Huge menu, which sometimes equates to food that is mediocre, but that is not the case here. Everything I've ever had has been outstanding. Hands down the best pancakes in town. The restaurant is always clean, and I've always had kind and attentive service without feeling like I was being rushed. read more

I don't usually write reviews about places I visit, but today I had such a unique experience that I feel like I should share it. The place is Garden Berry Cafe in Ottawa. The name is quite a mouthful, but it definitely makes you curious enough to go inside and see what it's about. The interior is very grey and urban, with some fake flowers here and there. The menu is pretty large and has a lot of interesting-sounding options. After we looked through it for a minute, one of the waitresses brought us another menu saying, "Here's our special menu." It was mostly coffee drinks, which, unfortunately, didn't look particularly appealing to me. I ordered the Route 14 crepes, and apparently the name was quite challenging. The waitress asked me "What?" at least twice, so eventually I just pointed to it on the menu. Then she proceeded to write down my order by basically cheat-sheeting from my menu. Lol. My husband ordered one of the breakfast skillets. The food looked good when it arrived. But oh boy... My crepes were stuffed with mushrooms, onions, cheddar cheese, and spinach, topped with hollandaise sauce. The cheddar was melted and the spinach was fine. The crepes themselves actually tasted good. But the onions were raw and crunchy, and the mushrooms were so undercooked that they were rubbery and hadn't even been properly browned. The hollandaise was sprinkled with something that looked like paprika, although it smelled strongly of cinnamon, which was... interesting. When one of the waitresses asked how everything was going, I politely explained what was wrong with my dish. They apologized, said they would tell the kitchen, and offered to replace it. I declined because, honestly, I wasn't interested in taking the chance of getting the exact same thing again. I was perfectly willing to just finish what I could, pay, and quietly never come back. But then the waitress came back. And this time, instead of simply acknowledging the issue, she explained that next time I need to make sure to ask for my vegetables to be "well done." She also added that she always eats raw mushrooms. Soooo... am I supposed to order breakfast and specifically say, "Could you please make sure my vegetables are actually cooked?" I've never thought I needed to specify that mushrooms and onions should be cooked when ordering a breakfast dish. It felt like I had to take responsibility for the kitchen not properly cooking the ingredients in the first place. That second conversation honestly upset me more than the food itself. I had already accepted the situation and wasn't demanding anything. But being told that it was essentially my mistake for not ordering the vegetables correctly was not something I expected. The total was $36 for two meals and one regular coffee. The food had potential, and my crepes themselves were actually tasty. But unfortunately, the experience -- especially the way the complaint was handled -- was enough for me to decide that I won't be coming back. read more

We went to the place because it was labeled as animal-friendly (we took our dog) but on the front door it was labeled that no animals can enter. My son had to wait outside with our dog while I ordered but overall, the food was good and the service was amazing. read more

Garden Berry Cafe Ottawa - Hamburger - Cafes Near Me - Ottawa, Illinois

We checked this place out this morning as we are going to stay another night in Ottowa, IL. Garden Berry Cafe is in a terrific place downtown for convenient access. Parking in front, and I am pretty sure parking is available in back. The decor is modern urban with a neighborhood feel. The server was on his first day. He brought our drink orders and took our orders. I ordered the Country Road skillet. The gravy and cheese underlying the eggs made for an exquisite flavor profile. My son ordered the incredible hulk omelet. Massive portion, but he ate the whole thing. Really really good meal. The little added goodness for me personally was that they had "Mixed Fruit Jelly", lacking in so many similar restaurants. Kudos to the Garden Berry! read more

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From Chicago, first time at GBC. Here are some thoughts: --Arrived mid morning on a Saturday. This restaurant is really big, and it was packed all morning. --Very nice atmosphere, service was friendly and good. --Food was just average. Not bad. Not great. --I ordered the two eggs breakfast, scrambled with cheddar cheese, ham, diced potatoes, and pancakes. --eggs, ham, and potatoes were good. Really enjoyed the pancakes. --My wife ordered a side of bacon, didn't love the bacon, but the portions were very generous. Overall recommended. read more

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I was kind of bummed to find out that this place wasn't native to Ottawa. I was looking for something that we could only find there to eat brunch at. I probably should've dug deeper online to see that they have four total locations three of which are in the Chicagoland area. However, it's not much on atmosphere. It's big but nothing outstanding or cozy. Just a big room with a bunch of tables in it. I ordered chicken and waffles which were nothing more than a soggy waffle with 3 chicken tenders on top and some powdered sugar. I did ask for sugar-free maple syrup, which I was happy that they had however, still bummed because I like a nice crispy waffle and these were not, and the chicken tenders were nothing more than just a ordinary chicken tender, no seasoning and mid when it came to the crunch. The person with me had a churro waffle, which had sugar and cinnamon on top but again the waffle was soggy and pretty disappointing. Our server was great, however so that's where the three stars came from. I'd give her five if I could, but it wouldn't balance out the one or two stars for the atmosphere and the food. I'm wondering if the locations up in the Chicago area are the same, better or worse?. I didn't even know they existed until I got to the Ottawa location and saw on the menu about all their locations. I would have to say I wouldn't be back. I'm glad we tried it. If you're looking for a better breakfast or brunch alternative, this would not be the place however, in defense, maybe it was what I had... The menu is pretty vast there's something for everyone and the place was crowded not standing room waiting for a table crowded, but plenty of tables were taken and it is out of season here. Great place to bring the kiddos because there are a lot of choices for them on the menu. read more

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This was such a good brunch place! The menu has so many options that you will find anything for everyone. The food is also priced really well. Our waitress was so kind and patient with us, even as a bigger party. The food was so yummy and such large portions! Definitely would come back here if I was in the area again. read more

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*Hot new business* the long-awaited Garden Berry Cafe has graced the presence of downtown Ottawa this week. This business took over the huge building that was once Jardines. The new owners did not disappoint with the space and menu. Gray hues and a tranquil decor. Enormous menu of pages and pages of breakfast and lunch offerings. The pickiest of eaters will find something here. Very nice staff who are happy to wait on us and check on us frequently. My aunt chose the chicken salad sandwich and I got the veggie wrap. The amount of food is very generous. Our meals came with soup or side salad, and fruit or fries or cottage cheese. Both sandwiches were very big portions and very tasty. The wrap was a bit on the soggy side after about 10 min probably from the balsamic vinegar dressing on the vegetables. It was good but I didn't finish it or take half of it home. The fruit came out fresh and was seasonal fruit such as cantaloupe and watermelon. There is so much to choose from on the menu that this place is worth checking out a few more times. The prices are good and the portions are very large. read more

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Amazing food and staff is great. So many choices. We'll definitely be back to try other dishes read more

Garden Berry Cafe Ottawa - Mixed berry waffle bacon and southwest salad. - Cafes Near Me - Ottawa, Illinois

Stopped on a Saturday afternoon for a late lunch! Excellent service. The southwest skillet had nice spice and flavor. The cheesecake crepes with strawberries were delicious! read more

Great breakfast a little pricey but the food is awesome. Not the cheapest place but cheap food is usually not good. Very delicious food.

A few months ago My family and I stopped in for a little get together our waiter spilled water on me my grandmother and grandfather then proceeded to spill water on my fiancée and myself after which they somewhat toweled down the table and left us with soaked napkins and menus, when I asked for us to be moved they acted like we were nuts for wanting new menus and a different table considering our current one was still water logged! I have no clue why we stayed considering they made no accommodations for us and we paid full price for otherwise sub par food and wet clothes. Didn't know it was a water park 0/10. read more

Huge menu with unique choices. Ordered German Benedict and it was amazing Great service and fresh, made from scratch food. read more

We were visiting the Ottawa area and came here for breakfast. There was a large variety of dishes to choose from for both breakfast and lunch. We had breakfast, I had crepes and my sister had eggs, bacon and pancakes, all of it was wonderful. Our server was polite and attentive and it was quiet so we could have a conversation without raising our voices. Overall a great experience. read more

I had the garden omlette with potato pancakes. They were very good. My husband had the Hulk breakfast and he enjoyed his with French toast. We both had enough for 2 more breakfast meals. Server was brand new...only there a few days, but she had experience....lol read more

Nothing too exciting from many other breakfast restaurants. The food was good, the staff were not super attentive but I guess I have had worse. I felt slightly weird over the fact that someone from the kitchen staff came to me and tried to offer me a job as I was trying to enjoy my food with my son. The level of audacity. I may give them a second chance but I doubt it'll be any time soon. read more

This place was amazing I really enjoyed eating breakfast there . It's must when your in Ottawa .

Great place in downtown Ottawa for breakfast, spacious, clean , and the employees are all pleasant and the food is great, definitely recommend read more

We ate at this restaurant for lunch today. It's spacious, which is very nice. Tables are placed far enough away from others so you don't have to compete conversationally. Our waitress was excellent. Professional and knowledgeable. The food was served in a very timely manner, and well cooked and presented. There are no surprises here. It's a typical, well done breakfast/lunch cafe. Good service, clean, standard menu. read more

This is one of the worst breakfast places in Ottawa il and the the money you tip the waiters most likely get Took by the owner the food is all right but behind it it is the worst place ever read more

This place is great! Our server was really nice and fun. The food was delicious. I got a German Benedict. Definitely recommend!! My hubby got a create your own skillet. It was great too. I got a latte that was really pretty. read more

Garden Berry Cafe Ottawa - Caramel latte - Cafes Near Me - Ottawa, Illinois

Good. I no like hot cooffee but had 3 cups of theirs. So good. diner food amazing, would go again (and am going to)

I enjoyed my (homemade) tuna melt, I would order it again. The hot peppermint tea was amazing and I was glad for this option. The menu is extensive and interesting and I enjoyed the atmosphere. The hostess at front was the biggest problem, she was moving fast and more bothersome than helpful; she misunderstood me at least three times and does not possess enough English skills to be in that position. I did not care for the "coated" fries. My bill did NOT give a cash total. It had a pre-total + Tax+ And identified fee for non cash And then had a printed non cash total I never received my change for my cash payment. I had to go to register and ask for it and engage in a 5 minute conversation in Spanish and have a whole other "bill" printed to see my cash bill. It is for these reasons alone I will hesitate to return, very foul practices. read more

Stopped in on a recent trip. The Apple Gouda melt was absolutely fantastic. It is a small entry on back of menu. It should be a main favorite!! The flavors that came through in each bite were really good and different. I would have never thought to combine these foods together. I would have shared a pic but it was gone. Service was good and everything was clean and well organized read more

Gyro and Popeye skillets very large and tasty. Huge menu. Service well trained. Will become a regular stop! read more

Stopped in here while visiting the area for the first time. Service was great and food was good; large portions also.

For a new restaurant they did a great job, from seating you and waiting on you and serving you! The food was Great everything was very tasty and seasoned perfect! I would do this again and again!!GREAT JOB TO THEIR WHOLE TEAM!! read more