I was going to write a lengthy review of Metropolitan but after going to this restaurant 5-6 times over the past few years, I have come to the same conclusion every time. Metropolitan is a good place to go for drinks and appetizers but their entrees don't deliver for the price. My favorite of the appetizers are the filet egg rolls. They're crispy and flavorful. Those beautiful fried morsels of deliciousness and the ambiance are what bring me back. If you want to go for dinner however, I would make other plans. read more

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Went there for Valentine's Dinner with my wife and son. Finding parking was a bit tough, even with the parking lot behind the restaurant. We were seated promptly. Our server was nice and friendly. We were seated at a booth, which was spacious. Unfortunately, the back of the benches seemed like there was nothing really separating you from the people behind you. So, when someone from the adjacent bench moves or leans back, you will feel it. I requested for us to be moved. Unfortunately, the place was packed and they couldn't move us to a different table. So, we just had to stick it out. Luckily, the group behind us left early. The meals, themselves, were pretty good. I had the double cooked skirt steak, my son had the salmon and my wife had the stuffed chicken breast over pasta. Worth every penny. Is the place worth going back to? Maybe... if it weren't for the seating, I would recommend the place in a heartbeat. read more

So glad we decided on Metropolitan for our first dining out experience since March. From beginning to end it was a great experience. The food, the cocktails, and the service were all wonderful. We will definitely be back soon. read more

Terrible - from the stale bread to the horrible entrees. There was no sauce on the $35 Halibut! It was dry and flavorless along with the plain rice it came with. The steak sandwich had nothing on it and that bread was stale too!! Even the kids chicken fingers were horrible. How do you screw up chicken fingers? Just a really bad dinner all around. We eat out a lot and my wife and I agreed that this was easily one of the worst in a long time. We spent $160 on Calamari (so much sweet sauce..), Halibut (see above), Steak sandwich (see above), kids chicken fingers (see above) and a Rainbow Roll (daughter said it was ok). I don't mind paying for good food but this was a complete waste of cash.. read more

Overpriced Tasteless Food We always eat out and we have been to so many restaurants. Sushi is our favorite to get at some restaurant. This is by far the worst restaurant we've ever been to. Went there for a sushi. The wasabi was so old it didn't have anymore taste to it. Mac and Cheese was extremely bland. Everything we had on our plate taste so weird. The fish is old you can tell it's side has a little discolor to it already. Will never ever ever going there read more

My daughter and I had a great experience at metropolitan cafe. The sushi was fresh, the kids menu had healthy options, and the dessert was fantastic. read more

Came here for happy hour and stayed for dinner at the bar. Happy hour was quite busy, it took a while to get drinks but it was worth the wait. Food was good, attentive service by our lovely bartender. Appetizer: Tuna tartare "nachos"... awesome. Lots of tuna I was surprised at the portion size. I would probably come back and order this at Happy Hour pricing. Main course: we had the grilled steak salad and twice cooked Cuban steak. I asked for the steak to be medium rare but it came out a little more on the rare side and it was a little chewy. They were so busy I didn't want to bother our server and wait longer for the food. Cuban steak was good too but I think that was priced a little high at $26.99 for what we got. Dessert: we had the mason jar apple pie which came with a scoop of ice cream which was good but I wouldn't order again. Will definitely be back! read more

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There was a time when this restaurant was a good and enjoyable experience. My daughter and I chose it for my wife's birthday this past Monday(Columbus day) To say we were disappointed would be an understatement, the waiter seemed annoyed with us for some reason, the food was sub par not even the salads were good, the sesame encaustic tuna had absolutely no taste and the place needs a fire overhaul inside. We will NOT be back there again read more

Your sushi was a huge disappointment last night. Your Metro roll is supposedly a "Specialty Roll" but it was so ridiculously skimpy I don't know how you were weren't embarrassed to serve it on a huge plate all by itself. It was much smaller than a traditional tuna roll or spicy tuna anywhere else and definitely not worth the price. Never going back there. read more

We wanted Brunch and didn't want to go for a full buffet. Good selection of breakfast choices. Appetizers-We ordered the homemade doughnuts. It's served with three warm sauces. The doughnuts are served hot. They are slightly crunchy, dipped in cinnamon and powdered sugar. Fantastic. The fruit platter was plentiful and very fresh. I had the breakfast platter special with home made waffle, bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs and delicious potato hash. The eggs benedict was well cooked and very tasty. A carafe of Mimosa's was $15.00. They offer a good blend of coffee to round out the meal. Next Sunday skip the diner and visit Metro in downtown Freehold. read more

Excellent service, the food and atmosphere are wonderful. A little pricey, but worth it for a nice night out with friends. I highly recommend the calamari and the dumplings. And leave room for dessert! read more

Smallest portion EVER: only 3 short rib ravioli in the entire short rib ravioli entree! I'm not usually one to complain about portion size, but a serving of 3 ravioli is laughable. They also weren't especially large ravioli. Server didn't give us a heads up. Would've ordered something extra. read more

Food was bland. Waitress Service was good. Hostess was rude and lied. Made a reservation it clearly states reservations for standard tables are inside the hostess tried to put us outside when confronted she said when you book a reservation online it's for whatever we have available. I preceded to show her the website were it clearly states standard reservations are for inside unless it specifically says outside. She then had a extremely bad attitude and said "we'll then I guess I can put you upstairs. Ok? Once was enough for me and this place. Maybe if the food wasn't BLAH AND OVER PRICED with the portions really small I could overlook the rudeness at the Door. Ow well that's one place off the list. read more

Dropped the kids off to a birthday party at Get Air, so we took the opportunity for a rare dinner with the hubby. Not from the area, so we asked some friends where to go and Metropolitan was recommended and it def didn't disappoint. Exceeded my expectations. We tried 2 appetizers - the Filet Mignon egg rolls were so tasty, I have no idea what the sauce was but it was wonderful. Then we tried the lettuces wraps - it was light and flavorful. For the entree I had the scallops that were stuffed with crab - absolutely delicious! Again the sauce was outrageous, I could of licked the plate. It was a light coconut sauce that complimented the dish but didn't take away from the delicious seafood. Everything had wonderful flavor profiles. We were too stuffed from the dinner to try dessert but I will have to make my way out again to taste other dishes and have dessert next time! read more

I had the BEST dinner at the Metro the other night. Appetizer was AMAZING - lump crabmeat on top of delicious artichokes with a fabulous sauce. Probably the single best app I've ever had! Then onto the rack of lamb. Cooked to perfection and the crust on the outside was delicious. Made for a great birthday dinner - and loved the outdoors dining! read more

OUTSTANDING REVISIT to The Metropolitan Cafe Main Street Freehold New Jersey 07728 Had the pleasure to get yet-another chance to REVISIT The Metropolitan Cafe on Main Street in the Heart of The Borough of Freehold NJ. AND, just as all of our many previous visits, we were again transported to "Palat-Heaven" with the enjoyment of Stellar-Service, Heavenly Tasting Foods and Delicious Deserts. ... never, ever, ever, has their been a disappointing meal or anything less than Stellar Service any of the many times eating at The Metropolitan Cafe on Main Street in the heart of Freehold Borough New Jersey. read more

Family and Friends love having drinks here and delicious dinner to come. We've been here before several times. The hostess is so nice and accommodating. Our waiters have been nothing but nice and professional. Food was fresh and served quickly. read more

Metropolitan Cafe - Their Artisanal Cocktails & Metro Martinis are Crazy Delish! - New American Near Me - Freehold, New Jersey

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food and service very good. I called at 3 30 and was told sushi would be available at 4 so we went- otherwise we wouldn't have gone. at 5 30 still no sushi- if I didn't call I wouldn't care but that was poor service read more

Horrible experience tonight. Sat at an incredibly uncomfortable table so close to the next where the next tables waitress ass was in my wife's face. Guy wouldn't pull his chair in to help. Food inedible. Wife did not finish inedible lobster ravioli and rare steak came out well done. Waitress really couldn't care less and told me no manager working Saturday night dinner. Never again. read more

Tuna Poke Bowl was very good. Stuffed Pinwheel Scallops were incredibly good. Short Rib "Pot Roast" was tasty, although the vegetables were a bit under cooked. French Toast Bread Pudding dessert was amazing. Nice, trendy decor -- like Tokyo meets American Craftsman. Thursday is apparently lady's night at the bar. read more

Disappointing! Fillet Mignon egg roll appetizer was very bready and not much flavor. Asian Skirt Steak was cold. The beef steak was tasty but the huge pile of flavorless noodles unappealing, bland, and cold (was afraid to send back for reheating). Had a few small pieces of CANNED pineapple on top. My two friends and 2 different seafood dishes - neither enjoyed their meal. None of us finished our dishes and declined taking home. The principle server was OK. The buser/assist server was dressed in a black hoodie, had unrefined manners, and whose broken english was had to understand. We live in Freehold but will not return and do not recommend for price, quality, or service. read more

My husband and I went out for a rare date night and we were able to get a last minute reservation to the Metropolitan Cafe. We couldn't have been more pleased! The wine was great. The food was amazing. He had the filet mignon and I had the panko chicken dish. Our server was the best! Super friendly and helpful. An all around fantastic night out! read more

I called the restaurant and asked if they have availability for three people. I was told yes and drove to the restaurant within 10 minutes. Upon arrival I was told that there were no tables available. Not sure why someone would say that to lure people in to only drive them away to write a negative post. You would think the manager would do something about it. Maybe fire the host. read more

Love this place! Yes their food is a little on the pricey side, but I've never had a bad meal here. If your a seafood lover their calamari is amazing! This is definitely one of my favorite places to go for happy hour, or just a night out with friends for dinner & drinks. On the weekends at night it turns into more of a lounge type vibe with a DJ, sooo def a good spot to check out if you wanna go out without the hassle of getting too dressed up. read more

A Haiku: Hmm, fusion cuisine? You know how I feel 'bout that. Okay, I'll try it. Hostess, miserable Tasty calamari app. The lamb? Not so much. Fusion cuisine FAIL. But I should have known better It just can't be good. No outdoor seating? But it's 70 degrees. Ok, whatever. Terrible wind gust Wish they'd do something 'bout that. Why does this place suck? Stepford wives at bar I want no part of that scene Let's never come back. read more

We wanted to have a party of 20 for a birthday on a Sunday night. They initially took the reservation without issue. Three days later received a call back that it had to be a prix fixe menu. We didn't want that because we wanted people to be able to order what they want off the menu. We offered to split it into two tables. The manager refused to accommodate us. We cancelled the reservation. A restaurant on the same street will now be having the birthday and is offering the full menu. read more

Why the low rating?? I love this place!! It's an Asian-fusion type of place, with a great sushi menu. I came here the first time with a friend a few years ago for lunch, and then again with a friend about 6 months ago. Both times the food was excellent. I've had the grilled veggie sandwich (minus the bun!) and the tuna starter as well as the tuna entree (mercury poisoning is in my future, no doubt.) Apparently this place is great for a drink or two, though I've never been later than about 3pm. Edit: I grabbed sushi and drinks with a friend last night. 2 glasses of Riesling and I was definitely NOT sober. Woopsie. Sashimi plate was phenomenal, as were the (huge) glasses of wine. read more

It seems like this place is in denial that children will visit. You're not a trendy, cool, upscale restaurant. You're a downtown freehold restaurant on the main strip with an outdoor patio. Children will be visiting!!! No changing table in the bathroom so I found myself taking off my shirt to change my daughters diaper on the ground. They didn't have booster seats. The menu was "young adult" vs. kids menu. I get it, guys, you want to cater to a different class of folks. But we are high class parents and we pay for great food and atmosphere for our children, too. My daughter actually devoured the "young adult" mac and cheese. Our waiter had a really difficult time with my not being a meat eater. What decade is this? We went back and forth about whether they could, no, whether they *should* make an appetizer vegetarian. I'm asking for it, can I please have it? After he finally agreed to put in the order, it came out delicious!!! Get with the program.... vegetarianism is not a new concept. Service was slow so I ended up needing to leave with my toddler before our entrees came. Ultimately the food was just fine. Everything else left something to be desired. read more

3.5 stars I came here on a Thursday around 6 PM for dinner. Luckily we just before the dinner rush began so we were seated quickly. I started off with their Starburst Martini which was sweet, but good. (FYI: Half off drinks for ladies on Thursdays 10 PM - 12 AM; totally would be worth it) The bread they serve is decent. For our entrees, we ordered: 1) Sage Chicken (roasted boneless chicken breast with artichoke, asparagus & cannellini bean ragout, crisp prosciutto) - It was decent. My boyfriend really liked it. 2) Another Chicken dish that I can't remember the name of. It was well cooked (tender and juicy) and the seasoning and vegetables were delicious. Definitely on the pricey side. The place overall came off to me as a wanna-be-NY-restaurant. Decor was rather plain. The portions were perfect - enough to satisfy me and left me neither starving or extremely full. I would come again for lunch just to check it out... or to the happy hour. read more

This is one of my go-to restaurants, whether for just a drink, sushi, or entire dinner. My favorite dishes have been the pasta pomodoro, the duck (sauce on the side), bread pudding, Metropolitan sushi/sashimi, Steak salad, Vegetable tower. The bread is delicious & I love that it comes with a different type of hummus spread & maple butter. Only thing... It can attract a typical Jersey Shore crowd. Which was apparent on my last Thursday night visit. Understandable, being it's Central NJ. :-) Just an observation! Get ready to see many glitter platform heels, animal print apparel, teased hair, tacky fur coats and colored/printed button downs.... eek! Haha read more

Happy Birthday to me... Due to fate, I ended up in this establishment for my birthday dinner. I had no expectation going into the restaurant. When looking at the menu, I immediately noticed that it's all over the place. You have Italian food, wannabe japanese food, wannabe chinese food, and random American dishes. Whenever a restaurant does not have a clear identity to a menu, it's never a good sign. The chef does not have a good understanding of the food and what he wants to present to his or her customers. With this, I stayed away from any Japanese food from this restaurant. It was obvious to me without even looking at the food that I am going to be disappointed with the sushi rolls. I ordered the Disco Tots. It was so salty. Gravy was glazed unevenly and I felt like it was the same sauce used on the saltibacco. The cheese... mozzarella cheese ok, but what is up with the stink? The cheese stinks sometimes, but this was beyond that normality. It felt like it had a mass parm cheese on it with the way it was smelling. Either way, it was so salty that I was gulping down water and trying to eat it with ketchup to mask the smell and the saltiness. Next I ordered the surf and turf saltibacco. It was poop. It looked like someone cooked some stuff and just plastered them on to the dish. ZERO presentation. The waiter never asked how I wanted the meat done. The lobster was old and tasted old. It also gave off a slight smell. The spinach or whatever green veggie on top was so salty. Then, the cheese on top to make it even worse. Here is the kicker, the sauce was drenched everywhere. Everything was swimming in the sauce and the sauce was salty and had no robust flavor or anything. The beef was well done and chewy. I wanted to call for the manager but I didn't want to make a scene on a birthday dinner. The dish was about 24.99 which was not worth the price. Disco tots were about 8.99 and was not worth the price. To get some saving grace, I tried the tempura roll. As expected, it was not good. The batter on the shrimp was salty that there was no need for a soy sauce. The rice was blend. These guys did not prepare the rice correctlt to accent the ingredients in the middle. The roll only had cucumber and the tempura shrimp. Really? Two ingredients and you're going to charge 10 dollars? Kids on master chef show can make better food than these chefs in the restaurant. The pricing is ridiculous in this restaurant for the poop it produces. 6.99 for a seaweed salad? Really? I saw the seaweed salad it was putting out and I was just appalled. I saw many dishes that the waiter was carrying around and none of those dishes should have costed what they cost. This restaurant is unacceptable and either should close down or must change chefs. read more

One star is not even deserved. Very disrespectful and emotionally unstable security staff. They charge different prices for the same drinks and alter credit card tips reported . And when they were questioned about it they threatened to kick us out. read more

It took me a visit for both lunch and dinner to accurately rate this place, but it's GOOD. I tend to judge my restaurants by their food first, with other things secondary. Yes, it is a restaurant, I come here to eat. And this, my friends, is where this place wins. Anything I have put in my mouth from this place was awesome. Drinks included. Oh and their happy hour prices (which actually includes Fri and Sat?) are ridiculous. Not that their drinks blow me out of the water in sophistication or anything like that, but they are damn tasty and there is a lot to choose from if you are looking for a cocktail. Jalapeno margarita for the win. It's pretty cool that they manage to have a pretty competent sushi chef in addition to a regular chef. The few rolls I tried were pretty damn good. A few negatives that prevented me from giving this place a full 5 star review: yes it is "loud" and they play weird elevator music in the background. Come with good company and don't listen to the elevator music and instead enjoy good conversation with said guest. The waitstaff is pretty slow (yes they aren't AMURRICAN as other reviewers said, but if you have any ounce of culture its really not a problem) But this problem is also solved when you have good company (see above comment). But gawd damn! Just give me some o that cheesecake, the maple bacon butter, and a jalapeno margarita and I'll be happy for the remainder of the day, probably the rest of the week actually. Yes I mentioned jalapeno margarita twice (three times?) in this review for emphasis. DRINK IT. read more

Went with a pretty big group of couples. We had so many different dishes, probably had the whole menu. Everyone liked their dishes. You name it, we probably had it. Service was really good, especially for a group of our size. Restaurant was packed and we still felt like they were paying a lot of attention to us. Price point ok to a little high. Depends on the item. My only problem - - when I sat down, the waiter immediately asked me if I wanted a drink. Can I take my coat off first. read more

Emeric, behind the bar, is the first stop when you arrive--and potentially the best reason to come to the Metropolitan Café. He is attentive and an artist with your favorite vices... Everything is delicious no matter what your palette is used to. I had the scallop pinwheel (appetizer), chicken and mushroom tortellini, and fresh baked donuts. Not a single item would I not order again. Everything, including the tasty cranberry bread, was fresh and succulent. This was my first time... And I was compelled to sing Emeric and the Metropolitan Café's praises, before I could even leave the bar. (Seriously, I'm still here.) Come check it out for yourself. read more

This nice hideout is located in downtown Freehold. I never would have thought I was going to like it so much. The lighting is dim which I really liked. Full bar, friendly staff, and prompt service. Nice spacing between tables and booths. No TVs and not an overly noisy place. Although we went there for lunch so I guess at night this could totally change. In terms of service I can't complain. Servers and hostess were attentive and prompt. A server sort of dropped in front of our table some of the food he was carrying for another table which seemed clumsy of his part because he was trying to carry too much at once. Our drinks were nice and the food was awesome. To start we had the pork dumplings. Also We had tempura and rainbow rolls which I thought were very good (I had too much wasabi and I felt my head was gonna explode). and the lobster sliders with fries (I would have liked for the lobster sliders to be served hot and not cold but that's just my opinion). For dessert we shared the sautéed cheesecake which I thought was delicious. For drinks I had two peach martinis which were decent. Not to mention the company I was in which just made the experience awesome. Overall I had a great time and I would definitely recommend it and already see myself going there again for another great time :-). read more

We had some time before our reservation at pop up Miracle Bar so we decided to eat at Metropolitan Cafe. I've been here twice before and enjoyed the experience, pre Covid times. We sat in the back of the restaurant by the sushi bar and kitchen. The sushi chef was not wearing a mask, nor was the bartender or general manager. We also noticed that our sashimi was sitting 20 minutes before being served to us. By that time 15 ppl had walked passed the sushi sitting there. There was no social distancing between tables and patrons sitting directly at bar. Not sure how NJ will ever get out of this pandemic with businesses operating with neglect of the covid restrictions. This establishment is the reason for increasing cases and a future shutdown. Sincerely a fellow industry worker. read more

I just have to say My fiancé nd I went here last night for our date night It was just amazing he had the short ribs which was out of this world I had the chicken Parma incredible Our server was amazing Over all the entire night was wonderful and it made our much needed time togeather even more wonderful Thank you metropolitan cafe for a great night read more

My friends and I decided to go to six flags and decided to find a place to eat right after. Found this cute place in a cute town and everything was delicious!!!! Went for the sushi and very fresh! The sangria was so good got a second one! I have my own restaurant in westchester NY called Magno's Grill and can be very picky but this place was outstanding. read more

I was having trouble getting a reservation until I called and spoke to the very resourceful Jules. She helped me make my dinner plans and I had a wonderful evening when I arrived. Food was just as amazing as the service. read more