I had the opportunity to dine at this restaurant due to a voucher given to me from the county. I visited this restaurant a few times before and was very pleased with The food and service. However this particular time my friend and I both ordered the same meal Basa Fish. We ordered from the Voucher Menu. . The taste was good but the portion was sooo small. It appeared to be cut in half I had one end and the friend had the top of the filet. I said to the (Indian) -just to distinguish which one -waitress I have had this dish here once before and it was not cut in half. She said I should be happy because it was FREE! I asked the owner if this was something she should say and the owner (Ana?) said the county is cutting back on portions so therefore it was ok for her to say that. So unhappy with that response, I will not return. If a person receives a voucher for a full course meal who has the right to say be grateful for what you get!! Everybody s circumstances are not the same!! read more

Garden Restaurant - The portion of fish given for a meal, photo was taken before eating . - American Near Me - Union, New Jersey

1st time there in a long time. Very good food. Good prices. Good service. Can't wait to go back.

The Garden Restaurant is always enjoyable with delicious food and friendly, impeccable service. We brought friends who were never there and they said they would love to return. read more

I had the scallops and they were cooked perfectly in a beautiful creamy mustard sauce BUT I kept stealing my mom's veal Parmesan, it was perfection. I can't suggest it enough. The crème brûlée was also exquisite- the perfect texture and it was bruleed just how I like it :) the waiter was also lovely! read more

Garden Restaurant - Créeme brulee - American Near Me - Union, New Jersey

Food is excellent, wonderful service, ambiance is warm and friendly. Highly recommend for lunch and/or dinner. Very fair prices with good value. read more

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Had reservations for my goddaughter's birthday. Decor and ambiance are amazing! Food was good we had a variety of things. Our waitress was good we could tell she was new the runners delivered our entrees before our appetizer the only downfall. Drinks were great recommend the Bailey's espresso martini. Will come again! read more

Garden Restaurant - Salmon - American Near Me - Union, New Jersey

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Great place to drink and smoke hukka. The food is not impressive though. Music is good but loud. Not great place for conversations but deff a good time read more

My second time there today. Both visits reports from funerals. Love the staff. Attentive and for what the limited menu of salmon, steak or chicken every one was prepared great. Not a problem. Kind of out of the way and not really large but a very pleasant experience each time. read more

Union County offered free vouchers for seniors. So other than that I never heard of the place. 3rd visit was horrible. The waitress had issues, wasn't really friendly. 4 of us 3 of us got our food ate & the 4 person waited 15-20 minutes we were done eating. Waitress never sad very sorry can I get you a soda or something for the long wait - instead she says you got a voucher & we can't substitute anything - we'll we had also, order something off the regular menu.. so needless to say - FREE or not, we will not be going back. Staff was not very supportive of the situation. The food is not the best in NJ. It gets 2 for the first 2 visits. read more

Entering the Garden Restaurant reminded me of the Italian restaurants I went to as a child. Usually, saying this is not a compliment. This time, it is. The staff was wonderful. The menu was very traditional but didn't feel dated. The food was delicious, and the portion sizes were perfect. I wish I lived closer so I could go back more often. read more

Sat at 6:30, only two other tables occupied, bar empty. Restaurant is very nice inside, homey. Waitress was very nice, food came out fast. Fried calamari was very chewy. Date had veal parmigiana, nothing special. Sauce not much taste, veal a bit tough. My scallops were good, rice pilaf was moist but basically just white rice. Broccoli & cauliflower veggies, hard & no seasoning at all. Had read reviews, so surprised by food & no customers. Doubt we'd ever return, disappointing! read more

This place is a hidden gem. Great food and drinks at unbelievable prices. The owners are super nice people which is a plus. They recently built an outdoor patio which is sooo nice at night with strong lights. I really enjoy coming here, have never had a bad meal read more

I recommend this restaurant highly. It's off the beaten track BUT the service is warm and friendly. They have happy hour til 7pm. Karen the bartender did a good pour. Food wise price is fantastic and portion was large. I've had the crab cakes u get two big one .. delicious. Had shrimp cocktail also fresh. The 15dlr seafood appies is 4 shrimp and manila clams garlic wine sauce excellent. The lamb was made to order and the tiromasau is home made. Though I like Mario's in union net this the better spot for the happy hour alone and also pricing. read more

Love this local restaurant, one of our favorites. Every option on the menu is great. The owner and waitresses are super friendly and helpful. Highly recommend this establishment, you're going love it. read more

Garden Restaurant - a plate of food on a table - American Near Me - Union, New Jersey

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Took my wife, mother-in law and family to Mother's Day dinner. As we were coming in from out it town I checked out the menu and reviews online first and looked good. We made reservations. Once we got there and seated we were told that the menu. Online was not valid that day and replaced by a special Mother's Day menu which was about three times more than the standard menu. There were no vegetarian options on the menu either. The service was good and servers attentive. The experience overall wasn't what we expected. read more

Finally had dinner at this cozy little restaurant. I've had lunch before and it was always delicious, usually just sitting at the bar with a girlfriend. I've previously eaten the eggplant rollantini, the crab stuffed mushroom and a couple of the soup specials that they offered for lunch. All were excellent. The dining room is set up with white table clothes and spaced apart for conversation with just the people at your own table . The food was excellent, we started with broccoli soup and Greek salads, followed by Sole Oreganata, the Stuffed Salmon and the Chicken and Thai Shrimp. Every meal was delicious. Just the right amount of rice and vegetables with it. The dessert specials of crème brûlée and rice pudding superb and my special surprise garden coffee was perfect. The prices are very reasonable, the service (Dave our server) was entertaining and attentive. The bartender (Dave) made the best martini too. We sat for quite a bit to catch up with our friends. We were never rushed. Luckily it wasn't overly busy. All in all a very enjoyable evening. We will definitely be going back read more

One of the best places to eat in New Jersey. Food is plentiful & reasonably priced. Staff always friendly.Great place for family dining

My 1st time there I ordered take out. Spoke to the owner and she was very nice. Ordered the shrimp stuff with crabmeat and chicken & pasta. The food was delicious, and enough for 2 servings! I also ordered the chocolate mousse cake also very good. Will go back again... read more

Always enjoyed our dinners at the Garden, good food and good service. This passed New Year's Eve our party was disappointed when they ran out of Prime Rib by 7pm. There's too much competition to make these mistakes read more

My family came to this restaurant after an unfortunate event. Typically the restaurant doesn't open util 4 pm but because we had a party of 60, if not more they opened up for us a couple hours early. The fact that they opened up there doors to my family meant everything to us. We had the restaurant to ourselves, allowing us the opportunity to catch up with family members we haven't seen in a while. The staff we amazing. For such a big party they were on point. For our first course we had the choice of soup or salad. I got the house salad with extra vinaigrette dressing that was pretty good. For our second course we were able to choose from chicken, salmon or steak. I choose the salmon. It was a perfect portion with yellow rice and fresh veggies. For dessert we were served brownies and ice cream. Cant go wrong with chocolate. I want to thank management and all the staff that helped serve our family dinner and for opening there doors just for us. read more

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Went for dinner. Was greeted right away. Very nice staff. Decor is outdated. There was a very distinct odor -- possibly from the carpet? It was hard to ignore. Appetizers were French onion soup and calamari. Soup was great. My husband thought it was on the sweet side. Calamari was good not great. I had the Tri-colored salad with grilled chicken. Chicken was cooked and seasoned perfectly. The rest of the salad was a thumbs down. There was barely a sprinkle of blue cheese or candied walnuts. Rest of the salad was drenched in dressing. I ate the chicken and left the rest. Hubby ordered the ny strip. He said it was good not great. read more

I went there alone and noticed I was the only African American in there. However, the service was great and after awhile I didn't feel too uncomfortable. The shrimp appetizer and salmon dish was delicious. I would go back. read more

Love!!! The Garden restaurant is a secret jewel in Union. The fact that it is been there for as long as I can remember, and I am 38 years old, is a testament to its high-quality. The food is excellent. The staff are extremely attentive. The owner and hostess are warm and friendly and very accommodating. They will even make special meals for you that were on the menu years ago. It feels cozy and comforting when you enter. The Garden is also very welcoming and accommodating to young children. My 12-month-old made an absolute mess while we had dinner and I kept trying to clean up after her, but the staff kept teasing me to stop it. No glares like other places, only smiles. They said it was their job to clean it up. You don't get service like that anywhere else! I've never had a dish there that I don't love, in the decades I've been going. The dinner prices may seem slightly high, but only because of the Union location. If it was in Westfield, the prices would be very affordable for the quality of food. I'm not a big drinker, but the bar is very cozy and they have a large selection and a very knowledgeable staff. I couldn't give it a higher recommendation! read more

I love their food. For a woman who normally goes to buffets and diners with her family, this is one of the more classier places. I eat my entire meal with both pinkies held out. The food is delicious and their asparagus soup is super tasty, I know, I was surprised that asparagus soup would be so good. Very good restaurant, I definitely recommend. read more

Wonderful neighborhood restaurant. The food was excellent, We had an octopus appetizer that was perfectly grilled. My wife had seafood risotto, and I had mushroom/ sausage pasta entrees that were just excellent. The Chocolate Lava cake was not the 'too darn chocolatey' variety. It was lighter than you'd expect also. Add in the friendly service and this was an excellent experience all around. read more

This place is mehh. It's a hole in the wall type place that charges an arm and leg for a "good' meal. Now before I get too much into detail I'll point out our families $100 gift card to this place and point out that a lot of my family comes here and swears by their food. My parents both loved it. Mom got the shrimp & veal fran and dad got the grilled salmon, both tasty but also both were dried out. My parents don't go out to nicer places too often and they aren't the types of people to send anything back. I had the French onion soup and the shrimp & lobster Portofino while the hubby got the special salad of the day (feta, sliced romaine, and balsamic w/ endive leaves) and the veal roulade. The food, overall, was ok. It had the knowledge behind it to be very good but execution wise suffered from lack and salt and runny sauces. The protein was on the dry side for all of us. A bit more detail... the roulade was breaded but it was obvious the oil was super heated, thus ruining the whole meal. My shrimp was very good but the breading was soggy and the lobster was over cooked. It's so hard these days to have a high end restaurant and keep from using cheaper product, so props to this place for not slumming it. That and the nice service are the only nice comments from me. I really REALLY wanted to love this place, but on principle I cant spend $22 for a couple bites of dry & bland food. the French onion soup was wonderful though...I would go back for this. My only point is that this place is trying to be fancier that they really are. $10 for 4 shrimp, although very large and very tasty shrimp. $28 for a rack of lamb, $23 for wood grilled salmon...all prices I would pay at a nicer place. This place just fell short for me and the husband. My parents left very happy though although they are not to common to higher end places. If portions were a tad bigger it would be more worth the money since the flavors were a bit diluted. My portofino would have used more sauce...thicker sauce. I had this at other places. The veggies were mushy too...I left those on the plate; something I usually eat first. Everyone agreed the mashed potatoes (looked more like pureed potatoes) were very yummy. Our rice was nice, after taste of lemon was a nice touch. SO...take this review as more of a critique then as a negative review; this is why I didn't give less stars. Not the food, but the execution was off. The food itself was ok, could have been better. Everyone has bad days. Attire, although it says casual is more like smart casual or business casual. I wore a dress and the men wore their khakis and nicer shirts. read more

My my and I sporadically stopped by this place for lunch. It was my first sit-down restaurant experience in Union, NJ because I just moved into the neighborhood. The hostess was welcoming and our waitress was attentive and nice. The food was good, but the menu was lacking. There were not that many choices. However, the waitress was nice enough to make a food substitution on my behalf. I would go back, but it's not on the top of my to-do list. read more

All the fine folks at this establishment ....are kind, courteous, and very entertaining. The shrimp cocktail is well worth it, the sauce has a kick, can I get a "yes Chef". I hear the crab cakes are the bomb. Ali, Marcy & Eva are the lovely bartender's'., all of which are very down to earth and make you feel at home simultaneously with your first drink order. Can't forget Darwin,...;-}.... Props to you to George your staff rocks and your place is a home away from home. read more

Yeah! We love The Garden and tonight was especially wonderful! Great food and service!

We went there on Christmas Eve. The staff was nice and the food was sporadic. My fish was good but my wife's pasta dish was salty and seemed like it or the sauce was sitting around. The place was fine but dated. read more

1 start because of the appetizer. Living in the neighborhood for 20+ years is how long we have been patronizing this restaurant. Even had parties there and celebrated special occasions. We went last night, wanting to celebrate our anniversary and was extremely disappointed. I don't know what is going on, but the vibe was different, we felt uncomfortable and our dinner was terrible, I actually got sick. Our waitress was new and she did not check on us, nor was she friendly or helpful. We went there because we were always treated like family. Now we felt like outsiders or intruders. Too bad..... I am sorry to say we probably will not be going back unless it changes back to the way it was, with good food, great service, atmosphere and ambiance. read more

Food here was very good. Server I had seem to have an attitude. Here for large party and just felt that some small special requests such a an expresso coffee would be an issue. read more

I was a guest at a reunion dinner at The Garden on Saturday night. They were very welcoming and never rushed our group. The menu was appealing and my meal was delicious. The restaurant has a beautiful old bar, sort of an S shape, where we enjoyed a drink before dinner. read more

This hidden gem is a goldmine of good food and service. They are happy to adjust dishes if needed and always check up on their patrons. Dave is a bartender and serves when needs be. I've never met such an affable and knowledgeable man in the restaurant business.He won't steer you wrong with pairings and is quite witty to boot. Please go and be pleasantly surprised. read more

Went there for a small gathering and had to choose from a limited menu. The strip steak was excellent which is hard to do. It was tender and cooked properly. Had the chocolate mouse for dessert and it was great. Our waitress was excellent! She handled the 20+ of us by herself for the most part and always had a smile on her face! Couldn't have asked for a better experience. Don't know what it would be like for a regular date dinner, but for our purposes it worked very well. read more

Have lived in the area for decades and never knew The Garden existed until a few months ago. This place is a gem, the food is excellent, staff is great and they sometimes have entertainment in the bar area. The owner (Karen) will welcome you when you arrive and check in on you throughout your meal. The staff is very attentive and all are well versed on the menu which is not extensive but has something good on it for everyone. Personally, I find no value in "phone book sized" menus, the chef knows what moves and everything is fresh and made to order. If you go, you must try their Ceasar Salad, very unique presentation and one of the most delicious and refreshing salads I have had in a while. After dinner, stop at the bar for an after dinner treat and chat with regulars. read more

Charming, kind of storybook exterior, equally nice inside in an old-fashioned way. The place has an intimate ambiance and the food was exceptionally good. I had the shrimp and veal portofino, My husband had a seafood platter. Service was fine, the proprietor friendly. A very neighborhood-type place! read more

The garden has quickly become one of my favorite places to come for a friendly reminder of family community and terrific food! Although there is little to no buzz about this fantastic restaurant, the delectable food and above par service really does make this Union NJs' best kept secret. Don't be fooled by the traditional decor and old fashioned design, this is one of the area's greatest upcoming "go-to" spots! With the culinary expertise of one of the west coasts greatest chefs along with the personable and professional staff, The Garden restaurant is the place to go for all occasions. Do not be fooled by false reviews of previous disgruntled employees or patrons that don't belong in an upscale setting, this is the place to be! So come on in and get a drink from one of the fantastic bartending mixologists Roe, Leo, Cristin, or Mel while you enjoy the service and ambiance of what will soon become YOUR favorite restaurant!!! read more