I love visiting a botanical garden, of all sizes and collections. And in my opinion, the food offerings are better than what you get at, say, a zoo such as Bronx Zoo. I had a lovely Afternoon Tea at Wave Hill, which is kind of a secret menu. The café at NYBG is a-ok, not great but not bad either. While visiting Marco Island, FL during the winter, we visited Naples Botanical Garden.

It was so beautiful, filled with super interesting plants, trees, and flowers. They had QR codes that you can scan with your phone that gives you a quick guide tour, allowing you to discover and learn more about all the natural wonders that surrounds you.

We also dined at their Fogg Café for lunch, and it was a pleasant surprise! This is the only dining location at the Naples Botanical Garden, unlike NYBG where they offer several dining spots.

The inside was quite large, with plenty of seating. As it was a beautiful day, most of the patrons were dining outdoors. They had windows closer to the ceiling, bringing in loads of natural light. The drink station and other condiments, silverware, etc. were placed on a long, large counter opposite the ordering counter, avoiding unnecessary and unwanted crowding of people.

The outdoor seating was a nice size too, but with its popularity, it might not be easy to find a table outside, under the shade. But if you are lucky (like we were), you can get the perfect table with a beautiful view of the garden!

The menu is not large, as it is a “café” but it had interesting and unique dishes, which was great. We ordered Mango Chicken Salad ($14), Tuna Salad Sandwich ($15), Cubano Al Pastor ($15), and Garden Burger Banh Mi ($16). The Mango Chicken Salad is Gluten Free, and is made with Tomato, Cucumber, Mint, Basil, Scallion, Creamy Citrus Dressing, and Tostones. It was placed on top of fresh lettuce, with a beautiful edible flower accent. Nice and creamy, and the side of tostones, or fried plantains, added that crispy texture. Refreshing and a healthier option.

Tuna Salad Sandwich is made with Olives, Capers, Shaved Fennel, Roasted Tomato, Bibb, and Lemon Mayo. It had a generous amount of tuna salad between fluffy bread. Fresh lettuce for that fresh and crisp flavor and texture. It came with a side of fresh salad, which was great.

My hubby went with Cubano Al Pastor, made with Roasted Pork, Carnitas, Swiss, Pickles, Grilled Pineapple, and Adobo Mayo. Nice large portion, and melty cheese and generous amount of meat packed in there. Addition of pineapple was interesting, I don’t think I had a Cubano with pineapple in it before. It added the distinctive sweetness, and made it extra juicy in my opinion. It also came with the side salad, super fresh and crisp!

I went with Garden Burger Banh Mi, which is Vegan burger, unlike the traditional Banh Mi, usually made with some kind of meat(s). At Fogg Café, it is made with Cucumber, Jalapeño, Cilantro, Pickled Carrot, and Chili Mayo. It was smaller than the other sandwiches, but packed with flavor. The garden burger patty was good, not great but tasty, and fresh veggies went nicely with it. The bun was soft and fluffy, I was happy with my choice.

And if you are wondering why I was happy with side salad, other than the fact that they are super fresh, is because we added an order of Hand Cut Fries ($8) for the table to share. It is made with Fried Arugula and Steak Seasoning. It was marked as Gluten Free and Vegan. This one was great, but a bit heavy on the seasoning, making it a bit too salty and spicy. Other than that, it was crispy and addicting…

I like how unique their offerings were. I like how they had Cubano, Banh Mi, and other items like Edamame Dumplings. They also have a few more Gluten Free and/or Vegan dishes such as Golden Tomato Gazpacho and Gluten Free Brownies to accommodate any and all patrons. There were a few staffs coming around all the tables, picking up plates and cleaning up the tables, keeping the area clean. We had a really nice lunch here, with beautiful views and a wonderful company, what more can you ask for? If you are looking for something to do near Naples, why not visit the garden and learn something interesting about the nature, while having a tasty lunch?

Fogg Café @ Naples Botanical Garden – 4820 Bayshore Drive, Naples, FL 34112