Was looking forward to trying this place out, but now that I have, sadly I doubt I'll be going back. FOOD: I ordered the falafel with lettuce, cucumbers, hummus, tzatziki sauce, and onions. Honestly, the best part of the "sandwich" were the onions (they seemed to be marinated in something making them more sweet/sour tasting). The falafel itself was not cooked enough so it wasn't crispy at all and didn't hold together very well. The tzatziki sauce was a really strange consistency; it was gritty and paste-like. I also tried a piece of baklava. I opened the plastic container and realized immediately that there were no crispy, flakey layers one would (and should) expect from baklava. It was more like an anemic piece of pecan pie with mushy layers. Everything was so bland. I was so disappointed. Had I not gotten to-go and brought it home to eat, I would have asked for my money back. If you're into "fresher" food options this might fit your bill. You can choose what kind of protein and other items you want on your sandwich or platter and they make it there in front of you (the falafal were pulled from the freezer and then deep fried). COST: It was $9 and some change for what I ordered and that was without a beverage. INTERIOR: It wasn't busy when I visited. There were maybe 5 other people there (I was there on a Sunday afternoon), but perhaps it's busier during the week from people who work nearby. The interior is quite large and therefore very echoy (chair scuffs and running machine noises reverberate easily). If you prefer quiet, intimate settings for dining, I doubt this would be your place. SERVICE: Prompt and friendly. The staff was helpful when I asked questions about the options available. Overall, it was similar to concession stand food. It's okay to fill up on if you're hungry, but it would not be my first choice (or second choice for that matter) as a place to eat at again. read more

The grilled salmon kabob salad (and platter) is worth the wait. I stop in whenever I'm on that side of town! The salmon is flavorful. The pita is a perfect compliment to the salad and salmon. I get the roasted red pepper aioli as my dressing/dipping sauce. Don't forget to get tabouli on your salad/platter! Delish. read more

My first time here today. Had the veggie feast. Just finding a good quality vegetarian selection at Greenway Station was pleasant. The atmosphere was really nice for a fast food set up. The salad was great. The pita perfect. The Fallafel was a bit lack luster but overall I'm coming back for seconds. Really really good food. Great prices. Definite recommend. read more

Freska Mediterranean Grill - Veggie feast at Freska - Mediterranean Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

Amazing food and the staff is so friendly! I really enjoyed this place when I was in Madison.

I had the beef/lamb sandwich with tzatziki and my wife had the falafel sandwich. It was slightly better than a frozen supermarket Mediterranean meal. This place needs someone to Lean their process; chaos all over. The tzatziki was over garlic with little dill, lemon, or even yogurt flavor. The falafel was dull to the taste buds. The tahini was bland. I wouldn't discourage you from trying, but don't expect anything special. I hope they move to using fresh ingredients and recipes with more rich flavor, rather than blandness that is uninspiring. Why would anyone open a restaurant to offer bland food which appears very little of the offering is freshly made. read more

Decided it was time to try one of Greenway Station's newest eateries. Saw this described in another review as "Chipotle for Greek food" and it's not a bad analogy. On the night we ordered take out, the patron traffic seemed light but it was early in a Sunday. The menu is very straight forward and you customize your choices based on a prescribed set of categories and options. We ordered one Classic Greek Salad and added chicken plus a lamb and beef gyro with a side of sweet potato fries. The salad ingredients were more than ample and the ratio of "fixins" to lettuce was very good. All of the ingredients were ripe and tasted very fresh. The Greek dressing was pretty standard but adequate. The chicken on top is not grilled chicken but rather chicken gyro meat. My fellow diner said it tasted good and was not overly greasy like some gyro meats can be. It came with a grilled warm pita cut into quarters that also passed the freshness and flavor test. This was definitely worthy of four stars. I ordered the lamb and beef gyro and was pleased by the quantity and quality of gyro meat piled high. You have a choice of sauces but is there really any other choice than tzatziki?!? Again the meat wasn't overly greasy and the options for add-ons included about 8 different items. I went for the standard sliced tomatoes, onions, feta, and tzatziki. One suggestion to the restaurant in the future is to put the tzatziki on the side for takeout orders. After a 10 minute drive, the tzatziki had virtually liquified and separated under the heat of the gyro meat. Lots of other Greek restaurants have learned this lesson along time ago so I hope they learn the same. The feta tasted very fresh and definitely was not an off the shelf supermarket quality cheese. 3.5 stars for the gyro which could have easily been four had it not been for the sauce miscue. We had never had sweet potato waffle fries so we ordered a side of those to try. Unfortunately, we were told that the distributor dropped off the wrong product and they only had standard SP fries. They were fine but nothing special. Wouldn't order again but still want to try the waffle version. Didn't try any dessert items but the baklava did look homemade or at least not frozen off the truck. Looking forward to trying in the future. The west side and Middleton is starting to get a better mix of food offerings aside from the chain restaurant paradise it had grown to become. I hope others support Freska not just because it is a serviceable Greek option (which it is) but to also prove to other local restaurant entrepreneurs that our suburban palates know a thing or two about taking culinary risks like our brothers and sisters on the Isthmus. read more

Good all around. Great, hummus, chicken, and sauces. The veggie slaw is awesome! Very clean inside as well. read more

Freska Mediterranean Grill - Plate, comes with one protein, one sauce, and 4 sides. $8.95 - Mediterranean Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

My wife , three year old daughter and I tried it for lunch and were pleasantly surprised. Place is clean, walks a fine line between fast food and real food. There's something about ordering at the counter and having your food brought to you on a tray that makes it feel a little less classy. Food was good, we got the chicken gyro plates and my daughter got hummus. Everyone was full and happy. The greek options are limited in Madison but for a simple lunch I recommend this place. Parents - be warned they don't have a kids menu so don't bring picky kids here. read more

I have been driving by this place on a regular basis, anxious for a new dining option. Finally Freska is open, although I only knew it because of the previous review on Yelp since there is no mention of it on their Facebook page or official website.... and I had taken a few day break on my drive-by stalkings. My husband and I both ordered the lamb/beef gyro plate and were pleased with the flavor of the meat and options for veggies, sauces, etc. to go on top. The portion was very generous, especially for lunch! They have quite a few meat (and non-meat) options to either make a plate out of or assemble in a sandwich, making for a lot of combination options. The veggies all looked very fresh and presented in a way that made me want to order a big salad so I could taste them all. In addition to our main plates, we tried the falafel side and tried to order the stuffed grape leaves, but they do not have these avaialble yet. I was quite disappointed about that since I love a good grape leaf, but the falafel made up for it. The falafel side was a very decent portion, good texture, flavor and a great crisp on the outside. I would have like a bit more of the sauce drizzled over the top. As a last minute decision I picked up some baklava for dessert. Overall, it was good, but I do think it could benefit from either a little more of the sugar syrup over the top layers or possibly the top section of phyllo not being as thick. As is, it was difficult to cut through the top for a bite with my fork. The nut mixture and the bottom layers were delicious, so I ended up just removing the top section all together. As expected the service is still getting ironed out. I initially asked what was in the fresh veggie mix for the plates, thinking it would save time from requesting cucumber, tomato, and onion if it was all in the "mix". Unfortunately, it was the guy's first day and he asked about 3 people before finally giving up. By this point I had clogged up the line a bit -- completely unintentional. There were also some inconsistencies in my plate being handed over the top to me versus being pushed down the line to the cashier so they would know what to ring up. Small things, but during a busy lunch period it slowed everything down. The restaurant itself is very nice, with plenty of seating at either booths or tables. Everything was very clean, bright, and inviting. Overall, I would definitely recommend checking this place out. It is very refreshing to have a locally owned, yet quick and healthy option for dining out in Middleton. I love Mediterranean food, so will certainly be checking this place out again in the near future to sample other items on the menu. While they get their full website up and running, I did find a full menu from a place that did the design of it that you can peruse their offerings on: http://www.coroflot.com/msajdesign/Freska-Mediterranean-Grill-Menu read more

I came here shortly after they opened, then again today, and I can't believe they still haven't figured out receipt printing. Food is ok for fast Mediterranean. Service is a bit slow, although some of that is customer unfamiliarity with the menu and concept. read more

I'm glad Greenway Station got some new restaurants, and I'm definitely glad Freska is one of them. I'd say that Freska is essentially the Mediterranean version of Chipotle. You get to pick your base (rice, couscous), meat, and veggies. The ingredients are fresh, high quality, and flavorful. My first time in I was so confused with how everything worked and the server was really nice in explaining the whole process and what everything was. I got the steak which was quite tender. I kinda wish they'd give a bit more for what I was paying (8-9 dollars). The one major thing that I didn't really like was that everything was so separated that it was hard to mix it all into a nice "bowl". Overall, great selection and quality though! Must try :) read more

It's great to hear when folks are coming in, "Yum, it smells so good in here!" Nice to have gyros, chix kabobs, falafel, & waffle fries in Middleton. Variety of seating options where tables can be pushed together for large groups. read more

Freska Mediterranean Grill - Mediterranean Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

Food is mediocre at best to be quite honest. There are much better Mediterranean options in Madison. It's kinda like a Mediterranean version of Chipotle, where you choice your meat, rice, veggies etc. The sauces here such as the tahini are extremely bland and have a sand paper texture to it. The hummus here is bad, I've had better hummus that's been prepackaged at the grocery store. I tried the lamb platter and the chicken kebab platter. Both were underwhelming. The meat in both platters were barely luke warm, closer to cold. I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here. I tried it twice, definitely not going back. Thought it'd be better the second time, I was wrong. The owner didn't seem to care about customers when I came in. He didn't bother to acknowledge people and it wasn't busy, no excuse to ignore people who are supporting your business. read more

The food was horrible. The couscous was bland with no flavor. The babaganoush was gross and oily. I don't recommend eating here.

UPDATE TO ORIGINAL: recently returned with a friend for a late lunch (around 2pm) after a busy Saturday morning of shopping. One lady started making our food when an older gentleman, who I presume to be the owner, zoomed over from his laptop at a booth to begin cooking/assembling our food. He shooed the original lady away without washing his hands....and never put on gloves. I'm definitely not normally a germ freak but come on. Also, we were the only people in the place and every table was dirty. The chicken gyro was better than the first time but I'd still rather spend less for a better gyro and better service at the mall. read more

As Matt said below "appreciated locally owned and operated dining option in a sea of mediocre chain restaurants in the Greenway Station retail district" and to this I completely agree. Where we differ is in the quality of the food. I really enjoyed everything I had, and everything was very fresh and tasted really good. That being said, I have had better mediterranean food and I fell like depending on who is working there at the time the portion sizes greatly differ. Overall, a decent and really refreshing change from the same ole' dinning options as everyone else. read more

My 1st time here! Excellent Greek Salad! It was very fresh and wonderful pita bread is served with it! read more

Freska Mediterranean Grill - Great Greek Salad with wonderful pita bread! - Mediterranean Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

Simply delicious, well made Mediterranean food. Good prices and terrific variety. It's sort of fast casual but there's nothing at all wrong with that. I had the shawarma with harissa which was nice and spicy without kicking my ass. The chicken was really well prepared, flavorful and juicy. The hummus is honestly some of the best I have had. Highly recommend checking this place out. read more

This place consistently makes delicious food. Almost all of their food is really healthy to boot. I eat there 3-4 times a month and am consistently surprised by the quality, happy with the price, and impressed by the service. I've had a salads, gyros, falafel, and spinach pie. All good stuff! read more

Gyro plate was good. Sides were underwhelming, but it could have been just an undercooked / under seasoned batch. Tzatziki was yummy. This is a quick service place so no table service. Order - pay - eat or go. read more

Best schwarma in the Madison area! I drive from the east side of Madison weekly to get my fix. Try the spicy feta dip - it's dangerously addicting! read more

I usually don't like these places where you have to pick what you want on your meal like Chipotle, but it's worth it here. I had a standard Gyros which was very good with fresh ingredients and very tasty. My wife had a greek salad which was very good as well. It's a little slow and uneven at the counter but the servers are friendly and the owner was there serving as well. Give it a shot when in the area. read more

Hey, this is a cool cheap and affordable way to have Mediterranean food! Unbelievably I liked it better than some of the sit-down restaurants in the area! The veggie platter was amazing! We will be going again read more

Freska Mediterranean Grill - Veggie plate and grape leaf - Mediterranean Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

My husband and I have been here several times--always on off hours when no one else is there. The food is wonderful--that's whey we keep returning. The lower rating, however, is based on the terrible service. All the workers consistently behave as if it is their first day and they have had no training. I know it's hard to get good help, but things like greeting the customer and repeating the order seem basic. Secondly, they ask the same questions repeatedly and never write anything down. It's very frustrating to start all over every time someone comes out of the kitchen and asks you your order for the fourth time--they really need a system--and the customer doesn't need to see the boss or whoever scold the worker about process issues. The order often gets home with something missing, but obviously we like the food enough to keep coming back. It would help to give paper menus to customers to write down or circle their orders when ordering--something, PLEASE! read more

Had the "plate"...falafels & roasted pepper dressing...awesome! I wish I lived closer to this place...I mean where do you get to order couscous when out for lunch?...Freska's very good prices too! read more

Gyros and Chicken Shawarma are delicious, and the hummus was some of the best I've ever had! The variety of "add on" toppings makes every meal unique. We Freska! read more

Amazing food at a great price. Great customer service and always welcomed with a smile.

Food here is AMAZING! Full of flavor, good portion sizes, great prices. I drive from Sun Prairie whenever I have a craving for Mediterranean food. My favorite thing here is the Chicken Gyro and the couscous! read more

We chose this place because it was close to our hotel. The falafel was delicious; everything else (grape leaves, baba ganoush, hummus) was good but not great. The staff gets a "C"; they're difficult to understand and not especially helpful. read more

Falafel is excellent, spinach pie is good, baklava is just okay. Oh and the lentil soup is FAB! Brothier than I expected for some reason, but absolutely delicious. Will be back. read more

I normally save 5 stars for the big hitters, but for a version of quick Greek it was stop on the day we stopped. I got the veggie sampler. Everything was super fresh and my falafel was fried fresh. The dips and sauces were great. We had a side of chips and fries; go for the chips, they are fresh fried. My hubby had the gyro, he is not a good sharer. He said it was very, good and "hit the spot" but not as good as Plaka downtown or Atlantis in Sun Prairie, but the best otherwise! read more

Last night I ordered and picked up a large Greek meal from Freska to serve two friends and myself at my home. I ordered a lot of things and the total was under $50. It would have served at least five of us! So I have lots of leftovers. It was all very nice food and well prepared and packed into containers with care. I think it was the owner who took my order and packed it for me. Very nice gentleman. Greek food is not fine dining , but it is delicious. Some of it has to be made a bit ahead but that's the way Greek food is. We really enjoyed the meal and I will definitely go back and do it again another time. A great value. They are featuring a Greek night menu on Saturday nights, and I assume they are serving more variety of Greek food than they do on normal days. read more

Love this place! Quick service, friendly staff, and delicious food! Loved my gyros sandwich and babganoush (sp???). The thing that made this place so special was that I mixed up my order and ordered a steak gyros, when it came out, I realized it wasn't what I wanted and they immediately switched it out for me for a regular gyros. It was my fault, but they were incredibly customer focused and wanted me to be happy. I will definitely be back! read more

Got lamb gyro. $7.36 get alot of food for the cost. Didnt get the offered meal (drink and rice or something) read more

Freska Mediterranean Grill - Mediterranean Near Me - Middleton, Wisconsin

A great addition to Middleton offering healthy quick fare. Counter service platform but really high quality food with great fresh flavors. They have sit down tables if you want to eat in but we often take it to go. Their tabouleh is amazing!!!! read more

Love this place ! Fresh, delicious, healthy Mediterranean . We go here way too often . Love the plates and the sandwiches .

Amazing! My boyfriend and I had the same thing. A plate with lamb and beef gyro meat, tzaziki and harissa sauce, hummus, tabouli, pita bread, tomato and cucumber salad, brown rice, and feta. The portions were huge and the food was great! Wish it was closer to my house! read more

Fresh, simple, and good! It's not the most delicious Mediterranean joint out there, but it's not fussy, and you leave feeling revitalized rather than bloated like a lot of fast causal places out there. I don't think that I will ever regret coming here, but I don't think I'll ever really crave it either. read more

This is the best 'fast food' I've had in a long time! Counter order service and then take your tray to a table and self-bus when finished. The food is fresh Mediterranean and has been consistently delicious and seemingly very healthy! The dining area is slightly sterile feeling, but I will definitely be back when I'm in the mood for a quick, healthy, and affordable meal. read more

I can always count on Freska for a yummy meal. Kind of like a Mediterranean Chipotle where you can create your own plates. The chicken shawarma is delicious. I like putting together my own plates and mixing shawarma, gyros, and falafels. I recommend trying the red pepper aioli. read more