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Gardenia's Cafe

4.9 (337 reviews)
Open • 9:00 am - 7:00 pm
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What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Outdoor seating

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Recommended Reviews - Gardenia's Cafe

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Chicken & Waffles - July 2026
Gail R.

Looking for a Brunch spot in the area, I brought this up as a choice and it is here, we arrived. Both my friend and I have been to this spot many times before. I decided to try something different and surprisingly I had never had this anywhere else either: Chicken & Waffles. You get 4 Belgian Waffle quarters and 2 nice sized pieces of chicken tenders and a little container of organic maple syrup. The chicken was seasoned well, juicy and had a slight crunch in parts of the pieces. I dipped a piece of the chicken and waffle and poured a little syrup on, and it was tasty. To wash it down I also got a cup of mango juice. I have had many mangoes (in fruit form) and this was not as sweet as I had hoped. My friend shared it could have been because it was fresh, but for me, the mango wasn't fully ripe yet (that was the taste I got). Towards the end of my drink, I decided to shake my cup up a little bit to shake up the juice and that helped a little. Two of my favorite staff members (Genesis and her mom, Maritza) were in-house and it was great to see them again. One of them shared that I should try the Blueberry Greek Yogurt Smoothie. I totally did not notice that on the chalkboard as I would have tried it. I always enjoy trying new things here. Until next time.

Egg Benedict
Farhat K.

Still one of the best food spots in Gaithersburg/Germantown in my opinion. Came for brunch and ordered the farmhouse sandwich while my wife got the huevos rancheros. Both were absolutely fantastic. My sandwich was filling, and the homemade turkey sausage was different in a good way. The picture doesn't look super appetizing but I enjoyed it thoroughly. My wife's entree also tasted great from the bite I took. Savory as can be. She also ordered a caramel macchiato which was okay, a little too sweet for her. The standout item for me was the sourdough cinnamon roll. Holy smokes. It was sweet, warm, soft, and slightly sour. So delicious. Other than the food, the inside is pretty cute, and the people working are still some of the nicest with great customer service. My wife made me promise to bring her back soon which I definitely will.

Rand
Richard H.

Good food made with passion and fresh ingredients. I got the huevos rancheros. Black button muffin good too. Service is good, despite short staff. Authentic Hispanic ambiance. Slightly expensive but well worth it.

Grilled chicken sandwich
Amy S.

Time for an updated review. On this occasion, I stopped in with my sister. Service was exceptional as always. This is a quaint little place great for dining in our carry-out. I ordered a simple grilled chicken sandwich but the chicken was cooked to perfection. My sister ordered a falafel wrap and she ate every bite of it. Everything was just wonderful.

Iced Hibiscus tea, pancakes, bacon and eggs, add on of cheddar.
K C.

Food is good definitely light and fresh. Was a little busy and warm inside on a Friday in summer. The staff is friendly, seem to know their regulars, but it took a good minute for someone to explain you order at a kiosk not at the table. Appreciated that they serve breakfast all day and the location is convenient. Would definitely make a to go stop for breakfast goodies after swinging by the nursery up the street next time.

Ribeye Benedict
Nneka M.

Whew!! the 5 star reviews are true...the food here is absolutely delicious!! I finally made my way here after spontaneously wanting to try a different brunch place. I pulled up my trusty yelp, and my yelp buddy Gail's reviews convinced me that this was the place to try out. When walked in, I was warmly greeted and promptly recommended a variety of items to try out since this was my first visit. I opted for the breakfast sandwich (sub sourdough biscuit) which comes with egg and melted provolone cheese, and choice of protein (I opted for bacon). omg!!! this was theee best bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit I have ever had. So good that I forgot to take a yelp pic :) Of course, I had to order another brunch item on the menu, and I was told to try out the steak and egg benedict. Prime ribeye on a sourdough bread served with egg and fried potato cake. Very delicious as well. They also offer an assortment of desserts, that include gluten free and vegan items. And outside of brunch, they offer a variety of lunch and dinner dishes, coffee/lattes, and fresh fruit/veggies smoothie and juice options. This is a great place for vegetarians and anyone with dietary sensitivities, such as diary and gluten). I ordered my food to go, but as I waited for my order, I noticed this place is relatively small and quaint, but everything feels like one big family gathering. Parking is readily available right out front, but the parking lot gets packed. And the customer service is kind and inviting. Overall, I will definitely return, and I highly recommend!!

Corned beef hash with eggs overeasy, home fries and toasted sourdough.

Amazing service, very friendly. They offered a quesadilla muffin as a complimentary appetizer since it was our first time. All the food is freshly made, high quality, and made with care and love. We had the vegan burger with wedge potatoes, corned beef hash, pancakes, and plátanos. Fresh flowers on each table, bright colors and a cheery staff. We will definitely go back and you should too!

Cobb Salad
Philip L.

We were driving around the area and saw this place was opened early Sunday so decided to just pop in. At first we noticed a lot of people so we were intrigued and wanted to have coffee and brunch here. You order at the counter first and then you sit down and everyone here is so nice and friendly. I felt like I went back home to see my parents. They said almost everything they serve is made in house including the bread and the bread made a huge difference! It was soft and supple. Definitely elevated the dishes like the avocado toast and the Cobb salad. The dressing for the Cobb salad had signs it was made in house as it was bubbly and had signs it was just made and emulsified. The inside had plants and decor and it was bright. It's not a very large place, but it was busy from a lot of repeat customers. This is a good sign that a place is good. I recommend this place and will likely come back again.

Nancy L.

Two women introduced themselves and went over the specials. Both were very friendly! The second woman (Mom) told me that 90% of their menu is house made including the sour dough bread, mayo, ketchup, etc. The coffee is organic and self serve. They have a Central American and a Cuban roast today. The first sip of the Cuban roast was like a I got a defib to my body! You order and pay at the counter whether you're dining in or taking out. The business is Latina owned and run. Daughter is the baker, mom is the life of the party. Food was delicious and pastries are as yummy as they look! Benedicts are a special on the weekends. The english muffin that lines the benedict is made from the house-made sourdough I mentioned earlier. On top of the friendly, helpful staff and the delicious food I wanted to highlight that I just felt good being there. My whole experience was just a feel good experience. I live across the street so I will make it a goal of mine to go more often and bring friends!

L'amandier - get it!!!
Lisa G.

Amazing! How have I not stumbled on this place before!? We stopped in for lunch on the Friday after Christmas. It was just my mom and me. We were greeted by the nicest women who explained everything. My mom chose the vegan omelette and I had a breakfast sandwich on the homemade sourdough. We ordered coffee, so we selected cute mugs from the wall. While we waited, one of the women gave us a complimentary pastry, since it was our first time. It was almond pastry heaven. Everything was so good that I called my husband who was out and about with my girls and ordered them lunch to go. They chose the brunch burger, chicken and waffles, chicken Caesar salad, key lime pie and a chocolate chip cookie. It took a little while for the food, but glad I waited. My daughter said it was the best Caesar salad she's had. My other one compared the burger to another one she has recently and said this was much better! Her hands were messy from the juicy burger with a little runny egg, but in the best way. The only thing I didn't love was the key lime pie whipped cream had I think lavender in it. I wasn't a fan of that, but everything else was off the charts.

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1 year ago

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2 months ago

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1 month ago

Love the cozy vibes and fresh food. This is our go to spot for early morning breakfast dates after kids leave for school.

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3 months ago

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2 years ago

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3 months ago

Amazing key lime pie and even nicer staff! They were very kind and treated me like family.

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6 months ago

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1 month ago

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2 years ago

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1 year ago

Delicious food. Great service. Cozy cafe ambiance. Love the rosemary lamb burger- well seasoned and cooked perfectly. Highly recommend.

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5 months ago

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6 months ago

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2 years ago

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3 months ago

Very friendly place, with lots of healthy options- including gluten free and sour dough baked goods. Almost everything is made on site. !

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6 months ago

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8 months ago

Wonderful and friendly staff. Great food, good portions. Little place with not many tables, but well worth it!

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Beers & Cheers Too

4.3(116 reviews)
3.3 mi
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Good people. Good stock. Good neighborhood store. If you are looking for rare micro brewery, they…read morehave it.

I have been here twice since moving to the area in May, and both previous visits were great. I…read morethought this was a cute, friendly establishment and had no complaints. Unfortunately, this visit completely changed my impression. I was finishing my beer when a manager--or someone who appeared to be one--asked if I wanted a menu. I said, "No, thank you. I'm just finishing this one beer and then I'll be on my way." She then informed me that if I wanted to remain seated outside, I would have to pay an additional $2 per beer to sit there. There was literally no one else using the outdoor seating. I was understandably surprised and asked, "Excuse me?" I was told that the charge was listed on the menu. That's not good communication. If you are going to charge customers an additional $2 simply for sitting in an otherwise empty outdoor seating area, that policy should be CLEARLY posted where customers can see it before they purchase their drink--not hidden somewhere on a menu that they haven't even been given or aren't looking at because they aren't ordering food. Then came the bill. The server literally dropped the book on the table. I looked at it and asked, "Did you just charge me for that?" She said yes. The attitude and manner in which the entire situation was handled were unnecessarily rude. And here's the thing: I've worked in Food & Beverage for 45 years. I have never experienced a policy communicated this poorly or a customer interaction handled this way. I couldn't help but wonder whether everyone sitting inside playing trivia was also being charged an additional $2 for every drink they purchased. If this is actually a policy, management needs to rethink both the policy and the way it is communicated. If it's intended to compensate servers for having customers occupy tables, there are far more professional ways to address that than surprising customers with an additional charge after they've already purchased their drink. I would have gladly finished my beer and left without an issue. Instead, I left feeling like I was being nickel-and-dimed and treated as though I had done something wrong simply by sitting outside and finishing a drink I had already purchased. That's especially disappointing because my first two experiences here were so positive. A $2 charge isn't what ruined this experience. The lack of transparency and the attitude did.

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Gardenia's Cafe - cafes - Updated October 2026

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