Garden At The Cellar

11/18/08

Waited way too long!

by niiicola at Citysearch

I would have given this restaurant four stars, but the interminable waiting really brought it down. We arrived at 7:30 on a Wednesday night and were told there would be 20-30 minute wait for our party of four. Which was fine -- we got ourselves a seat at the bar. But we ended up waiting over an hour and a half. The hostess did come over about halfway through the wait to tell us the table was almost ready, but this apparently was not the case. After we sat down, the waitress took our order fairly quickly , but then the appetizers didn't arrive at our table for 40 minutes. By this point, we were practically gnawing on the table. One of the appetizers was just an order of fries, so we were a little mystified as to why that took so long and why they hadn't sent it out early to placate us. If anything is going to cheer me up, it's those truffle fries! Anyway, the food ended up being very good. I'd highly recommend the fish fritters, the steak, the duck, the pumpkin soup, and of course, the fries! I really wish I had enjoyed this experience more, but unfortunately, the waiting really ruined it. It seems to me that if a restaurant isn't going to take reservations, they should really try and get their kitchen in order so that they can turn tables quickly. I'd go back to the downstairs bar for beer and fries, but I don't think I'd go back to the restaurant.

• Pros: The food
• Cons: The wait

10/24/08

Good food, bad service

by EBo1216 at Citysearch

I went there to eat last night with 3 of my friends and we were told that it would be about 45 minutes till a table would be open for us, so we opted to wait at the bar. We waited for close to an hour and half. When were seated he hostess then blamed the people who left before us saying "They took forever to pay their bill"....she didn't say sorry but blamed the other patrons.

The food is awesome. You have to get the truffle fries, as they are so yummy. I also had the tomato soup and grilled cheese....which was yummy.

Overall, the food is great but the they need to work on the customer service and timing. Don't go if you are in a rush.

• Pros: food
• Cons: long waits, the service

02/10/08

Excellent Food, great price

by Rougelatete at Citysearch

I've been to Garden twice and have found the food to be wonderful each time. The mussells are by far my favorite, but the potato leek soup with black truffle and thyme is a close second (don't expect it to be chunky....it's smoothe and creamy). Probably the best way to enjoy the food is to go with a couple of friends and share around. The bread is plentiful and comes to your table with herbed chive butter (a nice touch!), so you can soak up all the wonderful sauces. The chef has a wonderful ability to seek out the freshest herbs and tastiest local ingredients to create mouth-watering masterpieces that will keep you coming back for more. If you need salt and pepper, however, you need to ask....it's the only thing missing from the beautiful copper-topped tables. And, although they don't have a dessert menu, they will bring you complimentary chunks of dark chocolate with your bill. A great place to bring a crowd that's a mix of carnivores and veggies, btw.

• Pros: Fair price, nice atmosphere, delicious food, friendly staff, meat and veggie dishes aplenty
• Cons: no dessert, can't bring a large group easily