Lemon Tree Casual Dining

I have been coming to Lemon Tree a few times a year since my mom moved to Lemont in 2002. I went there today since my mom is moving out of state in a few weeks and I will not be making a trip out here again. I’m not 100% sure why we keep coming here aside from having a taste for garlic butter fries and not wanting your normal fast food drive thru that this town has plenty of.
It was everything I usually expect. Poor customer service, the woman working the window didn’t even say hello just told me my total (even mcdonalds says hello). The wait was really long… like always. And I always know to put my bag on the car floor because my seat will be covered in grease by the time I get home. The «coca cola» is I believe RC. if not it’s probably a generic cola. I don’t expect much from the breaded chicken sandwhich but today was worse than I’ve ever had. I ordered a jr cheeseburger for my youngest and she ate maybe half of it. I ordered a hotdog for my oldest and she took one bite and couldn’t eat it. However, all of us ate the garlic butter fries… we usually do. I might be wrong but it tastes like fries tossed in butter flavoring (like they put on popcorn), lawrys salt and some garlic powder.
Only once out of all these years have I dined in. It smells as outdated as it looks. The older woman who usually works the front counter (I’ve done carryout to avoid long drive thru lines) has been there for at least 12 years. Sometimes she’s really nice and sometimes she’s in a bad mood and will complain in front of patrons.
1 star for garlic butter fries and being another option aside from mcdonalds.

Everything on the menu is good! We bought our house in the area almost a year ago I think that we ate there every meal until our kitchen was unpacked. The gyro is my favorite ask them to take the meat and put it on the grill it’s even better crispier!

The service and quality of food at lemon tree is hands down, the best experience you will ever have in Lemont, Il. I have been eating at the lemon tree for years and I’ve never been disappointed. The Chicago style sandwiches are authentic and the people are warm and friendly, what more could you ask for?

If I could give zero stars I would. Place is the worst service sucks takes forever to get food!

I’ll start with the negative and then to the positive. Prior to Celebrity Chef Robert Irving’s remodel, I dined here twice. Consistently the food was delicious but the service was awful! This review is for my current visit in the pat week after the remodel.
The service was not as bad, just awkward. Waiters are not properly trained, but at least he meant well!
I ordered ultimate burger. The Chef (I’m pretty sure it was the chef) served me the food. Honestly best burger I have had in a while. Perfect Char, amazing toasted pretzel bun, fresh produce, perfect cook on burger, and the killer are the sauces he has to offer! Unreal food. Also Lemon Bar was amazing! I will go back for the food… not the service!
This is my first Unilocal review so be nice all! Thanks :)

My family and I have been coming to Lemon Tree for years and they continue to have great service and delicious food. Their cheeseburgers and gyros are great! Butter-​garlic fries are a hit too, but I wish they came in a smaller size. That bag is huge! Also, their hot dogs are not served Chicago-​style, even though the picture on their menu shows otherwise. Even so, I would recommend Lemon Tree for anyone passing through the area. :)

Greasy, buttery garlic fries are really all this place has to offer. The fries are super seasoned, with a huge portion so it’s a good deal, I’d say it’s a one-​time, late-​night munchie must. You can tell they’re very unhealthy, hence why I disclaim to only eat them once. The burgers, hotdogs, milkshakes are all below average. Drive through always provides an extremely long wait regardless of how busy. Decent little place to stop in I guess.

This place needs to be remodeled bad, but the food is good. The butter garlic fries keep me coming back! I highly recommend the hot pastrami sandwich with extra meat! If you get the largest one then you can cut it in half and two people can eat! Great deal!

A classic and traditional sub, beef, burger and hot dog joint. Pretty good beefs, great hot sub sandwiches like you grew up in the city and a pretty extensive menu.
This is one if those places that represents Chicago fast food. If you are in the area you have to stop by.
Cheers.
John

After reading the reviews, I’ll have to go back for the garlic butter fries as the regular fries were the only highlight of my meal
It’s pretty much a more expensive version of Pop’s. Same 2−3oz burgers, same cut of fry, same gyros. Just take what you would spend at Pop’s (which isn’t particularly cost friendly in its own right) add on $ 3 and you have the Lemon Tree

I drive over 300 miles for their butter garlic fries. My wife and I have been coming here for many years and it is always clean and great food. Highly recommended.

Like the saying goes, «If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.»
First and foremost, to all of the 3 star and lower reviews — what were you honestly expecting? This place has been around for decades. It isn’t trying to be the next Portillo’s, it isn’t competing with McDonald’s and Burger King — it exists still because locals are loyal to it and people love it.
I’ve been coming to Lemon Tree since I was a kid, and I still love to treat myself to it once in awhile. Like everyone says, the BG fries are amazing! Definitely get them! Their shakes are delicious. The prices aren’t bad for a little mom & pop joint, and they have a nice variety of options on their menu. They also have daily specials (grilled cheese & fries, two dogs and fries, etc.).
The entire restaurant is dated, but who cares? We should always support our local mom and pop places vs. the big chains! Give this place an honest try next time you drive by and wonder what it’s all about.

GARLIC FRIES — get the large– don’t share. then if you are still hungry — order something else. Ohh — the shakes — (I personally like Strawberry) are awesome. I suggest not eating the GARLIC FRIES and shake together — enjoy them separately, seriously — if you are able to eat a whole order of GARLIC FRIES by yourself and still have functioning plumbing — please know that the shake could end that for you — especially if you are out on a date.
BTW– I was kidding about not sharing.
Most everything is good– I go for the fried shrimp when I can — and we share the garlic fries usually.
It honestly does not look like much from the outside but it is a challenge for McD or BK to make any of the food as good as they have it. Way better–

Get their garlic fries! They have good hot dogs, soups, and sandwiches. It’s a dated place but it’s still a cool place to hang out and get food!

We stopped for a quick bite to eat after work one night.
It was nothing special. I had a chicken pita. It was chicken barely cut out of its breast form. They basically put a whole breast on the pita. It’s difficult to eat. I probably won’t go back.

WOW this place sucks, rip off, you are better off going to mcdonalds, Garlic fries hahaha ummmm dont taste like garlic and they just toss something over the fries and well i wish i would over never even went into the place, my son didnt even eat his chicken fingers.

What can I say that hasn’t already been said… well, this has been said but, GARLIC FRIES.
My husband and I both grew up having family beef joints: mine, Doggie Diner in Woodridge, his, The Eagle in Downers Grove. Hey, it’s a Chicago thing.
The Lemon Tree has some great items, but a few things are lacking for me. Gyros are a little light on the meat and veggies, and the beef could be a little more substantial, but, overall, this place is legit.
Like I mentioned, the fries are on point, the subs are amazing, and the people working her are always so polite. One of my personal favorites: get a Greek salad and ask them to add gyro meat… amazing.

This is another one of those places you drive by for 25 years before finally going inside, and you only do because you like Unilocaling and promised yourself to try new places before hitting a drive-​thru.
So the place is super dated, and only clean in that there isn’t garbage strewn everywhere.
The menu is quite extensive. I tried the pork tenderloin sandwich, which is huge, and also breaded despite the menu not indicating it as such. It was pretty good.
It came with completely flavorless fries and the fountain soda had that old stale flavor that places like these often have.
My wife had a grilled cheese and cup of chili. She described it as average. I’d go so far as to say «adequate» but not really good. She said the chili was like the canned stuff they put on hot dogs. The cheese in her grilled cheese wasn’t melted.
I’d come back here, but only if someone made me.

Still one of my all time favorites. I grew near this place and as a kid would scrounge up some change with my friends and get some BG fries. I hadn’t been back to this place in over a decade and recently went back. Everything is the exact same as I remember in the early-​mid 90s, from the décor to the menu to the food.
Outside of the BG fries, I highly recommend the Reuben sub, hot.
The burgers are great, and I was always a big fan of the Gyros as well, but I haven’t had these since the 90s so I don’t know how they are now.

Came here with a group of four. My friends live in Lemont and love this place. I loved it too. It’s a pretty basic restaurant.
I would say, if you like McDonald’s, but hate yourself for not supporting the community when you go there — check out the Lemon Tree. It is basically a McDonald’s without the commercials. I think it would be really smart for every community (and America in general) to just start replacing all their McDonalds’ with restaurants just like this one. Americans love unhealthy delicious food at least once in a while. That is why McDonald’s does so well. Imagine, all the McDonald’s of America being replaced with family/​community owned restaurants. It is the key to our survival…
well…
regardless, it’s a great idea. Check out this place. It’s delicious.