Limon

by Burry B.

pretty solid meal.  i wish i could give a 3.75.ordered the lomo saltado, a pretty standard affair for peruvian foods.  i've had this dish multiple times from many places, new york, san francisco, san jose, and now fresno, and the lomo saltado here was not the best, but yet it was still pretty good.  a pinch salty but still good, and nothing to hinder me from munching away.wish i had discovered this place a little sooner for my trip to fresno, because i would definitely like to try this restaurant again to give a more solid review.

by Blake S.

My wife is from Peru and our family really loves this restaurant.  We have never had a bad meal at this place.  The service is quite good.   Some times it is a little slow, because the do not have enough servers.  All of the servers try their best to make your visit pleasant.They have very nice Ceviche and the Lomo Saltado is very good.  Everything they serve is very good and quite authentic.Try it, I am sure you will enjoy your visit.

by Ryan C.

Food. I really enjoyed the menu at Limon. The drink list included Peruvian beer and a few cocktails made with pisco, a Peruvian liquor. For an appetizer, the BBQ spareribs were delicious and very nicely presented. They had just enough zip to them to be interesting, but not overpowering if you don't like spicy food. As a main course, the Ceviche Limon was outstanding. This was the first time I have had ceviche and I'm definitely a fan. The fish, shrimp, and squid were all fresh and the marinade/sauce was nice and tangy with the citrus. The Peruvian corn and yam was a nice touch as well. To finish off, the dessert was very good and great for sharing between two people.Service. It was a bit slow, which at first irritated me, until it became plainly obvious that they were short some staff. The place was very busy and there just wasn't enough help on the floor. Those that were there did offer great service when they could get to you, so overall, the service was good and attentive when able. Hopefully it is just a one time thing, maybe someone was sick.Decor. It's nice and bright in Limon. It's odd, you don't see many brightly lit restaurants, but it works for them, especially with the color selection for the walls, etc. It's a small place, but there are definitely a lot of tables given the limited space.

by kim n.

I'd been told by many people to eat at Limon, many times. When I finally got around to going there was  a fire in their kitchen in SF. Then they built Limon Rotisserie and I again slacked.After all the time, I somehow end up eating their food while visiting my hometown. So it turns out that the Castillo family is putting down ties in the Central Valley and Mother Luz Trigoso is bringing her more traditional recipes (that Martin Castillo employs alongside his fusion ideas) with brother Eduardo Castillo also moving down. Brave of them you say? Perhaps. It's good to see Fresno finally poking its head into the higher culinary spectrum.Alas, this is still Fresno and Limon is located in a strip mall next to a ton of chains with namely one Hooters. Yes Hooters. The space seats about 70 people and on opening night it was packed to the gills with mutiple 10+ person tables. The air was smoky due to the grilled meats, and the vibe was vibrant like the colors that were splashed along the walls. We were seated along the right side near the bar area with the opposite side giving way to the open kitchen. We were shortly greeted by our friendly server, asking if we'd had Peruvian food before. It was also noted that they hadn't yet received their liquor license so we opted for their housemade lemon/limeade, which was a delicious start. After looking at the menu I remembered that the SF menu seemed a bit more adventurous and confirmed with the waitress that Fresno probably wasn't ready for the full blown Limon experience yet, so they were easing in with the traditional fare. We decided quickly and ended up with:- Ceviche Limon- Halibut with mixed seafood marinated in rocoto and lime juice, with yam and Peruvian Corn- Antichuchos de Carne - Grilled, marinated beef skewers, server with potatoes and Peruvian choclo-Arros con Mariscos - Clams, mussles, shrimp, calamari, and octopus cooked with saffron rice in a Peruvian pepper sauce-Chuleton Carlitos - Pan roaster pork chop over baconm cabbage has with a mushroom raguThere were definitely some surprises with the meal. I expected the seafood dishes to be the standouts and the meats to be pretty good but it was just the opposite. Ceviche was good but not mmindblowing and the Arroz was ok. The beef skewers and pork chop were excellent. Im going to go to say the pork chop might be the best pork chop I've ever had. Grilled to perfection, juicy, and well complimented by the bacon/cabbage smothered in mushroom ragu. I could go here for that dish alone. The service was very friendly, though sometimes scattered due to the nerves of  opening night. Despite the crowd our food came out in a timely manner and we ended up only being there for an hour and fifteen minutes. The clientele were a lot of friends and family as everyone seemed to know each other except for us. I'd definitely like to go back when they have their liquor license and definitely with a bigger group of people to try more things. Definitely will need to get to the ones in SF too especially when the flagship opens up again Jan.2009. 4.25 stars.

by Debi K.

Great experience. Wonderful wait staff, went over and above to describe and explain the menu. Excellent food and drink!

by Burry B.Cristofer P.Roy K.nick a.

pretty solid meal.  i wish i could give a 3.75.ordered the lomo saltado, a pretty standard affair for peruvian foods.  i've had this dish multiple times from many places, new york, san francisco, san jose, and now fresno, and the lomo saltado here was not the best, but yet it was still pretty good.  a pinch salty but still good, and nothing to hinder me from munching away.wish i had discovered this place a little sooner for my trip to fresno, because i would definitely like to try this restaurant again to give a more solid review.From the outside, the place looks like it's under construction or something because of it's tucked away location and the windows are covered with paper shades. But it's nice once you get in.The sangria here was incredible. On par with Cha Cha Cha in SF. It's got extra small pieces of fruit and the drink had a hint of cinnamon to it. I wish there wasn't so much ice, but it's tasty enough to where I'd come back to Limon just for another pitcher.I'm normally not a very big fan of ceviche, but the Ceviche Limon here was okay, with lots of calamari and shrimp. The truffle-infused mac cheese with mascarpone cheese, however, was the winner of the night. The Pollo Latino, a pan-seared chicken breast, had good flavor but the chicken was disappointingly dry. I actually wanted the rotisserie chicken, but they were out already at 7pm!Boy we were scared to try this place since everytime we go around this area, the place was empty at lunch. But boy thanks to our buddy "Keith" we decided to try it. This place is great. Good food, great service. If you just want to try it, go during lunch. almost the same menu as dinner, but obviously dinner has more of a selection. Also if you like "SWEET" ya gotta try the Peruvian iced tea. Boy it is sweet! Would be great if it was cut with some vodka or rum. Try their truffle mac and cheese. Its not your traditional mac and cheese. Its almost like a warm pasta salad with light cheese sauce. Its was GREAT! Gotta go back for dinner to see how it is, But by trying their lunch menu, it was a great meal. When i go back have to try the pisco sours and the ceviche.Okay, I have been back a few more times and decided I was being stingy with 4 stars. This place is five star, no doubt! Got a half off coupon for this place so my wife and I thought we would give it a try. Wow. The food…

by liz d.

We ordered a variety of dishes, including the potato soup,  chicharron de pollo, pork tamale, beef empanadas, and lomo saltado.  Two of us also ordered the tasty fresh limeade.  Everyone was satisfied with their dishes.  The lomo saltado was tender, juicy and flavorful.  The empanada was sweet.  The tamale had light. fluffy masa and lots of juicy pork bites inside.  I hope the people of Fresno embrace this new restaurant as something original and unique, and allow it to succeed among the dismal sea of chain restaurants surrounding it (um, hello Hooters).

by Janet S.

Our first try of Peruvian food was a good one.  Started w/ their house salad which was a wedge of iceberg lettuce dressed in a creamy dressing w/ some sort of Peruvian cheese, tomato, bacon and of course, Peruvian corn, a cross between corn and hominy.  The lomo saltado had chunks of sirloin w/ onions, tomato and fries in the mix.  I think I might have liked the fries on the side so that I could enjoy the crispiness.  The hubby ordered fish, served over a seafood mixture.  Sadly, he has had a bad experience in the past w/ calamari, and that's what made up the seafood mix.  So he wasn't pleased, NOT Limon's fault.  Excellent service w/ a very knowledgable server.  Give it a go!

by Räv V.

Mom's birthday brought us back to Fresno on this warm but not hot weekend. Every year we pick a nice and new place to have a family dinner to celebrate her special day.  It had been a while since I had Peruvian food and I had heard the buzz on Limon and knew we had to try it. Lucky for me the family was down for it since they've never had Peruvian food.  From the moment we walked in I had a feeling we were in for a treat. Our table was set and ready for us. As we sat down a round of waters for everyone along with their simple but interesting menu. This gave me a chance to check out the restaurant. It was nice and simple with colors that seemed to work just fine. Some nice angles here and there with the bar and kitchen being the focal points.  Nothing about this place said Peruvian but who cares I was here for the food. Andrea our waitress spoke Spanish which was a big hit with my parents. From there we went on to Spanglish and the service was top notch all the way.  My water was never empty and crumbs were quickly swept away. The kids in our group also said they liked the place. Drinks:Strawberry Limonada - I didn't try this but those that did kept getting refills so they were probably tasty. 4 @ $2.75Red Wine Sangria Pitcher - This was easily the best Sangria I've EVER had. I'm not just talking in California but even better than in Spain. It was so refreshing I wish I could have one now. Droooool. 2 @ $25.00Passion Fruit Mimosa - My younger sister let me take a sip and boy oh boy this was delicious. Better than an orange one but on par with the peach version. $9.00Cristal - Dad wasn't happy with this Peruvian beer. $4.50Appetizers:Jalea - Their version of calamari with a tangy dipping sauce. Delicious. $8.75Chicharron de Pollo - Their version of fried chicken yet so different. Delicious. $8.50Costillas a la Barbacoa - These fat juicy ribs would put rib places to shame. Delicious. $7.75Dinner:The menu pretty much has nothing for kids. The only thing is their mac n cheese but it's different than what they are used to. Truffled Mac Cheese - The kids had just a few bites. 2 @ $4.00Pollo Latino - My older sister and her son split this one and it was definitely better than the chicken dish my parents got.  The flavor of the skin and the inside was very nice. $15.75Arroz con Mariscos - This was similar to Paella.  My brother ordered this and he wasn't too happy.  Then again he is a picky eater. $14.25Whole Pollo - My parents ordered the whole chicken and it included fries and I forget what else. I had a bite and though good I preferred the Pollo Latino. $17.00Lomo Saltado - My younger sister sat across from me so I got to try this. It was a mixture of marinated beef, french fries and veggies.  Good flavor but she did complain the fries were soggy. I think she was thinking McDonald type fries but instead got this. The Whole Pollo order did come with fries though. $13.75Ceviche de Pescado - Wifey ordered this and it was not what she expected. The fish melted in your mouth and the tangy sauce hit the spot but it lacked the "pico de gallo" type mixture she was used to in the Mexican version. She did say she'd had Peruvian Ceviche and that it also had the mixture in it.  Nevertheless it was one of the better Ceviches she's ever had. I don't care for Ceviche but even I tried it. It was good stuff. $12.75Churrasco a la Parilla - A meal fit for a king.  This was one giant piece of steak and it was oh so juicy. Perfectly cooked medium and topped off with Chimichurri sauce I was in heaven.  I smiled the whole time while I sipped on Sangria. The fresh crunchy asparagus made it even better. $18.75We had no room for dessert but the kids did. At $5.50 for Vanilla Ice Cream I thought it was a little too much but it kept the kids happy.Our meal lasted about 3 hours and it didn't even seem like it.  The staff took care of us while we drank, laughed and ate. The service at this place is by far the best I've ever had in Fresno. Bite after bite the food just got better and better.  Food presentation was eye pleasing. The explosion of flavors at this restaurant has made me a fan of Peruvian food. A place of this caliber fits perfect in any big city and it doesn't surprise me as they also have Limon San Francisco. It's nice to see an alternative to Latin Cuisine in the Fresno area. I noticed as the sun went down the place started to get really busy so I suspect word is getting out. I also wanted to try the Pisco Mojito but I had a good buzz going and I was stuffed so I decided not to. Now I wish I had. Latino Fusion sounds good to me and this Peruvian spot will not disappoint. I highly recommend it. Salud, Buen Provecho and Chin Chin!* 4.5 Stars

by Samina S.

This place is sexy! It is great for a date night because you feel like you are in Manhattan or Westwood, CA. My husband's office staff hosted a birthday party here and the staff was so accommodating, considering we had about 16 people coming and going the whole time we were there. The food was so different for me since I do not have Peruvian food that often. But everything was prepared well and was very tasteful.