Last Updated on April 7, 2024 by Umer Malik
We’ve spent so much time indoors due to the pandemic that it can feel a bit claustrophobic to dine out in an indoor restaurant. The good news is that if you’re living in Garden City in New York, you do have several outstanding restaurants to pick from that offers outdoor seating. That way, you can enjoy the fresh air and not feel so closed in.
Here are the Garden City restaurants that you should try, as they offer terrific menu treats along with outdoor seating:
Grand Lux Café
You’ll find this restaurant in the Roosevelt Field Mall next to Loews Theatre, and they offer patio seating. What makes this place great is that they offer an international menu, so you have burgers and various sandwiches, pizzas, Mexican fare, and Asian dishes. It’s an upscale restaurant, but it feels relaxed. Also, the prices are very reasonable.
The menu here is so expansive that you can try a new menu item each day, and it may be more than half a year before you have to repeat a single item. However, some items here do deserve a repeat order, particularly the famous Avocado-Chipotle cheeseburger. If you’re looking for a pizza, then try the Four Cheese Pizza with imported parmesan, fresh mozzarella, fontina and Romano cheeses, with tomato sauce.
Other standouts include the Cajun Shrimp & Chicken Jambalaya, Lemon Chicken Piccata, Thai Fried Chicken, and the Indochine Shrimp and Chicken. See more choices if you want—just about everything here should be tried at least once.
Waterzooi Belgian Bistro
They’re open every day, and serve lunch and dinner. But on Saturdays and Sundays, they also offer brunch. You can dine in the lounge or dining room, but there’s also a patio. This Belgian Bistro is so popular that they’ve served more than 4.4 million pounds of mussels to date.
When you come here for the first time, you might want to go straight to the Oyster Bar section of the menu. Come with a large group so you can share the Le Grand Plateau, which gives you a sample of all their terrific offerings. The large plate includes chilled Maine lobster, jumbo lump crab, little neck clams, Lucky 13 oysters, Blue Point oysters, Bloody Mary oyster shooters, shrimp cocktail, ahi tuna tartare, and a trio of sauces & drawn butter.
You can also start off with the Octopus a la Plancha, featuring chickpea puree, baby tomatoes, fingerling potatoes, crispy capers, and spicy romesco sauce. Then try the paella, which comes with shrimp, little necks, crawfish, chorizo, chicken & rice in a saffron crab broth.
Of course, if you just want a burger, you can get one. But it won’t be just any burger, not if you go with the Wellington Burger. You’re getting USDA prime beef, topped with truffled mushrooms sautéed in foie gras mousse, fontina, watercress, all in the brioche bun.
The Burger Spot
Despite the rather pedestrian name for the restaurant, this place actually offers gourmet fast food. Everything here is made to order. All the ingredients are always fresh and never frozen, including the premium-quality 100% USDA Angus beef. They also use all-natural poultry and eggs.
If you want a classic burger, then you’re getting a 6-ounce patty along with some lettuce, tomatoes, onion, and the special house sauce with the brioche bun. But you can opt for a simple hamburger or cheeseburger, or you can go with turkey or even bison instead.
Then you can customize the toppings, which include bacon, mushrooms, avocado, roasted peppers, caramelized onions, guacamole, coleslaw, and jalapeños. Pick the cheese you want, and your choices are American, cheddar, Swiss, pepper jack, Muenster, feta, goat, gorgonzola, homemade mozzarella.
What about sauces? Your options include house, ranch, garlic herb, smoked BBQ, honey mustard, and chipotle. In fact, you can even switch the brioche bun and go with multigrain, ciabatta, or gluten-free bread instead.
How’s that for a “simple” cheeseburger?
Shake Shack
Yes, there’s a Shake Shack in Westbury. It’s one of the most popular fast-casual eateries in the nation, so you may as well take advantage of its location (plus the outdoor seating as well).
If you’re somehow new to Shake Shack, then you’re in for a treat. What you’ll want first is the original ShackBurger, which basically cemented the Shake Shack reputation. You can go with either 1 or 2 patties, and it’s your choice whether you get the American cheese or not.
Then it’s topped with lettuce, tomato, and the fantastic ShackSauce. It seems like a rather basic combination, but its simplicity is part of its appeal. It doesn’t need a gimmick to stand out. With their proprietary blend of burger meat seasoned with salt and pepper, and their special cooking technique, it’s already exceptional. Just try out a bite, and you’ll be hooked.
Garden City New York MW46
