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The Garlic
Review
About
We invite you to enjoy an authentic taste of the Tuscan countryside. Walk down a vine covered arbor, surrounded by a walled Olde World fireplace and enter a garden lush with lit trees and flowering greenery. The garlic offers one of the most beautiful settings for a delightful and memorable dining experience. We offer great food, live music, fine wine, Italian beer, and perfect martinis. Come experience the garlic for yourself.
Features
CUISINES
Italian, Steakhouse, Seafood, Tuscan, Central-Italian
Meal types
Dinner, Late Night
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
FEATURES
Accepts Credit Cards
American Express
Discover
Free off-street parking
Full Bar
Highchairs Available
Jazz Bar
Live Music
Mastercard
Outdoor Seating
Parking Available
Private Dining
Seating
Serves Alcohol
Table Service
Takeout
Valet Parking
Visa
Wheelchair Accessible
Location
Free off-street parking, Parking Available, Valet Parking
Menu
Is this an Asian restaurant?
Save this restaurant
Hours
Closed now
• Opens at 4:00 PM
Sunday
4:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Monday
4:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Tuesday
4:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Wednesday
4:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Thursday
4:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Friday
4:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Saturday
4:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Contribute
4.3
3,062 reviews
Excellent
1,903
Very good
565
Average
286
Poor
152
Terrible
156
TahitiZ
Milwaukee2108 contributions
Mar 2024 • couples
We arrived just before 4:00 p.m. when the restaurant opens and there were probably 100 people standing in line in front of us. This was our first visit to The Garlic. The line moved quickly once the restaurant opened. The place is huge with many assorted dining areas and various music the different dining areas as well. The restaurant is decorated beautifully. Steven S. was our server and he was very friendly and attentive. Two in our party ordered the Ravioli Bolognaise, one the Shrimp & Scallop Scamp and one the Lasagna Special. EVERYTHING was delicious, but the lasagna was spectacular and huge. We were traveling by plane the next day, but our friends were happy to take the leftovers home to enjoy for another meal. We all shared a piece of the Carrot Cake after our meal and WOW was it ever delicious. It was $14.95, but worth every penny! I look forward to returning to this area again and when we do, we will definitely return for another meal. Drinks, wine with dinner, entrees and one dessert came to $334 with tip for four people! We totally loved it!
Written March 20, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chloe Thomas
Orlando1757 contributions
Mar 2024 • couples
After dreaming of trying The Garlic for nearly two years, it finally happened. As a central Florida local, passing by The Garlic coming to and from the beach was a regular occurrence, but sadly never a stop due to the semi-lengthy drive back.
My partner and I arrived early, around 4:50 because we knew it would be a lengthy wait. We were told an hour, but ended up being seated around 5:30. While waiting, you can enjoy the bar outside, the gift shop, or walk around the neighborhoods nearby like my partner and I did. Tip - arrive about an hour or so before you’d like to have dinner, as the wait times are known for being long.
The interior of the restaurant is unique, and will have you feeling as if you are in the middle of a garden. The space is filled with greenery and related decor, giving off a European/Italian vibe.
Upon being seated, you are greeted with hot bread and fresh garlic, yum! When ordering, the waiter/waitress will hand you a lasagna noodle that has the nightly specials written on it. This was a lovely and very creative way to display specials.
For the appetizer, we ordered the fried soft shell crab and it arrived quickly. The flavor could have been better, as the fried batter took away some of the crabby taste. Each of our meals came with a house salad, which was enjoyable. For my entree, I selected the Chicken Marsala and it was the best I’ve had. The sauce was creamy and flavorful, unlike some I’ve had in the past. My partner ordered a seafood pasta and enjoyed it as well.
The service was great, as we were in and out in less than 2 hours on a very busy Saturday night. As mentioned earlier, I would still arrive well before you are ready to eat because the large wait time will likely be present. Looking forward to trying The Garlic again soon!
Written March 31, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
B Young
Daytona Beach9 contributions
Oct 2023 • couples
This was our first visit here. We asked for a romantic table but they seated us inside. Then after our meal we found out there was a ton of other great seating outside that we would rather have had for our romantic birthday dinner, that was very disappointing. The Ravioli was really good and a large portion. The drinks were good but too much ice for the price. The Saxophone player played "Happy Birthday" to me and that was so awesome. They need to put their desserts on the menu WITH PRICES because I can't believe I was charged $15 for a piece of cake.
Written October 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kimberly R
Tampa58 contributions
Dec 2024 • couples
We recently moved to New Smyrna Beach and heard mixed reviews about this restaurant, but we decided to form our own opinion rather than relying on others. Unfortunately, our experience was far from impressive.
To start, the hostesses outside seemed too young and inexperienced to manage the expectations of guests paying high-end prices. The service only got worse from there. Despite the restaurant being nearly empty on a weekday, it took our server 10 minutes to greet us after passing by our table several times. Once she did finally take our order, she dropped off our meals and disappeared. We didn’t see her again until it was time to roll silverware at the table next to us, which felt a bit unprofessional.
As for the food, it didn’t live up to the hype. The roasted garlic and bread were underwhelming, and the mussels with Sambuca were a major miss – the flavor combination just didn’t work. My husband had the special of the day, though he couldn't recall what it was, only that he didn’t care for it. I had the Marsala, which was over-breaded and soggy, making it difficult to enjoy.
We heard from others that 5-star restaurants here are more like 3-stars compared to where we moved from, but we honestly disagree. We've had fantastic dining experiences at places like Spott, SoNapa, Norwood's, and Caneletto's, which have far exceeded our expectations and rivaled the best restaurants anywhere. After the mussels, we didn’t feel like risking a steak, fearing it would be another disappointment.
In summary, this restaurant did not live up to its reputation, and we won’t be returning. There are plenty of other places in the area that offer much better food and service. Save your time and money and head somewhere else.
Written December 21, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Greg P
4 contributions
Feb 2025 • friends
The wait wasn’t too long. The restaurant’s online advertisement stated an “early bird special” from 4:00 to 6:00. After being seated our waiter informed us that the “special” menu had been discontinued for about 2 yrs. Okay.??? We looked at the menus, prices were high, but the buzz around town was about how good this place was so we decided to stay and eat. The entrees did not include any sides. You can get a house salad with your meal but anything else costs extra. We made our menu selections and opted for the house salad bowl. A stick of bread was brought to us with a dish of roasted garlic. No knife to cut the bread, you have to tear it apart, and it’s not soft. A bottle of olive oil and another with balsamic vinegar was on the table. That was for the bread, no butter, ok- real Italian cuisine. Bowl of salad came, no dressing, just the 2 bottles on the table, and no cheese. Our entrees came. My chicken parmesan had a burnt flavor, the bottom of the chicken had been blackened. Friends’ pasta pomodora was canned tomatoes stewed, seasoned on top of linguini- not bursting with flavor. I returned my meal and the charge was canceled. Overall, the food was mediocre and only a side of salad with no choices of seasoning, for about $30/plate. One family came in, sat down, looked at the menu, then promptly got up and left. I understand that goal of this place is to serve authentic Italian dishes, but this is America and many eateries have better tasting pasta meals including choices for salads/soup, and at much cheaper prices. Been there, done that, won’t go back.
Written February 6, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vance T
Clemmons97 contributions
Sep 2024 • family
A lot of hype here. Yes the building is cool; but, the management doesn't give a flip about how the customers are treated and I was told this by the (he called himself the CEO - Jeff).
Took the server and kitchen four times to get a steak close to what we ordered. No apology, no offer to do anything to make this right.
The server even made statements to us that the steak was medium when it was clearly medium rare at best! Then the kitchen replated the steak with onions (originally asked for no onions), sent the steak back, the kitchen removed the onions and resent the steak now with onion taste! What the heck? You must think your customers are stupid!
Then they wanted us to pay full price for this less than good experience. Oh, and it was a birthday dinner...
Written September 16, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kimberly S
1 contribution
Jan 2024 • family
Normally I don’t write reviews but I had to this time. My husband and I have been to The Garlic many times and love our experiences but tonight was the worst experience I have ever had there. I ordered the soup in place of my salad and they charged me a $1.00 more for it and the soup was not hot at all when I received it, it was cold and I ordered chicken alfredo for dinner and I had to send it back. The chicken was not cooked all the way and the one bite of chicken I did take was absolutely horrible and it tasted not cooked. It took me awhile to tell my server there was a problem because it took him a while to get back to our table. When he came back to our table I told him about the chicken and showed him the chicken (still pink) and he said he would replace it with something else like shrimp Alfredo for example. I said okay to the shrimp Alfredo. I thought they would switch out the meal for the same price or take the meals completely off my bill, nope not the case. They took the chicken Alfredo off and charged me for the shrimp Alfredo (which was more). The manager was told by the sever that I didn’t like it (that’s not the case, it was not cooked throughout). The manager never approached my table and our server said the manager was aware of our problem. The server offered me a desert for free instead of taking money off of my bill for my meal trouble. My husband could eat his food while I couldn’t. Now I feel sick from eating 1 piece of uncooked chicken( you can tell after moving the sauce off the chicken it was not cooked thoroughly). The server swore to me that the chicken was triple cooked before it touched my plate. Not true. I am very upset and now sick.
Written January 14, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SBetchkal
Cleveland9 contributions
Feb 2024 • family
We were warned. Entered with high expectations and accepted our 1hr 45 minute wait, which turned into well over 2 hrs because hostess took down cell# wrong (no apologies). Funny, an instagrammer and her camera person was waltzed right in with no wait. Once we got to our table it only got worse with our waitress Meagan, who was having a bad night. Not only was she impatient but literally demanded we had ordered an entree we had not. That person in our party ended up not ordering for timing purposes and shared small portions from the group. Upon collecting the bill, in a rude tone, Meagan asked if it was ready yet. Seriously, no interest in anything but moving us through, no apologies. Don’t get me wrong. Decor is cute. Caesar was great. Portions are large, but the food is pretty average and definitely not worth the disingenuous staff.
Go for a drink outside. Walk through the restaurant to just see it and then head to one of the many other great places in NSB that actually appreciate their guests. We won’t be back.
Written February 22, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jayde Lyle
23 contributions
Jan 2025 • couples
Went to dinner last night with my hubby of 44 years for our anniversary. This was not our first time at this fabulous restaurant. We sat inside as it was so chilly, but they do have heaters over-head outside and some large heaters. The atmosphere is equal to their fabulous menu. I chose the Quatro Manicotti, and my husband had the filet mignon with garlic mashed potatoes. So much food we brought it home for a second meal. Our salads were larger than the plate it was served on, and the fresh hot bread and smashed roasted garlic bulb was wonderful. This is such an amazing restaurant and even though we don't live in New Smyrna, the 45-minute drive was worth it. Our server was Zachary C. and he was attentive and professional. We didn't need anything! I would give this restaurant 20 stars. Tip is to get there early, especially on a weekend night. We were there at 5:20 p.m. and there was no wait.
Written January 18, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Susan O
Saint Cloud45 contributions
Aug 2023 • friends
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!
Written August 24, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dontneeddrama
Orlando101 contributions
Sep 2023 • family
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.
Written September 24, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lorraine M
Vero Beach206 contributions
Aug 2023 • couples
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.
Written August 23, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John117592
New York City84 contributions
Oct 2024 • couples
Asked a friend from NSB where to take my wife to dinner. She recommended the Garlic with the warning that they don’t take reservations, and it’s very popular, hence a long waiting line. We got there early and got right in. It’s a huge venue, but parking was already tight. We were seated in an air conditioned area. The restaurant was pretty. They served garlic with oil and vinegar as well as bread. The potato soup was excellent. The Marsala sauce was tame, but the tomato gravy was great. Far too much food to even think about desert.
Written October 4, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AventuraVisitor
Miami57 contributions
Apr 2023 • family
Our family was celebrating a special birthday. The Garlic was requested by the birthday girl. Reservations are not accepted. Arrived near opening time. We waited in the heat 1 hour 20 minutes to be seated. At the end of a $400+ meal we advised our server that we had our own birthday cake due to dietary restrictions for several in our family. She told us that we could not eat the cake and she would be “fired” if we did. We requested to speak with the manager. “Sherrie” arrived and proceeded to command that we “comply” with a law prohibiting outside food stating that the “law” protects us from cross-contamination and that The Garlic would lose its license if we ate our birthday cake. We asked if she could specify the law or show it to us. She proceeded to pull a Disney website up on her phone.??? Then she stated that the “law” is common knowledge and people in the restaurant business know it. When she could not provide any evidence of the “law,” she told us that if we ate the cake we would be “banned” from The Garlic. The server removed all our dessert plates from the table. We paid our bill and left extremely disappointed, having had our celebration terminated. The Garlic is apparently an “experience” rather than a dining location. It’s a ramshackle joining of roofs and outdoor spaces with numerous bars. Food and drinks are overpriced. Management does not seem to care about assisting diners with dietary issues or insuring diners have a great experience. Very sad.
Written April 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
philly p
Orlando1 contribution
Mar 2023 • couples
We went there last night (3/19) and I was not impressed at all. Bread they served with the roasted garlic was over toasted, and the garlic desperately needed additional seasoning. After the Caesar salad was recommended to us we ordered it with our entrees. The salad was void of any flavor as the primary flavor was just water. The dressing tasted watered down and the lettuce texture was over saturated with water and slightly crunchy. Then the entrees came. I ordered the shrimp and scallop scampi and my wife ordered the bocci ball. My shrimp and scallops didn’t have a hint of sear on them, they both looked like they were poached and thrown on tops of the pasta. One of my shrimps still had feces in it. It was not deveined. I asked the waiter for another shrimp because it was still dirty, and he informed me the kitchen doesn’t devein their shrimp… this is absolutely disgusting and unacceptable as you are serving animal feces if you do not clean the shrimp. This is food handling 101. At this point I’m far too irritated to enjoy any food brought to my table and I tell the waiter I do not want my entree fixed. Mind you the “scampi sauce” looked like it was broth ladled over the pasta, very soupy. The bocci ball my wife ordered was deliver to the table room temperature at best. Other people at my table had issues as well. One gentleman ordered a filet and was brought a NY strip. Another ordered a pork dish which looked like it was prepared by boiling it and putting it on a plate. Zero visual appeal. With all of these issues at my table one would hope the executive chef was off that night, and I would have never let food leave my pass looking like that. I’d be very apprehensive to revisit this restaurant. Paying $30-50 per entree one should expect an enjoyable dining experience.
Written March 20, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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