Garden Gourmet Deli & Caterers — Restaurant in Town of Hempstead

I recently visited Garden Gourmet Deli hoping for a quick and decent lunch, but unfortunately, my experience was anything but pleasant. When I first walked in, I was impressed by how large the place was. It seemed well laid out, with clear signs indicating where to place your order.

I went to the area marked "Order Here" and stood there for about five minutes. During that time, an employee was having a casual conversation with someone who appeared to be a friend - not a customer placing an order. We even made eye contact, but he never acknowledged me or asked if I needed help. I found it incredibly frustrating to be ignored in favor of a personal conversation, especially when no food was even being ordered.

After waiting too long, I walked over to a different section of the deli that also said "Order Here," although it appeared to be for a different kind of food. I decided to settle and order something from there. I asked for a salt bagel, which they didn’t have - no problem. I then ordered a spinach wrap with tuna, bacon, lettuce and onion. It took another 5 minutes just to get the employee to take my order, even though I was standing right there and they weren’t helping anyone.

While reading the menu, I noticed the wrap was supposed to come with five items. The person taking my order never mentioned this. That kind of lack of attention to detail was just another disappointing aspect of the visit.

When it came time to pay, no one was at the checkout. At that point, I literally laughed out loud in disbelief at how disorganized and inattentive the entire experience had been. Eventually, the woman responsible for the register showed up and was the only polite and apologetic staff member I encountered. She acknowledged the wait and apologized, which I appreciated.

When I left I tried the food, and sadly, even that was underwhelming. The bacon in the wrap tasted like it had been sitting out all day, and the onions had absolutely no flavor - suggesting the same. It honestly felt like the ingredients had been prepped far too long ago and had lost all freshness.

Overall, the staff (except the woman at the register) seemed indifferent and negligent. Between being ignored, waiting far too long, and eating food that tasted stale, this was a pretty poor experience. I don’t see myself returning...

Terrible, Petty, Unprofessional, Rude, Cheap, and Miserable. I wouldn't send my worst enemy to this place. They also run a satellite cafeteria in my office building at the Omni Building in Uniondale. The guy working behind the breakfast /sandwhich counters is the embodiment of the word MISERABLE. He is so rude, you feel like you're bothering him when you say "Good morning, how are you?" If you ask for a side of hot sauce - forget about it- he'll slam the hot sauce on the counter afterwards. The old lady that works the register is probably the WORST part of this place. She disgusts me. I regularly come here and so do many of my colleagues, since it's downstairs, on busy days it is convenient. One day I ordered a breakfast wrap ($9.00), which in general, has more wrap than egg / protein. When i get to the register, I kindly mention to the register lady that I forgot to grab ketchup packets and that I would be grabbing them after paying for my wrap, and exiting through the entrance (which is no uncommon). This lady then has the AUDACITY, to tell me not to take too much ketchup. Idk what to say at this point. I pause in amazement. Then i ask "Why?" and she goes on to tell me that last time i took "way too much ketchup" and that "they" (yes THEYYY!) are not ok with that and said something after seeing me. WHO ARE THEY?... The audacity to call me out on taking like 5 ketchup packets, when my office and the other offices in the building literally contribute thousands upon thousands of dollars annually to this business for terrible tasting food, the worst hours of operations and BURNT coffee. I am more than happy to pay even .25 cents per ketchup packet. Charge me. But to tell me that LAST TIME, i took too many ketchup packets. Are you serious? This is the worst business I have ever - in 27 years on EARTH- been to. This is one of many incidents that have occurred between the Stewart Ave location and the Omni cafeteria and my colleagues. Terrible people and less than mediocre food. If you are considering going here, please consider...

Quality is good but service is terrible. My experience and dissatisfaction is not so much with the people who take your order but the cashiers. I decided to write this because on more than one occasion the cashiers have made me feel as if I am burden for asking them to do their job.Their demeanor comes across as rude and inconsiderate, lack good customer service and definitely do not pay attention to the small details. The last time I was there I had to wait until the two of them finish their personal conversation so I can pay, They were speaking mainly in Spanish, which I fully understand so I know their chat was not an important issue. I was just standing waiting to pay and had to mention that I was pressed for time, so I can get help. They somewhat stoped their chat to help me. I had to ask for napkins and ketchup for my burger, little things that make a difference in a service food business and which should automatically be included if not they should at least ask if needed. When I asked for these items they made me feel as if I was interrupting their definitely unimportant personal conversation, yet again. I think management needs to review some of the basics of customer service with their personnel. It’s a great place, but please do not take your customers...