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Ratings and reviews

RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere

Details

PRICE RANGE
₱556 - ₱1,391
CUISINES
American, Cafe
Special Diets
Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Options
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meals, features, about
Reviews (434)
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432 results
Traveler rating
297
99
21
9
6
Traveler type
Time of year
LanguageEnglish
Traveler rating
297
99
21
9
6
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All reviews brunch shrimp and grits grit cake salad french toast artichoke dip sandwiches brussel sprouts bread steak the wait staff team approach historic occoquan outside seating stairs stairway vermont
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Reviewed January 19, 2024 via mobile

The food was delicious and the service excellent. We will definitely be back when weather warms up so we can enjoy the lovely outdoor garden seating.

Date of visit: January 2024
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Reviewed December 4, 2023 via mobile

Took family of six here when we were visiting. Creative and delicious options. Children’s section on menu. I enjoyed salmon burger. My wife had a great sale with crab cakes on top. Huge piece of great key lime pie for dessert. Service was excellent. Fun...casual environment, good food and service.More

Date of visit: December 2023
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed June 30, 2023 via mobile

This restaurant is tucked on a lush green hillside: lovely but not exceptional. We were quickly seated and served chilled water. Our order came promptly, prepared expertly and so tasty. We had a couple of extra request and they were fulfilled promptly and cheerfully. We...will definitely return.More

Date of visit: June 2023
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Reviewed June 18, 2023

My partner and I stopped here for lunch on a little trip to historic Occoquan. The whole town is incredibly pleasant and lunch here was no exception. I had the warm goat cheese & spiced pecan salad, which was tasty. My partner mentioned this as...one of the highlights of our little getaway.More

Date of visit: June 2023
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Reviewed June 15, 2023

Over the weekend, I accompanied my daughter and her friends to a Secret Garden café for an early dinner after spending a wonderful afternoon at Paint Your Heart Out. The spot had a serene ambiance, but unfortunately, my daughter fell seriously ill after consuming the...cheddar burger at the cafe. We had no option but to rush to the emergency room due to severe pain and aches over her body more than anyone can imagine. The experience was terrible, and I strongly believe the manager should take hygiene and contamination seriously. I did not expect such a disappointing experience from such a nice place, and we have decided not to return to the café again. I hope that they will use this feedback constructively.More

Date of visit: June 2023
Helpful?3  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed June 11, 2023

I'm actually shocked by all of the good reviews. From the minute we walked up, it was not what we expected (based on reviews). 3 people were at the desk but not one of them was smiling. All looked at us with blank stares and...no words. We mentioned we called ahead and then we were seated inside (we asked for first available). There was 1 other table of people in the whole the room, yet we were seated in the corner (3 of us) behind that table of people. Once our server came up to the table, not a smile or any warm greeting. Just blank and strictly asked what we wanted. Our food was mediocre at best. It was very basic. Our original server never came back to our table, but other servers came by a couple time but again no one seemed smiley or friendly. I would not go there again, nor would I recommend this place. Staff and food were disappointing. I should add that we were never demanding and were smiling and friendly the whole time.More

Date of visit: June 2023
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Reviewed May 27, 2023

We were here for Mother’s Day and waited almost 2 hours for our food. We should have left but no one else had availability so we sat there and watched tables sat after us receive food before us. We were assured our food was coming...out but 30 minutes later we asked our server for a status and we were told I don’t know, if you want to speak to a manager they could probably tell you. Service was awful. My mother asked for a piece of bread or anything to eat and they showed up with bread after our food finally came and we had already eaten. Worst experience ever.More

Date of visit: May 2023
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Reviewed May 23, 2023 via mobile

Delicious… Fresh, unique, relaxing. Excellent food great service. The servers seem to have a “team approach“. Constantly checking in with each other quietly in the background each other know what was happening at each table. They checked on us repeatedly, we had at least three...or four people come check on us repeatedly to see if we were ready to order and or if we need anything else as we were finishing. I appreciate the owner/ management for creating such a lovely spot.More

Date of visit: May 2023
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Reviewed April 17, 2023

I went back and forth between Average and Very Good and finally leaned up due to the food and setting. I stopped in the very charming town of Occaquan for a late (2pm) lunch with an hour between appointments. Secret Garden had good reviews as...did a few other places. I picked it due to the lighter menu options and a hope for a garden setting. It took a few minutes to be seated and I'm still not sure if I went in the main entrance since it seems there were two outside seating areas separated by railings. Anyway I had a table outside - covered and with drapes in case of heavy rain - and a pretty view of the other garden tables, trees, flowers etc. So ambiance is good. The drink menu is extensive and my gin & tonic was excellent. The menu for lunch was not super extensive but enough to please most with sandwiches, soup, salads, breakfast sandwiches and a few other items plus really interesting appetizers. Since I had to eat and run I wanted something easy to digest so picked the croissant club. It arrived with chips and was a solid serving of turkey, ham, bacon and cheese. Other entrees looked good when they went by and I could hear other diners commenting that they were excellent. $10 for a sandwich isn't bad these days and it was delicious. Food and drinks are very good. The waitress was very pleasant but when I arrived, didn't show me to a table so I had to figure out where the seating was (up a stairway past a closet) by asking someone else, didn't offer or bring water and didn't check back after serving the food. I gave up and took my check down to the front counter to pay. As I went out the door I could see her chatting with someone else, clearly not headed back outside any time soon. It was 2pm, there were 3 tables total and the other tables had regular service from the other waiter. I'm ok with relaxed but this was just a miss. Service was not great. I'd definitely go back and a) find out if the other seating area is part of the Secret Garden since it was larger/nicer b) go for brunch since that menu looked AWESOME and c) hope to get a waiter/waitress who is as helpful as he/she is friendly.More

Date of visit: April 2023
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Reviewed April 16, 2023 via mobile

Visited on a busy Saturday. Put my name on the list for a table. Seated 5 minutes later. Artichoke dip was excellent! Everything was delicious. Service at the end was a little iffy, but friendly.

Date of visit: April 2023
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Reviewed February 26, 2023 via mobile

My friend and I both ordered Monte Cristo sandwiches. Mine came out cold so I sent it back. It came out warmer, but still not warm enough to melt the cheese. Our server never stopped by to ask about the food. I had to flag...down another server to get assistance. However, the person with the water pitcher was amazing and never let a glass go empty.More

Date of visit: February 2023
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed January 7, 2023

We live in the area. One of my sons has actually worked at two of the restaurants in Occoquan and clued us into what's hot and what's not. He turned us on to the Secret Garden five years ago and my wife and I go...their for lunch and occasionally dinner, especially during nice weather. Once you take the back stairs to the outside patio, you could easily mistake it for a little European bistro-like cafe. The wait staff has always been pleasant, even during the busy touristy weekends. Truthfully, the food is secondary (but still good) to the relaxing atmosphere and scenery, including the house cats. But I do want to give a shout-out to their coconut cake - really exceptional. I've read other reviews that have been less than kind about slow service or less than spectacular food. This is a tourist town and it gets busy during prime time so people should factor that in. If they genuinely mess up the food, then talk to the wait staff and give them a chance to make good on it. This is not fast food, they're not trying for a Michelin star, and people just need to take a breath, slow down, and enjoy the atmosphere. I mean, 2,000+ reviews and a rating of 4.5 out of 5. That tells you everything right there.More

Date of visit: November 2022
Helpful?3  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed December 9, 2022 via mobile

We stopped here on a whim due to the great reviews we read. Overall, tonight’s service and meal was not overly impressive. Nice folks, but a little aloof, and it wasn’t busy at an early dinner time. The food was ok. We ordered potstickers app,...shrimp and grit cake, and the crab cake plate. While okay on flavor, the potstickers and grit dishes were super salty (and I usually add salt!). Crab cakes were just ok. The brussel sprouts were tasty though! And a cup of coffee was stiff and muddy thick. If back in town, I think I’d like to try lunch instead as the salads that went by looked great and likely not as disappointing and of lighter (less salty) ingredients.More

Date of visit: December 2022
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed November 5, 2022

I love this place. The food is outstanding. I love eating with family or friends. My friends really like the side orders and the entrees. My family liked the shrimp and grits and the steak.

Date of visit: August 2022
Helpful?
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Reviewed October 3, 2022

The Secret Garden Café could not have better named itself, it is most definitely what they’re called. We enjoyed a morning breakfast while visiting Tlaquepaque and it’s relaxing, beautiful and natural environs in the delightful garden began our day there in a fabulous fashion. We...had a Mimosa and Margarita along with an order of Quiche Lorraine with Potatoes – a wonderful presentation, as well as a tasty treat. We had shopping to do, otherwise we would have stayed in the garden. The people are friendly, courteous and the place is quiet and calming. A great way to start the morning in Sedona.More

Date of visit: September 2022
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Questions & Answers
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William G
December 20, 2021|
AnswerShow all 3 answers
Response from Jake S | Reviewed this property |
There is no dedicated parking for the Cafe. There is on-street parking in the neighborhood.
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Gliters
June 3, 2017|
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Response from Abrockway | Reviewed this property |
Question has been answered completely and correctly.
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vanw38
April 8, 2017|
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Response from 312keithf | Reviewed this property |
The menu is published at secret garden cafe website
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The Secret Garden Cafe, Occoquan - Menu, Prices & Restaurant Reviews - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about The Secret Garden Cafe

Yes, The Secret Garden Cafe offers takeout services.

The Secret Garden Cafe is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travelers:
  • Food: 4.5
  • Service: 4.5
  • Value: 4.5
  • Atmosphere: 4.5