The Waterboy

  4.7 – 850 reviews   • New American restaurant

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The Waterboy has been cooking delicious food and providing great service in Midtown Sacramento since 1996. Beautiful local ingredients, time-tested cooking, and genuine hospitality are at the core of what we do. Our frequently changing seasonal menu is inspired primarily by the beautiful cuisines of northern Italy & southern France, and always features the highest possible quality ingredients that we can source. We offer a diverse wine list with delicious options in a variety of price points, a full bar featuring artisanal cocktails & aperitifs, and a wonderful array of non-alcoholic beverages. In addition, we serve as a fantastic venue for private events in Sacramento, with the ability to host groups of up to 65 guests. All of our

Breezy locale for Italian, French & Californian fare with a focus on seasonal, local ingredients.

✔️Lunch ✔️Dinner ✔️Dine in ✔️Take out The Waterboy 95811

Hours

Friday11:30 AM–2 PM, 5–9:30 PM
Saturday5–9:30 PM
SundayClosed
MondayClosed
Tuesday11:30 AM–2 PM, 5–9 PM
Wednesday11:30 AM–2 PM, 5–9 PM
Thursday11:30 AM–2 PM, 5–9 PM

Address and Contact Information

Address: 2000 Capitol Ave, Sacramento, CA 95811

Phone: (916) 498-9891

Website: http://www.waterboyrestaurant.com/

Menu Photos

Order and Reservations

Reservations: waterboyrestaurant.comresy.com

places.singleplatform.com

Photo Gallery

Related Web Results

MENU – The Waterboy

Welcome to The Waterboy 2000 Capitol Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95811.

The Waterboy | Sacramento CA – Facebook

The Waterboy, Sacramento. 6710 likes · 111 talking about this · 13114 were here. The Waterboy Restaurant— Providing delicious food & excellent service…

Reviews

Paul Wang
We dined at Waterboy this January with friends — a party of four — and the entire experience felt effortlessly refined from start to finish.

The reservation process was easy and smooth, with clear confirmations and reminders. When we arrived, we were greeted right away and led to a lovely table by the window, which set the tone for the night.

If I could rate the service six stars, I would. The pacing was perfect, and throughout multiple courses, everything arrived at just the right moment. The staff was always there when needed — never hovering, never disappearing. You never had to look around wondering where your server was; they were attentive, calm, and genuinely helpful.

The food was outstanding. Every dish tasted fresh and thoughtfully prepared. We especially loved the steak and the scallops — both cooked beautifully and full of flavor. Dessert was a highlight as well. The apple pie stood out: not overly sweet, more European in style, which we really appreciated.

Overall, this was a memorable dining experience with exceptional service, excellent food, and a relaxed but elegant atmosphere. Easily one of those places that makes you want to come back without hesitation.
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The Nicols Team
Great dining experience – impeccable service. If you appreciate quality and fresh food you should check this place out. I loved that it offered a casual dining atmosphere yet quality wasn’t compromised. Thoroughly enjoyed everything from the deviled eggs to the New York steak! I have to say the scallops were my favorite though … the Singapore sling is an amazing cocktail in an tiki mug and I don’t really even like gin! And the coffee profiteroles delicious – they just need to add some seasoning berries lol Wonderful service, professional staff, great wine list – we will definitely be back!
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ami kaiom
★★★★★

The Waterboy is a true Sacramento classic and an absolute five-star experience. The atmosphere strikes the perfect balance between upscale and comfortable, making it ideal for both special occasions and relaxed evenings out.

The service was exceptional — attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely welcoming. The staff made thoughtful recommendations and ensured every detail of the meal was perfect.

The food was outstanding. Each dish was beautifully prepared with fresh, high-quality ingredients and perfectly balanced flavors. From the appetizers to dessert, everything tasted refined yet comforting. The wine selection was impressive and paired wonderfully with the meal.
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American Angler
The Waterboy Restaurant is what the old lady was talking about to her equally old companion…I mean for a solid hour!
She went on and on about great everything was from the service to the dishes in which she described in detail, to how neatly folded the end of the toto paper was in the john! Then she started talking about how the wait person had assisted her choosing the perfect bottle of wine, to the chef coming to her table to personally thank her for her continued patronage, and loyalty….and right then her companion sluggged her in the shoulder! I was taken back by the sight, and not wanting to see them hitting each other with bibles the lady at the ticket counter stepped in and separated the two, then she told the slugger that she wasn’t going to be able to catch her flight, and she would be bumped to the next flight to Hawaii. Well, I saw my old pal onto his flight…and went straight to The Wayerboy for an amazing dinner!
5 stars for sure! ! ☆☆☆☆☆
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Karli
I wasn’t going to write a review until my husband was hit with the most violent food poisoning I’ve ever encountered… don’t worry I’ve added videos for clarification. The best part of this experience was the server and her amazing attitude. Very attentive wait staff. As for the food, it was not what I expected to say the very least. Oysters, good if you like overwhelming onion flavor. Potato gratin, tasted like it was from a box with Parmesan crusted on top. Steak tartare was the most balanced & best thing we had. Steak, so lemon-y and pink I was concerned if it would make my dog sick. Risotto, first time ever trying this and I couldn’t believe they would serve something so awful, it tasted like watery rice mixed with bad seafood. I’m not one to leave horrible reviews like this but after the hell my husband endured after eating at this restaurant, I feel obligated to tell the truth. It’s. Not. Worth. It. (Also, if you have a weak stomach don’t listen to the videos)
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Courtney Brown
Elegant and classy atmosphere as well as friendly and classy hostesses. The food was extremely pleasant, flavorful and filling. The wine selection was fabulous with the servers being very knowledgeable yet fun with the recommendations. A very great place for romance and romantic/special occasions. A little pricey but definitely made my visit special.
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Camille Garcia
This place is wonderful. I came here for date night with my husband tonight. All the servers/hostess were extremely friendly and polite. We had the herb fries, foccacia bread, duck and pasta special. Everything tasted fresh and flavorful. Even my espresso martini was delicious. It’s a great date night or special occasion spot to come to. I’ll be back for my birthday. Highly recommend!
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Lily P
Really great dining on the patio. Was pet friendly and was offered a water bowl as well! Food was excellent. Especially enjoyed the Steak Tartare with the pastry! You’ll have to find street parking for this, we were lucky to find one right at front.
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Vincent Gonzales
The food is excellent and affordable. Rosa was our server, and she is very friendly and efficient. Owner and culinary icon Rick Mahan came over and greeted us. It was a super birthday dinner.
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LaVell Thompson, Jr.
I have to say that overall, I had a positive experience at this place. You’ll see from my pictures and the one video that the interior of the restaurant is pretty spectacular! I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the decor chosen by the owners. I actually visited this place for the first time on a date in December 2023! So yes, this is an old review that I never got around to writing.

With that idea in mind, I must be fully transparent and honest about my complete experience. The food left a little to be desired for my taste. 🙁 I’m being honest about that. After all, eating is probably the most important reason for visiting a restaurant, yes? I received an order of large pasta noodles with what appeared to be remnants of ground beef or sausage scattered about in the meal. In other words, and you’ll see from my picture, there was barely any sauce or meat in the dish! That was unfortunate.

I was mostly disappointed because of the price that my date and I paid for the meal! They are pricey as hell! LOL and frankly, I would not have minded the price that we paid if the portions had been larger. And that’s the other issue: the portions are quite small at this place. Expect to spend a lot of money but not get much for what you pay for. That’s the reality of it. I am always fully honest in my reviews, and this place, even with their high ratings, does not get the benefit of my lying to keep their reviews hi. I’m sorry.

You’re probably thinking to yourself, “If the food wasn’t so great, why give them four stars?!” Well! That’s easily answered: it’s because of the customer service we received! Our server was very friendly. I gave him a note about the food that I ordered, and asked his opinion about the matter. I guess it was more of a complaint? My date had the same problem.

The server basically explained to us that it was a standard measured amount for the proteins. It’s how they did things! They literally measure out the amount of protein one receives, and that iscthat. Aside from that, the server was really fantastic.

Also, there was another gentleman at the bar who gave us a free drink while we waited to be seated at our table. He was FANTASTIC!!! I had wished he could’ve been our server. We did have a reservation in advance.

So, the decor, the customer service, and especially the cleanliness of the bathroom are the reasons to visit this establishment! I was quite surprised with how clean the restroom was. That’s why they got four stars. If the food had been spectacular, I would have given them five stars! If you look at the breakdown of the star review I gave them, you’ll see I gave them two stars for the food, but five stars for everything else. Will I visit this place again in the future?Hmmm, maybe or maybe not. I’m not sure, to be honest with you.
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