I’m not being generous. Look at the two amazing dining rooms and more amazing lounge. Kind helpful attentive bartenders and waitstaff. Lunch specials $ 20 Dinner for CHEAP $ 10DOLLARS. Awesome burgers put up against any pub or restaurant burger around Waltham. The pasta is heavenly, but appetizers, chicken, and seafood are perfectly prepared taste like nothing else! Come back, again and again. Don’t wait for dinner it is worth it for LUNCH. Yummy in my tummy!
Kristin S.
Rating des Ortes: 2 Framingham, MA
I’m another person in the«it pains me to write this review» boat. I’ve been coming here since I was a kid and my family has always loved this place, but who knows if I’ll be back now. It’s really gone downhill. We went in last night for my mom’s birthday dinner. Right off the bat we were annoyed because it took about 10 minutes for our waitress(Jen T.) to come over. And when she did, all she said was«Hi, I’ll be over in a minute» as she threw some drink napkins onto the table. «A minute» turned into another 10 minutes. We ordered our drinks AND our food when she came back over, because we weren’t about to wait another 20 minutes to order our food. It took her 5 minutes to get two glasses of wine, then ANOTHER5 minutes to get a beer and a WATER. Seriously? Put the cup under a faucet and bring it over! Once we got our bread, she didn’t come over for another 20 minutes before bringing us our food. And let me just say… I grew up in an Italian family. I know what REAL, home cooked Italian food tastes like, and I know what frozen Italian food tastes like. The meatball and the toasted ravioli I got last night were absolutely frozen and not worth the price tag on them. The chicken parm was fine, but how hard is that to screw up anyway? Oh and BTW, their loaves of bread have shrunk. The pieces are tiny now, at least compared to how they used to be. Anyway… after we got our food our waitress didn’t check on us for ANOTHER20 minutes! OMG. By the time she finally came over, we are all done and needed our leftovers wrapped. I probably would have just had her throw it away if I knew it was going to be another 10 minute ordeal. She took two meals and brought them back promptly, then took another two and disappeared for 10 minutes. WTF? In all this time, NONE of the other tables in our area that were being served by her had turned over(most that had already been sitting there when we sat down), so it wasn’t just us. She was slow with everyone. Meanwhile, the people at the table next to us were in and out maybe 20 minutes before us even though they were seated after us. They had a different waiter. Jen had taken so long throughout the night that we already had our card out to pay so she could take it as soon as she brought over the check(which she never did, she just grabbed the card when she saw it on the table), and BTW, I noticed that we were not the only ones who did this. By the end of the meal, it took us almost an hour and a half to get out of there. The managers weren’t super helpful when we complained. We had already paid so we weren’t looking for a handout, but more than a non-apology«Sorry, we’ll talk to her» would have been nice. Looking at reviews for this location and several of the others, it looks like sub-par service and food is a problem across the board. You’d think someone would take notice. It’s a shame, because from what I remember of my visits there when I was younger, this used to be a really good restaurant. Now it’s just your run of the mill, overpriced, imitation Italian place.
Sophia P.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Newton, MA
I’ve only had the Château once and that was for takeout. I got a sausage pasta dish, and my boyfriend got some herb roasted half chicken. The pasta was a bit over cooked, the sauce was wicked oily, but it was seasoned nice little bit on the salty side and the sausage was very good. The roasted chicken had a nice crispy skin, seasoned well, but was on the dry side. We got garlic bread but they put cheese on it and it would have tasted better without the cheese. People there were friendly when I went to get the food. I’ll have to eat in next time and have to try it fresh.
Brandon K.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Westwood, MA
Amazing Château location. This is the FIRST ever Château location. Now there are what, like 10 Chateaus. But this is the first, and most DEFINITELY the best. It lies on unpopular, suburban School Street, which is technically a main street, yet has a neighborhood vibe… my favorite type of restaurant. School Street is quite close to Main Street(Route 20), as well as Moody Street(the center of Waltham), so where ever you are in Waltham, can’t possibly TOO far from the Château. Plus, driving through, the Château seems as the only restaurant name I really knew(I know chains aren’t everything, but when you want to find something to guarantee to be GOOD and have something you want, sometimes its really the best way to go…). Anyway, from the START here, the experience was amazing. There are SO many rooms, all pretty looking, with a gorgeous, vast lobby. Additionally, I should add the parking is amazing for a large, bustling city, with multiple lots surrounding the building on School Street. My party was seated in the«Gold Room»(I think it was…), which was extremely clean, and for an original, old restaurant, seemed very updated and new. Kim, the waitress, is AMAZING. She was SO friendly, kind, helpful, and efficient throughout the entire experience of the Waltham location, and specifically made my experience great. The bread is delicious(for some reason, EVERYTHING here was just a bit more gourmet and delectable than in other Château locations), and the food was even better. No errors were made and just an overall amazing experience. There is no doubt I won’t be coming back, amazing restaurant(plus, its only 25 minutes from my house!). 5 stars.
Michelle C.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Lowell, MA
Eat here regularly. Excellent food, people, and atmosphere and you can’t beat the prices. Enjoy KENO in the bar while you eat and there is tons of parking. The boneless buffalo tenders are some of the best we’ve ever had!
Citygirl L.
Rating des Ortes: 2 Newton, MA
It pains me to say this, since I’ve been going to the Château since I was five years old, but they are really going downhill. In short, the portions are smaller, the prices are higher, and the orders are wrong more often than they are right. On the last 5 occasions I have ordered takeout from here, 4 of those times they either forgot to put in one of the items I ordered or screwed something else up. Also, I have no idea what it is whenever I order the boneless wings with Château sauce, but it’s been wrong almost every time. I’ve gotten them with the bones in them, I’ve gotten buffalo wings instead, and once they forgot them completely. Another time during this past summer, I ordered a salad, chicken wings, and artichoke dip. Thank goodness I checked before I left because they didn’t include the artichoke dip at all and OFCOURSE I was still charged for it. I“m getting the sense that I’m being scammed half the time because the price I end up being told at the cash register when I pay is always way higher than what I calculate it to be based on the prices listed on their menu. Not only that but they are skimpy with portions now, too. Don’t bother getting anything with seafood in it(like shrimp linguini, for example), because you’ll probably get maybe 3 or 4 pieces in the entire dish and still pay the $ 16 price tag for it. My aunt also recently found that they stiffed her out of meatballs recently. She ordered several trays for an event, in which she was told she would get 40 meatballs. Well as she’s trying to put them away, she decides to count how many there are so she can figure out how many to put in each tray. They only had given her 35. Seriously Château, what in the actual HELL is going on? Your loyal customers are getting pissed off and pretty soon you won’t have many left.
Doug M.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Framingham, MA
The one thing about the Château, it’s always consistent. Drop in recently for a pre-Xmas lunch with friends from work. Surprised we had to wait 5 minutes for a table it was so busy. The food was very good as usual. We all had combos of some sort. I had the manicotti, chicken parm and meatball. Yummmmm.
Tammy M.
Rating des Ortes: 1 Waltham, MA
Do not order delivery through Château’s new«dine in door» not only do you not need to tip them because they will add it in without telling you but the château will add an extra charge of $ 10 or 18%. This is a scam and is not business friendly. Château sucks. CROOKS!
John I.
Rating des Ortes: 1 Brighton, MA
My wife and I decided to go to the Château with her sisters and husbands. We were seated in a private room where right from the start our waitress was fresh. She Was rude and had no wait skills at all. We received all if our dinners except one. We had to flag down another waitress to get the last meal. We all felt uncomfortable earring with my sister in law not having a dinner. Our waitress was no where to be found! She was annoyed when we asked her to fix our meals(spaghetti instead of penne, etc). My food was room temperature. We will never go this Château again.
Vet74 S.
Rating des Ortes: 2 North Waltham, MA
The Château used to be our go-to place for weekday lunches, NOTANYMORE! Spouse order the Shrimp and Pasta and I ordered the Steak Tips. The quality of food was just OK… the quantity of it for the price was outrageous. I strongly suggest you ask your waitstaff how many pieces of Shrimp is in the Entrée’. For $ 12.49 we got 3 pieces of very small shrimp and about ½ cup of pasta, certainly not worth ordering again. Sorry to say but we will not be returning to the Château Waltham.
Deborah C.
Rating des Ortes: 1 Arlington, MA
Wow, it’s one thing to supplement some chopped clams along with littlenecks for your linguine and clams, but to toss in those Market Basket, 3 Diamond brand whole baby clams that come from Vietnam in the mix? That is just blasphemy! Guys, when you starting stooping this low, roll up the red rugs and call it a day-you made your money-many times over.
Lisa H.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Manhattan Beach, CA
We really enjoy going to Château Restaurant and sitting in the sports bar area for dinner. Food is consistently good and so is the service. Perfect place for kids and their coloring contest is a treat for my daughter. Comfy booths! Menu wise — there is everything you can imagine! From pastas to prime rib, sandwiches, seafood, and more. Desserts are good too. Not fancy — but delicious food at a great great price!
N F.
Rating des Ortes: 2 Boston, MA
I dined here last night with my boyfriend and several friends. I can’t tell you what my friends had to eat because I wasn’t paying attention. However, Mr. Wonderful got the fried ravioli and chicken parm. I got pasta, shrimp and lobster in a garlic and oil sauce. First, the lobster pieces were ~tiny~(about the size of my pinkie finger nail) Second, it had no taste at all. I kept adding salt, grated cheese, and crushed red pepper. My boyfriend said his meal was awful. Dried out, didn’t like the sauce, no mozzarella cheese. I wasn’t gonna say anything because I didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but as soon as we got in our car, we agreed the meal was awful. Folks, this is not real Italian food. Won’t be going back.
Yelena W.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Boston, MA
Affordable price for a delicious Prime Rib which came with two sides. If you are hungry, you get a basket with bread and butter as soon as you get sitted. We had rice pilaf and zucchini for sides. Plenty of food. Good service. A lot of booths, free parking.
Sebastian D.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Newtonville, MA
Love the bar! They pour a mean Manhattan. The menu has everything you would want from veal parm prime rib. Prices are reasonable and you can play Keno!
L W.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Silver Spring, MD
I grew up in Waltham and whenever I return for a visit, I try to get to the Château. I remember when the waiting room WAS the restaurant, long before its expansion. This restaurant was the hangout after every high school performance when we were kids. I hope it still is. Château serves traditional Italian restaurant food. Really enjoy eating their bread with loads of butter or extra virgin olive oil. My favorites are the antipasto, toasted ravioli, and the tripe in tomato sauce. I especially love the tripe. I have tried for years to find a restaurant that serves a dish that is as good as the Château’s tripe but haven’t found it yet. Doubt I ever will. I miss you Château and will be there next time I am home.
Lindsey M.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Waltham, MA
If you have never had a toasted ravioli you need to come here. Years ago the Château introduced me to these and I’ve been hooked ever since. The Château offers great food for everyone at reasonable prices. The Château offers so many Italian options that there will be something for everyone. I’ve had everything from: pizza, chef salads, chicken parm, meatballs and seafood. The meatballs are excellent! I love the lounge area here, it is perfect for grabbing a few drinks and some food. Along with wonderful people watching they also have a ton of TV’s with the games on as well as KENO and scratch tickets. The bar area is large, offers many stools and some nice cocktail tables tucked away on the side. The staff including the bartenders are super friendly and quick. Château has a full bar and a great wine/beer list as well. Rene Rancourt frequents this location on Friday nights at around 8:00pm, so if you want to fist pump with him come down then! The décor at Château is very dated, but again this is at all of their locations(maybe not Burlington as that is new?). It is almost their charm in a way! I find myself always saying«You know it has the Château décor going on» to people and they know what i’m talking about. The furnishings don’t take anything away from the service or the food! Parking is easy around this location, there are three separate lots! You will always find parking and not have a problem here.
Rich J.
Rating des Ortes: 1 Revere, MA
I cant figure out just what’s the attraction with this place, first off the last time I ate here was @ 30 years ago when I worked nearby, even back then the food was sub-par and the draw was the bar. Last night I met up with my extended family for a birthday dinner and 30 years later the food is still sub-par, more expensive but seriously a poor excuse for Italian food. The«Rhode Island Style Fried Calamari» was rubbery, the«Toasted Ravioli» well let’s just say that they tasted like they were frozen… My entrée «Chicken Cutlet Parmigana w/Gnocci Pomodoro» was horrible, again everything tasted like it was frozen and honestly sauces so terrible I would have been better off with a can of «Chef Boyardee»… hate to say this but they have a nerve calling their food Italian.
Ari P.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Queens, NY
Why won’t you find an Olive Garden from Dorchester to Framingham, you ask? Pretty sure it’s because of this restaurant group. I’m okay with that. I want my endless scali bread and toasted ravs over endless breadsticks and salad, and I want my flippin’ sangria without two drops of Cuervo, thanks. In essence, Château is a red sauce fast-casual joint. If you look at it for what it is, you will not be disappointed. Comparing this place to the North End is apples and oranges, though it’s been a long time since I’ve had a stand-out meal there, by the way. The prices are not horrendous, but perhaps some entrees are a little steep for what you get. Go for lunch if you’re pinching pennies. I also wouldn’t knock the staff. I imagine they end up dealing with a lot of BS between the elderly clientele and the ever-delightful Walthamites. They are very accommodating about making modifications to orders, at least our waitress was.
Anastasia B.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Waltham, MA
I grew up going to this restaurant and I just came back after 14 yrs away. Nothing has changed. It is the same wonderful cooked well presented food I remember. I am not disappointed. The room looks great and it makes me feel like home. Staff is friendly and professional. Place is clean and quiet.