Water Works Restaurant & Lounge

Water Works Restaurant & Lounge reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

1. HD

   HappyDiner

   Philadelphia1 review

   1.0

   Dined on June 21, 2015

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 1

   I would not recommend this restaurant. Buffet line was more than 10 minutes long. Food was mediocre at best, and service was lacking. We asked for coffee and one person received a luke-warm cup, while the other received nothing for several minutes because they were brewing it (it's brunch - seems standard that coffee should constantly be available). When more coffee was requested, it took more than 15 minutes to get a cup. Brunch was extremely expensive for something not special at all, and they charged $3.50 for a glass of orange juice. When we were done eating we had to flag the waiter down to request our check after waiting for several minutes. I would NOT recommend this terribly overpriced place to anyone.
   

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2. A

   All4glastonbury

   New York City55 reviews

   3.0

   Dined on June 14, 2015

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 5

   Celebrating a special event was worth it for the pictures - location and grounds are wonderful. Maitre' d was warm and inviting - it would be great if he could mentor staff to be more attentive and warm. Food was "fine" - nothing special. Everyone seems good with their food - salmon, chicken, tofu, but my husband said Duck was very weak. Biggest issue though was the attentiveness of wait staff and everything took a VERY long time. I was dining with some "elderly" folk so by the time dinner came they were ready to leave. Would try again in the hopes that this was an off-night.
   

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3. D

   Dave VIP

   Philadelphia28 reviews

   4.0

   Dined on June 13, 2015

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Excellent food. Fantastic view. Very attentive and friendly waitstaff. I was disappointed to learn that this would be a banquet/ event venue only in the future.
   

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4. J

   Jennygee

   Philadelphia13 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on June 7, 2015

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   I have never been behind the Art Museum!!! The view was fabulous!!! The food was delicious!!! Well worth the money spent!!
   

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5. P

   Pattyvk

   Miami20 reviews

   3.0

   Dined on May 31, 2015

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 3

   With such an historic and potentially beautiful venue, you'd think the business would respect it with good food and decor. This city enjoys the luxury of having quite a few excellent restaurateurs who bewitch the most unassuming of places into world class gems. Just imagine the culinary landmark this would be if the likes of Jose Garces got his hands on the Waterworks Restaurant! What a shame.
   

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6. p

   pmw13

   Philadelphia1 review

   1.0

   Dined on May 10, 2015

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 5

   We reserved a 5:00pm table for 8 on Mother's Day and everyone in my family was ecstatic when we were seated. The restaurant overlooks the city and specifically Boat House Row. The art museum, waterfall and walking trails add even more to the experience. We were seated promptly and ordered by 5:30..and then waited, and waited. Understanding it was Mother's day everyone was patient and enjoyed the surroundings and incredible view. Then we waited..and waited, then asked for more wine, but they no longer had the wine we had, only a comparable wine - in taste, not price! Knowing we were going to a place like Waterworks, everyone went hungry and excited for a good meal. Over two hours later we would have been happy with McDonald's. Finally, the food came out around 7:30 and inevitably they served my mom the wrong dish (on mothers day after waiting 2:30 to eat). I ended up eating a dish I didn't order and the server and/or manager never apologized for the mistake. The only apology was from me to my family for making the reservations. The View is NOT worth the aggravation, the food was awful. A steak knife was needed for every dish - filet, chicken, pork and duck, because they were so hard - but our server never stopped to ask . I wasn't expecting anything great, but I wasn't expecting them to rely 100% on the view. Management/staff at the Waterworks are either slow or they are deliberately trying to extend the length of your meal to increase liquor/wine/beer costs. Spend your money somewhere that cares.
   

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7. SP

   SouthPhillyQuanda

   Philadelphia2 reviews

   4.0

   Dined on May 10, 2015

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Visited Waterworks restaurant for Mother's day brunch.. Food was excellent- especially the french toast (one of my favorites) and the salmon!! When making reservations, I requested outside seating but the restaurant was unable to accomodate me due to the volume of guests dining that special day. I was annoyed but went with the flow. Hopefully, my next visit to the restaurant I'll be able to be seated on the outside to enjoy the view of the river. Other than that, I would recommend the restaurant to others wholeheartedly!! I give it 5 stars!!
   

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8. BB

   BrunchingBrittany

   Philadelphia5 reviews

   3.0

   Dined on May 9, 2015

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   they didnt give us any dining points... and we got engaged on this outing!! SIGH
   

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9. V

   Veggiegirl25

   Philadelphia13 reviews

   1.0

   Dined on May 9, 2015

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 1

   The chairs were sticky, the service was poor, and the food was awful. The wait time for our food was about an hour!! and when it arrived it was such poor quality!! Terribly disappointing experience.
   

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10. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Philadelphia5 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on May 3, 2015

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4

    I wanted to try the Water Works Restaurant because I often run past it, and it seemed like it would have a nice view and be good for brunch. The view is about what I had expected - a nice view of boathouse row and the river, you can see the bikers / runners go by on the other side of the river on a Sunday morning. However, the food was such a disappointment. I guess part of it was my fault for not doing my research, but I wasn't expecting a pricey buffet. At first I was impressed by the selection - hot food, omelette bar, raw bar, desserts - but I quickly found that food that looks good doesn't necessarily taste that great. Nothing was particularly bad, but neither is it something I will return to, especially given the price.
    

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