The Lemon Tree — Restaurant in Houston

I used to work in the neighborhood a few years ago but never thought to stop by this place. Last weekend I had a chance to visit as some friends organized a get-together in the place.

We arrived at about 7pm and the place already looked full. Parking was very difficult to find -there seems to be enough spaces for a restaurant this size but the lot was already almost full. There must be some other business in the building that needs parking at night.

The food was just okay but the ambience and the service were great. The music went from a DJ playing the audience favorites to sometimes him holding the mike and singing for us. Most of the diners were Latin and one group seemed to be composed of very fun and lively middle-Eastern people, so the music was salsa, merengue, bachata, cumbia, vallenatos, with some fan favorites Arabic music from the 1990s and 2000s thrown into the mix. There was a lot of dancing going on.

Now, back to the food. A quick survey among our party showed mixed reactions to the food. Some thought it was good. Mine (fish and shrimp in parsley sauce) felt a bit bland. Another friend ordered breaded seafood and she was separating all the bread from her food because she felt that "it came from a can". My wife had the weirdest reaction. She ordered the beef tenderloin in mushroom sauce and halfway through her plate she lost her voice! It was as if an allergic reaction just stopped her vocal chords in their track!!! She stopped eating and after about 15-20 minutes her voice slowly came back. (The beef was also tough to eat and drowned in too much sauce. It was visually unappealing.)

Our server was very attentive. She checked on us every few minutes and the orders were correctly filled. The bill however includes a 20% "service charge" (also known as a "tip"), so keep that in mind when you pay your check.

All in all, it was an enjoyable visit. Except for the food, of course, which, because it is a restaurant, seems to be an important factor to keep in mind. Alcohol is BYOB. We did not order any desserts. The final bill was about $25-28 per person, including the above mentioned...

pros: friendly personnel and owner. She seem to know a lot of Latino people in the area good cafe to have a chat, especially for a Latino community good family cafe atmosphere, not professional enough for a restaurant

cons: in short: it's a cafe and not really a restaurant, a menu is expensive for this level of food (which is mediocre), the interior is OK for a neighborhood cafe but overall plain and simple. an open-style, cafe interior, no booths, no sophisticated design, simple style. the noisy rattling beverage fridge is right inside the main room. Disturbing. Again, it is OK for a cafe, not a restaurant. a waiter uses noisy serving cart for take dirty dishes. It distracts and not professional the interior is simple, the ceiling is dirty, the dividing wall looks cheap sodas (i.e. Inca Kola, Chicha Morada) are served as specialty drinks. C'mon, are we in a school canteen?

We have tried the following dishes: Bolitas de Yuca with Queso - I like them Pulpo a lo Cayo - it is too small for a main dish! It's too expensive ($14) for Appetizer! I can't say I liked this dish. Concentrado De Mariscos - the dish was watery and seem to have curry, which is not exactly a Latin-American spice/sauce. The seafood seem to be overcooked or stayed on a food warmer for too long and lost it's taste. I did not like this dish at all.

I appreciate an owners efforts to create a family "restaurant", but the place is rather a cafe and yet too far from a restaurant level.

2-person 2 course dinner would cost around $70. I would rather spend this amount somewhere else.

I would not recommend this place to anyone, unless you are a Latino and seeking a place to chat with other Hispanics and don't mind higher prices and basic service.

p.s. Please take reviews before me with a grain of salt. Some reviewers seem to be owner's friends or relatives. This reflects their...

As I’m posting this I am still in shock...I would give this place - star if I could...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?!?!? ...