La Limeña

Address: 765-B Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20850

Phone: 301-424-8066

Neighborhood: Rockville

Cuisines: South American, Peruvian

Opening Hours: Open Monday through Thursday 11 to 9, Friday and Saturday 11 to 10, Sunday 10 to 9.

Wheelchair Accessible: Yes

Kid Friendly: Yes

Nearby Metro Stops: Rockville

Price Range: Inexpensive

Dress: Informal

Noise Level: Chatty

Reservations: Not Needed

Best Dishes Anticuchos; chupe, a shrimp, rice, and corn soup; Peruvian-style ceviche; rotisserie chicken; fried trout with yuca and rice; causa, chicken salad between soft-cooked potato; alfajores cookies.

Price Details: Dinner entrees $10 and under

Special Features:
Kid Friendly

You don’t expect to find beauty when you’re hunting for bargain meals, but this strip-mall Peruvian is among the most aesthetically pleasing restaurants in its class. Witness the tiradito—strips of lime-marinated sea bass fanned out like flower petals atop a brilliant yellow-pepper sauce.

Nothing else at Emma Perez’s place is quite so gorgeous, but the power and delicacy of the cooking across the board are stunning. The strong pisco sours and, for dessert, melt-in-your-mouth alfajoresenhance the experience. And you still won’t pay more than you would for a comparable night at TGI Friday’s.

Also good: Ceviche mixto; chupe de camarones, a creamy shrimp soup; anticuchos,grilled beef hearts; aji gallina, shredded chicken in a sauce of garlic, wine, and bread; fried whole trout.