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All 987 Sacramento Restaurants »

The Waterboy

2000 Capitol Ave, Sacramento, CA 95814-4215
(916) 498-9891
Ranked #15 of 987 restaurants in Sacramento
4.5 of 5 stars 52 Reviews
Price range: $18 - $30
Cuisines: Italian, French, Californian, American
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Restaurant details
Good for: Families with children, Romance, Large groups, Doing business, Local cuisine, Special occasions, Entertaining clients
Dining options: Dinner, Reservations
Dining style: Fine Dining
Cross street: 20th
Description: Our Goal at The Waterboy is to provide you with a wonderful dining experience. Taking inspiration from the cuisines of southern France and northern Italy, we feature a new menu every month to take full advantage of our local, seasonal ingredients. Our menu features naturally raised meats, local organic produce and freshly baked breads. Along with great service and a terrific, reasonably priced wine list, we think you will be quite pleased with a visit to The Waterboy.
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52 reviews from our community

90% Recommend
    29
    18
    3
    1
    1
Rating summary
    Food
    Service
    Value
    Atmosphere
Date Rating
El dorado hill
Senior Contributor
25 reviews 25 reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed April 23, 2012

We were a bit disappointed. Food and service was not what it used to be. More

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See 9 more reviews by Richard D for Sacramento
Carmichael, California
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed April 12, 2012
1
person found this review helpful

Rick Mahan is a food god. His care for local ingredients shines in his seasonal recipes. His confidence shines with his creativity in the kitchen. Not a place to miss in Sacramento. Right up there with Biba's and Ella. A local treat. More

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See 3 more reviews by KandL83 for Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
5 of 5 stars Reviewed April 3, 2012

The Waterboy has been consistently fantastic. SOmetimes a bit esoteric, but always a happening. More

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See 2 more reviews by Edward M for Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Reviewer
5 reviews 5 reviews
5 of 5 stars Reviewed April 2, 2012

A bit pricey, but the food is divine!!!! Service could have been more friendly. More

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See 4 more reviews by brendazart for Sacramento
Chico, California
Reviewer
5 reviews 5 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
1 of 5 stars Reviewed March 29, 2012

We made a reservation early in the evening for 5:45. I am so glad we did. This is getting to be a real hot spot in the old charming area of Sacramento. We had great parking a few feet away from the door and the service was great! Wide range of food to choose from and every thing done fresh... More

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Sacramento, California
Contributor
14 reviews 14 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
3 of 5 stars Reviewed March 15, 2012

For the prices they charge, I expect much higher quality. Not worth it. More

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See 7 more reviews by ysman for Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Contributor
15 reviews 15 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed March 14, 2012

If you are a fan of Provencal cuisine, you must eat at the Waterboy. The food is always interesting with well balanced flavors, eye appeal, nose appeal and tastes from heaven. If it is in season, the cassoulet is not to be missed. More

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See 13 more reviews by dr_steve_l for Sacramento
Napa, California
2 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed February 21, 2012

The atmosphere was modern urban with a lot of energy. The food was fresh and perfectly prepaired. We enjoy trying new foods and there were several items on the menu we weren't familiar with but our waitress did a nice job explaining the menu. The wine list was as good as I've seen in Sac. More

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Sacramento, California
Senior Reviewer
8 reviews 8 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed February 12, 2012

The food here was outstanding. My wife had the saffron risotto with seafood, and I had the skirt steak special. Everything was prepared perfectly. The steak was one of the best I've ever had, and I've been to a number of steakhouses (which this isn't!). The servers were extremely helpful and courteous and the location is great. There's really nothing... More

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El Dorado Hills
Senior Contributor
36 reviews 36 reviews
Reviews in 15 cities Reviews in 15 cities
51 helpful votes 51 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed February 5, 2012
1
person found this review helpful

Go for the food and service, but look elsewhere for a quiet romantic dinner. Every course we ordered was excellent, and though its not cheap, we felt we got good value for our money. Nice wine list (though our waiter did forget our bottle till we reminded him), and my gin cocktail was well made. Highly recommended if you like... More

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