By Pamela Brownstein
With a large selection of homemade German dishes, Great Gardens Cafe serves up fabulous food that’s hard to find elsewhere in Beaufort. The owners are proud of their diverse cuisine, and diners feel welcome as soon as they walk into the restaurant with its open layout and intimate atmosphere. Located just off Trask Parkway, Great Gardens’ outside seating area provides a breathtaking view of the marsh and waterways beyond.
The Lunch Bunch started with the Shrimp Cakes and Brat Sampler appetizers. The two shrimp cakes were so fresh, while the Brat Sampler featured knockwurst, bratwurst and curry wurst, which was so yummy; we ate them all.
When the main course was presented, all the dishes looked so colorful and savory on the table together.
Nikki really loved the Sauerbraten — beef roast long marinated in red wine and herb blend, and slow simmered until fork tender. She also declared the sauteed brussels sprouts as an excellent side.
Nikki’s sweetie, Bubba, who can sometimes be a picky eater, was a big fan of the German meatloaf.
Irene tried the Jaeger Schnitzel entree which is a thin, breaded pan fried meat topped with creamy mushroom
sauce.
After much deliberation, Elizabeth settled on the Cordon Bleu Schnitzel, which was recommended as the chef’s special. She chose the veal cutlet, thin, breaded and pan fried and broiled under ham and Gruyere cheese. It was a large portion size, and also very delicious.
I ordered the Chicken Spinach Club that had a juicy sauteed chicken breast with broiled, melted Mozzarella on bed of baby spinach, tomato and bacon served on a Kaiser roll. This sandwich was exceptionally tasty, I highly recommend it.
Just as we all agreed we were so full, our friendly server surprised us with two decadent desserts. The crepes were filled with white chocolate mousse and drizzled with homemade caramel. But my absolute favorite was the chocolate cake with Nutella — a chocolate lover’s dream.
Great Gardens Cafe is located at 3669 Trask Parkway, Beaufort. It is open for lunch and dinner Thursday, Friday and Saturday; and for breakfast and brunch on Sunday. Call 843-521-1900.
