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Lemon Tree Restaurant

MY REVIEW: The Lemon Tree is known with good reason for its inventive ceviche, served so fresh it's almost still wriggling. Get the traditional raw-fish blend ($13) or the mixto variation, with raw fish, shrimp, calamari, and mussels, served with corn and sweet potatoes ($13.50). Other deep-sea delights include paella ($13) and seasoned rice with scallops ($14.50). Some equatorial specialties include fried fish in onion sauce with a side of yucca ($12.50) and lomo saltado (sautéed beef tenderloin) topped with two fried eggs and served with french fries, rice, and beans ($15).



The Lemon Tree has two locations in Houston, the original near George Bush Park and the newer establishment in Midtown. The new Midtown joint features the same sizzling Peruvian delights as the home-base eaterorium and is complemented by live music Friday and Saturday nights; the Whittington Drive location has live music on Friday nights. No matter which one you choose, you'll be steeped in the flavors of history, which does not at all taste like dusty and yellowed manuscripts, but rather yucca, fish, and Simon Bolivar.

NAME: Alain Harvey
SUBMITTED: 4/6/2012   LAST VISIT WAS: 04/2012
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: I had not been here in a while and took my food to go because I was in a hurry. I go to the Dairy Ashford restaurant - I know the West Gray restaurant was sold.

I loveeeeeeeee the huancaina sauce that they give you with tortilla chips (even though chips are not usually given in Peru like that). NOTTTTTTTT tasteless as the other review said. They are the reason my friends and I go there. I love the tallarin saltado. I am not their biggest seviche (Peruvian spelling)fan but I have a Peruvian relative who is. I also like their aji de gallina although it does look like a curry and if you can get over the way it looks, it's great. My husband and another friend don't like the way aji de gallina looks.

Their desserts are great. You have to special order alfajores (cookies with manjar blanco - dulce de leche to most of you out there).Try their chicha morada - drink made from purple corn(even though it comes from a bottle).

I think their prices are a little high because of their location (yes, dumpy strip center), but it is definitely worth trying. In fact, I'm thinking of going there now. It's a lot better than the semi Peruvian restaurants that I have been to in town.

NAME: copperfielder
SUBMITTED: 6/27/2011   LAST VISIT WAS: June 2011
FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times

MY REVIEW: After eating at Lemon Tree last Friday night with a party of 6, I would say that I would not recommend it to a friend. Also, I think the other tables agreed. The reason would be for the poor service. It took over 30 minutes and a complaint to the manager to get water for the table and then a corkscrew to open the bottle of wine that we brought.

The ceviche was good; tangy fish in lemon juice - more of an appetizer than an entre due to the tartness. The beef dish that we tried had a nice spicy sauce. The yuca fritters were pretty good, but the cheese dip was fairly tasteless.

The luchma cake was divine. If you go, definitely get this cake. They had a d.j. and the music was lively and a few people were dancing. We had a good time, but the restaurant definitely needs to be more attentive. Dinner took 3 hours...

NAME: ARains
SUBMITTED: 1/31/2011   LAST VISIT WAS: 01/2011
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: I wanted to try their W. Gray location, but it had closed, so, since I found myself in west Houston, I went to the original location.

pros: Nice little place. Pleasant service. Very good food.

cons: A tad pricey.

When I ordered iced tea, I was brought a can of pre-sweetened Nestea (w/lemon). I changed my order to Dr Pepper & was brought another can. At these prices, I'd expect fresh-brewed tea & free refills.

There was a table set up, with a DJ playing some pretty loud music, for such a small, semi-fancy place. I found that uncomfortable.

Several incongruous factors.

NAME: rogerscorpion
SUBMITTED: 10/16/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: /10
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: First of all i want to say that from all peruvian restaurants this is the best one regarding on dish presentation, they look real pretty and the portion is fair to fill You up. Actually some dishes are good enough for 2 persons. That is my opinion since i don't eat much. Pisco Sour is big however i considered is too expensive for that drink. I don't order it. Maybe a bottle of wine. The service is good and respectful, just from the servers. I wish the owners have the same manners, they don't face You to say hello to You, is like they avoid to look at You. Overall rate from me is 7, not more. The one @ Gray St. is way better than the one by dairy ashford. One more thing i would like to add is that some of the recipes are not the same as the ones i know, some are changed slightly but the taste is good though.

NAME: Ricardo
SUBMITTED: 8/18/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: August 2010
FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times

MY REVIEW: We tried this place for the first time last Friday night because we had a Groupon. When we walked in, I was surprised that they asked us if we had a reservation. The restaurant is in kind of a dumpy strip center, and it hadn't occurred to us that we would need a reservation. The place was packed, but they managed to find a place for us.

You wouldn't know it from the outside, but the inside of the restaurant is cute and warm. The service was very kind as well, although we did have a little bit of a language barrier.

I ordered the fish Menier that came with a lemon and butter parsley sauce and white rice. My husband ordered the Tacu Tacu Lemon Tree and was presented with a big plate mounded with beef tenderloin, onion, tomatoes, french fries, and two big fried eggs on top. He looked pretty happy.

I liked mine but wish it had come with some sort of side dish other than white rice - a vegetable or something along those lines. The portions were huge. My husband tried the Inca Cola and loved it. We saw a that a lot of tables ordered an entire two liter bottle. Tastes a little bit like Big Red or bubble gum. I think my husband may form an addiction to it.

I asked for lemons on the side, and received limes instead. Also asked the server to box up our food after we were finished eating since the portions were so generous. She misunderstood us and didn't realize we wanted it boxed up. Just a few little glitches. They served a nice little complimentary appetizer to start - some tortilla chips with a good green dipping sauce. We enjoyed it all. The prices seemed a little bit high. I'd rather have lower prices than getting such a huge portion, but we'll probably go back again. We enjoyed trying Peruvian food since we've never had it before. Nice little spot if you're in the area.

NAME: newbride
SUBMITTED: 8/13/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: August 2010
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: Went there for lunch today, as it had been recommended by a Peruvian friend. I am not Peruvian. I ordered fish with "Spectacular sauce", which I thought was an odd name for a sauce. The dish was very tasty, tangy with a nice citrus and cilantro taste, and the fish was fresh, hot, and a good sized portion, but I would have preferred the sauce not to be as thick -- these days people like lighter foods. The service was very good. The tres leches dessert was excellent, and the portion was large. The restaurant was fairly crowded and the paiella looked good. Location was really cool but the atmosphere was normal. I would recommend this restaurant -- it was authentic.

NAME: john
SUBMITTED: 7/30/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: July/2010
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: After hearing many good things about the ceviche here, I had to try it for myself. I went at lunch time and had the Ceviche Mixto. On a scale of 1 - 10, I struggled to give this dish a 5. The waitress asked if I wanted spicy and I said "yes". Spicy must mean something else in Peru because this ceviche was anything but. Lots of citrus flavor but spicy - not in the least. Actually none of the fish (small bits), calamari (could have been rubber bands) or shrimp (I believe I found 4 small ones) tasted fresh and all of seafood was much too chewy. The mussels as noted in the menu description were non-existent. Portion had to be considered as small. However, if you like yellow corn then this is the dish for you. A lot of corn on the plate. All in all not a very good experience for an unusually high price of $ 13.50. Maybe I should have taken the hint when I saw I was the only one there for lunch. The best seafood ceviche in town is still found at Ro***ros Las Br***s on Highway 6 in Copperfield. Fresh and tasty and only $ 7.99 for a small and $ 9.99 for a large. Unbelievably good tasting and a great value.

NAME: thedrywallgourmet
SUBMITTED: 5/25/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: 5/2010
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: Small place with a less than the best parking area but inside is charming, the food was wonderful, the service was excellent.. I loved it!

NAME: JC
SUBMITTED: 4/1/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: 3/25/2010
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: Ok, so after reading some of the reviews (both positive and negative) I decided NOT to try this restaurant. Recently I moved to Midtown Houston, literally across the street from where I live, I noticed a new restaurant, The Lemon Tree @ Midtown. I recognized the logo from the poorly made sign they have; I had to try it. Why not? I walked in and my surprise the place looked amazing. Almost too nice. Again, after reading the reviews, I thought that the prices were gonna be to high and the plates small, but... a big BUT, I was wrong. Great prices. Huge portions of food. HUGE. Try TACU-TACU LEMON TREE. Trust me. If you are ever hungry and only have $20 in your pocket, ask for this plate (you'll get some change back so tip your server).

Speaking of the servers, it's true, needs improvement but... big BUT, you will probably find Fernando there. He's the manager and honestly, he is super cool. Treats you like you were the last table he is ever gonna have. He runs the restaurant with his wife, who happens to be the owner and Augusto, his chef and also owner. You look at these kids and yes, they are kids, and you can't help to love them and their restaurant.

Great food, excellent ceviches, great wine, peruvian beer and the best thing they have there besides the Johnnie Walker Black Label, lol is their PISCO SOUR. Oh My God!!!!!! I'm never drinking another margarita again. Order the Pisco Sour. So go, try it. You will like and if not, its only 20 minutes with Fernando and $20.

NAME: Jorge Noriega
SUBMITTED: 3/12/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: march 2010
FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times

MY REVIEW: We have been to the Whittington location several times now. At first it was just my friend and I. We loved the food so much that we have since included several of our friends who have also enjoyed the cuisine. The spices are delicious. Since I am not latin american, I cannot place them. We are Greek, Egyptian, El Salvadorian, Iranian and others. Everything is so fresh. I don't find the prices outrageous and the portions are good. As a matter of fact, my friends ( women, like us ) couldn't finish their Aji de Gallina because it was just to much food.

We have had: Choros a la Chalaca, Ceviche de Pescado, Ceviche Mixto, Lomo Saltado, Merengado de Lucuma. I have tried ceviche at Mexican restaurants and did not like it. This ceviche is incredible ! We had both the mixta and all fish. My El Salvadorian friend especially enjoyed it. The Merengado de Lucuma was nothing we had tasted before. Since I am not Peruvian I cannot compare, however, I found this place because of a Peruvian friend recommending it as excellent food.

The live music adds to the quaintness of the small, family type place it is. Bringing our own wine is perfect - no more guessing what will compliment or what we will enjoy. As for the wait staff - they are just what you will find in Europe: they come to you when you call. We love it !

NAME: Natasha
SUBMITTED: 2/18/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: January 2010
FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times

MY REVIEW: We have both eaten in and taken out from this restaurant (we ate in when we had one child, now take out since we have two) and up to recently the food was ok. The other reivews are right, outside is run down as the restaurant is in a beaten up strip center, and the service was always only average. I noticed recently the prices have increased substantially, the portion size gone down, and now I no longer think it is worth it at all. $13 and $14 for simple meat dishes is now too much, especially for a restaurant of this low caliber. I see some older reviews that say the food and portions were good, but that has changed in the past months, and we have been there more than 4-6 times, but everyone doesn't "know our name."

In our last take out trip, one dinner was very small, and when we called to complain, after driving home 10 miles, they argued with us. The host who I spoke to at the restaurant was the same who answered the phone, and ironically, when she realized I was complaining, first she argued with me, then she all of a sudden didn't speak English. My wife is Peruvian, and the restaurant argued with her too, then asked us to bring back the dinner so they could see it!

My advice, what you get isn't worth the price. Find somewhere else.

NAME: disappointed patron
SUBMITTED: 1/1/2010   LAST VISIT WAS: 12/28/09
FREQUENCY: Visited 4-6 times

MY REVIEW: Disclaimers first: I am Peruvian. And I've been going to Lemon Tree since they opened, some years ago

I often bring friends from work (not only Americans, but Asians and Europeans) and they all love it. In fact, many times I've been asked to come along. Maybe because I can ask for 'special' variations on the food. Aside form that, it is not uncommon that some of this friends come back on their own.

Food is great as it's been noted by the reviews. I must add that in a recent visit I did to Peru, I found myself telling my friends down there (after the 2nd restaurant in Lima) that in fact I had a much better Peruvian food in Houston! Yes, it is that good. Portions are a little bit above average which is a pity because you want to save space for the desserts which are in another whole category. Desserts are made from scratch, and when they are gone, they are gone, there is no frozen extra in the freezer.

None of the food is very spicy but just right (but bear in mind I'm Peruvian and I consider your hottest Mexican or Tex-Mex food rather bland). You can ask for extra chile, but they don't really have the "good" stuff, because, well, you are just not in Peru and some of those spices are really hard to get in the US)

In terms of the service, let me add an important comment (and I of course am of the mindset that everyone is entitled to their opinion, in reference to other reviews in this site): even when the service staff could/might do some efforts to adapt to an American service mode; plain and simple, they are actually leaving you alone to enjoy your food and conversation with your companion -because you did bring someone with you, right? (you would notice there is no TV!!!, and there is a very good reason for that, you are there to have a good time, not to become distracted with TV shows). Service is no different to what you would find in Europe or in LatinAmerica, wait staff will 'dissapear' until you need them. If you need something, you can ask; and bear in mind that they are not trying to have you out the door as soon as possible so other customers can come, the primary goal is that you enjoy your food and leave when you are ready and not before. If you don't ask for a check, you would not get one, because the assumption is that when you are ready to leave, you'll let them know.

As you might have guessed, most customers are natives or at least Latin, and you don't need to speak Spanish.

NAME: Loco Tela
SUBMITTED: 12/23/2009   LAST VISIT WAS: 12/1/09
FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name...

MY REVIEW: At here once and am dying to go back. Food was excellent, service not lacking at all, and reasonably priced for lunch. Seems similar to Columbian and Brazilian cuisine.

NAME: decadent connoisseur
SUBMITTED: 10/7/2009   LAST VISIT WAS: 7/2009
FREQUENCY: Visited once

MY REVIEW: This is my first experience with Peruvian food, although I've cooked with the native chili peppers several times. I usually make an aji sauce with any of rocoto, panca or amarillo to go with steak, and the peppers are what define Peru to me.

As always, neither parent seems to believe anything positive on this site and believes anything negative on this site. It's extremely frustrating because there are dozens of restaurants I've yet to try but will not be taken to. Fortunately, it was one day before my birthday this time, and I finally got the family to come to Lemon Tree.

I don't seem to agree that the restaurant is run-down from outside, that the service is lacking, or that you'll be stared at if you're not a native as other sites have said, but I do seem to agree that the food is authentic and delicious. Lemon Tree served me my first ceviche: tiradito fish with rocoto cream sauce, and yes, it's good. GOOD. It tastes nothing of fishiness, rather of the sea and lemon, plus the rocoto chili sauce which has a notable heat to it, but not as hot as the rocoto sauce I make at home.

Admittedly, it's $13 plus, and some meat dishes are $14, but nothing is past $15. The chicha morada is a must-try no matter what background you're from: Because of my party's "lack of faith", they missed out on ordering a liter of this, instead leaving most of it for me to drink. Everyone instantly regretted it when I let them try it! It tastes like a mixture of fruit, and it is in some variations, with a nuttiness on the end that signals the purple corn from which it is made. It's supposed to be better homemade? I want to know about it. This drink should be federally required in school vending machines.

The lomo saltado, another dish I've eagerly wanted to try and we ordered, was apparently a bit disappointing. Mom ordered it spicy and got it extremely hot, and I asked for the traditional Peruvian heat level on my rocoto tiradito and got about medium. I don't think lomo is supposed to be that hot.

In addition to the heat, which she does not like in such large doses, it seemed to be steamed rather than stir-fried as it usually is. It's soupy and it needs something more than the small cup of rice you get with it. It's also fourteen dollars.

I liked it, and I loved how historic it tasted with the soy sauce in it, but I was disappointed with this opinion considering it was a popular order from around the restaurant.

Missteps aside, Lemon Tree is definitely worth a change from the famous Brazilian eatery, as they look and feel like two twin brothers, one raised in Peru and one in Brazil. The food of both restaurants stretches back over centuries of history and influence, and that is why they are some of the greatest cuisines in the world. Be really traditional and spoon up the ceviche runoff after you've finished...it's almost as if you're right there in Peru.

NAME: Andrew
SUBMITTED: 7/6/2009   LAST VISIT WAS: 7/5/09
FREQUENCY: Visited once

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