We were using the other Groupon before it could expire and with some trepidation. My conclusion is that Garden Cafe is more a breakfast place now; but we went for lunch and the chicken fried steak and again were just dumbfounded by the sides selections. All potatoes or grits were offered except for sauteed okra and fried shishito peppers. I could hardly believe my eyes and stammered around for a few seconds before asking for a green side salad. Not an option; but on the menu and the roasted potatoes. ($15.50 - $1 extra for the salad). And yes, that's right. There aren't any mashed potatoes. My husband actually ordered the shishito peppers and boy, did he get a plate full! Hilarious! They were hot, too. They were also good; just too too much. A side. Really? ($14.50). The steak was chewy; but seasoned well and the roasted potatoes sliced and pan fried. This place cracks me up. It's also off my radar. There's so many fresh local food joints to choose from now. read more

Garden Cafe - Chicken Fried Steak with green salad and a half plate full of roasted potatoes - thick cream gravy. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Dallas, Texas

So the food wasn't epic - but still pretty good. The service a bit confused at time - but very polite. A good place for me is a combination of making a good meal, making you smile; but most importantly troubleshooting for mistakes. The latter is where they succeed the most. We called ahead and asked how long the wait was for a table of 3 in or out. The attendant said it's a very short wait but could get us in right away inside so we rushed over (awesome). When we got there table was ready to go. So our first server came by and was fumbling a bit so we just asked for some coffee. She walked away. A second waiter came by and said I'll take your order. So we ordered coffee again. Here is key - she asked "Do you want cream or sweetener?" So we got our coffee. Then we ordered. Simple, nothing complex. We got two out of the three plates and then 5 min went by so the waitress came by and said "ohh let me check on your plate". She came out a few min later with it - though everyone else was done we were just as happy to chat for a while. BUT we got someone else's order.... So we told the waitress this wasn't what we ordered. She apologized profusely and ran to get the plate replaced. So 20 min go by..... suddenly someone else comes out with out plate - but it's wrong again. We choose to just be fine with the change. Then suddenly a second plate comes out with our correct order. Oops. Did we get someone else's again??? Well at this point we've eaten half of the first plate so we send the correct plate back to the kitchen. We see some discussion in the hallway (nothing loud, sounds like some kitchen confusion going on). So we get out check and the waitress explained she made the mistake and ordered the wrong thing and then gave us someone else's food. She gave us a meal discount and was so apologetic for making so many mistakes. So they get a big 4. Mistakes happen all the time when you are serving hundreds of people a day. If we were the only mistake all day that would be a 99% success rate. So I applaud them for apologizing, giving us a small discount. But more importantly explaining to us what happened. Again, the food was just ok so they do lose 1 star. To management: If you can make a BYO omelet, you should consider a BYO sandwich. Same ingredients!!!! Btw. Place is lovely. read more

We came here for brunch. The cafe is very nice, a small shop on the front and in the back a patio and garden that must be beautiful in spring and summer. We had the French toast with blue berries and bacon, and the chicken fried steak. The brioche on the French toast had a nice crust and the maple syrup is really good. The bacon is cooked to a perfect crisp (which I really like, but my husband described his preference would have been "one minute less would have been perfect"). The chicken fried steak was also perfect, although the gravy is a very healthy one (not your traditional southern gravy with pan drippings). My personal preference is this type of cuisine where a traditional breakfast is made healthy with fresh ingredients and lower sodium. The only thing I wasn't thrilled about was the coffee, I had an americano but it felt a little watered down. read more

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Ate here for my 60th birthday. Service was great, food fabulous. Appetizers: meatballs, burrita, cauliflower steak and a mixed green salad were delicious. Entrees: the gnocchi, chicken, eggplant Parmesan and skirt steak were all great and we enjoyed the wines we ordered as well! Try this wonderful gem read more

If you need to find your happy place, look no further. Garden Cafe is a great find, with fresh locally sourced food, a great dog-friendly patio with fantastic music, and a great vibe. The food is so delicious, fresh, and made-to-order. Garden Cafe was a bit of a drive, but we are so glad we made the drive to explore a new neighborhood. I'm confident that you won't be disappointed no matter what you order, but we can attest to the goodness of the meatloaf, chili, and Turkey avacado sandwich. Grab your beer or wine (it's BYOB!!), your friends, and your pooch and check this place out. Check the hours before you come, as they close around 3. read more

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

We went here for the first time for Sunday breakfast. The ambience of this place reminded me of the West coast, sort of a hippy-type-vibe cafe nestled on the edge of Lakewood. I liked it a lot, and thought it fits perfectly with the feel of the neighborhood. The menu on a board is bit cluttered and hard to decipher as you stand in line with people behind you wanting to order. The hand writing was not very clear or easy to read. So I just went with the thing I could read the fastest: the tried and trusty omelette. With three items it is $10 plus a side and toast. Not a bad deal. The omelette was very tasty and cooked really well. I would get it again. The wife could not find what she wanted as a combo so ended up doing eggs, bacon, and pancakes al a cart. Everything was tasty and good quality. Food was brought to us fairly quickly. Although the ordering process is a bit tricky, I thought the food was really good and is definitely deserving of another trip. read more

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My husband and I met my brother and his gf here- it was a Saturday morning so I wasn't sure if we would have to wait long. The food was delicious- you can tell it's locally grown and FRESH. We all got something different and taste tested each other's. The biscuit was huge, fluffy, and not too dry. My husband got the eggs Benedict, and it was so tasty! I wish I had gotten that, but my omelette was really good too. We pretty much all shared due to how good EVERYTHING was. I appreciate that they have vegetarian sausage for those who choose. I also really appreciate the service. Two of us had ordered something with avocado, but a server came out and told us they had run out but already sent someone to get more. We were given the option of waiting or choosing something else. We asked for honesty with the time, and therefore chose another option. It was a great experience. Great ambiance. Located in a cute neighborhood. Garden outback. It's a must try. I'll be back for sure. read more

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

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A+ food, service, and menu. Definitely recommend. Great environment as well. Go Garden Cafe! read more

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

This place is a low key gem! The cappuccino was beautiful and tasty. The garden in the back is so cute! The service is great and friendly. Definitely coming back for brunch! read more

Garden Cafe - Cappuccino. I added cinnamon. Very yummy. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Dallas, Texas

Fantastic food, all farm to table. Great vibe and great staff 10/10 recommend! Drinks and outdoor vibe are fantastic as well.

Always good, Garden Cafe never disappoints. Excellent food, friendly service, relaxed atmosphere. That trout was amazing! read more

Been to Garden Cafe a few times and it's generally a positive experience. I'd been wanting to visit again for half off wine on Thursday, so I decided to finish my remote work day from there. The customer service is always nice, but there were two issues worth noting that impact customers' appreciation of any establishment: 1) the server mentioned the half off bottle of wine deal didn't start until after 5, but they would honor it anyway before 5. That's great, but it shouldn't be made awkward for the customers when the establishment doesn't advertise a start time for the deal on the chalk board advertisement or in their website. 2) The prices on the QR code menu were off for the item I ordered by nearly $5. I ordered the item twice, one to-go, based on the online menu prices, but I would've limited it to one otherwise, which would be a gold deal on its own. I hope Garden Cafe will take simple steps to fix these issues. Just advertise the Thursday deal start time -- or start it before 5, and update your menu prices so customers are not surprised by their bill. I'm actually visiting again on Saturday with some new friends who like the concept of the cafe. I hope the experience is positive and the cafe will aim to make things right next time. read more

To the owner of Garden Cafe: We are a family that lives in the East Dallas area. I highly advise that when you have Mother's Day weekend brunch all weekend and require Reservations for the entire day on Saturday and Sunday that you explain to your staff to be more friendly to families that live in the area. One of your staff members told me that my two very young kids could sit at the bar, but there is not a table for your family today in a very rude tone. My youngest child is 2 years old. This is after we waited 30 minutes for them to open and two staff members saw us at the front door. Train your staff to be nice people. We will not be back. read more

Good food, good atmosphere, great service! The new dinner menu is pretty solid and the Garden is as beautiful as ever. Will definitely be back. read more

Don't know what the fuss is about. Chicken coop and garden are nice. Good for families with kids I guess... many choices in the menu to please everyone in the family? read more

You know it's time to finish your rave review when you start craving a place again. Garden Cafe shows off the best of the lesser known, earthy side of Dallas dining. This cafe embraces the fresh, farm-to-table concept, so much so that they have their very own garden out back. My kiddo and I went back there for brunch because I heard there was a play area, but it's only open on weekends. There was still the garden arches and the chicken coop to entertain us while we waited. Even without those things, it was still the perfect morning to bask in the shade of the patio and feel the hint of autumn in the breeze. The guy who helped us was very patient with a sort of young hippy-vibe going on. Baby girl got the dense and hearty sweet potato pancake, which came out shaped like Mickey Mouse, and there was enough to last us 'til breakfast the next morning. I went with the turkey sandwich and chili combo. The sandwich was a little dry for my liking (I should've added mustard and mayo) but the chili was outstanding! I can't quite put my finger on it (Is the meat grass-fed? Are all the vegetables fresh from the garden? Is each bowl individually crafted?!) but you can just taste the difference. We rounded out our meal with a decadent cinnamon bun and a little bit of playground fun out front. Don't forget to check-in on Yelp for your free pastry or dessert! The biggest problem you'll have here is trying to decide if you should stick to something you know and love next time or give something new a try. read more

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I've been going to Garden Cafe since 2016 mostly out of how convenient it is to walk to from my place. I want to like it more than I do, but it's hard to love. Pros: -additional seating available upfront -convenient walking spot if you live in East Dallas -cute mugs and ambience Cons: -average food -slow service -weird hours One thing I can say with certainty is that it's remained consistent over the years, but there are far better brunch spots in the neighborhood. read more

The ambiance while on the patio was cool. Dog friendly, check! Music was great. Friendly staff. The wait time for food was insane though. There was 2 of us and it took 54 minutes on a Sunday afternoon. I think they should do a better job letting customers know that there typically is a long wait on weekends. Long wait, but maybe the food is amazing!? Not really. The gritz were super bland. Ended up adding a ton of sriracha . Turkey sandwich was ok and the omelet looked like it was made with boxed eggs read more

Awesome food. This is a definite if you are in the area. Cool place with great eats.

This place may profess to be natural and healthy food however it's definitely TASTELESS! Sorry but true. Very boring food. I'm all for eating healthy but there are ways you can add yummy flavors to food. This was my second time here n i thought perhaps second times a charm...but NO! I had egg n bacon sandwich on whole wheat bread n what I disliked the most was the bread as it had so many seed in it. Regrettably I won't be dining here again read more

The last visit was a complete disaster starting with the waitress, she looked confused as to what was on the menu and how to communicate the electronic requests to her hand held. I felt sorry for her as she was obviously not trained and without aptitude for her job. Eventually we got part of our order which gave us the impression the cook was in a hurry and made up what he thought should eat. They opened recently and started out with some appeal, however, as all closed Dallas restaurants go they lose there way. Good Bye, Garden Cafe. read more

We had dinner at the garden cafe last night. I had the ivy salad with steak with was really delicious. The waitress was attentive and made great recommendations. The restaurant was full we made a reservation which I recommend. The ambiance in the garden was stunning. A plus. read more

I'd like to review the food but we sat at our table for 41 minutes (I finally looked at watch) waiting for BLT I'm sorry BLOT (okra) sandwiches and never got drinks so we left. I liked the old garden cafe better than this new version and it's way more expensive and lost the charm of great breakfast brunch spot it was before. I was told by 3 employees we needed reservations but they would try to sit us. Which they did and we never heard from them again. Sucks I really liked this place but to many other options to do $30 lunches. There were 2 open tables on patio that never had people at them the whole 40 minutes we were there but told 2x they were reservations. read more

This is a hidden gem in East Dallas. The food is super fresh and the staff is attentive. The garden out back is a dream.

This place is really good and unique! I recommend making sure you have enough time because it's typically busy and the food will take longer because of that. It wasn't ideal for a lunch break. The food is good, fresh, and lots of options. read more

Whether you want dinner or brunch Garden Cafe has it all. Fantastic food, great drinks, relaxing atmosphere, friendly staff, super clean, and it is tucked in the historic Junius Heights/Munger Place neighborhoods. The patio and garden area is a great spot for a date or a group hangout... you will be served with scratch based food and creative drinks to your heart and stomach's content. This place truly is a gem and you shouldn't miss out on visiting it. read more

Nestled into a residential area and in the tiniest of business strips, Garden Cafe is a true hidden gem. Having just recently reopened, Kristy, the AGM, did a solid sales pitch about their reopening efforts after their shut-down during the pandemic. All of the produce is grown in their garden where employees have responsibilities for different plots. The blistered shishito peppers were piquant, slightly acidic, and perfectly cooked, and the queso fresco and crispy shallots provided texture compliments to the dish. I chose the Cajun shrimp and chedda grits for my main. Served with collard greens, this was the creamy, savory, delicious dish I was hoping for. The flavors complimented and contrasted and made my mouth and my belly happy. Stop all consideration, and pay an intentional visit to Garden Cafe. read more

This was our first return to Garden Cafe since it reopened and it was just as charming as before. While the front half of the inside is new, everything else feels like the original cafe, but better! Now with dinner and waiters, the experience is really complete. We ordered wine and fried zucchini to start and for our entrees we ordered the snapper and garden salad with chicken. Our waitress was charming and really added to the experience. We will definitely be back! read more

This is one of my favorite new places I've discovered in Dallas. Me and my girlfriend love the food! Perfectly cooked, perfectly seasoned, and amazing quality that's hard to find in Dallas. Food does take a bit to come out but it's completely worth it and we don't mind waiting for an amazing meal. You won't be disappointed. read more

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Went on father's day, had a reservation. Food was top notch and flavorful and service was excellent. I will return

The Garden Cafe was delicious! We sat outside in the middle of their gardens on the patio. It was super cute! Be prepared to wait, but it's worth it! Everyone who worked their was super friendly and made our brunch there even more enjoyable! We will be back! read more

Divine Dining...Service Lacking. Check in on Yelp and they comp whatever you want to drink...score! Green Apple Ginger Kombucha Please. The Patio was sunny and breezy, in between the gardens, and the final resting spot to enjoy some savory chili and lightly lemon ving tossed arugula with finely chopped nuts...as it should be served. (Just not into chunky over powering palette dominating chewing sessions when I am focused on what I really want...chili hee hee) It took over 20 minutes to get my lunch, and they were not crowded. I did not mind so much, except the people that ordered after me...and way more elaborate orders, came out before mine. No big deal...bc I was not starving...it was just quite obvious I was forgotten about. Parking is street or lot...free. Across is a dahhhhhhhhhhhling little park with kids and puppies and people sitting on benches. Very picturesque. At least once or twice a week I meet a new person from Yelp and this was an awesome session of how to conquer the dining scene in DFW. Between ten of us that I run around with...or people that are degrees of separation of others...we may have eaten at every establishment within 50 miles haha. At least we all avoid the chain places and support local. DOMINATION! read more

Garden Cafe - In Love with this....chili perfection (b4 the Frito invasion lol) Arugula salad w lemon ving and Ginger Kombucha + sunshine! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Dallas, Texas

I love this place. I love the build your own omelet--where else can I be the EVIL GENIUS of chrizo, feta and sundried tomoatoes? NO WHERE--that's where. And I absolutely love the atmosphere from the cute to the outside garden area which is lush and relaxing. Garden Cafe is within walking distance of my house, which is dangerous. I walked down for lunch the other day and it was yummy. I like that they tell you dishes which have ingredients from the garden outside. They also seem to have cute events. I've not made it to one yet, but I'm on the email list and they all sound fun. read more

We left Garden Cafe with mixed feelings. Is the food good? Yes. Very. However, $70 for 3 adults/2 children for breakfast (and three of us had water) is tough to swallow, regardless of where you eat. Considering we had breakfast at Benny's Bagels yesterday for $25, we won't be returning to Garden Cafe anytime soon. And, this surcharge for spending more than $50 would leave anyone (who looks at their bill) with a bad taste in their mouth. Rather than rewarding you for spending more money, they tack on much more if you do: a whopping 18% gratuity the first penny above $50. What a scam for a place with such great food. You walk up to the counter and order - and sit down with your number. There's no tableside service. Why would you give a massive tip for that? Ask yourself this. When you go to Corner Bakery, Jason's Deli or even Burger King, do they charge you a surcharge for looking for your number and bringing your foot to your table? Then why should Garden Cafe? Remember, you even have to get up and get your own silverware, drinks, jelly, butter, etc. Back to the food. It's great. A great, stand alone, non chain in the middle of a quaint neighborhood. For breakfast, it's a hit. The pancakes are huge - and good, although I'm still trying to figure out why my sweet potato pancake tasted like a cinnamon pancake.The bacon, eggs and hashbrowns tasted like they would at any other mom and pop type place. There was no grease and the bacon was crispy. Perfect. This is a great place, but value isn't on the menu, especially if you do what most restuarants want to you do - spend more. read more

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I really liked this place. Fresh, organic and natural, locally grown fair? How can I not? Pet friendly patio (-1 for people smoking) in a garden setting. It is minimal, it is a bit hippy, but I didn't care about that. It's very nicely decorated inside and out... outside your next to the food someone is about to eat... pretty cool. The fish taco's were bangin and my friend enjoyed her salad. A casual place with self serve drinks and nice atmosphere. It is quirky to find, especially thanks to one way streets. But I thought it was easily worth it. We walked around after eating to check out what was growing in the garden, really cool if you garden and they also sell plants too. If your not a gardener, like my friend, it make her want to run out and plant something! I had beets as a side, how often do you get to eat, then walk around and say "hey, my beets came from right over there"... pretty cool in my book. read more

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

Very nice brunch spot, yet this past experience the food overall tasted bland. Tomato soup was too creamy and didnt even taste like tomato. All 3 of us tried adding seasonings/sauce to our soups, but nothing really improved the taste. My coworker commented the salad had too many stems and not enough green leaves. The sandwich tasted alright. The ice coffee has a very strange taste to it and very high in caffeine. I also tried adding sugar/cream to improve the taste but still remained bland. Although this experience wasnt the best i would still come back to enjoy the cute cafe/garden atmosphere, and hope the food comes out better. read more

I really really loved this place. It's hard for me to fully enjoy breakfast places, but this restaurant was the bomb dot com. Yep, I spelled it out. That's right! I had an omelette and selected spinach, bacon and swiss cheese. It was SO fresh and it was big and I selected cheese grits and wheat bread to go with it. My goodness, then entire meal was large and fresh and delicious and it made me happy to know all the ingredients came from the garden they had outside. Which is another fascinating thing. Loved this breakfast place - will be back when I'm in town again! XO read more

Garden Cafe - Spinach bacon and Swiss cheese omelette with wheat toast and incredible cheese grits!!!! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Dallas, Texas

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I was lured here by a 50% off Scout Mob deal and was surprisingly pleased with the whole experience. The restaurant was located in a neighborhood with a garden and chicken coop behind. We got an order of the sweet potato pancakes, make-your-own omelet, cheese grits, biscuit, and orange juice. All our food was fresh for sure- just as the growing greens and roaming chickens indicated! The servings were generous and service was friendly. All this was only $12 without the discount (we did not order enough for it to apply). I can't wait to go back knowing I can order MORE and get 50% off as well. If my mom cooked breakfast for me, I'd imagine this is what it would taste like. Basic & simple. read more

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

This is a great spot to come for breakfast or lunch. It is cozy, cute, and tucked away in the Lakewood neighborhood. Even though it is tucked away, word has definitely gotten out about this hidden gem. If you are in a hurry I would wait to come back for a time when you have the ability to just relax and enjoy the experience (which is well worth it). The last couple times I have come they let us know ahead of time that there is a 45 minute wait for food. With that said, if you are okay with waiting then this is an awesome spot. I would give 5 stars if it wasn't for that. All of their ingredients are fresh and local. A true farm to table concept. They even have a vegetable garden out back (notice the name) and have their own chickens. My favorite part about this place is enjoying my breakfast/ lunch on their awesome patio out back in the garden on a nice day. It's peaceful and beautiful and is a great place to sip on their coffee while waiting for your food (which is really good). Some of my favorites here are the turkey melt with roasted red potatoes and their country boy benedict. Both delicious! Their brussel sprouts are really good too. If you're here on a Sunday I highly recommend their Sunday special which is chicken and dumplings. One of the best I've ever had! All in all a great breakfast/lunch spot. Only thing is you need to know ahead of time what you are getting into and be okay with enjoying the company you're with and waiting a bit for your food. read more

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Cute restaurant off the beaten path. I had the turkey melt, but had them switch the bread to wheat bread. It was great. I love that the turkey was chopped in to chunks rather than just plain, flat, lunchmeat. I also had the lentil delight. The cashier was nice enough to let me try it before I ordered it. It was good, but it probably wasn't the best choice of a side dish on a hot, sunny day. If you check in on Yelp, you can get a free drink so I had a cappucino. I was going to have a latte, but they didn't have skim milk so I opted for a drink with a little less milk (at the good suggestion of the barrista). The outdoor area was okay, but probably looks nicer at other times of the year when the garden is more filled in. read more

Garden Cafe - Turkey Melt with Lentil Delight - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Dallas, Texas