Jessica’s Garden

What a hidden gem this place is! I have no idea why it took me so long to stop by and try this place out, but I’m going to become a regular! The setting is essentially a shack in the middle of a garden center with quaint little seating areas scattered around a beautiful little pond.
The menu is a little different from your typical roadside food stand. There are about a dozen main choices with a few different sides. These choices include both hot and cold lobster rolls (at a super reasonable $ 12.99), seafood cakes, pulled pork, chourico sausage, Mac and cheese and hot dogs. There is also a few different soups. Along with the food choices, there is a great selection of ice creams made by Gifford’s, shakes, floats, and smoothies.
I’ve only had a handful of the choices so far — the lobster roll (hot), pulled pork on a croissant, Mac and cheese, and butternut squash/​crab bisque. All have been great. I highly recommend!

Best lobster roll ever, just fresh lobster, toasted hot dog roll and lots of butter! The root beer float was delicious as well, generous with the ice cream (Giffords). There are picnic tables around a pond for al fresco dining. A hidden gem.

Great outdoor seating looking over small body of water.
We got the cold lobster roll, superb! and the lobster bisque which was good but did not come out hot enough :(
They offer a large list of Giffords ice cream– always great.

My husband and I stopped by for linner (lunch-​dinner!) and splurged on lobster rolls and floats. The lobster roll could have been seasoned a little more, but for the price and purity (i.e., no heavy mayo), this is the best lobster roll deal around.
The area is super family friendly. There are plenty of places to sit, including kids’ chairs. It’s all around a very cute spot.
The menu is quite large, much bigger than I anticipated. (I posted a more up-​to-​date menu photo.) There’s plenty of items I’d definitely be up for trying.
They are also BYOB.
Great spot and worth the stop.

I was in town for work and found this gem! The hot buttered lobster roll was scrumptious. The surroundings were authentic and quaint. Beautiful casual outdoor seating. Perfect for a quick lunch or dinner!

Amazing! Lobster Rolls and Lobster Bisque were so delicious! Such a cute, fun spot to eat lunch! Was visiting for a week and went back 4 times, just couldn’t get enough.

This is a fabulous place to buy organic gardening supplies. They carry all sorts of things that are not available in your typical garden center, such as praying mantis eggs (for beneficial insects in the garden) and corn meal gluten (to supress crabgrass growth) They have a nice selection of plants, including a wide variety of heirloom tomato seedlings. I have to confess I have not tried the famous lobster roll yet! (but my kids do love the ice cream here) and the grounds are lovely to stroll around. It can be a bit pricey, but that’s the price of doing business with a small local place.

Found this place on Unilocal and sounded too good to pass by. They were right. Lobster roll was heavenly. Opted for the smoothie of the day which was apple, strawberry and ginger. Very delicious. Only negative is there seemed to be some construction going on. It took away some of the beauty of sitting around the pond. Otherwise I would definitely come back!

We love this hidden gem! Best lobster roll ever! Kids loved the grilled cheese and floats! Very charming atmosphere!

This place is such a great addition to marlborough! The lobster rolls are delicious!!! My mother and I just went here and we got two lobster rolls and clam chowder. My mom really enjoyed the clam chowder. We got the large size and it was huge!
The place has such a great peaceful atmosphere with lots of outdoor seating around a pond. After dinner my mom and I took a walk around the pond and through the fairy garden which was adorable. This place is great for kids and families. They have a tire swing and all the kids were so excited to use.
The only reason I gave this 4 instead of 5 is because the customer service was not the best. I just think they need to be a little nicer and more friendly.

Just had the best lobster roll of my life here! I mean WOW. This place is worth going out of your way for and on top of the tasty food, it doubles as a gardening center. There’s picnic tables everywhere and even some things for the kids to do. I found it interesting it is BYOB here, you can drink on the lawn. This place is very chill, scenic, tasty, and adorable. I’ll be back.

Jessica you ruined me! You have given me my first lobster roll and it was amazing. Bread was lightly buttered, crispy, the lobster chunks were big, sweet and juicy. Very simple and delicious — I doubt ill have another lobster roll as good. Outdoor eating area was so cute with the decorations and pond –great family atmosphere. Overall I loved this place. Only downside is that its 4 hours away from my house ;)

The hot lobster rolls are very good. If you ask to get them to go, which we have done numerous times, they wrap up the rolls in foil and then put the buttered lobster meat in a styrofoam container so you can put it in the roll when you get home and it won’t be all soggy. They also have a really delicious pumpkin soup that they offer.

Marlborough CT is a town that has seen the effects of a failing economy. I watched some of the most prominent businesses in town fall by the wayside over the years, so when Jessica’s garden started to become successful I was very happy.
As a garden center, it’s quite adequate. It’s a good competition of Paul’s n Sandy’s right down the road (and I’ve heard with some better prices). My mother is an avid gardener and often sings the praises of Jessica’s selection.
The food is very New England summer food shack kind of fare– hot dogs, ice cream, lobster rolls, some sandwiches, etc. It is only open during the summer but that is because there is only outdoor seating. That being said, the location is very pretty. They have a good amount of land and a small man-​made lake where you can sit along the edges in various kinds of outdoor seating. The grounds are decorated with all of their garden décor which is for sale, as well as a rope swing for kids, a grill, man-​made ‘fairy garden’ and fire pit which they host bonfires at every Friday night in the summer. I personally believe it’s a much-​needed staple for a town that lost a lot of business… I have gone for lunch and dinner and seen everything from families, office-​workers on break, to groups of teenagers there, looking for a nice spot outside to have a good lobster roll, or some ice cream.
The only negatives to Jessica’s Garden is the fact that it is only outdoor seating (so obviously weather reliant), the food is only available in the summer and early fall, and the service is a bit slow. The employees are pleasant, but there are only ever about two of them working in a very small shack– so I understand why it takes a while.
Overall: A great place in the summer to grab some ice cream or a no-​frills lunch or dinner, or for your gardening essentials. It has quickly become a welcome and much-​needed asset to our small town that I help continues to prosper.

Great roadside food. Choice of cold or hot lobster roll.

A great place to pick up annuals or perennials, with bulk mulch also available. They have a knowledgeable staff who are actually available to help, unlike most garden centers. It is a small place but they have a good selection. I didn’t have a chance to try anything from the lobster shack but I was pleasantly surprised to see they serve Robb’s Farm ice cream (of Glastonbury) of which I am a fan. Too bad I’m watching the calories!
There is a big pond on site with chairs and picnic tables scattered about for you to sit, relax, and eat your food or ice cream. I saw a sign that mentioned weekend bonfires too but I didn’t look at the details.
All in all, a great local place to shop. I will have to get over there soon to try their food.