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    The Lemon Tree

    4.5 (75 reviews)
    ModerateCafes, Diners
    Open 10:00 am - 7:00 pm

    The Lemon Tree Photos

    THE LEMON TREE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - The Lemon Tree

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    Grilled pimento cheese and tomato basil soup!
    Herman S.

    A great experience! Great service, and an incredible deal. Lunch comes with two sides, a beverage and a dessert square. Love this place. So cute and charming. We will be back!!

    Fresh loaf sold in store. Rosemary - yum!
    Charlotte B.

    It's so easy to call The Lemon Tree charming, a gem, small town friendly - and all those things would be true. But let's talk taste - it's so good. I frequent many of the historic Wake Forest businesses but this was my first, very delayed, visit to Lemon Tree. As you walk in there's a nice open seating area that's shared with the Burger Shoppe. There are numerous lunch specials on a large chalkboard wall. I got two sliders with a choice of two sides. The pimento cheese slider was simple, gooey, crunchy deliciousness. The chicken enchilada slider sounds like something they'd serve at Chili's (no disrespect to Chili's) but it was also very good, simple with chicken tasting as described. My two sides were Italian orzo pasta and cucumber salad. The cucumber salad was refreshing, but on the bland side. The orzo was super tasty, with a little kick to it. They give you quite a generous portion for a side. They include choice of lemonade, iced tea or fruit infused water. All this was around $9.95. Great deal I think! The show stopper was the extremely adorable dessert bite included with the meal. A couple choices were lemon bar and cinnamon brownie. Since I was with my ever self sacrificing mother this day, I got to try both (thanks momma)! Oh wow...oh my goodness wow to both. Such amazing flavor, such perfection! They do sell the desserts in whole as well. They had just received a delivery of fresh rosemary bread from Breaking Bread in Louisburg and a got one. I can't wait to toast a slice!

    Main dining area
    Heather B.

    A good friend treated me to lunch here today and wow, what a great local place! I loved the simple, but very cheery decor and the two ladies working today were so very friendly (one was Heather). We ordered a salad (for my friend) and a petite for me. I chose the mushroom quiche with kale Parmesan salad and marinated tomatoes and cucumbers. The kale salad was so good! Tomato and cucumber salad was marinated but not in a sugary sweet dressing, which is how I used to make mine, but I appreciated their dressing. Onto the quiche, it was just pretty good, but I think next visit, I'll try something else. The service was great, staff was very friendly and checked on us - refilled my unsweetened tea three times! My friend, who's a regular, always orders the strawberry spinach salad and it did look so yummy. Will definitely come back again - love the casual vibe and always like to support a local business. Great job, Lemon Tree!

    Spinach and feta quiche
    Tammy A.

    My favorite part was the broccoli salad, surprisingly, sweet. Few gluten-free options, but what they had was delicious.

    LeAnne W.

    Simple and delicious food. The Lemin Tree is a wonderful spot for lunch. They have a variety of fresh salads, sandwiches, and soups. I have yet to have anything that was not delicious. The pimento cheese and chicken salad are extremely yummy. The people working there are helpful and friendly. They also will prepare your food to go!

    Menu board
    TJ L.

    Loved this little gem. Simple and tasty menu of sliders, salads and sandwiches. For about $8, I opted for the roasted veggie quiche with 2 sides of coleslaw and pasta salad and a chocolate chip dessert bite. All you need to carry you through the day. Inviting interior and very pleasant service on a busy Saturday. As Ahhnold said, 'I'll be Bach.'

    Lunch specials

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    2 years ago

    Awesome selection of food, even from the grab n go refrigerators! They offer meal preps to go as well for pre orders.

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    4 years ago

    Fabulous lunch. Great value for the meal. Highly recommend this restaurant. Heather was wonderful and made our dining experience special.

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    Sugar Magnolia Cafe

    Sugar Magnolia Cafe

    4.1
    (92 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    I had such a wonderful experience at this tea café! Scheduling the tea party was incredibly easy. I…read morereached out via email and received a quick response, along with a list of sandwich options and the opportunity to share any dietary restrictions, which was a great touch. When we arrived, we were seated right away and asked to choose our tea flavor. I loved that each person gets their own full pot of tea. It made the experience feel extra special. The food was absolutely delicious! We started with a fresh salad, followed by a beautiful three tier tray filled with sandwiches and desserts. From the scones to the bonbons and mini cakes, everything was flavorful and thoughtfully prepared. The staff were incredibly attentive and made sure we had everything we needed throughout our visit. It truly felt like a full experience, not just a meal. If you are looking for something fun and a little different, I highly recommend trying the tea experience. And if that is not your thing, they also operate as a café where you can stop in and enjoy a treat without committing to the full tea service. Either way, it is definitely worth a visit!

    Met my friends fo an afternoon tea. WHAT AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE!! The staff were very personable…read moreand friendly. Service was impeccable. Food was delicious. Chicken salad on a croissant was absolutely delicious. Ample street and lot parking near by. This restaurant was so quaint, cute and uniquely decorated. Definitely returning!

    Photos
    Sugar Magnolia Cafe
    Bruscetta
    Bruscetta
    Sugar Magnolia Cafe

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    White Story Cafe

    White Story Cafe

    4.6
    (25 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$

    Vlad here with another downtown Wake Forest eatery review!…read more White Story Cafe is on the corner of South White & East Wait Streets, sharing a bright, airy space with The Burger Shop, a separate eatery I will review in coming weeks. (For those of you familiar with the area, another eatery called The Lemon Tree used to occupy this space.) Women-owned, White Story offers fresh takes on standard cafe items - paninis, sandwiches, salad, soups and a variety of breakfast options. (See menu pics for more details and pricing). In the very relaxing ambience with bright and cozy seating, we enjoyed excellent service from Apple, one of the owners. Paul and I both had the Morning Waffle Special: a tender tasty waffle with a deliciously crispy crust, topped with a fresh egg as you like it, crispy smoked bacon and fresh avocado slices - let's just say both our plates were clean! The sweet Thai tea was fresh and paired perfectly with our meals. The hours are varied, check the website (or menu pic) and prepare to enjoy light and refreshing fare in a welcoming space - leisurely catching up with friends over the fresh-baked treats and coffee or noshing with a current read. Y'all know me now - I like the smaller, intimate places off the beaten path yet close to everything - this place is a gem for you to try!

    Great addition to downtown Wake Forest food scene…read more This spot shares dining space with the Burger Shoppe on S. White St. Order at the counter, the food is served to your table. It's a fairly extensive menu for breakfast. Time from order to service about 10 minutes. Food is good! Tried chicken and waffle. It's a plate-sized waffle, freshly made, topped with breaded chicken. Chicken is tender but a little dry. Nothing that a nice helping of maple syrup didn't fix. Also tried the morning waffle special. This is a waffle, topped with an egg, bacon and avocado slices. Served piping hot, freshly cooked and a sizable portion. Always good to have more quality dining choices in town. I'll be back!

    Photos
    White Story Cafe
    Side of bacon
    Side of bacon
    Turkey veggie omelet with hash browns and toast

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    Turkey veggie omelet with hash browns and toast
    Summer Moon Coffee

    Summer Moon Coffee

    4.4
    (60 reviews)
    2.2 mi

    Service was great! The coffee was so delicious! The cafe was welcoming and great for a friend…read morehangout

    I wanted to love you so bad!!! The name alone is nostalgic. Not a good first experience. Let me…read moregive you the good news first. Plenty of parking. Nice ambiance and new store smell. Clean and plenty of great seating. Nice decor and friendly staff who were willing to explain all the "moon" language to me. There you have it. Notice I didn't mention coffee. The bad news. If you're a newbie, the menu is very confusing and you have to ask a lot of questions about the names of the drinks. " half moon, quarter moon" etc. I spent 7 minutes asking questions and letting everyone go ahead of me because I didn't understand the drinks. The server was very patient and tried to explain it all to me. The moon is a play on milk, but it is confusing as to what you are getting. Maybe a description under the name would help. Next they had the highest calorie drinks I've ever seen in a coffee shop. I mean everything was about 500+ calories. Of course you can adjust. For taste but calorie counts were super high imo. Next the coffee was just not good. I ordered a toasted s'mores latte. (Sounds delicious right? Well it tasted like chocolate milk. That's it. No notes of coffee or marshmallow. And the ice melted before I got home (25 minutes). My niece enjoyed her drink (strawberry latte, I believe) but she said she didn't taste much strawberry and again the coffee was weak. For $7 and $8 coffee houses have to do better. I expect to taste coffee in a coffee drink. I'll give it one more try if I'm in the area because baristas matter. But if a second time is a no go, then I won't return.

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    Instagram/TikTok: @raleating
    Instagram/TikTok: @raleating
    Espresso Milkshake
    Espresso Milkshake
    Summer Moon Coffee

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    Metro Diner

    Metro Diner

    4.3
    (956 reviews)
    9.6 mi
    $$

    Y'all, why has it been so long since I've eaten here? I've been wanting fried chicken (yeah, I…read morecould cook it, but so much work), and then my daughter made herself a waffle the other night...........so I HAD to go. We got there around noon, and it was popping. I mean, it's a Wednesday and very busy, but no wait. We each got the chicken and waffles. My daughter had asked if they would give her regular butter, since she's not a fan of strawberries.............but she enjoyed the strawberry butter very much. I'm sure we could have split it, but nope, we each got it. Half a chicken, cut into the individual pieces, and that huge, fluffy, flavorful waffle with that nice scoop of strawberry butter. We brought our limited leftovers home, yes, we mostly ate our food. For a place with a pretty extensive, but not huge, menu, it is good. The chicken and waffles though are awesome. Our server was Jonny, and he was fast, efficient and pleasant. We hope to visit again soon, very soon.

    The Metro Diner is always busy, so I did expect a little bit of a wait. I was told 20-25 minutes…read moreand waited that long outside. Then, I moved inside to see what the delay was, and the host tried to seat me at the counter. Really? I'd been waiting 30 minutes, and you won't seat me at the empty table. So I declined and said I'd wait for my table. I never got a notice on my phone either, so what was the point of that system if you need to be inside the small waiting area to be called? I could see the open table, but I was not seated for another ten minutes. They didn't want me at the big table. Then it was interesting to watch all the staff walk by and ask who had my table. How do they not know which tables each person has? Someone eventually came by, asked if I'd been helped, and took my drink and food orders, since I'd been waiting quite a while. I ordered a half-and-half tea. I'm not sure she knew what that was, as she kept saying "unsweet". The first tea was half-and-half, but the refill was unsweetened. I went with the chicken pot pie, as that is what caught my eye. I expected a delicious dish, but what I received was disappointing. The ratio of the chicken, gravy and veggies was way off. I'd say there was enough low-quality processed chicken for three to four people, a little gravy and even less veggies. I had a bowl of processed chicken cubes with a splash of sauce, not what I had in mind. I usually skip the pastry part, but I ate that as I needed something other than chicken. I left some of the chicken in the dish. The waitress didn't even offer me a to-go box. It was that bad that I wouldn't eat it anyway. My check was brought out soon after I got my food. I don't understand the rush, but bringing the check early won't get me out any faster and lowers your tip. This was just a really bad experience, and I don't see myself returning. I have liked the food in the past.

    Photos
    Metro Diner
    Metro Diner
    Metro Diner

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    The Lemon Tree - cafes - Updated June 2026

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