First time trying Garden State Grill, and we'll definitely be back! Everything we ordered was fresh, hot, and seriously delicious. Honestly, I don't think you can go wrong with anything on the menu. The Boardwalk Fries are an absolute must. They're piled high with rich gravy, tender, melt-in-your-mouth pot roast, and creamy, gooey cheese. Every bite was incredible! What really made our first visit stand out was the hospitality. The owner even came over to welcome us and chatted with us for a bit. He was such a genuinely nice guy, and it made us feel right at home. Great food, great people, and a great experience all around. We're already looking forward to our next visit! read more

Excellent food and service!! Selection is perfectly offered at a reasonable price. Monthly specials are worth checking out!!

Had lunch here on the recommendation of a local. We had the ribs and fried haddock, both specials of the day. The ribs were fall-off-the-bone. The fish was fresh. It was delicious and we can highly recommend this restaurant. The service was great, friendly and quick. read more

We decided to come here today after hiking at Raven Rock State Park. The atmosphere is casual. We went around 530ish and was seated right away. Carrie was our server and she was great. Very attentive and accommodating. As a table we ordered the coconut shrimp as an appetizer. The coconut was a overly crispy but still had a good flavor. I ordered the boardwalk fries with a side salad as my meal. Both were delicious. For my portion of the appetizer, fries and salad my total was around $36 before tip. Would definitely come back here. read more

The Garden State Grill - Side house salad with ranch dressing. - Bars Near Me - Lillington, North Carolina

See all

Staff was friendly. Food was mediocre definitely not worth the price. I don't think I will be back again.

Have been here in the past and returned out of convenience. We were planning to go to Napper Tandy's but there was the bike fest in Angier that day. This experience at GSG was a let down for sure. The waitress was not as attentive should be. The food came out of the kitchen steaming hot, I mean STEAMING! Made me think that Chef Mic(-Rowave) was working double duty in the kitchen as we had to wait several minutes before our food was cool enough to start eating. (There was a little girl across the dining room holding a meatball on a fork and I watched the steam come off of it for at least 4-5 minutes.) The quality and flavor of the food was mediocre. That will be our last visit there. read more

Ordered takeout for my family and I am more than pleased I did. The food was amazing! I ordered for myself 6 wings with the Rosemary infused Jersey hot sauce and the Garden State burger. I love wings and the hotter the sauce the better but I was pleasantly surprised how the rosemary gave a nice flavor upfront with a subtle heat on the back and which made them most enjoyable. The blue cheese dipping sauce had little chunks of blue cheese that did not over power the dip or wings. The garden state burger brought me back to my childhood when I would walk to the corner deli and get a pork roll, egg, and cheese on a Saturday morning! The employees were so courteous and provided me with great service even when I arrived early to pick up my food. The table layout seems perfect for quant dinning but also open enough to share in the atmosphere on a busy night with other customers. As a recently retiree from the Army I am very thankful that I was able to support a veteran owned business and that it is providing great food for the Lillington and surrounding areas. Me and the family will definitely be return customers. read more

Had the worst meal of my life tonight. One hour and 20mins from the time we ordered til we got our food, for our 4 of us. Stuffed flounder was frozen, ribeye was way over done, wrong sides than we ordered, wings were freeze burnt, Philly was horrible with no cheese and soggy bun. Never again, way overpriced too. Won't be back even if I was starving. Oh and no chicken sandwiches or any sandwiches at dinner, only burger or Philly, no chicken. read more

I really loved my food and the atmosphere. I would come back again and again. the food is amazing and workers are so friendly.

Where's the Chicken? I called in the order because the online ordering was down. I ordered from the online menu which includes chicken. There is no information about adding chicken. However, when I return home, 15 minutes away there was no chicken. When I call he said that it was included. There was also a previous post where they had the same experience. read more

The Garden State Grill - Online Menu - Bars Near Me - Lillington, North Carolina

We love the ambiance of this restaurant. I wish we lived closer. They always gave great offerings. Sometimes a bit eclectic, but try them. You'll be thankful. Today, we had the homemade crab soup. A tomato based soup with great seasonings and tons of crab bits. The Boardwalk French Fries are smothered with pot roast infused with brown gravy and mozzarella cheese. The fries are hot and crispy, so it's not a gelatinous mess. The pot roast would make any grandmother proud! My friends had the Ceasars salad and one added chicken. Unfortunately, the chicken chunks were not warmed. They looked cooked/grilled but tasted fresh from the freezer. Ugh. So much so that they were frigid, ice cold, not even thawed, and she pushed them off her salad and didn't eat them. If I were her server and noticed that I would have rectified it immediately. I enjoyed the large Garden State salad, mixed greens, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, blueberries, and croutons, topped with shaved parmesan. All ingredients were fresh. I added grilled salmon, but it was forgotten. I had a bit of a wait for the salmon, so I enjoyed my soup. The majority of their dressings are housemade, and the blue cheese is amazing. Fry dipping worthy! Full bar, freshly brewed iced tea, don't remember if they offer Coke or Pepsi products. My money is on Pepsi, after all it is North Carolina! read more

The Garden State Grill - Housemade crab soup - Bars Near Me - Lillington, North Carolina

See all

This is the best local mom and pop restaurant around. The meatball sub is to die for. The buffalo chicken sandwich is packed full of flavor. They make all the sauces in house. Carrie the bartender made us feel so welcome! She is the best! Make sure you ask for her! Ben, the owner, takes a lot of pride in his business and is always adding new things. Definitely my favorite place around the lillington and angier area! Such a great ambiance! read more

Food good garden state taste. Service best in town Ambiance like a mom and pop place read more

See all

We had calamari with some marinara and some soy sauce. It was the best calamari we've had in NC. The other food was good, but it's super expensive. We would go back for the calamari and drinks. read more

The choices are few in Lillington Nc, But this place has never dissapointed! The suprano (meatball sub), boardwalk fries, pot roast, chicken parm... everything ive had has been good so far read more

I'm sorry to say I had one of worst meals I've had in a long time this evening. I ordered a crab appetizer made similar to a hush puppy. However, if there was crab in the dish it was hidden by the corn meal and sweet corn that made up the bulk of the dish. It was also so sweet the even the mildly spice dipping sauce couldn't help it. They were also over cook to the point of having charred black portions. I ordered a special, short ribs, one of my favorite. The meat was so over done that the outside had to pried of with the fork and knife. It was black, tasted burnt and bitter. Some char on ribs is fine but charcoal is going to far. To make matters worse the meat and sauce was so salty, an I like salt, that I had to leave over half of the meal on my plate. I should have sent the meal back but I'm to stubborn, I bought it I as going to eat it. I hope this was only a bad night. In the past we really liked this place. Next time, and I sure there will be at least one more next time, I'll stick to the full time menu and stay clear of the specials. read more

Stopped in not knowing anything about this restaurant, it was fantastic!!!! We ordered the Salmon dinner and the chicken parmesan, A-mazing!!!!!!!! We found our local go to restaurant! read more

My boyfriend and I stopped in here for dinner last night, and we are so happy we did! It's a brand new restaurant with New Jersey vibes. The menu is small, but everything is made from scratch, so were excited to give them a try. Our waitress Caroline, was the best! She was very attentive and had a great personality! We decided to start with a bourbon (my boyfriend's order) and I had a Manhattan. The bartender was new but you wouldn't know it, because she made a killer Manhattan! One of the best I've had! I actually ended up ordering another one. Then we decided to place our food orders. I ordered the Balboa Philly style cheesesteak with fries, and he ordered the Classic sloppy Joe topped with fries and cheese sauce, and it came with homemade chips. Both of our entrees were delicious, and the portions were not skimpy! I tried some of my boyfriend's chips and they were the best! If they included a side of homemade onion dip, they would be next level! We are already looking forward to our next visit! read more

Service can be slow sometimes. Food is pretty good and ambiance would be what I would expect at a n all night diner. Pot Roast fries are a must! read more

First time having lunch here and these are my thoughts : * Ordered a grilled chicken sandwich ..was tasty ..been looking for a decent grilled chicken sandwich and finally think I found one. Side of fries were good as well. The thing that stood out was the service ...My server, Dennis , was friendly, also there was a brunette female server that was customer service personified.She was helping everyone and with grace and patience. It's good to see there is still humanity in the food service business. I work down the street and will definitely be back. read more

1st time here. I ended up ordering to go. Chicken wings are the best around !! The salmon is definitely worth ordering, grilled to perfection. Mashed potatoes are fresh. Staff was very friendly. I definitely look forward to going back. read more

Probably the best food in Lillington. It's pricier than other local spots but higher quality all around. We like to sit at the bar but there's plenty of tables as well. Always quick, friendly service even when they're busy. Support local! read more

The Garden State Grill - Black bean Burger and Daily Vegetable - Bars Near Me - Lillington, North Carolina

See all

We ate here on June 29 for a HS friends reunion dinner. I had one of the best burgers I have every had and my love had an excellent chicken parm. We will be back! read more

POOR LAUREN B!!! When we came in Lauren was flying solo and she was nailing it! As staff trickled in and a few more patrons showed up, things began to fall apart. New arrivals sorta milled about aimlessly whilst Lauren answered the phone, took orders, and topped off beverages. The hostess brought my salad sans dressing and when I tried to get her attention she was always checking her phone. Lauren brought some after she came by to check on us. There was a slightly older gentleman present that may have been the manager but he certainly wasn't "in charge". About the same time we arrived, some regulars came in and unleashed their child on the world. He was tasting specks of food from beneath the tables, impeding staff as they tried to serve other customers, and intermittently shrieking. That was not OK and someone from the restaurant should have spoken with the child's family for the sake of the other diners. Food was GREAT! My pork chop was huge and perfectly seasoned and cooked. The burger was tasty and so were the fried pickles. Based on the food alone, I'd go back hoping that this less than pleasant experience was a fluke. read more

The Garden State Grill - Feral child obviously belonging to a regular was allowed to roam freely about the establishment. - Bars Near Me - Lillington, North Carolina

Hmmmmm we've enjoyed it in the past and the owner / manager was very friendly. Today however, we sat for 20 minutes without getting water or a glance. Waitresses and hostesses gathered chatting and messing around on cell phones. Walking past several times. Not very crowded- we'd have patience if it were. Clearly the boss was not around. 5pm on a Saturday. Poor customer service. Bummer. We left to go somewhere else for our anniversary. read more

This is a really great restaurant with some of the best chicken sandwiches around! I got the Buffalo chicken and my husband got the chicken parm. Both were delicious and came piled high with TWO big pieces of chicken. Yay for leftovers! Our service was pretty good and the owner stopped by to see how things were going. We will definitely stop by again when visiting family in the area! read more

Great food! Friendly and attentive staff. The filet mignon salad was excellent! Will definitely be returning in the future. Highly recommend! read more

dropped by after hiking at raven rock, first time in + food was DELICIOUS. We ordered burgers bessstttt burgers we've had!!! We had to go back + again ordered the burgers so juicy flavorful + my daughter had pasta Alfredo + it was tasty too. Definitely will be back. Service was good as well! read more

We had a lunch date here and must say that the staff made the stars. The service here is great and welcoming. The burgers were ok, fries pretty good and chips were too hard. The sweet tea was good but only having Pepsi products was a not good. We will go back and give different selections a chance. This is a small veteran business that deserves a chance. read more

The Garden State Grill - Jersey burger meal no veggies with homemade chips - Bars Near Me - Lillington, North Carolina

See all

Terrific food from locally owned good folks who really want to make your meal and order correct and enjoyable

Outstanding!!! Jersey girl is happy to have them nearby!!! Pork roll and eggs are perfect read more

I had the pot roast the meat was dry the mashed potatoes were like concrete and there was little gravy. I have had this before and it was excellent. tonight it was not. read more

Great service, food, and feeling... I think I just found my favorite place to go for an enjoyable experience! Kudos to the amazing staff :) Thank you! read more

Wife got the pork chop, and it was very chewy. I got the Chicken Parm and it was ok. Tasted like frozen chicken you'd get from a bag in Costco. Definitely not worth the price, that's for sure. Might come back and give it another try one day, but that's mainly because there's not much competition in the area. read more

Excellent service and amazing food, highly recommended. We have now become regulars and look forward to it every time.

Stopped in with our granddaughter for lunch yesterday. Angel was our server, she was attentive and very sweet. We had a cheeseburger, the cheesesteak and kids chicken tenders. Everything was cooked just right, even the kids tenders were moist and not dried out. When visiting our son we would definitely come back. read more

The Garden State Grill is my favorite place to eat. Whether it's lunch or dinner with the family, this place never disappoints. The food, the drinks, the service, the people, and the atmosphere are all so wonderful and so inviting. I love that the owner always walks around checking on everyone. You can tell this concept is from his heart and the food is out of this world. If you haven't checked out this veteran owned business, what are you waiting for? read more

See all

Will definitely be going back! The outdoor seating area is covered & dog friendly, staff was kind to our dog & service quick. The jalapeño poppers were the best I've ever had, all the food was delicious. read more

The Garden State Grill - Dog friendly covered seating. - Bars Near Me - Lillington, North Carolina

See all

Gives NJ food a bad name. No salad with meal like Jersey does, medium portion (who wants more anyway ) and prepackaged frozen breaded chicken from a bag then reheated and calling it Chicken Parm. I expected fresh chicken in-house breaded and fried, but I received a TV dinner style meal. Gross. Didn't eat and took home to my son who didn't want it either. My husband got the meatballs. They also seemed like they were not homemade. For shame. Bonus was, a surprise surcharge for using a credit card at the end. Won't be back. If we could post zero stars, we would. Left REALLY disappointed. read more

All food that we have tried is delicious. The staff is very helpful. They are always trying to make sure your visit is a good one. The restaurant is very clean. read more