu), they had to change the plate because they were out of strawberries I guess for the Strawberry Rhubarb Crostata. The cherries version was still really good and the cool ice cream helped when eating the really hot crostata. The cappuccino was really good, possibly the best cappuccino I have ever had. Overall an awesome place to go to.

I was excited to visit this restaurant for my mom’s birthday this evening (as I write this, I am still seated at my table.) and everyone else was, also. «They have high ratings on their appetizers and desserts,» I told my mom in the parking lot. Before starting my meal, I thought these ratings were higher because they were great in accompaniment to a still-​delicious entrée. However, upon eating, I came to the realization that the ratings for apps and dessert were high because the entrees are lackluster.
There are 8 of us here. 2 ordered the pork loin (which was bone dry and lacking flavor) which comes with a polenta (creamy but cold upon arrival), an overzealous portion of a sloppy barbecue sauce and about 8oz. of cold, chopped beets.
The beets were definitely my favorite part.
The dish was presented in front of me at a less-​than-​lukewarm temperature. I told the server who was respectful about it, took it into the kitchen and brought a new, steaming hot one back. «Problem solved!» I thought. … Nope. Still tasted bland, and yet, somehow overly spiced by the gallon of thick, brown barbecue sauce.
I ate 4 bites and called it done. Needless to say, I ordered dessert. Rhubarb crostata was AMAZING. I should mention that the bread (which costs a dollar), the drinks, the appetizers and the first course dishes of the sweetbreads and warm asparagus salad were delicious.
So sorry to have this experience at a place I was so hopeful for.

We came here for our anniversary dinner and it was a great experience. Our server was really nice and friendly. The place is a bit small but the atmosphere was welcoming. I loved the Caesar salad and scallops. The skirt steak and devil eggs were pretty good too. Would totally come again!

My husband and I came here last night for our anniversary dinner. We made a reservation and were seated promptly upon arrival. Our waiter was really great! He was knowledgable about stuff on the menu and was up front about his desire to have people try things that they wouldn’t make at home, so his suggestions were more toward the specials and seafood.
We also received a couple of glasses of prosecco as well since it was our anniversary.
We got the Fritto misto for an appetizer and it was delicious! They had two fish sticks and a couple of pieces of jumbo shrimp that had a thicker batter and the the calamari was in a more standard Fritto misto batter. It also came with asparagus.
I got the special which was a porchetta made out of pork belly with a Rosemary paste. It was really well done! The pork was moist and crispy and the potato gratin was excellent! It also came with Swiss chard which was good.
My husband got the potato-​chard gnocchi with a mushroom bolognese. The sauce had big chunks of mushrooms which is great for those who like mushrooms.
We also order a half bottle of Chablis that was great! I like that they sell half bottles because if you do want to mix and match for different courses, you can do that without buy a full bottle. Also we weren’t going to be doing any heavy drinking, so one full bottle would be too much anyways.
Overall the experience was really great and I am super happy we went their for our special occasion! Will definitely be coming back.

I’ve eaten here quite often. I also had my graduation dinner party here. It’s a very charming, white linen and well dressed restaurant with floor to ceiling windows. I could sit in this restaurant all day. The staff is very attentive.
I’ve never had a bad meal here. All the dishes are refined with robust flavors. Anything fish here is good. The salads are good too. My only negative opinion is that the plates are slightly on the small portion size. Not too small but it could use a few more ounces to round off a great experience.

January and February has been a definite dine downtown experience for me. Last night I got to try this lovely little place for my birthday month. beautifully lit from the outside, no curtains, just huge windows. When we entered, we were politely greeted by this nice looking gentleman, he sat us and I can honestly say that this place is a lot smaller than the other fine dining experience I’ve tried before.
The menu is very simple, appetizers, 1^st course, main dish, and sides. On the other side of the menu they have drinks. My friend and I both ordered the Italian soda, she got vanilla and I got orange (flavors).
I should have taken a picture of the menu, but I didn’t so i’m going to tell you guys what we ordered. Deviled eggs to start, bread table service ($ 1), Steak for me (because you can never go wrong unless you order it well done), and the B (forgot how to spell it) Misto. Our waiter described it as a bunch of flavors in one plate. I didn’t feel like being adventurous, so I ordered the steak, and let me tell you, it was the best decision ever.
The deviled eggs were a bit salty, but the cucumber and shrimp topping tasted really good together. My steak was cooked perfectly, the mashed potato, which was squarely made, lol was actually really good. But I didn’t really care for the bacon wrapped … I let my friend try it and she said it was so salty that it tasted like it was dipped in a bottle of salt. Mm to quote my friend, she said the Misto tasted like a really expensive beef stew, which was true. Lastly we ordered the tiramisu crème brûlée for dessert and it was extremely sweet like desserts should be and it was really good. I’m not a fan of coffee but it was the only thing on the menu that sounded yummy, and it was not bad at all. My friend loved it.
Overall MY meal wasn’t bad, the atmosphere was great, our server was super nice, and the crème brûlée was tasty.

I can’t believe I’ve never written a review for Waterboy. This is my favorite restaurant in Sacramento hands-​down. They treat you like family when you arrive. Just respect their schedule and book A reservation. If you’re going in by yourself they will try to squeeze you in. Everything they make is fresh. The best advice I could give is don’t let your eyes get too big because you will be leaving with food. There have been many times when I over ordered, because everything looked so good. But it’s all worth it the leftovers are great. The best thing on the menu is the steak and they serve it sometimes with potatoes au gratin sometimes with another type of side. But they marinate it and season it so well that you can’t refuse even if you’re a vegetarian or on some special diet. Just get it. They always have an amazing list of wines and usually something warm to drink during the winter cold months. I heard they used to offer cooking classes but I have yet to take them. I just rather eat. I’ve been there so many times I can’t even tell you. Service is always wonderful and consistent food is always wonderful and consistent. The bathrooms are always clean but small. Who cares just go before you get there. The best game in town!

For fine dining in Sacramento you can’t beat the waterboy. It is intimate and one of the few places you do not have to yell to be heard by your companions. The wait staff is knowledgeable and accommodating and the bartender is very personable. But the best thing about the waterboy is the delicious food. Your palette is in for a treat! Enjoy!

My husband and I had dinner here to celebrate his birthday. I made a note that it was his birthday in the online reservation and they had complimentary champagne ready for us when we arrived! I wanted the night to be special and that added touch made it even better.
The menu had just the right amount of selections to choose from and had vegetarian options for me. We ordered the cheese plate for an appetizer, followed by minestrone soup for me and the salad of baby beets for him, and I finished with the egg noodles while my husband had the ragu of local lamb. We were SO FULL by the end of the meal because we couldn’t stop eating! The food had so much flavor and the consistency and texture was just perfect.
The service was friendly and attentive. We will definitely be returning in the future and recommending this place to our friends and family.

The food was good but the service was amazing. I literally can’t explain how great the service was– this alone made coming here worth the price.

I’ve been here twice within two months. Both times provided wonderful service and great food.
— Pasta Al Ragu Bolognese: BEST PASTA EVER!!! This was under the first course section of the menu, so I ordered the larger size as my entrée. It was satisfying and filling. The ragu was very meaty with great flavor. I had this a month ago and I’m still dreaming of it.
— Skirt Steak: Very good. I really liked this because there were no bones I had to cut around. I could just get straight to the food! :) I had several small, thinner pieces and my boyfriend had two larger, thick pieces. It was good and we were both satisfied. It wasn’t overcooked at all and the roasted brussell sprouts and potato au gratin were great!
— Steak Tartare: First time having it here and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. It was flavorful alone but so much better with the caramelized onion crème fraîche. This definitely isn’t enough for an entrée, but more of a sharable appetizer between 2 – 3 people. If you’re unsure about it, it reminded me of sushi (tuna, specifically). So if you like raw fish, you’ll like this.
Overall, one of my new favorites places! I was very happy to finally try it last month since it has been on my restaurant bucket list for a long time. It was so good I went back a month later to celebrate my boyfriend’s birthday.

We used OpenTable to secure a reservation at Waterboy for our 27^th Anniversary, and the staff couldn’t have been kinder. We were given a lovely corner table for two, champagne at the beginning and end of our dinner. My wife had the beet salad. I had the petite cassoulet — whenever someone you trust makes cassoulet, wow, that is just tremendous. Not a dish that is often made these days. We both had the Quail Coq au Vin, which was simply delicious. We had three desserts which we split. The only downside was our bottle of wine — a very kind and knowledgeable staff person guided us, and the bottle we chose wasn’t necessarily his first recommendation, but it wasn’t all that good despite being on the high end price-​wise; it was a bit astringent, not yet bad, but not full flavored (for a Barolo). Still, we had a lovely time, and we consider Waterboy one of our favorite restaurants in Sacramento. And the staff, as I said, were wonderful.

I finally got to try The Waterboy! After hearing about how good it is for many years now I finally got to see what the hype was about. I have to agree this place is superb, from good food to excellent customer service. The atmosphere is classy but more on the relaxing casual side not your super fancy upscale type which makes it perfect for a casual date or a dinner for two. Me and my date shared the tuna and egg crostini appetizer which was really good the tuna and egg worked together really well and the avacodo made it more creamy and the crostini provided a crunch to it. We also shared the 5 dot ranch steak tartare first course which I want really a fan of because the tartare lacked flavor but the crème fraîche on top was good and so were the fries that accompanied it. I had the seared sea scallops and shrimp which was really good except the creamy sauce does get a bit overwhelming but the scallops and shrimp were cooked perfectly and was very flavorful and juicy. I also got a taste of my dates main course which was the quail «coq au vin» which was also really good, it was flavorful and really juicy with a slightly crisped skin and the mushrooms were also really good. For dessert we had the tiramisu crème brûlée which was amazing the top was torched to perfection while the inside was creamy and warm but the expresso cake on the top kinda lacked flavor but the cocoa meringues were really good. Service was excellent they were attentive but not to attentive giving you room to enjoy your dinner and conversation. Overall this place is superb.

Finally getting to write a review for Water Boy… Been here quite a few times and finally getting to it!
The location is great in midtown where many people always walk around and the scene is very lively!
The water boy is a very classy place with a wonderful selection of seasonal food! The place isn’t the biggest but it has such a great neighborhood feel and has great chefs!
I came here for my bday and we had to make a reservation a month ago since my bday was New Year’s Eve! I have attend water boy for my lady’s bday, parents bday, Valentine’s Day, and anniversaries! It’s a romantic spot for you and your loved one, or a great place for a family gathering, or a fun place to get together with your friends!
The food is made fresh… For apps, I usually get the tar tar with crispy fries… The raw beef is so flavorful and with the seasoning its mouth watering! Take a bite and add a crispy fry is the way to go! The Caesar salad is also good even though you have to cut the romaine lettuce…
My entrée favorite is the sweat bread over mash potatoes! The sweat bread is a must try… So flavorful and tender and with the mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, and bacon, the combo is so tasteful!!!
The filet over mash potatoes is excellent! They cooked it to perfection! The medium rare was still red which I love!!! Also, the mash potatoes was mixed with truffle oil which was a genius idea and I even ordered a separate order since it was so good!
For dessert, we had the apple cider sorbet! It was very refreshing and perfect way to end a delicious meal!
The only reason I had to mark a star off was because something I ate gave me an allergic reaction which caused my throat to swell and I broke out on my arms, stomach, and thighs! That wasn’t a pleasant experience especially driving home!
But overall water boy is a must try!

Looking for a nice place to take a date? Look no further! This little local gem is a fantastic spot for a date or special occasion.
Hubs and I came here for a special date night. It was easy to get reservations. Street parking is hit or miss. The hostess was very nice as was the service in general. We had a nice table by the window and the ambience overall was romantic.
Hubs really liked their focacia bread. We ordered the bruschetta, panseared dayboat scallops, ranch steak dujour. They do change up their menu seasonally. I loved the scallops. They were über tasty and cooked perfectly — Ramsay would be proud. We finished the night with a pumpkin crème brûlée. Yum!

Great date night restaurant to go to. We were seated next to the window. Good start already. We tried the special first course of smoke salmon with crème fraîche and cavier. Great way to start our date night. It was so delicious and even more so with the house bread.
Loved our Baby Beet Salad and the Bouillabaisse main course.

Everything tasted the same!!! Steak tartar over seasoned
Tripe tastes like the mixture of duck confit pork belly and chicken sausage. Add the tripe and it all is the same. With white beans.
Waiter was great. Hostess looked very sad.
Maybe bad night. Mulvaneys had 3 private parties so we went here.
The worst!!!

Came here for dinner for our Networth Realty xmas dinner. My first time here as it has been my radar to try. The dining room is small but not too congested and is tastefully decorated. The atmosphere was very cool. It is an upscale restaurant but it’s not snooty. Everyone was having a great time and there were a lot of people at the small bar as well. We shared appetizers and tasted each other’s courses. We had Oysters and the antipasto plate. The oysters were small but amazing our group loved the meats and cheeses on the antipasto plate as well. I’m not a hummus fan but everyone in my group raved about it. I had the I had the Portuguese style pork and clams and my wife had the steak tartare. Both were amazing. The steak had great flavor and the broth in my bowl of clam and pork goodness was amazing. I wanted to drink it by itself. Then for our main course I had the I had the steak special, which was cooked to a medium rare perfection, and my wife had the pan seared scallops which was the dish of the night. I’m not huge on desserts but my wife had the chocolate malt profiteroles which she said was orgasmic. I definitely recommend you put this on your list of places to dine.

Came here on a Friday night (and will admit we got there 20 min past our reservation) but the staff was still very accommodating, and we were seated right away. Our waiter checked on us often, and didn’t get upset as we were taking out time ordering. I had the seared sea scallops and he had the lightly seared sushi grade ahi tuna (from Hawaii BTW). Both were very good. I also ordered a glass of Malbec wine, which also very yummy. The inside of the restaurant is quaint, but also trendy. The person I was with said that this restaurant is the most LA-​esq in Sacramento. The walls are basically large glass windows and the lighting is kind of low. One thing I feel worth pointing out is that the portions are smaller, but that’s to be expected from a classy place. If you are looking for a nice first date place, this place is sure to impress.

Tons of open tables yet no room for our party of 4?! Came as the doors opened to try to have dinner for my son’s birthday. Apparently even though there were over a dozen empty tables there was no room for us. :(

Everything about my experience was wonderful. To start, I had reservations for a large group. Greg accommodated my slightly last minute plea for a table for my birthday dinner with 11 attending. So cool.
I was offered a complimentary birthday cocktail, I ordered an Old Horse. Very tasty. The muddled orange added an interesting layer to the drink.
The table ordered a round of starters.
Starters
Steak tare tare — well balanced, finely diced, excellent flavor. Was a little odd to eat it with pomme frites (fries) instead of toast points, but still delicious.
Oysters — I dont know which oyster we had, but they were fresh, sweet, briny, and the mignonette was well done.
Antipasti — Very balanced platter of charcuterie meats, cheeses, crostini with white bean hummus, and cheese.
Sweetbreads — sautéed with an excellent sauce.
Entrée
I ordered the house special, the bouillabaisse. It had a really lovely layered broth. The wine, tomato, spices and herbs were so complicatary to the squid, fish, clams, and mussels. All were perfectly cooked… very excellent fishermans stew.
Two of my friends ordered the Portuguese pork and clams. Uhhh the broth was soooo good. We all thought it was weird that it came with fries too. But again, still delicious.
Another person in my group ordered the parpadelle pasta with lamb and chantrelle mushrooms. I tried a bite and it had a really nice umami flavor.
All in all everyone enjoyed themselves and we had a really lovely time. We didn’t have time for dessert because we had show tickets and had to jet. But I was very happy with the service and my dinner. My friends were all full and satisfied too.
Thank you Waterboy for a very special «25^th» *wink* birthday dinner.

Local Lamb ($ 31) — Yukon potato purée, Ratatouille French green beans, Tapenade grain mustard-​rosemary jus.
First-​Course Soup ($ 9) — Dwelley Farms sweet corn soup w/​Maine Lobster butter, chives, black pepper.
Lamb’s never been my first choice when it came to main-​course meats. It carries its very distinct gamey aftertaste that doesn’t quite sit well with my palette. I ordered it anyway. Why? Because my brother got the Steak du Jour already and I wanted to try something different. Turned out for the best!
Seasoned and cooked well, meshed perfectly with the smooth & creamy potato purée. I’d get it again in a heartbeat.
Comfortable upscale dining. Attentive service. Delicious food.

I am conflicted in my review of this restaurant. If I were to formulate my opinion solely based on my first experience, I would give it 5 stars. My friends treated me to a birthday dinner, which consisted of the most delicious scallops I have ever had in my life, accompanied by a crisp glass of rose. I also tried the steak tartare– it was to die for. All of the ingredients seemed extremely fresh and of great quality. I started recommending this restaurant left and right, specifically the scallops.
Unfortunately, after my second time here, I was extremely disappointed. I ordered the same entrée, and couldn’t get through half of my meal. The scallops were a little overcooked (not a big deal), but the way they smelled and the texture of the meat left me with no appetite. Thankfully my date shared his meal with me, which was a succulent cut of lamb with a hearty potato purée, and perfectly roasted heirloom tomatoes.
Aside from the scallop mishap, the atmosphere of this restaurant, the friendly staff, and the quality of most of their ingredients leave me hopeful. I will try to update my review if I have anything new to add.

My friends and I were here on Friday night to enjoy a fine dining experience after a long week. We had reservations and were seated promptly. Parked on the street, parking can be tricky so come early in case you have to circle the block a few times!
The restaurant had a cool vibe to it and there were a lot of people eating here. There was indoor and outdoor seating as well.
Our waitress, Kara, was excellent. She made sure to educate us on all the specials for the night as well as her top recommendations for food and wine. She was not pushy and checked in us the perfect amount of times.
For appetizers, we had the foie gras and the bruschetta. The foie gras was good but I really LOVED the bruschetta. The bruschetta had smashed white beans, crisp pork belly, arugula, parmesan and chimichurri on top. Mind blown! Not bad for $ 12.00 either!
For the main course, I had the lamb. The lamb was delicious and fresh, not too much fat.
Overall a great dining experience. The waitress was super accommodating for my friend who had a gluten allergy too. I also need to commend this restaurant for having a diaper changing station for families!
Thank you Waterboy!

My first time here! We’ve passed by it a million times but finally went for my boyfriend’s birthday with family. They take reservations through OpenTable so take advantage of that — there’s limited seating.
The ambiance inside is nice and bright, the whole place is open with the large floor to ceiling windows, and the cutesy décor like the squirrel figurine sitting on the bar shelf.
The menu is simple but still plenty of options if you’re a choosy eater. We went for the deviled eggs, antipasto plate, and bruschetta to start off. The bruschetta was very delicious. But the best appetizer: melon proscuitto– drizzled with balsamic vinegar. Who knew cantaloupe with taste so good with a savory meat?
For my main course I went with the ricotta filled ravioli special, topped with bacon and a poached egg. Ravioli, bacon, AND a poached egg?! You can’t go wrong with that. It was delicious and just the right amount.
Service was good but she seemed a little impatient — although I can’t fault her for that since we didn’t order for a while. However I can’t help but point out the guy who refilled my iced tea and spilled on my white purse. I know he knew it too when he stopped and stepped back to continue pouring…
All in all The Waterboy is a beautiful place for dinner on a summer evening — I would love to come back and sit out on their front patio! It’s not your everyday dinner price so definitely save it for a special occasion.

I come here at least once a month and it’s incredible every time. My favorite restaurant in Sacramento at present time.
Thank you, Waterboy, for the consistently delightful experiences.

I came here with my boyfriend for Valentine’s day. First, I suggest making a reservation because the place is a tad small. Also, I suggest wearing something a bit more on the formal side rather than casual – dress shirt and dress pants for men, and a nice dress for women.
We started off with Chardonnay and 5 Dot Ranch Steak Tartare. The Tartare is basically raw minced steak topped with a dollop of Ranch. This was definitely a good choice of appetizer, although it was a bit heavy. Even if you’re scared of raw meat, I would still recommend it.
Next, I had the Pan Seared Dayboat Scallops, which were AH-​MAZING. The scallops were cooked perfectly, and each had a hint of sweetness. The Fettuccine that accompanied it was light, and matched the scallops perfectly.
My boyfriend had the 5 Dot Ranch Skirt Steak, and he seemed to enjoy it.
We finished our meal with a Coffee Crème Brulee, which was perfect – not too sweet and not too plain.
Service here was also good. Our server did a great job – making sure that we were satisfied and making eye contact with us when talking.