Light The Beam
Skip to content
The Waterboy, Midtown
Restaurants

Restaurants · Italian · French · Midtown · $$$

The Waterboy

Midtown dining room since 1996, cooking a seasonal menu drawn from northern Italy and southern France, with a full bar and a serious wine list.

Visit websiteWebsite Reservations Directions (916) 498-9891Call

About The Waterboy

The Waterboy has been a Midtown neighborhood restaurant on Capitol Avenue since 1996. Chefs Rick and Kate run the kitchen, and the menu changes with the seasons, taking its cues mostly from northern Italian and southern French cooking. Rick names Chez Panisse as his biggest influence.

Recent menus have included pan-seared sea scallops, spaghetti alla carbonara, red wine braised short ribs, steak tartare, veal sweetbreads and an Earl Grey crème brûlée, with a pot pie and a smoked pastrami sandwich at lunch. There is a wide wine list and a full bar for cocktails and aperitifs. Thursday nights bring a ticketed prix fixe dinner, and the restaurant hosts private events for up to 65 guests. Its sister spot is OneSpeed Pizza.

  • Since 1996
  • Full Bar
  • Thursday Prix Fixe
  • Private Events
  • Takeout

Menu

First Course

Menu changes often; call for today's offerings

  • Soup of the Day $14 Ask for today's selection
  • Waterboy Caesar Salad $18 Parmigiano Reggiano, garlic, croutons, lemon; add chicken $7
  • Living Butter Lettuce Salad $17 Little beets, goat cheese, lemon, olive oil
  • Bitter Greens Salad $19 Local pears, walnuts, blue cheese, pancetta
  • Steak Tartare $21 Angus beef, herbed frites, aioli, watercress
  • Veal Sweetbreads $23 Mushrooms, bacon, capers, marsala demi-glace
  • Bruschetta $21 Mortadella, arugula pesto, burrata, peppers, pistachios
  • Crepes $22 Ham, gruyere, morels, demi-glace, herb butter
  • Cheese Plate $23 Four cheeses, toasted bread, crostini, olives
  • Oysters on the Half Shell $24 Half dozen, lemon and mignonette

Main Course

Dinner prices; lunch portions are lower

  • Butternut Squash Agnolotti $34 Brown butter, sage, amaretti crumble, parmigiano
  • Rigatoni all'Amatriciana $35 Guanciale, tomato, red chile, pecorino
  • Tagliolini $48 Seared scallops, tomato, lemon, lobster butter
  • Pasta alla Puttanesca $29 Tomato, capers, olives, basil; vegan
  • Creamy Polenta $36 Pork cheek ragu, chanterelles, sage, balsamico
  • Bare Naked Birdies Chicken $42 Bacon-wrapped breast, celery root puree, squash, mustard sauce
  • Liberty Duck Leg Confit $48 French lentils, carrots, turnips, pork belly, cherry jus
  • Steak du Jour $52 Creamy leeks, potato gratin, cauliflower, shallot butter
  • Tonight's Fish $48 Ask for this evening's selection
  • Rick's Deluxe Burger $23 Lunch: grass-fed beef, American cheese, burger sauce, fries

Sides

  • Marinated Olives $6
  • Roasted Almonds $6
  • Deviled Eggs $10 Bacon, capers, dill
  • Housemade Focaccia $6 Sea salt and rosemary
  • Herbed Fries $8 With aioli
  • Potato Gratin $8
  • White Anchovies $10 Celery, parmesan

Desserts

  • Seasonal Crostata $14 Served warm with house vanilla ice cream
  • The Chloe Special $14 Ask for today's dessert
  • Profiteroles $14 Cookie dough ice cream, chocolate sauce
  • Chocolate Ganache Tart $14 Caramel, mixed nut crust, whipped cream; gluten-free
  • Apple Crisp $14 Oats, coconut caramel, pear sorbetto; vegan
  • Affogato $10 Espresso over house vanilla ice cream

Wine

Bottle prices. Selection; list changes often

  • Roederer Estate Brut $68 Anderson Valley sparkling
  • Bollinger Special Cuvee $180 Champagne
  • Craggy Range Sauvignon Blanc $49 New Zealand
  • Hartford Court Chardonnay $60 Russian River
  • Flowers Pinot Noir $88 Sonoma Coast
  • Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon $98 Alexander Valley
  • Domaine Tempier Rose $89 Bandol

Written out from The Waterboy’s menu, checked Oct 27, 2026. Prices and items can change.

Happening Nearby This Week

3 events
Halloween
MS

Halloween Costume Contest at The Merc

Sat, Oct 31 · 9:00 PM

The Mercantile Saloon · SacramentoRight here

See the program Info
Halloween Club A$tro: Sapphic Halloween at Faces
FN

Club A$tro: Sapphic Halloween at Faces

Thu, Oct 29 · Time TBA

Faces Nightclub · SacramentoRight here

See the program Info
Community
ML

Best Trivia Ever at Midtown Live

Every Thursday · 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Midtown Live · Sacramento0.4 mi

See the program Info

Close By

3 places
Breweries & Wineries

Alaro Craft Brewery

Its own house-brewed pints are $5 and bar snacks start at $5.

MidtownRight here

See the details
Restaurants

Jet's American Grill & Bar

Family-run Midtown grill and bar open until 2 AM nightly, serving cheesesteaks, wagyu burgers, loaded fries and vegan versions.

Midtown · $$Right here

See the details
Restaurants

Federalist Pizza

Wood-fired pizza, California craft beer and bocce in Midtown's blue shipping containers, run by the Maldonado family since 2014.

Midtown · $$Right here

See the details

More Restaurants in Sacramento

3 placesSee all
Spotlight Restaurants

Flamingo House

Midtown tropical bar, restaurant and nightclub on K Street with happy hour until 8 PM, weekend DJ nights and Silent Disco Sundays.

Midtown

See the details
Spotlight Restaurants

Darling Aviary

DoCo rooftop bar and restaurant with skyline views, house cocktails, weekday happy hour and weekend brunch above K Street.

Downtown

See the details
Spotlight Restaurants

Tapa The World

Midtown Spanish restaurant serving tapas, paella and sangria since 1994, with live Spanish guitar.

Midtown · $$

See the details

Make Sac Yours

What Are You Into?

Pick as many as you like. We’ll put these first on the homepage.