With all the rave reviews on Yelp I had to try this place out. Â Upon arrival the two employees were talking among themselves and did not greet us so we asked if we can sit anywhere, then she turned to us and greeted us and said yes. Â She made up for the initial non-greeting throughout our dinner service by being attentive, making suggestions, and fulfilling our requests. Â We both shared the lobster and mac appetizer, it was very creamy and for dinner we had the steak topped with onions and lobster. Â The steak was cooked perfectly and the veggies were seasoned just right. Â The lobster was good but I would of preferred it poached in butter, it tasted like it was in the skillet. Â Overall I was pleased with our meal and service. Â They also have a pretty good happy hour where a glass of wine will run you about 5 dollars.
Review Source:Showed up at 9:25am and was accepted graciously (most places would give you the "we close in 5 minutes so the kitchen is already closed" excuse). Â Modern interior with tvs in each booth where you can control the channel and sound. Ordered Eggs Benedict - it was fantastic - well flavored hollandaise sauce, fresh eggs and muffin and crisp ham. Service was friendly and personable. Â Side note - I have not been in a Holiday Inn for a long time, Â but if the rooms are anything like the lobby and restaurant, it might be worth staying at one .
Review Source:I was a little thrown off to find this place inside a holiday inn. However, it was a nice little restaurant. Their menu is not very big and doesn't have very many options. However, they were happy to substitute sauces on the pastas for us and my sandwich was good as well.
This place wasn't one where I would go out of my way to eat at, so I probably won't come back. The food pricing is slightly more expensive than it's worth for me.
Ok middle-American diner; not exactly a fresh organic bistro, but more like a Coco's upgrade. The food was 2 stars, that is, below average for the price range, but the warm, friendly service was way above average. I loved the way the desk staff pitched in in the spirit of teamwork. The manager of this place must be brilliant to have such a motivated staff!
Now back to the food for a minute. As an example, mom ordered an appetizer plate. This plate included some pieces of real chicken (breaded & fried) but also included some kind of chicken tenders that seemed to be a ground composite of various unnamed parts of the animal, but tastily breaded so that the breading and cooking oil dominated the flavor. Dad ordered the salmon; it was slightly less fresh than I prefer but it was good enough for him to enjoy without complaints.
The parents liked this place, so who am I to complain? Their tastes lean toward fried, heavily salted food - the traditional middle-American diet! But my partner and I tend to prefer fresh, organic and locally sourced foods.
Bottom line: I'm glad we went to this restaurant. I probably wouldn't suggest it again but if the parents mention it we'll likely be back. And we'll enjoy the excellent service for sure!
I was very surprised to walk into such a swanky resteraunt, knowing I was staying at a Holiday Inn! Â Aqua has both great dinner and breakfast items.
For dinner my husband and I tried the Ahi Poke. Â I am a fan of ahi poke, so just about any where I go, if it's on the menu I'll try it. Â It was delicious! Â The ahi was served in wasabi vinaigrette with scallions and pineapple. Simply heaven. Â The mix of sweet and tang was the perfect way to start the meal off. Â
The pasta I had for dinner was a pomodoro, and while not bad, it was a tad bland considering how great it smelled. Â I still ate it, but after having the ahi poke, the pasta fell a bit flat.
We ate breakfast there twice. Â The menu has the standards from eggs, to pancakes, omelets, and continental breakfast. Â For me, I opted for the buffet both mornings. Â They had cereal, yogurt, hot scrambled eggs, (bacon and sausage, but I don't eat that, so I'll take others' word on it), pastries, toast, hot and cold beverages including many choices of juices. Â Both mornings my breakfasts were quite satisfying.
If you're staying at the hotel, kids under 12 eat free. Â I may not have kids, but that's really good!
Hours: 6:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. | 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m
Happy Hour: 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. daily
Daily Happy Hour from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.:
 $4.00 Draft Beer
 $4.00 Well Drinks
 $5.00 Glasses of House Wine
 $2-4 Appetizers such as jalapeño poppers, pot stickers, fried zucchini, etc.
  Martini Mondays - 50% off martinis
  Taco Tuesdays - $1 Tacos and $3 Domestic Beer
  Wine Wednesdays - Half off Select wine by the glass
  Happy Thursdays - Buy app or drink at regular price, receive one 50% off
  Finally Fridays - Happy Hour All Day!
GREAT place you didn't know existed......
Since off the beaten path, most won't find this place. Plus, unless you are staying at the Holiday Inn, who would know it is there...but what a great find!!! Â I was in the area, and was looking for a restaurant in Lake Forest, and went on <a href="http://Yelp.com">http://Yelp.com</a> and found other good reviews, so me and friend tried last night.
The only bad, is even for a Saturday night, it was slow. One waiter for entire area. Â We had to wait about 5-10 min before he arrived as he said he was delivering room service.
But, after that, it was GREAT!! You have a big screen TV in front of bar. Â Each little booth has a small TV with a remote and you watch you want. Â Our waiter made recommendations like the Spinach and Artichoke Dip. Â My friend and I both had the Salmon with roasted potatoes and green beans, and WOW...it was delicious! Neither one of us had anything left on our plates!
The waiter was nice and friendly. He did inform us, on some nites, they do have live music too. I was not expecting that good of food from a hotel restaurant! Â If in the area, go to the Holiday Inn and try Aqua...you won't be disappointed!!!
Budget hotel with a 5-star restaurant gets 5 Stars!
Aqua Restaurant & Lounge is a good place to kick back, relax and grab some seriously good food. For breakfast and dinner you can enjoy the chic vibe, full-flavored cuisine and  a 50" Plasma TV in the lounge above the bar.
I have sample most of the menu over the last six months and everything is good. My personal favorites are:
Ahi Poke ($13.00)- Diced Rare Ahi Tuna tossed in Wasabi Vinaigrette with Scallions over Grilled Pineapple  - The poke melts in your mouth! It is fresh and the vinaigrette seasoning is really light and not too overpowering. The pineapple is sweet with nice grill marks providing a nice complement to the fish.
Lobster Mac & Cheese ($12.00) - Macaroni smothered in Homemade Cheese sauce tossed with Buttered Lobster Pieces - A perennial favorite, for very good reason - luscious plump bites of lobster and perfectly cooked pasta.
Pan Seared Salmon ($18.00) - Salmon Filet topped with Roasted Garlic Butter Cream Sauce, served with Green Beans & New Potatoes - The fish is always fresh, and cooked to perfection. Â The green beans are lightly sauteed so they remain slightly raw with a firm texture. Love it.
For a budget hotel restaurant, this place is very good!
Daily Happy Hour from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.:
  $4 Draft Beer
  $4 Well Drinks
  $5 Glasses of House Wine
  $2-4 Appetizers
What an awesome little restaurant tucked away in a hotel. It's a fairly small place but I'm not sure if it ever gets too packed. The hostess was the same person who served us. She was very cheery and nice. There is a small little bar as well in the dining area for those who want to get drinks and/or participate in happy hour.
I got the salmon which came with veggies and potatoes. It was all so very flavorful and I enjoyed the entire dish. My boyfriend got the OC special which was angel hair pasta with chicken. This dish was also pretty good. I actually finished the entire dish (normally I can finish only half) but this can be because the proportions are kind of small. Not small as in you'll be left hungry, but just enough to fill you up and leave you satisfied with no leftovers.
For a hotel restaurant, this place was surprisingly very good. The food was not soggy at all; in fact, it all seemed pretty fresh. If you're a local, stop by this hidden yet amazing restaurant for a bite to eat.
This is the first time I've seen a restaurant inside a Holiday Inn. Â We came here because we had an OC Register Deal of the Day.
It was a bit hard to find seating because there was live entertainment that day. Â Live entertainment meaning a saxophone player blaring his music. Â We took a table on the far end so we could at least hear ourselves talk. Â
Our server came out right away and took our order. Â She was pretty attentive and made recommendations. Â We ordered the Tuscan Top Sirloin and Pan Seared Salmon. Â It wasn't bad considering it was the Holiday Inn.
For dessert we ordered the flourless chocolate cake with ice-cream. Â If I were staying at the hotel, I would eat here but I would not make a special trip to come out to eat.
For Holiday Inn, not bad. I ordered mushroom chicken and my biz partner order the sirloin.
My chicken was moist and most impressive the "hotel" vegetable medley was NOT soggy. It was cooked but had a little crunch, just the way I like it. Â My partner's steak came exactly medium and I must admit, pretty impressive.
The bartender and staff were very attentive and friendly. Although the kitchen closes at 9pm, they still served us with complete smile and professionalism (literally sat down at 9). Â
They boasheirs out their new executive chef who has some real talent and revamping the menu.
Overall pretty delicious meal with great service minus the ambiance. I give it 4.5.
Business traveler couldn't go wrong at this little diamond in the rough.
This restaurant is located inside a Holiday Inn. Â The hotel was old and run down prior to its facelift. I really liked the updated new decor which now gives it a nicer ambience. Â The hotel seems more inviting now.
We sat in a booth that had a small personal flat screen TV. Â First that I've seen in a restaurant. I personally would rather converse with my friend when dining out than to channel surf....something I would be happy to do at home. Â But I guess it would be good for people who would like to stay mute. lol. Or of course watch sports or some other.
As for the food, both my friend and I ordered the Philly West sandwich with steak fries - my favorite kind of fries! Â The sandwich was a bit salty but overall the filet mignon, mushrooms, onions and melted provolone cheese were fresh, hot and tasty.
Our waitress was nice and attentive, it wasn't that busy since we had an early dinner.
It's a typical American fare, convenient dining for hotel guests or if you're in the area and don't want fast food.
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