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Garlic Rose Bistro
Category: Restaurants American (New) American (New) [Edit]
41 Main StMadison, NJ 07940
(973) 822-1178
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
32 reviews for Garlic Rose Bistro
Review Highlights
"The garlic ice cream was wonderful."
(in 5 reviews)
"Whole roasted and served in white wine sauce."
(in 2 reviews)
"The bread is average, but the spread makes it amazing."
(in 4 reviews)
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32 reviews in English
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Review from Tom S.
Madison, NJ
10/23/2011
We've eaten here a number of times. We typically BYOB. Love getting extra garlic on dishes plus the Roasted Garlic. It's a bit cramped most nights, and the chairs are not the most comfortable, but the food is why you go. We have never had a bad meal. Portions are normal sized. Service, of course is server-specific, and there have been times where servers have been less than stellar. Again, it does not take away from the food.
They have a frequent diner club, and we have a card. They take reservations online, and manually confirm. Just make sure you are making a reservation at the right location!
We can recommend GRB! -
Review from Blanca V.
Madison, NJ
Updated - 6/21/2011
Vampires Welcome. If that doesn't tell you how serious GR is about garlic I don't know what will.
Between the 3 of us we split the escargot and another app I don't remember the name but it came with crackers, grapes, apples, and a cheese bread thingee that was yummy.
As an entree I got the salad which i forgot the name of at the moment but it came with sliced apples, the waitress offered to put grilled shrimp or chicken, i opted for shrimp and it was devine...1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/25/2007
Prices seemed reasonable and the staff was very friendly.
I was not to hungry and decided to go the… Read more »
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Review from Doug R.
Morristown, NJ
3/24/2011
What a nice change of pace from the over priced underwhelming restaurants of Morristown! I went Mid Week, so I can't say yet how they'll do under the pressure of a busy Saturday night, but I can say I thoroughly enjoyed my experience there.
It's hard to tell what to expect from appearances. You walk into a small strange room staffed with a host and separated from the dining area by a door. There is a coat rack that's too small and has too many hangers! If it's your first time the whole experience is slightly unsettling. However things quickly change once inside.
The decor is OK. The service was outstanding. An ice bucket for our wine was brought right away. Our water glasses were never empty. We didn't have to wait for our waiter, or food. The server was very attentive and pleasant. I really enjoyed that aspect of the meal.
I was not impressed with the Bread or Olive Oil Pesto mix, nor with the Roasted Garlic. The Pesto Mix was actually on the disappointing side and the Roasted Garlic should have been served with the top cut for easier access to the cloves.
The appetizers were a hit and a miss. The Artichoke Hearts Del Destino were great. The Garlic Festival Mushrooms were unexpectedly bland, basically just some bread crumbs in a mushroom.
The dinner salads were surprisingly well detailed and tasty. The Entree's were both superb. My companion had the Penne Puttanesca and I had the Pork Medallions. I can recommend both dishes without hesitation.
The prices were very reasonable and the menu offers a nice range to choose from for anyone on a budget. The portions for everything ordered were quite generous.
If they put just a little more effort into some of the smaller details I would give this a 5 star rating. Compared to some of the restaurants I've eaten at lately, this was really a welcome surprise.
All in all, I really enjoyed my night at The Garlic Rose and would definitely go back. -
Review from Diane Y.
Morristown, NJ
1/29/2011
Moved here in Nov 2010 so I'm still feeling out Main St eateries. I've been to Garlic Rose twice and plan to go back several more times, despite wanting to try new places. I prefer it over Poor Herbies, 54 Main and certainly Soho 33.
This place is a great date spot. I would consider it casual dressy (e.g. jeans and nice sweater). It's cozy but has a good amount of tables. I didn't have trouble getting a table either time I went, but I can see it getting busy especially on weekends. As a picky eater the 2-page menu has a lot of great options without being overly simple.
The garlic/cheese dip that comes with the bread is exceptional. -
Review from Amy S.
Maplewood, NJ
3/10/2011
Oh the Garlic Rose... this is a family favorite. It's a guaranteed birthday dinner location, as it was this past tuesday.
As much as I tried to avoid the bread, the garlic cheese spread that looks like pesto, is something that you can't pass up. The bread is average, but the spread makes it amazing.
For starters, I always get the baked brie. It's a mini wheel of brie baked in puff pastry. They serve it with grapes, apple slices, crackers, and of course, roasted garlic. It is probably meant to be shared, but it is so good that one can power through it. It feels like you were invited to a wine and cheese party for one.
I also tried a bit of the fried artichoke dish... also delicious.
The menu seems to have added some new additions, including some chicken dishes that looked good, but from the thought of my brie coming, I knew I would want more. So, I ordered my usual: Stacked Chicken. Two big pieces of chicken in a white wine sauce with melted brie and sun dried tomatoes. Served with their famous potatoes; thinly sliced with cheese and garlic. And there was a small portion of broccoli.
I was pretty full, but my party was ordering dessert. I caved in and got the red velvet cake and a double espresso. The cake was alright. My companions seemed to love it, but I might be a red velvet snob. The cream cheese frosting was too much like cheesecake for my taste. But, the double espresso was wonderful. They serve it with the traditional lemon rind and a rock sugar stirring stick.
And, as many reviewers mentioned, it's BYOB, so you can cut the cost, and still enjoy a delightful meal.
Note to groups: even though the restaurant is small, they are very accommodating, just make sure to make a reservation. We had a party of 11 and a baby, and they were very helpful. -
Review from Maria F.
Chatham, NJ
9/28/2011
been here twice with friends and on both occasions i found my order delightful.. I had the chicken breast with cherries and cheese on it. I also tried frenched rib pork chop broiled medium well and comes with fuji apples..would have given the place a four star had the service crew been more attentive on our last visit..
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Review from Mary-Ann B.
Bernardsville, NJ
8/19/2011
Had been a patron for many yes. Went for lunch last yr and found a ROTTEN lettuce core in the bottom of my salad. Mgr refused either refund or apology. Will never recommend ever again.
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Review from Justine H.
Bloomfield, NJ
6/20/2010 1 Check-in Here
I had high expectations before coming to this BYOB. I love garlic, I think the name is appealing, the menu looked good, and every time I drove by the restaurant prior to eating in the other night I thought "wow, that place looks good."
I know it is hot in Madison this time a year, but the AC is turned on way too high. Burr.
Anyway, I had a hard time determining what to order between the Stacked Chicken and Gnocchi with Sweet Italian Sausage, I went with the chicken. Big mistake. The chicken had absolutely no flavor. The scalloped potatoes that came with the dish were amazing, but I debated sending the dish back because it was that bad. My boyfriend, on the other hand, ordered the Garlic Rose Chicken and it was very good. He also had the garlic French Onion soup and enjoyed it so much that he forgot that sharing is caring. Perhaps he enjoyed his dining experience more than I, but overall I was more disappointed than pleased and would most likely not go back. -
Review from Jillian F.
Flanders, NJ
7/18/2011
Absolutly love this restaurant, I have never been dissapointed here. It's BYOB and i highly recommend a reservation as the place is small and always busy. Every dish is inspired with garlic (if the name doesn't give that away) and make sure to request roasted garlic bulbs with your bread, it's fantastic!
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Review from Krista J.
3/4/2008
This teeny tiny little restaurant in Madison is a hidden gem!
Be sure to make reservations, otherwise you could be waiting for a table for upwards of an hour. There are only about 15 tabletops in the entire restaurant, all placed very close together. Waiters and waitresses move around the small space with ease, just don't get in their way.
The food is incredible, with a wide range of menu options from pastas (Wild Mushroom Ravioli, Sausage and Rigatoni, Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp), fish (Tilapia), pork, veal, chicken and Filet Mignon. And though this restaurant specializes in adding garlic to recipes, you can request lite garlic or even no garlic in any of the dishes.
All entrees are priced around $15-$22 and they do accept credit cards. You have to bring your own wine, but there is no corkage fee. The Garlic Rose is a great place for a romantic dinner; definitely not a good place for groups or children.Listed in: Chillin' in D-town
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Review from Zack S.
Brooklyn, NY
5/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
Walked in thinking we're gonna be the last table and given the boot along with the evil eye to hurry up order and eat.... .. Fortunatly this wasn't the case, our red headed waitress suggested my meal in detail everything from Apps, to Dessert... The food was AMAZING... FYI, BYOB.. AWESOME... Garlic Heaven, with a modest Vampire theme going on.. Yelp tip was good too.. make sure to ask for the Bulbs!
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Review from Kristen G.
Madison, NJ
11/29/2010
It is super small but very cozy. It is always packed so make a reservation. I made a reservation and I still had to wait. I got this amazing chicken meal with mushrooms that blew my mind! I think my favorite part was the spreadable garlic that you put on bread, I could have eaten just that for dinner!
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Review from Chris S.
Madison, NJ
12/17/2008
Five stars because they set out to do something specific and do it quite well. If you don't enjoy garlic, you'll not like this place, but if you can't get enough of it, you're in for a treat!
(that said, it's not OVERPOWERING garlic, no need to be afraid!) -
Review from Mike W.
Philadelphia, PA
5/25/2008
Not a bad place for reasonably priced Italian food with a little twist...the twist being that the main ingredient in everything is garlic. DUH! Service was friendly but a little bit hard to track down, especially toward the end of the meal.
The bread and garlic spread/dip was excellent--possibly the highlight of the meal. The baked brie w/ flaky crust and grapes, apples and spreadable baked garlic appetizer was also delicious. Salad was eh, although I liked the raspberry vinaigrette dressing.
My Penne Putenesca entree was a little boring...somehow it felt like the garlic element could've had more kick...but the pasta itself was still good, and the combination of flavors wasn't awful, just not super great. My mom's stuffed chicken special with scalloped potatoes looked (and according to her) tasted a little more exciting.
Dessert (double chocolate mousse cake) was tasty but nothing too special. I was curious about the garlic ice cream, but not curious enough to actually order it.
I'd go back eventually, but I'm also in no hurry. -
Review from Kevin W.
Mine Hill, NJ
Mind you that I had the symptoms of the flu so this impaired my judgment a little. It's a BYOB. My wife had the Portabello Mushroom while I had the Eggplant Rollatine for an appetizer. 1st impression of tasting the eggplant was jarred sauce, not very good. She had the Garlicious Rigatoni and I had the Center Cut Frenched Rib Pork Chop. I had a tough time trying to find something that appeased to my taste and decided this was the best choice. To me it tasted just like fresh cut and cooked pig, as a pork chop it lacked flavor. My wife liked the caramelized Fuji apples that came with mine as the Gilroy potatoes. I did not like the Gilroy potatoes as they tasted very cheesy. Overall we were glad that we gave it a try, but were not overly impressed to go back a second time.
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Review from Janet G.
Chester, NJ
12/16/2010
Had lunch here yesterday, first time in years. It is very good! Service was a bit spotty when the restaurant got very crowded. I think the appetizers are more fun and "garlicky" than the entrees. Have dessert at "Hi Cupcake" afterwards...
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Review from CASSIE L.
Basking Ridge, NJ
2/26/2011
Get ready to try and follow along.
My boyfriends cousins fiances baby shower was held here. My first visit, but most of the other guests had been more than a few times. Since we were a special party, we had a smaller event menu to choose from, much like a wedding option. Knowing how powerful garlic can be and how delicate fish can be, I went against my better judgement and had the fish - an item I see appearing on the menu time and again. Whole roasted and served in white wine sauce. Then I had some of the fish from the plate next to mine. Then after watching me snag spare Gilroy Potatoes from the various people around me, our waiter was kind enough to bring a huge steaming pile for us to devour. The salad starter was nice, and that bread dip was beyond delicious. I had the Garlic Rose Chicken for lunch a few weeks later and also wolfed it down. Quite tasty. Will certainly be going back soon now that I'm back in the area. -
Review from Julia D.
Chester, NJ
1/4/2011
Had a very pleasant time at Garlic Rose. Waitress had a unique but friendly personality, atmosphere was friendly and intimate, and food was very tasty. The garlic was a little much, especially with the roasted garlic in a small bowl on the table (as if you aren't getting enough garlic), but it's not enough to keep me from going back!
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Review from Bonnie P.
Atlanta, GA
2/17/2007
I went here exactly once, six years ago, with a guy who subsequently cheated on me, and yet my thoughts still dwell on this place from time to time. I suppose the garlic flavor does indeed linger...
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Review from Tracey M.
Morristown, NJ
11/1/2008
Don't believe the hype about this place. The dining room is extremely crowded; my friends and I were stuck in a corner and could barely move. The food wasn't anything special - your typical Italian fare. Their "unique" dessert is garlic ice cream. My boyfriend was brave enough to try it and we all found it to be as disgusting as it sounds. I wouldn't go back here.
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Review from Chris O.
Jamaica Plain, MA
12/3/2007
I loved this place, would go here once or twice a year while i was at drew, the food is delicious, i loved the bread and garlic spread, be prepared to reak of garlic the next day if you want to enjoy yourself!! Most of the deserts were also good, except the garlic ice cream, just not my thing, the dinners are excellent and its BYOB!! another accepted form of payment is killing vampires!!
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Review from stacy s.
Newark, NJ
8/3/2009
call me crazy.. but i actually enjoyed the garlic icecream. i almost wished they'd use it paired with an equally strange savory/sweet dessert. The food was ok... huge portions tend to scare me, and the portions at the rose def made me full just by looking at it. Not as refined as id like.. but id go back if i were in the area
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Review from Anthony P.
Summit, NJ
10/11/2009
I've been here plenty of times before, but this place has experienced a downturn in taste and a lack of new dishes for their menu ever since the negative change in the economy.
This last experience was not good as we waited over 10 minutes in the tiny vestibule along with 4 other couples who were all waiting to be greeted and seated - we all had 6:30 PM reservations.
There wasn't any hint of garlic in our food which was sad. We started with an order of escargot which actually tasted sweet; perhaps cooking sherry was used with the sautéed onions; we weren't sure.
We planned on sharing our food when we ordered the Salmon and Eggplant Ravioli.
The Salmon was awful and we couldn't finish it as it was very smelly and dried out after being overcooked. I had the eggplant ravioli which were cooked al dente, but the eggplant inside was tough and chewy due to the thick eggplant skin used as filling the ravioli. Eggplant skin is very tough and is usually discarded.
I'm sad to say that this will probably be the last time we go to the Garlic Rose in Madison. We've enjoyed it in the past, but the whole experience was awful. :o( -
Review from Andrea P.
Manville, NJ
7/31/2007
I went here with some colleagues after work on evening. We all had a wonderful time and enjoyed the food. The garlic ice cream was wonderful!
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Review from Allie G.
Denville, NJ
7/31/2007
Went here for a rehearsal dinner. The food and company was great. I don't recall what we ate, but I do recall being stuffed. I'd go back.
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Review from Jeff J.
2/28/2011
The place used to be a 5 and I wish i could give it a 3.5 instead of a 3. Over the years they have dropped some of the better items from the menu and changed a few of the others. Also back in the day it truly lived up to its name, you would walk out smelling like garlic for 2 days; now not so much. They have toned down the Garlic which appeals to the masses a bit more, but I still want that Garlic experience I used to get there and no longer do.
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Review from Gary H.
Boston, MA
2/19/2011
One of my favorite restaurants. Concept may seem gimmicky at first, but the food is simply outstanding (make sure you ask for the extra roasted garlic). Only thing I can complain about is that it is quite cramped, I wish there was a little more room. Superb pick for a date night (just make sure to get a reservation and BYO).
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Review from Nicole D.
Morristown, NJ
8/27/2008
Penne Carbonara is my favorite. Garlic and oil dip is very good but ask for the roasted garlic bulb to spread on your bread. If you live in the area, sign up for their discount card and eat 2-for-1 once a month. But yeah, make a reservation for the weekend. The one in Cranford is a bit larger and just as good.
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Review from Amanda R.
New York, NY
6/2/2007
Usually busy and making a reservation is a must on most nights. As the name states: GARLIC - If you can handle that much, you will love it. if not, Stay away! your meal may not have a lot, but the smell of it will turn you off. I love the place overall. Worth a try!
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Review from Joe F.
High Bridge, NJ
8/16/2007
Must go if you like garlic, if not don't bother. Almost impossible to get in without a reservation, small but cozy dining room; all menu items of course have wonderful garlic theme, the garlic ice cream though ehh...
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Review from Bernadette A.
Caldwell, NJ
3/6/2010
Used to love it here.......don't know what they've done but service and food quality has definitely gone down hill......maybe i will give it another chance but not sure.
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Review from Betty B.
Madison, NJ
7/14/2009
2 1/2 stars. Run-of-the-mill Italian food. Quite average. Not cheap, either. Attractive enough, but we were seated by the kitchen even thought we were among their first patrons at 6:15PM on a Friday. Waitress was pleasant and attentive.
