My fiancé and I's favorite date night. Food and service never disappoint!! Highly recommend.

Oh. My. God. That's what me and my friend said repeatedly after dining at The Garden Cafe recently. She was visiting from Maryland and wanted a real southern meal. I have never been but it was suggested to me to take her here. Upon arriving we parked in the large gravel parking lot. There was a beautiful rustic garden area with lots of seating, a fountain with live turtles and hanging lights making this spot a great place to hang out with a drink on a pleasant night. The front of the cafe has lots of amazing items like handmade soaps, honey, syrups, sauces, kitchen utensils and other merchandise. It was fun to look around as we waited for our reservation time to come. Escorted to our table we passed by a bar area that would be nice if you were waiting for your table and could have a drink. The main dining area held a lot of booths with some tables in the middle of the room. I think the booths gave you a certain amount of privacy and also keep the volume low so it was easy to converse with your company. Also on our table I noticed a tag with my name, reservation time and how many was expected. It was held in place with an old style clothes pin. Very cute touch and nice to see how organized they were. Our server was very attentive and answered all our questions about the items we were interested in ordering. We both ordered sweet tea with our meal and they came in what I have to believe were old fashioned jelly or jam jars! It was so appropriate! Also I barely could get my tea down a quarter of the way before she showed back up and topped off our drinks! The tea tasted like it had been sitting on the back porch all day soaking up the sun. It was just the right amount of sweet too! After we ordered we quickly got a basket of warm rolls and butter and a side salad. The salad was very bright and looked fresh and was served with dressing on the side which my friend liked. She ordered the Jereline's Chicken. It was two breaded chicken breasts, served w/ pepper gravy over mashed potatoes. I had a taste of the chicken and the breading was light and seasoned lovely and it was very juicy. I ordered the Pecan Crusted Chicken sandwich, which was fried pecan breaded chicken, lettuce, bacon, red onion on a crusty hoagie roll minus the honey Dijon. My side of fries came in what I would call a strawberry pint container. Too cute! The fries were hot and crispy! The nutty flavor of the pecans with the smokey flavor from the bacon made this sandwich a real winner! Even though the dinners filled us up there was no way we could pass up dessert. Be aware their menu does change as I was looking forward to the creme brulee but was absolutely not missing it after ordering their bourbon pecan pie. It came warm, the crust was flaky and the fresh whip cream really added to the whole bite. My friend was deeply satisfied that she got her southern meal and I couldn't stop saying "oh my god" all the way home. It was just an overall very enjoyable experience. read more

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An aptly named charming and intimate place with an old school homemade gifts and sundries shop at the front. The food is good, with lots of options for various palates. My first meal there was shrimp & grits, which was great - very flavorful and salty. Another time, I had the salmon with creamy grits. The salmon was firm (overcooked), but the flavor was good. The grits were 10/10. My family had burgers, fried mushrooms, and filet mignon, all of which they said were good. The service is friendly and attentive. I have never had an anything less than a pleasant interaction with any of the staff. Be sure to plan ahead with a reservation. Ours took 2 weeks to get! read more

Quaint little spot near downtown York. A hidden gem really. Large private lot for parking. Little shop to browse while you wait for a table. We had a reservation so we were seated almost immediately. The service is second to none. Simply fantastic. Very attentive and friendly. The food is above average. On this trip, we got the chips and Gorgonzola cheese dip app. Very good. The chips are very unique and the dip is excellent. For my main, I got the ribeye. It was very good but so easy to make better. 1. Instead of a very thin steak - 1/2" maybe, go with 3/4" minimum. 2. Offer better sides. It came with potato wedges. Just basic fries. Not great. Serve with a vegetable. Perhaps some broccoli rabe or Brussels sprouts. 3. It comes with Cajun butter. Nowhere near enough for a 16 oz. steak. The wife got the filet and she liked it very much. She also got the caramel apple pie. Very deep. She said it was excellent. I do recommend this place for sure. read more

The Garden Cafe - Chips with Gorgonzola Cheese - New American Near Me - York, South Carolina

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Have been eating here for years and food is always great. The atmosphere takes you back in time and so much to look at. The staff is very knowledgeable too. Oh oh don't forget to order the buttermilk pie- the best I have ever had!!! read more

I love The Garden Cafe. The food and the ambiance is amazing. It is one of my favorite restaurants to visit for lunch with family and friends. read more

Had Dinner here. Beautiful restaurant. Steak bites, shrimp app, skirt steak, salmon, all delicious & prepared perfectly. Don't forget to try the buttermilk pie! Service is excellent & can't wait to eat here again. Definitely recommend... read more

This was our first time at Garden Café, and we went with friends who are regulars--and now we understand why. The place has a charming, welcoming vibe that immediately makes you feel at home. Our waitress was friendly and carried that unmistakable Southern charm that really elevated the experience. As for the food, I ordered the ribeye and it was cooked to perfection. Overall, a great first visit and definitely not our last. read more

The Garden Cafe - Blackened Rib Eye - New American Near Me - York, South Carolina

Unique cafe and store. Fried green beans are delicious. Quaint homemade things to buy unusual decorations, especially if you're a DYI person. read more

Love the vibe is a small local thing we love to come here when in town can't wait to come back

Amazing good and service! We have been several time and have always had a great experience

If they recommend reservations why in the world wouldn't they set up a online reservation. If you try to call good luck with that. And if you leave a message you are really hoping for a lot. Get updated and get out of the yonder years. Its called customer service. read more

Outstanding. I haven't enjoyed food this good in a restaurant in a very long time. Cute atmosphere.

Love this place. So many choices and ALL high quality. Nice tap list and appetizer choices

Went again for lunch and boy this place does not disappoint. We had the pimento jalapeños wrapped in bacon as an appetizer, pecan crusted chicken sandwich with sweet potato waffle fries, prime rib sandwich and finished it off with dessert of crème brûlée and German chocolate cheesecake! Wowwwww! Even the service was attentive and great! I even purchased lip balm and some tea bags from the store. read more

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Food is great and the bartender is wonderful! Also, the shop when you walk in is really neat.

Great atmosphere, wait staff & food. Even if we have to wait to get a table, we don't mind, since the store & outdoor area are interesting to walk around in. read more

Ordered eggplant parmigiana sub. It was delicious and outstanding! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! It was my Valentines wish! read more

One of my favorites in York, especially for date night. The ambiance from beginning to end sets & keeps a great mood. Food is fantastic. Service is very attentive. Reservations are not required, but HIGHLY recommended on Friday & Saturday nights. Always enjoy perusing their store of local artisan goodies. read more

Great ambiance ~ just an adorable place and excellent food! If you haven't tried it ~ do!

This place is super popular! I tried to come previously but it was closed for weddings. They have a fabulous shop with local food and gifts and a great restaurant too. We shared jalapeño bacon pimento cheese poppers, fried green beans with dip, potato soup and s roast beef sammy. Everything was delicious and great, friendly service too. read more

What a wonderful experience and well worth the drive. Tucktaway in the middle of this beautiful property is a great restaurant with a simple but southern menu. Lunch was fantastic and the atmosphere was wonderful. I traveled about an hour and 45 minutes for lunch and was surprised how gardeny the property was. The menu is very simple but there was something for everyone. The atmosphere is somewhat rustic but still inviting. I will definitely travel back there again. read more

Love their filet, salad with hot bacon vinaigrette dressing, and the cheesecake is so amazing

Holy smokes, If you live or visit York SC, you must not miss Garden Cafe. I goo weekly if i can, the food is amazing, the drinks are on point and the country style ambience if beautiful. Mrs Theresa walks around and check on ya, and she is so friendly and down to earth welcoming. Love this place. read more

We came here (unknowingly) the first weekend that the dining room reopened since COVID (they were apparently on takeout only). We had heard about this place for years, and just hadn't stopped in.. But we are so glad that we did! My husband and I each had sandwiches, and we were very pleased with the quality of the food, and the service as well. We went a few weeks ago, so I don't know if or what has changed since we went, but they were only open for lunch (dine in), and takeout for dinners. There is outdoor seating, however, at the time, they did not have servers (low staffing), so it was basically takeout, to eat outside. We will most definitely be returning, soon, and we cannot wait to try their dinner menu! I'm so glad that we finally tried this spot. Definitely a gem in the area! read more

Love Love Love this place!!! Fun atmosphere and great food. Teresa does an amazing job.

Big portions of tasty food. The restaurant was fun and we loved browsing I. The shopping area while we waited for our table.

Based on a friends recommendation we decided to try the garden cafe. Wow what a treat! There is a lot of outdoor seating and you are in a cute courtyard area. We even had turtles as guests. The service was first class and very friendly. The food was amazing. I had the brisket Mac n Cheese. The cheese sauce was a delicious creamy beer cheese. The brisket was tender and tasty. I am looking forward to returning and trying some of the other selections. They also have a cute shop with crafts and treats. The pimiento cheese is Amazing. read more

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Great service and best food in the area. We go there when we have company and on special occasions

I absolutely adore the Garden. I am pleased to give them a 5 in food, presentation, friendliness, and service. Their buttermilk pie is to die for! Mccoy read more

Came with my fiancé last week for the first time and it was awesome. Place was fully booked but they had seating in the bar area with small tables for first come first serve guests. The entry is actually a small gift shop with awesome goodies! The hostess was so sweet and nice, really makes you feel welcome. The bartender was friendly as well. Good local beer selection as well. The food was so good and I couldn't get enough. Definitely a go to in York! read more

The Garden Cafe - Alfredo - New American Near Me - York, South Carolina

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Our favorite restaurant in York! A very nice menu with amazing drink options and a great bar. I will recommend this to anyone looking for a great dinner. Service is good! The decorations and ambiance is very southern farm, but great!! read more

Food has always been delicious and service quick and fast. Shopping in the front of the restaurant is a great place to purchase unique gifts too!! read more

it was my first time visiting this place with my sister. we wanted to go somewhere chill and that has good food. this place has all of that and more! when we first got there, we noticed that the place was decorated so well that it just immediately knew this was the place. the inside had very soft lighting that will calm your body instantly. the workers and service was phenomenal and they were so kind! the waiter knew exactly what i wanted! the food was awesome! i can't even explain how good the potato bowl was! my sister ordered the cajen filet bites, and they were seasoned to absolute perfection! we both highly enjoyed the food. the desert we ordered buttermilk pie and it was AMAZING. i usually don't like sweets, but THIS. i would definitely recommend this to go to. no matter if your in need for sweet, savory, or spice! this place will fulfill all of that! read more

Horrible rainy Friday night but we ventured out anyways. Met some friends there at 5:30 and we went right in, reservations. The server was a nice young lady who stayed on top of things for us. The food was great and so was the huge side salad. We were all very pleased with the food. We enjoy the ambiance of the cafe. Nice little store and a bar inside. Just a bit pricy as you would expect. You can get as good, if not better, food at other places for less, so it's all location and ambiance in my opinion. read more

Food was very good. Service, too, was very good. Ambiance is definitely unique. We enjoyed our dinner and will certainly return.

Great food! Really really good service ( rare these days) cute country atmosphere..will go back ! read more

The Garden Cafe - Santa Julia!! My new fave!! Like communion juice lol - New American Near Me - York, South Carolina

The food and service was great, but no music or ambiance. Such a shame. This place could really be nice. If no live music, at least pipe some in!!!! read more

Grilled roast beef /a side of deep fried green beans was awesome Brisket sandwich / a side of French was delicious my husband said Would definitely come back and try something else Pleasant staff & a warm atmosphere read more

The Service is great, the food is unique and fabulous, the decor and store is eclectic and unique. A must see location and destination. I like sitting outside near the turtle pond and sipping a cold beverage. read more