When my boyfriend and I decided to try out Marmara we weren't expecting anything as great as it was... It's in a fricking mall! We've been there once every week for the last month...... I've enjoyed the Branzini very much ( fillet it to avoid bones) Their balloon bread is amazing with the Tapenade they serve. We always get their hummus. And their grape leaves. The Shephards salad which Is mostly tomato &cucumbers w a flavorful dressing (we put on side) .. there's just something about using their balloon bread to scoop up your salad and dips... Yep, we always get a second order of the bread... It's very light and thin and doesn't feel as gluttonous. Everybody is very courteous... It's like going to a restaurant in the city... A belly like dancer surprised us on a Friday night which was fun. I don't really wanna recommend this too much because I don't want it to get so busy that I can't get in when I want to lol but seriously it's a really great experience. They do have wine, but we bring our own and they are happy to fill a glass! Enjoy read more

The food is delicious, 10/10. I've been here about 5 times and have never had a bad meal The service on the other hand is very slow. Consistently. It takes about 30 minutes to get your food and even longer to get a check after the fact. Which is crazy because my table was only one out of 3 other tables in the restaurant. A 20% tip is automatically applied to your bill, and then still asked if you want to tip ON TOP OF THE FACT so pay attention to your bill! Part of me thinks the reason the service isn't as good is because they know they're automatically getting that tip, but another part of me hopes that isn't the case. Ambiance is nice, very beautiful and great place for pictures. read more

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If you're at the Freehold Raceway Mall and craving Mediterranean food -- you have to check out Marmara Mediterranean Restaurant! It's on the first floor, under the carousel and across from Old Navy. The space is beautiful and super spacious -- perfect for a date night, family dinner, or even a group celebration. We started with their cold mixed appetizer -- a mix of different dips like hummus, babagaboush, pink sultan dip, etc. -- creamy, fresh, and full of fun new flavors. Then we tried something a little different -- calf liver. I surprised myself with this one. But I felt like it was good to try something different and out of my comfort zone. It was cooked perfectly and seasoned just right. The mixed grill kebab was a highlight full of different chicken and lamb -- juicy, smoky, and loaded with flavor. Perfect to order as a singular portion, or for a table full. If you love seafood, the branzino is a must-try -- crispy on the outside, tender and flaky inside. Of course, we ended with their baklava, buttery, flaky, and just the right amount of sweetness. If you visit on a Friday night, they have live belly dancing which I bet is a fun, lively time! Service was fantastic and very prompt. Our table was always cleared and we received very professional and friendly service. read more

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Food, service, beverages. Everything was excellent and delicious. When asked about certain plates, our server explained everything. I have a garlic allergy and special accommodations were made for the meal I chose. The chef took special care and prepared everything exceptionally. read more

I stopped in this restaurant to get appetizers and when I arrived I parked in the mall lot. I walked into a really nice restaurant! I was greeted and sat and served by the manager and he was nice. I ordered: Lemonade Mixed Appetizers (Hummus, Babaganaush, Pink Sultan, Marmara, Spicy Ezme, Labne) Bread with Oil Red Lentil Soup Calamari Kibbeh Tea The food was great! I really loved the Lentil Soup and the Kibbeh the most! All in all a good experience! read more

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Pretty nice place, even though it have a mall entrance the ambiance was pretty good and quiet. Service was good with the only complaint was between appetizer and entrees was a huge waiting time..+30min. I find the place a bit pricey but food was good read more

We took my sister out for her birthday lunch here. It's located near the carousel at the Freehold mall. First impression of this place was how lovely the decor was. Our waiter was super attentive and nice. We ordered the sampler and it came with this delicious fluffy pita. We also got the short ribs and a great bottle of wine. read more

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Excellent food with very generous portions. Our waiter was wonderful and very helpful in suggesting Turkish dishes and desserts. Highly recommend this restaurant! read more

This place is 10/10. First of all, does not at all feel like a "mall restaurant". Went mid week to grab lunch with some friends- service was great and fast; restaurant was mostly empty with some nice music playing. We shared the hummus which was perfectly delicious and the Greek salad which was standard but also great. For my main I had the special salmon which came with a very generous portion of eggplant. The eggplant added a nice smoky flavor to the dish and salmon was perfectly cooked, juicy and not a single bone in sight. Ended the meal with some Turkish tea. Would definitely come back for lunch or dinner because the food quality was exceptional. read more

Marmara Mediterranean Cuisine - Marmara Salmon Special - Mediterranean Near Me - Freehold, New Jersey

After a day of shopping at the freehold mall we were soo hungry.. and I usually dont like eating at places In rhe mall cause they' can be typically low quality and bad service This is a jewel. when you enter the decorations and mood takes you to a chic and fashionable restaurant -- the staff were friendly and kind and plenty of spaces to take photos for that intragrammable photos and TikTok videos. We had the hummus with puffy bread, red lentil soup the filet mignon with mushroom sauce and sautéed vegetables.. all three were irresistible. Supple and flavorful... I was yumming, and moaning -- appropriately so with each bite read more

Marmara Mediterranean Cuisine - Angel wings inside - Mediterranean Near Me - Freehold, New Jersey

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The food, service, and ambiance were wonderful. They offer a lunch and dinner menu. What a nice place to sit down and relax instead of being in a crowded food court at the mall. The complimentary pita bread was delicious and toddler approved. The lamb and chicken was juicy, tender, full of flavor but not over seasoned. The food seemed to be healthy but still better than other options at the mall. I look forward to going back. Recommend trying. read more

Marmara Mediterranean Cuisine - Mediterranean Near Me - Freehold, New Jersey

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The food was awful. It caused major stomach issues for days afterward. I had high hopes for this place decor was lovely and the staff were pleasant. read more

Nice environment and Ecem was very attentive. Food was great with large portions. They don't seem to serve alcohol but it looks like you can byo read more

The place looks amazing love the decor. And the servers were excellent then came the bread before the meal all puffed up and delicious wow. The food was awesome will be back read more

A fantastic addition to Freehold Raceway mall, this wonderful restaurant is a gem and serves fantastic food in a wonderful, fun atmosphere! The bread will blow you away. See my pictures! They serve bread, courtesy with dipping sauces, and from here on you'll fall in love with the place! Unlike anywhere else I've ever gone to. You really can't go wrong here you could get a Gyro, chicken or beef kebab, the food is just so moist and succulent! We really loved it and a bed back a few times Their carrot appetizer by the way I fell in love with, and it's a must order! Trust me on this one folks make sure you get it! You're gonna love the inside of this place so festive and fun with really probably the best service I've had in a very long time! Highly recommended make sure you get there soon! read more

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To start we had bread, which was good. Also, baba ghanoush, which was also good. Then the fried calamari served with tartar sauce, which was not that good, kinda mushy. For our mains we had Pide flatbread with chopped Filet Mignon. It's almost like a pizza. We enjoyed it. Also, garlic butter shrimp, which was very good. It was Sunday evening, so it was Jazz Night. Bunch of young guys, who were surprisingly good. The music was not intrusive, sought of background music, but better that that. They played Beatles, Billy Joel, and some grunge tunes, all instrumentals and nice. The service was very good and they were very accommodating regarding my wife's allergy. I will be back. read more

We got the lamb Adana kebab and the mixed appetizer. Kebab was so good I forgot to take a photo. One of the most flavorful meals I've had and I'd definitely recommend. Definitely get the mixed appetizer. The portions are pretty big so you don't necessarily need one dish per person either. The only thing is that it's in a mall which really didn't match the atmosphere of the restaurant. Maybe it would be better at night? Service was quick and the server friendly and professional. A real charmer. read more

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We went on a slow afternoon and had Chicken Shish Kabab & Gyro Pide Special - both were amazing. We couldn't believe that a gyro & a kabab could be elevated to the level this chef took them to - really outstanding. The prices are a bit on the high side but the portions were huge, so we took home what we didnt finish. This made for a real nice left-over meal at home a few days later - so two meals each for the price of one! Service was good and friendly and the overall feel for the place was very inviting. Can't wait to go again. read more

Ambiance was great. So much that I forgot this restaurant was in a mall. Service was amazing! I ordered the Chicken Chops that came with rice and salad. The flavor of the chicken was delicious. We also ordered the hummus and that was tasty with the bread that they serve at every table. Highly recommend. read more

Marmara Mediterranean Cuisine - Chicken Chops - Mediterranean Near Me - Freehold, New Jersey

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Dinner and a Show From the moment you walk in you do not feel like you're at the Freehold Raceway Mall. We were seated at 6pm and from what I read, service was an issue, this wasn't our experience but we watched the seats fill up and when we left around 7:30pm the restaurant was not at capacity. Visually the restaurant has an upscale feel from the silverware, stemware and great lighting to the waiters who were all so pleasant and attentive. At Marmar everything is a la carte. They served us beautiful puff bread (unlimited) with olive oil and olives. We ordered baba ghanoush for an appetizer and a lamb shank and mixed kebabos for the two of us. The kebabos could easily be shared for two and I did have to ask for some sauces to balance some of the meats so when you order just tell the server to bring out hot sauce and white sauce when placing your order. We also ordered a bottle of wine which was reasonably priced at $28.00. Everything was so flavorful but they should try to up their food presentation as well. In my opinion, what could improve their rating- get rid of the 2ply DISPOSABLE dinner napkins and give the patrons some linens. Little pet peeve when you're really enjoying everything and reach for your napkin and it's tearing apart! We couldn't even pick up the napkin to twirl around when the belly dancer came around!! Overall though it was a fun Friday night out and although the presentation and napkins fell short for me, I had to check my YELP self because we were still at the mall... Great place! I will definitely be back... read more

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Wow, what a great find. We had hummus app, Lamb Sheesh and Chicken Sheesh kebab platters. Everything on plate was bursting with flavor and cooked perfectly.We finished with tea and Kadayif over ice cream, perfect. Will be back. read more

Tried this place on a Sunday evening and was seated without a wait. Place inside is very beautiful you completely forget it was once a Ruby Tuesdays. Food was great too. I got the chicken kebab that was seasoned perfectly and came with two side sauces. Enjoyed a bottle of wine that they poured for us and placed in an ice bucket without even having to ask. Ended the meal with a few deserts including the kunefe (highly recommended if you've never tried) which was laced with pistachios. Hope this place is here to stay! I'd also recommend coming for birthdays/celebrations. read more

Marmara Mediterranean Cuisine - KUNEFE Half eaten - Mediterranean Near Me - Freehold, New Jersey

Middle sized place inside of Freehold mall right underneath the food court, where the Ruby Tuesday used to be. Went with 3 others on a Tuesday evening at 530pm, got in no problem. I'm not a huge Turkish / Mediterranean cuisine fan but we started with the Mixed Appetizers and all of the spreads were good (paired with a poopy bread with sesame seeds). I was skeptical when I saw the price but the portion sizes were very generous. I got the chicken shish kebab and it came with ~10 large chunks of well seasoned chicken (think it was white meat, little overcooked in my opinion), side salad, rice pilaf, and some thin bread (not sure what it's called but it's like a very thin naan). Two others in my party got the mix grill kebab for two and it was a huge serving size with lots of meat, rice, the not-naan, and two side salads. They were happy with all the food and you'll most likely have enough for a decent leftover serving. It was kind of slow in there and the service was a little spotty, but I'm not sure if that was just because they wanted to give us space and let us enjoy our meal. But when the servers did come, they were very attentive and were awesome. I'm visiting my family from Boston and my fiance loves this kind of cuisine so we will definitely come back the next time we visit! read more

Marmara Mediterranean Cuisine - Mix grill kebab for 2 - Mediterranean Near Me - Freehold, New Jersey

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What a great spot we now have so close to home now. We had such a great experience with family who was here from Egypt. We all shared so many dishes and they were all wonderful. We got the dips to share with chips and pita and each dip was surprisingly delicious in their own way. We also had the falafel which was very good. For dinner we had the chicken Adana, the mixed grill of meats and another one that had kofta. The meat was Perfect and so tender and delicous. For dessert we had the house made Kunefe and our Wonderful server Irfan added some delicous Turkish ice cream to top it off. And it was Wow! It's a must try! They also had a belly dancer to top off the evening. All in all this place was wonderful and we will be back to try more. The ambiance is very nice as well. I hope they continue to be great and consistent :) read more

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Amazing food and service. Very attentive staff, great atmosphere, perfect choice for us. We'll done.

I finally got to go yesterday. What a GREAT place! The service was undeniably awesome! I got the grilled salmon for about $36 including tip and taxes, and it was SO GOOD! Pita bread with grilled veggies draped in olive oil, it was SO RICH. The setup of the restaurant is great, too. Unfortunately, they'd had a bit of a water problem yesterday, so were under some pressure, but still did well. Zeki was cool enough to answer my call and accommodate for me last minute, and Polat was a really good waiter as well. read more

I received a gift certificate from my son. My wife and I went New Year Day 2026. Food was amazing..... highly recommend. We will be returning, guaranteed. read more

The food is good but the service was atrocious. Had to ask for water, sauces etc.. several times. Once is bad enough but to ask multiple times. The restaurant was only a quarter full on Christmas Day. I have celiac, I explained, no rice and no pita... what was brought... rice with pita on the plate‍. This was our third time here and the last time. I would've left no tip, but we left a 15% and that was a lot for lack of service. Save yourself the trip and go elsewhere. read more

Definitely go I think the best food is in New jersey !!! service is good and people are hospitable Everyone must try !! read more

The food is incredible. Very fresh . From the appetizer to our entrees delicious. The service was excellent. They gave us a free dessert and Turkish tea. The homemade cold baklava was out of this world . The restaurant is very nicely decorated and sitting is very comfortable. From the hostess to the management very professional and the chef is very talented. Great place ! read more

Hmmm the reviews here are looking kind of sus lol. I'm still sat here hangry in the restaurant waiting for my appetizer and entreé. It's been a solid 45 minutes now. Marmara has replaced the Ruby Tuesday's in Freehold Raceway mall. Ambiance is cute (I guess) and reminds me of a luxury apartment lounge. Service is slower than your grandma...no offense to your grandma. Update: 5 minutes after I typed the above, our food arrived. It was certainly NOT worth the long wait. Both the lamb shank and falafel were dry and lacking flavor. Even the hummus on the falafel plate was dry. The only thing we loved was the complimentary pita bread and olive oil. Thumbs down for Marmara *blows raspberry* read more

I ordered a gyro yesterday . it was terrible. it was in a wrap, not a pita. the meat was dry and tasteless. the usual vegetables were not in the wrap. it only had carrots and lettuce. the tzatziki sauce was watery. After a few bites I threw it out. The man at the hostess area was also very gruff read more

Made a reservation for four on a Saturday night at 7pm. We were seated right away but no one came to our table for awhile. When they did, we ordered all of our food and then we're promptly presented with water and their bread. We were refilled with bread 3x during our visit but not once for the water. After we got our food, we demolished everything but weren't checked up on. We liked that the food was very fresh tasting and not salty. Our favorite was the whole branzino and the grape leaves. They also offered complimentary tea at the end. It's a great new restaurant, though oddly in the mall, but I wish the service were a tad more attentive. read more

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You wouldn't expect a place like this at a mall. But yet here it is. And it was surprisingly excellent. Service and attention from the staff was excellent. Unlike many other places in the area. The restaurant has an elegant setting. Waiting staff well dressed and always making sure things are good. We ordered the lamb shank and lamb lokum were exquisitely made. Cooked to our preference temperature the lamb was very tender with a great aroma and texture. The Mediterranean spices was just enough to make these two dishes a must have. We paired this with a Pinot noir which was excellent. All dishes were recommended by our server Zeki K and he was spot on. For dessert the Kunefe was interestingly delicious. . Enough for 4-6 people. The cold Baklava was also delicious. This restaurant offers a unique delicious taste, superb service and a great setting. A repeat for sure. read more

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Absolutely loved this place, never felt so inclined to write a Yelp review. This place is relatively new and deserves a chance My wife and I came in at 3pm on a Tuesday (because another restaurant closed during that time .. which we were surprised to find out). And we decided to give Marmara a try So happy we did!! We started with the humus and babaganoush, I asked for "no additional oil" .. because I'm watching my figure =) The servers were very accommodating and the appetizers came out quickly Both were fresh and delicious, LOVED the seasoning they used to top both of them, and my wife loved the Doritos-like chips that came in them (she asked for more and they gave us a bunch!) The BREAD! It's this airy and crispy , big ... kind of pocket of goodness. You can break it a part into almost a thin cracker type piece and then get all up in that humus or babaganoush ... was such a great start to our meal ..and our servers offered an additional appetizer bread (again, super accommodating). I, of course, couldn't say no. Definitely my favorite appetizer bread that I've had For entrees, which did take some time to come out. I got the chicken shish kebab, it was tasty and the chicken had a nice crust to it (I used some of the leftover bread and hummus to make some great "sandwiches"). My wife got the short ribs which were falling off the bone and cooked to perfection. A generous portion for the price for short ribs They gave us complimentary Turkish tea which was a nice touch Overall, loved our first experience here! Will definitely be back and going to add this restaurant to our rotation of staple restaurants Feedback I have for the restaurant: would love some authentic Mediterranean music read more

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1st time here and will definitely return. All the dishes were delicious and fresh. Ambiance is beautiful and the service was great. read more

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Lahmacun was very crispy Meze samples are great for starting! Servers are so nice and experienced! Manager Eren was so attentive to our dining experience. Ambiance is beautiful. All our family member had a nice dinner experiences.Chef Metin attended to our table and served kunefe with ice cream that was the most delicious kunefe we ever had! Don't forget to try special kunefe. read more

Marmara Mediterranean Cuisine - Mediterranean Near Me - Freehold, New Jersey

I have eaten here twice for lunch and had had previously a very good experience. The food was delicious even though I was usually the only person in the restaurant. I decided to again go for my yummy lamb pita it was 1245 on a Friday I walk in and the owner is at a table with some friends again no one else is eating in the restaurant whatsoever. It's completely dead. I ask him to make sure that the lunch menu is still available. He shows it to me. I said great. It still has my pita on there and it's only $11.95. What a deal I tell the owner I would love to sit down he said great, but I must tell you if you want pita you have to get it to go. We only allow the platter to be ordered for lunch from the lunch menu to eat and sit down. I made him repeat himself because I was a little confused. You have an empty restaurant. No one's eating there I'm here to have lunch but now your lunch menu will only allow me to have the $15.99 platter and I can't have my normal pita sandwich. Shame on you and shame on your restaurant. I truly don't understand how you're in a mall and you're gonna turn away business when you're an empty restaurant I will never be back not like it matters. I'm sure my $11.95. Pita didn't matter to you. read more

Don't let the location fool you, Marmara is located in Freehold Raceway Mall and what a great escape. Exceptional service with great decor, Marmara knows how to put its best foot forward presenting a great selection of Turkish food. Restaurant can hold parties up to 20 with no issues. Complimentary bread with black olives immersed in olive oil was enjoyable. Babaganoush, grape leaves and hummus were ordered to be paired with the bread. Would absolutely order the babaganoush and grape leaves again. Enjoyed the mati and lamb kebabs, which were thoroughly enjoyed. Portion was enough to take some home. We finished the meal with kunefe and complimentary tea. What a way to finish a great meal. My leftovers were put in a reusable bag which I appreciated. Recommend Marmara if you're in the Freehold area and want a great culinary experience. read more

Lamb dishes are delicious. We also love the balloon bread. Staff was courteous and very friendly. We have been here several times.