Limon Restaurant

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Tiffany Maleshefski

Joined 4 years ago

Citysearch Editorial Review. When a fire put beloved restaurant Limon out of commission for more than a year, rather than hanging his head in defeat, owner Martin Castillo sprang into action. First he went and opened Limon Rotisserie and it wasn’t long before the mouthwatering, scrape-the-bones-to-get-every-last-bit-of-meat rotisserie chicken rose to fame. It also gave the chef the chance to pair up with Emmauel Piqueras, formerly of Azark, a three-star Michelin restaurant in Spain. The partnership has greatly influenced Limon’s “new” menu, which brings in Spanish and Basque touches to its Peruvian-fusion fare. Don’t worry, some of the old favorites are still there, but some standout newbies include the beautifully executed Lomo Saltado: tender strips of wok-tossed sirloin, lavished in a sumptuous soy-inspired sauce and topped with a bundle of neatly wrapped French fries. The interior continues to be a funky wash of bright colors preserves the original restaurant’s sophisticated nightclub atmosphere.

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

This sleek winner in the Mission updates traditional Peruvian cuisine with sassy contemporary twists.. The Scene
Wallpaper-magazine sleek, with a bracing lime-green exterior and muted orange walls within, this spare, smallish space would be right at home in the hip enclaves of Barcelona or Stockholm. A mixture of well-dressed European types and stylishly scruffy Missionites swill sangria and keep the decibel level high.

The Food
Gorgeous appetizers set the tone for meat-centric, down-home, but nuanced entrees. To start, try the empanada Don Walter: tender chunks of beef, eggs and raisins in a blistery, crunchy crust and whole, perfectly steamed shrimp in a fishy romesco sauce. The lomo saltado--lean slices of beef with onions and tomatoes--is expertly seasoned and served aside a mound of fluffy rice to soak up the savory juices. The exceptionally hearty pork chop comes on an earthy bed of mushrooms, bacon and chopped potatoes. Desserts include truly sublime fruit ice cream flown in from Peru.

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tertiarydog

Joined 10 years ago

Very authentic S. American food. Fabulous chiccarones. This is the most consistent Latin restaurant I have been to in San Francisco. There's not a hint of Mexican influence and all South American and Caribbean! It's a wonderful exeperience. I had a great meal start to finish. It gets a bit busy and loud.

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limoncrazy

Joined 10 years ago

Que Rico!. I have had the pleasure of dining at this restraunt several times. I just love every dish they serve, not to say I've had them all, but ALMOST. My ultimate favorite is the Chuleta (Pork chop) and the Ceviches (any one of the several they serve). The touch of Peru in present in every single dish they serve. The staff is great and although it's a small establishment they do all they can to accommodate the people. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, this place is hot. Call for a reservation and try to have at least 3 people---they don't take reservations for 2 on the weekends---or go for an early dinner at 5 p.m.

Doesn't Recommend

smooring

Joined 10 years ago

Terrible experience. Not worth the effort! After waiting for a table for over an hour, we returned to the restaurant. Having been told we were guaranteed a table, we arrived 6 minutes late. We were then told (by a very unsympathetic hostess) that the restaurant gives away tables after five minutes. They could have told us this when they "guaranteed" our table. We'll never go back.

Doesn't Recommend

foodandwine4ever

Joined 10 years ago

Slacking off. . .. Success has gone to Limon's head. The waits are long (we had to negotiate with the hostess to get seated AT our reservation time), the food disappointingly mediocre, and the service sporadic and nonchalant. We ordered chicken apps that tasted like KFC's best, a paella-like dish that wouldn't pass muster in a school cafeteria, and a boulliabaise that made us weep with grief at the money we were wasting. On top of that, the "waiting room" is the sidewalk.

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honey_bunny

Joined 10 years ago

Great find!. We stumbled across this restaurant accidently (walked by around 6pm on a weekday and their menu looked interesting) and I still can't believe how much we lucked out finding this place! The service was great and the food was fabulous! I really enjoyed the mixed seafood ceviche and the mussels with the coconut saffron sauce. The portions were huge- we couldn't believe our bill after we got so much food! Can't wait to go back!

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banananutbread

Joined 11 years ago

Wonderful Peruvian Food. This place is a gem! The menu selection was great The food is terrific. And the staff was relatively accomodating. Strongly recommend the Ceviche Limon, the Chicharron, Calamares, and the Ahi Tuna Tartare to start with. The Bouillabaise was also amazing-- as the seafood was very fresh and the tomato base broth light and pleasing. The chocolate mousse and peach bread pudding can be great endings to a wonderful meal. Also-- the Sangria is one to try. The wine list is lacking but the $10 corkage fee makes up for it.

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jasmine77

Joined 11 years ago

another great Mission restaurant!. not to be missed! the food is very fresh and affordable. i had the seafood paella and it was loaded with flavor and tons of seafood. the service is also very friendly and totally makes it feel like a neighborhood restaurant. the only negative comment is that the space has all hard surfaces and it's really small which makes the room really loud so come with one person cause you'll never be able to have a group conversation.

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tracymcg

Joined 11 years ago

good, but overly hyped. Considering the amount of press Limon has received we decided to wait a few months before trying it. The food was good, but the defeaning noise and pushy service made for a rushed and exhausting meal. Calamari were good and the little empanda-like pockets were delicious, but the ceviche was so acidic I had to stop halfway through because I couldn't taste anything anymore. Probably wont' return unless service turns around and more care is taken with the food.