A Magical Place: Garden Cafe

Last night was so magical.

Who knew that tucked away in a little small town, a magical garden restaurant, so quaint and cute, could exist? My parents went to a restaurant last week in York, SC. They really wanted me to experience it because they fell in love with the cute little place.

We called up to get a reservation for eight and they got us in.

As soon as we pulled up, lights were in almost every tree. It was elegant and beautiful.

My mom was so excited to eat here again.

They are only open from Tuesday-Saturday 11-2:30 for lunch and Thursday-Satruday for dinner.

They sat us out on the front porch. It was the cutest little set up. We sat on a rustic picnic table, with mason jar glasses, and it overlooked the yard with all the hanging lights.

This was one of the most romantic spots.

You could tell they take the time to make your dining experience rememberable and unique. Little touches like bottles and atmosphere go a long way. Our waiter was fantastic and friendly.

They are famous for their fried green beans. They are so sinful and so so so worth it! The appetizers came out in less than ten minutes. We had the friend green beans, cajun filet bites, and pimento cheese and bacon poppers. The appetizers were so unique and cooked incredibly. It tasted as if they took your usual bar food and gave it a gourmet twist.

I was shocked at their prices. I feel as if they could have charged so much more. With the lights, the atmosphere, the food, and all the great online reviews…it blew my mind how cheap everything was. If the dishes we ordered were in Charlotte, they would have ben double the price.

I tried everything that came out on the table. I couldn’t believe how flawless this place was. I was looking for one flaw…just one! We ordered the beer cheese soup for all of us to try. Beer and cheese? I’d never like something like that, so I took a bite…incredible. Everything about it.

The chef/owner brought out all of our dishes, and I thought that was a nice gesture. Not only is she a bad-ass chef, she’s an awesome business woman who has been running this restaurant since 1995. It’s a restaurant, a wedding destination spot, and a gift store. She’s inspiring!

I was full from appetizers, so I ordered grilled chicken salad. I was going to go with their snapper, but I’ll get that next time! My mom ordered the pecan encrusted chicken salad, which was fantastic! The homemade dressings were so good, home croutons were crunchy and seasoned just right, and the produce was fresh.

No one had a drop of food left on their plates.

My dad’s burger was out of this world!

We didn’t want to leave this place. The atmosphere is so inviting and warm. In order to hang onto every last moment, we ordered coffee and dessert.

As if it couldn’t get any better…it did.

We all split the key lime pie and the peanut butter pie. They are known for their butter cream pie, so we’ll have to get that next time! The peanut butter pie tasted like pure peanut butter fudge, which is my favorite. The crust was sweet candied. I’m not even a key lime pie person, and I could have eaten that by myself. She also makes her own whipped cream. It’s crazy how store bought whipped cream is nowhere close to being as good as homemade whipped cream.

Thank goodness I went on a run yesterday morning!

We didn’t leave until 10:3o. We walked around their gift shop and bought some of their handmade soaps.

The outside lights were gorgeous. It kind of reminded me of the backyard in the show Parenthood. I’m so sad that show is over 🙁

This place is truly a magical garden.

It’s worth the drive from Charlotte. Take a group of friends, your other half, or yourself! You have to experience this place. York is very historical and it has the giant Southern style homes with the front porches. Go driving around!

I can see why people choose this place to have weddings. It’s hidden away and would be beautiful for an outside nighttime reception.

It was also a beautiful night. I took a drive further out in the country and took photos of the stars. Sometimes it’s nice to get out of Charlotte for the weekend and do things out of the norm.

I just ordered this on canvas tonight 🙂