Ryan
Google
Looking to impress on the first date? Grab a reservation at Garden Bar and pull out some of your 401k and prepare for a presumptuous petite little picnic.
This place isn’t for everyone, and by that I mean for people like me. I probably need to earn 50k more per year to be able to afford this place. But it’s cute and cozy (unless they shove you in the back corner of the backyard with the cheap patio furniture where we were). While the inside is nicely furnished, being sat outside made me feel like I wasn’t getting the full experience, even though we dropped in excess of $100 on a dolled up lunchable platter and a few drinks.
Don’t get me wrong, the meats and cheeses were good quality, and the grazing box was neatly arranged with a pocketful of fresh nuts and dried fruits, but the arrangement didn’t justify the price tag, and nothing on it was particularly mind-blowing. Their cocktail menu is expansive, since that’s what they’re known for, but the beer menu was severely lacking, and at $11+ per pint, a bit steep. I guess it’s to keep the riff raff out; no idea why they let me in.
Our servers were friendly and attentive, when they came around. At times I felt a little forgotten in our packed little patio corner. The Walmart special furniture was uncomfortable and blah, and by the end of the evening I felt like I’d been duped into coming here. Again, I’m probably not embodying the proper bourgeoisie mindset, because I left feeling confused at what the point of what I’d just experienced was. Hearing the kids next to us talk about their Ivy League upbringings provided me with some clarity, however, and I’ve accepted the fact that I’m just not part of the appropriate societal caste to comfortably dine at a place like Garden Bar.