It's such a beautiful setting at The Waterleaf at the College of DuPage Culinary & Hospitality Center. From the bread through the salad, the entree & ending w/ dessert everything is done w/care & is tasty. The service is paced so as not to hurry the diners. But if something is needed the staff is right there to help. It's obvious that the students want to optimize the dining experience. I regret not being able to go more often to try the other entree or salad. Everything is done well. A great place to dine.
SharonG
Sean was our waiter and his first time serving. We asked questions and if he didn't know the answers, he went and got them for us, very pleasant young man, and the food was great,
Donald McBride
I can't think of a place I would rather dine. I love to be a small part of the student's education. The overall value of experience / cost is over the top. I would highly recommend it. Make your reservations on time.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
KristineG
We love the food and experience we receive while dining at the Waterleaf! It is always an enjoyable experience, and we like supporting the students in this wonderful program! The salmon entree was not available by the noon seating, but the chicken was very tasty! Keep up the great work!
NikonLori
Everyone in our party of four really enjoyed the food. The one thing they need to work on is seating people. We stood around for a long time (along with probably 20 people) waiting to be seated. They were training one student to be a manager and to seat people. Telling him where to seat people and with which waiter/waitress. I think this should have been taught before and not on the spot. So it took quite a while to be seated. After that the service was fine and the food was very good. I look forward to returning.
Eric
We have dinner at the Waterleaf many times. The food is alway good, and frequently excellent. Since this is a classroom we allow lots of space for small issues like occasionally slow service, but have never had any reason to be disappointed. It is always nice and the food is very good to outstanding. We highly recommend the Waterleaf.
The Little Italy menu was thoughtfully selected with wine pairing. All food items were well prepared to reflect Italian classics. Our server was excellent. He was professional and provided and explanation of the preparation of each course.
Watermelon
All four diners enjoyed their lunch from beginning to end. Each course was presented attractively and was served at the proper temperature. All courses were delicious! Our server Cassie was personable and attentive and met our needs and expectations.
CarolD
This was my first visit to Waterleaf. I had been trying to secure a reservation since last Spring. It was worth the wait. The Culinary and Hospitality staff and students should be proud of the results of their hard work.
Done
My friend and I had a wonderfully tasty lunch that included soup, salad, and a beautifully executed salmon filet on a cedar plank. Our server was new to providing dining room service, but his timing and personality were right on. The value we received for this meal ($20) was excellent. Wish it was easier to get a reservation.
Always a wonderful experience at Waterleaf. Wait staff are students and still learning, but eager to serve in a wonderful environment. Food is always good and portion sizes aren't overwhelming.
The pollack chowder was served warm with a variety of vegetables. The arugula and blueberry salads were a nice accompaniment to the meal. Both the planked salmon and pork chop entrees were delicious. Our server was professional and available.
The food was awesome, as well as the atmosphere and service. The only issue I would have was the time. We had a reservation for 11am, and didn't get seated until 11:30. We didn't complete everything until about 1:30. Seems a bit long for lunch, but that would not deter me from doing this again, I would just plan accordingly. Thank you for a wonderful time!!
MarianneC
The dinner at Waterleaf was delightful. The service was excellent, with all the students putting such effort and sincerity into their work. The kitchen staff does an excellent job. The surroundings are lovely. What a wonderful resource for our community.
Sange
We were excited to be able to obtain a dinner reservation at Waterleaf Restaurant. The entire experience was extremely pleasurable from the excellent seating arrangements, to the very courteous waiter and staff manager, to the very delicious soups, salads, entrees and desserts. We would highly recommend this experience to our family and friends.
It's such a beautiful setting at The Waterleaf at the College of DuPage Culinary & Hospitality Center. From the bread through the salad, the entree & ending w/ dessert everything is done w/care & is tasty. The service is paced so as not to hurry the diners. But if something is needed the staff is right there to help. It's obvious that the students want to optimize the dining experience. I regret not being able to go more often to try the other entree or salad. Everything is done well. A great place to dine.
Sean was our waiter and his first time serving. We asked questions and if he didn't know the answers, he went and got them for us, very pleasant young man, and the food was great,
I can't think of a place I would rather dine. I love to be a small part of the student's education. The overall value of experience / cost is over the top. I would highly recommend it. Make your reservations on time.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
We love the food and experience we receive while dining at the Waterleaf! It is always an enjoyable experience, and we like supporting the students in this wonderful program! The salmon entree was not available by the noon seating, but the chicken was very tasty! Keep up the great work!
Everyone in our party of four really enjoyed the food. The one thing they need to work on is seating people. We stood around for a long time (along with probably 20 people) waiting to be seated. They were training one student to be a manager and to seat people. Telling him where to seat people and with which waiter/waitress. I think this should have been taught before and not on the spot. So it took quite a while to be seated. After that the service was fine and the food was very good. I look forward to returning.
We have dinner at the Waterleaf many times. The food is alway good, and frequently excellent. Since this is a classroom we allow lots of space for small issues like occasionally slow service, but have never had any reason to be disappointed. It is always nice and the food is very good to outstanding. We highly recommend the Waterleaf.
The Little Italy menu was thoughtfully selected with wine pairing. All food items were well prepared to reflect Italian classics. Our server was excellent. He was professional and provided and explanation of the preparation of each course.
All four diners enjoyed their lunch from beginning to end. Each course was presented attractively and was served at the proper temperature. All courses were delicious! Our server Cassie was personable and attentive and met our needs and expectations.
This was my first visit to Waterleaf. I had been trying to secure a reservation since last Spring. It was worth the wait. The Culinary and Hospitality staff and students should be proud of the results of their hard work.
My friend and I had a wonderfully tasty lunch that included soup, salad, and a beautifully executed salmon filet on a cedar plank. Our server was new to providing dining room service, but his timing and personality were right on. The value we received for this meal ($20) was excellent. Wish it was easier to get a reservation.
Restaurantji Recommends
Always a wonderful experience at Waterleaf. Wait staff are students and still learning, but eager to serve in a wonderful environment. Food is always good and portion sizes aren't overwhelming.
The pollack chowder was served warm with a variety of vegetables. The arugula and blueberry salads were a nice accompaniment to the meal. Both the planked salmon and pork chop entrees were delicious. Our server was professional and available.
The food was awesome, as well as the atmosphere and service. The only issue I would have was the time. We had a reservation for 11am, and didn't get seated until 11:30. We didn't complete everything until about 1:30. Seems a bit long for lunch, but that would not deter me from doing this again, I would just plan accordingly. Thank you for a wonderful time!!
The dinner at Waterleaf was delightful. The service was excellent, with all the students putting such effort and sincerity into their work. The kitchen staff does an excellent job. The surroundings are lovely. What a wonderful resource for our community.
We were excited to be able to obtain a dinner reservation at Waterleaf Restaurant. The entire experience was extremely pleasurable from the excellent seating arrangements, to the very courteous waiter and staff manager, to the very delicious soups, salads, entrees and desserts. We would highly recommend this experience to our family and friends.