Garden Club

If you were blindfolded and brought into the Garden Club, you'd think you were in a rural Mid-Western restaurant; circa 1968. It's old-school in every sense of the word and that's what makes this South San Francisco strip-mall restaurant great! This type of family-style restaurant is a dying breed in the Bay Area and you should go while this place is around. At $16.95 for a complete meal, it's a steal. The food is just like Mom would make. That's if your Mom knew how to cook really well and fed you until you burst at the seams. Go on Sunday night (thick and rich minestrone, salad de saison (with delicious pan-fried croutons), huge meat stuffed raviolo, choice of seven entrees and dessert. For the entree I'd advise the seafood combination (5 fried scallops, sole dore, 2 fried shrimp, potatoes and vegetables) and the NY Steak (has to be at least 12-16oz.). Or better yet, you can order both and split it with your dining partner. Go now while you can! Pros: Value, Hearty Portions, Home-Style "Retro" Atmosphere Cons: Some Inexperienced/Young Service Staff more

Great food, LARGE portions and reasonable prices. Menu changes daily with 6 entrees. All daily entrees include, soup, salad and dessert. Came here on a Friday along with 3 adult members of my family. We each ordered a different entree from the Friday menu list. The Friday soup of the day, ""Clam Chowder"" was more like a seafood minestrone soup, but was one of the best I have ever tasted. Fresh vegetables, clams, in a light tasty broth. Shrimp salad was fresh, flavorful and wonderfully mixed with beans, fresh lettuce in a tasty vinagarette dressing with a generous portion of shrimp. The petrale sole entree was rubbed with fresh garlic and herb mixture and lightly pan fried. Delicious and flakey. Italian green beans and sliced baked Italian herbed styled potatoes. Great! Your choice of desserts. Prices for all this food costs about $16.95.\r The decor is right out of the 1950's. The dining room is plain and simple - nothing fancy. Don't expect any atmosphere here. Come for the food!! Staff is friendly and helpful. Felt like I was back in old ""South City"". I'd take my Italian mother out to eat in this place in a heartbeat. Pros: great food, reasonable prices, friendly Cons: old decor, not fancy more

Hometown cooking well worth the price. Pick an entree from the daily menu and get bread, hearty helpings of soup and salad, generous starter (i.e stuffed chicken or ravioli), the entree, and choice of dessert. Standard entree with all of the above is $16.95, and a little more for the prime rib, NY steak, and rack of lamb. Well populated by local old folks who know their stuff. Pros: Value, parking, food quality Cons: not much more