Lemon Hill Cafe & Bookstore — Restaurant in Montesano

This is a quaint lil spot where I would be tempted to spend plenty of time and money on overpriced food and a couple of new books with regularity, however there is an owner or employee here that should never be in a business where they have to engage with customers.

My young child was having a difficult time adjusting to the space. They have huge supportive needs, and trying to help them learn how to be comfortable in new environments is one. In their moment of distress, they chose to try to regulate themselves by lying down, blocking the front door at lunch rush. Part of the process of getting them comfortable enough to come in + stop blocking the door was removing shoes. Now I disagree with shoelessness in restaurants, however in this instance, we needed time to adjust to one thing at a time. As we were walking back to a table, a woman came out to scold us about wearing shoes, and even though I agreed immediately to putting them on, she continued scolding and drawing attention of everyone in the place. And when I mentioned that I was trying to help my disabled child, she replied that she has one too. Ma'am, if you're reading this, please know not only was your abrasive attitude toward us extremely rude, but your flippant "so is my child" comment does not justify your rudeness toward my child nor does it excuse your behaviour. Your disregard for people in this situation you say you find yourself in as well is extremely telling of your lack of compassion + character. Yelling at disabled people in a moment of dysregulation is something that should make you lose your job or your business.

So, potential customers: if you are typically abled, you will have a pleasant time hunting for all the multiple menus, splurging on $14 flavourful sandwiches the size of of your palm with a handful of lettuce leaves for a "salad" and possibly a $6 pot de creme the size of a ketchup cup for takeout. However if you are disabled, a child, or both, I feel i should warn you of this and encourage you to avoid the borderline verbal abuse you might receive from a person in this...

Listen, I’m going to start by saying that anything I write here will never convey just how lovely Lemon Hill is. It’s a GEM in Montesano, the town is so lucky to have it! Every detail, every thoughtful detail is pure perfection and it truly made me feel like I was in a cafe around the corner from Hotel Duquesne Eiffel (which I’ve been so I know exactly what it really feels like!) Now let’s get to the food, that’s right, I haven’t even touched the food part yet! We, being the foodies we are, ordered one of everything, we were excited to try everything before this current menu gets changed out for the fall menu next week! The ratatouille with cheesy grits and goat cheese; MY GOD. The goat cheese brought a lovely creaminess and the grits were dreamy. The Niçoise salad; the dressing was light and acidic, I’m thinking a champagne vinaigrette of sorts, accompanied by earthy saltiness from the capers and the kalamata, topped with hard boiled egg, HUGE, GORGEOUS heirloom tomatoes, fresh crunchy green beans, colorful fingerling potatoes and a hefty portion of poached tuna. YUM! The African braised beef was so flavorful and tender atop a couscous with warm African spices. The Chicken Marbella atop a Moroccan coucous with sweet dates funny enough tasted like the holidays. Warm and sumptuous! The Strata was fluffy and delicate, but filling and so flavorful! BUT THE CROQUE MONSIEUR. That’s what brought me right back to Paris. I love the local rye bread from another small business, it was the perfect touch. A warm fork and knife sandwich with a fluffy, yet creamy toasty cheese topping. I might need one more before the menu changes! The baked goods are simple and done so WELL, that chocolate cookie is sinful! Okay, now that I’ve written a book, it brings me to my next point. The books! They have a great selection of gifts and books! Please, PLEASE go support this business, we want them to...

I wanted to love this place. It's a good concept, but for the price, it falls short. I had the cauliflower gratin with rice for $19! It had 3 halves of a mushroom and 2 very thin slices of roasted pumpkin. The gratin was delicious, but the rice was VERY Al dente (chewy, undercooked) and just tasted .... earthy? Like grass? It just lacked any seasoning or flavor and was disappointing. I had the raspberry lemon cupcake that was small and very dense--not the light, airy cupcakes I prefer, but the flavor was good. Nothing that stood out from any other cupcakes one might buy at a bakery. That's all I had for $24! No drink. So with tip, for lunch, it was $29. For that price, for a vegetarian meal--it screams full service, sit down service. Paying at the counter and having a pitcher of water set on my table to serve myself just seems incongruous with the price. It's a cute place for a cafe with lots of books for sale, but it feels really overpriced for the portions/type of food offered and lack of...