This is my go to place to have breakfast after work. Owner/chef and waitress super nice and personable. Food is fresh and cook to order. None of that precooked and heat up for you in the microwave kind of cafe/diner. read more

So bummed. We moved to Gilroy a few years ago and this was always on our list to try. Food was ok, nothing great but good. The real kicker is the staff. The female waitress was nice but never checked on us. The man that greeted us and brought our dishes to us, tall. Thin with black hair was so extremely rude we were actually uncomfortable. He was irritated when we walked in. I think because we went at 6pm they didn't like it because they close at 7. It was 80 degrees, the management is too cheap to use the AC. The guy and female waitress were terrible. We went Thursday april 2nd at 6pm and will never go back. The bread was the best thing we had. read more

The food here is absolutely delicious. All the dishes are amazing. The signature cream of garlic soup is a must! Creamy, umami, with diced potatoes! The bowl for $6.95 is an amazing deal. The egg battered calamari steak with pasta was our favorite dish. Comes with garlic, artichoke, caper, lemon, butter with cooked broccoli, carrots. The calamari cooked just right so it is easy to cut and chew. Best texture and not overcooked/rubbery. We licked the plate clean! We chose salad for the side and the leaves are crisp, the honey dijon mustard dressing are light and have the good kick of flavors sweet and spicy. We also ordered garlic chicken eggplant sandwich. Also amazing, cooked well, great combo of flavors with pesto spread. Comes with salad as well (you can choose other side options too, soup or fries). Chicken tenders have juicy chicken with crispy outside and fries are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside like they should be. Kids love them both! The food takes some time but worth it! Garlic items are amazing! read more

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Omg! This is a gem of a place in Gilroy! This was our "special" meal of our trip and I'm glad we chose this over the other places we were looking at. Place is clean, bright, and inviting! We came in a little before 1pm on Friday and we were seated immediately (party of 4). Everything we ordered was great. I had the Garlic City burger and I love all the garlic that was in it. I couldn't finish it though because of how big the patty is. My husband's was the eggplant caprese panini and I got to try a bite out of it. My mind was blown by all the flavors it had. It was expertly crafted for a panini! Overall, I'd definitely recommend this to anyone new and want to try something from Gilroy! We'd definitely be coming back next time we're here. If I can give them more than 5 stars, I would. read more

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When in Garlic City, one must eat garlic of course! This is a diner-like cafe with limited ambiance but everything is well made! We enjoyed a relaxing and enjoyable meal in an unhurried fashion! We had garlic soup, garlic burgers and garlic fries! The soup was clearly homemade and quite tasty! The burgers each came with at least eight cloves of roasted garlic! Perfect! The fries could have been crispier. Next time, will order extra well done! We were pleasantly surprised with the food and the coffee was suitable strong! What else do I need? Nothing! Garlic focused food and coffee and life is good! read more

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Service was prompt and well done. Food was awesome. We had great Crème of Garlic soup. Sandwiches were crispy garlic chicken sandwiches. Great sourdough and fresh veggies. Yummy read more

When in Gilroy one must try Garlic City Cafe. We wanted a local restaurant that served seafood. We tried the Blackened Salmon that was served with the fluffiest risotto. The Seafood Linguine was super flavorful, both made-to order and served piping hot. The blue cheese salad was a great starter and the freshly baked bread was paired nicely with our entrees. Casual Dining with a hometown feel. Family-owned and run for over 15 years. Will definitely come back. read more

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The waitress was so sweet. Very welcoming place. The food was wonderful. So glad we stopped here. The food is priced very decent. Not expensive at all especially for pasta. The place is very clean everything tasted really good. Definitely recommend if you're in town. Tomato soup was delicious!! read more

Garlic City Cafe - Prawns Arrabiata, tomato Soup Of The Day, ice tea. Absolutely delicious - American Near Me - Gilroy, California

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I live in Los Angeles, and whenever I visit San Jose, I always make it a point to stop by here to dine in or get food to go. I discovered this place by chance, and ever since, it has become a must-visit for me. The quality is on par with that of a high-end restaurant. This time I ate Chicken and Prawns Pasta and to go Chicken sandwich and Garic French fries and my family said it was amazing. read more

Garlic City Cafe - Onion soup - American Near Me - Gilroy, California

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Third time eating there we placed our order meanwhile we're watching the Cook make a salad with his hands no gloves ,then he walks into the kitchen with the same hands and throws meat on the grill. Turns around, goes back and put the toppings on the salad without washing hands, I asked the owner if she knew about it and she said it was OK so I told her we lost our appetite. Go ahead and cancel Our order, will never go back cross contamination is very unhealthy but she don't think so. I wish the health department would check them out , we will never go back. read more

Garlic City Cafe - The cook leaving the grill going back to finish a salad without washing hands - American Near Me - Gilroy, California

Excellent service. Excelllent fresh food. You could taste everything fresh. The ambience was excellent and very clean.

Second time here, this place is a Gem I must say, If you have not been here yet! Please stop in and get a bite.you would not be disappointed staff is welcoming very friendly. read more

I have lived in Gilroy just over 10 years now. Before this most recent visit I had only been here one time, eight years ago, and it was not good. So I had not been back. I don't know if I simply got an anomalous bad experience, or something has changed, but this visit our meal was amazing. I told my wife spontaneously that we were going out to breakfast - I just had to pick up trash downtown first! How romantic, right? She was surprised that I wanted to go to breakfast because my general policy regarding going out to eat is I either have to be away from home, or the restaurant must be able to do something that is incredibly difficult for me to do at home, better than I can do at home, or involves ingredients not easily sourced. That mentality makes it very hard to do what we did this morning and go to a local cafe. But we did. One could never say anything negative about the location of this restaurant, or the ambiance. Situated in the center of downtown Gilroy, it has that hometown feel and a few tables out right on the boulevard perfect for people watching. We were seated immediately and service for coffee and order taking was fast. Living by my credo above, I ordered the corned beef hash eggs benedict and my better half ordered the 8oz ribeye and eggs. Prices were very reasonable with todays inflation - steak and eggs was $22 I believe and came with choice of toast, short stack, or french toast. She chose the latter. I was surprised when my server asked how I wanted my poached eggs. I thought, right, like a restaurant can even do this any more, we'll see. This is where the only negative came in - don't expect a quick in and out for breakfast here. Clearly their kitchen is not prepared for a full dining room as our table was no different than others in that it took about 30 minutes for our food to come out - all the while I was thinking to myself, this had better be amazing... And, IT WAS! Both plates came out as if they just came off the griddle. My dish was beyond my expectations - The eggs were somewhere between easy and medium (ordered medium) but I would rather they be a tad under than over. The hollandaise sauce is rarely done right at most breakfast places - often even broken - this one was really good, sharp flavor, right temp, no chance this was sitting on the pass for a five minutes. The corned beef hash was good - most likely not homemade, but it didn't matter - it was properly grilled up before assembly. The country potatoes are something I usually never eat at a breakfast place because they are either cold, or worse, reheated. These seemed fresh from the grill/fryer and were delicious. My wife's steak was cooked nicely and the star, she said, was the salsa. I agreed. She wanted the recipe! French toast was good - not as good as mine at home - but nicely done. Overall, we'll be back and hope that we have another good experience - nothing I am more disappointed by than a place that does things right, sometimes. So crossing my fingers. Give it a shot, report back here! read more

Garlic City Cafe - American Near Me - Gilroy, California

Ci è stato consigliato da un abitante del posto conosciuto per caso. Ottimi piatti e ottima presentazione. Personale molto attento e cucina con i cuochi che cucinano a vista del cliente read more

Food was just mediocre. Garlic fries were full of garlic, which was great, but they weren't crispy. Burger was just ok. No gluten free bread, so just the burger and toppings. We were hungry, and had high expectations based on Yelp reviews. We would not go back. Owners were there, and pleasant. read more

I have eaten at the Garlic City Cafe a handful of times. It's never my idea, and every time I eat there, I vow it's my last time. The food is okay, but not remarkable. The attitude of the servers is unacceptable. The owner/server and the other server are just plain rude every time. This restaurant closes at 7:00. The last time I was there, the servers clearly wanted us to leave, so they tried to box my friend's food before she was done eating. They also wiped up the table while we were sitting at it, in an obvious attempt to make us uncomfortable so that we would leave. This was before 7:00, mind you. When we left, we thanked both servers and left a generous tip. They both glowered at us and said nothing. I'm done with this place. The food is mediocre at best, and I am not paying to deal with someone else's bad attitude. Gilroy has a lot of other restaurants to choose from. read more

First time visit for dinner for 6 people. Food was delicious and service was great, and prices were reasonable and below others. Had rib eye and vegetables, and spicy chowder soup. One of our group is a frequent visitor who recommends the pastrami sandwich. read more

Came here on a Tuesday afternoon for a quick bite and was left disappointed. We told the server we were ready to order and she disappeared. She eventually came back to us after taking orders from 3 different tables. We ordered two smoothies and two sandwiches which took forever to come out. After 30 min we asked about our food and the server said it would be 15 more min but wasn't sure. We could see that there were 3 other tables (12 people) ahead of us and we asked to just pay for the smoothies. She came back to us stating that the food was being prepared which was not true at all. Be prepared to spend a long time since it's only one server and one cook working. read more

We ordered the Antipasto, which did not just came with great presentation but also tasted great, especially the cheese. The Sage Chicken too was so tender and the taste was so Gilroy ish, with great aroma of garlic. We closed with a Vanilla Garlic Ice Cream to end the evening with a memorable high note. read more

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My husband and I had the most delicious dinner at Garlic City Cafe this past weekend! I've only ever had breakfast there, and decided to try it for dinner, and it did not disappoint! I had the Sage Chicken which was so tasty. I never finish an entire meal when I eat out, and I licked my plate clean, and it was a generous portion of food! My husband had the steak and stuffed shrimp, and it too, was tasty. The chef definitely cares about their craft; everything was fresh, cooked to perfection, and the presentation was beautiful as well. You would expect white table linens and an intimate ambiance with the quality of food served, however, it is much more casual inside. This doesn't remove a star from my review, just an observation. The service was great, and we appreciated the chef asking how our meal was on our way out. We will definitely be back as there are so many dishes that sounded wonderful that we need to try! read more

After a hot but fun day at the Gilroy gardens, I needed some food. I wanted garlic fries. This restaurant brought them! They were crispy and not soggy. Vegetarian options are a plus. Prices are good. The restaurant wasn't crowded and the service was good! Only complaint is the flies I spent shooing off my body and food the entire time I was there due to the open front door. I hope they consider a cheap adhesive screen mount if a screen door isn't possible. It was a nuisance throughout the meal. read more

Garlic City Cafe - Poetabello mushroom burger and garlic fries. - American Near Me - Gilroy, California

YUMMY quiet morning walk into Garlic City Cafe and then I walk through the entrance door and see a a full house of folks enjoying their breakfast. I knew I was in the right place and it definitely didn't disappoint read more

Stopped in Gilroy on our way to San Jose and decided to try this place. The Yelp menu price they reference is outdated. Add at least $9 to every entree. So my daughter and I decided to split the French dip. It came with fries. For $1.25 they added garlic. My husband ordered the Cajun chicken sandwich with potato salad. My granddaughter ordered chicken strips and fries from the kids menu. We got one ice tea and a sprite. It took over 35 minutes to get our order, and that was with us asking the waitress to check on it. The people at the table next to us came in after us and received their order about 15 minutes before us. We got our order but no extra plate that I had requested. So I asked for one and a cup so I could split the au jus. The waiter brings me another container full of au jus and wants to charge me for it! I told him no, I just wanted a cup to split the one we add. Then my poor granddaughter took one bite of her chicken tender and spit it out. It wasn't done on the inside. We told them to take it back and remove from our bill. The waiter rolled his eyes. My husband's chicken was over cooked. He cut me off a piece of his sandwich to try and I thought I bit into a bone. It was tough and hard. The waitress never came by to check on our meal or refill water and ice tea. Worst experience ever. My husband did say his potato salad was ok. Total came to $47 bucks for two sandwiches and two drinks. I would have rather add McDonald's. read more

Definitely not worth a visit. Only 3 tables here & our food took forever. Bland spaghetti. 4 ppl working and I'm still not sure why it's sooooo slowwwwwww. Found this place on Yelp. #Failed me read more

Garlic City Cafe - American Near Me - Gilroy, California

Lunch at Gilroy City Cafe Chicken and Prawn Spaghetti love the garlic bread and garlic dried tomato sauce! comes with a soup or salad Chicken Wrap unique, tasty and juicy! #gilroy #gilroyfood #gilroydowntown #bayareaeats #bayarea #bayareafoodie #foodie #foodblogger read more

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We frequent Garlic City regularly. The owners are hands on (chef and waitress). The food is AMAZING and very reasonably priced. Specials are always 5 star and not what you would expect from a " cafe". If I could give the Garlic City Cafe 10 stars I would!! read more

I love this place. The food here is excellent!! So damn flavorful. None of this frozen food and reheat like most restaurants do. I highly recommend. Everytime I eat here the food is amazing. read more

Garlic City Cafe - American Near Me - Gilroy, California

Best food in Gilroy! The food is always amazing and the service is also equally great. They do an amazing job with chicken. The sage chicken is always my go to but you can't go wrong with any dish read more

Garlic City Cafe - Sage Chicken - American Near Me - Gilroy, California

Fantastic food! The fettuccine Alfredo with chicken and garlic soup were incredible! Five stars! *****

The food was amazing. It was recommended by a local winery and we will be back. The waitress was ver kind and didn't rush us at all.

Really slow service on the weekend plus the food was really really okish, tried pancakes, Benedicts and french toast!

The food is consistently delicious, and the portion sizes are generous. I always opt for pasta or sandwiches and have never been disappointed. I highly recommend it! read more

Charming! It was raining, so we drove over to Gilroy to hit the outlets. We wanted to try something different for lunch so we selected Garlic City Cafe from the Yelp reviews. The place was packed for a Tuesday lunch. There was only one table available. We knew we were in a good place! We ordered the grilled chicken salad and the tuna melt. The ingredients were simple but excellent. Everything was prepared with fresh ingredients. It's the great farm to table meals we all want without the unnecessary flash. I wish we had tried the garlic soup but we will save that for the next visit! read more

My husband and I had breakfast at this restaurant for the first time. They had very delicious omelets and we really enjoyed it. The waitress was very polite and kind. I recommend you try itthank you for your service and delicious breakfast read more

We haven't stopped here for awhile because we live outside of Gilroy, but last week we were hot and tired and needed a nice place to relax and have dinner. This is the PERFECT place fr that! Greeted and seated immediately by the lovely and gracious owner, she gave us menus and took our drink orders. Returning quickly with delicious iced tea and lemonade, she answered some questions we had about the menu and then took our order. Our meal arrived very soon and was I have ever tasted, really good! My husband had the barbecue beef sandwich with potato salad and he loved both. It was so generous, he brought half home. The beef was so tender and tasty, we ended up talking to the chef and he told us his methods on cooking it. He is a very accomplished chef! On the way out we noticed the desserts and left with a piece of butternut squash cheesecake that was amazing! We will be back again soon and probably every time we are in Gilroy!! read more

Today my friend and I tried the restaurant. We were seated right away but it took a minute for them to take our order. We waited quite a long time for our food. We both ordered the Garlic city burger. The garlic on the burger and the fries was way overboard. The burger was kind of dry and tasted like it had ginger or some other seasoning that made it taste odd. Not a great experience. read more

This place is a surprise. For a large menu, the chef nailed both of our orders so well. Been to high end Italian restaurants and I can compare how at par the sauce he made. Pasta is perfect al-dente and the flavor is fresh. A place to stop by when you re in Gilroy. read more

Garlic City Cafe - Chicken Piccata - American Near Me - Gilroy, California

For COVID, there is social distancing and all employees are masked. There are seating inside and outside. There is ample parking on the street and also in the back of the building area. Our waitress was really courteous and assisted us with all the questions we had. When you're in Gilroy, the biggest thing to have is of course a garlic dish. Garlic City Cafe is definitely the place to try to get all that garlic on your taste pallet!! We ordered the chicken sandwich, the garlic city burger, and a bowl of the garlic soup. They all tasted mighty fine of garlic! The garlic soup did taste like a chowder soup with potatoes inside too. It's definitely a dish to try with a sandwich to dip ;). For the chicken sandwich, that tasted amazing. It isn't too overpowering on the garlic but it had a good balance of it. I'm not sure if I'm getting the name of the chicken sandwich wrong but it is definitely one of the popular dishes there, or so we were told. Next up was the garlic city burger; now the burger was a burger but then added with their garlic sauce and roasted garlic cloves and man, I was on garlic overload! I ate that burger quick! I did upgrade the fries to garlic fries too in which they were okay. This is definitely a place to try when in the area! **side note, not sure if the A/C was broken, but the doors were open and it was a bit humid and warm inside so if you'd like things breezy, probably sit outside. Only thing is the outside seating is on the walkway in front of the restaurant. read more

Garlic City Cafe - Garlic Chicken Sandwich - American Near Me - Gilroy, California

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Nice little smalltown diner! We were passing through on a 1200 mile road trip and decided a perfect name for a restaurant in Gilroy is Garlic City Cafe. Service is great and the paining and sweet potato fries are wworth pulling in for! If you are near at meal time give this lace a try! read more

Garlic City Cafe - Great chicken eggplant panini - American Near Me - Gilroy, California

For a small town like Gilroy, this place is pretty decent. They have a nice menu with lots of different choices to choose from. Very traditional American food. The waiters in this small are pretty nice. The only down side is they took a long time for our food to be ready. We waited for 20mins and the restaurant wasnt even busy. Also, when paying, if you want to split the check (putting more than 1 card) they add an additional $1 fee to every card which us outrageous because no other restaurants does that. read more

Garlic City Cafe - Steak Sandwich - American Near Me - Gilroy, California