Arrive as close to opening as possible ( 4pm). There will be a line but it moves quickly. Parking is not easy,but not difficult. The atmosphere is beautiful. Indoor/outdoor seats. Beautiful lighting. Several fireplaces/ pits. The service was outstanding. Food was delicious, and lots of...it. Freshly baked bread, beef, chicken ,veal,pork ,seafood,pasta dishes on the menu. Very large portions.More
When we got here before 5 pm Saturday afternoon, the wait was thirty minutes. When we left after finishing our meal it was an hour and 15 minutes. Does that give you an idea how popular this place is? With Garlic as it's name ,,...you would expect that to be the emphasis of the meal. But not in an overwhelming sense. Our excellent server, Eric, started us off with bread and smashed cooked garlic to start. Throughout the meal he kept water glasses full, made very good suggestions regarding the menu. The salads were crisp, the rack of lamb was excellent, the huge piece of lasagna was full of ground filet. You might think they would fill it with less expensive ingredients but no, and it was delicious, and enough for two more meals. Well, what they save in not having a reservation service, and not having A/C they spend on the ingredients of their food. Their architecture is semi open and covered, and it was a pleasant night, weather wise, so the lack of AC was not an issue. And it's in New Smyrna Beach,, a beach town and the vibe is laid back beach scene Worth going to, worth the wait when you get there, and the food will delight.More
We are particular about Italian cuisine and heard great things about the garlic. It did not disappoint. Don’t eat for a week before- servings are huge
The staff are friendly and the food is average. The building itself was overcrowded with decor and had poor lighting. The bartenders were having to work in a puddle from some kind of leak along the floor. The building seemed to need a deep cleaning...and some updates. Would not recommend for anyone who is easily overstimulated.More
Food is not as good as it used to be. The one last thing that’s decent the lamb isn’t even being cooked right anymore, no char on it usually overcooked. My final straw was when I left tonight and I was getting ready to walk...out the “emergency exit” by the blu bar which in the past I’ve been told by staff I can leave that way because it’s next to parking but tonight I was dressed down by a rude server upon trying to leave through this door. I said are you serious, and his response was read the door. Well based off this interaction with this person I will not be eating at the Garlic anymore. Unprofessional staff work there. Can’t believe someone would talk to me like that and then laugh afterwards with their coworkers. Don’t know his name but he was short with longer blonde hair. I guess I will take my thousands I used to spend there yearly to a more deserving establishment and I won’t be recommending them anymore either.More
Food here is good---not great. There can be a long wait for a table. They serve various pasta shapes. The bartender kept coming to our table and reaching over us for bottles of wine.
Was not impressed with our first-time visit to Garlic. Overpriced, tasteless food in a cluttered, very dusty and aged restaurant. Getting escorted to our table, we walked past the approx. 50 side salads, already prepared, laying right out in the open area by the kitchen....First clue this was going to go downhill fast! A fresh loaf of bread (this was good) was served with a bulb of smashed garlic, skins and all. This was fun trying to find the garlic in the mess! The salads were disgusting... WARM, not cold, and only olive oil and bottled balsamic at table side was all that was offered. Needless to say, we never ate the salads for fear of getting sick. Had the Seafood Italiano where adding salt brought flavor to the meal. The frozen, not fresh, calamari was tough, some of my mussels never opened, and what little seafood remained was definitely not worth $29.95. Then, the finale... a $11.95 4x4 square piece of Tiramisu! OMG, really! Never again! Service was mediocre.. This place is a bust and highly overrated! People really don't know what good food is!More
I was disappointed in my first visit to this restaurant. From the stellar recommendations, I expected a more “wow” factor. I thought the atmosphere was excellent. Very pretty decor with lots of nooks and crannies to the place. Our server while efficient and competent, did...not give off a “warm” vibe particularly when we told her it was our first visit and my birthday. Technically she was excellent, though she over charged me for the wine and never told us whether salad was included with a meal. She fixed the over charge and we over heard the salad issue from another table. The bread with a head of roasted garlic was delicious as was our mussels appetizer. The broth required additional bread. I found the pace of our experience very rushed. You no sooner ordered your appetizer and it was in front of you. I never got to enjoy my glass of wine. My Caesar salad was filled with rusty lettuce. I could not eat it. I ended up with the entree sized salad called the Grant with a piece of salmon on top. Decent salad, not awesome and expensive at $29.00. My husband had the pasta puttanesca with meatballs. Again decent, but not awesome. I asked if the sauce had a “kick” to it and he said a little. Portion sizes were good. We thought the menu lacked some variety; no veal dishes and very limited fish selection. I could have either salmon or rainbow trout, the night we were there. Although the dessert tray had some nice looking slices of cake, nothing jumped out at us. Dinner for two with one shared appetizer, one glass of wine, and two entrees, with a 20% tip came to $107.00.More
Fun atmosphere, good food in ample servings, mellow live dinner music. The “inside” space has an open corridor to the outside, so it can be warm on hot nights - wear light clothing, especially if you’re going to eat something served hot. This place is...popular and always very busy, but the hard-working staff does a GREAT job of moving the volume, (I hope the owners of this gold mine pay them well). Occasional flubs are inevitable is a fast-paced environment, unfortunately our server made a couple mistakes with our orders, but she was very nice and still got a full tip. Would have been nice if management comped the wine that was brought to the table after our meal was finished, but they’re swamped with customers and probably didn’t notice.More
Such a wonderful place, food was awesome, the waiter Cody, the best I ever had. Great suggestions , very knowledgeable. Really enjoyed his job. Heading back soon, I’m from out of state
We did a fishing charter with local guide Captain Drew Cavanaugh the other day and he suggested The Garlic for a place to go for dinner. All I can say is WOW! He nailed it perfectly. As you can tell by all the other reviews...that this place is outstanding! If you are in the area you must try it. One of the best meals ever.More
WOW....this place is a real experience! Huge restaurant in an indoor/ outdoor setting that is totally unique. Food is excellent, prepared well with great service. Many unique Tuscan entrees. We had the Osso Bucco. A special treat was the house wine. A great Montepulciano at...a great price. No reservations but the turnover is good. We arrived at 5 pm and were seated immediately. This place is always busy and parking is an adventure but doable.More
The Beas and garlic were very good! The atmosphere was very neat and food came out very quickly. The appetizers were good. The main entrees were disappointing. My seafood scampi was like soup. My kids both got chicken Alfredo and it was very watery and...tasteless. Our meal was $207 for four of us and probably one of the most disappointing Italian meals we've had. We were so excited because it came highly recommendedMore
This place used to be so good. I’ve tried several times in the last 2 years thinking I got an “off” night. Nope. It’s just bad now. The place smells like a mildew dish rag. The food has gone downhill. On the last trip, no...one liked their food. The price for a kids pasta (no protein, no drink) is $16. Actually, all the prices have been jacked up but the quality has gone down. It’s surviving on it’s glory days and old reviews. For outdoor dining, we’ve switched to Third Wave.More
This restaurant is over rated and pricey for the quality of the Italian Cuisine & Customer Service. Once known for their family style bowl of salad to start the meal ; this is now alacart. The decor & ambience is lovely which escalated the rating...to 3.More
