The Garden Club — Restaurant in South San Francisco

Updated review: Garden Club has changed a few things this year. I noticed the dining room is much darker because they changed the light fixtures. The bar stools at the bar are back. The social distancing table arrangements are gone and the old table arrangements are back with more seating for guests. The outdoor parklet was closed when I was there at 10am. Indoor dining only.

Garden Club has not been traditionally known for their breakfast/brunch menu. This is my third time having brunch here. Their breakfast burger was delicious. It was just a regular bacon cheeseburger with an egg added. I liked how they used romaine lettuce instead of the iceberg lettuce. Service was excellent.

Original review: Indoor lunch today 3/19/2021. At noon, the outdoor dining tent was full and the indoor dining hall had two other parties. The bar stools were removed and you can no longer eat at the bar because of COVID. We had the lunch 14oz prime rib $22, New York steak with garlic and butter $20, garlic fries $6 with a Stella Artois beer $6 (not served in a traditional Stella chalice but rather a regular pint glass.) The new waiter was kind of a rookie even though he was an older gentlemen. I had ordered a Guinness beer when he took our order. The salad and soup came and my beer haven't arrived. When I asked him about it, he told me they didn't have Guinness. Wouldn't it be a common courtesy to let the customer know when he found out they didn't have it, to let me know then? Instead, I was sitting there thirsty for 15 mins. Regardless, I settled for a Stella instead. Weird that a bar wouldn't have Guinness beer. When my entree arrived, it was wrong entree. I didn't order a lamb shank. Then I had to wait some more for them to remake my food. The New York steak with garlic and butter was good. It was better than the rare prime rib I got. I ordered medium but didn't want to waste more time for them to remake it... AGAIN. The garlic fries were meh. It was missing that garlic burn you get from the ballpark garlic fries. Pro tip for the rookie waiter: use a pen to write down orders if your memory is failing you, especially at a new job. I really miss the old bartender lady that used to work there during lunch time. I would sit at the bar and she would remembers what I ordered from like two weeks ago. Both food and drinks. She was such a sweetheart. My bill for lunch today was $70 with tax and tip...

We used to live on the peninsula and would go to the garden club at least once a month sometimes twice. We moved to the Napa valley a little over a year ago and have been wanting to go back ever since. This past Sunday, we had an occasion to go to on the peninsula so on the way home we were looking forward to going there for dinner. We used to love all their food, especially the minestrone soup and the large mixed green salad with the great vinaigrette dressing, and I would always get a side order of raviolis, then the prime rib for my main entrée. Well, we were seated at a booth as you first walk in, and I immediately noticed bright spot lights shining down that was very irritating. That was okay since we were looking forward to the wonderful food that we both remembered. Then the soup came family style as usual. My wife and I both stared at it and said what the heck is that? It was absolutely nothing like the delicious soup they used to serve. We both took one spoonful and pushed it aside, it was disgusting. Then the salad came and my wife and I both once again surprisingly looked at it and didn’t even try it. It consisted of all black horrible leafy greens. No longer the wonderful mixed green salad we remembered. Then my side order of raviolis came. They used to serve five large delicious raviolis for $8 as a side dish. The new price is $13, and I was served only three. That’s $4.33 each! And to top it off, they were once again absolutely nothing like they used to be. They were doughy and hardly filled. I gave the Garden Club two stars instead of one, only because the prime rib was excellent and cooked perfectly medium rare. However, the vegetables were cold and could hardly bite into them. I had also ordered a side order of french fries, that were an extra charge, and when tasting them, only ate a couple since they weren’t very good. If I was able to go there and just order the prime rib on a dish all by itself, I would possibly return. That was the only item on my entire dinner that I enjoyed. Of course, they also raised their prices, but I totally understand that since food cost has risen lately. I so miss the food that the Garden Club used to serve. They must’ve changed ownership and or management, since nothing was like it used to be. Sadly, we...

Hole in da wall/being in another era!

Garden club is located at the corner of a somewhat secluded and run down plaza. Walking into the restaurant there is a bar/waiting area to your right with televisions and to the left is the dining area.

The wait on a Sunday night was 45 minutes to an hour. And they are pretty much on the dot with estimating the time. There is a set menu for each day of the week. The menu doesn't change as much, just a couple different dishes here and there.

Less than $30 for a full course meal is a deal in my book. First, comes bread. Soup, salad and meat ravioli (Sunday) and then main entree and to end the whole meal with dessert!

Nothing great about the bread. It isn't even toasted. The salad has a great amount of dressing and it's flavorful. The soup was a minestrone kind of soup for Sunday night. I liked the soup because it wasn't salty at all. I eat my soup pretty bland. By the time, I got to meat ravioli I was getting a bit full. I was only to eat one meat ravioli so I can save my stomach for the entree. Boxed up the meat ravioli to go. I also noticed around the restaurant that my table wasn't the only one taking the meat ravioli to go.

For entree, I ordered the prime rib with a side of mash potatoes and peas. Prime rib isn't anything like broadway prime, but it satisfies the carnivore in me. I loved the mash potatoes! It had enough fluffiness to it. I sampled my boyfriend's entree which was the rack of lamb. It was amazing. Usually lamb there is a distinct smell and gamey-ness. But Garden club cooked it to the point that there isn't much smell and barely any gamey-ness.

The dessert options were sherbet, vanilla ice cream or mint chip & chocolate ice cream mix together (there was a name for it, but I forgot). I got the mint chip & chocolate and I didn't like it very much. Again, taking food from my boyfriend, I loved his sherbet. It was cooling and refreshing and I ended up eating all of it!

Definitely will be back because this place won't be breaking the bank and provides delicious food! The only downside is the wait, but it's worth it. They only take...