Some of the best restaurants in Freehold, New Jersey, are located along Main Street in the central part of town. These eateries feature gourmet concoctions, bistro fare, sushi and Asian-inspired dishes, as well as some of central New Jersey's best thin-crust pizza.
Freehold's Metropolitan Cafe has been described as an "American bistro with Pacific rim flair," and received an Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator in 2005 and 2006. Lunch selections include sandwiches and paninis, as well as entrees such as shrimp ravioli and bronzed tuna. Dinner selections include grilled steak, chicken and pork, pasta dishes and entrees such as roast duck and miso-glazed Chilean sea bass. There is also an extensive sushi bar. The Metropolitan Cafe features several dining rooms, as well as outdoor dining spaces on a wood and brick portico. The Metropolitan's martini bar serves beer, cocktails and more than 20 different kinds of wine, and features live music Thursday through Saturday night.
Metropolitan Cafe
8 E. Main St.
Freehold, NJ 07728
732-780-9400
La Cipollina Ristorante has won praise from both the New York Times and Zagat, and the Star Ledger described the restaurant as, "a pearl in downtown Freehold." La Cipollina features a selection of price-fixed menus, which owner Anthony Braica says have not increased in price since 1998. Dinner entrees include a 12-hour roasted pork belly with cranberry risotto and sherry wine, and gulf shrimp and clams over linguini. Though La Cipollina does not serve alcohol, guests are invited to bring their own, and the restaurant does not charge a corkage fee for BYO wine.
La Cipollina Ristorante
16 A W. Main St.
Freehold, NJ 07728
732-308-3830
lacipollina.com
Frederici's is one Freehold's oldest family-run restaurants. Housed in the former Wolcott Hotel building, which was bought by the Federici family more than 80 years ago, Federici's Restaurant has been serving Italian fare in Freehold for decades. The restaurant features three dining rooms, a bar and lounge, and an outdoor dining cafe. Pizza is the specialty here, and the Federici family's thin-crust pies have won "best pizza" in central New Jersey numerous times by NJ Monthly Magazine. Appetizers, sandwiches and Northern Italian entrees such as eggplant parmigiana and veal marsala are also available.
Federici's Restaurant
14 E. Main St.
Freehold, NJ 07728
732-462-1312
federicis.com
