This is my first time visiting their permanent location! I usually visit the food truck and try their paella. The seafood paella is delicious but also quite pricy at $15. The lomo saltado beef ($12) is flavorful-it's pretty much stirfry beef with onions, tomatoes, fries and white rice. I still prefer the paella. For drinks, their passion fruit (maracuya) drink is delicious and I also really like their Peruvian purple corn drink (chicha morada). This is a solid food truck to go to! read more

See all

This is my first time eating Peruvian food, so I cannot comment on Don Pedro's authenticity. I discovered the food truck parked on the South side of the street across Banner Hospital North on Allen Rd. The menu looked great, and it's nice to try something different. I loved the salchipapas. Who doesn't enjoy french fries with seared hot dogs layered on top? The Aji Verde sauce had a unique taste to it; I could detect hints of cilantro and lime within the deep flavor. It was delectable! The lo-mein had the texture of the typical Chinese Lo-Mein, but the spices were quite different. Both dishes I ordered were decent portions, and I wouldn't hesitate to try more items next time I see their truck! read more

See all

Good Peruvian Paella. The food truck is not quick at all, so be ready to wait, my order took more than 20 minutes. The flavors were good and the seafood was a generous portion for the price. I think it was $15ish? Peruvian is an underrepresented cuisine and it's great to see one make good food. read more

I don't know where to start. I've had great authentic Peruvian food in Lima and Cuzco. I've had very good Peruvian food in Atlanta, Georgia. Anywho, We bought a few dishes from Don Pedro's to go and had them at home. Cevice Mixto (camaron y pescado) The fish and shrimp was RAW. I was floored. I could not believe at fifteen dollars a plate that we got home with RAW CEVICHE. Yes, ceviche is obviously originally raw but it is served cooked in lemon juice. No, it was vividly, obviously, grey colored and raw. Served on the side was sliced sweet potatoe, large corn (choclo), tiny cup of toasted small corn (cancha), and chili. Huge disappointment! Chaufa Chicken Fried Rice This was decent but its Your typical chicken fried rice with rectangle-cut pieces of cooked egg. This topped off at 12 dollars a plate. Anticuchos (beef heart) These were also decent but some pieces had pink and weren't cooked thoroughly. Decent texture. Not too rough. BUT at ten dollars for two skewers and 4 medallions/pieces of sliced potatoes, not worth it. Last but not least, Chicha Morada (purple corn drink) This tasted like it...its hard to describe. A mixture of old kool aid and fruit punch syrup. This tastes nothing like real chicha morada. At 3 dollars a cup, not worth it. I was overall deeply disappointed. I had been looking forward to trying this spot ever since they announced their grand opening. I did drive by a few times and trangely it would be closed like on a Friday or a Sunday... This was my first Peruvian food experience here and Tucson and I am deeply saddened because 1.I am a foodie and 2.I am Peruvian on my dad's side. I would not return. 2 stars because the anticuchos were decent. read more

See all

Each time Don Pedro's truck shows up at my office, I order lunch. Even if I've already eaten, or brought my lunch that day. It's really that good. I even had their food when they catered a party at sand reckoner tasting room. It constantly delights . The paella is excellent, as are their other entrées. But for whatever reason, the salchipapas will always be my favorite. It sounds sort of horrible - deep fried hotdogs over french fries, with an assortment of sauces - but it's truly amazing. I suspect if I ever traveled to Peru, the street from there still wouldn't be as delicious. read more

Don Pedro's Peruvian Bistro - Food Trucks Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

We cam here for their happy hour which run from 4-6. They have a few beers on offer that are actually from Peru- Franca and Cuzquena. These come in a bottle and are 3$ during happy hour, so it's a great time to try them out. The food..well, I wasn't too impressed. The Calamari (5$) came on a massive plate of super soggy, greasy fries. I don't eat fries anyways, and since I ordered calamari I was looking forward to eating that, but there were maybe 6-7 pieces of calamari on the plate! Barely enough to share without eating the fries...which we didn't. I don't think anyone at the table who ordered this enjoyed their fries. The Papa Rellena (5$) was interesting..think something like mashed potato formed around ground beef with spices and raisins. It was pretty nice, but very heavy. Glad I tried it. The Anticuchos (5$) were the best item we had- I think everyone at the table agreed with this. It came with a spicy red sauce. If you haven't tried beef heart, this is a safe way to go about it- they come on a skewer and are super flavorful. When we got our bill we didn't notice that they added an additional 18% gratuity, and we tipped again. Watch out for that. I had been wanting to try this place for ages, but after eating there I don't think I'd ever go out of my way to try their food again. Too bad. read more

Don Pedro's Peruvian Bistro - Cusquena - Food Trucks Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

See all

Hey I would liked to have liked this place, I tried and it did not cut the mustard. To start off with Peruvian food is usually never good unless its seafood, and that can get a little dicey. The service was lacking, I had to get up twice to get something, and the place was empty. The food was greasy and the fries were soggy, they had beef heart which wasn't bad but did not warrant a return trip. My opinion is the 1st opinion I had when I went there a couple of years ago, Peru is a great place to visit but I would not want to eat there. However; the chocolate cake in Peru is not bad, that's what ate when I could find it. read more

I am giving Don Pedro's 3 stars because I really want this local business to succeed, but there were some pretty big flaws on our recent visit. Pros: The chaufa was very good. None of us has ever had it before so we can't compare it to others. The rolls before dinner were heated and tasty, although I have never been served rolls at a Peruvian restaurant before. The plantains were great, but it's hard to mess those up. My friend loved the arroz con pollo (when I told her I was going to write a less than flattering review on yelp she insisted that I put in how much she loved the chicken and especially the cilantro rice).. The restaurant was clean (more on that below) and comfortable and tastefully decorated. We chose Don Pedro's over another place we like for 2 reasons - it was promoted by a new app called Scan In, Dine Out - so there should have been some sort of promo when we got there. But the server knew nothing about it. And they have pollo a la brasa on the menu online, but when we asked for it we were told we have to order it 2 days in advance. Nothing about that on the website. Since I could not get my roasted chicken and fries, I asked if I could substitute fries for the rice in the arroz con pollo. It was not allowed. I also asked what pieces of chicken came with the order and I was told 2 breasts, so I ordered it anyway. Our appetizers were decent. The papa rellena was really big, and was on the happy hour menu for $1 off, but it had a very strong citrus flavor to it. Other than that it was cooked well and nicely seasoned. We also had an order of fried plantains. For $6 there were 5 or 6 chunks of plantain - they were perfect but there were too few of them. The food came out quickly, and was hot, but I got 2 chicken thighs instead of breasts - which was a big disappointment to me. I pointed it out to the server, who promptly went into the kitchen, seeming as if he was going to do something, but then came back with the bill and that was that. I thought it was interesting that our sever didn't seem to know a lot about what was happening in the restaurant, but also didn't ask anyone else to help him with the questions. He was very nice and seemed to be trying to do a good job. Meanwhile, there was a young woman with a clipboard watching another young woman wash the tables when other people left. It seemed like if she was a manger she may have been able to help with some of these questions or problems. Finally, when the bill came, the happy hour price for the papa rellena was not right. It was only a dollar, so I didn't comment on it, but it was one more thing that just didn't go right. read more

The only words needed to give Don Pedro's an accurate review... Absolutely delicious. read more

My husband and I went to Lunch time. He had the beef stew, it was tasty. I chose the cebiche, the taste was OK. read more

Don Pedro's Peruvian Bistro - Peru style cebiche - Food Trucks Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

I was quite nervous to try Don Pedro's for a couple of reasons. The first being a certain Peruvian restaurant that was basically my favorite restaurant in the world (miss you Candela.) The second was the abysmal rating they had here on Yelp, which was 2.5 stars before Andrew's and mine. If it hadn't been for my friend Elaine's glowing review I would have never even given them a chance. As we pulled up the strip mall location, attached to a Food City and hidden behind a Panda Express, I was really starting to second guess myself. But as it had been a long day, and up to this point I hadn't had a meal I put my game face on, and I'm certainly glad I did! As soon as you walk into the restaurant your memories of a strip mall on the "bad" side of town disappear. Though they do reappear when you see numerous homeless people leaving shopping carts right outside the front door of the restaurant. The decor is quite nice, and decorated with a lot of pictures of Peru. The looks is what I would expect from a more personal and friendly Sauce. Our server was beyond friendly, asking us if we had dined there before and offering us samples of the traditional Peruvian drinks, Chicha Morada and Maracuya. I went with the Chicha Morada, and I am not disappointed, it was one of the most refreshingly delicious beverages I've had in some time! We were also given a bowl of fried corn and two different sauces. While not as stellar as some other free appetizers I've had, they were quite tasty, and also kept me from gnawing at the table. Upon my inspection of the menu I breathed a sigh of relief. Don Pedro's had a lot of similar menu items as that certain restaurant I mentioned earlier. That was something I could never get over with Inca Oven. Where are these supposedly "staple" Peruvian dishes? But that's for another review! The wallet also breathed a pleasant sigh of relief, realizing that the prices were much more reasonable than that certain other restaurant. We decided to try the Anticuchos for a real appetizer. At a tad under 6 bucks, they did not disappoint! Two skewers with a generous helping of beef heart stabbed on! It also came with a side of two large fried slices of potato, and some plumped corn. The heart was so tender and packed with flavor, I wanted to order another! At one point I joked that if it weren't for the slightly odd texture, heart would take the filet's prize of best cut of beef. It does have a slight rubbery consistency while also being ridiculously tender. I highly recommend trying it, don't let the fact it's heart turn you off. You're truly missing out if you don't! As we were waiting for our main courses, I had the pleasure of having a front row seat to an amazing view of their kitchen. It was quite enjoyable watching huge flames jump up, and knowing that my meal was probably the cause of it (I love fire.) I ordered the Lomo Saltado, which from my research seems to be a staple of Peruvian cuisine. It was beyond words. It was so delicious, I actually preferred it over Candela's Lomo Saltado, and believe me I never thought I would say that! The beef was so tender, and the vegetables were cooked just the right amount. They had that wonderful texture of a fresh vegetable with the wonderful taste of being sauteed and none of that off-putting sogginess that sometimes occurs. Combine that with a huge side of rice and I was in heaven. My partner had the Seco de Frijoles, and while not quite as awe-struck as he was by Candela's he was quite happy. The more he ate, the happier he got. When I mentioned that it was quite a lot cheaper, it seemed to ice the cake. He walked away quite enamored with his dish. At this point we were quite stuffed, but still contemplated the idea of dessert. We ultimately decided against it, but it's certainly something I will explore on my repeated visits! The Bottom Line: This restaurant is NOT Candela, nor does it aspire to be. It is much more casual, and the menu options seem to reflect more of a casual dare I say street food fare. While Don Pedro's will never replace the void left by the disappearance of Candela, it at least offers me delicious Peruvian food in a friendly atmosphere. Being so conveniently located near the interstate, even if it is a bit of a drive, it won't take you long to get there. It's also just a short distance away from the Veteran's Hospital, so if you work or go there it's the perfect lunch option. Either Don Pedro's has stepped up their game, or a certain few reviewers just have a grudge against them. I WILL be back, and so should you! read more

In the interest of full disclosure, I must admit that I am giving this place 5 stars in order to counterbalance the poor reviews, because as of this review Don Pedro's only has 2.5 stars, which is utterly ridiculous. The prices and atmosphere are comparable to most South American restaurants in Tucson ($11 for the average entree), and the food is delicious and nicely presented. This place is a solid 4. The first thing I noticed when I walked in was that the decor looked nothing like how I expected. I was imagining a rundown looking joint, but no. While it's certainly not a fine dining establishment, Don Pedro's is clean and updated looking -- kind of like if the interiors of El Coqui and a new Panda Express "did it." Every meal starts off with a complimentary bowl of cancha (fried corn). They're often compared to Corn Nuts, but to me they taste more like inside-out popcorn -- fluffy on the inside, intact kernel on the outside. Don't worry, the kernels on these won't get stuck in your teeth, which is fortunate because this stuff is addictive. You'll wish you could take a bag of them home. Their chicha morada (blue corn drink) was sweet and refreshing. If you've had sorrel at any of the fine Jamaican establishments here in Tucson, then you'll probably enjoy this. For starters, we went with anticuchos (grilled beef heart), which is served with boiled puffed corn and fried potato. I'd never eaten heart before, but I found this one to be rubbery yet tender. I liked it a lot, and it was quite a bit of food for only $6. I could see me ordering this as a cheap meal alternative. For my entree, I ordered my Peruvian measuring stick -- seco de frijoles (seco de carne at other restaurants). I was a bit skeptical when the dish first arrived because it did not look like the saucy explosion of flavor that I remember from the late Candela (NOIWILLNEVERSHUTUPABOUTTHAT), but to my relief Don Pedro's rendition is also wonderful. Here, cilantro is used not as a sauce, but as a flavor base for the slow cooked beef. Pickled onions are provided on the side, and I definitely suggest adding some to increase the complexity of the flavor. For $11, I was very full and very happy. My other half said that the Lomo Saltado was great as well. Service was very friendly. Both the servers with whom we interacted were always smiling, and our glasses of chicha morada rarely ran dry. The servers were also happy to field questions about the various dishes, so n00bs to Peruvian food should feel welcome here. The total bill came out to ~$35 for two (one appetizer, two entrees, and two unlimited chicha moradas), which I guess is a lot for the area, but it's very competitive for the style of cooking, and so I see no fault in the pricing. Like Elaine said in her review, give the place a shot. I'm not positive about the authenticity of the food, but as I've said in other reviews, authenticity is never as important as flavor, and Don Pedro's understands flavor. read more

What a fun food journey. I went to Peru in 2000. It was fun to share the drinks and introduce my friend to wonders of Peruvian food with a short drive to Tucson. The drinks were wonderful and tasty. We hit Happy Hour so I ordered a slew of appetizers. They were quite delicious except for the calamari - I guess I will just forget ordering it forever and ever amen ...... did not hit my tummy well. Everything else was fantastic. Prepared just for us with superb flavors and seasonings. Super clean place and super clean bathroom. There is a great Latino grocery around the corner. So enjoy!!! read more

Wow, I'm actually surprised by the low ratings this restaurant has been getting, since I've never had a bad experience there. Forgive me, now that I've grown to love this place, I feel like I need to defend it a bit. So, it all started when one of my friends suggested this place because she had their #27 Sudado de Pescado and liked it. We were working all day that day so we had to just do take-out. I took her suggestion and ordered it, and it was delicious. I ate all of it. The flounder was cooked in a soupy, tomato-based sauce with onions, bell peppers, and serranos. Wonderful flavors and a great kick. All of my other co-workers enjoyed their dishes as well. After that one experience, I was hooked, so after a second pleasant meal of take-out, I finally brought a friend to dine in. The place was very cute. They may have done some renovations recently, and it was very comfortable. We shared two dishes: #10 Lomo Saltado (sauteed tenderloin beef with onions, tomatoes, french fries, and green onions) and #13 Saltado de Verduras con Pollo (sauteed mix of vegetables with chicken in a special sauce). Both were delicious. The beef was tender and the vegetables were so crisp. Nothing was overcooked. The chicken was also tender. On that day, the #13 was the daily special, so it came with a soup. It had a medley of vegetables, but the broth was bursting with the flavors of cilantro and chicken. I couldn't get enough of it. I was so pleased with the food, I ordered some take-out to bring to my fiance. Today, my friend and I went back, and she told me that the day after I took her to Don Pedro's, she brought her boyfriend to try the food. He liked the food as well. She introduced me to one of their appetizers they had together last time: #2 Papa Rellena. She ordered it again today, and I took a taste. It was so full of goodness: a potato stuffed with beef, onions, egg, and a little sweetness and tartness from some raisins. The pickled sliced onion salad that accompanied it was crisp and refreshing. I've had other Peruvian food, and this place probably isn't 100% authentic, but you have to think about how this place needs to maintain its business: by targeting Americans, NOT Peruvians or Americans who have gone to Peru and know what Peruvian food is. The same thing goes for any ethnic food. I mean, if you only wanted authentic Chinese food, then forget about ever finding it in the US, maybe aside from the handful in NYC or Southern California. But, I'll bet that they have at least few dishes on their menu that are "Americanized." As far as I am concerned, everything I've ordered off the menu has been good. Believe me, I'm not one to settle for mediocre food and neither are my friends. At the end of the day, Don Pedro's has good food, good service, and good prices. What more can you ask for? I say give it a chance. read more

I love Don Pedro's Peruvian Bistro. its good unique food for a good price. I used to work at a peruvian restaurant, so I know what peruvian food should taste like and there food is awesome! My whole family enjoys eating there because of the delicious food, great service who treat you like family, and the atmosphere. And the lucuma ice cream is the best ever! I'm obsessed! Every-time I eat there, I always have a tough time deciding what I want because there are so many choices and a variety of flavors. NONE of their food is pre packaged at all!!! So who ever wrote that in their review did not know what they were talking about! All their food is made when ordered and cooked to perfection! Everyone should go eat at Don Pedro's you won't be disappointed! read more

Very few missteps from a kitchen turning out excellent dishes. Although the restaurant itself doesn't look like much--indifferent space in a strip mall--the standard is high and the attention to detail is lovely. We were a party of 6 and decided to share everything, so it took us a while to settle on our order. While we argued about it, a basket of plain white rolls came out, which seemed like a vehicle for the different types of sauce (in squeeze bottles) on the table. These sauces are complex and spicy. We also ordered some inexpensive margaritas, which were a hit with the table, and some passion flower juice. Finally we settled on 3 appetizers and 3 entrees. I thought the yucca fries were perfect: soft on the inside, crisp on the outside, just enough seasoning. I also loves the papa rellena, a golden fried potato cake stuffed with ground meat and raisins. The causa rellena, cold potato cakes stuffed with a creamy tuna, were my least favorite, but not bad. One of our party thought they were the best part of the meal. Our entrees were all quite different. First came a beautiful cebiche, fish and shrimp, served with hominy and sweet potatoes and adorable toasted corn kernels. Every bite of this plate was a delight. The fish was perfectly done, citrusy with a hint of spice (everyone got, at some point in the evening, a single super spicy bite of something, but generally the spice level was moderate) and paired perfectly with the sweet potato and sweet corn. We had to wait a bit for the rest of the meal, but the waitress brought us another dish of the toasted corn while we waited. The low point of the meal was the fried seafood plate. The calamari was hugely overbreaded and overcooked, the squid so tough that it was hard to bite through. The fish was also dry. We were mixed on the mussels and scallops, which were fried in the shell. I thought the mussel was light and crunchy. Not everyone liked these but found the scallop too hard and dry. There were also shrimp, which seemed the most popular part of the dish, but did little for me. Finally, there was the fusion dish of lamb over rice. This was quite a surprise. The lamb looked just like gyro meat, but tasted so much better, not processed or full of artificial anything, but simply a tender and tasty piece of meat. The rice was a little crispy, as if it had been fried after it was cooked, and everyone loved it. We were still a bit hungry at the end, so we ordered another round of the same appetizers and were finally full. The tab was quite reasonable. With drinks, it came to about $22 per person including tax, and we ate a LOT. read more

I caught the Don Pedro's food truck at the Sahuarita Pecan Festival for the first time, and it was a treat! it's it's not everyday you stumble upon good Peruvian food, and just that fact made the experience even more special. So the news of them being at the Friday farmer's market at UMC was just wonderful. The maracuja(passion fruit) juice is so good as well as the aji de gallina and the seafood paella. I wish they still had a restaurant, however it is nice and fun to catch them mobile as well. The main drawback is that their prices are kinda steep for a food truck/food stall ($8 for 1 cup size of paella, $10 and up for the other dishes, and $3 for the drink). Mos def tho if you're craving Peruvian and they're nearby it's worth it. read more

Visited the food truck and was not a fan. I'm no expert on Peruvian cuisine, but I've never seen a Peruvian restaurant offer lo mein and fried rice on their menu... but this place has it. I opted for the lomo saltado / pollo because it's my go-to. But their version was overly salty. Way, way too much. And the fries weren't very good. Maybe I ordered the wrong thing, but I figured that would be the easiest to make on a food truck. I wouldn't eat there again. read more

What was I thinking getting Peruvian food in Tucson, Az? Located in a strip mall....the atmosphere is drab. I had the Jalea, which was obviously a pre packaged frozen fish combo and the Ceviche which was also below par. Im a ceviche fan, but I could believe how large the chunks of fish were. All and all, I wont be coming back. I will say that the place is reasonably priced, which is the reason it is getting 2 stars read more

I think it's great that an ethnic restaurant like this is in Tucson! I have never had Peruvian food, so I was anxious to go out with friends to try this place. Don Pedro's seems like it is still trying to get in gear and find its audience. The food is okay. You get a lot of food--plenty of leftovers--but, it was not as flavorful as I was expecting--maybe they are trying to cater to a more American crowd and make the food bland? We tried different dishes, the loma saltado and the chaufa. The chaufa definitely won in terms of taste. It had a nice ginger seasoning that lingered on the pallet. The loma was okay, but not as hot as it could have been on delivery. We also has the plantains appetizer. I love fried plantains! But these ones were somehow not cooked all the way--they arrived cold, especially in the centers--no good. I think if the food was hotter, we would have enjoyed it more. It was a busier night in there, so perhaps the server--who was very friendly, by the way--forgot our order for too long under the lamp. Anyways, I might be willing to give them another chance and try the other dishes on the menu some time. The seafood looks particularly promising. read more

I have never been to Peru nor have I had Peruvian food before so I can't tell you if this is good Peruvian food. Before I went here, I couldn't even tell you what Peruvian food was ( still can't). But what I can tell you is that Don Pedro's Peruvian Bistro has pretty good food in general, and you get a lot of it. One of the highlights of my excursion was the toasted popcorn kernels. I am not sure what they were but they tasted like the corn nuts you get in the long thin packages at the gas station. They were very addicting. read more

I have very mixed feeling about this place. I went on a weekday night and it was empty. It was a scary part of town and I was glad we didn't take the nicer car because I didn't like those strange man loitering in the parking lot. Sincerely, I don't see how a Peruvian Restaurant is going to survive in an All Mexican Neighborhood. The food tasted ok, it was not extremely tasteful. I preferred Candelas. I ordered a Marisco dish and I received a Pescado dish. I didn't say anything and I ate my food. My husband's food was ok too, nothing exotic. But I would be willing to give it another try. I heard from people that some days are good, some days are bad, it depends who is working in the kitchen. This is what I heard from two Peruvian friends: One said she loved it, one said it was ok, she preferred Candelas as well. I did enjoy their home made icecrem and the appetizers though. read more

I work nearby and the place was recommended to me. I am accustomed to bringing my lunch to work because the choices in South Tucson are Mexican or fast food, neither of which I'm keen to eat on a regular basis. So, Don Pedro's was recommended to me and my co-worker and I decided to give it a try. What a pleasant surprise it was to find such a well put together establishment hidden in the corner of a southside shopping center. The ambiance and decor is reminiscent of a finer establishment. The staff is friendly and quick to attend to your needs. Sit anywhere you like, they bring your menus, drinks, and soft warm rolls immediately. I've only eaten lunch, and their lunch specials are delightful. My first visit I tried the #10, the chicken with vegetables. After ordering, I was brought out a cup of incredibly flavorful barley soup with green vegetables and hominy. The broth was delicious and I seriously could have eaten an entire bowl of it. The food was brought out quickly, served very attractively on a large plate, with the protein/vegetables mixed in a stir fry sauce and a serving of white rice. One taste and I felt like I discovered a new and exciting artifact! The combination of the meat, the vegetables, the savory sauce, plus the side sauce they provided was sublime. I have also dared to try the #1, which is a beef Lomo Saltado dish. Beef, peppers, onions, and french fries sauteed and served with the same white rice. The service is fantastic, the food is some of the best I've ever tasted, and I am happy to say that I've become a regular :) read more

It was just OK. Hubby and I both ordered the Chaufa (fried rice) for $12.99. We both agreed the portion was smaller then expected. It was also very salty, probably over done with Soy sauce. Being that the food took SO long to arrive, I kind of expected better not a small portion of salty rice. Don't come super hungry the wait is long and not much food. over priced Peruvian food in my opinion. read more

The first time I went to this place it was seriously some of the best food I've ever had in Tucson. The second time--not so. It was underwhelming at best, and some things were actually bad. I'm not sure what explains the inconsistencies, but down to 2 stars from 5... not good! read more

I got lunch from the Don Pedro truck recently and had a decent eating experience. I had the Salchipapas which was basically cut up fried hot dogs chunks over French fries with a mix of sauces covering. While it was good, the weak point were the fries which were barely cooked and limp. This was the breaking point between a good dish and one that could have stood out. I had a similar experience before with the Lomo Saltado entree. Sauteed beef and onions served over limp, undercooked fries. It was a very tasty dish but the weak link was again the fries. If you are going to serve a dish where a main player is French Fries, you should at least cook them properly. And before anyone chimes in saying the sauce made the fries soggy, no I've had Lomo Saltado before at other places done properly. Maybe with some fine tuning this place can shine. read more

What can I say about Donny P's--- Good: The Pisco Sour they made was devine--delicious and strong. The herb rice that came with the Pollo con Arroz was simple but incredibly tasty, stealing the show from the chicken. Portions were ample for two persons. The starter bread was warm and satisfying--especially if you're famished (it's hard to screw up bread) Bad: The Chupe disappointed me--I had thick clam-chowder esque bisque in mind. But apparently it's more like a stew and was one-note even after I added quite a bit of salsa into it. The Lucama ice cream was a huge portion/interesting novelty choice but for some reason there was a grainy after taste--like some sand grains left in your throat. All in all, interesting novelty restaurant but won't be a favorite haunt of mine. read more

A gem on the south side. Came here with my 8 yr old son. We both enjoyed the food and the food service. My kid had the salchichas con papas from the kids menu and I had the pollo salteado (no rice because I'm watching my carbs). It was all delicious. Excellent can't wait to come here again and try more dishes. read more

See all

Went here again on Sunday for some quick appetizers to-go. Everything was still very delicious but I was very upset with the portions. I received half the amount of Anticuchos that I got when dining in. And my Causa was delicious, but had maybe a quarter the amount of Tuna. It is not cool to skimp on the amount of food just because it is hidden inside of a box! On the plus side, I tried the Papas Rellenas and that was perfect. read more

I love that Tucson has restaurants from so many places around the world! One of my favorite aspects of the OP. Don Pedro's was okay, but nothing special. We got fried plantains as an appetizer, and the centers of the plantains were still cold...yuck. It's not like we're eating fried food for the health benefits, so it should at least be hot, right? :-P For the main dish, three of us got the lomo saltado, which was served in huge portions! Also not piping hot and a little greasy, but very flavorful. This dish has french fries mixed in with the food. One person got the chaufa, which I thought was the winner. Lots of ginger flavor. YUM. Service was attentive and friendly. Lots of leftovers waiting for tomorrow... read more

Delicious food, delivered in a timely manner, complete with a big.smile can't wait till the next food truck roundup. Good job, folks!

This was my first visit to Don Pedro's and the first time I had Peruvian in Tucson. I was excited to try something new. The server who took our order was shy but explained and recommended what to get. I had the lomo saltado and my friend had the chaufa. We also ordered the national drink, pisco sour. I would like to give this place four stars, based on the food and the clean atmosphere of the restaurant. However, we had problems with our check total being added up. This confusion unfortunately took a while, before they realized they owed us money. While a place with excellent customer service might have offered us free dessert, they seemed grudgingly apologetic and just gave us 10% off coupons. Not sure when I'll return again. I enjoyed the plates but feel like I could whip up something similar at home. read more

Consistency. That's pretty much it, Don Pedro's never lets you down. My Bf and I discovered this little place about 4months ago, and when ever he's in town he demands we go there. Service is pretty great, Rebecca our usual server always recommends something different and it's nothing short of delicious. All the dishes are great, but let me say that the Lomo Salteado and Ceviche Mixto are by far our favorite. The sweet potato goodness they add to the ceviche is just to die far!! Great little gem in south tucson, by El Super for those Tucsonians. read more

After watching the latest episode of Anthony Bordain's visit to Peru, we knew we had to give it a try. I've seen people complain about the neighborhood but I had no problem with it. Hispanic neighborhood does NOT equal bad neighborhood. Place was cute inside and very clean. We were promptly greeted and asked if we wanted to sample the drink offerings (the passion fruit one and the purple corn one). Both were too sweet for me but our 7 year old loved the passion fruit one. Husband had a Peruvian beer (not bad he said) and a Pisco Sour (a foamy lime margarita). We ordered the Papas la Huancaina (cold sliced potato with a creamy sauce over it) appetizer. It was basically a deconstructed potato salad. Not bad. Then we ordered the lamb over rice (reminiscent of a gyro, complete with pita and tzatziki) , the Jaleo Royal (bunches of seafood, mostly fried) and the kid's shrimp stir fry. All were pretty good and flavorful (especially the smoky stir fry) but maybe a tad heavy on the oily side. Portions were large and again, service was very friendly. My little one had walked up to the counter and noticed the cancha (toasted Peruvian corn) for sale. The server promptly asked if we would like to try a sample. They were tasty little suckers (basically taste like those unpopped popcorn kernels that you get on the bottom of the bowl but even better) and of course we had to purchase a bag to take home. We will give it a try again and hope for a less oily experience. Also, beware of the added gratuity. We were only a party of 3 and were not told that it would be added. I had no problem with it but would have appreciated some notice either verbal or written. read more

Unfortunately we had a really bad experience yesterday at don pedro's.... Me and my wife been regular customers for the last 2 years always bringing new friends and family with us, we love their food and service, we absolutely love their ceviche and lomo saltado. Yesterday around 4pm Me, my wife and a friend of us went to have dinner. My wife order lomo saltado (like always, she loved it) and me and my friend order the "all you can eat ceviche" for $44 per person, we both order 3 types of ceviche each to start. The first two ceviches that arrived were really good but by the third plate i notice the fish smelled extremely bad and the lime was really really bitter, i notified the waitress and i wanted to talk to the manager. The manager came and very friendly explained me that they had a bad batch of limes that morning and that they tried to fix it with altering their recipes. She justified the bad smell of the fish by saying that the limes were bad. My question for them was: Me as a customer, am i guilty of they having a bad batch of limes that day? Do i have to PAY ($44) for their mistakes?... At that time i was completely confused because the ceviches were not eatable, i offer the manager to smell the fish or to try the lime juice in the ceviche which she denied because of sanitation issues and claiming she have tried the food because shes the manager. A waitress (that didn't served us) pass thru our table and while walking she told us: "YOURE THE FIRST CUSTOMERS THAT HAVE COMPLAIN IN THE WHOLE DAY" the manager tried to calm her down but she didn't stay quiet, i had to respond that she should be thankful i said something and that probably i was the only outspoken customer thay had all day and that cares about their business(I was complaining about the bitterness of the lime which her manager admitted they had a problem, so i don't understand why this rude waitress came to attack us instead of being embarrassed)... The manager offer us complementary dessert which i quote the manager "to leave with a sweet taste in our mouths".... We end up paying the (2) $44.50 all you can eat ceviche even though they admitted their limes we bad and by consequence THE CEVICHE IS BAD!!!!!!! They gave us two desserts and they eliminate an appetizer my wife order (leche de tigre "ceviche" that was not eatable $8) Based in what happened yesterday we decided never to come back to don pedro's due to the lack of taking responsibilities and for the unknown rude waitress that showed out of nowhere attacking us. If the owner see this post i would love to have a conversation with him about this, i invite him to send me a personal message and we can share more details from a restaurant owner to another restaurant owner. Carlos Maldonado read more

I love this place. I found out about it through U of A Marketplace Coupons and have been back a few times despite it not being close to my home or work. You should try it! read more

I found Don Pedro's at the Tucson Meet (eat) Yourself. I had the #2 anticuchos (beef heart kabobs) with fried potatoe medallions. I was anticipating chewy meat since the heart is a super worked muscle; it was delicious! Great flavor and tender. I hope to eat more of their anticuchos and sample the rest of their menu. I'm guessing everything is fabulous given the one I tried. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to try something new! read more

It started out as a wonderful lunch with friends. Lovely hostess, lively conversation. Then the drinks came. Maracuya (passion fruit) "juice" obviously from some sort of Tang mix. And the chicha morada wasn't much better (though it did have a nice aroma). The seafood soup looked lovely, but was unbearably saturated with cilantro. One of the pieces of boiled yuca in he soup was spoiled. My colleague ordered the chaufa and while a fairly large portion for lunch (easily enough for two people) it was greasy. Our other 3 friends seemed fine with their lunches. So the food? Mediocre to decent. Price? Paying $14 at lunch for a bowl of cilantro, spoiled manioc root and some flounder chunks....not a good value. Then there was the matter of how management treats customers. My friends and I eat out a LOT. It takes a seriously poor or extraordinarily wonderful experience for me to get on Yelp!. Unfortunately this was the former. We had some Entertainment book deal tickets to accompany our lunch. We handed them to the waitress right after being seated (prior to ordering). There were no rules written on the tickets (no omissions, caveats, restrictions) and no new, bait-and-switch rules were conveyed to us at the time of presenting them (read: foreshadowing). So, we ordered, at our mediocre lunch...and had a great time because of each other's company despite the also mediocre atmosphere complete with non-Peruvian run-of-the-mill Latin music (Mark Anthony salsa) playing in the background and a gigantic flat screen immediately behind the table visually shouting scenes from Univision interviews. At the end of the meal, the actual waitress (different from the young woman who took the tickets) came to tell us we couldn't use the tickets. We couldn't use two. We ordered the wrong things. We ordered off the wrong menu. We were wearing the wrong color... You see where this is going. So we tried to understand and make sense of it. We tried to show the lack of detail on the ticket itself and instruction from the first waitress. Our waitress acknowledged that this was an issue and agreed to go bring our concerns to the manager. In order to more deftly handle the situation one of my friends/colleagues went with the waitress to speak to the manager. Her calm, clear (and might I say impressively diplomatic) points were met with stubbornness and arrogance. What was mostly a fun experience (despite food, price and atmosphere issues) turned into a REAL drag and disappointment in the end....from something so simply resolved. I have used those kinds of books numerous times to try out new restaurants or visit favorites with a friend (I had been to Don Pedro's once before) and have never received this sort of treatment. If you don't want people using a coupon, don't publish an offer in a book that's distributed all over the city. The experience was enraging, embarrassing and overall a big disappointment--I just came back to Tucson from a month-long trip to South America and thought it would be fun to share some of the culture with friends here. How sadly wrong I was. read more

I really like this restaurant. I am a peruvian, who likes a good "Seco con frejoles", and you can find a good one at Don Pedro's!! They have delicious lunch specials including "Aguadito de pollo", lomo saltado, etc. I have not tried any seafood yet or even the Pollo a la Brasa, but I will do it on Saturday for our Independence day Jul 28th though. Prices are good, quick service and nice people. The location is not the best in town, but worthy the drive for a good meal. I highly recommend it! read more

Very intriguing indeed. Can't speak to how authentic (not a Peruvian expert), but I can speak Don Pedro's being darn good. The food was great and very different, it was like an interesting mix of many styles of cuisine - as if blending Latin, American, Chinese and Mediterranean all together at once. Is this what comes out the other end of a melting pot? If so, I like it! We ordered a number of dishes for takeout: - Chupe de Camerones (shrimp chowder): so yummy, plentiful chunks of shrimp in a flavorful chowder broth with puffed corn that was tender and chewy, an interesting new experience -Sudado De Pescado: the white wine sauce was very flavorful and went well with the fresh fish - it was almost mediterranean in style -House Special Chaufa: This fried rice was yummy and similar to Chinese fried rice - except it had a smoky grilled flavor to it - Beef Broccoli: Again almost Chinesse but a little different - sauce was great - Tallarin Salatado Chicken: wheat noodles stir fried w/ jalapenos and bell peppers in a way that was again - a little different than any other stir fry with a meld of flavors - Chicha Morada - Blue corn drink? It was yummy, sweet and flavored with cinnamon and various other spices (think a more far out kind of horchata), it was a great compliment to all the other savory food. read more