Garden Grill: A Guilty Pleasure
Garden Grill is one of those neighborhood places you walk by every day but never think to actually dine at. I’m no snob when it comes to good old fashioned diner food, in fact I seek it out in most cases, and despite the fact that GG is a chain, it’s got plenty of character to spread around. The outside awning proclaims its coffee shop status and their website takes it a step further by saying they’re the “best coffee shop in Williamsburg”. Despite the fact that their coffee tastes like swill, the rest of the food is actually delicious and not to mention cheap.
Kelloggs Diner jumped the shark when they got a lobster tank, but Garden Grill doesn’t pretend to be anything other than a legit neighborhood diner with an old-school lunch counter and local clientele. They’ve got all the staples of American diner food, french toast, huge melty sandwiches and of course some Greek influence thrown in. Their tuna melt is one of my regular epic-calorie indulgences as is their burger, which has never been overcooked, always spot-on, and rarely breaking the $5 line. Can’t say I’ve tried their “Pizza Burger” or “Chili Burger”, but I’m all for exploring my burger topping horizons.
While diners are known for their hearty and cheap breakfast, my advice is to skip straight to the lunch menu, you’ll be much better off. With the neighborhood getting hipper by the day, and Cono & Sons Pescatore closing up shop, as well as Garden Grill’s Greenpoint location, their Williamsburg spot is one of the last standing places to get some no-frills cheap eats. Just remember, even places that are referred to as “Da Grill” can still dish out “da goods”.
