The Oak Cafe

5 stars for the food and ambiance. The cost is very reasonable as well. Stars removed because what is the point of all this if you have to make a reservation a month or more in advance and it is next to impossible to get said reservation. This is what I was told by the teachers? Running the restaurant. OK that would be fine and reasonable if there was an easy way to make a reservation. I have to call in a three hour window on only certain days of the week and even then I have about a 20% chance of reaching somebody. If you leave a message they are not going to call you back and you will not get a reservation. They need to work with the IT division of the school and let those students get extra credit points for designing a website or you can actually make a reservation online.

A hidden gem! If you enjoy a three course gourmet lunch for $20, make a call and reserve a spot in this amazing learning environment. I tried it for the first time last week, and was astonished. The website may not be updated, but they are open.Students are very professional and provide excellent service. Everything is made in house, down to the soft, delicious bread. Menus change each week, and you can chose from a few different entrees. Really a fun experience, and worth making time for.

My first thought was this is going to be a big mistake. Honestly it was quite the opposite. Amazing food and amazing service !!! All 3 courses were phenomenal and the coffee is the best that I've had since I was in Italy. Making reservations for next Thursday. Can't wait to go back.

What an exceptional experience!!!! The food was delicious and beautifully plated!!!! I had Fresh Crab Tostadas, Chorizo Burger with Fries, and Pound Cake with Strawberry Rhubarb Compote. Yum, yum, yum!!!!!! I wanted more of the Crab Tostadas!!! I wish I had the recipe for these!!! My family would love these!!!The Staff and Students were all very professional!! I did not know they make their Italian Soda Syrup!!!!! My co-workers all loved their Italian Soda's!!!!!!I will definitely be back next semester to try the students finals!!!!! Everyone must try The Oak Cafe!!!!!!!!

I can't say enough about this place.It is a part of the culinary department of American River college. It is completely run by the students.Do you want a gourmet multi-course meal in the middle of the day at a reasonable price? This is the place.Menus are created by student chefs and the food is HIGH quality. I've been going here for almost 20 years and things only get better. The students serving you today are next semester chefs call proceeds, including tips, go directly to the selling area program. It can be a little tricky to get in, so I strongly suggest making reservations in advance.The Cafe was moved from a small classroom setting to a regular full size restaurant over the last couple years. It's beautiful! Totally worth it!

Highly recommend the sandwiches from their bakery!! They have a variety of kinds: ham and Brie, turkey & gruyere, mortadella, as well as veggie. The bread is made from scratch which makes all the difference in a sandwich. It's topped with mayo, cheese, pickles, arugula and red onion. For the size of it it's worth the $7 bucks. They also have a punch card where if you buy 9 sandwiches the 10th one is free. The only wait is if there's a line for the register.The bakery is open Wednesday-Friday from 8am-2:30pm (although my punch card says 3pm, not sure if 2:30 or 3). Whether you're a student or not definitely give these sandwiches a try!

You can tell that it's an educational training facility almost immediately. The service staff are students and didn't seem to have any real industry experience. It was kind of like watching an old school training video; very robotic, staged and scripted. Hahaha, no big deal. That being said, the food was very tasty. I was super impressed with a student's bourguignonne sauce and the the dishes are very well portioned, presented, and garnished.The worst part about dining is the rest of the clientele. My husband and I are students at ARC and decided to have lunch after classes. We shouldn't be gawked at by handfuls of elderly white snobs upon walking in and being sat. Also we were sat in the middle of the dining room underneath a camera... give me a break. We're young and wearing jeans with college sweatshirts because it's A COLLEGE CAMPUS! Gtfo with all of that.

Delicious, cheap, and lots of variety for a student.The culinary students are very talented but everytime I come there, they look so tired and they always do my order super slow and usually ignore most of what I say. I don't think it's hard to pick one sandwich and just box it but they aren't very friendly, or efficient. Only one girl was kind and helpful But other than that, nah. The outside dining is always fun to go with my friends or just chill.

good espresso drinks, great sandwiches!! small shop set up on campus for the culinary students. prices are low and quality seems to be high, i would recommend

Good place to pick up a snack and eat in my car on my way home. I like their tomato soup. I can eat it warm or chilled on a hot summer day. Their coffee is good enough for me.