Lemon Grove Bistro

This place is a hidden gem! The food is delicious and affordable. They do have really good dessert options as well. Their brown butter cake with vanilla gelato is amazingly delicious. Pedro was our server and is very sweet and nice. I see they treat animals really well here too by bringing them a bowl of water for the outside tables. I tried their California burger and was impressed by its size and taste. This is coming from a picky eater by the way. I rate this place 10/10. Very good customer service along with a pretty atmosphere. I feel good energy coming to this place. I’ll be coming back soon.

Went for first time around 530p and not many people. Seated immediately by friendly staff. Choose outside shady spot. Great service, ordered bacon flavored eggs and they were creamy and on spot. Could have used a little more bacon. Partner chose crab fritters and gave them a 4. I got beef buogenise and it is a 5+! Everything very good highly recommended and will return. So fortunate to have quality restaurant in LG

Let me begin by saying, I go out of my way to rate good restaurants. I’ve come here a few times at this point. I gave atmosphere 3 stars because it lacks some coziness. However, they decorated beautifully for Christmas. I think the greenery really helped bring in some warmth. And the food makes up for aesthetics. Our server was working his first day at the restaurant and he was very good at anticipating our needs by suggesting a protein with our salad since my husband and I mentioned that we were splitting everything. There were some holiday menu items like the butternut squash soup. We also had the pear salad with Gorgonzola and the short rib, which is the dish I keep coming back for. I remember having tiramisu here in the past and enjoying that as well. My husband had an amber lager that the owner recommended and he loved it. Don’t sleep on this neighborhood gem. It’s great for a casual night out if you don’t feel like going to your run of the mill restaurants.

Great food and service, would highly recommend to dine at Lemon Grove Bistro, one of the finest restaurants in San Diego CA.

Loved the taste of everything, service and atmosphere!!! Seafood paella was just amazing and I enjoyed every bite of it. Comes with a lot of seafood as well as creamy risotto rice. Shrimp scampi was outstanding too, with the perfect amount of garlic and spices. While chicken was good, I would go with a different option. And their draft beer choice is impressive as well. Loved Cali Creaming 😍😍😍

What a fantastic spot! This is a great gem in East County and the service is impeccable. Love the food, especially the short rib, it was so soft and perfectly cooked. Highly recommend trying the paella and the carrot cheesecake as well!

Discovered them because they were open at 2:30 on a Friday and had good reviews. Score! Husband had the meatloaf sandwich. It was perfect. I had vodka penne with chicken, also perfect! Sauce was creamy yet not too rich with a nice twist of lemon. Carrot cheesecake for dessert was delish. The service was excellent and welcoming. So excited to have this gem close by!

Jared Davis (PURP)

Relaxed restaurant with an upscale feel which is rare in this area. Lamb ragu gnocchi was very good with a rich flavor to the sauce while the lamb just fell apart. The stuffed Scottish salmon is great choice as well. Need to come back for the short rib since I hear that's one of their more popular dishes.

Danielle F

This was our first time coming to this place. Right when you walk in you are greeted quickly and warmly by staff. Drinks and food came out very quickly. We had the oyster and clam dish for the appetizer, california burger and short rib dish for dinner, and the butter cake and chocolate molten cake for dessert which were all very good! I was very pleasantly surprised with the flavor and great quality of the food and service. This place is not so hidden - hidden gem! Definitely will be coming back with family!

A. C.

Finally pleased with the quality and culinary execution of tasty dishes. I always feel disappointed, but Lemon Grove Bistro did not disappoint. I ordered the regular salmon, husband ordered the short ribs, rare beer on tap from Germany, the brown butter cake with an espresso and earl gray tea 👌🏼so happy for quality and excellence. Super happy. They even had fresh flowers on every table, cozy ambiance. Service was personal and relaxed. Thanks for caring Lemon Grove Bistro! I recommend highly!

Ashley Mota

We hosted our fundraiser in the Garden at Lemon Grove Bistro and were absolutely thrilled with the outcome! This was our first time hosting this event at a restaurant and Lemon Grove Bistro exceeded our expectations. Everyone was so kind, we were told by countless attendees that the food was extraordinary (and we only had hors d'oeuvres and dessert! And they're right, it was SO good!) and that the atmosphere was so tranquil. We truly had such a great time and this was our best fundraiser yet. Thank you so much to Lemon Grove Bistro, we are sure this will not be our last time partnering with them! Wonderful photos of the event attached by Tim Stahl of Stahl Photographics.

Spawntanious

WOW WOW WOW! This is an absolute GEM with amazing service and the food is Incredibly delicious. I’ve been three times now and every time it’s absolutely perfect and worth every cent. Tonight we had the stuffed Scottish salmon and it was cooked to perfection. The plate was licked clean! They have so many delicious options to choose from and vegetarian friendly options. They have fresh beer and delightful cocktails to choose from with your dinner also. Richard was our server tonight and wow he is a Gem and has such a great personality and service is TOP notch! Fredrick is the owner and is such an amazing soul. If they are both working your in for a treat! Butter cake is an absolute must also no question the best I’ve ever had in my life! Thanks so much and we WILL be back! FIVE STARS!!!

Princess 619

Everything was good! I was impressed when I first entered. The decor, music, ambience. Good! I had the stuffed salmon. GREAT! Franciscan Cab. Good! Butter cake dessert. Good! Salmon was cooked to perfection and flavorful. The only thing I didn’t care for was the amount of sauce it had on the bottom, personal opinion. Some may love the fact that it had a lot of sauce. Not my thing. I’ll be back to visit a few more times so I can try some other dishes. This place has been here for two years and I can see this growing and becoming a bustling neighborhood restaurant. Great potential. Richard, my server, was nice and funny. Very welcoming. Music was low enough for me to enjoy the show I was watching while I ate. I give this experience, overall, an 8.5 out 10. Great date night spot.

Dana Voynovich

Beautiful little bistro in the heart of Lemon Grove CA. Delicious food (the appetizers are generous in portion) select a few and plate share. Main dishes are fresh and seasonal ingredients. Thank you Frederick and Chef Rashi for the lovely evening. See you again.

Kristina Bolt

They have classic American food and Italian options. Their salads are huge but very tasty. I got the lasagna which was delicious. We got the place to ourselves because of the rain so service was good we got plenty of attention. Clean place.

Erick Castro

Amazing atmosphere and service. Wife is vegetarian and they had plenty to choose from. My lasagna was the best I've had in a very long time. 2 days in a row to experience the awesome happy hour.

Susan Allen

I tried the short rib and it was absolutely outstanding, easily one of the top meals I have enjoyed in Lemon Grove. The crab cakes stole the show they were perfectly cooked and full of flavor. This spot truly brings an upscale dining experience to the area and exceeded all my expectations.

Saint Dawn

This place is a hidden gem! The food is delicious and affordable. They do have really good dessert options as well. Their brown butter cake with vanilla gelato is amazingly delicious. Pedro was our server and is very sweet and nice. I see they treat animals really well here too by bringing them a bowl of water for the outside tables. I tried their California burger and was impressed by its size and taste. This is coming from a picky eater by the way. I rate this place 10/10. Very good customer service along with a pretty atmosphere. I feel good energy coming to this place. I’ll be coming back soon.

Ed Kirkpatrick

Went for first time around 530p and not many people. Seated immediately by friendly staff. Choose outside shady spot. Great service, ordered bacon flavored eggs and they were creamy and on spot. Could have used a little more bacon. Partner chose crab fritters and gave them a 4. I got beef buogenise and it is a 5+! Everything very good highly recommended and will return. So fortunate to have quality restaurant in LG

Elizabeth Stewart

Let me begin by saying, I go out of my way to rate good restaurants. I’ve come here a few times at this point. I gave atmosphere 3 stars because it lacks some coziness. However, they decorated beautifully for Christmas. I think the greenery really helped bring in some warmth. And the food makes up for aesthetics. Our server was working his first day at the restaurant and he was very good at anticipating our needs by suggesting a protein with our salad since my husband and I mentioned that we were splitting everything. There were some holiday menu items like the butternut squash soup. We also had the pear salad with Gorgonzola and the short rib, which is the dish I keep coming back for. I remember having tiramisu here in the past and enjoying that as well. My husband had an amber lager that the owner recommended and he loved it. Don’t sleep on this neighborhood gem. It’s great for a casual night out if you don’t feel like going to your run of the mill restaurants.

AJ Dehsabzi

Great food and service, would highly recommend to dine at Lemon Grove Bistro, one of the finest restaurants in San Diego CA.

Volodymyr Korsun

Loved the taste of everything, service and atmosphere!!! Seafood paella was just amazing and I enjoyed every bite of it. Comes with a lot of seafood as well as creamy risotto rice. Shrimp scampi was outstanding too, with the perfect amount of garlic and spices. While chicken was good, I would go with a different option. And their draft beer choice is impressive as well. Loved Cali Creaming 😍😍😍

Nirit Wigdor

What a fantastic spot! This is a great gem in East County and the service is impeccable. Love the food, especially the short rib, it was so soft and perfectly cooked. Highly recommend trying the paella and the carrot cheesecake as well!

kelly flores

Discovered them because they were open at 2:30 on a Friday and had good reviews. Score! Husband had the meatloaf sandwich. It was perfect. I had vodka penne with chicken, also perfect! Sauce was creamy yet not too rich with a nice twist of lemon. Carrot cheesecake for dessert was delish. The service was excellent and welcoming. So excited to have this gem close by!

The food was delicious and the service was so welcoming. We will definitely be back. We had the meatloaf plate and the braised short ribs. Both were delicious. If you have room for dessert you have to try the Brown Butter Cake. It is AMAZING 🤤

I have been to Lemon Grove Bistro many times. The food is delicious no matter what you order. From hamburgers to short ribs, you won't be disappointed. I've been with my friends for a girl's party luncheon, my husband for dinner, and with my dog. Yes, they serve dogs on their outside patio. I highly recommend this restaurant for the food, atmosphere, and the excellent and friendly service!

Michelle meza

The food was delicious and the service was so welcoming. We will definitely be back. We had the meatloaf plate and the braised short ribs. Both were delicious. If you have room for dessert you have to try the Brown Butter Cake. It is AMAZING 🤤

I stopped in for happy hour on a Thursday. I'd seen online that it was one of the better in Lemon Grove. The bartenders were SO friendly. In retrospect, I should have just asked for them to explain the happy hour. I did not, though, and it wasn't explicit on the menu. Not a huge issue though. My beer was cold and delicious and the AC was lovely (this was during a heat wave). I'm looking forward to returning and trying some of the food items!

Erika S

I stopped in for happy hour on a Thursday. I'd seen online that it was one of the better in Lemon Grove. The bartenders were SO friendly. In retrospect, I should have just asked for them to explain the happy hour. I did not, though, and it wasn't explicit on the menu. Not a huge issue though. My beer was cold and delicious and the AC was lovely (this was during a heat wave). I'm looking forward to returning and trying some of the food items!

Brianna Nix

I have to say the atmosphere is very nice, the service was very good but I just can’t get behind the 5 star reviews. The food was lacking flavor for me. Definitely couldn’t justify the price for the food. The mashed potatoes were lacking and though the braised ribs were tender, the flavor just wasn’t there. Again, great atmosphere and service. I’m sure the cook is very kind as well!