The Jalea Mixta / Fried Seafood cooked with onions and Yucca plant is awesome! Came back the second time for Paella! read more

Lemon Tree Restaurant - The Jalea Mixta with onions and yucca plant is awesome! Service is A++. Great lunch spot. - Latin American Near Me - Houston, Texas

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I love coming here, although it's usually full when I go it's always worth the wait, they have one of the best chicha morada I have ever had!!! read more

My favorite Peruvian restaurant in Houston, although not as good as the ones I visited while living in LA. Prices are decent and taste is good enough for most Houstonians to not be able to discern a difference. Service has been really slow everytime I've been though....but it doesn't stop me from returning I used a Groupon on my most recent visit and they let me use the full amount, even though the promotional period had ended, so 5 stars just for that. I typically order a ceviche and the lomo saltado. They can also custom prepare dishes if you don't see exactly what you want on the menu. read more

This was my first venture to a Peruvian restaurant. As such, take my review with a grain of salt. The chips they serve you when you sit down are very light, thin tortilla chips. What sets them apart is this remarkable dip. I can only surmise that it's a concoction of pureed avocado, mayonnaise, and wasabi. Man was that awesome! We started with their fried chicken appetizer with fries. I was expecting something Peruvian but what I got my a cut up chicken breast, light dusted in corn starch and fried. I tasted no spices whatsoever. It was bland, and the accompanying fries, equally so. Our entrees were the chowder and the seafood paella. The chowder was a redish hue and had some very tasty shrimp in it. This is in no way related to New England clam chowder nor Manhattan style. Also, it contained rice and a boiled egg. Not too bad but definitely not what I expected. The paella was unremarkable. It was just OK. It had no spice at all. Insipid. I didn't care for it. Anyway, maybe I'll try a different Peruvian restaurant but I won't be back to this one. Oh, the staff was extremely kind. read more

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The reason I held off on reviewing this place is because I want to like this place more than I do so I wanted to try it again before reviewing it but I don't think that's happening. I got the seafood paella, and I always imagined paella to be very full of flavor, but what I got had some flavor but not enough. It was fine, but not as amazing as I expected paella to taste. I think it's because I like spicy things. I think I asked for spicy too and it wasn't that spicy. Perhaps to someone who is not used to a lot spices and flavor would probably enjoy this more. Tres leches was pretty good though! read more

Lemon Tree Restaurant - Arroz con mariscos o paella (seafood paella) - Latin American Near Me - Houston, Texas

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The food here is delicious and is priced well. Being from Peru and having had my share, I can say that it's truly the best in Houston. There is pricier and fancier in town, but the overall taste and cost doesn't sway me to go elsewhere. It's also BYOB so a win win. read more

This was so good. Ceviche was insane. Tacu Tacu Lemon Tree so much flavor. I loved it.

We didn't have a full meal, but with that said, what we did have was wonderful. We were both relatively hungry and filled up quickly with the dishes we ordered. Plus we didn't want a heavy meal like the Lomo Saltado. Seafood and ceviche was on our minds. We thought it was closed because there was a private party there, however, the nice waitress said they were open and we were seated quickly. She quickly got our drink order, and spoke to me in Spanish and smiled at my husband. I don't think that you have to speak Spanish, by the way. To start we had the Chiche Morado, which is a flavored drink that is purple made with blue corn. I really like this stuff it's refreshing (it was bottled, don't think they make it there). Then we ordered the Yucca fries as an appetizer. The sauce that came with it was perfectly seasoned, creamy and complemented the Yucca well. The Yucca was not oily at all or greasy. It had a slight crisp to it and was cooked perfectly inside. To share, we got the Ceviche Mixto and the seafood soup. The ceviche came with sweet potato and Peruvian corn. There was plenty of fish, shrimp and calamari, you really could make this a full meal on it's own. I love peruvian ceviche and this has been the best I've had so far. The soup was REALLY great! The seasoning and flavors were great from bite to bite. There were lots of mariscos in the soup and came with white rice. The waitress asked if we wanted it spicy, and it wasn't that spicy but definitely added to the flavor. We will be coming back to try the Lomo or Pollo Saltado which is a more traditional Peruvian dish. read more

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The staff and crew at Lemon Tree treated me and my wife like shit. Now we are not Peruvian or anywhere near South American, and the hostess would not seat us in the primary dining room, which was about one quarter full in a Saturday early. She sat us in the sandwich shop next doir, with no other customers. Service was rather crappy. Food was tasty, but this experience left us with the clear impression that white folks are not welcome here. read more

This is our favorite place to go on the weekend! Service is great and the food is even better. Best Peruvian food in Houston. I suggest the ceviche or lomo saltado. read more

Lemon Tree Restaurant - Latin American Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Been coming here for years and food still tastes great! And still I'll always have the per usual, Lomo Sataldo con huevos medium and spicy please. My favorite Peruvian restaurant in Houston! The Inca Kola pairs well with the meal, if you're true Peruvian you don't really need ice. (; Service and staff here is always great, and nothing beats their salsa. I literally ate an entire basket of chips and salsa to myself before I devoured my dish. Who told my sister to take so long to get here. No complaints here! Also still recommend their ceviche! Oh! And you know when you go to regular restaurants and they ask you how you like your meat cooked? And you say medium or medium rare but it gets cooked well done anyways like every other place? And you just suck it up cause it's just a casual place and you can't really complain... because well it would be pointless? Wellllllll, they cooked my beef tenderloin perfectly! It was dead on at medium! That's some brownie points right there. read more

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This place has the best food every ... of course if you love Peruvian food this is wanna be the best place for you !! Really love it .... we get lomo saltado, salchipapa and ceviche ... really recommend this place. read more

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We had tried to eat here before and discovered one needs reservations on the weekend. You also will likely need to park across the street in the bank parking lot, as there is a bar in the same small plaza. After the glowing reviews, my husband tried the ceviche mixto. It is more an appetizer than a main course, so the server suggested adding the Peruvian corn, which is basically hominy. I had the aji de gallina, as I am not a seafood fan. Tasty but the chicken shreds are too large. I have had this dish before, less pricey and better prepared. The purple corn juice was a nice change. Sorry, not worth the price or hassle. read more

Lemon Tree Restaurant - Ceviche Mixto - Latin American Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Delicious food and amazing service. The staff treat you like family and are so good. Over the years we have tried many of their menu items but their ceviches are definitely the best. read more

It really hurts to write this review because I've been a patron of this establishment since the owner started the business from her home. They even catered my graduation 14 years ago. But I can't sit quiet when it's so obvious they couldn't care less about their patrons. It's no wonder they practically live off the Groupon sales. Our party of three was really caught off guard when the owner came out of the restaurant to make us move our car from the only parking space available in the whole lot because she was expecting a vendor delivery. Total priority fail. Who on earth would want to eat there when made to feel so unwelcome? The food has always been good, even enough to overlook the shabby and run-down restaurant. But with so many good places to dine in this city, I'd rather go spend my money where it's welcome. read more

Best lucuma cake, we ordered a whole cake for birthdays for many years... authentic, friendly, reasonable priced and great food. BYOB.

Complimentary chips and green salsa on every table when we walked in. The green salsa was so tasty and additive. The Mrs ordered baby squids and rice cooked in squid ink. The dish came out pipping hot and she declared it tasted excellent. There were plenty of tender squids and the ink sauce was really savory. I went with the beef tenderloin cooked with rice in a tomato and onion sauce. My dish came out pipping hot also and it was delicious. The beef was tender and the sauce was seasoned well. We split caramel filled roll cake for desert, not good. The cake was dry. Table service was attentive and friendly. The price point was on the high side, but still acceptable for such high quality food. We will return for sure. read more

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As I'm posting this I am still in shock...I went to lunch with my mom yesterday, Saturday December 15, 2018...to the Peruvian restaurant, The Lemon Tree. I've been going there for 14-15 years since it opened...had parties there, dates there, taken several friends there to introduce them to Peruvian food or as close to it. Yesterday was different...I tried ordering 2 things on the menu, (Ocopa and Yuca mozzarella balls) they didn't have either to make. Then just settled with Chicharrón de pollo, chicken nuggets, I ordered it with french fries extra crispy. When I got them the fries were good but the chicken didn't have any salt, no seasoning...I couldn't eat them...i just ate my fries. My mom asked me what was wrong, i told her and she told me to return them. I wasn't going to return them. But finally I did. The waitress took them back and returned, nervously and said "Margarita, owner, says that she cooks delicious food and this is the 2nd time (15 years) I've return food (I haven't) and if I don't like their food to leave and DON'T COME BACK"! I was in shock my mom asked what did she say, in shock herself, I told her and we left. This is beyond what I thought was necessary, way beyond!!! I write this so that everyone knows how a LONG TIME CUSTOMER IS TREATED!!! At a restaurant that needs their customers to survive?!?!? #Shocked #Rude Como estoy publicando esto todavía estoy en shock... Fui a almorzar con mi mamá ayer, el sábado 15 de diciembre 2018...el restaurante peruano, The Lemon Tree. He estado yendo allí por 14-15 años desde que abrió... había fiestas allí, fechas allí, tomó varios amigos allí para introducirlos a la comida peruana o tan cerca de ella. Ayer fue diferente... Traté de pedir 2 cosas en el menú, (Ocopa y yuca bolas de mozzarella) que no tienen ni para hacer. Luego acaba de asentarse con chicharrón de pollo, nuggets de pollo, lo pedí con papas fritas extra crujiente. Cuando me dieron las patatas fritas eran buenas, pero el pollo no tienen sal, sin condimento... No podía comerlos... sólo me comí mis papas fritas. Mi mamá me preguntó qué pasaba, le dije y me dijo que los regresaba. No iba a devolverlos. Pero finalmente lo hice. La camarera los tomó de vuelta y regresó, nerviosamente y dijo "Margarita, propietario, dice que ella cocina deliciosa comida y esta es la 2ª vez (15 años) he regresado comida (no tengo) y si no me gusta su comida para salir y que no volve"! Yo estaba en shock mi mamá preguntó qué dijo ella, en shock ella misma, le dije y nos fuimos. Esto es más allá de lo que pensé que era necesario, mucho más allá de!!! Escribo esto para que todo el mundo sepa cómo un cliente de tiempo largo es tratado!!! En un restaurante que necesita sus clientes para sobrevivir ?!?!? #Shocked #Rude read more

Restaurant is on a strip mall, very secluded. Not very attractive but as long the food is good, I don't mind it. I went with a group as I love Peruvian food. Service was very good. They sat us down promptly. The food took a little while but then brought everything at once. Food was really good. The Lomo and chaufa were great. Got two ceviches. The ceviches were not as good as I expected but were good nevertheless. Overall very good experience. read more

Good solid Peruvian Ceviche. Wanted to try the the lomo saltado but was stuffed after the sampler and the ceviche trio.

So much choices for everyone. I ate the fish with creamy shrimp sauce. The best. It was very good. I will definitely come back to try the other items in the menu. read more

Best Peruvian food in town. Not a fancy restaurant, but ids BYOW, reasonable price, their ceviches, tiraderos, lomo salteado ,seafood dishes, ají de gallina and merengados are delicious. I particularly like their merengado de lucuma. I've been coming to this place for almost 20 years and their quality has remained the same, never disappointed. read more

The staff Sebastian is fabulous. Very great and polite Food small portion but very taste. Very clean restaurant read more

This is one of the little hidden gems that Houston has to offer, which you will never find unless someone tells you to go. So I am telling you - go! You are missing out if you don't! A tiny, blink-and-you-miss-it storefront restaurant. The restaurant is all in a single small room. But the food! The food is to die for. Come here for the Ceviche. If you've never had ceviche, it might intimidate you, but it is so delicious - one of those things that everyone must experience at some point in their lives. And, the Lemon Tree is one of the few (maybe only?) places in Houston that gets it right. Ceviche is fish that has been "seared" by lemon or lime juice. It hasn't been cooked by heat, but the lemon juice effectively sears the fish, turning it that same whitish color of traditionally cooked fish. Ceviche has an incredibly light, refreshing flavor - a wonderful treat on a hot summer day. Just trust me on this. Try it. I am the whitest white girl you ever met, and I am a finicky eater, and I loved it. I can't remember the name of the other excellent menu item they offer. It is strips of steak and onions and french fries all mixed together and served on top of a bed of rice. You must be sure to order this when you come. It is rich and satisfying and cooked to perfection. read more

If you've never been to gorgeous Peru, you're missing out. It has everything--big cities (with all the obligatory crime, casinos, and shopping centers), beaches (gorgeous beaches if you can get into a private one), pristine mountains (yes, Machu Picchu is really THAT much more amazing in person), and the undiscovered jungle (watch out for the monkeys that will steal anything not bolted down!). That being said, what is my favorite part of Peru? The ceviche. Hands down. No questions asked. Without a doubt. ***Disclaimer***If you do not eat seafood, don't bother reading this review. The ceviche at the Lemon Tree was fantastic. It was deliciously seasons with just the right amount of lemons. It was perfectly salty. All my seafood was fresh (I got the mixto, meaning it had halibut, shrimp, octopus, and a few other yummies from the sea) and in bite size portions. My only complaint about my ceviche was that it wasn't as spicy as I usually like it, but my taste buds are a bit crazy so I blame myself for that. Also, if you're looking for a delicious appetizer, I'd definitely recommend the papas a la huancana--amazing. The potatoes are fried to perfection (no, these aren't your everyday potatoes either) and the cheese sauce is phenomenal. My only complaints about this place (hence the loss of a star) are as such: *While they did have Inca Cola (ahhhhhh, the memories!), they didn't have a variety of drinks, nor do they serve alcohol. That being said, what the hell kind of Peruvian restaurant doesn't have Pisco Sours?!?! Ridiculous. That in itself should warrant a loss of two stars. Hmph! *If you're not Peruvian, be prepared to be stared at. It isn't common for non-Peruvians to be in the restaurant, much less not speak Spanish (you should've seen the look on my husband's face when they started speaking to him!) *The service can be spotty, but in general they were helpful and friendly. *I got regular corn with my meal as opposed to the choclo I saw on some other plates. This might have been because they didn't think we'd notice the difference, but I did and wasn't happy. *My husband, being allergic to fish, couldn't eat half the menu and two out of the three entrees that he choose were out of stock. What are the chances of that?! Regardless of my issues with the place, I haven't found more authentic ceviche in Houston and I doubt I will. There is another Peruvian restaurant in town, so I'll check that out and do a compare and contrast. Until then, if you're looking to have a great meal and pretend like you're in a more exotic place than Houston, Texas, you may want to check out this great hole in the wall. read more

This place rocks basically because it's the only restaurant that serves authentic PERUVIAN ceviche that I have found in Houston. No, the ceviche isn't a tomatoey salsa with shrimp in it, it's fish cooked in lime juice with onions. That might not sound exciting, but just wait until you try it... Minus a star for it being way out in the middle of nowhere, like 45 minutes to an hour from downtown, it's practically in a different city! read more

This place is a hidden gem out on the west side of town. Granted I have not tried any other Peruvian restaurants before, but this place gave me a great impression of Peruvian cuisine. The restaurant has a cozy, charming atmosphere but it's tucked in an awkward shopping center amongst a pet grooming place and other shops. The ceviche mixta is the best!!! The seafood is sooo fresh and there is just the right balance of lime juice and spices. If you order it picante (spicy) it's really not that spicy. My boyfriend is Latin and he says it's the best ceviche he's had. He'll even drink the juices from the ceviche (oops don't tell him I said that). The other to-die-for reason I like this place is the dessert. There is a Peruvian dessert called Merenge de Lucuma. It is like a merenge cake with lucuma, a Peruvian fruit. Except this fruit doesn't look or taste like fruit. It's more like caramel. There are vanilla wafer type cookies in the cake to give the layers and a lot of whipped cream. It's very sweet so if you're a fan of super sweet vanilla/caramel type flavors, you'll love it. So the only reason I give this place 4 stars is because to me, the entrees are good, but not AWESOME. My boyfriend loves the Lomo Saltado (beef tenderloins with onions and french fries in a garlic sauce). I've have had the paella and the fish with parsley sauce before. Both were good but not sure if they are dishes that become the reasons I come back to the restaurant for (the ceviche and dessert are my reasons). Oh yeah this place is BYOB too! And no corking fee I believe. So bring a bottle of wine and enjoy! read more

Being Peruvian I'm a little tough on Peruvian restaurants... But this place is actually not bad at all. We started with the "choritos" (mussels) which were not bad. Little too limey for my taste, but still pretty good, specially on a hot afternoon. After that we ordered a Ceviche, and a Rice with Seafood. The ceviche was awesome!!! But the Rice and seafood... ehhh... Quite disappointing actually. May have been just a once in a while strike for the cook, but it was pretty plain, not much flavor, we honestly didn't even finish it... I'll definitely go back and try the rest of the menu. Who knows, everyone deserves a second chance... read more

Most of the food that our group ordered looked and was good. We started off with the fried yucca and it was kinda like steak fries, but with yucca instead of potatoes and huancaina sauce instead of ketchup. Huancaina sauce is an addictive creamy sauce made from soft cheese and peppers. They were devoured in short order. I had the ceviche mixto and it lived up to the hype. That doesn't always happen when I am told "omg, you have to try the ______" at a certain restaurant. This ceviche was fresh and refreshing, with my mixto having shrimp, fish, calamari, and mussels. They didn't go crazy with the onions and the marinade was good. A Peruvian friend of mine taught me that what separates ceviche dishes is the leche de tigre, the lemon based citrus marinade that "cooks" the seafood. After you finish the ceviche, you pour the juice left over into a shot glass and down it. It is said to increase virility, but I didn't have the opportunity to test that out afterward. It may make you pucker like the bitter beer face guy, but I respect tradition. The other seafood dishes looked good too. One of the spaghetti entrees was given just a reluctant OK rating by the person getting it. I'd probably stick with the seafood. I should say though that the Lomo Saltado, beef tenderloin sauteed with onions and tomatoes, served with fries and white rice, was huge. If you are starving, that may be the way to go instead of the ceviche. The service did leave something to be desired. Refills of chips and drinks took a long time. Lastly, Friday night is live music night, with festivities starting at 7:30. This turned out to be one person singing and DJ'ing mostly latin music while people went up to dance. You may want to sit near the back if you have the option if you want to have a conversation without shouting. read more

Lemon Tree is a Peruvian Cuisine Restaurant that has lost its hype from the early stages of being open. I sat down yesterday in Lemon Tree and ordered Octopus. The girl serving my table graciously informed me that octopus is hard to obtain nowadays, so I had to settle for Ceviche. read on and find out why ceviche was OK, but not great (besides being made from Catfish! instead of Cazon ("Galeorhinus Galeus" is the scientific name of that one, I don't know how to say it in English, so I Google it for those wondering... ;P) I believe that not buying secon-class ingredients -Like Octopus- is actually a good decision made by Hugo Mendizabal, the owner/chef of the restaurant, but I would suggest to him to go to Kinkos and print new menus with octopus deleted from the lineup. After all, the octopus is not found in the website menu, so why not going all the way at the place where you make your most important impression in your guests? As I said, I ordered Ceviche, and they brought me Catfish Ceviche! Major sin in a peruvian culinary art! To go further, my waitress asked me if I wanted it "picoso" (with chile). I have an intrinsic problem with the question, since traditional peruvian ceviche is not made "picoso", and I do not recall this question being made in the heydays of the Lemon Tree. Maybe the mexican clientele is influencing the chef. Why not making it the other way around? Hey, I was born in Mexico City and I know mexican ceviche when I see it, and it has to be "picoso"! But if I want a good mexican-style ceviche I go to "El Hidalguense" on Long Point! I guess I will go to Latin Bites next time I crave for Peruvian (Capital P) Cuisine... read more

Was in the mood for some paella and came here after looking at some yelp reviews. Based on other yelpers recommendations we ordered the seafood paella and the lomo saltado. Both were very flavorful and satisfied our appetites. We also enjoyed the complementary chips and dip. I like how their tortilla chips aren't salted and the dip has a nice kick to it. Their parking situation wasn't the greatest though. We went on a Sunday and almost couldn't find parking. There were a bunch of spots for other stores in the strip mall but all the unmarked ones were taken. Oddly enough, there weren't that many people in the restaurant so we were seated and served relatively quickly. read more

I have come here plenty of times and love the food but I am so upset by the way I was treated as a customer! I made a order via phone for pick up. When my husband went to pick up the order, he noticed they gave us a wrong plate of yuca instead of the yuca cheese filled balls, he immediately went back inside to advise the worker where she stated they can not exchange it & I would have to pay again for the yuca. Unbelievable! I spoke to her and explained there must have been a miscommunication because I did say the balls of yuca and she stated that's not what she heard. I asked to speak to the owner of the restaurant and the owner refused to speak to me and said I need to pay if I want to get what I ordered. I have NEVER felt so disrespected by an establishment and I have always spoke so highly of this place!!! I will never go back or recommend this place to anyone by the way they treat their customers!!! read more

My Smokin Hot Peruvian wife likes the food alright. She says the prices are fair to pricey. I think the service is typical as seen in Lima Peru. The culture is different here and we do smile a lot more in South Texas than they do in Lima Peru. I like to just sit back and relax and watch her enjoy a little piece of her home country food. If it was my Lemon Tree, I would not have decorated it with plastic lemon trees but that's just my old American guy opinion. read more

Peru has declared ceviche as part of their natural heritage. So when I have a desire for a light, delicious meal of ceviche, the list of places that come to mind include Lemon Tree. They have two choices in that regard: Ceviche de Pescado (fish only) and Ceviche Mixto (the previous + shrimp, mussels, and calamari). The choices are pretty limited in that regard, but I've not been disappointed in the Mixto, which is what I always order. They do have a considerable offering of other dishes (the Saltado de Camarones comes to mind) and I've enjoyed them, but I keep going back to the Ceviche Mixto. The strip mall that Lemon Tree is in has seen better days. I'd say the atmostphere of the restaurant seems a bit formal, and the space is fairly large. A couple of items to note: Corn is included in many dishes, though they offer a choice of "Peruvian Corn" (with a hidden upcharge of $1.50, beware). It seems to be a large-kerneled version of the regular stuff. They are also closed on Mondays. read more

After an afternoon spent enjoying "The Modern Home Tour", thanks to Yelp and catching a wine tasting at The Vine Room on Memorial, I wanted to find a BYOW in the area, so I used my trust Yelp app and came up with the Lemon Tree. The four star average was tempting enough to give this place a try on a Saturday night. Was able to call at 5:30 for a reservation at 7pm, but I don't recommend waiting that long or just showing up if you want to sit right away. On Whittington near Dairy Ashford and Briar Forest, this little jewel sits in an unspectacular strip center. Seeing the parking lot full, I was eagerly anticipating my first visit. Upon entering the restaurant with our Verdajo in tow, we walked into the single room dining area which was 3/4 full and filling up fast. It was an international dining crowd complete with some families with young children all the way up to gray hairs. While I wasn't excited about sitting right next to the hostess/waitress stand, it was the only suitable table left that was ready to go. The chips with creamy green sauce were the equivalent of most restaurants bread and oil offering, except this condiment had quite the "kick" to it and was quite tasty. After asking the waitress what we should consider regarding an appetizer, we decided on the Camerones al Ajo ($11.00). Basically it was shrimp with lightly fried potato slices in an incredibly yummy and spicy garlic sauce. Great start to the evening. For entrees we chose the Lomo Saltado ($14.00) and Picante de Camarones ($13.50). Both dishes were accompanied with perfectly cooked rice. The Lomo was a delightful combination of beef tenderloin strips and tender sauteed onions, bell peppers, etc. The shrimp was in a creamy yellow sauce that appeared to have either chili powder or a bit of cayenne mixed in. Both dishes were incredibly tender, spicy at a perfect warm temperature. All of the dishes went well with the Spanish white we brought and as tempting as dessert was, there simply was no room. Be patient with the service, they certainly were stretched this particular night but very pleasant and accomodating. The one snafu didnt involve us but included a swinging kitchen door coming loose and knocking the room divider towards a startled table. Forget about the ambiance, its neither charming or cozy, just focus on the dining experience and whoever you bring to share this suburban treat! There are not many places you can go for an appetizer and two entrees for under $40 not to mention the South American flare that is evident in every bite. read more

I dined here for lunch with a large business party recently. I'd never heard of this Peruvian restaurant although I drive by it several times a week. It's located in a trashy strip mall and can't be seen easily from the street. I was wondering what I was getting into as I walked up to the door. Lo and behold - what waited for us was a very yellow interior accentuated with all sorts of lemony motifs. We started with their ceviche which was very good (just the right amount of lemon). Like most Americans, I know nothing about Peruvian cuisine, so I had no idea what was in the works when I ordered a tacu-tacu dish except that it involved beef and eggs. What arrived a while later was a huge mound of rice and beans that housed strips of beef scrambled up with onion, cilantro, tomato and whatever else they had lying around in the kitchen at the time. Topping it off were two fried eggs cooked to runny perfection. Some forgettable fries accompanied this heaping pile of protein and carbohydrates. This was not your light lunch fare. It could have fed half an army. I confess - I ate all of mine. Looking up the dish on the Internet, I discovered it had a creole origin which made sense. It reminded me of some of the rice and bean creations from Louisiana with which I'm much more familiar. We had to chase down the waitress to get refills of water and to pay the check. I'm told you need to bring your own bottle of wine (something I'll do when I return here for dinner). The prices are very moderate. I lugged my bursting belly out of there and felt the need for a long siesta during the business meeting I attended afterward. read more

The best! Great authentic Peruvian food, best ceviches and chicken and rice dishes in Houston! Very kind staff and great food!

This place is great. Its out of the way and kind of hidden in a kind of run down strip mall, but I think that adds to the charm. GREAT seafood!!! Get the mussles for an appetizer. I had the Ceviche and it was delicious, my date (who at first was highly skeptical based on location) had some great shrimp stuff (forgot the name). They don't serve booze so bring a bottle of wine. Will definitly go here again! read more

Having read the accolades on yelp, I was a bit disappointed with this place. On the plus side, although the restaurant is in an older, run down strip center, the inside is surprisingly nice. White and lemon colored tablecloths with folded napkin table service, followed up with a classy meal presentation. It's plenty nice to take a date, despite outside appearances. The disappointment for me was the food. The food was decent enough, but not great. We ordered the Lomo saltado (salted loin) and a seafood dish that the waitress recommended which is called something like 'Marisco Macho' or similar name, which comes with a nice serving of fish, calamari rings and some shrimp stacked up and presented real artistic-like in a yellow sauce. Both dishes were around $14 each, and they both came with a fancy coiffed dome of rice. The problems started when I ordered the Lomo Saltado "medium" and it came out cooked well done. That wouldn't have been a big deal if it was really flavorful and tender. The meat had a decent enough flavor, not bad but not great either, and the meat was tough. No vegetables came included with either of the entrees we had unless you count the soggy french fries and strips of baked tomato and onions which come with the Lomo saltado. The marisco macho plate was better, but nothing to write home about. Good size serving of fish with this plate and great presentation, but the taste wasn't Wow. For me, I think Red Onion offers much better quality and value than Lemon Tree for a similar genre of food. Granted, Red Onion is Central American, not Peruvian, but I didn't taste anything distinctive at Lemon Tree that really impressed me. One particularly irritating thing about this place is that they charge you for coffee refills without mentioning that refills count as another coffee order. At $2.50/cup + another $2.50/refill, you'd think it would be some special Peruvian import. Nah, it's just some blah typical Folgers type restaurant brew. I'm sorry, that's just an unecessary nickel and diming of customers which rubbed me the wrong way. On a positive note, I tried a can of their Inca Kola, which is made in Peru but owned by Coca-Cola. It was tasty, not too sweet, and it had a weirdly cool gold color to it. I'm gonna try and hunt down some more of that Inca Kola for my home fridge. In fairness, Peruvians are known for their ceviche and I'm not a big ceviche fan, so if you're focused on ceviche, you can probably disregard this review. And maybe I had my expectations set too high. All in all, very good presentation, nice atmosphere, but the quality of food was underwhelming. read more

Ghetto! $14/dish and they put french fries in our food. It was like eating salt. I got a yelp account just to write this review. Bill was $40...are you serious. I love to eat but this place is no bueno. read more