Lemon Tree

AWESOME!!! I have to say I love this restaurant. It is a small, family owned restaurant that sits in the middle of Midtown.
They start you off with a basket of chips & this spicy, tangy, creamy delicious sauce that doesn’t seem to be very traditional (being that it’s chips), but it gets you into the mood for what’s to come.
Their menu features a wide variety of the most authentic dishes, from Choros a la Chalaca, Tiraditos, Pescado a la Chorrillana to Parihuela & Tallarin a la Huancaina.
When you’re in luck, they have the most amazing traditional Peruvian Tres Leches that is super light and perfectly sweet. If they don’t have it you should try the merengue de lucuma.
This restaurant is an absolute must!

I’m no Peruvian food expert, but this was good stuff. I couldn’t wait to go back once we left. Our waiter was knowledgeable in menu items and what each dish was prepared with. I’m unable to eat dairy or soy so this is always appreciated. We had the ceviche mixto to start, it was so delicious and large. The sweet potatoes and corn that accompanied it were a welcome addition. Come on people, if you’re dining at a place named Lemon Tree, please don’t be so amazed that lemons are a large influence. It’s not just a clever name. I did not find the lemon in the ceviche overpowering, but I’m also not ridiculous. I also had the Tacu Tacu Lemon Tree, which was tasty. I will opt for the Lomo Saltado next time because it was the star of the Tacu Tacu. I’m also a huge fan of their Pisco Sours. I ordered one somewhere else and was hugely disappointed. They really know what they’re doing! I hope this place stays around for a long time as I plan on becoming a regular.

Tasty food, nice atmosphere and service (usually), and okay prices.
I have been to this location 3 times, the other location once, and I think I prefer this one, though my data set is small :) I am half-​Peruvian, and though culturally I am not super Peruvian, I do get excited when I have the opportunity to eat at Peruvian restaurant. That said, I can only half (or less) speak to the authenticity.
If you are new to Peruvian, and like red meat, I recommend the lomo saltado. It’s so hard for me not to order this, because I enjoy it so much, and I think they do a decent job with it. The ceviche is also pretty tasty, though if this is your first time tasting it, be aware it is super citrusy, but in a good way — just a shock if you’re not expecting it. I tried the cebiche (I believe that was the name — fish with onion sauce), and it was okay. Maybe I was expecting something different, but I wasn’t in love. I’ve also had the yucca appetizer and choclo (corn) and both were good. I don’t think they do rotisserie chicken here, but maybe I am mistaken.
As for drinks, if you just want to try something fun, go for the Inca Kola. Some say it tastes bubblegummy, and I sorta agree, but I like to think of it as more a mix between a citrus and cream soda. Chicha morada if you’re more adventurous — purple corn juice. And, if you’re over 21, the Pisco Sour is pretty good, kinda grapey.
I like the interior of this restaurant, peaceful but polished shade of green, fish tanks, and weekend live entertainment. Once there was a woman singing, that was good, once a DJ, that was a bit loud for eating, maybe good for taking advantage of the dance floor. The service the first two times I went was excellent. The last time I went was surprisingly cold, so hopefully you get the better experience. Parking is limited, though I think they do have valet. There is parking garage just diagonally across the street, free for 2 – 3 hours.

My friends and I had been to the other Lemon Tree in west Houston, and they were very excited to try this new location in Midtown.
There was live music – vocals by a woman with a great voice. It was nice, but made it hard to have conversation. But onto food:
My friend and I split a plate of ceviche as an appetizer ($ 13). The plate was quite big and we were impressed by the portions. Keep in mind that I had only had ceviche a couple times before in my life, and I couldn’t really remember what it tasted like, but I had a feeling I wouldn’t like it. Despite this, I decided to give it a shot. anyway, had the first bite — WHOA this is sour! The rest of my group (ceviche fans) tried some of it and agreed that it was more sour than they were used to. Maybe I would have liked it more if it were less tart, or maybe ceviche is just not my thing.
The other dish my friend and I split was a paella, also $ 13. The plate was huge as well, and this dish I DID like. A couple other people in our grp ordered a fish entrée with «spectacular sauce,» which ended up being too lemon-​y for our tastes (yes yes, I know it’s called the Lemon Tree for a reason…). In summation, I would go back to eat the paella, but I’d personally feel wary of ordering any of the other dishes.

The Lemon Tree is like your old Peruvian grandma’s cooking. It’s good, but it is what it is. It’s homestyle and tasty and Peruvian food places are hard to come by in Houston, so I recommend that you try it and find the dish you like and stick to that. With some dishes you may be disappointed.
Oh yeah, it’s also loud near the dance floor they have cleared, waiting for enough latinos to show up and get the party started.
The ceviche is good with the onion sauce. The Pisco Sour’s are blended and very refreshing, though not a lot of alcohol. Some people’s dishes appeared to be simply slathered in mayonnaise, others were delicious.

The Tacu Tacu Lemon Tree had me at fried egg, and it did not disappoint. The dishes my friends had were only okay. The paella… eh. The Pollo con Champignones… just looked like someone poured a can of cream of mushroom over chicken. The cevhiche… a bit over rated. Clearly I was the winner that night with my entrée.

Having been to the location on the Far West side of town, I was ecstatic to learn that a shiny new one opened up ITL. Ask any Peruvian that has dined here and they will all say that this is the stuff Mama makes at home — total comfort food.
I came here last Saturday with a bunch of girlfriends and the quality of the food is just as excellent as the other location. What is different (and better) about this one is that it has a full bar. This allowed us to enjoy a couple of pitchers of Pisco Sour, a very popular Peruvian cocktail made with lemon and egg whites. Of course, if you’re not having alcohol that evening or you’re on your lunch break, you could try some of the fruity Inca Cola. Also, I’m not sure if it’s only on Saturday nights, but a space was cleared out for dancing and they had a DJ playing Latin-​American music very loudly. This didn’t bother us, as we ladies were totally in the mood for it, but it is something to note. I do have to say I’m not a big fan of the bright lighting inside by the cheesy ceiling fans. For a different dining experience, you could sit outside on their covered patio area, as it seemed much more subdued and calm. Like anything Latin American you can expect a longer wait for your food but it’s all part of the experience and well worth the anticipation. I ordered my favorite dish, the Tacu Tacu Lemon Tree (tender chunks of medium-​cooked beef with onions and tomatoes swimming in a rich seasoned broth with rice, beans, yucca fries and two eggs over easy on top), and it was just as good as I remembered from the other location. This dish is meant for more than one person (see photo), and I was able to take more than half of it home for my eager and hungry boyfriend to enjoy. At $ 15, I call that value. I do like how the dining area is lively and wide open here, compared to the other location being so cramped and quiet. Our waitress Natalia was a champ and offered to split the check to make it simple… after looking at us 6 ladies staring at the bill trying to calculate on our own. (It’s hard to do after so many Pisco Sours, OK?) My vegetarian friend felt sorta «mehhh» about the one vegetarian-​friendly item on the menu, but in all honesty you will find it difficult to find a good veggie-​only option at any South American restaurant.

I wonder how
I wonder why
Yesterday you told me ’bout the blue blue sky
And all that I can see is just a yellow lemon-​tree.
When I hear the name of this place, all I can think about is this song from when I was a kid. So first of all, I don’t know what qualifies as peruvian food since I’ve never had it before nor do I know any peruvians.
I went in a group of 19 people and through the various dishes we ordered, there are basically 2 kinds sauces they have. A ceviche sauce that is tangy, citrusy or a cream sauce that is very thick and bland. We had a couple of different ceviches, which all tasted very similar cause the sauce is very overpowering but they were good and refreshing, especially as an appetizer. They tasted very fresh and home made so I enjoyed that. Next I got a tenderloin and 2 eggs, which was very salty and had the ceivche sauce poured all over it. The fries kind of didn’t go with the dish either but it tasted ok. Reminded me of an asian dish the way the meat tasted. Another dish I ate quite a bit of was the chicken and mushroom sauce. Tasted like a can of cream of mushroom soup poured over chicken. Was not very good. Also, do not get the seafood paella if you’re looking for authentic spanish type of paella. On to the desserts. We had a tres leches and it was subpar. Not very milky and the chocolate overpowers the taste. We also had some tangy mango dessert. Not a fan… Like mentioned in another review, nothing is over $ 15 but everything is priced around $ 15. The servers are large and in charge so family style is probably best.
Other than that, the waiters were happy to provide us beers but never refilled our waters. So can’t say I was happy about the service. Instead of asking us if we wanted another beer, why not just fill our empty glass of water too?
I was there on a Sat so they had a DJ playing salsa music and they have a dance floor so there were some professionals dancing or something. The music was pretty loud and made it hard to converse. They do have a bit of seating that is available outside.
Overall, even though I gave this place 3 stars, I probably will not be returning. They get the 3^rd star because I can’t say i know peruvian food. The whole time I was there I was thinking bout how I passed up Coco’s on the way there and how much happier I’d be over there…

Had the ceviche which was good, but not amazing. The front porch offers outdoor seating & the young man who provided our wait service was very good with providing recommendations.

Ate at the Midtown location twice now. Valet parking was convenient the first visit. The second visit we arrived after 10 and found parking on the street right across the restaurant. The same great service and food ! The bar wasn’t open the first visit so we were able to bring our wine. We arrived at our reservation time of 8, which was a good idea as the place filled up within 20 minutes. The one woman band was really good. In between her sets they piped in good Latin music. People were dancing and having a good time. Really nice atmosphere — a little better than casual and felt very homey. The second visit it was ready, although there was no bartender (this was in March), so the wait staff made drinks. Our waiter made a Pisco Sour. I had never tasted such a delicious drink. A little tart with frothy egg whites atop the drink. I’m not sure how it could compare to other Pisco Sours but this was really yummy ! The fish ceviche, as always, was delicious. We arrived late, 1030, so they served us quick as they close at 11. We are ready to go for Sunday brunch and sit in the outside area before the lovely Houston weather becomes unbearable.

Been to the Lemon Tree twice and both times the food has been great but the service could be greatly improved. Granted, the waiters look like they are very young and inexperienced, but also I think it’s a function of how the restaurant is organized as it seems to me that they don’t assign sectors to specific waiters so several waiters are handling one table and they don’t communicate with one another what they are doing or the orders they are taking. Best dish here is definitely the Ceviche de Pescado, the closest approximation to a true Peruvian ceviche you could get in Houston. The Jalea de Mariscos is also very good, as well as the Tallarin Saltado de Mariscos. Pretty much most of the seafood dishes are very good. The Lomo Saltado is also very good, although from time to time it could be overly seasoned. Some of the side orders are quite small, especially compared with those at the West Side location (i.e. the Yucca side dish only had FOUR pieces of yucca). I have been going to the West Side restaurant for years and the Midtown restaurant has huge potential because of its location but it has some work to do regarding service and aligning with the quality of the W. Side (I agree with the comment from Allie N. about the «ditzy young sister» and the «smart older sister»). Oh and BTW, don’t order the Pionono for dessert because it’s is mega dry. It tasted like it came straight out of a box, definitely not home made…

Just had lunch here and I’ve never had Peruvian food so it’s hard for me to rate it because I have no other basis. Service was very friendly and attentive, nice atmosphere. Chips and aioli are served before ordering. Our table split the ceviche and I must say it was incredible fresh and delicious. It’s listed as an entrée on the menu. I’ve had better fried calamari, it was a little tough and fishy. The portions are very large here, you won’t go hungry. All the fish dishes are fried or pan seared, wish they offered something grilled. It would help if the menu offered a better description of each dish, but the staff was very helpful in explaining the dishes. Valet parking only, $ 5.

I usually don’t give reviews to restaurants I am not crazy about. But I am making an exception because I think that I may need to try this place one more time. Our server was clearly new and not that helpful in leading us through the menu. The phrase «everything is good» usually isn’t true. We started off with some oysters marinated in lemon juice with corn and cilantro. The dish had tons of potential and looked so pretty. Unfortunately, there was too much lemon juice and it overwhelmed the flavor of the oysters. We then moved on to some «paella» but it was not what I consider true paella. The look was there but the flavor was not. Also, the quality of the seafood was mediocre at best. I couldn’t even identify one of the proteins in the dish. If I am going to get a rice dish that isn’t paella, I’ll opt for the arroz con pollo at El Meson. Clearly, I was not impressed. But I love Peruvian food and this is the most engaging place I’ve come across in Houston. If anyone has been to El Pollo Rico in DC you know what I am talking about. I the Lemon Tree is not El Pollo Rico but I may give it another shot.

Came to the Lemon Tree on a Friday night with a group of 10. We requested to be away from the stage because a friend said it can get pretty loud. We were as far back as you can get, and it was nice. We could still hear the band and be social, without screaming at each other.
We started off with a few pitchers of what they were calling Peruvian Margaritas. I couldn’t drink them. They were good, but they had way too much sugar. The group, however, went through 5 pitchers! I stuck with diet coke.
Next came the appetizers. We ordered calamari, which was pretty mediocre, we had Anticuchos de Lomo, which was really good! It was marinated tenderloins in a spicy sauce. …very delicious! …and my favorite… the Choros a la Chalaca! …Peruvian ceviche! YUMMY!
What I thought was really great are their prices! I think the most expensive thing on the menu was like $ 14.
We all shared eachother’s main dish. My favorite was the seafood pallea. It was a little too spicy for me. .but I really enjoyed it.
I ordered the Lomo Saltado and I wasn’t too crazy about it. Although the meat was pretty tender and the onions and peppers were good, it was pretty bland and the fries were in the stew, which left them pretty soggy if you waited too long to eat them.
I was told to expect a band, but while we were there, there was just one lady singing to music. …sort of karaōke. But she was pretty good and she had lots of energy with the crowd. We actually got up to dance when she sang the Peruvian version of I Need to Know, by Marc Anthony. It was great.
I definitely would like to go back with another large group of people! It’s definitely a fun atmosphere.

You know how in a lot of families there’s the plain looking, but smarter older sister and the cute, fun, ditzy younger sister? Well, this location is the cute, fun, and ditzy younger sister, where as the original Lemon Tree is the plain looking, but smarter older sister.
The original Lemon Tree on the west side of town holds a special place to me because that was the location that the bf and I had our 2^nd date. There, I discovered a delicious dessert called Merenge Lucuma that was homemade by the owner. Sure, the location wasn’t anything fancy, but they mastered some good food!
So now you have the second Lemon Tree, located even closer to me. The place looks great. Beautiful hardwood floors, a fully stocked bar, live music on weekends, and even a patio. However, they’re missing what the original location has: experience. They’re still learning the ropes and trying to be like their big sister.
They get their desserts delivered to them from the original location, so they may or may not have what you want in stock. The menu is the same, but I just felt like the food wasn’t quite as good as the original location. My bf had the Tacu Tacu Lemon Tree, which is Lomo Saltado served with 2 fried eggs, rice, and beans. The lomo saltado barely came with many pieces of meat. I had Arroz con Mariscos (paella) and it was a little more soggier than usual. Both dishes were decent, but not as great as we remember. And, they were out of dessert that night :(
We usually also get ceviche mixto because the bf LOVES Peruvian style ceviche. We didn’t have the appetite for it that night, but we saw others order it and it still looked great.
The service here was ok. They speak much better English here than at the original location, but the waiter was very slow as he liked to chat with all the tables (which is nice only if you’re the table he’s talking to). The lady who looked like the manager/​owner looked like she didn’t give a crap when we entered, asked to be seated, or asked for the check.
They’re located right between Front Porch Pub and Soul Food. Their sign was not lit so it was hard for me to find at night. I don’t think they have a private lot either, just valet parking ($ 5). I think given a few more months, this place will become better.

Ahh, *real* ceviche available ITL!!! I cannot explain how thrilled I was to find out that a Lemon Tree would be opening so close to home. They are the only place I’ve found in Houston that serves actual Pervuian style ceviche. I was curious to see what the differences would be between the original store and this one and I’m glad to say that they are mostly improvements at this new location.
The first thing worth mentioning is how much larger and cleaner this location is. You actually get a real restroom here – shocking! The décor is modern and again clean. They have a pretty large fish tank on the side which is fun for the kids to sit and watch. There’s also an outdoor patio that will be perfect for those ten days in Houston that are beautiful to sit outside.
The other change with this location is that they actually seem to have a liquor license. Now, I haven’t been back to the original location in a while, so that may have changed over there as well, but this is worth mentioning. Of course, they have plenty of Inca Cola if that’s what you’re looking for.
For the meal, I went with the ceviche mixto – delicious! The seafood was all fresh and fabulous. The flavor was close to home and all the seafood-​y goodness had time to soak up the delicious flavors. The hubs got the lomo saltado, another Peruvian classic. The meat was tender and juicy with plenty of flavor. We also ordered some yucca fries and choclo for the table. The yucca was delicious as per usual – perfectly fried and hot. I did have to ask for mayo which I thought was a little odd – that should automatically come with the plate in my opinion. The choclo was a bit disappointing in portion size, plus I prefer mine still on the cob.
I was a bit surprised to hear the complaints about the service. There was nothing stand out about it, but I definitely didn’t have any complaints. A baby chair was provided and the service was pretty prompt throughout. I’ll definitely be going back often since it is so close to town!

I live right across from this reastaurant and therefore I was excited to give it a try. My boyfriend and two other friends walked over and had dinner here on a Tuesday night. The food was bland, our waiter was terrible (he did say it was his frist day). This place has so much potential, but I don’t think I will be back. I ordered the Shrimp Tacu Tacu spicy and it was just a plate of mushed rice and beans with shrimp in a bland sauce.

I had only been to the West Side location once but that once left me with memories of great food and great company.
I didn’t know there were even plans to open a second location until I was walking home one day (I live across the street) and I saw the banner announcing it was coming soon.
So of course once it opened I had to try it. I grabbed my boyfriend ad 2 bottles of wine and walked on over.
One of the main things I remember from my visit to their other location was the ceviche. It was fresh and was very diffrent from other ceviches. So I ordered that and my boyfriend ordered the Pollo Saltado.
While waiting for our orders a basket of chips came out. First thing I noticed was that these were not freshly made chips. These were definitely store bought and quite frankly a little stale. The dip that came with it however was quite good and it left me wanting fresh corn chips or plaintain chips to eat it with.
The ceviche came and it was different than i remembered. I know Peruvian ceviche is alot more tart than other ceviches but I did not expect just how tart it was. I coudlnt really taste antyhign but lemon juice. The fish was fresh however.
My boyfriend really enjoyed his pollo saltado so much so that when I reached over he slapped my hand away.
So on our second visit we both got the saltado… him shrimp and beef for myself. It was delicious. We also had the tres leches on both visits. It is good but fairly standard.
Overall, maybe things are different at this location or maye my memories of the old location are clouded with the good memories of being with friends but it just wasnt as good as I expectedm but I will be back for the lomo saltado.
Service is a little lacking and it hasn’t quite picked up yet, but Saturdays are fun with a live band. Take advantage of the BYOB policy as they do plan on having a full bar soon.

I always find myself at the Lemon Tree off Dairy Ashford when I’m craving authentic Peruvian cuisine. So when I heard about this new location I wanted to see how it stacked up to the original spot.
I always start off with Papa a la Huancaina (even though they serve it as an entrée). It’s boiled potatoes covered in a semi-​spicey creamy, cheesy type sauce. I love the sauce so much that I usually spoon it up even after the potatoes are gone.
I realize that this spot has what most claim is the best ceviche in town, but I’m not a ceviche fan. I always order the Lomo Saltado (beef tenderloin sauteed with onions and tomatoes, served with fries and white rice) or the Aji de Gallina (shredded chicken breast mixed in special spicy sauce made with Parmesan cheese, cream and walnuts). If you opt for the chicken, ask for an additional side of white rice. I don’t know why they bring you such a tiny rice portion since Peruvians eat a LOT of rice.
The new spot has a nice modern décor, and hopefully their trendy new location can entice midtowners to sample Peruvian cuisine. I did notice on my first visit that the service here is (unfortunately) similar to their Dairy Ashford location. We waited about 5 minutes to be seated because there was nobody to greet us as we walked in. And the place was sort of empty. The management and/​or proprietors need to realize that for their establishment to be successful they need to improve their service. It’s not always enough to have GREAT food; many diners expect at least decent service.
Still, there’s nowhere else in Houston to get Peruvian food; so I still highly recommend this place.