Acqua-Forest Lake

Average food, way above average prices, poor service and a decent environment. For the money you’d spend here, not worth your time. Drive the extra 15 miles to either Stillwater or Whit Bear Lake if you are looking for a classy place.

Over the top, best dining experience my wife & I have ever had. Walleye was superb. Making reservations for Valentine’s Day.

Great location with views of the lake and boat access from Forest Lake. The food here has been very good and at times surpassed our expectations. The staff has always been very friendly and helpful and ready to answer all your questions. We usually get the 3 or 4 course meal. The salads are very good. I enjoyed the beet salad last time. For appetizers the mussels in a cream sauce was great. The main courses have always been good to great from salmon, steaks to an incredible pasta with a meaty sauce (can’t remember what it was called). The desserts are good, but not great. The price is a bit high, but that is to be expected with the location and quality of service and selection of food. It’s a nice place for special occasions.
This is especially a good place to go seated outside on the patio on a nice summer evening by the lake with the sun setting.

I bought a groupon for Sunday brunch. The food was average for a Sunday brunch buffet. Bacon, eggs, lasagna, potatoes, etc. But I would not pay the original price for this buffet. I must add the view of the lake was charming.

We did the brunch buffet, and while not everything was to my tastes, the food was good and the building and view of the lake were excellent. Your never going to like everything at a buffet so I’m not counting that against them. I would love to come back during the summer and eat outside along the lake.

Wonderful atmosphere with friendly wait staff. Food is outstanding. Pricey but worth every penny. Sea salt crusted prime rib is amazing as is the braised pork shank. Rachel is out server and offered great recommendations. Request to be seated in her section. Mussels melted in our mouths. Great place to spend our anniversary. Thank you Acqua for a memorable night.

I have never been more disappointed with the management of a fine dining restaurant then I was tonight. There were some highlights, sure. For instance, the lobster mac and cheese curds were really delicious. However, we also ordered the shrimp appetizer and they came out with the veins still attached. How uncleaned shrimp could even be let out of a fine dining kitchen is concerning.
The table beside us at one point of our meal asked their waitress to take a group photo of them and she angled them in such a manner that she was inches from elbowing the back of my head. She stood there for well over 3 minutes and continued to inch closer making my dinner more and more uncomfortable.
Then I had ordered the crab tenderloin for my entrée. I asked for it medium and it came out not only undercooked, but leaning more towards still mooing as it was purple inside. I asked for it to be refired so it would be as I asked. It took quite a bit to come back out and by the time it did the crabcake and potatoes were cold. The bernaise sauce had separated and crusted onto my plate. Why this came back to me in such a manner is beyond me.
Our waiter offered to bring me a free dessert at this point and our dessert menu had old desserts on one side, so when we went to order we were informed that one of the things we wanted was not even on the menu. Our table also had one dessert that we were told they had run out of, but then told the table next to ours that it would only be a 20 minute wait if they would still like to order it as the kitchen was making some more.
We declined dessert at this point and the manager came over. He tried to pass it off as just one of those nights instead of apologizing for the kitchen and how everything was handled. I am extremely upset that this was the kind of place I chose for my birthday dinner. Definitely ruined the mood.

Excellent food, service, drinks and atmosphere! You definitely get what you pay for here and it’s so relaxing! Everything I’ve eaten here has been delicious and the martinis are amazing! My personal favorite is the triple chocolate :) Portions are great and food really tastes like homemade from scratch, none of that processed and straight from a package junk. Staff are friendly, attentive, and on top of it! I’d highly recommend trying Acqua for brunch, lunch or dinner. The views of the lake are awesome and the entire experience is great! We’ve come on Sundays a few times now and sat in the bar, the bartender/​server is awesome and food and drinks are to die for! Come visit Acqua!

This review is about the Sunday brunch, specifically.
I bought a Groupon for the Sunday brunch — seemed like a great deal. I think it was like $ ²⁴⁄₂. For THAT price it was just fine — can’t complain too much for AYCE for $ 12. However, for the $ ²²⁄₂₄ normal price this brunch is severely lacking.
First — the food was nothing too great. For a «chef» restaurant I’d expect better than a pan of mediocre lasagna as the pasta «feature». The bacon and sausage are run of the mill (I’ve had better at most brunch buffets in town), the online menu boasted eggs benedict but there were none the day we were there (replaced instead with mini breakfast sandwiches that looked pretty weak). Potato offerings were meh. Pizza was overdone and dry from the heat lamp. They had pumpkin french toast that was ok, though not really pumpkin-​y. Dessert offerings were kind of weird (butterscotch pudding?). And (admittedly my co-worker’s complaint) there was no carving station or omelet bar — which as this price I would expect.
I want to make it clear that the food was FINE, I didn’t find anything BAD… just not great. And for the price, distance to get here, and quality of the restaurant it really should be better. I am hoping that they’ll get the brunch issues ironed out and we can try again. I do like the ambiance and service and the location makes it seem like an «event» so it’d be great if the food matched that.
(I’ve also had dinner here and it was good).

Third time the charm. This place is consistently great in food, service and overall value.
We went with my parents for the Groupon brunch. Last time we were there it was family style. This time was Buffett style and a wonderful one at that.
Buffett Items:
Scrambled eggs
Scrambled eggs with mushrooms
Bacon
Sausage
Fruit
Cheeses
Pickled Herring, salmon, peel and eat shrimp
Biscuits and Gravy
Caramel Apple French Toast
Lasagna
Ribs
Chocolate covered strawberries, cannolis
Honey butter and scones
Wonderful salads
And so much more…
Hosts are great, management great, food is great.
Try this place! It truly is 5 stars all around

I give Acqua Forest Lake full stars, particularly for the service! Amazing service! They didn’t miss a beat, I didn’t have to ask for anything because the servers anticipated all my needs. That’s what makes going out so special – feeling like the restaurant cares about your experience.
The food was very good, and the portions ample! We had leftovers, which is rare for upscale fare. The beet salad with goat cheese was phenomenal, the braised pork shank falling off the bone (it would be even more amazing if it was lamb!) Prime rib was cooked to order, and the wine was nice (they even serve flights). Cheesecake was freshly made, but just OK.
I seriously can’t enough about the SERVICE though! Thanks, Acqua for making my anniversary fab.

We went on a Saturday night for my parents 53^rd wedding anniversary. All 8 of us ordered the tasting menu, salad/​entrée/​dessert, and we all agree it was the best dining experience we’ve had in a long time! The service was amazing, the server knew every detail about the menu… the food all came out at once with help from other servers. The manager stopped by to say hello. And the food… the food was perfect! Restaurants in Minneapolis should look to Acqua as an example on how to do it right! Thank you! We will be back!

I’ve visited three times in the last couple of months. The first time was for a dinner on the patio. Food and service were excellent. The second time was on a Sunday, when we had the lunch buffet. The food was not nearly as good as when we ordered a la carte. My husband was disappointed so we decided to come back for dinner again. This time the apps/​small plates were just as good as our first visit, and the entrees were good, but not stellar. The real problem was service. Our servers were all friendly but everything seemed a little bit off. One of the bowls for our mussel shells arrived at the table dirty; servers (not our main waitress) gave wine to the wrong people; then they came back again with small plates and gave those to the wrong people, too. After apps and salad, there was a half hour gap before our entrees arrived. We were seated at 7 pm on a weeknight, so the place was emptying out. It wasn’t like they were slammed in the kitchen. Our server never checked on us during that time. Too bad this place is so inconsistent. For the price I expect top notch food and spot-​on service. I will probably skip a full meal here after this, and will just stop by for a glass of wine and a plate of their killer mussels.
A couple weeks earlier I came here with family on a Sunday – the only option before 4 pm is the brunch buffet, definitely a step down from the amazing menu options. Highlights were BBQ ribs (tender, tasty), eggs Benedict (light on the hollandaise, tasted clean), Caesar salad, smoked salmon, and peel & eat shrimp. Breads were so-​so (mini bagels were kind of dry and I didn’t see the sticky rolls until I headed to the dessert table. They offer a nice selection of bite-​sized sweets: chocolate-​dipped strawberries, cheesecake cubes, truffles, and small portions of butterscotch budino… and sticky buns, which I saw too late. If you like rich brunch fare and come hungry, this is a good option. My own taste is for lighter stuff made with care, which Acqua does very well.

My very favorite restaurant. If I were Norm, Acqua would be my Cheers. We eat here many times each month and it is always good. Favorite Drink: Passion Chili Sour. Salad: Beet & Goat Cheese. Entrée: Salmon Roulade. Dessert: Butterscotch Budino with Caramel. The view of Forest Lake is beautiful. There’s an outdoor patio, too. Inside, the restaurant’s ambiance is white table cloth, but still very comfortable. The staff is top notch — it’s impressive when they run out with your food and present it all at once. Oh, they also serve the full menu at the bar and since it is getting harder and harder to get a reservation, this is a good option. Worth the drive.

Excellent food, excellent service, amazing view of the lake, we had a great time! I ordered everything the server suggested and she was spot on: lobster bisque soup, salmon (amazing!), and a chocolate pistachio dessert which was also very good! We ordered from the tasting menu with the Groupon and it was well worth it! We had a great time and cannot wait to come back!

Flipping fantastic service. Great food. Beautiful scenery and décor. Overall awesome place to dine at!!!

First timer for Valentines day. We arrived for our reservation 10 minutes early. We were seated close to the windows as requested. Server was very good, timely, etc. A drink was brought out without the olives by a drink runner. Our server noticed and brought them out without us asking. In addition, the manager stopped by our table during the meal to check in.
No complaints with the food or drinks. NY Strip was excellent as was the shrimp scampi. The Bruschetta may have been the best we have ever had at a restaurant. In addition, they had a very good cucumber margarita. The black cherry Collins was good, but had a lot of gin.
I would recommend this restaurant to anyone and I will for sure be coming back.

Well it’s been 2 months now since our visit. My wife refuses to return and we never were contacted even though I left my information with them. I do still get e mails with their tempting specials. If you do go request Nathan as your waiter he is very attentive. I know our bad experience was due largely to our waitress.

We celebrated our 5^th anniversary with an incredible dinner on the patio at Acqua. We started with the mussels which we could have drank the sauce they were so delicious.
For dinner my wife got the Ossobuco which was delicious. I had the prime rib special which was cooked perfectly and melted in my mouth.
Dessert didn’t disappoint and was a take on a s’more. Even though we were stuffed we licked the plate clean!
The view of the lake topped it all of. I would highly recommend, and we will absolutely be going back!!!

Another amazing experience at Acqua. Having visited both locations the forest lake location takes the cake for location and décor. Service and food is great at both locations. They really don’t miss any details when it comes to service. Acqua did a great job when selecting professional/​attentive servers. I enjoyed the gamberi e capesante which is scallops, shrimp and Peruvian potatoes AMAZING!!! The creamy butter sauce it was in tasted like heaven. We also had the ossobuco which is a pork shank and sweet potato purée AMAZING! We had seen the photo of the pork on Acquas website. The pork was not dry at all, I usually pass on pork because it’s chewy and dry, but this was moist and flavorful.
Great work Acqua!