If high quality, flavorful ingredients and scratch made Mediterranean and Turkish dishes sound good right now, we have good news: Marmara Mediterranean Cuisine in Freehold offers an upscale and sophisticated experience focused on service, happiness, and of course, vibrant flavors.
Open since September 2023, Marmara can seat 200 diners inside a 5,700-square-foot space. Owners Sameera Nizami and Asim Rizvi also recently added a patio with gazebos that can seat up to 40 people. The restaurant is named after the Sea of Marmara, an inland sea entirely within Turkey that separates the country’s European and Asian territories. “The name is an homage to the diversity of our food selection and taste,” says Sameera.
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Melt in Your Mouth Mediterranean Meals
Every meal at Marmara starts with tea and bread service on the house. The menu features warm, homemade Turkish bread, savory meze, vibrant salads, and signature grilled specialties. Standouts include their mixed grill kebab (with lamb, chicken, mini lahmacun, mini cheese pide, and rice), gyros, and seafood specials. Fan favorites also include pastas, lamb shank, and branzino.
There restaurant thoughtfully crafts a diverse selection of salads that complement all menu items. Likewise, they prepare an extensive menu of specialty ethnic dishes that aren’t available anywhere else in New Jersey. For example, they serve Iskender Gyro Kebab: sliced gyro meat over crusty bread, served with red sauce and garlic yogurt.
About The Owners
Sameera and Asim are a couple from Pakistan who have lived at the Jersey Shore since 2002. “We’ve always been on the hunt for good Halal foods and are foodies ourselves,” says Sameera. “Marmara isn’t just a business. It’s our Central Perk, our Cheers, and our way to serve the community and bring smiles to everyone’s faces.”
Going forward, the couple wants to establish the brand as the center for connections in the community. They aim to partner with as many local organizations as possible to bring healthy food awareness and accessibility to the community, all while providing more quality halal cuisine options. Long term, they hope to expand Marmara’s footprint with additional locations in New York and New Jersey.
Visit Marmara Mediterranean Cuisine in the Freehold Raceway Mall at 3710 US-9, Freehold. (See them on Google Maps.) To learn more:
| Visit Their Website | Make a Reservation | Follow on Instagram | Follow on Facebook | Call 732-808-2727 |
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Marmara FAQs
Yes, they accept reservations.
Yes, there are gluten-free options.
Marmara Mediterranean Cuisine offers vegetarian options, yes.
They offer Takeout, yes.
They offer delivery through Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub. They also deliver directly for larger orders made in advance.
Yes, they have a wine license and are also BYOB.
Yes, they have a kids’ menu.
All Photos: © Marmara Mediterranean Cuisine | Facebook
