Located in a strip mall in Freehold, I wasn't sure what to expect by utt this place is definitely worth a stop! I went here for a family birthday and we were all pleased. Attentive waitstaff, incredibly beautiful plating, and warm ambiance. They start you will humus and pita which is a good way to start in my book. One note is that it is NOT a cheap meal. We stared with the Sicilian rice balls (3 for $7) and the fried feta zucchini cake (2 for $9). The rice balls were flavorful and good but the fried feta zucchini cakes which came with a delicious tzakiki-esque sauce were SO SO GOOOD. Great combo of flavors and crunch! Don't miss it. I opted to get the cioppino special ($37) which was bursting with tons of flavorful seafood and even some escargot. While it was good, I think their standard menu items might have been a better choice. One person got the shrimp and clams ($27) and another the branzino ($29). Both dishes were beautifully plated with great flavor and portion size. The vegetarians got the lemon platter for $23 which had a great compliment of different small plates. All in all - some good food. We did sample some desserts including the chocolate torte and the banana foster which were good but a bit too rich for me. read more

Culinary excellence, from start to finish left us wanting to return so we can try more. There were subtle flavor harmonies in our dishes that were beyond common Mediterranean fare. The Chef and kitchen staff are true artists. Many thanks! The decor and service lends towards dressing up a little, but shorts and a button-down shirt aren't frowned upon. Very friendly and accommodating staff, and the owner was engaging and helpful with our dining choices - Thank You! Note - Lemon is BYOB, so come prepared to wash down this great meal with some fine wine. read more

This is our third time dining here, and the food has been fantastic each time and seems to taste better each time. We had the octopus appetizer and it was some of the best octopus I have ever had. Our main dishes were also fantastic I had the paella and the sea food was spot on. Lastly our dessert was delicious I had the rice pudding and it was truly something special. The service was great and very attentive. Definitely looking forward to coming back here. read more

Lemon is no Lemon! The Roasted Beet Quinoa starter salad is outstanding. The combination of the tender beets and quinoa, crunchy red radish, carrots, red onions, gorgonzola chunks, and cilantro in a lemon honey vinaigrette is outstanding. I'm not one to hanker for a salad but this salad has me anxious for my next visit. The combination of flavors was exquisite and the choice of a pungent gorgonzola was a strong complement. The seafood cioppini is fantastic! This dish includes dungeness crab leg, cod filet, clams, mussels, shrimp, squid and escargot over a super creamy risotto. All the seafood was cooked perfectly and the risotto was extra rich. The Hanger Steak entree is perfectly seared to the exact doneness with tender potato wedges on the side. The Mango Panna Cotta is delicious. I'm not a fan of mango but the texture of the Panna Cotta was silky and the mango flavor was very fresh. Of the misses, I wouldn't miss ordering the Falafel appetizer as it quite frankly was fried too long and had an exterior overdone flavor. I also didn't feel the same way about the seafood paella even though it is similar to the cioppini. The addition of meat and sausage didn't sing as well as the all seafood cioppini did. The service is really attentive and friendly adding to the overall good experience. read more

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The food at Lemon is not only absolutely delicious, but the staff is really what makes this restaurant so wonderful. The owner of the restaurant was so incredibly welcoming to us and we will absolutely be coming back! The restaurant ambience was absolutely gorgeous and played classical ambient music in the background. It was our first time going and I literally only downloaded Yelp to write them a good review bc they deserve it! read more

Homemade food, friendly staff, lovely dining room. Hummus is fantastic, rice balls are to die for! Warm pitas. Great Mediterranean salad and roasted vegetables! Perfect especially if you're looking for a paleo diet. BYOB. Owner is so friendly! read more

Lemon Mediterranean Restaurant - Mediterranean Chicken with olives and couscous, side of rice balls - Mediterranean Near Me - Freehold, New Jersey

had a nice experience at lemon Mediterranean. The atmosphere was very nice, the service in my opinion was definitely above average, almost exceptional. The waitress was prompt, courteous, and responsive. The owner of the restaurant came by the table to check on us while we were eating, that's always a positive, means management is in tune with what is going on with their restaurant all the time. The food was very good, the price was, OK for what we received. I wish the portions were a little bit bigger for what we paid. But I did like it. It is not around the corner from where I live, so I'm not sure if I'll go here again. If I'm in the area, I probably will, have dinner here again read more

A 3 star experience at Lemon with a mix of pros and cons! Pros: -The menu is MASSIVE and has a really interesting mix of Mediterranean fusion cuisine. There are loads of interesting daily specials like lobster pasta and a whole lamb shank, and the menu has a ton of different meat, seafood, salads, pastas and more. You could go crazy figuring out what to order. -Service is top notch. You are promptly greeted upon walking in. Everyone continuously checked in on us, including the GM. Our server was extremely attentive. Easily some of the best service I've ever experienced at a restaurant. -Complimentary bread and hummus to start, complimentary strawberries and whipped cream to finish. Yes please! -BYOB will always have my heart. -Portions are quite large and some of our food was really standout! My grilled shrimp salad came with plenty of flavorful spiced shrimp. The shrimp tart (on special) was amazing. I loved the addition of feta cheese, sun dried tomatoes and artichokes and everything came baked in a pie crust. The rice balls were also delish, and came drenched in a creamy tomato sauce. Cons: -The shrimp dish is advertised as 'shrimp and haloumi' -- I was expecting a sizzling plate of shrimp and grilled haloumi. What I got was a large green salad with some shrimp and a very poor showing of haloumi. The dish should be labeled as a Greek salad with shrimp instead. -My mom's moussaka was not moussaka. It was a dish of sautéed veggies. We order this a lot and have never seen it prepared like this. I get that it's their version, but this should be made clear in the menu to set proper expectations. Especially when said dish is nearly 20 dollars for a pile of veggies. -We made our reservation via Open Table. When we presented them with a 10% off coupon we were told that we couldn't use it because Open Table deducts 2.50 off per diner. In all fairness, this is stated in the coupon's fine print. But do I agree with this? Not really. A coupon should be offered to all customers if it's put out into the world. Their reservation platform is their business decision. The percentage is small and this isn't a huge deal, I just think it's more about the principle! There are many more pros then cons, and I did want to leave 4 stars. But because two of the major cons were about our entrees (the star of the dinner show) this was more of a 3 star experience. With such a large menu I look forward to returning and trying out some other dishes. read more

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Absolutely delicious and will be going back. Chef Ash is a class act and runs a great restaurant. Appetizers, Dinner and Dessert were spot on. read more

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We love everything about this restaurant ! Chef Ash and his staff are all so friendly and welcoming. The food is absolutely amazing !! Didn't get a picture of the octopus, but we always order it. It is the most tender that we have ever had ! I make it but have never gotten it so tender. Ash chatted with us and told us how he prepares it ! Priceless ! We are always surprised with new complimentary flavors... sides... desserts. So many delicious options to decide on . You will never be disappointed. Bring a fabulous bottle of wine... Lemon is BYOB Enjoy ! read more

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Great place. Very recommended for Mediterranean flavors. It's not a gyro place. More an upscale restaurant. Also has Sicilian plates. Service was very pleasant and I'm point. BYO wine. All great. read more

Lemon Mediterranean Restaurant - Rice balls and octopus - Mediterranean Near Me - Freehold, New Jersey

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Worst dining experience I ever have had in a restaurant. The food was horrible and took one hour to be served. When the food did finally arrive it was ice cold. Maybe just a bad night. Think twice about patronizing Lemon read more

I had one of the worst dining experiences of my life here last night. I'd heard such great things about the restaurant, so I thought this would be a great place for dinner on New Year's Eve. As soon as we walked in, problems arose. I am not exaggerating when I say that this crowded restaurant was scorching hot (the thermometer behind us was set to 76 degrees). Even the water was hot - we had to ask for a bowl of ice. About 15 minutes into our meal, the power goes out. Obviously this is not the restaurant's fault, but the fact that no one addressed the power outage was insane. No one came to our table to let us know when the power would be back or just to make sure everything was okay. In fact, everyone acted like nothing had happened and they just served our dinner in the pitch dark! I have no idea what I ate because I could see anything. And it just kept getting warmer and warmer. The power finally came back on about 40 minutes later. It was brutal. It seemed like there was one server for the entire restaurant with about 10 bussers all on their phones in the back corner of the restaurant. I place no blame on the server - I place it on the management. This poor kid was set up to fail on likely one of their busiest nights. To top it all off, not only were we charged full price to eat in the dark with terrible service, there was an added "tax" on the receipt that I've never seen at any other restaurant. The food wasn't bad, but it certainly wasn't good enough to offset this horrendous experience. read more

Came here for lunch on a random weekday during COVID and it was empty. We were the only ones here. The lunch menu is such a steal, especially when sharing between 2 people. The mussel appetizer on the lunch special is enough to feed 3-4 people and so so good. The Sicilian rice balls were just okay in my opinion, but I'm not a big fan in general. The crab cakes as the main course was also very good, not too dry. We also got a steak (on the lunch menu!) which was also great. The only improvements I would make are to the indoor decor. The inside feels a little old and musty and could be more comfortable. read more

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We had a reservation and were sat quickly. First time here and the place is serving at full capacity though. There isn't social distancing of tables. They're not 6 feet apart at all. Luckily I'm vaccinated or else I would not have been comfortable in staying. Staff was friendly and attentive. The complementary hummus was good with the warm pita bread. I got the lamb empanadas and those were good. One of them was a bit greasy but the flavor was on point. It comes with a spicy pink sauce that was a great compliment. The lamb chops came out almost rare and they had to be taken back to be cooked more. But once they were done, it was a good meal. The sauce they sat on was pretty good. For dessert, the creme brûlée had a pudding like consistency. I like it a bit thicker so it wasn't my fave. read more

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A beautiful place that I eat is excellent, also nerve-friendly and wonderful. I recommend it to all friends. Thank you so much read more

Lemon Mediterranean Restaurant - Mediterranean Near Me - Freehold, New Jersey

We were greeted by the owner as soon as we sat down & he was very welcoming & happy to have us, which started our visit on a great note. We were served hummus & pita. Hummus was very good. We then ordered a few appetizers to start. We got the octopus which was fresh & spiced very well, we also got the falafel which we liked very very much. We got the rice balls which were absolutely delicious and memorable. They are not too big (I'd say bite size, & perfect). We also got the Dolmas, I loved the center & the hints of cilantro on the inside. The owner also threw in some salads! 1 with strawberries & it was very good, and a Greek 1, perfectly sized. For our main dishes we got the salmon encrusted in coffee special, and the kofta dish. Both very good and memorable. The kofta was one of the top koftas we've had, and I've had some great home made ones. The salmon was cooked perfectly and the crunch from the espresso crust stood out. The side of spaghetti squash with figs was a great touch. For our dessert we tried the mango one, forgive me I forgot the name, but it was delicious! We also tried the almond cake, very fresh and good. We tried the baklava,( this was just ok, would like it to be softer & flakier in all honesty). And we tried the dates & ice cream, very nice touch. We enjoyed our time here. The service was VERY VERY good and we felt so welcomed we can't wait to come back and bring friends. read more

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Disregard my last review please lol, different restaurant.The service was very good at lemon.The pita bread was a bit disappointing to me it was very dry.The hummus was delicious with a zest of lemon of course.We started with the rice balls in a tomato sauce, excellent! My hubby got the salmon and cod dish excellent, I had the chicken that had amazing spices and my favorite olive's my one piece of chicken was a little rubbery,My daughter had the lamb and chicken kafta she liked a lot,my son had the steak he also enjoyed very small portion and I ordered a side of the lemon potatoes that wasn't your usual Greek lemon potatoes but very good! The almond cake was to die for and my daughter had the bourbon almond chocolate cake very rich but delicious they also brought us complimentary strawberries and homemade whipped cream. I would definitely go back.The only thing I didn't like was it was over staffed to us and since COVID some things kinda gross me out like looking in the kitchen at a group of employees hubbering over the dishes in the kitchen. read more

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We made a last minute reservation here for New Years Eve night. OpenTable listed a 9pm reservation available, so to be safe I called the restaurant and sure enough, 9pm was available! We got there a little early and were told it would only be a short wait until a table was available. Sure enough, about 10 minutes later, they were able to seat us. The meal was delicious! The service was great, until I had to step outside for a phone call. As soon as I walked away, my girlfriend was asked by 4 different servers if we were done with our entrée? She had finished while I was outside on the phone but I had not. This was quite annoying. Aside from feeling rushed, the food was delicious and we'll certainly be back! read more

Lemon Mediterranean Restaurant - Escargot was amazingly delicious! I dunked the bread in the leftover sauce! :) - Mediterranean Near Me - Freehold, New Jersey

Most ambitious Med menu I've seen in Monmouth Cty. Really liked it must come back. Hummus amuse bouche a large step above olive oil and bread ! Had a zucchini and feta fried ball. Love it ! Never seen that. Duck was quite good if a bit stiff. Love the sauce and couscous. Friendly staff. Nice space but lighting too bright. Really terrific place. My kind of menu. Bravo ! read more

Great experience here - the food is wonderful! I had the ouzo mussels, and braised lamb shank (my favorite!). The service was attentive and you could tell the dishes were prepared with a lot of attention and dare I say, love? lol. Highly recommend. read more

Been coming here for over 10 years and always have a great meal. Tried Moroccan Duck for the first time and now my wife knows what she is having the next time. Chef Ash always there to make sure everything is perfect. Service is always on point. read more

Incredible food. Chef Ash is the epitome of what a quality driven restaurant is all about. The Bronzino is out of this world. The fresh octopus cannot be missed. read more

I had the lamb tagine. It was delicious and a great value. The crème brûlée was totally dope.

I have never been to Lemon before and have always heard good things about it. Well it didn't disappoint, has a Mediterranean feel soon as you walk in. The waitresses and waiters were very tentative and the food was great and cooked perfectly. Definitely will be going back. read more

Great dining experience with eclectic food and excellent service. Do not pass on the desserts!

Heard a lot of good things about Lemon and finally had the chance to check it out. Six of us went on a weekday and enjoyed a near empty restaurant. For a strip mall restaurant, the decor was very nice. My wife and I split the pears stuffed with crabmeat. This was something both different and excellent. As an entrée I had a special, cioppino with risotto. It had plenty of seafood including king crab leg and octopus and was served in a nice savory tomato based broth. This was very good, I only wish the food was warmer upon arrival. We shared a chocolate pecan tort, delicious. Service was excellent, ambiance warm, prices reasonable. We'll be back. read more

Located in strip mall on Rt 9 North in Freehold. Given complimentary hummus and pita bread-this was almost a meal itself. Had the meatball appetizer which was tasty . For dinner the seafood special with shell fish over rosita. Owner was gracious and friendly. Moroccan coffee was strongest ever drank! Remember BYOB. read more

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Unique menu and great flavor. The chef cares about his patrons and is a very nice guy!

i have eaten at Lemon Restaurant many times in the past. Yesterday my friend and I stopped in for a relaxing Sunday dinner. We each ordered Shrimp and Corn Soup from the Chef's Specials (no price on the menu) and other entrees. What would you think the price would be for the soup? Well they were $22 each. When we mentioned this to the Chef he said to the waiter, 'take off $10' and walked away. I thought he was arrogant. I guess he doesn't care if we return. read more

Great Mediterranean dishes whether they lean Italian, Turkish, Egyptian, etc. Always a good pasta or lamb dish on the menu, none have ever disappointed. Same for dessert. Everything Chef Ash creates is delicious, fresh, and excellent. And, he's taken me out of my southern / south eastern Italian comfort zone to other regions of the Mediterranean Sea. Have eaten here many times over the years, always very good. Will look for any photos I may have. Long overdue post, thank you Yelp for the suggestion/reminder. read more

Always delicious, tasty servings of a variety of Mediterranean specialties! Pleasant & helpful service, nice ambiance. They also offer cooking classes occasionally which is a fun, interesting, different date experience! Desserts are pretty epic, too! read more

We just had dinner at Lemon... and it was excellent. The last time we ate there was before the pandemic, and the only thing we regret is waiting so long to go there again. Foremost is the food. The menu has a wide range of very creative dishes. Not only is there a high degree of culinary skill, but the quality of the ingredients is top shelf. As one who has very sensitive taste buds, this is food without compromise. The wait staff is friendly and accomodating, not too much and not too little attention. The owner makes his rounds, is gracious, and truly happy to see you. The ambiance is fine, not going to win an award, but comfortable. Overall, you need to visit this restaurant. Hands down one of the best in Central NJ. read more

The food is definitely 5-star worthy. The service is a different story. Husband and I had reservations for Friday night. The staff was full of teenagers who would rather be anywhere else. We were seated then greeted by a mumbling waitress who made me feel like we were annoying her. I asked for an iced tea and apps. What came out was a super concentrated, thick tea with no ice. Ok, whatever. I could use the extra caffeine. The apps came out and were absolutely delicious (rice balls and grape leaves). Busser came and removed our plates. I heard our waitress yell at the busser "Table 45 was supposed to have pita." I wasn't sure if that was our table. I went to check a notification on my phone and was abruptly taken out of my phone by someone who slammed a bowl of hummus in front of me. I assume this should have been out before the apps. The pita would have been great to dip into the delicious sauces from our apps. Oh well. Dinner was delicious. I had the braised lamb shoulder and my husband had the chicken and lamb kofta. A lot of food, so we needed it wrapped. We waited a long time upon finishing our meal to request our food be wrapped. The server said he would bring out some containers for us to wrap it. This is fine, but the physical plates were huge. When I put everything in, I look to the table next to me and see the server bringing over their wrapped food. Why? Waitress comes by, asks how everything was. I tell her it was good and we would like the check. She asks if we want dessert. We tell her no, just the check. We waited for a few minutes then a plate of whipped cream with 4 strawberries comes to our table. We tell the server that we didn't order it. He says it's on the house. Cool, I guess. I felt so disregarded until this point that I just wanted to leave. But I was still waiting for the check so I had a little of the dessert. The whipped cream was delicious, but you can only eat so much whipped cream before your mouth is coated in a gross film. Overall: great food. Below par service for entrees that average $35/ea. My suggestion would be to order take out. I won't go back. read more

Delicious. Always great variety, thoughtful menu. BYOB. Chef Ash always delights - the food reflects his talents! read more

Excellent quality and immaculate customer service. Chef Ash made our experience even better by sending a complimentary dessert with happy birthday singing servers. Well worth the drive to Freehold. Highly recommend, will come again when in the area. read more

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So no liquor license so byob ; the food more than compensates; I have been fortunate enough to dine here a few times and always their food is fresh and delicious. The staff is friendly has recommendations. So come for a special occasion or make a special occasion you will not be disappointed. read more

We were a party of four visiting this restaurant last week. Ambience is nice and we were greeted nicely when we arrived. I am forced to write this review as I was shocked to see a 4.5+ rating from so many people. In short, paying the bill, I felt cheated. It is pretty expensive place for central jersey. We got two appetizers, they were ok. My daughter got crab cake ($32) and my wife and I shared glazed Salmon ($38). My younger one got homemade gnocchi ($25). How can they mess up Salmon, cooking it so dry to an extent making it tasteless. Generally my daughter loves crab cakes. She got 2 pieces of cake. She couldn't even eat half of a cake. And there was nothing to brag about the home made gnocchi. My wife asks for some sauce, preferably spicy to go with Salmon. The guy brings marinara sauce in a bowl with red pepper flakes sprinkled. Best part is that they charged us $10 for it !!!. We go out eating about twice a week, I have never been charged for some sauce on the side over decades. I WILL NOT GO BACK to this restaurant. I am sure the 4.5+ is fake in some shape or form. read more

They handle raucous, difficult parties (like ours, of 40, in mid-winter just as a COVID surge was beginning with grace, and wonderful food--from all sides of the Mediterranean (not just the greek or italian sides, like many such restaurants). read more

The first time I dined here a year or so ago I really enjoyed the food. I had the braised lamb shoulder and it was divine. Nice portion, tender, and juicy. I looked forward to having a similar experience during my last visit, but it wasn't the case. I excitedly mentioned it to the owner and when I got the menu he instead suggested the lamb shank. I specifically went for the shoulder so when the waiter took my order, I ordered it. A few moments later, I was told they had run out of the shoulder the day before, which explained why he recommended the shank earlier on. I reluctantly ordered the shank and my mother ordered the lamb tagine. The food took quite a while to get to us and when it did, we was highly disappointed. The dishes had no flavor. I've previously had tagine dishes and the lamb tagine's flavors were far far from it. The lamb shank was small and was served with mint pesto per the menu, but didn't have any of those flavors either. Didn't even have salt. The rice balls and hummus were enjoyable though. read more