If you're looking for a spot that actually stands out, this is it. The service and the location alone could earn five stars, but it's the soul of this place that makes it unforgettable. There's a full garden on-site, and during my very first visit one of the owners personally took us on a tour. Yes, an actual garden tour at a restaurant. Every herb, every vegetable you taste is grown right there, and each employee is responsible for tending their own plot. It's one of the coolest concepts I've ever seen and you can genuinely feel how invested the staff is in both the garden and the business. Brunch? Solid. But dinner at the bar is where the magic happens. The bartenders are warm, funny, and genuinely enjoyable to chat with, and the artichoke appetizer is downright addictive. Pair that with the atmosphere and the hospitality, and you've got a place that feels less like a restaurant and more like a neighborhood gem you never want to leave. Highly recommend. read more

Garden Cafe - Bread pudding - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Dallas, Texas

We've loved Garden Cafe since the days it was sorta cafeteria style! Consistently good food in a lovely atmosphere! Sit outside if the weather is good! Service is typically good. Weekends can get busy so get a res or go early. read more

Garden Cafe - 2 Egg Breakfast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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Garden Cafe sort of fell off my radar even though it's conveniently located in the East Dallas/Junius Heights neighborhood. It is properly named by its garden that is used to make this wonderful food. Post COVID, the Garden Cafe remodeled and added more seating. There is a nice bar when you walk in and small tables along the front window and walls that lead you back to the patio. It's so cute and offers a little shade in the Texas heat. The menu has the brunch staples (pancakes. eggs, French toast, steak, mimosas, coffee, bloody marys), and they have a meatloaf that is available for both lunch and brunch. I will try it one day soon. Don't skimp on the desserts. Homemade southern comfort type desserts that seem to be on rotation. On my last visit, I had the blueberry cobbler that was more like a cheesecake, and I was in heaven. Shout out for having mocktails that are the cheaper side too. I would put this place on a list to take out of towners, or your bestie, for a casual, cheap, cute Dallas spot breakfast/brunch/lunch spot. Guaranteed to impress. read more

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We have eaten there multiple times. The ambience, at least the outdoor dining is very nice. Service has always been very good as well, Our last order we picked up to go. My wife got the meatloaf and mashed potatoes $18. She really liked it, but she isn't a big eater, and it was barely enough. I got the house salad with added chicken $20. It was very tasty and made a great snack. Unfortunately I was anticipating a dinner. All they had to do was put a reasonable amount of greens in the box, but was less than 1 inch in a box maybe 6 by 8. I would have given 5 stars if the servings were adequate. But not even close. read more

Garden Cafe - House salad with chicken - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Dallas, Texas

This is a cute, cozy little cafe that offers both indoor and outdoor seating. They have a parking lot, in addition to street parking. We came in on a Saturday morning, and the place was popping! So busy, but as a party of two, we were seated quickly. For parties bigger than 4, I would suggest getting a reservation! and FYI parties bigger than 4 get seated outside automatically. We chose to sit outdoors so we could enjoy the view of the garden. It's a cute little garden that has veggies and herbs growing, and they also have a little playground for kids to play on the other side. The garden has these green arcs that provide an adorable photo op. Sitting outside was hot, but they did have fans at each corner blowing air, and I liked that they had little fans available for the table to keep the flies away! Our server was very knowledgeable about the menu and ingredients that go into each item. She explained how Garden Cafe uses fresh, ethically farmed ingredients. Even the eggs they use are from chickens fed a vegetarian diet. We asked what she recommended, and we decided to go with chipotle turkey with a side of fries. We also ordered the sweet potato pancakes as our sweet treat. Let me start by saying..... THE FRIES HERE ARE SO GOOD! I am not a fan of steak-cut fries, but these were delicious! The seasoning was unlike any other fry seasoning I had tried before. I'm from out of town, and I would come back for just these fries. Highly recommend ordering the fries as a side. The Chipotle Turkey, our server provided us with a rundown of the ingredients and explained how the sandwich is prepared. This ain't your typical deli meat turkey, this turkey is fresh, fresh! Each piece you can tell was carved from a turkey. This was a good sandwich; my only suggestion is to ask for the bacon to be a bit crisper. It was kinda chewy. The Sweet potato pancakes were tasty! I've never had sweet potato pancakes before. They were really fluffy and they make their syrup in-house! Their in-house maple syrup was good, you can tell it's homemade. Overall, I enjoyed my meal and experience here. Tasty, simple, fresh food, that's what this place has to offer. I will be back next time I am in town to try out their other menu items, and to order those fries again! read more

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Overall this was an okay brunch spot, though it felt like something was missing. I found this place off TikTok and decided to do my birthday here because of the reviews of the sweet potato pancakes and they did not disappoint, everyone had one and enjoyed it. The menu itself seemed to really lack true brunch options though. All of the meat is pork (which nobody at our table of 12 ate) with only vegan sausage as a substitute. There's your typical breakfast drinks and what not. They did require majority of the party to be present to be sat, which we sat outside. After a while the flies got annoying and oh yeah the drinks seemed to really like having any alcohol in them read more

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This cafe has been on my to try for a while and I'm so glad I got the chance to go this last Sunday! It was quite busy at noon but still plenty of seating. I would recommend making reservation still. If you can, sitting on the patio was so cute! It definitely is a neighborhood cafe feeling with the garden. The food was great, I got the tostada with chorizo black bean and it was a great portion 7/10. The fries are definitely a must get! The season on it was delicious and they were huge wedge like! 8/10 read more

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My girlfriend found this kind of hidden gem and I'm glad she did! I saw some reviews that said the service wasn't good but we had great service! We ordered burrata for an appetizer and it was delicious and I would definitely recommend. For our entree we ordered the pork chop and the meatloaf and I thought the meatloaf and mashed potatoes were delicious. The biscuit was also very good but I wish it was served with butter. My girlfriend said the pork chop was a little too salty but otherwise very delicious. The setting is very pretty and wonderful to sit in on a nice day or night. We had a good time walking around the garden after we ate and seeing the different herbs and veggies that they grow. We wish that the notated on the menu what was grown in the garden as kind of a fun tidbit. I would recommend and would come back for lunch and breakfast! read more

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We LOVE their sweet potato pancakes! They were really delicious. If you don't go for anything else-- add that to the top of your list! Their patio is nice with a relaxing atmosphere. Make sure to stop by and check out their chicken coop too! Service was fast and food came out fast! read more

Overall a good experience! You do need your entire party present to be seated so keep that in mind. We ate on the inside bc my allergies are a killer, but we did walk outside to see the garden and unfortunately everything wasn't in full bloom but I can see the vision. Food and drinks 10/10. I especially appreciate the portion sizes they were perfect no left overs which I love. Get the Garden Spritzer read more

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TL;DR: Garden Cafe is a brunch staple and a must-try. Get their blueberry pancakes! I feel like the breakfast/brunch scene in Dallas proper is a little lacking, but Garden Cafe is one of the gems, tucked away in a residential area of Old East Dallas. They have their own parking lot, but there's also plenty of street parking around the building. Ambience: homey and warm, giving hole-in-the-wall vibes. They have a lovely garden out back where they grow their produce - sitting out by the garden is one of the big draws, but funny enough, I've never chosen to sit there... maybe one day. Service: all the servers are great, but we've most often been served by Holden. He gives great recommendations and is attentive (but laid back) with a positive attitude. Food: I've basically tried everything on the menu, and it's all awesome, but my personal top dishes have to be: - Nashville hot: always love the wide variety of flavors and textures: sweet, (mildly) spicy, acidic, savory, crunchy, soft - it hits all the notes - Shrimp voodoo: so rich and flavorful, shrimp seasoned and grilled perfectly - Meatloaf: heavy and not your typical brunch pick but so tasty, especially if you're a meatloaf fan like me - Blueberry pancake: the pancakes here might be the best in the city, and I like adding blueberries for an extra touch. Must get! Other honorable mentions include smoked tomatillo chilaquiles, garden omelette, parmesan potatoes, and cheese grits. Value: prices are a little high tbh, but I do think it's reflected in the quality and flavors. Overall, Garden Cafe is a go-to for me. Don't be fooled by the (relatively) lower average rating - I think it's mostly from older reviews, so maybe things changed at some point. It's also somewhat recently gotten more popular on social media, so I'd recommend getting reservations at peak times, but you can usually find seats at the bar! read more

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Such a beautiful place to dine at. It has a direct farm-to-plate policy and the ambiance is very nice. My waitress Misti did a wonderful job explaining everything regarding the garden and the dishes. The dishes were also served quickly and it was delicious. The rates were nominal and they have both indoor and outdoor seating! read more

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We sat at the bar for 20 minutes. No one talked to us, cleaned up the area, gave us menu's. I. Addition, we watched the bartender serve everyone but us. Made eye contact and everything. I wouldn't come back here. Or recommend during the busy times. read more

Notice days they're open and the hours. That being said, we stopped in at this Uptown restaurant after an appointment in Dallas today. Very nice surprise. Warm welcome, friendly waitperson, and though not an extensive menu, breakfast was fast and perfect. Some items are from their garden, in which they have raised beds, chickens, and plenty of shaded tables when weather permits dining outside. I had eggs over easy, really good sausage, homemade hash browns and French toast. Delicious coffee. My friend had sweet potato pancakes, unusual and good with a hint of cinnamon. The atmosphere was like a club that you wish you belonged to. Very nice experience. read more

Had the prix fix New Year's Eve dinner. Everything...including the ambiance...was perfect! We look forward to our next visit to Garden Cafe.

Ambiance is great and our server couldn't have been more pleasant and accommodating. The coffee (Americano) took an oddly long time to arrive, but it was very tasty. For food I tried the chilequiles, which I would not recommend. It's mostly chips soaked in an unflavorful tomatillo sauce with scant chicken and cheese. The portion of eggs was good though. I had a bite of a friends' shrimp and grits, which were great and the biscuits are also really good. I recommend trying it for sure but skip the chilequiles. read more

Garden Cafe - Smoked Tomatillo Chilaquiles - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Dallas, Texas

An excellent brunch spot. (Opens at 10:00 am) situated in a neighbourhood area. Fast friendly service and flavourful food. Chill ambiance. Even on a hot Dallas day you don't feel the heat sitting on patio as they have cooling fans so you're able to enjoy a quiet and relaxing brunch. Dog friendly! I heard that dinner menu is awesome so will need to stop back to enjoy. read more

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We were not allowed to bring a cake in unless we paid a $20 corking fee Chicken salad tasted like chicken jerky Waiting 45 min past our reservation Will not come back read more

Tim was our server. The 5 of us sat outside. Pancakes were excellent. Coffees: regular, cold brew, lavender latte were great. Very nice atmosphere. Great shrimp and grits. Well done Garden Cafe! read more

This spot is the best of a farm to table bistro and bakery. Hard to call it a hidden gem at this point, it's clear that they were not prepared to become TikTok famous, and at this point have been unable to adapt. There's some general disorganization that's causing tables to not get turned quickly enough and the hostess seems chronically confused so getting seated takes a while and getting your food takes forever. However, it's clearly worth the wait so reset your expectations for a European dining experience and it will be the best breakfast, brunch, or lunch in recent memory. The patio ambiance is just special, in the middle of a twinkly lit garden, with squirrels and pollinators abuzz, surrounded by fragrant rosemary and greenery. And once our server Mo arrived, it was clear that we were in good hands. She has that critical but rare server trait of customizing her service to the guest, both prompt and patient enough to share recommendations, enthusiasm, and ingredients, as needed. Literally everything was exceptional and fresh- including coffees to champagne cocktails (liquor free) and mocktails, as were the baked goods (still swooning over croissants) and salads. Everything that can be housemade - from butters and strawberry jams to ricottas were. Everything that could be sourced from the garden was. The Nashville chicken was also crispy, juicy, and succulent with a great spice. We got as many entries to share as we could and still eyed everything else that came out with envy. If you have the patience, your only disappointment will be that you didn't save enough room for the dessert specials. read more

We started going to this cafe as early as 2012. Love love love this cafe! Wish they are closer to where we live or wish they have more locations. read more

Love love love this place! Such a cute neighborhood spot. Eating on the patio is such a treat and the food is always amazing. You can't go wrong with anything on the brunch or the dinner menu. It is consistently good and the staff are the kind of people who remember you. read more

Lovely patio by the garden under a pergola. We loved the chilaquiles and grits (perfectly done up) and sweet potato pancakes. The bacon was sad but everything else was great, service was good, and we'll be back for sure! read more

Super cute laid back spot in an outdoor garden! Favorite part? No up charge for oat milk or coffee syrup! Server was great. Food was good! Coffee was great. read more

Garden Cafe - Smoked Tomatillo Chilaquiles - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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I love this place. It's local to my neighborhood. Fresh ingredients, some grown in their own garden. Went for brunch and the staff was overwhelmed because they were so busy. We did get our food quickly and didn't have to wait for our check. We sat outside, and although it was a warm day, it was comfortable. Well worth the 25 min wait. read more

Have never had a bad meal here. The renovations didn't sacrifice a thing about their original M.O. but enhanced it! More careful service and always helpful and kind folks working to make your meal worth it. Lots of love for the years of food. read more

Unique place and food was excellent. Very busy (we went on a Sunday ) Just one teeny problem with the Mickey mouse pancake we got for the kid - it was a little well done for a pancake though not burnt & it was not looking like Mickey read more

This is a nice little brunch and lunch spot in the Junius Heights neighborhood. They have a big garden in the back and patio tables posted around it. They also offer indoor seating but the patio is the coolest part of the experience here. They have mimosas and bloody Mary's and yummy brunch with vegetarian options too. The food is good, nothing out of this world incredible but I will be going back to for brunch and to enjoy the atmosphere. read more

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Very cute place--biscuits were fantastic! Very nice waitress! We went on Saturday for Brunch. The food was great! read more

I Enjoyed the cozy atmosphere. I like that they had parking that's easily accessible and if it's full street parking was also accessible for free. To start off the fries were SOOO GOOOD Literally would go back just for the fries. I've never had that type of seasoning and would recommend them 1000%. As my first time there, our server was so nice and explained the meal throughly. I had a turkey sandwich and she explained how they get their ingredient and even how the animals diets were. The turkey was so fresh! I also got sweet potato pancakes which were fluffy and yummy with their homemade syrup. You could tell that everything was homemade. It was quite a hot day and I sat outside but they provided fans in the corner pointing towards us and really liked a little fan they provided fans for flies to not be on your food. Overall a nice experience. There was a little playground for kids and a cute littlephoto op of a cute spot with their garden. I wanna go back and try other things on the menu. read more

Garden Cafe - Sweet potato pancakes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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Got the chicken fried steak and eggs, chipotle turkey sandwich, and their seasonal pumpkin spice latte pancakes. Overall food and service was good, and the vibe at the outside patio felt like we were in someone's backyard which was pleasant. Chicken fried steak and eggs came with some delicious breakfast potatoes and the chipotle turkey came with steak french fries that were seasoned well. Chipotle turkey sandwich was dry and hard to bite into though. Wasn't particularly fond of the sandwich but everything else was solid. If there's one thing to try it would be the pumpkin spiced latte pancakes. Moist and pumpkin delight in every bite. read more

Garden Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Dallas, Texas

Awesome brunch spot tucked away in the Lakewood area! Came here on a Friday morning and wasn't let down on any level. The ambience is great, especially if you're looking for a low-key brunch spot with great service. The vibe here is very laid back and chill, and the staff is cool too. They also have an outdoor patio area that competes with its indoor dining area, especially when the weather is nice out. I got the omelette with sausage/red peppers and fries on the side and couldn't have been happier with my order. The omelet is great and definitely filling, but the fries were the part that really did me over. While there was a $4 up charge with my order for fries instead of a salad (that typically comes for free w/your omelette), I still felt I got what I paid for due to how well cooked the fries were as well as the way they were prepared. They, also, feel like a healthy snack compared to other places that serve fries where grease and too much seasoning can become a thing. Overall, I definitely recommend this place for anyone living or visiting the Dallas area! Do keep in mind though, this place, during the time I visited, wasn't open Monday through Wednesday. This may not be a permanent thing, but was something I wasn't aware of till after I made my visit. read more

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Everyone seemed so unusually stressed out despite not being too busy but our server was very kind. had the chipotle turkey sandwich and it was very dry, hard to eat but the fries were amazing. Pumpkin spiced latte pancakes were 9/10 super good too. read more

Garden Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Dallas, Texas

Nice place! Came here for Sunday Brunch for my Niece's birthday. Nice outdoor patio with seating in the garden. I am not a fan of heat and flies, which combined to affect the overall experience. They have fans with misters but they were not in use though at 11:30 it was already 93 degrees with a 102 heat index. Even with the heat, the ambiance was cool, so I will be back in the Fall! Service was great! Service was friendly and our server had a great sense of humor. Food was ok, not fantastic, just ok. I ordered the Cowboy Benedict, a southern take on Eggs Benedict. Think ham biscuits and gravy and you got the idea. Probably not a good choice in the heat, but my choice nonetheless. read more

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Super friendly and warm service. Vibes are like a nice diner. Ordered the hot chicken, and though the chicken skin was nice and crisp, the flavor was lackluster. Thinking I probably should have ordered something else, but can never turn down fried chicken when I see it on the menu. Recommend skipping that dish here though! read more

Fabulous cafe with excellent food! Highly recommended! The service was great and to see that they have their own garden was amazing!

I waited 55 minutes for a to go order due to "the kitchen being backed up and under staffed" understandable. However, what's NOT understandable is the quality of the food. I was served burned French toast and I mean charcoal burned. Being pregnant and having a specific craving just for it to be burned is so disappointing especially considering I was a first time guest. I spoke with a manager after already being home who advised they would refund my card but he didn't take my name down? I understand the front is busy but what the kitchen served today was unacceptable; especially to already have waited almost an hour. I won't be returning and if the refund is not completed as advised I'll just dispute with my bank due to the food being inedible. read more

Garden Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Dallas, Texas

Beautiful ambiance in the patio area. I enjoyed being surrounded by the garden, but there are bugs flying around the plants and produce in case that bothers you. We were celebrating Mother's Day and brought our toddler and as well as all presents to exchange with each other. The waitstaff was patient and we didn't feel judged for having all our toddler's distractions out when he started getting fussy. One of the servers even stopped to show our son a butterfly. If that wasn't enough, the food was VERY good. It was fresh and flavorful. We ordered: French Toast with Fresh Fruit 5/5 Breakfast Chicken Fried Steak 5/5 Voodoo Shrimp & Grits 5/5 The parmesan potatoes that accompanied my husband's breakfast serving of Chicken Fried Steak were phenomenal and my son scarfed down his French toast. I loved the flavor of my Voodoo Shrimp & Grits. At first, I felt may need more shrimp, but it was just the right amount. Prices are reasonable for the location, quality and quantity and we plan to come back again soon! read more

Garden Cafe - Shrimp and Grits 5/5 - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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Let's start off with the wait time. We sat down at 11 and didn't get our food until 11:41. The food was good but cold when we got it. The wait staff was very friendly and attentive. The new bar addition was nice for the extra seating. As we where eating two girls walked in, one had a dog. She let the dog on the table and none of the employees said anything to her....this was a little disappointing and down right gross. And I know for a fact that the dog wasn't a service dog. No vest or anything to indicate. read more

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We decided to check out the famous garden cafe. I was so excited about their reopening that it slipped my mind that it's winter and the garden would be in hibernation mode. We decided that if it was sunny enough we spoke sit outside and try to snag a heater. We were in luck, we had a wonderful waitress, Misty was so nice and very attentive. The hostess promised she would rearrange the heat lamps so we could warm up, but she didn't return until a good while later. We relocated to a sunnier spot and Misty was adamant on helping us the with the heaters. The meal was light and fresh- the salad was delicious. We also tried to the Monte Cristo- it was a bit soggy and the ham was very thick. Not our favie version of the sandwich. We had a pleasant time. Misty was great. We will try again in the spring or summer when everything is in bloom. read more

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