The Secret Garden Cafe — Restaurant in Occoquan

I visited on an October, Saturday night at around 7 pm -ish. We were told there would be a 45 min wait but were texted and then called within 15 mins. You won't find a nicer bunch of receptionists on the Occaquan who left a very positive impression as this was my first visit to the venue. While we waited, we walked to the end of the street to see the lake view and stopped for a coffee next door.

We were seated outside which has the "back yard patio" feel if you've grown up anywhere remotely "suburban." There are plenty of tables, black wire metal in design, but with enough space to feel socially distanced but pleasantly also private enough to enjoy your private conversation at a regular tone.

There was space to eat inside which was mostly populated with local high schoolers enjoying what appeared to be a homecoming night. I noticed senior citizens present as well so the venue seems to attract all comers.

I think one of the challenges a reviewer faces when they do a fair amount of cooking is to not be overly critical of a dish or preparation of a dish you have yourself have pioneered and mastered to various degrees. With that being said, my partner was thoroughly impressed with the Monte Cristo sandwich. I had the Rib Eye which seemed to be pan fried with very little seasoning but topped with a flavorful blue cheese butter. Therefore, the Rib Eye was average in my opinion...the appetizer potstickers, in contrast, were worth the trip alone. Delicious...We both felt the fried potatoes were a bit overcooked but that could be easily remedied.

The venue has a modest beer selection and I opted for the Dragon's Milk white which paired well with the meal. I didn't notice any dark beers but the venue does have an extensive but somewhat pricey wine menu. I recall a moderate valued Rose priced at 15 a glass.

As a whole, the waitress was friendly, offered suggestions, and even got me some worchisire sauce. She checked on us again during our meal and a different waiter offered us dessert and the check. They had a chocolate lava cake, key lime pie, and a coconut almond cake which I look forward to trying in the future.

Outside of the wines, everything is reasonably priced and I would definitely visit again without...

A lovely atmosphere, unfortunately does not make up for mediocre food.

After seeing so many good reviews and recommendations from friends and family, we decided to give this place a go.

From the start, the cafe is situated in a back alley of the building. The setup is very romantic and intimate.

The wait on the table in the garden was about 40-45 minutes, but we waited a total of around 35 minutes. The staff was very friendly, we had no problems there.

Now to the main part-food. I had one of the specials- chipotle braised beef with mac’n’cheese with a side of Tabbouleh. My partner had a hanger steak with potato cake and cheddar grits. And what a disappointing meal it was. Let’s start with the braised beef. The beef itself was quite flavorful.the sauce was just the right amount spicy and tangy, which I was expecting from the chipotle spice. The beef itself was dry, which tells you two things- either the beef was cooked earlier this week and got reheated in the microwave completely destroying the braised beef texture…or the head chef cannot pick an appropriate cut of beef for the dish. Either way, the execution of the meal was quite poor. The beef was topped with deep fried onions, which was cooked in old grease and left out for a couple of hours before serving. The macaroni was overcooked and very bland. I was saddened to come to a conclusion that the Tabbouleh was the best part of my meal.

When it comes to my partner’s food- same disappointment. The steak came out raw, when we asked for medium rare. We would eat it if it was rare, but unfortunately it was cold inside. We asked for the steak to be cooked again, which the server happily did. The sides were flavorless. The potatoes in the potato cake were overworked, which resulted in a gamey texture. Lots of pepper, not enough salt. Similar story with grits. Lacking salt, however the buttery crust was quite pleasant.

Altogether we were disappointed and we will...

Highly, highly recommend this restaurant for brunch. My family and I tried this place out for Labor Day. The restaurant does not do reservations, but they do have a call ahead waiting list. I highly encourage calling ahead, as we had an hour wait time (granted it was Labor Day) but also there is limited seating. The outside seating was gorgeous, with greenery and flowers abundant. We sat on the inside which is spotless and has a very homey feel. The waiting staff was great, often coming by our table to ensure we had what we needed, never having to ask for a refill. We each ordered an entree and then ordered the Vermont French toast to share (because I being a foodie needed to have well-rounded review (; ). Cheddar Breakfast Sandwich: served on rye or brioche. Their bread changes so the sandwich usually comes on rye but I was given the option of substitutions for brioche. It had a jalepeño aioli which was delicious with very minimal spice. I was slightly disappointed in the potatoes as they were over cooked and covered in black pepper (this is the only complaint you will see in my review) Monte Christo: pan fried rather than deep fried but delicious just the same. Cheddar grit cake. Honestly the best grits I've had in a long time. The amount of cheese is noticeably present. Could have eaten 3, though the size of them are rather large. The Vermont French toast: Some of the best French toast I have ever had. It tasted like a cinnamon roll Mixed with French toast. The pecans and cream cheese icing were hard to beat.

Overall, this restaurant is well worth the wait. With waterfront for walking to kill time before your table is ready. The staff were beyond nice, the restaurant spotless, and the food was delicious and very reasonably priced. My family and I will be back, maybe will try out the...