The Secret Garden

We came back a year later to find the food has gotten even better. The vegetables are so incredibly fresh that they melt in your mouth. The chicken was fried to perfection. The pecan pie was sweet and nutty. We came with our Boy Scout troop and left with one happy satisfied group. We will detour so we can eat here again that is for sure.

Delicious food and friendly service! Some of the best home cooked food I’ve ever eaten, reminded me of Grandma’s Sunday dinners.

The secret garden is an incredible new addition to West Columbia. My family discovered it through the Unilocal reviews and as usual Unilocal had us on the right track. We visited Sunday around noon. It’s a tiny place off the road which normally I probably wouldn’t have even noticed and if I did happen to notice it, I doubt I would have stopped. As we entered we were given the option to purchase the buffet or the meat and three veggies option. We all chose the meat and three veggies option. We were than asked to seat ourselves in a quaint dining room. It was very simple but fairly large and very clean. One of the owners introduced herself and asked what we would like to eat. We chose our options and she served us from the buffet. The food was incredible! I had the Salisbury steak, collard greens and rutabagas. It was all perfectly cooked and seasoned. It was delicious! We discovered the majority of the vegetables come from the owners farm which is really cool. It’s a simple place, but if you love grandma’s Sunday dinner… This is definitely the place to find it!

We saw the good rating on Unilocal while driving up the interstate. Owner was super nice and food was great. Desserts were top notch.

This is some of the best food in the area! Everything is homemade and home grown! Everything was good… from the chicken, to the corn, to the macaroni and cheese, to the pecan pie. The owner is a really nice gentleman as well… and is eager to share his experiences with new customers. Come here if you want that «family» atmosphere!

I could count on one hand the times I’ve been pleasantly surprised upon entering a nondescript restaurant only to find awesome food and pleasant service. The Secret Garden is now at the top of my list for fresh vegetables, great meats, and delicious desserts… all made onsite. Better than the food was meeting the owner, Sonny Poole. What a life he’s led… and a good one, it sounds. Sitting there and chatting was like meeting a long lost friend. I’ll be back because he grows all of the vegetables on his farm and preps them, too.

I found the Secret Garden on the way to Charleston when I craved for some southern food! The food is awesome and I really like the decoration of this cute place. The owner is very interesting to talk with and he gave us some banana pudding for the trip! So nice! I will surely be back again!

Went there today with my teenage daughter. We were greeted by a very friendly gentleman and directed to the dining area by an equally friendly lady. The buffet bar was well stocked with tasty southern choices. We were not disappointed with our choice to stop in and give them a try. It was also very nice to have the gentleman who greeted walk over and ensure we were happy with our meal and to tell us a little history of what we had figured out by then was his business. I was to stuffed to sample the dessert options but my daughter had the pecan pie and she said was great. We will be back and encourage our family and friends to give them a try. Support local businesses!

We were honestly kind of «iffy» about eating here because of the exterior but we chose not to judge a book by its cover. The food was so amazingly home-​cooked style and the banana pudding was absolutely the best ever! The atmosphere and staff/​cook/​owner was very friendly and put a smile on my daughter’s face. Both of my kids, who are not always so easy to please, really enjoyed the food and asked if they could bring their grandparents back. We will definitely be back!

Gives definition to the words «home cooking.» Fresh from the garden vegetables and homemade desserts. All buffet style, but it truly reminds me of eating my grandmother’s cooking. If you’re looking for white linen and fancy appetizers, this isn’t the place for you. If you’re looking for a place that understands southern cooking, then this is definitely a place to give a try. We will definitely be back.

Just had the most amazing lunch there, we showed up 20 minutes before they were supposed to close but the owner still let us in and took such good care of us. We were a few bucks short of the $ 12 because we didn’t realize it was cash only and he was so nice about it. The food was so fresh and yummy, everything made from scratch, ingredients straight from the farm & you can taste it! He even let us take our leftovers home because we were the last people and we walked out SO HAPPY :) it doesn’t look like much from the outside but that’s all part of the charm, if this place is open and you’re in the area and hungry, you better do yourself a favor and get some real home cooking! Also comes with a drink (really good sweet tea!!) we will be back as often as possible! Thanks Sonny!

The food is great! And it’s all you can eat for a cheap price. The owner is very friendly and kept us entertained the whole time. Everything that was served was absolutely delicious. We had plenty of choices that ranged from Fried Pork chops, Fried Chicken, Mac and cheese, Collard Greens, Bar B Que, Hash, Rice and much more. And the desserts were just as good. I especially liked the Pecan Pie!

Some of the best Fried chicken I’ve ever had. Collard Greens are outstanding. Peach cobbler was mouthwatering. This place is still family run and you can taste it. Make sure to bring cash or check.

The secret garden has made this man a believer in the true form of what southern food should be. This off the beaten path gem has taken the farm to the table in the most literal sense. In a day and age where many companies have tried to coin the phrase farm to table, the secret garden is here to remind us that they have been doing this for over 60 years, and have no plans on changing a way that speaks of hard work and love of what they do. You will not leave hungry.

The food was delicious. This was my first time having creamed corn and it was fantastic. The owner was very friendly and took pride in his business.

Wonderful, as close to home-​cooked country food as you will ever find!
All the vegetables tasted like they were fresh from the garden and the meats were cooked just right. The desserts were tasty as well.
The people are friendly too and the service was great.
Don’t let the exterior of the place fool you… go on in and sit a spell.

I’ve been to this restaurant a total of three times. I will tell you about the first three times and then give you an overall review.
The first time I went I was by myself. The outside leaves a lot to be desired but is clean on the inside. The dining area is a tin barn. There is no cell reception whatsoever. This can be a bad thing if you come alone looking to watch videos and play with your phone during your meal. There was only one other table of patrons beside myself. The veggies are fresh and were tasty. My complaint is everything on the hot bar was lukewarm. Several items were empty because there weren’t any other guests and I don’t think they felt the need to bring out fresh food.
The second and third times I went it was the same scenario. No other patrons and food that looked like it was sitting there for hours. I looked at the buffet, was not inspired and left.
I think this place may be okay. I just advise you go when they are busy so they can keep the food fresh and hot.

The food is excellent and the owners are very friendly and hospitable. We ate outside on the upper deck which was breezy and comfortable.
We had fried chicken, mac n cheese, collards bbq pork, mashed potatoes, green beans. And dessert! You wont leave hungry or disappointed. For two of us it was $ 20 including dinner dessert and tea/​lemonade.

I was impressed that the family grows and serves their own vegetables and what they don’t grow they get from the local farmer’s market. As their first vegetarian diner, they swiftly accommodated both my requests for no meat and for a 1 pass to-​go order. They had butter beans for protein and they also grow field peas which I understand make their way to the buffet line. There was plenty for me to choose from: collards, fresh diced rutabagas (awesome), sweet potatoes, corn bread, and a variety of desserts (I chose the peach cobbler). All was very good like a home cooked meal should be. Other items included fried chicken, turkey & dressing, Mac and cheese, hash and rice, banana pudding, cheesecake and chocolate cake (note: I didn’t try). The unsweet tea was offered to me and I enjoyed it. Nothing looked old or dry and had a completely hot and fresh from the oven appearance! Food appeared to be held at the proper temperature on the steam table. The place was clean too. I agree with others to NOT judge the place based on outward appearance (it is inside a «silver bullet/​capsule»). It is a jeans and a t-​shirt place. The owner, son, and daughter were very nice, hard working, and aim to please.

The foodie in me is so happy to have found this place! Delicious, authentic, certified SC homegrown. Hands down the best pecan pie I’ve ever had, and my friend couldn’t get enough of the fried chicken. Wonderful management– I feel good taking my business here!