Finally decided to check out the restaurant at DVC. Wow, I wish I had tried this place sooner! Its entrees were $12-$13 each, or you can get the fixed menu for $15, which included soup or salad, choice of entree, and dessert. I had the steak, girlfriend had rack of lamb. I really enjoyed the broccoli cheese soup. It had chunks of roasted broccoli in it, which added a great smokey flavor. The complimentary bread was also soft and warm, and great to dip in the soup. Girlfriend had the salad...looked fine. The steak was pretty good. Its a little on the small side, as expected with the prices, but it was well seasoned and grilled nicely. The steak was pretty thin though, so it wasn't really medium-rare. The mashed potatoes and asparagus were both excellent. The rack of lamb came with only 2 small pieces, felt like one or two more was needed. Desserts were really good. I had the caramel cream, which was sort of like an ice cream. Also had the orange chocolate marquis, which was a chocolate cake with sauce, and it was really tasty. Service was attentive (though a tiny bit awkward, but that's fine, they are students), place was pleasantly decorated, and from 11:00am to noon, it wasn't too crowded (got to about half full by the time we left at noon). Just make sure to check the dates they are open, because 11/7/2019 was the last day of service until next semester.
KiKi M.
I've eaten here many times before and I have to say....THE FOOD IS SOOOO GOOD! The students knowledge of the menu is beyond amazing! I will be coming back with friends! I highly recommend the prix fixe menu because you get a soup or salad, and entree and a dessert for one price! That's an amazing deal! Would recommend
Jennifer L.
I have eaten here twice, neither of which were when I was a student here. While the prices are better at Contra Costa College's Aqua Terra Grille, you still can't get fine dining for a better price in the 925. You can even get a prix fix meal for $16 here! Students make all kinds of dishes from the Mediterranean, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe, and they are delicious. Service is also excellent; student servers are attentive and friendly and I have never seen one on their phones. The head of the culinary department can often be seen checking in on people. Limited hours for lunch during the school year, but be sure to check it out!
Michelle B.
Best place to go for quality food and fine dining experience at half the cost. The students genuinely care about the work they put in.
Kwan A.
Fine dining on the cheap with superb food and service!! Much thanks to fellow Yelpers putting this place on my radar! When we went, it looked like they were a bit overwhelmed as there was a huge line and the dining room was packed. We had to wait quite a bit. Despite of that, it was still an excellent meal all around. With the quality & portion of the food and the attentive service, I would have been happy paying normal prices, let alone at such unbeatable low prices! Those chefs-to-be are really talented!Needless to say, I'm extremely happy with this culinary gem!
Kanoi D.
If you go to DVC and haven't tried this place yet... what are you doing? Everything to the affordable prices to the ambience to the mouth watering dishes is perfect. I'm blown away that we have a fancy restaurant on campus. If you're stressed with homework or exams and have downtime in between classes, eat here. You'll feel refreshed and energized.
Kathleen G.
The food surpassed my expectations! Fresh, great quality, robust flavors. Their best deal is a soup, salad, entree and dessert for $14. Can't beat it.
Marie P.
Amazing experience. We went there last Thursday. We were party of 5. We were too late for the Chef' s 4 course menu so we ordered A la carte and were all happy with our food. We had Avocado salad, iceberg wedge salad, clam chowder. My in law had Lamb shank. A beautiful big shank on a bed of wild rice and green chubby asparagus, the burger with balsamic sauce and garlic fries got rave review on how juicy the beef was. Vegetarian dish was made special and my husband enjoyed it. My sister in law and I had grilled Salmon with skin on cooked perfectly, pink in the middle positioned next to a generous dollop of creamy, tasty garlic mashed potato and steamed green asparagus. We picked all 4 deserts available that day Chocolate cake, Pecan tart with homade Vanilla ice cream, creme brulee, pistachio and creme cake and also a plate of Godiva' s quality handmade chocolate finished with rich dark coffee. So decadent. Make sure that you are not in a rush when you go there and be patient. It' s a fully run restaurant by the students. They are learning , they need your feed back at the end of the meal on cards provided. We look forward to going back this week to try the Chef' s prix fix menus.
Jackie B.
Outstanding food by budding chefs. Five course meal $14.95. Can do all inclusive meal or a la carte. Excellent presentation and taste. Service a little slow, but you come for the experience. Loved it!
Taylor J.
This is my last semester at DVC, I wish someone would have told me earlier about the Norseman! The food is beautiful and delicious with a price tag hard to match. Although it's not part of the Norseman but next to it, they have an AMAZING bakery! I buy cookies and loafs of bread daily. The only downside: if you're not a student, you'll have to buy a day pass for parking.
An incredible fusion of culinary students efforts and amazing ingredients make for an explosion of a dinning experience. Me and a group of friends dinned at the Norseman on 05/04/17 and received a 5 star restaurant experience for 15 bucks! Each of us enjoyed a 3 course meal, mine was: -Ahi Tuna Carpaccio (Appetizer) -Pan Roasted NY Strip Loin (Entree) -Salted Caramel Dome (Dessert) Throughout we had the most attentive and friendly service. The food was quality, one could really tell the care and focus that was placed on the food. I will be going back again and again.
Teri S.
Loved the care and attention given to me while dining and the beautiful presentation on each and every dish. Had the four course meal. Super delish. The rolls were fresh and pretty. Enjoyed my Salmon dish immensely. The server was pleasant and helpful. The only critique I have is I would have liked a refill on my coffee and I was never asked. No biggee. The best part was the chocolate truffles at the end. Sooo yummy. An incredible value for only $15.00 or so. Highly recommend it.
Robert H.
This place has pretty good food for a reasonable price. Service is kind of hit and miss as the "staff" are culinary students in training and not professional servers so I'm giving them a break. They are not open year around and the menu changes during the course of the academic year. If you're in the area and have the time and patience, I would encourage you to try it out. It's hard to find if you don't know the location (right above the cafeteria on campus). Even most of the students don't know where it is. Parking is in the lots surrounding the campus and cost $3 minimum at the self-service machines. You will need the three hour pass at least. Just remember this is NOT a regular full-service restaurant but a restaurant run by the culinary arts school so be patient and you won't be disappointed. The "fixed price special" was $15.95 and included a selection from either soup,appetizer or salad, and an entree and a dessert. Beverages are not included in the fixed price menu. You can also order selections individually.
John E.
Food coming from students that are training to become chefs. The food was well prepared and presented. Hand made drinks (I ordered the strawberry lemonade) as for dessert i went with the Honey crisp with strawberry glaze along with hand made creme. my overall experience was very satisfying. I highly recommend The Norseman Grill, if you enjoy great tasting food for a reasonable price.
Durae S.
Fabulous inexpensive fine dining. The food was good and the staff are very attentive. My 7 coworkers and I made reservations for this restaurant for our annual department Holiday Lunch because a few of us had been before and enjoyed it. Service was consistent and the courses flowed appropriately. My only complaint would be the dessert. Once seated with the menu, most of us chose our dessert before our meals. The menu had 4 different selections for dessert, but in the middle of dining, we were told that due to our group size, we would have one specially made for us, no other option. It was an apple crisp, not on the menu, but it was okay, just not what we wanted.
Finally decided to check out the restaurant at DVC. Wow, I wish I had tried this place sooner! Its entrees were $12-$13 each, or you can get the fixed menu for $15, which included soup or salad, choice of entree, and dessert. I had the steak, girlfriend had rack of lamb. I really enjoyed the broccoli cheese soup. It had chunks of roasted broccoli in it, which added a great smokey flavor. The complimentary bread was also soft and warm, and great to dip in the soup. Girlfriend had the salad...looked fine. The steak was pretty good. Its a little on the small side, as expected with the prices, but it was well seasoned and grilled nicely. The steak was pretty thin though, so it wasn't really medium-rare. The mashed potatoes and asparagus were both excellent. The rack of lamb came with only 2 small pieces, felt like one or two more was needed. Desserts were really good. I had the caramel cream, which was sort of like an ice cream. Also had the orange chocolate marquis, which was a chocolate cake with sauce, and it was really tasty. Service was attentive (though a tiny bit awkward, but that's fine, they are students), place was pleasantly decorated, and from 11:00am to noon, it wasn't too crowded (got to about half full by the time we left at noon). Just make sure to check the dates they are open, because 11/7/2019 was the last day of service until next semester.
I've eaten here many times before and I have to say....THE FOOD IS SOOOO GOOD! The students knowledge of the menu is beyond amazing! I will be coming back with friends! I highly recommend the prix fixe menu because you get a soup or salad, and entree and a dessert for one price! That's an amazing deal! Would recommend
I have eaten here twice, neither of which were when I was a student here. While the prices are better at Contra Costa College's Aqua Terra Grille, you still can't get fine dining for a better price in the 925. You can even get a prix fix meal for $16 here! Students make all kinds of dishes from the Mediterranean, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe, and they are delicious. Service is also excellent; student servers are attentive and friendly and I have never seen one on their phones. The head of the culinary department can often be seen checking in on people. Limited hours for lunch during the school year, but be sure to check it out!
Best place to go for quality food and fine dining experience at half the cost. The students genuinely care about the work they put in.
Fine dining on the cheap with superb food and service!! Much thanks to fellow Yelpers putting this place on my radar! When we went, it looked like they were a bit overwhelmed as there was a huge line and the dining room was packed. We had to wait quite a bit. Despite of that, it was still an excellent meal all around. With the quality & portion of the food and the attentive service, I would have been happy paying normal prices, let alone at such unbeatable low prices! Those chefs-to-be are really talented!Needless to say, I'm extremely happy with this culinary gem!
If you go to DVC and haven't tried this place yet... what are you doing? Everything to the affordable prices to the ambience to the mouth watering dishes is perfect. I'm blown away that we have a fancy restaurant on campus. If you're stressed with homework or exams and have downtime in between classes, eat here. You'll feel refreshed and energized.
The food surpassed my expectations! Fresh, great quality, robust flavors. Their best deal is a soup, salad, entree and dessert for $14. Can't beat it.
Amazing experience. We went there last Thursday. We were party of 5. We were too late for the Chef' s 4 course menu so we ordered A la carte and were all happy with our food. We had Avocado salad, iceberg wedge salad, clam chowder. My in law had Lamb shank. A beautiful big shank on a bed of wild rice and green chubby asparagus, the burger with balsamic sauce and garlic fries got rave review on how juicy the beef was. Vegetarian dish was made special and my husband enjoyed it. My sister in law and I had grilled Salmon with skin on cooked perfectly, pink in the middle positioned next to a generous dollop of creamy, tasty garlic mashed potato and steamed green asparagus. We picked all 4 deserts available that day Chocolate cake, Pecan tart with homade Vanilla ice cream, creme brulee, pistachio and creme cake and also a plate of Godiva' s quality handmade chocolate finished with rich dark coffee. So decadent. Make sure that you are not in a rush when you go there and be patient. It' s a fully run restaurant by the students. They are learning , they need your feed back at the end of the meal on cards provided. We look forward to going back this week to try the Chef' s prix fix menus.
Outstanding food by budding chefs. Five course meal $14.95. Can do all inclusive meal or a la carte. Excellent presentation and taste. Service a little slow, but you come for the experience. Loved it!
This is my last semester at DVC, I wish someone would have told me earlier about the Norseman! The food is beautiful and delicious with a price tag hard to match. Although it's not part of the Norseman but next to it, they have an AMAZING bakery! I buy cookies and loafs of bread daily. The only downside: if you're not a student, you'll have to buy a day pass for parking.
Restaurantji Recommends
An incredible fusion of culinary students efforts and amazing ingredients make for an explosion of a dinning experience. Me and a group of friends dinned at the Norseman on 05/04/17 and received a 5 star restaurant experience for 15 bucks! Each of us enjoyed a 3 course meal, mine was: -Ahi Tuna Carpaccio (Appetizer) -Pan Roasted NY Strip Loin (Entree) -Salted Caramel Dome (Dessert) Throughout we had the most attentive and friendly service. The food was quality, one could really tell the care and focus that was placed on the food. I will be going back again and again.
Loved the care and attention given to me while dining and the beautiful presentation on each and every dish. Had the four course meal. Super delish. The rolls were fresh and pretty. Enjoyed my Salmon dish immensely. The server was pleasant and helpful. The only critique I have is I would have liked a refill on my coffee and I was never asked. No biggee. The best part was the chocolate truffles at the end. Sooo yummy. An incredible value for only $15.00 or so. Highly recommend it.
This place has pretty good food for a reasonable price. Service is kind of hit and miss as the "staff" are culinary students in training and not professional servers so I'm giving them a break. They are not open year around and the menu changes during the course of the academic year. If you're in the area and have the time and patience, I would encourage you to try it out. It's hard to find if you don't know the location (right above the cafeteria on campus). Even most of the students don't know where it is. Parking is in the lots surrounding the campus and cost $3 minimum at the self-service machines. You will need the three hour pass at least. Just remember this is NOT a regular full-service restaurant but a restaurant run by the culinary arts school so be patient and you won't be disappointed. The "fixed price special" was $15.95 and included a selection from either soup,appetizer or salad, and an entree and a dessert. Beverages are not included in the fixed price menu. You can also order selections individually.
Food coming from students that are training to become chefs. The food was well prepared and presented. Hand made drinks (I ordered the strawberry lemonade) as for dessert i went with the Honey crisp with strawberry glaze along with hand made creme. my overall experience was very satisfying. I highly recommend The Norseman Grill, if you enjoy great tasting food for a reasonable price.
Fabulous inexpensive fine dining. The food was good and the staff are very attentive. My 7 coworkers and I made reservations for this restaurant for our annual department Holiday Lunch because a few of us had been before and enjoyed it. Service was consistent and the courses flowed appropriately. My only complaint would be the dessert. Once seated with the menu, most of us chose our dessert before our meals. The menu had 4 different selections for dessert, but in the middle of dining, we were told that due to our group size, we would have one specially made for us, no other option. It was an apple crisp, not on the menu, but it was okay, just not what we wanted.