Our annual trips to Ohana Luau By The Lake (“The Best Little Event in Tiki”), have us doing most of our activities at The Tiki Resort. Like much of Lake George, while it’s definitely a bit rough around the edges at times, it’s more than a bit of a Mid-century Americana Time Capsule: a mostly intact Tiki-themed resort, with Tiki-themed bar, a nice pool deck, and even (during high season) a Polynesian stage show. It’s also got it’s own breakfast restaurant, the Garden Cafe, located just off the lobby.
It’s actually a very nice breakfast spot: the cafe has always had a nice mid-century vibe, with bamboo columns, trapezoidal windows, and a lot of Tiki paraphernalia and Polynesian decor all over the walls, and in recent years it got a very nice makeover with new flooring, new tables and chairs, and a general sprucing up. It’s actually one of the more welcoming breakfast spots in Lake George, and it’s a bit of a hidden gem since it mostly serves the hotel guests (although it definitely is open to the general public as well).
The menu at the Garden Cafe isn’t fancy: I’d say a good number of the guests get the house special with two eggs, two pancakes, and two strips of bacon, but they have an assortment of different fruit pancake types, omelets, and specials. I opted for blueberry pancakes and home fries, and it’s nice seeing the wide open kitchen: nothing microwaved or reheated here, it’s all cooked to order right in front of you. The pancakes were good (yes, they had blueberry, I probably should have flipped one so they were more obvious) with a good buttermilk flavor and a nice crisp on them: definitely one of the better pancake options in town. And the home fries? Pretty much perfect: nicely seared, soft interior, and well-seasoned without being overly salty or greasy. I’d definitely get these again.
The other thing I really liked about the Garden Cafe was the staff: a mix of local and seasonal immigrant help, the staff at the Garden has always been friendly, talkative, and efficient.
Overall, I rather like the Garden Cafe, and plan to make it one of my more regular breakfast spots when I’m in town. One note of caution: it’s a seasonal establishment, so check up online or call first to make sure they are open.
