It's amazing what you can find in a small town, local mom and pop restaurant. And of course, this small town located in the middle of Gilroy, Garlic heaven!! Can't say service was the best, but I can and will say, very friendly. Unfortunately we were pressed for time, so we had to take our food to go. We ordered the Garlic Chicken sandwich and their special of the day cheese burger. Garlic Chicken sandwich was ok- a bit on the dry side and had a hint of garlic. Cheeseburger- can I get some burger with that garlic. I LOVE garlic, so imagine my surprise when I opened the to go container and I was greated with a burger topped with cloves of roasted garlic covered with bleu cheese! It was a beautiful site! http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/5_IelWCid_SPx7LLYlqKUQ?select=98xhQQmObG6Gizg_7eUcFw I would come back for this burger alone! Definitely a pit stop for all you garlic lovers. read more

Garlic City Cafe - Can I get some burger with that garlic?? - American Near Me - Gilroy, California

This place is a good way to get introduced to garlic in the GARLIC capital of the world!!! In addition to our main entree of the portabello + GARLIC omelette, we also ordered the cream of GARLIC soup and the GARLIC fries, and the GARLIC ice cream! Yum! The soup was yummy. Maybe I'm so used to garlic and love garlic in my food that I didn't think it was too garlicky. The fries just seemed like cut up potatoes with garlic sprinkled on the top - the garlic flavor didn't seem really infused into the fries. The soup and the fries are actually on the lunchtime menu, which we were too early for, but we were still able to order, which was nice of the cafe to accommodate. For dessert, we ordered the garlic ice cream - it is a must for visitors to Gilroy. It's actually pretty tasty and interesting. Plus it's not a flavor that you find outside of Gilroy. It tastes like vanilla with a subtle garlic flavoring. It's not too overpowering or anything. The texture of the ice cream was really good too, so we had to ask if they made it in-house or if they get it from somewhere and the waitress said they get it from Marianne's, which explains why the ice cream is so good. By the end of the meal, we all had super garlicky breath. And no gum. But garlic is good for you! Full of zinc - I don't know what zinc really does, but I know that garlic has it! read more

Total Redemption! Weekday breakfast brought warmth to my tummy. Eggs are warm and cooked just the way I like them! :) For dinner, the calamari and chicken Marsala is on point. read more

Garlic City Cafe - Over medium :) - American Near Me - Gilroy, California

First off, I'm not from Gilroy and this was my first time visiting, but it really only took me all of half a day of driving to learn the streets and get a grasp of where everything was. With that being said, I drove around for half a day and could not figure out where to eat besides the typical fast food chains and I wanted something with GARLIC. After all, I am in the famous Garlic City right? :) This cafe is tucked away in downtown Gilroy on Monterey between 5th & 6th. My friend took me here for dinner since we heard from friends that this cafe served amazing food and they weren't wrong! We walked in and were seated right away. I was eyeing the chicken marsala dish on the menu until the server showed us the Special of the Day: Seafood Linguine with Clams, Calamari, Shrimp, & Sea Bass. How could I say no?! We both decided to get the Seafood Linguine & ordered the cafe's signature Cream of Garlic Soup to start out with. Starter: Free basket of bread & butter -- delicious & you can ask for more! Soup: Cream of Garlic Soup -- came piping hot and smelled/tasted amazing! Highly recommend getting this! Entree: Seafood Linguine... HOT and freshly cooked. You can definitely tell there was no lollygagging in between the chef finishing the dish and the server getting it out to us. The portion was large with a generous amount of shrimp, calamari, clams, & a giant piece of sea bass. I believe the pasta was $15 or $17, and they definitely give you your money's worth of seafood instead of the chain restaurants like Olive Garden that give you tiny shrimp and only 3-5 clams in your pasta. Sauce was supposed to be spicy and it was, but not too spicy. Just the right amount :) Dessert: n/a :( We were too full from the pasta but were definitely eyeing the giant Creme Brulee in the display. They also have garlic ice cream here as well if you're interested! Overall, the food & service here was AMAZING. Gave it 4 stars because they could improve on the decor and lighting since it was a little dim inside. I am definitely going back to Garlic City Cafe the next time I'm in Gilroy! **P.S. -- Additional parking is available in the back on Eigelberry St. with an entrance to the cafe from the back as well read more

Garlic City Cafe - Cream of Garlic Soup - American Near Me - Gilroy, California

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This place was pretty amazing. My friend and I decided to stop in for a bite to eat before heading to the gilroy gardens. The wait staff were friendly and the atmosphere was cozy. I really loved their pasta and nearly cleaned the whole plate. The sauce was amazing! And the garlic bread was super tasty. I'd recommend this place for a casual bite to eat and would stop by again if I'm in the area. read more

Garlic City Cafe - Strawberries banana smoothie - American Near Me - Gilroy, California

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I love this place! I visit it often and always start with the roasted garlic appetizer with the bread and spread. Staff is friendly, food has never disappointed. Serving sizes are large, garlic is plentiful - be prepared to enjoy one of the best meals in Gilroy and beyond! Seating is always plentiful. Service isn't the fastest, but it gives you time to enjoy the company you are with and believe me, it's well worth the wait - everything comes out steaming hot. read more

**4.5 stars** Cozy establishment, with a menu that incorporates Gilroy's baby and prized possession, GARLIC! Come try it! read more

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My first impression of this place wasn't good. It was dimly lit (but not like romantically, like creepily). The service was weird and the servers were eating as they were doing their job--gross. The place was also just messy inside with random boxes everywhere, not neatly organized. The food was damn garlicky but not as amazing as I thought it'd be. My eating partner and I had the burger and chicken sandwich. Decent-tasting but yeah, you kinda get over the garlic after a few bites. I don't know really know how to feel about this place because of my first impression--not sure if I'd come back, but if you want the novelty of garlic everything, then hit up Garlic City. You're really not missing much if you don't make it here though. read more

What kind of place is this? Asked for a table for two; the guy asked if we we would sit outside. It was 98 degrees outside. He argued that he didn't think it was that hot. What? Bad service; rude. We left and went somewhere else. read more

If you miss the name sprawled across the awning (like me), the alluring smell of garlic will lead you right into this little local gem! And don't let the cafe title fool you, as the menu is sure to satisfy any appetite...well...as long as u like garlic! And I mean...who doesn't?! The rundown; Bruschetta: gold star. The eggplant was a great touch. Kids Ravioli: ok my wife ordered it...enough for her small appetite and the sauce was...you guessed it, garlicky! Burgers x2 (really diving into the menu, I know): both ordered medium rare. One was, the other (mine of course) was more medium. Still very juicy and flavorful. No really, between the mounds of garlic cloves and Gorgonzola, this burger was a savory lovers dream. And don't get me started on those garlic fries...Yowza. Better have some mints handy tho... Oh and the bread! That warm, ultra dense, super moist, hard shell sourdough...Fantastico! Careful!! You've been warned. Anyway....go check it out, especially if you need to scratch that garlic itch! read more

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Stopped by here on a Friday night on the way down to Ventana Wilderness. Never again. This restaurant has about 10 customers in it and service is incredibly slow. The food is mediocre at best. Standard amateur Italian food and appetizers heated from the freezer. Salads are straight from those grocery store mix bags. Don't waste your money or your time. read more

The food was delicious. I ordered a chicken sandwich with some kind of delicious garlicy sauce on it with the potato salad. The chicken was tender, the sauce was just...if I could marry it, I would. I had to deduct a star for two reasons: 1. Where are the fries on the menu? I looked everywhere and saw NO FRIES on the menu, but saw another customer eating fries with his burger. As I ordered my sandwich, the waitress asked, "Would you like a green salad, potato salad or pasta salad with it?" No mention of fries. After the meal, my friend asked her if they served fries, to which she answered, "We do, it was the fourth item I told you about but I GUESS you didn't hear me say it." Uh...excuse me sweetie? Is that how you speak to customers? Which brings me to the second reason I deducted a star: 2. The waitress seemed a little...annoyed. I don't know if she was tired or having an off-day, but we tried to at least get her to smile, and the only time I saw her smile was as she saw us leave. Also, she didn't add any actual prices to our hand written bill, so our party of three wound up just splitting the bill three ways. Fortunately, we aren't cheapskates and I don't mind if I wound up paying more than my share-but it would have been nice to be able to see the prices of each item and make sure that we were charged appropriately. What we were charged for shouldn't be some big secret... I'm not sure if I'll come back, but the sauce on the sandwich was definitely memorable. read more

Garlic City Cafe does great justice to Gilroy's claim to fame: garlic. The Garlic City Burger (half pound of angus ground chuck, sweet roasted garlic, and Gorgonzola mayonnaise) was the highlight of our meal. It came loaded with about 20 cloves of garlic, yet the flavor of this burger was the powerful Gorgonzola mayonnaise. Each bite of this burger just melted in your mouth, with a little hint of garlic, and a wave of strong, creamy Gorgonzola Mayonnaise. The bowl of Signature Soup Cream of Garlic was great. It offered a thick texture with satisfying garlicky flavor that wasn't too overpowering. The Garlic Chicken and Eggplant Panini (grilled chicken, eggplant, tomatoes, garlic, smoked mozzarella, pesto spread) was also good. It was an enjoyable sandwich, but paled in comparison to the amazing burger. Garlic City Cafe reminded me of the diners from back home in New Jersey, with a garlicky twist. If you ever find yourself in Gilroy, stop by this gem of a restaurant. read more

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One of the best spots to get chicken alfredo, calamari, breakfast and so much more. The service is friendly and always efficient despite being short staffed. I have been here so many times and I am always satisfied. The crab cakes are quite delicious as well. read more

We came in and were the only ones there. My daughter ordered the kids cheese ravioli. I ordered the garlic Burger. My mom ordered the seafood fettuccine. My mom said that the fettuccine was alright but not great. My daughter is a picky eater, but didn't like the sauce. The smell kind of reminded me of curry somehow. When I ordered my garlic burger it has gorgonzola on it which I can't stand, so I asked if I could get a different cheese. She wouldn't give me that option. She said the gorgonzola was part of the spread they put on it. I told her no spread then. When I got my burger it had no flavor at all so I put a ton of ketchup on it thinking it would help...... nope. So 3/4 of the burger is going to my dogs. I wont be coming back. My mom said she will go back to try the calamari steak sandwich. This was the only reason for coming here. but they wouldn't let her order the calamari sandwich because its "only on the lunch menu". Seriously? If you have the product on hand and have to cook something anyways, why not? I have ordered from many restaurants at dinnertime from the "lunch menu", you just have to pay like $1-4 extra. read more

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Excellent flavor, terrible service :-( Garlic fries are good, bathroom is not "baby-friendly". Waitress is terrible communicating. Bring me the pasta and had to wait 5 minutes for some cheese... Not coming back read more

Garlic City Cafe - Some fettuccini I ordered in a hurry... - American Near Me - Gilroy, California

It was a beautiful day to enjoy their Garlic Burger and Portobello Sandwich. Both were prepared well and the touch of grilled garlic on the burger was flavorful. Sweet potatoes were perfectly fried. Too bad they ran out of creamy Garlic soup. read more

My friend and I stopped in 3 minutes before closing, and was cautious about not upsetting them, as I understand that they wanna close up and go home. Luckily, they were friendly and we only wanted some garlic ice cream in sugar cones. There was a couple of ladies sitting down eating dinner, so at least they weren't totally closed yet. The staff was very helpful and kind, as I told them we were visiting from LA for the Garlic Festival. This spot had better garlic ice cream than the Garlic Festival itself. It was very creamy and not overbearing in garlic flavor. The entire downtown area was nice and historic. I wish I had more time to check things out, but time was limited. I love the quaint area and the small town feel that I don't see much of in Los Angeles. read more

I stopped by this place as I passed through Gilroy and thought it was fantastic. I wanted a garlic-filled lunch (I searched "garlic lunch" on yelp, heh) and this place did not disappoint. Started with a cup of the cream of garlic soup, which was divine. GET IT. Then had the garlic chicken sandwich, which wasn't all that garlick-y, but probably because nothing really tastes intensely of garlic after having that soup. Regardless, it was a great sandwich. I also opted for garlic fries as my side, which is an extra $1 and not on the menu. Definitely go for the garlic fries. I thought the service was a tiny bit slow, especially considering how my family and I all started with a cup of soup and we didn't get it until maybe 10min later (and presumably it's not made on the spot, right?). But our server was very friendly, so it's fine. I also thought there weren't *that* many things on the menu that had garlic. I'll definitely be back the next time I'm in town! read more

Every time I'm in Gilroy or craving garlic fries I stop by for a few order for my family and I. Customer service is amazing. If you like garlic and you like fries stop by and check them out you won't be disappointed. read more

Great food as always. I tried the Roasted Garlic appetizer tonight and it was amazing! p.s., I made her smile :-) read more

Garlic City Cafe - American Near Me - Gilroy, California

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The food has been fresh and full of flavorful here. Always clean and ready to serve my family. Looking forward to going again.

The service was awesome! We came in during a slow hour after some shopping at the Gilroy Outlet. One of the workers at Gucci recommended us to get the Cajun Chicken Sandwich here and of course we did. It was BOMB!! Didn't try any of their other food so I will leave it at four stars. But I liked the atmosphere, the European artwork on the walls, and the overall roominess of the place. read more

Was here just over a month ago for lunch as we drove down from SF to LA. Since the wife loves garlic more than life itself, we figured we'd head through Gilroy and take the 101 down for once. Found this place on Yelp and decided to head over for lunch. I had the garlic city burger while she had the cream garlic soup and some sort of salad. We both really liked our food and left very full. Normally I'd give 4 stars, but the 5th is for the fact that we walked up with our dog since it was too hot to leave her in the car (couldn't find any shade), and even though both of their outside tables were occupied, the waitress was kind enough to pull another table and chairs out for us onto the sidewalk. Also, unbeknownst to us, we had arrived right at their closing time (1pm on Sundays) but they still served us. I'm sad to see others had such horrible experiences with the service. I can only say that we thought they were great. read more

I like this cafe very much. The server was very kind and served excellent panini and sandwich for us. Actually their panini breads was warm and tasted very good. Especially their garlic chicken inside panini fitted for the breads as well so I recommend to select garlic chicken and eggplant panini. In addition garlic burger looked well thus please try to eat it too. But I am afraid of the burden for servers. I felt a little slow for all services to everyone so I am worrying about jam to serve dishes and drinks. read more

We stopped by Gilroy along our road trip looking for some tasty garlic fries. We google best garlic fries and this place showed up. We didn't know it was a sit down restaurant. The restaurant itself was very cute with Italian decor. We ordered a plate of garlic fries. The fries were wedges instead of typical thin fries and each wedge was dry. The garlic was also burnt. This plate of fries was $6! I was very disappointed because they were not what I was expecting and very expensive. The waitress was not very friendly which made us feel unwelcome. There were no other customers that Tuesday night so we got our food very quick. read more

Garlic City Cafe - Garlic Fries - American Near Me - Gilroy, California

I love the Cajun chicken salad! I order it often to go during the work week and when I call ahead it's always ready to go in exactly 20 minutes. read more

Nice little place but don't go here if your looking for GARLIC. Don't let the name fool you. We came to Gilroy For Garlic. Sadly Couldn't Find Any. Don't know why but in the Garlic Capital of the world you can't find a place that serves food cooked in roasted garlic. Even this place THE GARLIC CAFE you'll be hard to find a Real Garlic dish. Went to the Garlic Festival and it was just Fair Food. Sad, Sad, Sad. read more

Came here for breakfast based on the reviews and it did not disappoint! Is the service slow? Yea, a little but honestly, there was 1 lady working and 1 cook. I'm guessing they are both the owners, but the lady was soooo sweet! Those negative comments about her are ridiculously rude. My omelette was delicious and the portions are very generous. You even have the choice of bread or pancakes. I really liked their coffee too. Next time I'll try their banana strawberry pancakes...they looked amazing. I don't know how they are for lunch or dinner, but the breakfast was delicious and hit the spot. I'll be back! read more

Garlic City Cafe - American Near Me - Gilroy, California

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This was our first time here the clam chowder was very good and they make it fresh. The French bread they serve was good also warm and perfectly crispy. The rack of pork was a pork chop cooked to perfection it was soft and flavorful. My chicken stuffed with mushrooms spinach and onions in a wine sauce very good also. Only small complaint was it was a tiny bit salty but just a tiny bit still very good. Vegetables are perfect and mashed potatoes definitely come here again. This is a little cafe that serves elegant style dinner worth going read more

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Food is SO good. Breakfast is the best in town. Service is great and restaurant is nice and clean

I am a big diner fan, and this place lives up to the hype. My wife and I shared a garlic omelette and it was delightful! All of the ingredients tasted very fresh. Plus the waitress was so helpful and kept our coffees topped off like it was her life mission, like seriously, she didn't mess around. They also have some tasty looking baked goods, so we ordered a piece of carrot cake to go to which my wife describes as tasting like it was made by grandma. It's like a baked hug. Lastly, the location of the cafe is on a very cool classic downtown street, with neat shops, antique stores and of course some garlic paraphernalia. So after you get your eat on, go check out a shop or two! read more

Garlic City Cafe - Garlic City Cafe Menu - American Near Me - Gilroy, California

I love this place! Everything is always on point at this place. The food is beyond excellent and very fresh every time. If I could change anything about this place I would only wish they had bigger tables to accommodate larger groups, daily specials, and maybe a little upbeat to their service. Other than that I could eat here everyday. Yum! read more

I was blown away the first time I went into the Garlic City Cafe for dinner. I had no idea what to expect. You know the old saying, "Don't Judge A Book By It's Cover", it was truly meant for a Resturant just like Garlic City. First off the owner is not a cook he is a chef and an excellent one at that. Their menu choices are over the top. Their sauces are to die for. And Their specials for the day are just that 'Special'. I could say a lot of great things about Garlic City and fill this review. Instead I will just say...Their Menu Choices, The Food Quality, The Preparation of each dish, and The Presentation on each plate stands shoulder to shoulder with any of the restaurants, New and Old, in Morgan Hill. Don't take my word for it. Go there for dinner one night and see for yourself. Their Beet and Pear Salad is the real deal. Enjoy! read more

Stopped by here on our way to San Jose and the food was incredible. I got the Garlic Chicken sandwich and my boyfriend got the French Dip. They were both amazing! So delicious, and they make everything fresh to order. We walked in at like 2:45 and didn't realize they closed at 3. They still let us come in and the waitress was so kind. I got the sandwich without the onions, tomatoes, and lettuce on it so I could really taste the chicken and the garlic. So happy I did. I will be dreaming about this sandwich until I'm back out on the west coast to go again. read more

Love this family owned business. Food is always fresh and delicious. My favorite is the Cajun wrap.

I've lived in Gilroy my entire childhood and I never tried these garlicy places. A lot has popped up since I've been in town so when it was time to catch up with an old friend, this looked like a good place. And you know what I love about brunch/lunch in Gilroy, there is not a hour plus wait like in San Jose. I got seated immediately and you definitely get the home town feel. I wanted the garlic soup but they ran out. I did get the garlic chicken sandwich and upgraded the fries with garlic fries. The sandwich was bombbbb. So flavorful and the bread was yummy. The garlic fries were not good cuz it was soggy and thick. I was disappointed for that. It did have some fruit though! read more

Garlic City Cafe - American Near Me - Gilroy, California

The food was amazing here! Flavors just explode In Your mouth! The stuffed mushroom was to die for! My daughters had the ravioli, usually they are super picky 5 and 9 year olds! They ate their dinner and said it was delicious! I tried the beet salad it was by far the best salad every! Portions are big and service is great! Place was super clean! And following Covid protocol. I highly recommend Garlic City Cafe if you are looking for quality food! My husband had the burger very good as well! I'm sorry we didn't take any pictures of our dinner, but we just could stop eating once out plates made it to the table! read more

Don't know why people are complaining about the service. I didn't have to wait too long, and I was there on a Friday evening - supposedly their busiest time. 5 mins for service 27 mins for simple salad 12 mins for entree. The waitress was friendly and reminded me that their salad was free, so that was nice. I got the pork chop with mashed potatoes and veggies, and it was good. Overall a nice place. The food was tasty, but you really have to be adamant about how you want your meat cooked. Too bad they were out of garlic ice cream - the only reason I came there. read more

Garlic City Cafe - Yummy succulent pork chop with a bed of mashed potatoes and cooked green beans. - American Near Me - Gilroy, California

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The appetizers were delish. We were at the local wine bar. I liked that Garlic City Cafe partners with the local wine bar to serve food instead of not having any food at at the wine bar (Bella Viva), but because of that, the service was a little slow. The food from the garlic city café was excellent. I would most definitely return. read more

Garlic City Cafe - Antipasto & roasted garlic with crostini. - American Near Me - Gilroy, California