What a hidden gem. Fatima was our hostess and server. She was kind, professional and efficient. We started with drinks and the baba ghanoush eggplant appetizer. So good. The ambiance was delightful. My wife had the Koftah kebab entree and I had the chicken kabob entree. My wife also took a lentil soup to go. Great food, service and ambiance. Highly recommended read more

See all

OMG! Thank you to Rıza! He is the owner and he was so nice. He came our table. Very friendly and hosbitable... We were our way to LA from San Francisco and we wanted something nice and delicious... Service was so quick and good. Thank you Dominque! She was so nice and helpful. . The food! We love all the food that we ordered I really enjoyed chicken kebap, cheese börek and sambuka with meet!! You must order, cheese börek and falafel for sure as apetizer. İ am so sorry because there was the end of the dough for Sujok boat. So we didn't try it... İ also wanted try zahmet cheese bread. :( The baklava was the best that I have had in Amerika! Tea was, sweet for me but still was really tasty! Also I felt diffent taste like rose, it was nice. read more

See all

One of the nicest Mediterranean restaurants in the city. The Garden boats beautiful outdoor seating serving delicious Mediterranean cuisine. The staff are very pleasant, and the food is delicious. I dare say I haven't had a better falafel anywhere else. Crispy outside and pillowy light on the inside. We haven't had a bad dish yet and the seating is great for groups. We'll definitely be coming here regularly read more

See all

Stopped in for a Family dinner several days ago. Ordered, Eggplant hummus dip, and Meat Sambousek for appetizers. Shrimp and Spicy fries, and Chicken and Beef kabobs with rice and creamy garlic dip. For the main meal. Everything was delicious! read more

See all

Really nice place. The decor is really homey and appeals to the garden aesthetic, which is also their name sake. The menu is also really well put together. It had pictures and the prices were easy to figure out. I know some menu's can get confusing, but this place has a simple and readable menu. I ordered the cheese borek. It's was really good. The dough was light and flakey and the cheese was seasoned well and wasn't too overwhelming or overbearing. They had just the right amount of cheese in them, and 5 for $12 was pretty fair. The service was also really good. They look like a small business, and there was only one server when I had gone at the later part of the afternoon, but she was really nice and attentive. That had a part of the restaurant dedicated to photo ops, which was cool too. Overall, good first experience and I'm excited to continue going here. read more

See all

Everything was excellent! The food, the service and the atmosphere! Will be back next time in back in the area!!

Absolutely adorable ambience. Great service and delicious food. This is definitely a place for a romantic date night a drink with your friends or just a family getaway. Never had a bad meal here and always excited to try something new read more

See all

I love Mediterranean food, so I was thrilled to discover The Garden--it truly feels like a secret garden tucked away in the middle of Santa Maria. I went for the first time with a few coworkers for lunch, and we were all pleasantly surprised. The patio garden is spacious and beautiful, with plenty of seating to keep you comfortable no matter the weather. There's also a large indoor dining area, but the outdoor space is so lovely, it's hard to pass up. It's a great spot to host an event--the setting is inviting, open, and perfect for gatherings. Plus, they have a bar, which adds to the relaxed, festive vibe. Everyone working there was very friendly and welcoming. We shared the Vegetarian Combo Platter, which was the perfect size for four people to try a little of everything. I ordered the Gyro Lunch Special: tender lamb served over a bed of rice with a side salad, plus tzatziki and hummus. The portion was generous--I ended up taking half home, and it was just as delicious the next day. I'd definitely order it again! read more

See all

Loved the food the atmosphere and the severer. They are expensive but for how good the food is it's worth especially because all we have around sm is Mexican food it's nice to get something different read more

The food was so good, especially the falafel! Great selection of vegan options. The patio is much cuter than the inside, and they had heaters for colder weather. read more

The Garden - Patio - Mediterranean Near Me - Santa Maria, California

See all

So glad we found this spot - kind of in the middle of nowhere but beyond beautiful outdoor space that we loved! Really cool little picture spot - the service was great We have kids and like to call ahead our food so we have food ready when we get there - they were more than willing to accommodate and had everything set up at the moment we got there. The food itself delicious across the board got some of the cheese bread amazing combo platter. Everything was juicy and delicious, fries were super crispy highly recommend, and my wife loved her Gyro! 10/10 recommend and will be coming back very frequently read more

The Garden - Mediterranean Near Me - Santa Maria, California

Very unassuming decor and appearance from the outside and a spacious, relaxing and welcoming inside. I had the lunch special chicken plate with rice and salad. Perfect portion for lunch. I also had the Lebneh dip with pita. Service was fantastic, Jenny was attentive, kind and prompt with a smile. The inside has two sections; inside formal dinning room with booths, chairs and table cloth and the "outside" patio section. There is a legit retractable sun/weather covering on the patio which allows just enough light and ample fresh air. Truly a Middle Eastern garden oasis. Great for large parties, special events, etc. If you drink they have a cool looking and fully stocked bar. Great spot for all ages and events, from casual lunch with a friend, family dinner, co-workers and larger parties. Amazing place. Don't just this reataurant by its casual and unassuming outside apprearance. Ample parking. read more

The garden has a great variety of dishes. I love the outdoor seating space. My staff and I have gone often for special occasions. They are timely enough that we get back to the office without rushing. read more

The service was great, very quick. The food was delicious and super fresh. I got a falafel sandwich and the falafel was super crispy and all the sauces and veggies were really fresh and complimented it nicely. I would come again! read more

The Garden - Falafel sandwich. Super crispy with fresh sauces and veggies! Delightful! - Mediterranean Near Me - Santa Maria, California

I absolutely love this place. I've been here seven times over a course of 3 years each time service has been cool to good and the food has been amazing. The menu is fairly priced over this time as well so that's a win win. read more

The Garden - Bass and veggies - Mediterranean Near Me - Santa Maria, California

The ambiance was beautiful on the outside patio. A true local gem with quality olive oil on the table. The chicken kabab was so delicious as well as the in house made baklava. read more

The Garden - Ambiance - Mediterranean Near Me - Santa Maria, California

See all

So good! Driving through town on my way north- much better than a fast food burger. Lunch special for2. Nice when you don't need to ask for more bread. read more

If you're familiar with the area, there aren't that many great restaurants to choose from. The ambience is nice, you have the option to sit outside or inside and the service was good. read more

My fiancé and I decided to try something new for our 7th anniversary and chose The Garden after seeing a social media post with great reviews and delicious-looking food. When we arrived, we were a little concerned because there weren't many people dining in, but we decided to give it a chance, and we're glad we did, because it exceeded our expectations. Atmosphere: 10/10 The patio is beautiful, with warm lighting and greenery that create a cozy, inviting environment. The hostess seated us under a heater, which was perfect for a chilly evening and added to the comfort of the night. Service: Our server, Marco, was excellent. Even though it was a slower Tuesday night, he was extremely attentive, professional, and helpful with recommendations for our first visit. He paced our courses perfectly, allowing us to relax and enjoy our anniversary dinner without feeling rushed. Thank you, Marco, for helping make our night special. Food: Overall 9/10 We started with a sampler of the Tzatziki, Baba Ghanoush, and Hummus with pita bread. All were delicious, the cheese pastry was a standout appetizer, and our ranking for the dips was: Tzatziki Hummus Baba Ghanoush For cocktails, my fiancé had a margarita, and I tried the Oaxaca Old Fashioned. Both drinks were on the stronger side, which we enjoyed. Our entrées came as part of the Dinner for Two combo, which I highly recommend because you get to try several items from the menu. We received two salads, one was great on its own, and the other paired excellently with the meats. For the main course, we enjoyed chicken, steak, and a steak-and-lamb combination with rice and vegetables. All the meats were cooked well, but the beef and lamb kebab were our favorite, especially when paired with the dips and the parsley-based salad. Dessert did not disappoint either. I'm a huge coffee lover, so trying Turkish coffee for the first time was a treat. My fiancé, who isn't big on coffee, still enjoyed it when paired with the pistachio honey pastry, a perfect way to end the meal. Overall: The Garden gave us a fun and memorable way to celebrate our anniversary. Having the patio to ourselves on a quiet Tuesday night made it even more special. We will definitely be returning to this hidden gem on the Central Coast. Didn't take many pictures as we were being present with each other on our special night, next time we'll take more pictures. 10/10 -- Highly recommend. read more

The Garden - Oaxaca Old Fashion - Mediterranean Near Me - Santa Maria, California

This restaurant has very unusual food for a Mediterranean restaurant. They had pita bread, of course. They had a large lamb shank bone in a meat broth with potatoes and vegetables, and other dishes. Service was excellent. read more

This place deserves 10 stars! Service was exceptional and food was top notch. We were there for a family event visiting from different locations-total of 14 people. They delivered all we asked for and then some more! Kabob platter, dessert, appetizers, coffee and drinks were all superb. read more

The Garden - Mediterranean Near Me - Santa Maria, California

See all

Worth a Visit to Central Santa Maria ..... Pros: Interesting menu. Tasty food. Good value. Friendly service. Con: A small item - The pita bread was too firm and not warm. Star Ratings: - Overall: 5 - Location: 4 - Ambiance: 4 - Menu: 5 - Food Quality: 5 - Food Quantity: 4 - Service: 5 - Value: 5 - Parking: 5 The first time my wife and I visited the Garden Mediterranean was in late 2019 shortly before Covid hit. When friends mentioned going there for dinner in late January, they asked us to join them. Here are the pros and cons: Pros: - Location: Not bad. It's in central Santa Maria about a half block east of Broadway. It took a reasonable 20 minutes for our group in Nipomo to get there. - Ambiance: Pleasant. The dining room is fairly large with many well spaced tables which is nice for conversation. There's also a large patio for times when the weather is more cooperative. - Menu: Interesting. Lots of great sounding dishes. - Food Quality: Very good. Our table shared the Vegetarian Combo Platter ($20) with several pieces of 5 or 6 different appetizers. I followed that with a Shrimp Kabab Platter ($26). The shrimp were big and juicy and accompanying rice and vegetables very tasty. My wife had a Chicken Kabab with Steamed Vegetables ($24) which she called "excellent". My drink was Modelo Draft ($6) which she had a glass of house white wine ($12). - Food Quantity: Not overwhelming, but certainly sensible. - Service: Friendly and Attentive. Our server, a young woman, was helpful and always available to answer a question. - Price and Value: Reasonable. - Parking: Plentiful in their own lot. Con: - Food: The pita bread accompanying our dishes was kind of firm.....not warm and soft. A minor quibble. The Garden Mediterranean is neither a high end nor low end restaurant, but something comfortably in the middle. It's a worthy competitor to the Mediterranean food at Hapy on the Arroyo Grande-Pismo Beach border. read more

Food. Service.ambiance 5 star for all of them!! This place is a gem! Pls keep up the good work! read more

The food is super flavorful -- especially the kabobs, they're juicy, well-seasoned, and cooked perfectly. Everything tastes fresh and authentic. The place has a beautiful, nice setting and is great for parties, celebrations, or just a relaxing dinner or lunch with friends and family. Special thanks to the owner Reda -- he is very kind, professional, and truly cares about his customers. Highly recommend! One of the best spots in Santa Maria. read more

Great food and service. Sitting on the patio is always very pleasant. Nice location and everyone e I have taken throughly enjoys the variety of choices. read more

Delicious food, friendly stuff, beautiful restaurant and patio sitting Every time I try something new and everything delicious read more

I've eaten a wide variety of Mediterranean food, and The Garden served the best Mediterranean food I've ever had! My daughter & son-in-law from San Diego make a point of eating there whenever they come to visit. We had hummus and lebneh for appetizers. The hummus was super creamy & beautifully presented. The lebneh was mixed with herbs that brought it to the next level. We had chicken, steak, and kufta kebabs, and kibbe - all were excellent. The kufta kebab and the kibbe were especially remarkable. My SIL had the lamb shank, which was served in a bowl with broth and root vegetables. He said it was amazingly tender. The dinners come with a choice of sides. The vegetable side looked amazing, much better than vegetables served at most restaurants. We shared two of the desserts that I can't remember the names for - the two that aren't baklava, lol. Again, amazing! The dining area is an enclosed patio with greenery and fountains, which makes a beautiful setting. The service was friendly and efficient. I'll definitely go back again! I want to try the falafel and the fattoush salad - two of my favorites! read more

I was so excited to try this spot as someone who loves Mediterranean food and for it being the second most recommended restaurant in Santa Maria, I knew I had to try it. Ambiance: Friendly but service was slow. I had to wait a bit to order and get my bill. Meanwhile, other tables received more attention than my table. The staff were nice and I can see they were being genuine but all these factors still made me think the service and ambiance were subpar Food: I am going to be honest but the food isn't food. With Yelp check in, I got the pita and hummus. The pita was not toasted at all. Quality was not consistent and I noticed other tables had actual toasted pita. I ordered the beef shawarma and thought it was pretty average. The beef was a bit too tough to eat though. My biggest complaint here is the lamb chops served with vegetables. I recognize those vegetables very well and it makes me sad that a restaurant that has expanded to SoCal uses Costco's frozen stir fry vegetable blend (nothing wrong with buying Costco produce but frozen ones?!?!?). This was honestly a huge rip off. If that was the case, I might as well bring the one from my house to the restaurant and ask them to cook it. As much as I want to genuinely give them a more positive rating, I could not. These positive reviews are so misleading. I would not recommend anyone to go here because it's too expensive, food is meh, and service does not match up to what you pay for. read more

See all

I ordered the lentil soup which is excellent. Then, next was the vegetarian combination platter. It includes a Tabbouli salad that's full of flavor with lots of lemon juice. My favorite on this plate is the babaganoush which is made of roasted eggplant. Their hummus is so creamy and topped with olive oil, parsley and chickpeas. I'm not a huge fan of cold stuffed grape leaves, but I do like theirs because it's not so oily. And finally the falafels have a nice crunchy crust and soft fully-cooked interior making it perfectly delicious. With the toasted pita bread, I'm so full! Best of all, I know it's such a healthy meal. read more

The Garden - Vegeta Vegetarian Combo Platter - Mediterranean Near Me - Santa Maria, California

Driving up the 101 we always make it a point to stop in interesting places along the way instead of relying on off-the-freeway fast-food chains. And this one was worth the detour. The Garden Mediterranean is the kind of place you go to have a group happy hour or family reunion, or frankly any kind of gathering. Large covered and well heated patio that can open up to allow the weather in on a perfect day, but also to keep the weather out if needed. Very warm and friendly staff and good service. The hummus was absolutely delicious and my only complaint is that they don't give nearly enough pita to accompany the huge portion of hummus (or reduce the size/price of hummus)- so it's disproportionate. I was eating hummus with a spoon because I didn't want to waste so much. I really appreciate the tasty extra virgin olive oil (really olive-y tasting). I ordered the Fattoush salad with beef. The salad was perfectly seasoned and tart as a good fattoush should be, but I would have liked bigger pita chips instead of what felt like crumbs. The beef was meh-- not bad, not great. My daughter ordered a lamb gyro, and I snuck some pieces of the delicious and perfectly seasoned lamb chunks...I wish that I could have had those lamb chunks on my fattoush salad. The tzatziki sauce was thick, creamy and perfect. Can't wait to go back with the whole family next time. read more

See all

The food and the atmosphere are always fantastic. This is my go to place for excellent food.

This place has amazing food! I'm a sucker for Mediterranean food and this place serves the best in Santa Maria! The service is great and the restaurant has a cool and cozy vibe. I always eat outside on the patio or order to go and take it home. I love that I can order one entrée and have leftovers for the next day that are just as tasty as the day you brought it home. A must try. Don't miss out on supporting our local and delicious restaurants. read more

Food is very good and service was excellent. They charge a service fee if you do not pay with cash.

Santa Maria often gets overlooked on the culinary scene--perfectly understandable considering its many well-heeled culinary neighbors. But darned if this isn't the best Mediterranean/Middle Eastern restaurant on the central coast. The Garden is a favorite of ours for its freshness, superb friendly service, and value. The epicenter of the establishment is its large Lebanese style patio with a bar, plenty of seating, heaters for all-year dining, and its namesake flower garden. When you've had your fill of the world famous tri-tip, this is the perfect change of pace. Consider their grilled meats, salads, hummus, homemade pita bread, and fresh vegetables. This is a very good restaurant. read more

Wow this place is a MUST try if you are traveling North or to Monterey stop by here... really great food, service, and ambiance. A homey place with good music too... Thank you for great hospitality read more

See all

As a fellow traveler who just happened to be stopping by the area, I'm so impressed with this place! The ambiance is amazing and the vibes feel great here! A huge thank you to my waiter Jennie! She made me feel very welcomed along with the other servers. I ordered the lamb shank and I gotta say it's one of my favorite things I've tried by far! The baklava as desert is a must. I will be back here next time I'm in town! read more

The Garden - Mediterranean Near Me - Santa Maria, California

This place continues to impress! I could think of no better way to spend my birthday than lunching on their lovely patio. They have added a wood patio roof which only enhances the area. If you are interested in an alcoholic drink, their outdoorbar is complete & ready to serve. They seem to have enhanced their lunch menu (we usually have dinner here) which gave us several choices. I chose their lamb plate while my husband had their koftah (spiced ground beef) kabab. Everything was delicious & perfectly prepared. Their lamb is the most tender I have ever had. We added a small side of pita bread so we could enjoy the hummus that came with our plates - it came out warm & tasty. This continues to be our favorite restaurant in town. read more

See all

I visited the months ago during my birthday, which is falls in December and my daughter suggested the place and having been there once before with my coworkers on department lunch, I agreed. I don't recall what we had at least not I but she had the salmon dish which was delicious. We were seated right away indoors, but the location has a patio hence the name the garden. we both had an enjoyable experience having lunch on my birthday. read more

First time. Delicious chicken shawarma wrap. Fresh hot pita wraps perfectly spiced chicken. Handheld brilliance. Garlic paste for dipping on the side is better than anybody else's. Polite and attentive service. Nice open ambience with birds chirping. read more

This is my first time hearing about The Garden and decided to come and try it out. When I tell you that this food was truly amazing and comforting, I mean that with all my soul. The service was absolutely wonderful as well! Our waitress was so kind and caring and took note very quickly and easily of what it was that we needed for our experience here, and she made our experience absolutely unforgettable! I had a wonderful time! The lovely ambience of the pseudo-outside sunroom area was beautiful and inviting! The plants along the walls of the area and the comforting decor made the experience wonderful!! And the price of the food is absolutely reasonable! I would definitely come back read more