Garden Cafe Reviews

But better, you don't have to prepare or clear away, and everything appears wholesome beautifully prepared, pleasant staff and clean surroundings interesting allotment and kitchen garden, needs some attention. However I was visiting to try the food and it was just great, good value, freshly prepared and wholesome, would I visit again, most certainly. The kitchen garden does need some attention though.....

We have been here a few times and found it pleasing each time. Great menu for breakfast or lunch. Inside or back garden seating. Grow their own herbs in the back. Today, I saw a hen--maybe they have their own eggs, too. A different place to dine!

Off the beaten path for sure, the Garden Cafe is in a residential neighborhood across the street from a park. The back patio is in the middle of their garden with the occasional chicken wandering around. The patio is the best place to sit and relax. The food is creative and tasty. The staff are very helpful. Expect to wait in line to order you food, this is a popular place.

good breakfast neighborhood joint featuring eggs, omlettes, pancakes, etc

Went here for Saturday breakfast on our way out of town. It’s well worth the effort to find this cozy neighborhood spot. Good coffee, great homemade biscuits, and a tasty omelet. Friendly staff, good service. A Lille too chilly to sit in the garden but it looked lovely.

This place is a hidden gem that you would never know is right around the corner. If you like healthy food and great coffee this is your place. I always order the vegetable plate and their sweet potato pancakes. Set you free

Can't beat their home cookin!

Really liked this place. It has an Austin vibe to it. You get in line and order your food. I had an omelet with spinach mushroom and cheese. It comes with a biscuit- huge and soooo delish. You choose your side. There are about 8 different sides to choose from. I had fruit. My daughter had the 2 eggs scrambled with a biscuit and fruit. Everything was so good and fresh. We also shared a buttermilk pancake. Honestly, it was the best pancake I ever had. We also had a salted caramel vanilla coffee which they grounded up fresh. Everything was so so good. My only complaint was that it’s small with limited seating. There were two tables available but it hadn’t been cleaned. I asked the girl making coffee if one of the tables can be cleaned. She gave me some eye rolling and told me she would get someone to do it. In the meantime while we were standing around waiting and waiting another table opened up. We started cleaning up the table when someone came over to do it. Mind you it was never wiped down. She just used a paper towel to clean it up and just removed the plates and glasses. We laid down paper towels to put our plate and utensils on. Other than that, I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt that they were busy overwhelmed and understaffed. Otherwise the food is great.

Skeptical when I first walked in but what a wonderful surprise. Fabulous roasted potatoes. Best meatloaf I've had in a long time with a tomato sauce on top to die for. We'll be back!

Such a cute neighborhood place! Great coffee too. The garden in the back is a working garden that supplies produce for the restaurant. The hens wander around and are so cute. I had a simple breakfast of eggs, roasted potatoes, house made sausage and toast. Delicious! The hubby had the chicken fried steak, with gravy and a side of cheesy grits. He was a big fan. Gravy was clearly the real deal and the grits were made as they should be from good quality stone ground corn. Laid back place and good food!

This is a fun place with a following of veggie fans. The food is good but desserts are limited but not the coffee. Go there even if it is a bit out of the way but skip the chicken fried steak

My wife wanted to return here for the Cinnamon rolls. Last time we were here there was a long wait, for great food. Today, a magnificent fall day, no wait. We sat outside and enjoyed the beautiful garden area. My wife's omelet was the best I have ever tried. The biscuits were great. I had French Toast which was good. The only drawback to this great place is the serve yourself coffee. We had to get up three times to get our own coffee. Other than that no complaints. Incredible place in Fall or Spring weather to sit outside and enjoy the garden, complete with the occasional live chicken roaming by your table. This would be a great place to bring your children to wander the gardens (real vegetable gardens). It is also very pet friendly.

Excellent place for breakfast. Omelets are build your own and not a bad price and homemade salsa. The biscuits are also homemade with homemade gravy.

Second visit to this neighborhood cafe. Not their best day. First, the chicken salad sandwich came with gristly pieces and frankly was rather small. Second, they were out of iced tea. In Texas on a 90+ degree day, you're out of iced tea? They said their supplier hadn't delivered it. Really? For a place that talks about their fresh vegetables growing out back, they bring in their iced tea? They really should brew on site. I did hear the cashier offer someone some hot tea though. And when I went looking for straws, I was told they were out. Ten minutes later, the bus boy said they just got delivered. I guess the delivery person forgot to also deliver some iced tea.

It's tough to find a great local restaurant with organic food, a garden onsite, AND large dogs allowed on the patio. This is the place! It's a little tough to find - in East Dallas - but well worth the directions. They have specials every day (cube steak, grits, pasta salads), but specialize in locally grown organic produce, organic eggs (great breakfasts - try their roasted potatoes), and the servings are huge (if you're a light eater, split it or take half home). Delicious!! Breakfast and lunch only - closed Mondays.

When I heard there was a secret little garden in the Junius neighborhood, near Baylor Medical Center, with a cafe that served from said garden, I was really excited. I love the whole farm to table concept. While there was no waiting to order and plenty of tables open, we waited almost a full hour for an omelet and a chicken salad sandwich. We were really let down when neither were that great. The omelet was overcooked and the chicken salad with apricots was salty and overwhelmed any flavor of apricot. I love the architecture of the building, the outside garden does exist, kind of half-heartedly, but it lacked the dreamy magic I expected. With a little work, it could be really magical.

Getting there around 11 a.m., the place was packed with a smartly dressed crowd, mostly millenials. By the time we left around noon, the crowd was down and the noise level too. In between, we enjoyed fresh breakfast foods and a very understanding staff. Their computer system incorrectly inputed my entree order, so the staff provided a great entree alternative and gave me $5 off coupons for the slight inconvenience. My one regret was not having enough time to try the buttermilk pie. We'll be back and maybe get to sit outside when it's a bit warmer.

Great with Birkenstocks

I've been to this restaurant several times in different seasons to give it another chance. The service is good. The staff is helpful. Unfortunately, however, the food is hit and miss and nothing special. Our party of three ordered different dishes and shared a salad. The salad was good. The meat dish was fine, though the potatoes were the standout part of it. The other dishes were only OK. This is not the first time we hade only OK food, which is unfortunate for a neighborhood restaurant. We won't be giving it any more chances.

It may come as a surprise to find a restaurant smack in the middle of the historic Munger Place residential district, but in the days before national chain megastores, this small strip housed a neighborhood A & P, a bakery, and a mom-and-pop pharmacy. The Garden Cafe still has a quiet, neighborhood feel. It's a casual, order-at-the-counter source for breakfasts, soups, and sandwiches made with fresh local ingredients, some "fresh and local" as in grown in the restaurant's own back yard. When the weather's nice, an inviting rear patio places you right in the center of the herbs being grown for tomorrow's dishes. I made the hard choice between sweet potato or whole grain pancakes. The whole grain were delicious, in part because of a wonderful maple syrup with strong hints of brown sugar. The order was substantial; we could have split it. My bride ordered eggs and chorizo, which came with flour tortillas (they were out of corn,) and cheese grits, which were a bit too creamy for my taste. The Garden Cafe is the kind of place that invites lingering, either to visit with a friend, or just to read the paper. If I had to describe the clientele in one word, I'd choose "yuppie." Parking is a breeze, either on the street, or in the lot (where the neighborhood ice house used to sit) beside the cafe.

Very cute, sat outside for lunch, ambience on the back patio was awesome! Food was very good! I'll be back.

Great little cafe tucked away. Good food: omelets, Sweet potato pancakes, and fish tacos. The trick is, go when it's not cold and eat outside. The garden area patio is so tranquil in the midst of the big city. They only serve breakfast and lunch, so get there early.

Tiny East Dallas tradition for decades... a neighborhood jewel. Breakfast, lunch, and weekend brunch. Fish tacos, blue plate special, homemade biscuits and other comfort food.

The Garden Cafe is a lovely little find in Old East Dallas. Has inside seating, but the best seats are outside on the patio if the weather is nice. Have been there twice in 2 weeks, once for brunch & once for dinner. Both meals were delicious! The service is a bit slower, to allow time to actually enjoy your food--appetizers, drinks, entrees, instead of courses coming right on top of each other. Water & tea glasses stayed full, staff pays attention without hovering. It was fun to see the garden as it is the beginning of growing season here. Patio is pet & child friendly.

This is a great little cafe in an older quiet historic residential neighborhood in Old East Dallas. I love how it's very intimate and cozy and hidden away from the main drag. You definitely need to know where it is to find it, as its off the major streets. I was there for brunch on a midday Sunday and yes it was packed and had to wait a while in line to order food...but surprisingly still easily got a table. But trust me it is worth the wait. The staff is very friendly and knows their menu inside and out, and because of the farm-to-table philosophy of the place, they are gracious when they are out of something. I can't wait to go again when the weather is warmer, as I've heard great things about their outdoor patio in the spring and summer. I recommend the French toast or pancakes, and you can't go wrong with anything from the coffee bar. I had a cappuccino with my meal and it was the best I've had in a long time.

We went here for the first time for Sunday breakfast. The ambience of this place reminded me of the West coast, sort of a hippy-type-vibe cafe nestled on the edge of Lakewood. I liked it a lot, and thought it fits perfectly with the feel of the neighborhood. The menu on a board is bit cluttered and hard to decipher as you stand in line with people behind you wanting to order. The hand writing was not very clear or easy to read. So I just went with the thing I could read the fastest: the tried and trusty omelette. With three items it is $10 plus a side and toast. Not a bad deal. The omelette was very tasty and cooked really well. I would get it again. The wife could not find what she wanted as a combo so ended up doing eggs, bacon, and pancakes al a cart. Everything was tasty and good quality. Food was brought to us fairly quickly. Although the ordering process is a bit tricky, I thought the food was really good and is definitely deserving of another trip.

We went to a lot of trouble to find this cute Cafe that actually has it's own organic garden you can check out in the back. I was surprised how big the garden actually was! It is also super nice for a place to actually accommodate all of our dietary issues.

Went for breafast/lunch with my girlfriend. Cut place with lovely outdoor seating by their garden (they grow many of their vegetables and spices). You order as you come in and they bring you your food. Sounds simple, but they never bring out all of the food for your table at one time. So my friend ate her food while I waited for mine. That was a little annoying, not to mention that I had to ask what happened to my meal when I realized everyone who came in after me had their food already. My girlfriend who has eaten there several times before said it is always like this with regard to their service. The food was very good, so that made up for the bad service. The people are very nice there, they just don't have a good process for serving food.

Beautiful garden patio out back! Fresh, fresh, fresh! Omelets are delicious, eggs were cooked to perfection, and the country boy Benedict was heavenly! But- the sides are where it’s at! The fruit- great variety and so fresh and yummy; the tomatoes- plump and ripe and tasty; the okra(my recommendation), was slightly sautéed, but had an amazing flavor. The hash browns were also crispy and good. Staff was friendly and patient.

Garden Cafe is just that. Great menu with lots of fresh choices. Much of their foods come from their own garden and chickens just behind the outdoor dining area. The Turkey Melt was super. Same for their sweet potato pancakes.

This cafe uses fresh vegetables grown onsight. The meals are always delicious and filling. The menu changes from day to day. The decor reflects the neighborhood of generations past.

Very cute cafe near a hidden neighborhood park. They have a HUGE garden in the back, and its a pleasure to walk around in. The story of Garden Cafe is a great one - look it up. The coffee is great, the food is about what you would expect from a local cafe.

Ambiance is great, taste is fabulous, loved the roasted potatoes. French toast was delicious. This is our second time here.

Well, there were no actual insects involved except the flies as we sat at an outside table being "cooled" by mist and a fan. Why did we continue to sit out there? I really like chickens or almost any other animal that has legs but no more than four. Some of the chickens (with beautifully colored feathers and patterns) were allowed to roam freely around the diners at the outside tables. They were interesting and funny, but I was glad that I was a vegetarian, so that I wouldn't choke on my lunch watching them. Speaking of vegetarianism, one of the reasons we chose that restaurant was that a name "Garden Cafe" to me bespeaks of greens and lots of vegetarian choices. Not so. I did order the vegetarian plate, and for $9, I received a salad consisting of apitifully small pile of green leaves with practically nothing else with them except dressing. Another vegetable in this choice of three was avacado slices with tomato. What a rip-off! There was a sliced section of a small avacado (about one-fourth to one third) atop three tiny, thin slices of a grape tomato of a yellow hue. They got the drink order wrong, but after they delivered it, we heard no more from them. Sitting with empty iced tea and water glasses and not wanting to have to walk all the way inside and to the counter, we waited. And waited. As they will wait for a tip from me.

Enjoyed breakfast here with some family on a weekday morning. We sat on the patio that is next to the garden. It's an inviting atmosphere: shady, quiet and a chicken or two wandering around. I gave it a bit of biscuit. The food was fresh and really well prepared. They had sautéed shishito peppers listed as a side dish, so I tried them. They were fantastic. The service was good. You order at the counter and they bring food to your table. You get your own drinks at the drink station inside. One of the cooks came out because there was a question about the eggs on one of the orders and he wanted to get it right. I will visit here again and bring my dog. Well behaved dogs are welcome on the patio.

Very tasty and rustic. Definitely a great hidden gem! Just a note you order at counter and then they bring food to you. Be sure you grab your flatware and straws etc before finding your spot. If it is nice outside I strongly recommend eating in garden. The outside garden area is fabulous!

My waitress looked like Amy Winehouse and the white haired lady next to me pulled out a champagne bottle, corkscrew and thermos because it is BYOB! This was a cool place. The food was good. Had the steak and eggs with hash browns. It was in a cool neighborhood. I was disappointed in the garden. No one was sitting outside so I went back there. Tables askew, no flowers, etc. it was just rows of planter boxes. I expected a beautiful garden so I sat inside with the others. I drove across town wanting a beautiful patio for brunch but instead I sat inside with artsy folks.

cute out of the way place but the food was simply ok. the cold cuts on the sandwich came from a super market blister pack. the coleslaw was also prepackaged from a super market. no real culinary talents. you could make this stuff yourself from ingredients in your own refrigerator.

The atmosphere is good, a very nice patio, great during nice weather however, this place needs to either grow their kitchen or shrink their capacity. A two hour wait for food is unacceptable, regardless of how good the food may be. They do not take reservations and there appears to be no waitstaff. You get in line, order your food, and a few hours later it is brought out by the same persok who took your order inside. You have to find your own silverware and there is no service at the table until the food is ready to come out. The only thing that was served quickly enough was the coffee, but by the time the food was served it was gone. Nobody offeres refills. Would not recommend.

Love this spot! Fresh, organic and gluten free options. Hash browns are perfections. Tomato basil soup also great. Cute garden patio. Amazing breakfast/brunch and cozy cafe atmosphere. Local coffee too!

Located on the edge of Historic Munger Place residential area, this charming café offers casual inside and outdoor patio dining. It is a favorite for locals and stays busy during regular dining hours, especially morning breakfast and weekend brunch. This is an indication of the friendly staff, quality of the food prepared with local fare, and popularity of the charming ambiance. The best way to get quick seating is to come at the tail end of dining hours. My preferences include the French toast or build your own omelets for breakfast, and the chicken salad sandwich and soup or salad for lunch, followed by shared freshly prepared desserts. Dinner is served but it has always been a meeting place with my friends for brunch or a late lunch. Take time to drive through the Historic Munger Place neighborhood to view the lovely historic homes.

We went to the Garden Cafe for breakfast. The food is fresh and tasty. The vegetables are grown in the garden out back or purchased from local farms. Loved it and will go back!

If you want to enjoy a laid back restaurant with great veggie and healthy options come to this place. A

Popped in with the two dogs on a cold day. The staff set up the outside heaters for us even though we were the only ones outside . We both had the veg burger (more like a sandwich but still tasty) It would be gorgeous in summer with the gardens out the back!

My daughter and I had a great visit here in the spring. While the omelette was very good the sweet potato pancake was excellent. Great outdoor atmosphere. Service is limited but was good. Highly recommend.

Food fresh & delicious, wonderful coffee, beautiful garden area...we might go again tomorrow before we go home!

For you native Dallasites it sort of reminds me of Celebration when it first opened, rather small, great food, good value in a very comfortable atmosphere. Kinda hip and out of the way. I wish they served supper.

Sunday brunch...arrived 1230...queued up to order at counter (20-minute wait)...another 15-20 minutes for food. Excellent service at counter and from food runners. Very friendly and communicative. Had turkey melt (Turkey, Bacon, Swiss Cheese, Tomato, Avocado and Chipotle Mayo served on Pane Paisano Bread with one side). Opted for roasted beets as side...heavenly! Also ordered a stack (two plate sized) of whole wheat pancakes. Very filling and satisfying, although another ramekin (or a larger one) of the organic maple syrup would be nice, cakes are very dense. Jazz guitarist playing in the main dining room when we arrived...very mellow. His next set was on the outdoor patio in the back. Pet friendly establishment...saw a table with three extremely well behaved poodles! The food and superb service warrant another visit in the near future. Might not be for someone on a tight schedule though.

I went there for breakfast with a friend who lives in the neighborhood and eats there often. The vegetarian omelet was good, and I was pleased to find out they had vegetarian "sausage" available! How rare and appreciated! You can eat inside or outside in the vegetable garden. We chose the vegetable garden. The owner even cut a flower and put it in a vase at our table. We really enjoyed it. My friend said it is BYOB so keep that in mind for dinner.

Since moving to Texas years ago our dining out has been limited by the state's BYO regulations colliding with our love and large collection of wine. When pulling up to the restaurant we questioned if we made a mistake as there were so few cars out front. While their indoor seating is relatively limited, most tables were full and their extensive outdoor space was empty due to the cold evening. We had a very enjoyable meal, beginning with very large appetizer portions of cauliflower steak and meatballs and the hanger steak and salmon as mains. My wife truly enjoyed the demi-glace on the hanger steak and I thought the sweet potato mash with cranberries and spinach was excellent if a slightly small portion of salmon. We'll definitely return!

Always good, the best of home style. I like to take visitors because it's unique. Menu changes with the seasons. Great little restaurant nestled among historic homes.

service very slow - 30 mins to get sandwich and soup soup was room temp food tasted good we may go back for breakfast sometime

This place is inventive and fun. The outdoor dining is absolutely the way to go. You're in a garden -- a real working kitchen garden - and enjoying a casual Dallas meal. Animals are welcome - we brought the dog. There was a resident chicken walking around very boldly, what a hoot! The food is definitely worth going for. My breakfast sandwich on whole grain bread was delicious and satisfying. This place is just a great find!

They grow their own ingredients in their garden. Casual. My breakfast favorite in E. Dallas. Also a favorite of my out of town friends.

The Garden Café is a pleasant place for breakfast and lunch, with both menus served during any open hour. Three of our group of four ordered the sweet potato pancakes on the recommendation of a regular, one ordered a salad, and everybody was happy. The restaurant is in a small park-like residential area and has the feel of a small-town café.

We had a family gather for brunch - 6 adults ; 1 child. The outdoor courtyard is a comfortable setting on a sunny day. The furniture is all outdoor metal type. The menu offers good choices for breakfast and the quality is quite good. The drinks are also good. There is a small herb garden to stroll. The service was friendly and attentive. Be sure to make a reservation.

Order the omelet and hashbrowns for breakfast. Outstanding. We have been there when the garden is full and during the winter season also. It is always fun to walk around and see what is going on in the ground. Beautiful atmosphere. It feels like you are on vacation. I love where the restaurant is located in the middle of a quiet residential area. It is quaint. We have been there with children and without and both times were great. You can bring your dog to sit outside with you, but we leave our yapper at home.

We took some friends to Garden Café for breakfast. The best time to go is during the week if you want avoid the place being packed. Used to go on Sunday and it was always crowded. The omelets are great--nice to build your own. Lots of breakfast choices so it's difficult to make a decision. Everything is good. Nice atmosphere and love the outdoor seating and garden. Especially nice in spring and fall.

While somewhat hard to find in east Dallas, this great little spot is worth the search. The food is fresh and well prepared. With a choice of inside or garden dining, this makes for a relaxing mid-day break, especially for downtown workers tired of long lines at loud chain restaurants. The one downside is the food is somewhat higher than one might expect. A turkey melt with one side is $9 and doesn't include a drink. They really need to think about including the drink to better compete. If they dropped their prices a bit, I'd probably come back more often.

I love this place. I visit Dallas yearly and each time I visit I will not miss eating here. The food and ambience/service was great as usual but an incident kinda irked me. There was this guy whom I think could be the owner or the manager. He seems not too happy to serve us. 1st we parked and walked towards the place, this guy kinda showed an unfriendly look. And then we placed out order. THe wait staff are super friendly as usual. I asked the lady at the counter whether the chicken steak was chicken breast meat, boneless or otherwise. She told me it was bonless. I took that it was chicken. Little did I know that it was beef. I then took bite and realised it was not chicken then asked the same lady was it beef? She said yes and apologised and offered to give me something else. She told me to wait and while she went to serve some food. Thats when this unfriendly guy takes over and ask me whether we taken care of and I said yes. But then he want to the lady and asked what was the issue and came back to me to offer another meal. I decided to take pork and then offered to pay. He refused and I thought that was it. Later on he some kinda give the vibes that he wasnt happy. After eating we left and saw him having orange juice with an elderly man outside I tried to thank him but then he looked elsewhere not wanting to have eye contact. That kinda assured me that he wasnt too happy with our presence. Am not sure whether it was the order issue or was it that I was coloured that irked him. But having said that he was the only one who acted as if he did not need my business. The food and the ambience and the entire crew there were awesome. I think this guy could be the boss or the manager. I am not going there again cos this guy is super arrogant.

Food is good. Always crowded always a wait, today's wait is waay longer than usual. I don't like their payment option I believe it's 4Square where you tip when you pay for your meal before any service? My tip would definitely not have been 20% based on the service received today or should I say based on the service we haven't received... Being local and after today's experience probably other choices in the area...

We were enchanted to find this cafe/patio and working garden in the middle of an older residential area of Dallas. Such a delight. We were told upon arrival that there would be a 30 minute wait for our food once AFTER we waited in the line - Sunday Brunch at 11:30 is a busy time! And we were disappointed that we didn't pay more attention to the website that it's BYOB - $4 for cork removal/set-up for mimosas would have been a nice addition - but enjoyed the sparkling kobucha tea instead (YUM!). I ordered the turkey sandwich with avocado (best turkey in a sandwich I think I've ever had - NOT pressed deli meat) with brussel sprouts and a side of their glorious mashed taters. Friends had shrimp & grits and veggie omelets - thinking they should have ordered the special of the day and wishing they had okra on the menu...maybe later. I like the casual atmosphere and walked around the dog-friendly patio/garden area listening to some chill tunes. Also thought the gallery/art work and book swap were charming. I'll keep this in my brunch rotation for sure.