Victory Garden Cafe
“I am writing this review on behalf of my mother who hosted my bridal shower at Victory Garden Cafe.”
“The enclosed garden space was beautifully decorated with the decorations I provided.”
“We were seated in an outdoor area that had a cover, so we did not feel the rain from earlier in the day.”
Victory Garden Cafe
Takes Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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I went to Victory Cafe on a weekend for a bridal shower. It was a group of up to 30 people, and we were given the back outdoor area, which was enclosed like a greenhouse. What made it like a greenhouse? The fact that there were plants all around us (nice) and the fact that it was hot like the Amazon (awful.) After complaining for almost two hours about the unbearable humid hot, hot heat, all the staff could come up with as a solution was to give us four fans that circulated air that was akin to a hot subway breeze in an underground station. It was a member of the party that realized that the panels surrounding us could slide open. The food was dry, and was either overly salted or terribly bland. Moreover, the waitstaff couldn't even be bothered to refill the condiments before bringing them to our table. We received empty bottles o ketchup and near empty shakers of salt and pepper. It was 12:30 in the afternoon and the place was empty other than our party. That means those bottles have been empty for quite some time. I don't understand how this place is still open for business.
This review is for the cafe, NOT the actual bakery half of the establishment.
Honestly, the only thing Victory Garden Cafe has going for it is its appearance and outdoor seating area. The outdoor area is absolutely gorgeous and feels like a complete sanctuary in the midst of bustling Astoria. It's great for groups, and the comfortable cushioned wicker seating, flowing water fountain streams, and nice canvas shade make it the perfect location to enjoy a pastry and coffee while talking with friends during nice weather.
..if only the experience could be enjoyable. The service here is dreadfully slow, even if you are the only person there. I can't emphasize this point enough. S-L-O-W. What's worse, is that the food is either plainly underwhelming or disappointing. Items tend to be dry, and the prices are slightly inflated for the quality you're getting. If the food tasted good, was cooked properly, or at least seemed fresh, the prices here would be decent, but I can't say that's so.
Of course all coffee/tea items are exorbitantly priced, as you should expect Greek cafes to be, but there's nothing spectacular about that either. They may have a fancy set up, but as espresso and brewed coffees go, you'll be left with an impression of "meh" after taking a sip.
If you're purchasing items to go, be prepared for the nasty attitude from any female employee working there. Apparently, they get upset when -they- misunderstand -you- because "cookie" and "biscotti" are just so similar sounding. They made my visit unbearably uncomfortable after shooting me sharp glares, etc. after politely correcting them.
+2 stars for variety of pastries and outdoor area.
-3 stars for poor service and absolutely everything else.
Are you just in the mood to pick up pastries and go? Then go next door to the actual bakery, Victory Sweet Shop, you'll have a much better time and prices may be slightly cheaper. (Not sure though.)
Oh dear, I don't know why they have such terrible reviews. We went on the 4th of July, the day after we moved to Ditmars and ate in the back garden. It was incredibly warm and it did feel like the inside didn't have AC but I'll let it slide. There was a heatwave, a lot of places were having trouble with AC then. We ordered some classic European blended frappes which were delicious and really refreshing given how hot it was. They may have been a bit slow in delivering the drinks, and our food came out staggered but what we had was delicious. I ordered a yogurt dish and customized it slightly which they were able to accommodate without issue. My boyfriend ordered sunny-side up eggs, some toast, bacon, breakfast potatoes I think? I have to admit, these were the most perfectly cooked sunny-side up eggs I've had in a very long time. They weren't burnt or crusty, the yolks were perfectly runny and they were still hot. They were a miracle. I recall some fried/baked potato side as well which were tasty and well seasoned. The only complaint I have is that the prices are a bit steep for how basic the food is. But I think it's a good sign if they can prepare the simple things so well. Their desserts look good too, I'm very excited to try them.
$10 brunch that includes a drink and an entree within an enclosed garden setting? I'm there!
Took mom here for a belated Mother's day brunch and was not disappointed. Service was actually quite nice and the food came in large portions with free dessert. Seriously do not understand the hatred towards this place.
Beautiful place to enjoy a quiet meal.
P.S.
Any brides-to-be or mothers-to-be, this place is perfect for a lovely engagement celebration or baby shower.
Came here this past Sunday for brunch. The great thing is that they are open early, 10:00am. The bad thing is this place is open so early, cause if you're hungry and desperate due to a delightful hangover you acquired from last night, you're more than likely to come here. I would recommend rolling around in pain for a bit longer and wait till other places open at 11:00am.
The shop itself is pretty nice, there's a bakery and also a larger seating area in the back.
First the staff isn't the most attentive and the food actually takes quite a while to come out even though they weren't too busy at 10:30 in the morning.
There's a pre-fixe brunch menu which includes selected drinks and selected items from the menu, most of which are breakfast items except for the grilled chicken sandwich. The Pre-fixe brunch seems like a great deal since it's only$10, but when you look at the regular menu, a coffee is $2.50 and a breakfast item is $7.00-7.25. So it's not actually a deal, it's the same thing as ordering regularly.
After ordering the food took quite sometime to come out. The meals were a pretty hearty portion and they all came with fries. The fries were Greek fries, under seasoned Greek fries.
We were never asked how things were or even asked if we wanted refills on drinks. Doesn't make sense to me when you have 2 tables and 5 people on staff in the front of the house.
The bill came it was around $36, but after paying the bill and leaving we realized we were overcharged since we only ordered 3 breakfast items and 1 coffee which should have been around $26 including tax, meaning we were charged 3 pre-fixe meals. Anyways this was a fault on both ends, them for getting the bill wrong even though they only had 2 tables and us for not checking the bill.
Overall I would say this isn't a place I would want to come back here for brunch, but possibly some desserts since their baked goods looked quite delicious. But I'll remember to check the bill from now on.
My girlfriend's Bridal shower was at Victory Cafe. It was well organized, food was delicious , cocktails were great. We had fantastic time! I would definitely come back for cocktails or brunch!
Let me start off by saying that never have I ever been told that an appetizer that was not served could not be struck from the bill because "the kitchen is busy but they started making it already" until I decided to take my friends to Victory Garden Cafe.
I referred to Yelp for a brunch spot that was open on Memorial Day with an outdoors area. It was a beautiful day and we entered in high spirits.
The backyard patio area was beautiful. Seats and tables were slightly oversized but it was pretty empty so we didn't mind.
We were offered whichever seat we wanted so we chose one that was away from the other two parties. For the sake of clarity, I'll proceed to write this review in timeline form, followed by detailed explanation:
12:00PM: Arrival
12:05PM: Received menus
12:15PM: Water
12:35PM: Ordered drinks
12:45PM: Couple seated next to our party
12:50PM: Received drinks, placed food order
1:00PM: Other couple places their food order
1:20PM: We receive 1 appetizer and 1 entree (party of 5)
1:30PM: Other couple receives all of their food, including one dish that probably should have been ours (Veggie appetizer)
1:45PM: We receive the rest of our food order, sans veggie appetizer.
2:00PM: We finish the food that we received thus far, ask for check, ask them to take off veggie appetizer from our bill. (Request denied.)
2:15PM: We receive check, no apology. Veggie appetizer still not served.
2:20PM: Still waiting for them to take our money
2:30PM: Entire party gets up and pays at the counter. Veggie platter appears in take-out form.
It took about 5 minutes before we got menus, another 10 before water was offered. We were off to a slow start, but it was a beautiful day so we didn't mind. While we caught up with each other, we started to feel really hungry. Finally, after about twenty minutes, our drink order was taken. Our orders: two mimosas, one beer, one juice. We received our drinks 15 minutes later and finally were able to order. For those of you still reading and counting this, it took 50 minutes for us to order our food.
But the weather was beautiful and we persisted. As a group, we ordered the following: tzatziki dip appetizer, veggie appetizer, an order of french toast, a seafood platter, a grilled meat platter, and a souvlaki.
By now, a new couple was seated next to us, bringing the official headcount in the patio to 4 parties.
So after we ordered our food, we waited. And waited. Our glasses became empty, our appetites displeased. Finally, after another half hour, the french toast and tzatziki came out. Yes, one entree and one appetizer. For a party of 5.
I look over and see that the couple that was seated next to us had ordered the same veggie appetizer that we did and were already munching on theirs. Odd. Well the rest of our food, absent the vegie appetizer comes out, and we dig in.
French toast: meh.
Tzatziki dip: meh.
Souvlaki: dry.
Meat platter: dry and overcooked.
Seafood platter: not bad, all things considered, but WAY overpriced.
Veggie appetizer: absent.
So we finish our food and i point out to the waitress that, by now, we have yet to receive said veggie appetizer and we would like to strike it from our bill. She tells me this is impossible since the kitchen already started making it. I said we were done with our meal and we waited nearly two hours already. She said we had the option of taking it to go or eating it now but she would offer no reduction to our bill. Excellent service. I was going to fight it but my friend offered to take it home (he avoids conflict even if the other party is at fault).
We paid begrudgingly at the counter because the bill came and nobody came to collect our money.
For those of you who sat through this review, thanks for reading. You might notice that I rarely give such negative reviews, but I'm appalled by Victory Garden and strongly urge that you consider going elsewhere. They do not respect your time, your money, or your continued patronage.
I must admit after seeing all the one and two star reviews, I was hesitant when my friends Maid of Honor suggested we do her surprise bridal shower here. But it was her call and I follow whatever she says I do (as a brides maid). I was too worried about how it will turn out cos I cannot get details on the arrangements the MOH had with the place. She basically told them how many guests and what the party is for and paid. That was it. I'm in charge of the favors, inviting people and setup on the day of.
Thank goodness it went really well. The outdoor seating was really nice and cozy. The owner and her daughter was there to take care of whatever we needed. Mimosas, Victory love potion and wine came in time. The Bride needed a drink at 11 in the morning from being so surprised and happy lol. We had brunch. Food was delicious. Their selection was great. I took off one star since it kinda took them awhile to take our orders. We had pastries and fruits for dessert and ordered additional Key Lime Cake with coffee. Everything was perfect.
It was a great midday Bridal shower.
Will definitely come back to check the place out.