When passing through Gilroy I look for places that take the "Garlic Capital of the World" motto to heart and this place did not disappoint. Enjoyed my garlic chicken panini with roasted eggplant and onions but next time I'll add the garlic fries too! Ambiance is classic cafe. Lots of regulars there and families. Stop by for your garlic fix! read more

A gem of a place in Gilroy! Lots of food choices and enjoyed both breakfast and lunches, have not had dinners there yet. Ordered Fried Steak and Eggs which were good. The gravy is a jalapeño garlic gravy so a bit spicy! Comes with 2 pancakes and they are delicious. Not many staff but they work very hard. Female waitress works very hard and very nice! Location is small inside, very narrow. For breakfast best to go before 9:00am to assure seat. They take a long time to bring out orders. ****Not a place to go if you're in a hurry****. Plan your day accordingly!! read more

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I hadn't been here in a while, so I thought I would try it again. I had the French dip sandwich, but asked for it without garlic bread. The last time I had it, I didn't like it on garlic bread. My friend ordered the garlic burger. He said he liked his burger and garlic fries. I did not like the French dip sandwich or the regular fries. The bread was not very good (and I knew why later), the meat was cooked to well done (meaning it was dark grey, not warm, extremely dry, and tasteless), the au jus had zero flavor, and the fries were lukewarm. It wasn't until I was coming back from the restroom that I realized why the bread was not good. I saw in their kitchen that they use Raley's classic French bread! Yuck!! You can do a LOT better, Garlic City Cafe! read more

Garlic City Cafe - Garlic burger with garlic fries - American Near Me - Gilroy, California

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Always stop here for breakfast when I'm heading south. The food is always good and a generous portion of food. Had the Lorraine Omelette with pancakes and country potatoes. Was a tasty dish with lots of bacon. read more

Garlic City Cafe - Lorraine omelette - American Near Me - Gilroy, California

Street parking available in front. It is cold near the door so take a table further back if you get cold easily. One bathroom for customers only. You can see the cooking done also if you sit further back. Music playing so there isn't dead silence and it isn't too loud so you can still talk to people. They serve breakfast 8am-noon. They have lunch after noon. Place looks clean. Located in downtown Gilroy. Coffee shop nearby. Food is good and portion size is nice. There is parking in the back and an entrance into the cafe also. read more

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This place is so slow. Over 45 minute wait for a salad. The server was so rude. She came up and asked if anyone took our order we said no then she rolled her eyes and said why don't she do it and said rudely what do we want. We should have just left right then and there. Food wasn't good. Spinach salad came out missing ingredients and the spinach was wilted. The added avacado was obviously not fresh. Just sad overall and ruined our first trip to Gilroy. read more

Went for lunch about 1:30pm. The place was packed, even the outside seating. My wife had the tuna melt with fries. Both were very good. I had the California chicken sandwich with garlic fries. Chicken was very moist and the garlic fries were outstanding. Service was good, considering the amount of customers. read more

Crinkle cut fries is a bold move... not the best style of fry, but it fit this diner-styled cafe. The burger was solid, fresh accoutrement. The garlic soup is well worth it, very similar to a chowder. Would go back to try another sandwich or fresh pasta. The downtown area is super cute! read more

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I am starting off this review by saying wow!!!!!! Garlic soup is a full 10 service is good but the soup is so good that it don't matter lol Burger was just a burger nothing special Garlic chicken sandwich was pretty solid as well Hot pastrami really good Our server, Abraham was amazing read more

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Food and service was great! Located at the downtown area with plenty of parking available on a Saturday noon. Stayed there for over an hour eating lunch with friends. I had the chicken wrap with green salad on the side. Serving was generous. Everything tasted fresh! Will be back. read more

Garlic City is a cute restaurant with interspersed sky-like ceiling tiles and fabric paintings of some famous Europe destinations hanging in the wall to trick your mind into thinking you're outdoors. Parking was easy for us. We came as a group around noon for lunch and all were able to find free street parkings (2-hour limit) almost right in front of the restaurant. Service was attentive and accommodating. Our server swiftly took our orders and frequently checked on our water and utensils' needs, such as extra bowls or dishes. I ordered the Garlic Chicken and Grilled Eggplant Panini with garlic fries. My friend ordered Penne Pasta and Prawn Florentine with clam chowder soup. My panini was a bit too garlicky for my taste. It has unexplainable bitterness to it. The chicken was moist and flavorful with a hint of ginger though. Garlic fries again didn't meet my expectations. Their breads, both the panini and the garlic bread, are the highlight of our meals. The breads have the right amount of garlic, buttery, crunchy and melt in your mouth. The portion was very generous and priced reasonably. Overall, a good experience for our group! read more

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I came here with my friend today. I had never been here but had been wanting to try it. I'm glad I came because it'll be my first and last time. They have limited seating and only one server. It was lunch time & pretty full so I understand why it'd take so long. However, they brought my friend's coke, took our order and still had not brought out my coffee. I had to ask for my coffee and they told us they had to brew the coffee. I continued to wait. When my tiny cup of coffee arrived, she asked if I wanted flavored creamer and I said yes. She brought me creamer with some open containers. My first impression upon seeing this is they are not throwing away the empty creamers after they clean the tables. Second thought was this is unsanitary and disgusting. Someone else touched this and they didn't bother to clean it or throw it away. When she came to take our order, I asked her what she recommended from several items. I asked her if the onions were grilled, she didn't know and turned around to ask the gentleman, and walked away. She didn't answer my question; she just walked away. When my sandwich arrived, it didn't have any onions. The chicken was super chewy and semi cold. It was supposed to have chipotle but all I could taste was bbq- I am not a huge fan of bbq sauce. My mug was so small, I needed more coffee, but the server wasn't coming over to our table. I placed the mug at the edge of the table so she could see it. We had to leave since we were on lunch, my friend went up to the counter to pay. The server wanted us to split it in half. My friend explained she wanted to pay for her food and I'd pay for mine. My friend and I left feeling so disappointed, especially after paying $17 for a dissatisfying sandwich. read more

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Yummmmmmyyyy garlic! That burger was deee-licious. Inside smells like garlic too so be prepared. Parking can be difficult to find, but there's a lot in the back. I loved the portion sizes. It was delicious and I'd come back again. read more

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

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Exceptionally kind and good service. Everything was so so delicious and service was well paced.

Delicious. Excellent service. Just happened to stumble across this place. So glad we did!

Phenomenal atmosphere! Very clean restaurant. Service was excellent, the food was made fresh to order, well worth the twenty minute wait for the food! I highly recommend eating here! There are so many options for food. Sandwiches, salads, pastas, soups, etc. Their breakfast menu was absolutely fantastic as well! Must try place!!! read more

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Delicious food, and great service. The price is good, and they're typically quick. I would recommend read more

I was actually kind of excited to try the The Garlic City cafe -- when in the garlic capital of the world, try their garlic!! I was surprised at how robust their menu was, sooo many options packed onto the menu, there's probably something for everyone. I ended up going with the garlic burger with garlic Parmesan fries and asked for the garlic pesto instead of the garlic aioli because I really dislike mayonnaise. They said it was no problem, but unfortunately they have a garlic pesto aioli AND and garlic pesto and I ended up with the aioli on my burger. I didn't want to send it back and cause a scene so I asked for the real pesto on the side and gave it to me and one of the managers *I presume* told me I should have parked for the pesto, not the "garlic pesto sauce." You don't know what you don't know though and since it was my first time, I didn't realize they had two spreads with similar names. Anyway, I scraped off the aioli and dunked the burger in the pesto and it was good. The fries were pretty good too and they refilled my iced tea a few times and gave me one for the road. All in all it was okay! The inside was small and not too flashy, but it was an okay place to stop. read more

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Decided to stop here as I was driving through Gilroy. But what surprised me was that the restaurant wasn't as garlic-themed as I would have expected, and it was much more of a locals' spot than a tourist trap. However, you can definitely get your garlic fix if that's what you want. We ordered the roasted whole garlic appetizer, house salad, chicken piccata, and penne pasta and prawns florentine. We got the latter two at the recommendation of the server, who suggested them when we asked what dishes contained a lot of garlic. We were originally going to order the cream of garlic soup as well, but the server helpfully told us that the entrees already came with clam chowder. The garlic appetizer had a small cup of garlic cloves in oil, roasted red peppers, olives, and a creamy sauce, with several slices of bread. The garlic was perfectly soft and fragrant. The entrees came in large portions and were pretty tasty, though a bit on the salty side. The garlic flavor was definitely apparent, as promised. read more

There's not many restaurants in the area that stood out to us, but this one caught our eye when we were scrolling. We decided to go here for lunch on a weekday and to our surprise, it was quite packed! The staff are very nice and sweet. The food was good but not super spectacular. Considering the options around here, I would say this is a great spot to stop by if you're in Gilroy. read more

Garlic City Cafe - American Near Me - Gilroy, California

They deserve at least 4.5 stars Outside: outdoor dining available Nice surroundings, street parking Inside: nice and warm decoration. Tidy and clean. Background music. Menu: good arrangement. No photos. Food: very good quality, delicious and tasty Customer Service: professional and friendly Cash only Highly recommended read more

Garlic City Cafe - Tidy Table corner - American Near Me - Gilroy, California

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Slow and mediocre food, outdated pricing on Yelp, more like 16 for a sandwich and frozen free fries. Waitress took our order and waited 30 for our food and it was not busy. Waitress became rude when we asked about our food, never got drink refills. Based on service and food, I cannot recommend this place. read more

Food is outstanding with large portions. Service was top notch too. Waitress was friendly and cheerful and polite. I really enjoyed the meal

Gimmick restaurant with no care for its patrons. We came in, ordered our food and got our waters. Drank my water and waited about 20 minutes to get a refill. Finally after the food was delivered, it was refilled. But, I ordered pasta with no mushrooms and this thing was doused in mushrooms. I would normally try to eat it but I have a slight allergy and didn't realize they were going to be in both the soup and the pasta. I didn't eat it and they took it back. Then they came back to the table and said they had to add the soup to my check. The door is also open the whole time so flies landed on our food several times. I will never come back here due to the bad service and disrespect read more

Their food is amazing. The servings are large enough to feed two people. The service and ambiance were very pleasant. I will be going back.

Came here for lunch for father's day with my dad, wife, and daughter. I'm not a picky eater, but I'm avoiding carbs to lose weight for my upcoming wedding. I ordered the steak and eggs (most expensive item on the menu) and asked if I could substitute the potatoes and toast for a salad. They refused which I found very odd from a food cost standpoint. I also doubt that it would cause much trouble for the kitchen to throw some greens and dressing on a plate, but I guess hospitality isn't high on their priority list. I come from a restaurant background and I understand how frustrating it can be when guests make crazy requests, but I feel like in this situation the owner just wanted to be difficult. We paid for my daughter's apple juice and went down the street to Old City Hall which was much more pleasant and accommodating. read more

The best food and service in Gilroy. The outside tables were full of patrons. So Margarita had a table and chairs inside the restaurant pulled outside for us and our dog Trevor! The food is outstanding! Cobb Salad with the best grilled chicken breast perfectly cooked and the Contadina Salad with salmon had a perfectly cooked salmon on it. I couldn't ask for better service or better tasting food. 5 stars all around. Best of Gilroy! read more

Garlic City Cafe - Trevor the dog in front of Garlic City Cafe - American Near Me - Gilroy, California

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

We came here after noticing the restaurant we originally wanted to try was temporarily closed. Garlic City Cafe was across the street, so Gavin and I walked over and was seated immediately. It was quite empty on a regular Friday. Gavin was on his summer break, so I took the day off to take him to Monterey Bay Aquarium. Service was great. The menu was quite overwhelming. They had a lot to offer and as always, my eye is bigger than my stomach. I was able to control myself and did not overdo it this time. Gavin wanted waffles; he ordered their chocolate chip waffle. I ordered their portobello mushroom and garlic omelet. Instead of toast, I wanted the pancakes. What else can I say? I love American breakfast. The country potatoes were good, the omelet was good. The pancakes were light and fluffy. Gavin finished his waffle. I don't do anything in Gilroy, but I do have an aunt that lives there now. Maybe next time I will check out their lunch items. Gavin and I enjoyed our day date together as usual. My forever day one. read more

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My Wife and I love this place! We always try something new every time we come here but this time I ordered theCoq Au Vin and it was delicious. The green beans and zucchini were nice and fresh and the chicken was juicy with great sauce. Oh and the risotto! The risotto was like butter in your mouth. The staff is always pleasant and gives us great service. This is definitely one of our go to places in Gilroy! I also like the cheese steak sandwich, the carbonara pappardelle, the salmon, and their garden salads are fresh. Oh ya, and their bread! We love their bread. read more

Garlic City Cafe - Coq Au Vin - American Near Me - Gilroy, California

Came here for my grandmas birthday and it was amazing! I loved the food but the waffles and hot chocolate were a little too sweet. The service was good! The servant did a little small talk which was nice. And the ambiance was alright! Since it was wednesday, there wasn't a lot people but it was still nice. Overall the experience and food were great! read more

Garlic City Cafe - My chocolate chip waffles with bacon and these good potatoes. - American Near Me - Gilroy, California

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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

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

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

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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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 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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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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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