Capers & Lemons Restaurant

If you enjoy sloppy seconds…
My mom and I arrived on Sat Vday weekend to an estimated 45 min wait-​ok that’s what bars are for. 55 minutes later I was on my second «Lemon» a delicious tart martini w the perfect touch of sweet from the simple syrup. The bar also served complimentary homemade black pepper potato chips which helped our bellies get through the wait. The drink and bar earned their 2^nd star.
Our table was dead center in a tiny room with two other small tables. There was also a large table in back complete with a gaggle of gigglers that must have hit the happy juice hard.
We started w/​an eggless Caesar which was overly oily and skimpy for the $ 9 price. My mom ordered the short rib as her main based on the bartenders suggestion and I went with chicken Romagnola w/​the addition of onion.
About five minutes after our salad a food runner came out w two dishes and he walked them back to the large party. I thought it odd he only had two dishes and when I heard him say w/​red onion I knew it was probably my food; however the people accepted the food.
Five minutes after that the runner returned back to the room and asked us what we ordered. At that point he scooped the food up from the big table circled out and back in the room (yes I saw you) and tried to present the cold contaminated food down in front of us.
Near tears and shaking from this complete disregard we asked the food be removed and a manager sent over.
Alan the manager kneels down at our table apologizing for a food delay (ummm not what happened at all). He seemed unconcerned by the food health safety issues and told us he would send antipasta out for the inconvenience. The mozzarella was rubbery and the red bell peppers slimy and neither of us eat prosciutto.
We ended up only taking a few bites of food. My pasta tasted and looked bland and rushed and my mom’s short rib was fatty and later fed to the dogs.
Servesafe this restaurant is not. I won’t return. I would not recommend it… unless you enjoy cold sloppy seconds!

WOW!!! Never again.. . went there for dinner. Waited 1 hour to be seated in a drafty table area and then proceeded to wait another 15 minutes for the server to take our order. Ordered dinner. Sat and waited again for another 20 minutes. Here is the clincher.. . table behind had 8 people seated.. . the server then took 2 dinners over to them. We knew these were probably our dinners. A few minutes later, (after the dinners had sat at their table), the server then went back to their table, picked up the two dinners and proceeded to explain they were for our table. He made a quick trip away from our area then came back with the same two plates! I immediately said this is unacceptable.. and he said, well the people hadn’t touch the plates??? How would I know any difference. REALLY!!! Then, I had to request the manager, who came over and apologized but didn’t offer any adjustment on this except for a nasty anti pasta plate which we didn’t like or eat. Normally, in a situation like this, when the restaurant makes a mistake of this type, the check would be adjusted. . but not here. This type of mistake is actually a major error for a restaurant.. . so never again.

Typically my family enjoys this Resturant, today is was average. The bread was hard and tasted stake, the grilled artichokes were cold and over charred and the chicken Marsala was overcooked, and way too dry to eat, but we were charged for every bit of it even after commenting that my main dish was too dry /​overcooked to finish. Unfortunately not a great or even good experience today.

Horrible they are spreading the norovirus!!! Stay away!!! Last week I went to lunch there and I got violently sick from a salad. My 2 friends also were sick who ate with me. When I called to complain the manager was rude. They mentioned one of their chefs had been sick with a virus. Clearly they do not understand how to keep the kitchen clean or make sure their staff is not sick. At first I thought it was food poisoning, but then after getting sick I knew this was a virus. If anyone else has been sick please comment. They should not be able to get away with affecting so many people. I have always enjoyed the food at Capers & Lemons, but after this experience I am very upset. I am also upset management is not doing anything to accommodate the customers who were sick.

Food was sloppily prepared, generally I’m pretty laid back with how my food comes out of the kitchen at other places but I was here with one of my Army buddies but I was incredibly disgusted with the food. For a place that’s gets a ⁴⁄₅ star rating, they should probably do something about the chefs that work in the kitchen. Also while I was eating, whatever I could stomach since the food was well undercooked, I heard banter and rather inappropriate language coming from the kitchen occasionally. I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone who has any kind of standards of a restaurant in the future. Wait staff was good, everything but the food and the occasional jerking off that happened in the kitchen is my issue. If I’m paying to eat somewhere I don’t want to hear random cursing and have my food just about walk off the plate.

Wow, who even knew that this place was hidden in the old Hercules corporate park?
Came in right after the New Year with family for a nice Saturday dinner, and of course, the place was bustling. The hostesses are friendly and showed us to our table immediately (had a reservation, of course). The small but sufficient bar was also packed with people drinking/​dining/​waiting, which is always a good sign. I’d say the décor is straightforward modern with a subtle hint of rustic elegance … if that makes any sense. Nothing necessarily «Italian», and that’s OK.
Our server was quick to greet us and introduce himself and the menu to us. The menu, while somewhat large, is just the right size to accommodate most palates, with everything from meaty, Italian standbys to handmade pastas, to fresh salad options. I’ve also got to say that the rosemary focaccia with the seasoned oil is outstanding.
We started out with the house calamari (of course), and it’s one of the better calamari interpretations that I’ve had, ever. The squid itself is tender and breaded in a light batter — this in itself is a feat, since most places are rubber bullets covered in a thick breading. The accompanying marinara sauce and aioli do well to accentuate the tenderness of the dish.
I opted for the papparadelle with pork ragu as my main. The pasta was a bit thin for my preference, but it was substantial enough to hold up to the thick pork sauce. I do think it could be a bit thicker to give a better bite, just my thought. The portion size is also definitely enough for most of the population out there — you’ll feel full after this dish.
Others opted for the duck mezzaluna, cioppino linguine, and cannelloni — all of which were met with enthusiasm. The mezzaluna had a slightly sweet butter sauce, the cioppino was full of fresh seafood, and the cannelloni was cooked well through.
Overall, this is a great and recommended option for anyone in the area looking for a nicer and more inspired Italian experience. Doesn’t hurt that the staff is wonderful as well.

5 stars! The Braised Short rib with carrots potatoes and onions was one of the most delicious meals I’ve ever had the pleasure of putting inside my body. Service was excellent also. Being naïve, I read that the restaurant was open until 1 but didn’t realize the kitchen closed at 10 and I arrived at 9:45. However my waitress was beyond kind about it and was truly delightful. I would recommend this place to anybody as long as they’re a fan of delicious food, wonderful service, and elegant atmospheres.

Love this place. Great food! You cannot go wrong with anything on the menu. My only issue is it is rather pricey so be prepared.

Love this place. We consistently get great food and service here. They have a great wine selection as well. The short rib dish is amazing and all of the pasta dishes are delicious. It is small and cozy but you can normally get a table with out much wait. They bar area is nice and bartenders are attentive. Always a good, friendly crowd.

Went to Capers & Lemons for the first time with colleagues on a Friday. This place was packed, but we were seated and had our drink orders taken right away. The service was exceptional; not only was it quick, but the waitstaff was very attentive despite the number of patrons dining here for lunch. I had the soppressata pizza and the tomato salad, both of which were delicious. The pizza was perfect… crispy crust and great Italian seasoning. I would definitely go back to try more of these wood-​oven pizzas, not to mention all the pasta entrees I saw coming from the kitchen that I would have loved to try as well.

Great food, great service, the only thing I didn’t like was that somehow this non-​chain restaurant managed to feel like a chain place. I guess the large size, suburban mall location and overly curated décor contributed to that feeling. All that said, I would definitely go back because the food and service were so good.

First time visit on a Saturday night. I was very impressed with the décor when I first walked in the front door. My boyfriend and I arrived a little after 6:30 and were surprised, yet pleased, to find that there was no wait. We were promptly seated at a nice outdoor table where our friends met us shortly after. The service was great throughout the entire experience. Our server was courteous and attentive. She offer complimentary bread with a garlic oil dipping sauce which was tasty. The menu sounded terrific and the prices were average/​above average. We ordered 3 choice antipasti so we decided on the smoked prosciutto, sharp provolone, and soppressata. The prosciutto and provolone were alright (wasn’t blown away) but the soppressata was very bland and tasteless. I ordered with Ciopponi for my meal — linguine with clams, mussels, shrimp and calamari in a tomato sauce. My meal was ehh. I’ve def had better but also had worse. My boyfriend has the grilled salmon which he said was good, but my cooked salmon tastes better :)
I give this place 4 stars on atmosphere, service, menu choices, and decent food.

The menu changes seasonally. The newer summer menu is in effect. Ask your server (or bartender) what to order. They know what the best «new» dishes are. I love the service! The bartender recommended the skirt steak and it was tasty & the taters were cooked perfectly with the right amount of lemony aioli. The scant portion of spinach on the dish was not enough because I want to be like Popeye the sailor man.

Came here on UD’s Graduation day to celebrate and discovered that the food here is extremely savory! We loved the appetizer which was a customizable anti pasta plate: sopressata, amazing imported sharp provolone, artichokes, prosciutto, deliciously olive oil infused sweet roasted red peppers! I had ordered the pappardelle which was complemented with just the perfect amount of tomato sauce tossed with arugula. This is by far the best pappardelle I have ever tasted! The portions were perfect in that without leaving you feeling overly stuffed and sluggish. Needless to say, I licked my plate clean.

One member of our party complained about the quality of food (his clams were chewy) and the lack of mussels as per menu description. The waiter said he would address the issue but never returned with any answer or explanation. That is so wrong on so many levels!

Love this place!
Great food. Atmosphere is relaxed and pretty. Service is always good! Love there stuffed meatballs! It’s a must

Went here with co-​workers for lunch and the food was good. Service was good as well. I had a couple special requests and the waiters were very accommodating. There was a small problem with my meal and although the restaurant was extremely busy at the time, the waiters were very apologetic and helpful.
I had a mushroom bruschetta appetizer that was out of this world. I’ve been craving it ever since. I also had a sandwich that was good. I’d like to go back to try other things since every one of my co-worker’s meals looked great. Some got pasta, some got salads, appetizers, and dessert.

I called this restaurant around noon for SAME-​DAY catering for 10 – 12 people. At first, they told me they would need a week to plan for a catering situation, but when I told them my predicament, they put a menu together for me of items that they could make quickly and had enough stock of. The manager was extremely friendly and communicative — he called me back right away and told me what he recommended.
They accepted my order, and we picked up the food promptly at 5:45PM, and everything was excellent. Everything about this experience was convenient. I was able to pay over the phone so that I could send a courier to pick up the food w/​o having to bring a credit card, no hidden catering fees, and no shortcomings in the food itself. Will use them again if I am looking for Italian food for a group.
P. S. Don’t forget to give your customers plastic spoons for the soup! But we made it work :)
WHAT WE ORDERED:
SEASONAL BRUSCHETTA
seasonal vegetable spread with grilled bread
HOUSE SALAD
mixed greens, tomato-​balsamic dressing
TOMATO BASIL BISQUE
orzo pasta
BAKED RIGATONI
ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese and meat sauce
CHICKEN MARSALA
mushrooms, sweet marsala wine sauce
SAUTEED BROCCOLI RABE & BEANS
ROASTED RED PEPPERS
COOKIE AND BAR TRAY
ever changing selection of fresh baked cookies and dessert bars

Service was terrible: I had to constantly ask other servers to find mine. The food was greasy, not fresh, and truly bizarre. I tried the bruschetta (greasy, mushroom and cheese), gnocchi (tasted like an old shoe), meatballs (rubber), and stuffed peppers (the only edible option). I was tempted to walk out without paying.
The worst part of the experience was the unwillingness of any of the staff to address the issue or make it right. It could have been an off-​night, I could have been unlucky in my choices, but because the front and dining staff were unwilling to discuss the experience, I’ll never return.

I went to this restaurant for lunch with co-​workers before the holidays. This is my new favorite place! We made reservations in advance, so seating was not a problem.
The customer service was excellent. I wish I could remember the name of our server, but he was funny and helpful. Two colleagues shared meals. The wait staff was courteous enough to divide their meals onto separate plates. I chose Caesar salad and fried calamari. The food was delicious. Everyone cleaned their plates. Great options for vegetarians.